Genshin Impact: The God Incarnate

A cold, emotionless voice reverberated in the ears of every God:

"The world is in chaos. To restore order, the Seven Shall Rule the Mortal Realm."

"To become a ruler, all obstacles must be ELIMINATED. Within each region, all Gods must be purged. Only the sole victor shall ascend to the heavens and claim one of the seven seats."

"Furthermore, henceforth, no God shall exist beyond the Seven."

This icy proclamation marked the beginning of a brutal decree.

Was this an announcement to select the Seven Gods?

A world where only seven Gods could exist, and no others?

For a moment, every God halted, their thoughts consumed by the weight of this proclamation.

As the emissary of Celestia's will, her orders were unquestionable to the Gods.

Gods, though mighty, understood one thing clearly: Celestia could not be defied.

At Jueyun Karst, Morax was engaged in a conversation with the Adepti—Cloud Retainer, Mountain Shaper, Moon Carver, Skybracer, and Ocean Calm.

They were discussing various matters when the cold voice from the heavens interrupted.

The atmosphere froze.

No one spoke for a while, each contemplating the meaning behind those words.

Morax was the first to grasp the implications.

The decree was a mandate for the Gods of Teyvat to engage in a brutal struggle, where only one would survive in each region.

The defeated would either perish or leave Teyvat altogether.

While disputes and conflicts among Gods were not uncommon, some shared bonds of deep camaraderie.

But now, how many of those bonds would shatter?

How many former allies would turn against each other?

All for survival. All to claim one of the seven seats.

Morax found it hard to imagine the devastation and despair that lay ahead.

This was not merely a trial of strength; it was a test of loyalty, trust, and survival.

Could he trust them?

This question lingered in his mind, referring to his closest allies:

Zennos, the God of Manifestation; Haagentus, the God of Dust; and Marchosius, the God of the Stove.

Together, they had built the alliance of Guiyu Li.

Would this decree fracture their unity, turning their shared domain into a war zone?

Memories of their camaraderie flashed in his mind.

At least one person, Morax was certain, could still be trusted:

Zennos, the God of Manifestation.

"Everyone, this will be all for today. I must take my leave."

With these words, Morax transformed into a golden beam and headed toward Guizoi.

His abrupt departure rippled through the assembly, sparking heated discussions among the Adepti.

If an all-out Archon War broke out, no place on the continent would remain safe.

Though the Adepti were not Gods, they would inevitably be caught in the ensuing chaos.

They, too, began discussing how to navigate this looming crisis.

At Tianheng Mountain, the God of Dust Guizhong was building her sanctuary.

She had relocated her creations, the Ballistas, to strengthen the Tianheng defenses.

In the midst of her work, she froze.

Her gaze shifted skyward as the decree echoed in her ears.

Unease gripped her heart.

If only one God could survive in their region, it meant inevitable conflict among them all—including herself.

Unless... unless she chose to leave Teyvat entirely.

But where would she go?

She thought of the Dark Sea, a place beyond Teyvat's borders.

Yet it was far from an ideal refuge. The sea's corruption could erode a God's sanity, plunging them into madness and agony.

Unless absolutely necessary, the Dark Sea was not a viable option.

Resolving her thoughts, Guizhong turned into a beam of dust-colored light, heading toward Guizoli.

She harbored no doubts about her loyalty to their alliance.

They were her trusted companions.

Elsewhere, the God of the Stove Marchosius roamed Guizoli's lands, surveying coal reserves with a detector gifted by Vorthis.

Hearing the decree, he wasted no time in turning back, heading toward the city.

On the cliffs of Qingxu Pool, the God of Swords Qingxu, clad in azure robes, sipped wine and let out a long sigh.

The age of turmoil was upon them—a world where only the strong could survive.

Yet, Qingxu had no desire for this endless conflict.

Meanwhile, Vorthis placed down his bottle of soda after hearing the decree.

His reaction was calm, devoid of surprise.

He had long been aware of the impending Archon War and had subtly prepared for its arrival.

He simply hadn't expected it to come so soon.

Golden light streaked across the sky as Morax arrived, standing before Vorthis.

"Morax! Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere," Vorthis greeted with a smile.

"Did you hear the decree from above?

Soon, every God will vie for the seven seats, plunging the world into chaos.

What a tragedy this will be."

Morax nodded solemnly.

He had no doubts about the grim reality that awaited.

Before long, another streak of light appeared, revealing Guizhong, the God of Dust.

"Morax, Vorthis!"

"You've both heard the decree, haven't you?

This matter concerns the fate of Guizoli itself."

"For survival, Gods will fight and slaughter each other. It's a cruel mandate, but we are trapped within its grasp."

"I pledge my loyalty to Morax as the leader of our alliance.

I renounce my identity as a God to preserve our unity.

Rest assured, I will never betray Guizoli or abandon our pact!"

Guizhong had contemplated this deeply on her way.

She understood that the decree could plant seeds of mistrust among them, even if unspoken.

The best way to dispel such doubts was to relinquish her Godhood.

The decree had only stated that no Gods could exist outside the Seven. Relinquishing the title might allow her to sidestep this grim fate.

What if she gives up her identity as a god?

It doesn't matter whether she took advantage of a loophole or what future challenges await. Those things are unimportant.

What matters is the present.

She cannot bear to watch as the hard-earned Guizoli collapses before her eyes, gradually disintegrating, leaving behind nothing but ruins of a city.

Morax was stunned. He had never imagined that Guizhong would make such a decision.

