Chapter 76: New Element
"Incredible, not only is he a god of two unknown elements, he also has the abilities to revive…" Moon Carver* said in awe.
"Ahaha, not really revive from the dead. I was just able to do that because Havria had a small amount of life force. If she didn't have any…" Just thinking about it is crushing me… I shook my head, thinking about it will only stress me and tire me more.
"Don't think too much about it, hun. I'm here, okay?" Havria held my hand tightly, reassuring me. I held her hand as well, smiling back at her. "Mhm," I nodded.
We talked about a lot of things after that, but the was one thing that Xiao* mentioned that caught me by surprise.
"The Jade Chamber killed Osial?"
"Yes? Why do you ask?" said Xiao*.
"Well, shit. I need to kill him when we get home then…" I said, casually thinking of the matter as another slaying quest.
"Can you really? Even though you're a go-" I cut Xiao* off. This feels like the sermon he was about to say when I took Ganyu's hand in marriage, and I'm not having any of it. Not then, not ever.
"I can." I said as I summoned a small flame of Pride. "All I need is for my flames to reach him. Once that happens, his very life force will be stripped away from him. Fueling my power more in the process."
The Adepti and Zhongli* just looked at me with doubt, so I sighed. Guess I'll show them what I can do then. I stood up from my seat and stretched. I asked them if they could follow me and they nodded. Havria stood up and spread her arms wide. I smiled, slowly carrying her bridal style.
I slowly flew up, the Adepti following me, and went to the direction where there should be a small camp of Hilichurls. If this world has the exact same Qingyun Peak as my world, it should be there. And when we arrived, there it was.
"Alright…" I made three Pride Arrows float beside me since I can't really use my arms at the moment. I targeted the three Mitachurls in the distance and shot them with the arrows, hitting them successfully in the head.
Just like what my Glutinous Arrows did earlier, Pride erupted from the wound where the arrows hit and quickly ate away at the Mitachurls. While that was happening, the Hilichurls that were with them started throwing rocks and shooting arrows in my direction. It wasn't a biggie though, as a Geo flower kept their projectiles away from us.
"Disappear."
This time, I used my Glutinous Arrows for the Hilichurls. Pride was already overkill for the Mitachurls, not that I'm saying Gluttony isn't an overkill too, both elements are very much overkill. I sighed, the power surging within me once again.
"I feel like this isn't enough to show my power…"
"No, I think it is sufficient enough to show Pride and Gluttony's power. No more sparring or fights for today." Havria said as she pulled my cheeks. "I can already see it in your eyes."
"Ow ow ow! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" a single tear started to form as she continued on pulling.
"Ehehe, alright I forgive you."
She held my cheek that she pulled and rubbed it a bit. It was really painful as fuck. I need to remember that Havria still has the capabilities to harm me this much. And since she's pregnant, she sure as hell can't control her strength. Although, her rubbing my cheek is rather comforting.
"Ehem, could you not?" said Xiao*, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Ehehe, sorry." Havria let go of my cheek, much to my disappointment. We'll just continue this later.
Anyways, as Havria said, that was enough to show them what my power can do. While talking, I picked up something or someone teleported nearby. I looked over to the direction where I sensed it, and there I saw something that both made me surprised and interested.
A being that reeked of the corruption of the Abyss. A being that had a corrupted version of the Hydro element. A being that was looking straight at me, emitting a great amount of hostility, and was also preparing an attack. Havria must have also felt this, as she looked in the same direction where I was looking at. She then looked back at me, her eyes narrowing. I unconsciously gulped, now having fear at just what she might do if I suggested the prospect of a fight.
"I said no fighting, right?"
"Y-yes."
"Good, now…" she then faced the creature as she stretched out her arm towards it's direction. Wait, what is she-
"Lust." a white flame formed in-front of her hand and shortly afterwards, she shot it towards the creature. I heard gasps of shock from the Adepti and I'm shocked the hell out too. Wait, why the hell are you guys not doing anything!?
I followed the flame and when the creature tried to dodge it, Havria just moved her finger and the flame followed the creature. It's homing too!? When the white flame hit the creature on its legs, slowly but surely the legs turned into hardened salt. Much like the statues of the people of Sal Terrae…
"Arghh!!" the Abyss creature screamed in pain.
