"Mem? (Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry!)"
Mem flew apologetically before Fu Zhu, her head bowed in a picture of perfect contrition.
Seeing her look one step away from exposing her belly in submission like a small animal, Fu Zhu couldn't help but laugh helplessly. He reached out and ruffled her head.
"I'm not blaming you. I was just surprised, that's all."
After comforting Mem, Fu Zhu and the others descended from the city wall, following the massive trench carved by the arrow.
Mydei and King Eurypon of Castrum Kremnos followed behind the group. Eurypon reached out to touch the outer wall of the deep crater, but a searing heat forced him to snatch his hand back.
"Truly terrifying destructive power..."
Eurypon felt that he had experienced many things in his life, but he had never witnessed a scene like today's. An attack of such cataclysmic scale completely extinguished any thought of resistance.
The king couldn't help but turn to his son, Mydei, and ask, "Son, was this the gentleman you challenged to a duel in the Nether?"
What was my own son thinking?
Mydei's face darkened as he nodded, admitting it. He had never imagined Fu Zhu would be this powerful, a level of strength that was completely beyond his comprehension.
---o---
Fu Zhu's group arrived at the Wither's former location. There was no sign of its body, but several shimmering objects were floating in mid-air, emitting a heart-pounding energy.
Dan Heng cautiously gripped his spear, Cloud-Piercer, and took a step closer to examine the Wither's drops. He didn't recognize a cross-shaped crystal among them, but the other four balls of light were all too familiar.
They were Stellarons! Who could tell him why a Wither would drop something as dangerous as a Stellaron upon death?
Fu Zhu, of course, also saw the Stellarons floating next to the Nether Star, though they looked slightly different.
[Unstable Stellaron]
Fu Zhu stepped forward to collect them, prompting a tense reminder from Dan Heng.
"Fu Zhu, be careful. Those are Stellarons. They're dangerous."
"I know."
An unstable Stellaron, once in his hands, was nothing more than a bomb waiting for him to detonate.
Sure enough, as the Stellarons fell into Fu Zhu's hands, the others felt the dangerous energy source vanish. Dan Heng let out a sigh of relief.
Fu Zhu held the Stellarons and glanced at the detailed information provided by the JEI item management mod. He was pleasantly surprised to find that these Unstable Stellarons were no different from regular stable ones. They could be converted into any type of block, including Wither Skulls!
Furthermore, according to the information from the JEI mod, these Stellarons were affected by the Looting enchantment. This meant that he wouldn't be short on Stellarons in the future!
All he had to do was repeatedly summon Withers in the upper layers of the Nether, let Nanook bless them again and again, and he could farm them like crazy!
After seeing this information, Fu Zhu was already planning to build a whole tech mod setup, something like the Create mod, to make a fully-automatic Wither-killing assembly line that would produce a steady stream of Stellarons for him.
But for now, he didn't have the time. That would have to wait.
Fu Zhu stored the items away and turned to the others. "Let's go. We'll talk back at the city."
Then, he turned to Mydei and his father, speaking specifically to them. "Don't worry, I'll help fix this crater in a bit. It won't affect travel in or out of Castrum Kremnos."
With that, Fu Zhu gave Mem a look. She understood immediately and, borrowing Fu Zhu's power, began waving her little paws at the massive trench. Countless grass blocks materialized out of thin air, gradually filling the chasm.
Mydei and King Eurypon watched with wide-eyed astonishment as the lifeless crater was reborn with vitality. The scars of the past war faded away, as if Castrum Kremnos had never experienced a battle at all.
---o---
The group returned to the royal palace of Castrum Kremnos. Fu Zhu was vehemently insisted upon by King Eurypon to take the head seat. Unable to refuse, he finally relented and sat down. King Eurypon and Mydei sat to his left, while Dan Heng and the others sat to his right.
"So, where's Stelle?"
Fu Zhu realized that since he'd returned, he hadn't seen his perpetually boisterous sister. He was actually starting to miss her nonsensical chatter.
Dan Heng dutifully recounted their earlier plan to Fu Zhu.
"Stelle, Phainon, and Khaslana went to the past to kill the [Strife] Titan's 'Reason.' Only by doing that can the Titan be completely destroyed. We don't know if they've succeeded yet."
Fu Zhu's brow furrowed, a little worried. Although Stelle was reliable when it mattered, her opponent was still a Titan. He was afraid she might get hurt.
Just as Fu Zhu was about to say he would go and help her, a violent energy fluctuation appeared in the hall. Immediately after, the figures of Stelle, Phainon, and Khaslana materialized before everyone.
The moment she appeared, Stelle didn't even glance around, sighing with her hand on her forehead.
"That was the... most boring BOSS fight ever! Even if my brother were here, I would have at least gotten to participate. I'm never teaming up with beta testers again!"
Hearing Stelle's return, the corners of Fu Zhu's lips curled up uncontrollably. He tiptoed up behind her. Phainon noticed him approaching Stelle and was about to intervene, but a glimpse of the others seated in the hall made him silently lower his hand from his sword hilt, deciding to see what would happen next.
Fu Zhu cautiously crept up behind the still-muttering Stelle, cleared his throat, and spoke.
"The way you say that, it's as if my speedruns aren't as fast as theirs. Is that how you belittle your big brother?"
"It's not the same!" Stelle retorted subconsciously without thinking. "My brother's speedruns are definitely fast, but at least he gives me some items to play with, or lets me coordinate with him for some cool moves... wait a minute..."
Stelle slowly realized that the voice she had just heard was a bit familiar.
Her eyes widened, and she slowly, slowly turned around, only to see Fu Zhu standing there, arms crossed, a wide grin plastered on his face.
"If you think your big brother is too slow, I might have to find a new teammate for my next game."
Fu Zhu's only response was a raccoon-like pounce.
"Brother!"
Stelle leaped forward and threw herself into Fu Zhu's arms, clinging to him tightly like a little raccoon.
Fu Zhu immediately felt his face buried in something soft, the familiar scent mixed with a hint of sweat.
He raised a hand and patted her on the back, his voice muffled.
"There are still people here. Get down, quick."
"No! Amphoreus is no fun at all! I'm going to be your pendant, brother!"