"You… you like me?" she stammered, her voice suddenly small, bewildered. "But… I don't even know you."
Elias watched her, and a flicker of recognition, then realization, dawned in his cosmic eyes. He saw her blush, her confused reaction, the way she clutched her gun. His own logical mind, which had spent countless years among beings whose social cues were vastly different from this world's, quickly processed the misunderstanding. He was never much of a conversationalist even on Earth, often blunt and direct, valuing clarity over social niceties. This was exactly the kind of social faux pas he was prone to.
A faint, almost imperceptible flush rose on his own perfect cheeks. Yes, even a god could blush when confronted with an unexpected social misunderstanding. He was still Elias Vance, after all, just an upgraded version.
"Oh! That's not what I meant," he said, the cosmic resonance in his voice softening to an apologetic murmur. "My apologies. Please, let me rephrase." He took a breath, though a being of his stature no longer strictly needed to. "I deeply appreciate your ingenuity. The Qi gun you've engineered... it's a remarkable piece of unconventional thinking in a world so steeped in tradition. It's a testament to a mind that seeks understanding through observation and application, rather than blind faith. It's truly fascinating."
He then raised his hand, and for a moment, Kaelen tensed, expecting him to seize her gun. Instead, a shimmering, complex energy began to coalesce in his palm. It was the Law of Fusion combined with Fission, channeled through his Universal Qi Condensation. In seconds, a new object materialized, sleek and deadly, a gun far beyond anything Kaelen could have dreamed of. It was deep black, absorbing all light, its barrel humming with a restrained, destructive power. It was clearly a product of his Railgun Law and Laser Engraving Law.
"This," Elias said, his voice filled with a quiet pride, "is a synthesized and upgraded Qi Nuclear Blast Gun."
He then calmly raised the weapon towards the sky. Kaelen watched, utterly transfixed, her mind racing to analyze the immense power she sensed emanating from it.
There was no sound, no recoil, no visible Qi accumulation. Just a silent, blinding flash as a miniature, contained sun erupted from the barrel, arcing into the heavens. It didn't explode with sound; it simply vanished, taking a chunk of the night sky with it, leaving behind a perfectly circular void where stars had been visible moments before. The air shimmered, and a faint, residual heat washed over them, a ghost of unimaginable power.
Kaelen gasped, her eyes wide, her jaw slack. Her mutated divine sense tried to dissect the impossible feat, but it was too fast, too pure, too absolute. It was the complete, contained annihilation of matter, leaving no trace. Her own gun seemed like a child's toy in comparison. She had thought her invention was groundbreaking. This… this was god-like. She was utterly amazed.
Elias lowered the gun, letting it dissolve back into pure Qi. He turned his luminous gaze back to Kaelen, his smile genuine, radiating an earnest appeal.
"I see a rare mind in you, Kaelen," he said, his voice sincere. "One that seeks to understand the true mechanics of the universe, not merely its superficial manifestations. I am charting a new path, a path of scientific cultivation, of truly becoming one with the universal laws. It's a lonely path, but it promises boundless understanding."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "I would be honored, and indeed, immensely interested, if you would agree to become my student. Not in the traditional sense of master and disciple, but as a fellow researcher, an apprentice in this grand exploration. There is so much more to learn, so much more to create. Would you join me?"
Kaelen stared at him, her heart pounding, her mind reeling. Student? Him? The being who could unmake reality with a thought, who could bring the dead back to life, who wielded a weapon that erased stars? The logical part of her brain, the part that craved knowledge and understanding, screamed YES! Her pragmatic side saw the boundless opportunity. Her cautious side, informed by her unique perception of his unwavering truth, felt an absolute certainty.
"Yes," she breathed, the word barely a whisper, but firm. "Yes! I agree."
A serene satisfaction settled over Elias. This was a successful interaction. He had found a kindred spirit, someone who could walk a similar path, even if she was decades behind in comprehension. The prospect of intellectual companionship, of sharing his boundless journey with someone who understood, was a surprisingly welcome thought.
He then turned his gaze to the still-stunned townsfolk. He raised a hand, and from within his planetary-sized storage ring, compressed matter flowed forth, not as a chaotic surge, but as a torrent of shimmering, perfectly formed spirit stones. Thousands upon thousands of them, each one radiating pure, refined Qi. They fell like rain, clattering across the town square, collecting in shimmering piles.
"For your losses," Elias's voice boomed, amplified by the Law of Vibration to reach every ear without being overwhelming, "for your repairs, and for your future."
The townsfolk, seeing the glittering piles of spirit stones, the very currency of cultivation and prosperity, gasped anew. This was enough wealth to rebuild their entire town ten times over, to live in comfort for generations. They dissolved into a cacophony of shouts of thanks, their faces alight with disbelief and profound gratitude. Many prostrated themselves, their voices choked with emotion.
Elias simply nodded, a silent acknowledgment of their gratitude. His attention was already on Kaelen.
He reached out, not touching her, but creating a stable wormhole (Spacetime Domain Law) that shimmered open beside them, revealing the familiar, desolate landscape of the Barren Wastes beyond. Its mouth pulsed with contained energies, utterly stable, utterly safe.
"Come," he said to Kaelen, his eyes holding the boundless promise of discovery.
Kaelen hesitated for only a fraction of a second, then nodded, clutching her Qi gun not in fear, but as a symbol of the ingenuity that had led her to this moment. She stepped through the shimmering portal, walking away from the burning town and into a future beyond her wildest dreams.
Elias followed, the portal winking out of existence behind him. The town, now rich beyond measure, was left to ponder the cosmic miracle it had just witnessed, and the enigmatic being who had come and gone like a whispered legend.
The scene cut, leaving the desolate, endless expanse of the Barren Wastes. Elias Vance, the axiom incarnate, had found his first student. And the true journey of scientific cultivation was about to begin.