"Oh stop whining, you were the one who wanted to harm us in the first place." Fuck, where did my innocent wife go? "Now, disappear." Havria closed her hands, speeding up the petrification. However, the creature cut its legs and fled through a portal.
"...I'm sorry I couldn't kill it…"
"No no, it's fine. You didn't have to push yourself."
"Mhm…"
Looking at her, I guess she really worked hard on this secret power of hers… Was she feeling like she had to do something? Is it because she wants to help me on my adventures?
"For now, don't use that power too much. It may be bad for the baby…"
"Mhm, I understand."
Haah, I really need to keep close attention to my wives more. I don't want them overworking themselves just for me.
—
After that little encounter with that Abyss creature, we were told by Zhongli that those were called "Abyss Heralds" and were incredibly dangerous. Incredibly dangerous he says, and yet my wife just almost killed one with a small flame.
Actually about that flame, it had a hint of the previous version of Gluttony within it along with her own powers. That must mean that some of the flames that I used when I revived her became attached to her. Me not seeing any of its energy just means that she really hides it well whenever I'm around.
So I guess she made her own by combining them, just like Pride. Still though, the name "Lust" caught me really off-guard. Havria went on and continued my Sin naming. I guess that means that all the other elements that will come from fragments of Gluttony will be named like that as well. Kinda like a Sin Element?
Anyways, we returned home after a tea break with the Adepti. When we got home, it was already night time, so we decided to rest at the inn where Lumine and the others were staying. What I didn't expect though was Jean and Barbara sleeping with us. Eula was sleeping in the same room as her other self, since she didn't really have any roommates. Jean and Barbara would have slept with their other selves if it weren't for the fact that each room only had two beds.
Well, any other room except mine. My room has one bed, but it was big enough to fit four people. Why my room has a bed this big is beyond me. It's almost as if it's a plot convenience to make me sleep with Jean… hm…
"Well… this is rather problematic…" Jean thought aloud. "Which should I wear? Lingerie or pajamas…" Why the hell are you looking at me for that question…
"...Lingerie." I said.
"Got it." she smiled.
Goddamnit.
"Haah, you really can't control yourself, can't you hun?" Havria said, pulling my cheeks once more. This time though, it wasn't as painful, but it still stung. She was wearing a white lingerie whilst Barbara wore a light blue one. Only Jean needed to decide. Barbara pretty much was already in her night wear when we arrived.
Jean went to the bathroom after that and I took out my own change of clothes from my Storage Ring. Just a white shirt and blue shorts. Jean opened the door to the bathroom and went out. She looked at me for a bit and then looked away, her cheeks flushing red.
"So? What do you think?" Jean asked shyly.
The lingerie she wore was more… transparent. She was wearing teal colored lingerie and like I said, it was more transparent than what the other two wore. I could clearly see the white undergarments that she was wearing.
"My my, aren't you a bold one?" said Havria, who was sitting at the foot of the bed.
"I didn't think you'd actually wear that one, dear sister~" Barbara teased her sister, stretching on the bed all the while.
As response to the teasing, Jean's face only got more flushed as the redness reached to her cheeks.
"It looks good on you," I said as I passed by her, going to the door of the bathroom. "Although, I'd rather see you without any." I decided to tease her a bit. The last thing I heard before entering the bathroom was Jean trying her best to say something. Alas, it was just too much for her.
After a few minutes, I finished changing and anything else I needed to do in the bathroom. When I looked at the bed, I already saw the girls lying down. The only open space left was between Jean and Havria. I sighed and laid down on the open space. In case you're wondering, Barbara was on the other side of Jean.
Barbara sat up and looked at me. Hm? Does she want something?
"No goodnight kiss?" Ah.
"Right, sorry."
I sat up and gave all of them a kiss on the forehead, which made them sigh in satisfaction. I laid back on bed and said goodnight as they all wrapped their arms around me. So soft and so warm… With this, I slowly fell asleep.
—
When I woke up early in the morning, I decided to do some little exercise. And by exercise, I meant trying to carry a boulder that was ten times my size. Well, I said try, but actually doing it doesn't take any effort at all. I even did it with just one hand no less.
"Hm… What else… Oh, might as well try using those moves again since I feel like Havria won't let me do any battles at the moment."
