When speaking of Divine Cuisine, one cannot forget the legendary life-saving dish: the Teyvat Fried Egg.
Back in the day, no traveler's backpack was complete without at least a dozen or two of them. After all, the saying "A single bird egg for a whole new life" was no joke.
In Renjiro's eyes, if Divine Cuisine could truly be reproduced in this world, then…
"Chickens across the Lower World had better watch their backs."
Without a doubt, even if one bite only revived a half-dead adventurer, and even if the cooldown between meals remained, countless adventurers would flock to buy and hoard them.
Adventurers lived every day with blades at their throats.
A dish that could save a life, no, that could give you extra lives… who wouldn't want it?
And if he thought a little deeper…
With a Teyvat Fried Egg in hand, countless adventurers would dare attempt the 'Great Deeds' they had always dreamed of.
From that alone, Divine Cuisine was a top-tier strategic resource, one capable of raising the average power level of all intelligent races in the Lower World.
According to the Genshin System's notes, once Renjiro's cooking skill reached the required proficiency, such food could even be mass-produced.
Just like a crafting system in a game: as long as the materials were available, you could cook anytime, anywhere.
With such an advantage…
From the Middle Floors onward, the Dungeon's difficulty rises almost exponentially.
"Monster Feasts, Out-of-Control Rampages, weapon troves hidden in the labyrinth… dangers everywhere."
If I plan to keep 'grinding' for faster leveling, the trouble I'll face will definitely be greater, and more dangerous, than that of ordinary adventurers.
Which means it's about time I prepare a few more life-saving methods.
At the very least, before the Loki Familia's next expedition, I need to try everything possible at this stage.
Sitting at the bar, Renjiro calculated silently.
Just then,
"Big Brother Renjiro, here are your drinks."
Syr approached with a tray holding three large mugs. She set them down carefully.
"Mead, red wine, and a dwarven fire-spirit, one of each. Please enjoy."
Renjiro sighed helplessly.
"I really can't drink that much… but thanks anyway."
He had already given up resisting.
After all, Syr had done him plenty of favors lately, even arranging for him to join the Loki Familia's expedition through a certain god. This time, he could at least let her enjoy herself.
Besides…
Liquor, huh.
He wasn't fond of the dwarven fire-spirit, which was basically their version of strong grain liquor. So he picked up the wine instead, sipping lightly.
At the same time, a thought crossed his mind.
Speaking of this… could my cat-girl Diona brew wine here too?
If memory serves, back in Teyvat, Diona possessed an absurdly powerful talent for brewing and mixing drinks. No matter what ingredients she used, even throwing together random junk, her drinks always came out delicious.
The irony? She had always wanted to ruin Mondstadt's wine industry, but instead became its most beloved bartender.
That angry little cat… way too cute. Especially her ears and tail. I really want to pet her~
Renjiro decided he'd sneak in some cat-petting practice tonight.
After all, self-petting isn't a crime… ahem.
Stop. Focus.
THUD!
Mama Mia slammed another dish down, snapping him out of his wandering thoughts.
This time it was spaghetti, only 300 valis. Except… the portion towered even higher than the whole roast chicken from earlier.
"Since you're Syr's friend, I gave you a little extra." Mama Mia grinned, giving a big thumbs up. "Don't hold back!"
"Heh… ha-ha…"
Staring at the mountain of pasta, Renjiro's gaze hardened.
Next time I come here, I'm definitely transforming into the Traveler twins first. Then I'll show them what a real big eater looks like.
After all, the Monkey King of Teyvat once downed over a hundred dishes in a single sitting.
And that wasn't even the limit.
If not for the cooldown on food effects, even that smug white-eyed prince from a certain ninja village would have to bow his head.
"Hee-hee~"
Watching Renjiro's deadly serious expression, as though he were about to duel a swordmaster, when in reality he was just facing a plate of spaghetti, Syr couldn't help but laugh again.
This mysterious young man was far too fun.
"Looks like I won't be bored for a long, long time."
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That night, after saying farewell to Syr and paying his tab at the Hostess of Fertility, Renjiro wandered the streets of Orario to digest before heading leisurely back toward Folkvangrs.
By the time he reached the gates of the Freya Familia's compound,
"Ottar?"
A tall, broad-shouldered figure stood waiting. The man known as the strongest adventurer in Orario, the silent warrior Ottar.
"Come with me."
The boar-man's words were as few as ever. Clearly, he was following Freya's orders, waiting here for Renjiro.
Renjiro had gotten used to it by now.
When Ottar turned and strode ahead, Renjiro simply followed.
Before long,
The armory?
They arrived at an underground storeroom within the compound.
Ottar pointed inside.
"Freya-sama asked me to tell you: before you depart with the Loki Familia on their next expedition, pick a set of equipment for yourself."
Then he added, "Go in. I'll wait outside."
Renjiro gave a small nod.
"Thanks."
He wasn't good with stoic types like Ottar, so he stuck to the rule of fewer words, fewer mistakes.
Stepping into the armory alone, he looked around.
The sight rivaled the finest shops of the Hephaestus Familia: racks upon racks of high-grade weapons and armor.
Swords, spears, axes… everything gleamed in the dim light.
Renjiro rubbed his chin.
If I'm supposed to pick gear for myself… well, anything competing with the Divine Weapon is pointless. Even a billion-valis masterpiece can't compare.
And I'm not about to take everything here for myself… that'd be too greedy.
He smirked.
So maybe I'll set aside my own equipment for now… and instead, choose gear for Paimon.
It was, admittedly, a peculiar line of thought.
After learning Paimon's Spatial Backpack could store even buildings, Renjiro had imagined an attack strategy akin to dropping mountains from the sky.
A pseudo-Heavenly Meteor Shower.
When quality isn't enough, bring quantity.
A storm of pseudo-meteors.
The spectacle would be incredible.
Though he hadn't had the chance to test it, yet.
So… things like miniature repeating crossbows designed for Pallum-sized users… I wonder if they have those here.
And magic swords, though they're consumable and usually break after a few uses. But maybe, with Paimon's unique ability to make held items indestructible and infinitely powered, even those could last.
He knew Paimon's stamina was still that of an ordinary person.
So small tools could work wonders.
With her abilities, time-stop, spatial storage, she could become far more than simple support.
In fact, she could outshine many adventurers.
Especially now, in his early stage of growth, she could make a massive difference.
Alright. Gear for small races, and magic swords. Those are my targets.
He rubbed his hands together.
As for myself… maybe I should just dump everything into defense and become a dual-shield tank. Too afraid of dying, might as well go full turtle.
As usual, his choices were anything but normal.
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Footnotes:
Divine Cuisine – Legendary-grade food with supernatural effects.
Teyvat Fried Egg – A healing dish from the world of Teyvat, capable of reviving someone from near death.
Pallum – A small, hobbit-like race in Orario.
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