Genshin Impact: Strength Through Bonds [153]

Watching Keqing's figure retreat into the distance, Ren couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness.

With a sigh, he lay back down, soaking up the sunlight again.

It wasn't like he could really chase her into her room—at least not yet.

After lying there for a while, Ren opened his eyes again and shook his head firmly.

"No, I can't keep slacking off," he said resolutely, flipping over.

But don't get the wrong idea—he wasn't just rolling over to nap again.

"Let's see what you really are."

A faint green glow emerged from his fingertips as Ren pulled out the leaf once more.

The white-robed woman in his dream had entrusted it to him but hadn't explained anything.

She hadn't even expressed concern for Nahida—her own child!

Riddles, huh?

Ren stared at the green leaf for a long moment, but no answers presented themselves.

He'd thought Columbina was already cryptic enough, but this woman had taken it to another level.

"But this power…"

Ren muttered as he examined it, deep in thought.

The leaf radiated a vigorous life force, so strong it felt as though it was pulsing.

This was pure Dendro energy—raw and untainted.

"And this thing?"

Ren poked the leaf, raising an eyebrow.

If he wanted to plant this seed, he would need the right soil and nutrients.

But where could he find soil suitable for this?

Fiddling with the leaf, Ren fell into deep contemplation.

It didn't look like something he could just bury in the ground and call it a day.

"Speaking of nutrients…"

"Maybe that research could work…"

Ren murmured, recalling the stolen notes from Dottore's lab.

The possibilities of using Electro and Dendro reactions for enhanced growth.

He didn't really understand the principles, but hey—giving the leaf a little Electro shock should work, right?

Still, Ren had something Dottore could never have.

"Let's give it a shot."

Determination flickered in his eyes, and with that, a sharp burst of violet energy crackled above him.

[Elemental Skill: Transcendence—Baleful Omen]

"Let's hope this works," Ren muttered as his fingers danced with Electro energy, lively and eager.

But this wasn't ordinary Electro—it was the divine power granted by the Raiden Shogun herself.

Carefully, Ren touched the leaf with his electrified fingers.

The moment they made contact, the leaf erupted in a dazzling green light, trembling violently.

"Uh-oh, is it going to blow?"

Ren's expression shifted as he hesitated, wondering if he should run.

But before he could move, the leaf abruptly stopped trembling and settled back into his palm.

"Looks like it worked," Ren sighed in relief, lifting the leaf and giving it a small shake.

He could sense it clearly now—this leaf, imbued with the white-robed woman's wisdom and power, had gained a new vitality.

It even seemed to unfurl slightly.

"So, it's in an activated state? But all this energy can't stay contained in the leaf forever…"

In other words, unless the Electro energy reached a certain threshold, it couldn't fully catalyze the leaf.

Once the energy dissipated, the leaf would return to its original state.

Ren's brows furrowed as the joy of success gave way to rational analysis.

This pure energy—letting it go to waste would be a pity.

Yet holding it in his hand without being able to use it felt equally frustrating.

Then, an idea struck him.

"Speaking of channeling energy…"

Ren mumbled, considering a possibility as he pulled out a radiant golden energy core.

He glanced between the core and the leaf, recalling Sandrone's description of the core as a device capable of energy conversion, similar to a Gnosis.

A bold thought began to form in his mind.

Let's find out.

"Hummm—"

Golden light intertwined with emerald green as Ren cautiously brought the two mysterious powers together.

The next moment, the leaf emitted a faint green glow that seeped into the golden core, creating ripples of energy.

The once-chaotic power within the core began to transform, becoming something entirely new.

Golden light flashed in Ren's eyes as he murmured:

"So it's possible after all."

At the same time, a strange sensation surged through him.

Thump, thump, thump.

He could hear the rhythm of the ley lines, as if the world itself was pulsating.

And in the distance, ethereal whispers echoed.

They were voices deeply connected to the Irminsul, emanating endless wisdom—divine wisdom.

"Wait… this isn't right."

Ren froze, realizing something startling.

A part of his consciousness had linked with the ley lines.

Damn, is Khaenri'ah tech really this advanced?

Harnessing the power of the ley lines was equivalent to wielding divine authority.

Wasn't this the very definition of godhood?

"So, my domain of power would be…"

Images of the white-robed woman in the forest flashed in his mind.

Ren's eyes widened slightly as he instinctively reached toward the ocean.

From his fingertips, a radiant green light coalesced.

In the next instant, he clenched his fist.

Boom—!

A deafening roar erupted from the depths of the sea.

The ocean churned violently, as if something colossal was about to rise.

"What… what's happening?!"

"Are we about to be hit by a tsunami?!"

The ship rocked precariously as panicked cries erupted from the Tenryou Commission samurai aboard.

Everyone was in shock—how could there be a tsunami on such a sunny day?

Could it be the work of a malevolent god?

"Takahashi-sama, you—!"

Before the samurai could approach Ren, the world suddenly dimmed.

The sun… had been swallowed.

"Wh-what is that?!"

A samurai collapsed onto the deck, his trembling hand pointing toward the sky.

Splash—

The seawater thrown into the air by the tremors fell back down in torrents, drenching everyone in a heavy rain.

And then, the shadow began to take shape.

A massive tree, its branches stretching to blot out the sun, emerged from the depths of the ocean.

It was colossal beyond imagination, growing from the very seafloor and sending waves crashing in all directions.

The ocean's vastness was common knowledge, but for a tree to grow from its depths…

What kind of unimaginable vitality and size did it possess?

Compared to the tree, the ship was as insignificant as a drifting speck of dust.

Was this a dream?

Beneath this awe-inspiring shadow, Ren turned around slowly, his expression calm.

"Hmm? Is something wrong?"

The golden and green light in his eyes faded quietly.

The power of [Baleful Omen] dissipated, and the energy catalyzed by the reaction was exhausted.

In short, the catalysis had ended.

The divine authority he'd briefly wielded had vanished, and his fleeting connection to the ley lines was severed.

But the tree that pierced the ocean depths was real, standing as a silent testament to the domain Ren had momentarily touched.

The realm of the gods.

"T-Takahashi-sama…" A samurai swallowed nervously, his voice trembling.

"With power like that… could you be the Dendro Archon?!"

The question lingered in the air, echoing like a thunderclap.

Ren: "?"

Before he could respond—

Crack—

A thunderclap suddenly echoed across the clear skies.

"What… is this?"

Ren froze, his gaze dropping instinctively to his waist.

There, the stern-faced Shogun doll swayed back and forth.

"!"

Ren shot a warning glare at the samurai, signaling them not to approach.

Then, he picked up the doll, hurriedly straightening his attire.

"Ahem, may I ask if Shogun-sama is here?"

He gently poked the doll's cheek and asked in a soft voice.

In the next moment—

"What do you want?"

A cold, clear voice echoed in his ear.

His boss… had actually called.

---

"..."

- Gardevoir

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