I set the boulder back down and took out my sword. For these past few weeks, I've been training my Corruption Style as well as that glow. Come to think of it, I still haven't named it… Meh, I'll think of a name later. Anyways, I've trained two forms to near perfection.
"Haah…"
Gripping my sword tightly, it slowly started glowing. However, unlike it's previous glow, it started glowing a darker shade of purple. I'm really glad it just got darker rather than fully turning into black. This looks way much more fitting with my sword.
Anyways, I took a stance and dashed at the boulder.
'Second form: Hollow.'
I may seem like I only did one slash, but in actuality, I performed multiple slashes in front of me within a second. As usual, the slashes were accompanied by the flames of Gluttony. Of course, this completely destroyed the boulder. The only reason I made my sword glow was to see just how sharp my sword could become and when I looked at the cut pieces of the boulder, oh boy was it sharp.
The cuts were clean and smooth to the touch, as if the rock was polished. I'm really glad I didn't use this during my spar with Lumine. This thing is too deadly.
I sighed and made my sword return back to normal, opting to just use it's normal state for things like these. I wouldn't want to accidentally cause harm after all. Once more, I got into a stance. For this one, I didn't need to have any target at all. It was just for countering after all. I realized that I shouldn't rely on my shield at all times. I know it's strong, but it can only knock enemies back and block attacks. If the attack is too much, then the shield will break.
That is why I made this form. It's an instant slash in all directions, making it look like I'm surrounded by a cocoon of flames only for a moment. It may look like it's made for offense if that's the only explanation you get, but the truth is. I do all of this just as the enemy's attack is about to come within my range. When done correctly, the attack will bounce back to the enemy. It was a full counter.
The enemy won't notice me preparing it as well, as the only movement they'll see is me twisting my sword.
'Third form: Instant Counter.'
With that, I performed the form successfully, as usual. I mean, I did master it to near perfection after all. I'm saying near because I feel like there's something missing. Well, I'll just find out about it as I continue on using the forms. I made my sword disappear and decided to head back to the inn.
I warped back to the inn and saw that the girls were all still soundly asleep. Their sleeping faces are so adorable. I was taken out of my thoughts as I heard a knock on the door.
"Aether? Are you awake?" asked Lumine from the other side of the door.
"I wouldn't answer you if I wasn't."
"Touche."
I walked over to the door and opened it. Lumine went in and I closed the door again. She sat on a nearby chair and looked between me and the bed with three sleeping beauties.
"First off, thank you for having mercy and not making it a sleepless night for us."
"You're welcome." I responded, knowing full well what she meant.
"As for the reason I'm here, how long are you going to stay in this world?"
"Oh, about 2-3 more days. We did come here saying it was an investigation after all."
"I see… Do you want to hang out with me and my friends? You could bring them along if you want." she said as she pointed at the three girls who were still sleeping. "You can also bring Eula," She added. I nodded. I didn't have anything else to do for today or the next few days after all.
We talked for a bit and while we were talking, the girls stirred awake. They all sat up and yawned cutely while stretching.
"Good morning, did you all sleep well?"
"Mhm.." they all responded, still a bit sleepy.
I told them to freshen up since we'll eat breakfast together with Lumine and the others. They nodded and went into the bathroom one by one. While they were doing that, I made a katana out of the fused Geo and Gluttony material that I can create. Of course, only the blade was the fused material, the handle itself was just Geo.
"Here." I handed it to Lumine.
"Eh?" She took it slowly, confused as to why I gave it to her.
"A gift from me to you. It's blade is made from Geo and my own personal element. Be careful though, it's really sharp." I demonstrated that by touching the point of the sword. Sure enough, it pierced my finger. I quickly healed it using Gluttony. Wouldn't want Havria getting worried after all.
"I must warn you though, don't go showing it to other gods that easily. It's an unknown element after all."
Lumine nodded and hummed in response. After a few minutes, the three girls finished freshening up and we all went to the dining area of the inn.
The knights greeted us good morning and we did so as well. We all sat at the table where Eula and the other versions were.
"Slept well, Eula?"
"Indeed I have, thank you for asking." Both Eula's said in unison. I stifled a laugh at their embarrassed faces at not knowing which one I was talking to. Although, it was clearly obvious that I was talking to the one that was from my world.
