-Extra chapter today-
A few weeks later, I awoke to a dim morning, with skies covered by thundering clouds and heavy rain. My waking moments were slow, and I laid in bed for the next few minutes as I listened to the rhythm of the falling rain. Normally I'd be up and having a cup of warm tea by now, but I couldn't find the energy to do that.
I stared dully at the ceiling of my room, before I slowly pulled myself from the bed.
I groaned as I made my way to the door, glancing at the mirror as I went by. I couldn't help but smile wryly as I caught my reflection; my hair was all over the place, my robes were disheveled, and the eyebags from all the late-night training I've been doing were still there. Overall, I looked terrible.
I blew a gust of cold wind into my face to wake myself up, and with me a little more awake, I headed out to get myself a cup of tea.
But as I entered the communal kitchen, I was surprised to find Morax had himself home. He'd even prepared himself a teapot full of warm tea, and was drinking a cup of it when he saw me enter. "You're finally awake." He said as he poured another cup for himself.
"Uh, yeah." I dumbly nodded, before I smiled. "What're you doing here? Don't you normally go to that teahouse by now?"
He nodded as he began pouring another cup of tea. "Normally I would, yes." I sat down next to him, and muttered a soft thanks as he handed me a cup of tea. "But the rain has been persistent. They have closed their doors for the moment due to a decline in resources."
I hummed. That made sense. It'd be quite difficult to harvest any tea leaves in this weather.
We enjoyed our cup of tea in silence for a few minutes. Again, the urge to drink wine popped into my head for a moment, but I shook it off. Guizhong would actually tear my ears off if she ever caught wind of me doing that.
…
I sighed as I emptied my cup. "This rain's not going away, is it?"
Morax hummed, similarly displeased. "I'm afraid so." He raised the teapot in offering. I extended my cup as he began pouring more tea. "Such weather is unnatural, taking into account the current season." I whispered another thanks as he filled my cup, and he closed his eyes. "It is highly likely this weather is artificial."
I pursed my lips as I swirled my tea. "Someone that can cast rain over the entire region for a week…" I whispered in thought. I then sighed. "Yeah, that's totally possible, isn't it?"
Morax nodded. "It is above the demonic gods I have faced as of recent, but it is more than possible."
I slumped onto the dinner table, feeling even more tired than when I first woke up. Morax was being all composed and neutral, but I knew better. I'd been friends with him long enough to know that he was subtly dismayed at what might come. And if even Morax felt that way, then the approaching threat would be something even he would struggle against.
…Anyway.
I took a small sip of tea as I turned my head to him. "How's Guizhong doing by the way?" My voice dipped with concern. "I haven't seen her in a while. Is she doing okay? Has she even been eating?"
"She is well, if exhausted from her experiments." Morax drank his own cup of tea. "Last I heard, she'd finally completed Masterpiece." He smiled slightly. "Though I admit I know little of what that actually means."
I nodded. Morax wasn't alone. Practically everyone knew at this point that Guizhong was crafting some superweapon, but no one actually knew what it was. She'd been keeping it all hush-hush for almost two months now, and it was impressive how she'd managed to keep her project under wraps for so long. All I knew was that it'd be massive, since she was taking an entire district of storage houses for herself.
"And how of you?" Morax then asked.
I blinked. "Hmm?" I took a slow breath as I pulled my head away from the table. "I've been alright. Just exercising to keep myself in top shape." And getting frustrated over my lack of progress in increasing my Attributes, but I didn't need to say that. "It's been pretty slow lately."
He hummed. "And your student?"
I waved my hand. "Last I heard, he has been rather swamped as of late." A sly smile came onto my lips. "He's a bonafide legend now, and such a status pulls the hearts of many maidens. It's better if I don't get in the way of his love life."
Well, that, and the fact that he's managed to get his [Swords Dance] up to 3★. His talent in the sword was truly monstrous, and it wouldn't be wrong to say that no one could beat him when it came to swordsmanship. And until I could get both [Swords Dance] and [Instructor] to 4★, there wasn't much I could teach him in that regard.
Morax nodded slowly. And seeing that he had nothing else to say, I decided to chime in. "How about you?" He stared at me as I leaned forward slightly. "How's your week been? I know you've been struggling to find more demonic gods to hunt." I winked. "Maybe you hunted them all."
He smiled humbly. "I doubt so." He then hummed. "I have been…adjusting." He looked down at his emptied cup and began pouring himself more tea. "I scarcely remember a time when I have remained idle for so long."
I rolled my eyes. What a workaholic. Then again, I suppose it was fitting. For as devoted as Guizhong was to the people, it was Morax that loved the mortals most. It was he that protected them for thousands of years, and he would do so for thousands of years more before he finally retired as ZhONg--
As-
"Venti?"
I rubbed my eyes. Was I doing something? My head was hurting a little. "Yeah?"
Morax frowned. "Are you sure you are well?"
I smiled slightly. "I'm fine, I'm fine." I gave my arms a quick stretch. "I guess I just haven't been sleeping as much as I usually do." I gave him a small smile. "The weather's been awful-"
Suddenly, I felt it. A surge of karma—a source of corruption so dense and powerful it easily eclipsed anything I'd ever felt before. The demonic god I'd faced during my journey some months back couldn't even be called an ant in comparison to whatever I was feeling. It was such a surprise that I immediately tried to stand, and I hissed as I banged my knee into the table.
Morax felt as well, and he very nearly dropped the cup he was holding. "That was…" He whispered, frowning deeply as he gazed out towards the East. Specifically, towards the closest shoreline.
I smiled wryly. "Guess our time's up." I commented as I stood up.
"Indeed." Morax agreed, and his Vortex Vanquisher flashed into his hands as he stood up.
We made our way to the dojo's entrance together. I did my best to calm my heart as we walked. Even from here I could feel the rain outside worsening, turning into a biblical downpour.
As we stepped outside, I frowned with worry. The skies were impossibly dark—darker than even the shadow of night. The rain was heavy, and they slammed into the roof of my dojo like countless arrows. It was as if the skies themselves were trying to drown Liyue Harbor. Maybe it really was.
Just then, a small burst of wind appeared before us, and Alatus appeared from thin air. "Lord Morax!" He cried out, dropping to his knees. "Is-, I can sense a great enemy approaching!"
"Indeed." Morax frowned as he glanced at the skies. "Alatus, inform as many of the adepti as you can." He narrowed his eyes. "Protect Liyue Harbor at all cost."
"Yes, my Lord!" Alatus disappeared just as quickly as he came.
Humming, Morax then stepped out into the rain. He stood beneath the storm, uncaring as his priceless clothes were drenched in seawater. He slammed the butt of his spear into the dirt, and I felt a powerful pulse of Geo spread into the earth, echoing out like a wave across a pond.
Morax closed his eyes, and his senses stretched further and further, riding across the pulse of Geo he sent out. To the hills at the West, the mountains to the North, and to the seabed East from the harbor.
It was within the oceans that he felt it. And it felt him.
A loud roar pierced through the falling rains, and my body went rigid as I saw a massive being rose from the distant waters. It was a dragon with seven heads, its scales a pulsing blue, each pair of eyes as red as blood. Each head was larger and taller than even the tallest mountain in Qingyun Peaks—so tall that they dove into the thundering clouds when they went fully straight.
"Osial…" The name fell from my lips without me thinking of it, and yet I was sure. That dragon's name was Osial, and it would be an enemy greater than any even Morax had faced.
Morax opened his eyes as he heard my whisper, and he narrowed his eyes at the massive dragon that arose from the oceans. He had heard whispers of that name. Some of the recent demon gods he'd sealed had laughed as he brought them down—told him that their Lord would bring calamity and drown all of Liyue Harbor.
Yet, how had Venti known of that name?
…This was not the time.
A loud shriek then followed, and his eyes went wide as he saw a familiar being descend from the clouds. A massive bird-like god, their feathers as dark as onyx, shrouded in a thick misty haze. "That is…" He whispered, his grip on his Vortex Vanquisher growing tighter.
I gulped as I saw the other demonic god. It wasn't as massive as Osial, but it was still massive. Easily a third as big as Liyue Harbor was. "You know who that is?"
"Xiumeng. A god of Decayed Dreams." He told me, his voice scathing. "Once the jailer of Alatus. I believed I'd sealed her hundreds of years ago." He narrowed his eyes. "It seemed Osial had unleashed her for this very moment."
"Oh, good. Just what we needed." I inhaled sharply as I pulled out my [Hamayumi] from my Inventory.
I took another deep breath, and power surged through my veins as both my 5★ Talents activated. But this I went beyond that; a usual gate I normally didn't access was blown open, and with it came a surge of immense strength. The falling rain around me was blasted back to the sky as powerful winds appeared around me, circling me before forming into a pair of angel-white wings. A halo of pure gold formed above my head.
A sharp hiss left my lips as my eyes glowed bright blue.
[Freedom Song: Awakening 5★
Drawing the Destiny bound within the Archives, the Fate of one is enforced into the world. You, whose soul sings of freedom, now shall it shine with the splendor of a thousand suns. This destiny shall serve as your weapon, and as your shield.
Allows User to bring forth their Destiny into the world. Energy consumption increases with every new Stage activated.
When -Stage 1- is activated: Increases all Attributes by 100%, Negates all Negative Status Effects, Allows the User to gently glide down.
When -Stage 2- is activated: Further increases all Attributes by 150%, Reduces incoming Damage by 10%, Allows the User to fly.
-Stage 3- becomes unlocked when base Energy or Elemental has reached 50]
Once my Energy had reached 20, my Talent's -Stage 2- had become available, and I was beyond thrilled. Because not only had it granted me even more power, but it also allowed me to fly!
Morax raised an eyebrow. "This is different."
I grinned at him. "It's something I've been holding onto for a while now. This seems like an appropriate time." My expression turned serious as I turned to Xiumeng, and I took a small breath. "Let's do this."
Morax nodded. "Let's." And right after, his human form glowed as he began shifting. He grew larger and larger, and before long he returned to his draconic form, with scales that glittered like gold. He roared back towards the oceans, and Osial returned it with a roar of his own.
The world grew silent for a moment, and then the rain was blasted back up as both of us soared into the sky.
.
.
.
In the distance, Guizhong had a manic grin as she watched Morax and Venti soar into the sky. She had deep eyebags beneath her eyes, and her already disheveled robes were completely drenched in rain and mud, but she could hardly care about that right now.
It was time. It was time! She'd known that the peace they'd all been enjoying was just the prelude to something else. And now here it was! Here it was!
Ha! Morax kept telling her to slow down, but she didn't listen. There was no way she could laze around just yet. And she was right! It might've taken months of faking her sleep, but that was worth it. Because now her secret project was done.
She rasped a small chuckle. She'd always relied on Morax, and she'd relied a lot on Venti as well. But this time—this time—she'd finally be able to repay some of the favor.
She raised her hand, and still shaking from both fear and manic excitement, she snapped her fingers.
The ground shook as dozens of storage houses broke and fell apart.