I, the Geo Archon Morax with 2.1 Billion Mora, Have Joined a Chat Group [176]

"Zhongli~~! Tell me, in this land of Liyue, where the people toil and suffer—where demon gods wreak havoc, vengeful spirits return, and all things wither. War, death, famine, plague... they spread across the land. What should we do?"

—"Mm. Yes, I know. But what does that have to do with me? I've never cared much for mortal lives to begin with. Do you care, QIngyun?"

"Of course I care. I care deeply. I despise war. I loathe death. I don’t want to witness famine, nor do I wish to experience plague. But above all else, I refuse to stand by while the people of Liyue suffer such hardships again. So, will you help me, Zhongli?"

"With your wisdom, you and I could carve out a sanctuary in this world of sorrow and war—a haven for those who deserve protection. We are gods. We can do much, so I am willing to do much."

—"Mm… If that is your wish, then of course, I am willing. But the sacrifices we must endure, the price we must pay, will drain you in both body and soul. Perhaps… we may even fall. Even so, are you still willing to protect these insignificant, ordinary people?"

"Of course. I am willing. Sacrifice is inevitable, whether for me or for the mortals under my protection. But there is one thing—one thing alone—that I refuse to let be sacrificed… and that is you, Zhongli. So promise me, Zhongli, if I should perish, even if you can no longer shield the people of Liyue, you must continue to live happily."

—"How unfair, QIngyun. You know that your death will surely come after mine. My end will surely precede yours. If you are gone, how could I possibly live happily?"

"Hahaha, by then, I’ll be dead—who cares what you do?"

—"Heh~~! QIngyun, you really are a heartless woman."

"You’re the heartless one! Don’t use that kind of language with me, or I swear I’ll use [Cun Jin. Kaitian] to punch you straight in the chest!"

—"Alright, alright, a gentleman does not fight with a lady."

---

Zhongli listened as Fu Hua spoke, gazing at her face.

For a fleeting moment, it was as if he had returned to that time long ago.

Back then, Liyue was not as desperate as this world, but it was still ravaged by war and death.

Ordinary mortals were like insects, barely living past forty years.

Under the wars of the demon gods, millions of lives could be lost in a single night.

Zhongli stood in momentary silence before clasping his hands behind his back and asking Fu Hua, "Do you wish to change this world?"

"Mm…?"

Fu Hua glanced at him, furrowing her brows without replying.

"Do you wish to change this world?" Zhongli asked again.

"What?" Fu Hua met his gaze.

"This land, where mortals thrive—it flourishes. Yet Honkai looms above it like a sword hanging from the heavens, ready to descend at any moment and wipe away all prosperity," Zhongli said, his golden eyes devoid of joy or sorrow. "Even those as strong and enlightened as you… can do nothing but struggle to survive against this force of destruction."

"Sacrifice, death, sorrow."

"Emotions reduced to nothingness, leaving only self-deception. Tears swallowed by the wind, never even touching the corners of one’s eyes."

"You fear. You tremble. You resist. Then, you hope. You strive. You long for something more."

"But when sacrifice becomes routine, when death is ever-present, when sorrow consumes your heart…"

"What will you have left?"

"……"

Fu Hua had no idea why Zhongli was suddenly saying these things.

But deep within her, the pain, guilt, and grief she had long repressed erupted in an instant.

She locked eyes with Zhongli, her brows knitted tightly, her voice trembling slightly.

"You… What do you know? What could you possibly understand from the words I’ve spoken?"

"Do you think that by simply listening to me, you can grasp the nature of this world? Do you think you can understand what I’ve been through?"

"I never expected, Zhongli, that you would be so arrogant."

"Arrogant?" Zhongli repeated the word, narrowing his eyes slightly. "It has been a long time since someone has said that to me."

His golden eyes studied Fu Hua in silence for a moment before he shook his head slightly.

"Then, tell me—"

"Do you need help?"

Hearing this, Fu Hua froze for a moment before asking in return, "What does it matter if I need help? What if I don’t?"

"Zhongli, I know you possess unparalleled strength—you can destroy planets, shatter worlds."

"But the enemies we face are not so simple."

"Though my memories are incomplete, I still remember… I was one of the strongest MANTIS fusion warriors of the last era, fifty thousand years ago. There were eight of us, all equally powerful."

"We fought against the Final Herrscher on the moon. I don’t remember the details of the battle, but the outcome was clear—the Final Herrscher emerged victorious, and of the eight warriors, only two survived."

Fu Hua paused. "I know, Zhongli, that perhaps you could defeat the Final Herrscher. But…"

She sighed.

"In the previous era, when we fought against Honkai, it adapted to our actions, evolving accordingly. That is what concerns me most—even if you were to defeat the Final Herrscher, the presence of someone as powerful as you in this war might very well force the Honkai God behind it to intervene directly."

"Zhongli, I am afraid. I do not dare gamble with that possibility."

"That reasoning…"

Zhongli chuckled. "But how can you guarantee that even if we defeat the Final Herrscher, the Honkai God will not intervene? Would you place your hopes on the mercy of your enemy?"

Fu Hua shook her head. "No. We have long confirmed the truth—Honkai’s essence is not destruction, but evolution."

"If the Final Herrscher is defeated, civilization will advance to the next stage."

"So that’s the reasoning… It seems I was somewhat reckless." Zhongli ceased his argument and fell silent.

Fu Hua, too, gradually regained her composure.

After a few minutes, she shook her head slightly. "Let’s go, Zhongli…"

She had barely finished speaking—

When suddenly, an overwhelming surge of energy erupted from the Helheim Laboratory in the distance.

In Zhongli’s perception, not just this floating platform, but the entire European sky itself seemed to be gathering Honkai energy toward that location.

He and Fu Hua exchanged a glance.

Fu Hua spoke softly, "The first phase of the experiment is complete. We should hurry."

"Alright."

Zhongli gave a slight nod.

---

This is a fan translation of 我，21亿岩王帝君加入聊天群 by 大一统. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!