While we were eating, Lumine asked me a question.
"Oh, what do you do for a living?"
"Hm? Oh, I'm an Adventurer. Although, I only go on adventures once a month."
"Eh… How do you even make money that way?"
"Don't worry, they pay me plenty. Not to mention my stash of Mora that Keqing gave me back then."
"Eh… You chick magnet…"
"Oh shut up."
We continued on eating and after a while, we all finished. I told the four girls, which included Eula now, about the invitation that Lumine gave me. They all agreed happily. I wonder if Lumine's friends know the other versions of Jean, Barbara and Eula…
—
"What!? This is your brother!?" yelled the other version of Xiangling*, practically gawking at me.
The friends that Lumine were talking about were Xiangling*, Chongyun*, and Xingqiu*. She also said there was that troublemaker Hu Tao*, but she had to do her job at the Funeral Parlor. Come to think of it, I still haven't met Hu Tao. I've heard about her a lot from Keqing and Ganyu, but I haven't really met her. I've already met these three since Bennett was friends with Chongyun and Xingqiu while Xiangling came to me for advice for a new recipe. When she did that, I immediately got Albedo's warning about staying away from her if I had Bob with me. Hell, she might even try cooking Paimon.
Cooked Emergency Food… that doesn't sound too bad.
Speaking of Paimon, I asked Lumine where her Paimon was and she just replied to me bluntly.
"At Mondstadt, probably enjoying Noelle's* pancakes."
"Fair enough."
"Say, can you cook too!?" asked Xiangling*. I nodded and she basically beamed, asking me to let her taste a dish that I made. I looked at my wife and lovers and asked them if they wanted some too.
"I'd love that." Havria smiled.
"Mhm! You're cooking is the best!" said Barbara, beaming at me.
"Indeed, I'd love to taste your cooking once more." Jean smiled.
"I'd love to taste it too, I haven't tasted your cooking after all." Eula smiled, being the last one to speak.
"That settles that then." I smiled as I rolled the sleeves of my hoodie up. We went into the kitchen of Wanmin Restaurant and Xiangling's* Father happily let us use it. I already had a dish in mind so I just quickly took out the ingredients from my storage ring and went to work. The dish I had in mind was Cured Pork Cry Hotpot.
While we were cooking, I heard someone's stomach rumble. I already knew whose it was, I've been journeying with her from world to world after all.
"Did you miss my cooking, Lumine?" I said, not looking away from what I was doing.
"Of course I do, I don't know how long we've been separated, but I still wanna taste your cooking again as soon as possible." When she said that, I stopped dead in my tracks. She didn't know? Should I tell her? I turned around and faced her. Lumine was smiling happily, having no clue at just how long she's been asleep. I shook my head and decided not to tell her. I didn't have the heart to tell her.
I know she won't really take it that hard, but it's still something that shouldn't be taken lightly. Even if we were countless years old, 500 years is still a long time to be apart from each other. Especially since we've never been apart for this long. I don't want that smile to disappear.
'There's no use thinking about it. She'll find out herself eventually, I just hope she gets over it quickly.'
I continued on cooking, completely putting my thoughts earlier to the back of my head. It will affect the outcome of what I'm preparing after all. After a few minutes of cooking and chatting, both me and Xiangling* finished our dishes. I made just enough for everyone.
"Enjoy!" both me and Xiangling* said in unison.
They all happily ate our dishes and Xiangling* won't stop giving me praises. I smiled and thanked her, as well as accepting the praises that the others gave me. Xiangling's* dish tasted the same as in my world… except for the obvious taste of Slime Condensate. I've already tasted her cooking enough times to know what weird ingredient she used.
"Even I couldn't tell…" said Chongyun*.
"Agreed, if I hadn't known better, I would have thought you were a god." said Xingqiu*.
"Ahaha…"
I only laughed nervously. Oh only if they knew how true that was. Well, not that I'm planning on telling them. It'd be for the best if they didn't know. After all, the Fatui are searching for things that are related to the Archons or gods in general. Sacrificing their safety just for knowing that their talking to a god isn't worth it.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Ayato_Suzuki
Ayato_Suzuki So, I kinda got a boost on writing this one and I couldn't fina a good way to end it off so it may seem like it's cut short. Thanks for reading!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone