In the end, Jack did not just satisfy himself.
After feeding Traveler, he "fed" Traveler in another way.
Then, they made do with what was available, cleaned themselves with seawater, and continued on their journey.
Half an hour later.
The Ice Dragon Savia carried the two to the Mount Yougou area.
Mount Yougou is not truly just one mountain.
This was an ancient gathering place for the Inazuma Tengu and many other yokai.
The terrain is complex and vast, consisting of an entire continuous range of mountains and dense forests.
The highest peak among them is the Mount Yougou known to all.
On this mountain stands Narukami Shrine, the highest-altitude shrine in all of Inazuma, and also the Sacred Sakura Tree, which is vital to Inazuma's ley lines.
So, despite the difficult ascent, faithful Inazuma people would still choose to climb to the summit at important times to worship at the shrine and pray for blessings.
Jack didn't want to be too conspicuous riding a dragon to see Yae Miko, lest the cunning fox take advantage of the situation and instigate a harem fire.
So he said to Savia, who was beneath his feet:
"Do you want to go back or play around on Teyvat for a while?"
"Roar! (I want to go back and continue my nap.)"
"You... alright, go back and sleep."
Jack patted the dragon's head, feeling that this Ice Dragon had become somewhat useless. He would try a Fire Dragon later.
At least a passionate and lively Fire Dragon shouldn't be like Savia, who only reaches the lazy third stage even with daily dragon food.
...
After returning Savia to the Dragonspine Mountains, Jack and Lumine arrived at the foot of Mount Yougou.
Unlike the deadly cliff terrain in the game map, a spiral staircase of over a thousand steps lay before them.
This was the normal path for ordinary people to ascend to Narukami Shrine.
"Aren't you able to fly? Why walk up?"
"I rushed to Inazuma earlier because I was afraid Raiden Shogun might do something if I wasn't there, but seeing no new lightning storms stirred up in Inazuma's outer sea, I was half-relieved."
"Since that's the case, enjoying the scenery along the way is also an important part of traveling."
"Alright, since Paimon isn't here, how about I be the guide?"
Lumine spun around in place, her hands clasped behind her back.
It was then that she shed her usual mischievous and goofy demeanor, fully displaying the charming side of a beautiful, static young girl.
She took Jack's large hand and led him upwards.
She continuously introduced Inazuma's customs and traditions, looking as if she were helping her amnesiac husband regain his memories.
Jack involuntarily curved his lips, then turned his palm, intertwining their fingers.
Lumine was stunned for a moment, then her eyes also curved into a smile, and she introduced with even more enthusiasm.
...
As Inazuma's largest shrine, Narukami Shrine's prestige was undeniably immense.
Just these thousand steps were enough to deter most Inazuma residents with ordinary faith.
Therefore, despite being known as the most efficacious shrine, the two encountered very few worshipers along the way.
Half an hour later.
The two, hand in hand, arrived at a familiar place.
"This cave is..."
"It's where Raiden Shogun and Raiden Makoto fought, and it was our first true encounter with Inazuma's Electro Archon."
Jack nodded in realization.
He still remembered the second chapter of Raiden Shogun's Story Quest quite vividly.
This chapter's plot served as a brake on the rushed Inazuma main quest, adding some human depth. Of course, there was also the weekly Boss Raiden Shogun, which various powerful players had broken by challenging her with 1 HP.
"There haven't been any elemental traces here for a long time. Let's continue upwards."
Jack investigated for a bit.
Reality was not a game; it wouldn't periodically refresh a certain Raiden Shogun's shadow for him to farm materials.
The already dust-filled cave held no memorable recollections worth lingering over.
So, the two ascended the steps once more.
Another ten-odd minutes passed, and rows of vermilion torii gates began to appear.
Torii gates symbolize the separation between the mundane world and the dwelling of the gods, meaning they had finally reached Narukami Shrine.
"Jack, do you feel like we're a newlywed couple going to worship at the shrine?"
"Please remove the 'like', thank you."
