Although it was only an illusion, due to its extreme realism, Azhdaha and Morax had battled for a full six days. Azhdaha's resentment towards Morax had mostly been vented. Taking advantage of his current exhaustion, the strategy of psychological attack had the perfect opportunity to be deployed.
"Azhdaha, how long has it been since we lay down together like this and quietly conversed?"
"Hmph! Morax, I'll let you have the last word for now. I am the Geo Dragon of the earth, capable of drawing infinite power from the ley lines. In a war of attrition, I do not fear you!"
"Alas, how have you become so unfamiliar now? I remember when you were just a blind dragon, lurking in the dark depths of the earth. It was I who granted you the eyes to see the light, signed a contract with you, and brought you to the surface, allowing you to behold this vibrant and beautiful world."
After Yuto made Morax say these words, he simultaneously manipulated the illusion, causing Azhdaha's mind to recall past memories. The ferocity in Azhdaha's eyes gradually dissipated.
Most Geo element creatures living beneath Liyue were blind, never seeing the light of day for thousands of years. The favor of granting sight was merely a small effort for Morax, but for a blind dragon who could not see and yearned for light, what an immense kindness it was.
Azhdaha shook his head desperately, shattering the recent memories, and argued, "Humans! It was humans who attacked the ley lines I depended on for survival, causing me unbearable pain. When I sought to punish them, it was you, Morax, who not only betrayed me but also sealed me beneath the earth for a thousand years."
"But do you still remember the contract we made when I brought you to the surface?"
"How could I..." Just as Azhdaha was about to deny it, a memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.
[Azhdaha, today, at your request, I bring you to the surface to coexist with the people of the land, and I grant you eyes to see. But I must make three agreements with you: if one day you disrupt order, you shall be sealed back into darkness. Do you accept this contract?]
[I do!]
A burst of white light suddenly erupted from Azhdaha, completely dispelling the ferocity in his eyes. At this moment, Azhdaha suddenly remembered many things.
The remnants of his good nature, representing the will of the contract, a lofty heart, and the peaceful desire to coexist with humans, all burst forth at this moment, completely suppressing the darkness that had originally resided within him.
"I... I remember now. It was I who violated the contract. It was I who willingly allowed myself to be sealed into darkness in the end."
At this moment, Azhdaha's mind replayed how he was eroded by time, how he gradually lost his memories, how he eventually went mad and violated the contract, and how he was suppressed by Morax.
At the same time, the illusion shattered, and Azhdaha's consciousness returned to reality. Yuto carefully observed the somewhat dazed Azhdaha, unsure of his thoughts at that moment.
After a moment of silence, Azhdaha finally looked at Yuto and asked, "Yuto, those memories just now, they weren't lies, were they?" At this moment, Azhdaha felt like a completely different dragon, even his tone had become much calmer and more peaceful. This was also the first time he had called him by his name; before, he had always used terms like 'human,' 'kid,' or 'ant.'
Yuto smiled slightly and said, "Azhdaha, you already have the answer in your heart, don't you?"
"Is that so? It seems to be true. It was indeed my fault. The erode of time is truly terrifying, to make me forget so many memories and become unlike my former self. Oh, by the way, you told me before that Morax is no longer the God of Geo, right? Is that also due to erode?"
"No! He just wants to retire and slack off," Yuto replied with a look of disdain.
"Retire? Slack off?"
"Simply put, he has toiled for Liyue for thousands of years, so shouldn't he be able to enjoy himself?"
"...Now that you mention it, I would like to meet this old friend and exchange greetings."
"You won't immediately start a big fight with Morax upon meeting him, will you? This isn't an illusion. If you two fight as freely as you did in the illusion, I estimate that one Liyue wouldn't be enough for you to wreak havoc."
"It wouldn't come to that. Since the misunderstanding has been resolved, I no longer have the desire to contend with Morax. Besides, didn't I battle him for so long in the illusion? That's enough."
"Alright then, in that case, I'll take you to him. But first, let me warn you, if you can't control yourself again, I'll lock you in a dark room."
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