Genshin Impact: Strength Through Bonds [193]

A secluded world, undisturbed.

A sea of flowers in full bloom, serene and beautiful.

Petals drifted down, brushing lightly against his cheek.

Ren slowly opened his eyes.

"Mm… what time is it now…?"

He stared blankly at the pink-tinged sky, his mind momentarily foggy.

Who was he? Where was he? What had he just done?

…Oh.

Right.

His gaze regained clarity, tinged with the satisfied exhaustion of a man who had overexerted himself.

He had defiled the pure and wise Grass God.

In the flower-filled sea beneath the Irminsul, he and the gentle, water-like woman had finally become one.

It was an oath of eternal union, a promise to remain by each other's side.

Rukkhadevata had found her safe harbor at last.

And she was now, undeniably, his woman.

"Ugh."

Ren instinctively tried to sit up, only to collapse back down with a dull thud, grimacing.

His whole body ached.

Not just the deep soreness of overworked muscles—

But also the sharp, burning pain of raw skin.

"You're awake, my sun."

A soft, affectionate voice reached his ears.

"…"

Ren turned his head slightly.

By the stream, surrounded by a sea of flowers, stood a figure in a white dress, as picturesque as a dream.

Rukkhadevata was gently combing through her disheveled hair, exuding the quiet charm of a mature woman.

Now, she was truly a wife.

His wife.

Well, Ren's wife, to be precise.

"My little friend, come here and let me hold you."

His gaze softened as he smiled.

To him, Rukkhadevata would always be a precious little one in need of care and love—

No matter how much time passed.

"…Who's your little friend?"

She turned and shot him a playful glare.

Then—

She scooped up a handful of crystal-clear water.

SPLASH.

Water droplets showered down on Ren's face.

"Again?"

He wiped his face, chuckling. "I just got it clean, you know."

Not that he minded.

This wasn't his first time getting splashed by her, after all.

"…You bold fool. What exactly are you thinking about all the time?"

She quickly caught the teasing glint in his eyes and looked away, flustered.

Under the warm sunlight, the delicate blush on her peerless face was unmistakable.

Even as the God of Wisdom, there were still some things she didn't fully understand.

But after their… rather in-depth academic exchange, she had certainly learned a lot.

"Come here."

Ren smiled, coaxing her like one would a shy child.

Even now, she was still acting bashful.

At the same time, he noticed that all the marks on his body had completely healed.

His energy was fully restored.

The healing powers of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata were truly remarkable.

However…

That was exactly why he had suffered so much.

To put it simply—

Her energy-restoring abilities had been used on herself.

In other words, Ren had faced an opponent with near-limitless stamina.

The results of their academic discussions?

Utter, complete, and merciless defeat.

And every time he was about to surrender—

Her healing abilities would kick in again, replenishing his strength like some cruel prank.

This endless cycle had completely drained him—physically and mentally.

But Rukkhadevata?

She had enjoyed every moment of it.

For five hundred years, she had battled against the creeping chaos of forbidden knowledge.

The long, suffocating struggle had taught her a peculiar kind of pleasure in restraint.

Now, watching Ren suffer the same way brought her nothing but delight.

"You greedy little thing. Already full of energy again, hmm?"

Rukkhadevata's emerald eyes gleamed with warmth as she gracefully approached.

She wrapped her arms around Ren, pressing herself against him.

Then, she kissed him—light and fleeting, soft as a whisper.

Completely harmless. Completely gentle.

Yet, she failed to realize—

Ren was the true innocent little rabbit here, being preyed upon by a cunning wolf.

"…I'm done. Completely done."

Ren shut his eyes, refusing to move a muscle.

He flat-out ignored her subtle hints.

This wasn't about stamina or endurance anymore.

He was just… mentally exhausted.

This was blatant cheating!

"Hehe… is that so?"

Rukkhadevata's lips curled into a knowing smile.

"Speaking of which, the power of dreams could be used to revitalize you."

The God of Wisdom was preparing for a new experiment.

And her test subject was…

"…Cough. Hold on. Where's Nahida?"

Ren immediately played the ultimate trump card—the little angel's name—to halt Rukkhadevata's next move.

Little Nahida. The eternal ceasefire flag.

"…Mm, I suppose it's time to return to reality."

As if only now remembering her beloved daughter, Rukkhadevata blinked, glancing around in mild confusion.

A being born from her, Nahida should have sensed something by now…

"Let's go find her together."

Ren gently patted his little friend's head, smiling.

"…Alright. I'll follow your lead."

Rukkhadevata nodded, her expression tender.

I forgot to tell you, my sun—

If you're so eager to wake up, reality has quite the mess waiting for you.

Deep in the Forest

The gentle sound of flowing water echoed through the quiet glade.

"Cough…"

Ripples formed in the clear spring, reflecting the blurred outline of a delicate white-haired figure.

"…It's finally over."

Nahida splashed water onto her face, letting out a long sigh of relief.

The cool water helped calm her down.

She stared at her reflection—a dainty, ethereal girl, with delicate features and a graceful figure, like a pristine forest sprite.

Nahida hesitated, then lightly pressed her hands to her well-developed chest, tilting her head.

The faint blush on her face still hadn't faded.

"…Little Grass God, are you still feeling unwell?"

Rana Bariq leaned on his staff nearby, worried.

He could shatter massive iron blocks with a single strike—

But healing? That wasn't his specialty.

"I'm fine now."

"…I've learned something new."

Nahida picked up Rana Bariq and spun him around playfully.

As for what she learned…

Well, she still needed to test it out.

"Even gods need to study?"

Rana Bariq squirmed, curious.

"Yes. But it's something only adults understand."

"…I don't get it."

Nahida smiled warmly, about to say more when—

"Nahida, can you hear me—"

"We're leaving soon!"

From afar, Ren's voice rang out.

"Coming!"

Nahida quickly responded.

A soft green light enveloped her, and in an instant, she reverted to her small, childlike form.

"…Remember, this is our little secret."

"Mm! I'll listen to you, Little Grass God!"

Flashing her familiar healing smile, Nahida hugged him tightly—

And left.

---

"Mommy!"

The little white-haired girl threw herself into the embrace of the taller white-haired woman, beaming with happiness.

"Hehe… Good girl."

Rukkhadevata gently pinched her cheek, full of motherly affection.

Ren stood beside the warm and loving mother-daughter pair, his face filled with amusement.

Wait. Shouldn't Nahida be calling him "Dad" now?

Ahem. Kind of looking forward to that.

"…I refuse."

To his surprise, Nahida heard his thoughts—and flat-out rejected the idea.

"You are my sun. Forever."

She cupped his face in her tiny hands, her expression serious.

"…Mm."

Ren was taken aback but gently placed his hands over hers.

She's just shy.

One day, she'll call me "Dad" willingly.

"…Now then, it's time to return to reality."

Unbeknownst to Ren—

Reality had quite a storm waiting for him.