Time rewinds slightly.
Lin En separated a portion of his Origin—
And injected it into Teyvat's planetary will.
The entire planet was the body of its will. Even the atmosphere counted as part of it. In theory, dispersing the Origin into the air would have worked.
But to be safe—
He drove it deep underground.
The effect was immediate.
The planetary will, previously in such miserable condition that one might wonder how are you still alive, suddenly stirred with vitality.
From a world-level perspective, several critical "organs" began restoring at visible speed.
The amount of Origin wasn't large.
After all, his world-incarnation had just been born. It had little foundation and needed to preserve its own stability.
He couldn't give more even if he wanted to.
But for Teyvat—
It was enough to drag its status from near death back to something relatively safe.
More importantly—
Because of the vast disparity in rank, the benefits weren't one-time.
Absorbing his Origin was like gaining a long-term regeneration buff.
The effect wasn't explosive—
But it would last.
A response soon arrived.
[Thank… you… newborn… great existence.]
Like a long-ill patient struggling to speak, Teyvat's expression was halting.
Yet it insisted on speaking immediately.
Because upon absorbing that fragment of Origin—
I understood.
It understood what had happened.
And it understood Lin En's rank.
[What… may I do… for you?]
There it was.
Direct repayment.
Lin En was briefly surprised.
Then he gained clearer insight—
Into himself.
And into how world-level beings interacted.
Was Teyvat being generous?
No.
It was clinging to my thigh.
Though Lin En preferred calling such beings "straightforward," from a human lens, "primitive" might be more accurate.
Planetary wills, universal wills—
They do not possess morality.
Their underlying logic is simple:
Survival first.
Development second.
The strong prevail.
Lin En dared expose himself seeking investment because—
To the universe—
He was too small.
Like a man dying of thirst might fight for a drop of water—
But would not care about a single newborn water molecule.
Against Teyvat—
His leverage was rank.
Between worlds, only equal rank demands comparison of scale.
Teyvat could absorb his Origin—
Not because it had the power to seize it—
But because he allowed it.
And now—
Teyvat realized this newborn higher existence had not attempted to plunder it.
(Never mind whether Lin En currently has the capability.)
Instead—
He had shown goodwill.
In plain terms—
It wanted in.
After all, the core logic of a world will is twofold:
Survive.
Grow.
Following a newborn higher-tier existence satisfied both.
Lin En reorganized his thoughts.
He had prepared an entire string of persuasive rhetoric—
Things like:
"You wouldn't want to vanish completely from the universe, would you?"
Now?
Unnecessary.
He could raise the asking price.
Originally, he planned something like:
"Help me grow. Invest in me. I'll repay you handsomely. Want to gamble?"
But given the current situation—
He transmitted plainly:
[Be my subordinate. Conceal my existence so the universe's instinctive rejection does not notice me. Provide resources for my growth. Once I pass infancy, I'll take you to greater heights.]
The reply came instantly.
[I am willing to serve you.]
The smoothness of the response indicated rapid recovery of its coherence.
Immediately afterward—
Lin En sensed the pure white radiance pressing against his world begin to fade.
Teyvat—
Using planetary instinct—
Was concealing him.
Like a holy land disciple using their residence to shield someone from the grand formation's detection.
From the universe's perspective—
This was betrayal.
From Teyvat's perspective—
It was survival.
However, the strain was evident.
Its condition, only just restored to safe levels, worsened slightly.
That should have been the limit.
Then—
Boom.
A tremor at the level of laws.
Teyvat made another move.
And this time—
Lin En was stunned.
If he currently possessed facial features, his jaw would have dropped.
He watched as Teyvat forcibly tore off part of its own "maimed limb"—
Condensing it into a crimson prism.
The prism melted into the outer membrane of his world-incarnation—
Becoming a protective layer.
A final message followed:
[Forgive me, my Lord. The expenditure exceeded expectations. I must rest. Please accept this authority. It allows you to mobilize part of my power… and part that was never truly mine. It will reduce the likelihood of drawing attention when you act.]
[Additionally… it may assist you in other ways.]
As the information settled—
Lin En fully understood what he had received.
The remaining half of the Fire Elemental Authority—
After the Heavenly Principles seized the other half.
Also known as—
The Authority of the Fire Dragon.
It should have belonged to the Pyro Dragon Sovereign.
But the first Pyro Dragon King had fallen.
Though remnants of its body and will were rumored to have merged with the Abyss—
Teyvat would never acknowledge that.
Regardless of its dormancy—
Half of the Fire Authority had inevitably returned to the planet—
Awaiting a new Dragon Sovereign.
But no new Pyro Dragon King had yet emerged.
So now—
The awakened planetary will had temporarily entrusted it—
To Lin En.