"Hehe, as expected of Harem King Jack, you just said it outright."
As the two chatted and laughed.
A shrine maiden who was cleaning the stairs walked over, "Are you... Traveler?"
She took another look at their tightly clasped hands, a blessed smile appearing on her face: "You two finally got together! Congratulations, congratulations."
"This is..."
Jack only felt that this person looked familiar, but all the NPC models in Genshin Impact were identical, so even he couldn't recognize her.
"Yes, Nana!"
Nana, a shrine maiden at Narukami Shrine and an acquaintance of the Traveler, there could only be one.
Nana Kano, Shikanoin Heizou's cousin, and also Sayu's caretaker.
"Why are you two free to come to the shrine today? Could it be to pray for children?"
The mature shrine maiden teased the two.
"No! Absolutely not!"
"Thank you for your kind words, Miss Kano."
The two gave completely different answers.
Lumine, uncharacteristically, blushed and stomped on Jack's foot.
[Lumine: I don't want to be a mother so soon. If you keep this up, I'll make you wear a seatbelt from now on!]
[Jack: It's not that easy to get pregnant. Besides, do you really have that function?]
[Lumine: Huh?! So many wives have been with you, but none have, so isn't the problem with you, the MC Creator?]
[Jack: ...]
Inside their secret couple's voice channel.
Jack, utterly defeated.
So, under Nana Kano's bewildered gaze, Lumine displayed a victorious, proud expression, while Jack wore a long face.
"We came to Inazuma this time to visit your High Priestess, Yae Miko."
"You're looking for the High Priestess? She left this morning. We ordinary shrine maidens don't know where the High Priestess went."
"Is that so? Alright, thank you."
"You're welcome. Also, Traveler, are you really not considering drawing a fortune slip? Our Narukami Shrine's fortune slips for children are very effective, you know~"
"Cough, cough, I'm just looking around. Miss Kano, please continue with your work."
Jack could wrestle dragons and stomp on evil gods, but he was somewhat ill-equipped to deal with overly familiar people, so he pulled Lumine and walked towards Narukami Shrine.
Since they were already here, it would be good to see the miracle left behind by Raiden Makoto.
However, the moment he stepped into the Sacred Sakura Tree's vicinity, Jack felt something was amiss.
He raised his left index finger and swiped it through the air.
The familiar MC interface immediately displayed information about his current location.
[Building: Narukami Shrine]
[Mode: Peaceful]
"Indeed, it seems the worst has happened."
Jack's expression flickered, his gaze piercing through the layers of buildings towards the giant cherry tree at the innermost part of the shrine.
Vaguely, a few lines of sci-fi-like phantom text appeared beside the Sacred Sakura Tree.
[Sacred Sakura Tree of Love and Marriage (☆☆☆☆ Unspeakable)]
[Protection X · Resistance V · Thorns III]
[Description: Mutated from the residual energy of Raiden Makoto, one of the Twin Electro Archons, and partial authority of the Minecraft World, it has acquired some player characteristics. It requires seven individuals of the opposite sex with 'love and marriage indicators' to complete a ritual before the Sacred Sakura Tree to be defeated.]
The 'love and marriage indicators' were easy to understand: they were the girls whose fates were intertwined with his.
Seven individuals, excluding Sayu and Kirara (a character released after Jack quit), would perfectly include Raiden Shogun, Yae Miko, Ayaka, Sara, Yoimiya, Kokomi, and Kuki Shinobu.
But what Jack found unbearable was the ritual.
On the MC panel, the 'ritual' in the description was an expandable entry. When Jack clicked on it, the following text appeared.
[The Sacred Sakura Tree's Ritual]
[The executor and individuals with 'love and marriage indicators' must complete activities of procreation and nurture, and achieve spiritual recognition and fusion, within the Sacred Sakura Tree's covered area.]
Procreation aside, it also required platonic love. Jack suspected that the Sacred Sakura Tree had accidentally been hit with some R-18 mod one day, otherwise, how could it have become like this?!
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