It's not that he doesn't trust Guizhong.

On the contrary, he does trust her, but his level of trust is slightly lower than his trust in Vorthis.

As for Vorthis, he might have already seen him as a brother, a mere mortal, holding that title.

It's a familial bond—how could he not trust him?

Morax sighed and spoke.

"Guizhong, you don't have to do this."

"I trust you, and I trust the contract we made."

"The earthly lock, which symbolizes the agreement between us, is still placed in my room."

Guizhong nodded.

"Yes, I also trust that the ally I chose back then would never betray the agreement."

"But that person said that in the future, in Teyvat, apart from the Seven Archons, no other gods will remain."

"If we still consider ourselves gods, we will face divine punishment."

Guizhong spoke.

Although her identity changed, the essence of being a god could not be altered.

This method is just self-deception.

She must complete everything she wants to do before the war among gods ends.

If that moment comes...

Then she will leave Teyvat and head to the outer seas, hoping to find a slim chance of survival.

Seeing the silence fall between Morax and Guizhong, Vorthis broke it. He looked at both of them and said to Morax and Guizhong:

"I think the many gods in this world all have different ideas. It will take a long time to determine the ultimate winner!"

"The war among gods certainly won't end without a few thousand years."

"So right now, we should put aside our doubts and focus on protecting Guizoli so it can survive the war among gods."

"Once the outside world is settled, then we can fight behind closed doors—it will be our business."

"Right? Isn't that right?"

After hearing Vorthis's words, both Morax and Guizhong felt that Vorthis's words made a lot of sense.

For now, they should unite and protect Guizoli so it can survive the war among gods.

During the war among gods, the entire world might turn into a sea of flames from the wars.

Morax had no desire to rule the world.

He only sought to protect this fleeting world.

"Yes, Zennos brother's words make sense. Guizhong, what do you think?" Morax looked at Guizhong and said.

Guizhong smiled and replied: "I also agree with Vorthis's words. But when we fight behind closed doors later, you must go easy on me."

"Ha ha, of course, of course," Morax laughed.

The atmosphere relaxed after Guizhong's joke.

Then, Marchosius finally arrived, though his mind was filled with thoughts of how to help the people of Guizoli live better lives.

He had no thoughts on other matters.

In the end, the four gods concluded their contract in this pavilion, agreeing to protect the city of Guizoli during the war among gods.

"The contract is set. The one who breaks it will face the punishment of the food stone," Morax said.

Vorthis also smiled and said, "Yes, the contract is set. The one who breaks it will face the punishment of the food stone."

Then, Marchosius cooked a pot of good food, and Vorthis brought a pot of fine wine. Rarely, he didn't have his favorite iced cola.

After the four gods were full and satisfied, Morax prepared to leave the pavilion and return to his palace to prepare for any possible trouble that Guizoli might face during the war among gods.

At that moment, Vorthis, wearing a mischievous grin, placed a hand on Morax's shoulder from behind.

Morax turned around and saw Vorthis smiling. Morax suddenly had an uneasy feeling.

"Oh? Zennos brother, is there anything else?" Morax asked.

Vorthis laughed and said, "Ah, it's been so long since I've played chess with you, Morax. I'm feeling a bit itchy, you know?"

"It's been so long since we last played. I think Morax will not refuse my little request, right?"

Vorthis looked at Morax with a pleading expression.

If Morax hadn't seen that Vorthis was holding something behind his back, revealing the corner of a small nightlight, he would have believed that Vorthis was really asking.

Morax also realized that this matter couldn't be refused. If he did, Vorthis would surely annoy him endlessly.

"Fine, it's been a long time since I've played chess with Zennos brother. Please, let's play," Morax said.

The two returned to the pavilion, tidied up the table, and Vorthis set up a Go board to start playing with Morax.

At this moment, Guizhong and Marchosius hadn't left yet.

Seeing Vorthis preparing to play with Morax, they found it interesting and decided to stay and watch from the sidelines.

"It's been some time since I last played with Zennos brother. It seems your chess skills have improved," Morax said.

"Ah, yes, yes," Vorthis rolled his eyes and replied.

Vorthis's skills had indeed improved, but he was still no match for Morax.

As time passed and the game progressed, the board became increasingly crowded with pieces. Vorthis found himself slowly cornered.

Damn it, this stone knows I'm bad at this and still won't go easy on me.

In the final moments, Vorthis's black pieces had nowhere to go. No matter where he placed them, they would result in a dead end.

The only way to break this deadlock was...

Vorthis's eyes flickered. He had an idea.

He dropped a black piece, and suddenly, a diagonal row of pieces connected, forming a line!

Vorthis laughed and said, "Ha ha, I won, Morax brother."

"Oh? From where does this claim come?" Morax crossed his arms, waiting for Vorthis's explanation.

"Look, these five black pieces are connected in a line, right? According to the rules of Five-in-a-Row, whoever connects five pieces in a line wins."

"So, I won this game."

Vorthis said.

"If we're following the Five-in-a-Row rules, I also have a line of five white pieces. Doesn't that make it a draw?" Morax spread his hands.

"Not at all."

"Morax, I ask you, which comes first, black pieces or white pieces?" Vorthis looked at Morax and asked.

"Of course, black pieces," Morax replied.

"Then that settles it. Since black pieces go first, it's the black pieces that form the winning line, so I won."

Vorthis laughed.

Morax fell into silence.

He couldn't deny—it did seem somewhat reasonable...