As Morax infused his power into him, Zayn—still unconscious—felt a warm current flowing through his new body.
So warm…
So comfortable…
The soothing sensation lasted for over half an hour before he slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was a hand resting above his chest, pouring streams of golden energy into him.
He followed the arm upward and—
"Mo…"
Wait.
Why did this person look so familiar?
Even though the man was dressed in white ceremonial robes, Zayn recognized him instantly.
That face.
That aura.
There was no mistaking it—
One of the Seven Sovereigns of the mortal world.
The God of Liyue.
The Lord of Geo.
The Golden Authority.
The master of many titles:
Morax.
"You are awake?" the god spoke, drawing his hand back.
"I sensed a disturbance here while passing by, so I came to investigate.
I found you unconscious on the ground."
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Why did you injure your origin the moment you were born?"
Zayn blinked.
Did he just say "mo…" something earlier?
Morax glanced at him curiously.
Strange demon god +1.
Zayn froze at the question.
Uh…
How exactly was he supposed to explain this?
He couldn't say, "I was careless and forgot to dodge," right?
He had simply misjudged the cost of using the Manifestation Authority for the first time and nearly shredded his own origin.
But fortunately, when he checked his condition earlier, the damage wasn't too severe.
Give it ten years or so and he'd be fine again.
Still, how was he supposed to answer Morax?
"Um…"
"I… only wanted to give myself a physical body," Zayn said weakly.
"I was too greedy and… accidentally overused my origin."
Better to be honest.
Lying to Morax was not something he dared attempt.
By now, he could guess which period he'd landed in.
A Morax dressed in ritual white robes like these could only be from the pre-Archon War era.
And everyone knew the Archon War was hellishly dangerous.
If he wanted to survive, he needed a strong ally.
And who better than Morax himself?
Since he was a newborn demon god in an unknown world, earning Morax's trust was his first priority.
After all, compulsory education back on Blue Star never included
"1,001 Tips for Surviving Transmigration into the Archon War."
Morax fell silent, staring at the white-haired youth on the ground.
He could not quite understand.
Why would a demon god spend its original essence just to craft a human-shaped body?
To him, it was an utterly foolish decision.
But perhaps… The boy had his reasons.
Morax was not human.
Zayn had been human.
Losing his body and turning into mist would naturally be unacceptable to him.
"You are quite interesting," Morax said at last.
"For a newly born demon god, it is rare to see one damage their own origin."
Rare…
Actually, Zayn was likely the only one in history, but Morax chose kinder wording.
"The wilderness is full of danger.
Would you like to accompany me as a guest to my territory?" Morax asked calmly.
"This invitation may be sudden, but I assure you—I bear no ill intent."
The sincerity in his voice was unmistakable.
Hearing this, Zayn confirmed his guess.
The Archon War had not yet begun.
If the war had already started, when demon gods slaughtered each other under Heaven's decree in the fight for survival, Morax would never invite a stranger into his domain.
Taking Zayn home would be far too dangerous.
But now?
It meant they were still in the era before all-out war.
A huge stroke of luck for him.
If he had spawned directly into the middle of the conflict, he might as well dig a grave and bury himself.
Zayn jumped to his feet, eyes sparkling.
"Yes—yes, of course!
Thank you for helping me. Without you, who knows how long I would've stayed unconscious."
"I trust someone like you wouldn't harm me."
He smiled and introduced himself.
"My name is Zenos, the Demon God of Manifestation!"
The name was entirely made-up.
Zayn had no idea what demon gods existed at this time, so adding one more wouldn't hurt.
Introducing oneself—name and authority—was standard etiquette among demon gods.
To remain silent would actually seem suspicious, as if one were hiding a plot.
"Zenos… Demon God of Manifestation."
Morax repeated thoughtfully.
"I am Morax, the Demon God of Geo."
"Come. Follow me to my territory."
With that, he rose into the air, golden light gathering around him as if he would shoot off at any moment.
But Zayn didn't move.
Morax turned, puzzled.
"Why are you not coming? Did you change your mind?"
His goodwill toward Zayn dipped slightly.
"…I—uh… you said 'follow,' but… why is it flying…?" Zayn whispered.
Morax looked at him strangely.
"You cannot fly?"
"Should I… be able to?" Zayn asked, pointing at himself.
Every demon god could fly, right?
Why couldn't he?!
Morax paused.
Ah. Right.
For a newborn demon god, not knowing how to fly was normal.
He had been careless.
"Very well. I will pass on my experience of flight to you."
A golden sphere formed in Morax's palm—
a condensed packet of knowledge and divine experience.
"Take it and merge it into your body."
Believing in Morax completely, Zayn absorbed the orb without hesitation.
Instantly, countless concepts filled his mind—
The guidance of divine power.
How to apply godforce to flight.
The methods of channeling, using, and gathering divine energy.
Not just flight—Morax had given him a foundation in divine power control.
Zayn's eyes grew hot.
He… he was going to cry from gratitude.
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