Morax's dwelling stood on the highest ground in the area.
He had built a stone house there himself—
not nearly as grand as a palace, but far more refined compared to the homes of his people.
Under Morax's guidance, Zayn arrived at a stone pavilion.
Inside were a stone table and several stone stools.
On the table were… square cups?
Square wine flasks?
…Okay then.
Because of the high elevation, the pavilion had a broad and unobstructed view.
There were no tall buildings in the settlement, so from here, one could see all of Morax's territory at a glance.
Zayn's eyes drifted farther and landed on an abruptly steep, unnaturally straight mountain.
It looked like someone had forcibly pulled it straight out of the ground.
"Morax, what's with that mountain?" Zayn asked.
Morax sat down.
Hearing the question, he gave a small laugh before explaining:
"I call this land Liyue. Liyue will one day be a city by the sea.
Behind that mountain lies the ocean."
(The author couldn't find the original name of the area in ancient times, so they used "Liyue" as a placeholder.)
"My people suffered greatly from tsunamis.
So I raised that mountain to seal the opening toward the sea.
With that, the waters can no longer invade, and my people can live in peace."
Zayn slowly typed a question mark in his mind.
So because he was worried about his people being hit by ocean disasters…
He simply raised a whole mountain to block the sea?
Was this reasonable?
…Yes.
Very reasonable.
"Morax, you're really good to your people."
Zayn rested his elbows on the stone table, cupping his face as he spoke.
Morax replied calmly,
"They chose to follow me and become my people. Thus, I must fulfill my duty to protect them."
"I see… Then can I become one of your people too?" Zayn asked, blinking innocently.
Hug the thigh.
Hug the thigh.
Hug the thigh.
That was the only thought in his head.
Morax slowly generated a mental question mark.
He was beginning to find Zayn's thought process hard to understand.
Demon gods usually had strong territorial instincts.
A proud god would never willingly place themselves under another.
So where did this strange idea come from?
Interesting demon god +1.
"I have never heard of a demon god becoming another demon god's subject.
But if you like it here, why not stay as a friend instead?" Morax offered.
He didn't accept Zayn's request.
It simply made no sense.
But he did propose an alternative—
one he found more fitting.
Morax genuinely had a good impression of this newly born Demon God of Manifestation.
Someone who gave his people food upon meeting them couldn't be a malicious god.
If anything, he seemed like… a pure-hearted boy.
"Friend? Sure, sure!"
"Then we're friends from now on. The contract is sealed and may not be broken!"
"He who breaks it shall suffer the wrath of Geo!"
Zayn spoke excitedly.
To be friends with Morax—
Yes, this was the thigh he needed to grab firmly.
Morax had not yet created the concept of contracts at this time.
So he merely chuckled softly, finding Zayn amusing.
"Very well. The contract is sealed.
He who breaks it shall suffer the wrath of Geo."
Ahhh—now that sounded like the Morax from the game.
Zayn officially stayed in Morax's territory, Liyue, as a friend.
Morax generously assigned him a room within his own residence.
But…
Zayn stood in the empty stone room, touched his chin, and fell into deep thought.
The room contained only a stone chair, a stone bed, and a glowing stone lamp.
It wasn't intentional neglect—
The whole house looked like this.
This was simply Morax's architectural aesthetic.
Liyue's culture had not yet developed at this time.
Morax… was basically a fancy rock with divine powers.
What did he know about interior design?
"…Sigh, forget it. I'll just renovate it myself."
It wasn't that Zayn was spoiled.
He was just a normal cheerful teenage boy.
But he had the power to fix this.
So why should he suffer?
He tested his strength by lifting the stone table with one hand.
"…Why am I this strong?"
Even with one arm, he raised the heavy stone table effortlessly.
He would need to test the limits of his new body later.
And study how to use the Manifestation Authority offensively—
otherwise he'd be nothing but a walking ATM during the Archon War.
Absolutely unacceptable.
Zayn easily dragged all of the furniture outside and dumped it in the yard.
Then he stared at the now-empty room, thinking about how to decorate it.
He didn't really know interior design…
but he had played the Serenitea Pot plenty of times.
Good enough.
"Let's start with a folding screen."
He manifested one, dividing the room into two halves.
A bed behind the screen, a table and chairs in front.
Better—
but still too plain.
So he added candleholders, flower vases, a bamboo plant, a standing lantern—
all in one go.
When he stepped back, the room finally looked like a place a human could live in.
Zayn sat on his newly made wooden chair, admiring his work.
Meanwhile, Morax happened to pass by the door—
and noticed all the stone furniture piled outside.
More confusion.
Did Zenos… prefer empty rooms?
He knocked on Zayn's stone door.
"Ah, Morax! What brings you here?" Zayn asked.
Morax glanced past him—
and saw the renovated room.
Then he remembered his own stone-only residence.
Comparing the two…
"…I saw you moved the furniture outside, so I came to check.
But it seems I was unnecessary," Morax said calmly.
His stone furniture couldn't even compare.
Zayn grinned and grabbed Morax's hand, pulling him inside proudly.
Heh—he'd just finished decorating and was looking for someone to admire.
Morax arrived at the perfect moment.
Zayn rambled on about his design ideas, layout, concepts, even "feng shui."
"So? Do you like it?
If you do, I can make a set for you too!"
"Consider it a thank-you gift for letting me stay."
Morax did not refuse.
"Very well.
Friends need no gifts to live together…
but the thought is appreciated. Thank you."
Truthfully—
He really did want such a room.
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
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