The foxes scampering across the Grand Narukami Shrine came in breeds. Larger ones were called Tenko, smaller ones Chiko. Both carried Hakushin blood, potent enough to be venerated.
Then there were plain foxes, too dilute for worship.
The tanuki's boss was a millennial youkai named Bake-Danuki Ioroi, ruling a vast forest fief. Their inherited youjutsu was quirky, cast by instinct, not theory. Vague explanations left Reisen Riou with no chance to learn it.
A stern-faced miko taught the young youkai, but her lessons were basic—mostly common knowledge.
Reisen Riou sighed. Was it his mediocre talent carrying over?
Months at the shrine, his practical experience recovered to his old-world level in just over a month. But after that? Proficiency gains crawled.
His theoretical knowledge, though? Skyrocketing. Maybe his tsukumogami phone nature gave him a killer memory, soaking up lessons fast.
The mikos taught more than common knowledge: etiquette, geography, arithmetic, social graces, archery, swordsmanship, spearmanship, and minor rituals like exorcisms, purifications, and soul-soothing ceremonies.
Young youkai, alongside junior mikos, also cleaned the shrine.
Reisen Riou figured the fox kits loved it—playtime disguised as work.
Swordsmanship and spearmanship classes exposed his abysmal talent.
Other youkai, starting at his level, were sparring. Him? Still grinding basic forms, slow and stiff.
His theory was solid—he'd memorized the miko's sword and spear basics—but his body control? Trash.
His proficiency panel told the tale:
Swordsmanship Theory LV2 (10.2/100), Spearmanship Theory LV2 (11.4/100)
Swordsmanship LV1 (5.7/100), Spearmanship LV1 (5.2/100)
Per the defunct Ultimate Life-Crafting System's metrics, unlisted skills meant unlearned. LV1 was beginner, LV2 was proficient—like his youkai peers. LV3 was combat-ready, LV4 a skilled hand, like the teaching mikos. LV5 was expert, grasping deeper truths. LV6 meant a personal system, earning full mastery in a school. LV7 was grandmaster, LV8 transcended mortal limits, LV9 was human pinnacle, LV10 beyond humanity. LV11 entered inhuman realms, LV12 matched Demon Gods, LV13 capped ordinary Demon Gods, LV14 was Seven Archon-tier, and LV15 was Teyvat's ceiling.
Theory differed. LV1 was instinctive use, LV2 clear understanding—most people's level. LV3 showed deep study, like veteran farmers or carpenters. LV4 meant an emerging system, common among Sumeru scholars. LV5 neared perfection, like senior scholars. LV6 was fully refined, expert-tier. LV7 was field-defining, LV8 absolute authority, LV9 touched inhuman domains, LV10 grazed Teyvat's essence.
Body control? Reisen Riou had no quick fix. Exercise and herbs might help, but Yae Miko hinted a return to Ritou could improve things.
Unlike his dismal sword and spear skills, archery was his shining star.
In archery class, he outshot every youkai and miko. Using math to model parabolas and wind speed, he expanded the mikos' basic theory. His archery surpassed the teaching miko, whose skill and theory he pegged at LV4.
Thanks, phone-bound days, for the physics flashbacks.
Archery Theory LV5 (42.2/100)
Research Directions: Precision, Rapid-Fire, Armor-Piercing, Long-Range, Anti-Magic
Self-Taught Archery LV5 (0.1/100)
Traits:
Precision: Sacrifices rapid-fire for massive accuracy and slight range boosts. Focus, aim, calculate variables, hit dead-on.
Rapid-Fire: Trades range and some accuracy for max arrow output in minimal time.
He dominated in archery, but elsewhere? Hopeless. In a real fight, unless he kept distance, he'd be toast.
That day, after a morning common knowledge class on magical beast habits—Common Knowledge Proficiency +0.1—a familiar miko stopped him.
The senior patrol miko who'd forced his early birth.
"Lucky guy, Her Excellency Narukami wishes to see you," she said.
"Her Excellency Narukami?"
Also called the Raiden Shogun or Electro Archon, she ruled Inazuma's Shogunate.
Reisen Riou was stunned when he first learned Teyvat was mostly god-governed, but he'd adjusted.
A scholar's soul, devoted to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, taught him Teyvat's basics: seven god-ruled nations and one mortal land. Mondstadt, land of wind and freedom; Liyue, rock and contracts; Inazuma, thunder and eternity; Sumeru, grass and wisdom; Natlan, fire and war; Fontaine, water and justice; Snezhnaya, ice and love; and Khaenri'ah, godless.
Snezhnaya's Cryo Archon had changed shortly after his old-world death, roughly 800–900 years before Teyvat's main events, per Mihoyo lore nerds.
Ritou, his birthplace, was a dependency of Narukami Island in Inazuma, land of thunder and eternity.
Following the miko, Reisen Riou soon faced a god of Teyvat—a supreme being, the over-2000-year-old Narukami.
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