"Finally... finally, the day has come..."
"I've waited so long for this moment... and now, it's here at last..."
The god gazed greedily at the land before him.
Two years ago, he had already noticed that the Adepti of Liyue often left the city, flying beyond its borders as if searching for something. It took him a long time and much effort to uncover the truth behind their actions.
It turned out they were searching for the seven gods who had once invaded Liyue during the Archon War. That battle had shaken heaven and earth, drawing the attention of countless deities across Teyvat.
Since that day, no god had dared to covet Liyue again.
Led by seven gods and commanding tens of thousands of followers, they had attacked Liyue—yet failed to take it. Worse still, the six towering mountains standing across the Guili Plains filled them with dread.
After all, everyone believed those six mountains, which had once held back the great flood, were the handiwork of the God of War, Morax. With his own strength alone, he had safeguarded both Guili Plains and Liyue, repelling the invasion of the seven gods without losing a single soldier—and even driving them away.
With such a record, who among the gods would dare lay a hand on Liyue again?
Since that battle, all the deities had come to recognize Morax, the God of War, as one of the Seven Archons. None dared challenge that mighty ruler again.
The god who now stepped into Liyue bore no personal ambition toward the land itself. He had merely caught the scent of opportunity after learning that the Adepti were searching for those seven gods.
Fortune favors the patient. After two years of waiting, he finally saw Morax, the God of War, lead all of Liyue's forces out to battle.
"If I destroy Liyue and Guili Plains, he'll lose both his people and his nation forever."
"The God of War they've always revered... soon, I'll be the one to bring him down. How amusing..."
"A pity, though. I can't let this get out, or my name would echo across all of Teyvat."
The thought alone drew a twisted smile to his lips. Satisfaction welled up inside him.
Once he wiped out everyone in Liyue, the returning Morax—fresh from his campaign against the other gods—would surely lose his mind. With no outlet for his fury, he would rampage across Teyvat, invading the realms of his fellow deities. Eventually, all the gods would unite against the deranged God of War and suppress him together.
That was his plan.
Destroy Liyue and Guili Plains, then find a place to hide. Once Morax was sealed away, he could emerge again, safe and sound.
"Perfect... absolutely perfect..." His grin widened with excitement.
But as he walked forward, he suddenly bumped into someone.
"Alatus, what's wrong with you!? Who told you to stop!?" he snapped irritably.
Then he noticed the strange figure standing ahead.
Dressed entirely in a black coat, the man wore a bizarre mask—its expression caught somewhere between laughter and sorrow.
"What the hell is that thing?" he muttered, clearly annoyed. The stranger had interrupted his pleasant fantasy.
"Alatus, kill him."
At his command, the green-haired youth lunged forward without a word, spear in hand, striking straight at Elliot.
A spear appeared in Elliot's hand as well, intercepting Alatus's blow.
"Oh? You can use elemental power... Looks like one of the God of War's retainers left behind to guard this place."
"But still, he's bold—leaving just one retainer to watch over his home."
Seeing Elliot fend off Alatus's attack with ease, the Dream God began to analyze the situation calmly.
After a dozen exchanges, Alatus still hadn't gained the upper hand.
"Bosacius, Indarias—move in. Take him down."
At the Dream God's command, two more followers charged at Elliot—one wielding Pyro, the other Electro.
Yet their arrival did nothing to shift the balance. The battle remained evenly matched. Even with three of his subordinates working in perfect coordination, their elemental energy surging wildly, they couldn't so much as wound Elliot.
Watching Elliot handle the assault effortlessly, the Dream God began to realize something was wrong.
Bosacius and Indarias were his strongest followers. Counting Alatus, all three together still couldn't defeat even one of Morax's supposed retainers?
Impossible. Both Bosacius and Indarias possessed the strength to fight a god head-on—yet they couldn't even scratch this man?
"All of you—attack! Whoever kills him tonight will be rewarded!!"
At his command, five more followers rushed forward, eight in total encircling Elliot.
An assault of that magnitude would make even a high-ranking god wary. Their combined strength was far greater than the sum of their parts, their coordination flawless from countless battles fought side by side.
And yet, despite his confidence, the Dream God's expression grew more and more uneasy.
Even with eight attackers, Elliot stood untouched.
His face shifted from confusion to shock—and finally, to fear.
Not one of the eight had landed a single blow.
He knew that even he wouldn't fare well under such a combined assault. To completely evade all eight was unthinkable.
He no longer cared how or why—it was clear now. That man was no mere retainer. Absolutely not.
His power far surpassed anything the Dream God had imagined.
He could sense Morax's divine aura—but from this man, there was nothing. Nothing at all.
Only one thought filled his mind.
Run!
But the moment he stepped back, the cold tip of a spear pressed against his forehead.