"It worked! It finally worked!" Elliot felt a surge of relief.
But there was little time for celebration now. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this mask active.
In an instant, Elliot vanished from his spot, materializing above the Guili Plains. Scattering his divine sense, he quickly pinpointed the locations of Marchosius and Ghizhong.
In the blink of an eye, Elliot vanished again.
Sensing something amiss, Marchosius turned his head in confusion—only to find a strange, white-haired figure standing behind him, dressed in a black coat and wearing a smiling mask.
"Who are you—"
Pfft!
Before he could finish the word "you," Elliot's hand pierced straight through his chest. Blood splattered across the mask as Marchosius, frozen in disbelief, slowly crumpled to the ground.
"AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
The nearby humans screamed in terror.
Marchosius had been preparing dinner for them, with several humans assisting by his side. No one expected a masked stranger to appear out of nowhere—and kill him in an instant.
Elliot coldly withdrew his hand from Marchosius's body. Blood splattered like ink across his mask and black garments. Marchosius's eyes, filled with confusion, gradually dimmed to lifelessness.
The humans' cries drew more people from afar, all rushing toward the scene. But before anyone could reach him, Elliot vanished once more.
High above, he overlooked the crowd below and quickly spotted Ghizhong hurrying in their direction.
Ghizhong, having heard the screams, rushed forward—only for a figure to appear suddenly in front of her. She collided with it before she could react.
She stumbled back several steps, her eyes widening as she recognized the man before her. The bloodstained smile of Elliot's mask filled her with bone-deep dread. Her clothes, tainted by contact with him, were smeared with fresh blood.
For a moment, Ghizhong stood frozen, her gaze locked on the mask. A flicker of recognition flashed in her eyes. Though Elliot had completely suppressed his aura, she sensed something faintly familiar.
"Who are you...? Have we met before?" Ghizhong asked, voicing the unease in her heart.
At her words, Elliot hesitated for just an instant.
That single flicker of reaction did not escape her notice.
"I've definitely seen you before. Even with your aura hidden, I've seen you—I can feel it."
The next moment, Elliot's hand pierced through her body. Blood blossomed across her clothes, staining them crimson.
As the shock in her eyes began to fade, Elliot withdrew his hand, and Ghizhong collapsed to the ground.
He turned slightly, glancing back at her body lying in a pool of blood—then disappeared once more.
[WARNING! You have left Liyue! Return immediately!]
[WARNING! You have left Liyue! Return immediately!]
...
The system's alerts echoed relentlessly in Elliot's mind.
He soared into the clouds, crossed the sea, and sped toward Inazuma's Watatsumi Island.
[Warning! You have entered Inazuma. You have only 2 remaining opportunities to leave Liyue. Please return to Liyue immediately, or your second chance will be consumed.]
Elliot breached Inazuma's borders and descended upon Watatsumi Island in an instant.
It was the late stage of the Archon War. Watatsumi Island had only just taken form, and Orobashi was preparing his eastern invasion.
BOOM!!!!
A bolt of thunder fell from the heavens, striking Watatsumi Island with a deafening crash.
Everyone on the island was startled— even Orobashi trembled.
At the island's center stood a white-haired man in black, his smiling mask smeared with blood.
The next moment, he bowed slightly—left hand gripping the scabbard, right hand on the hilt.
Swish!
A flash of violet light cut through the air.
The Orobashi, still wondering who the intruder was, never finished the thought—his head had already been severed.
Lightning raged wildly across Watatsumi Island. Every armored soldier was struck down by thunder, yet not a single unarmed civilian was harmed.
Watatsumi Island was Orobashi's domain. Elliot believed the great serpent would not want his own people to suffer.
Besides, those who had prepared to march east with him—the seeds of future strife—had now been erased. His actions would redirect the island's hatred away from the Electro God, ensuring that no war would erupt again.
Having completed his task, Elliot once more crossed the sea, racing toward Qingce Village in Liyue at full speed.
Here, wandering souls filled the land—spirits of gods, divine followers, and mortals alike. Ninety percent had perished in the Archon War; the rest had died indirectly from its aftermath—famine, displacement, or the monsters lurking in chaos.
"Not this one... not that one either..." Elliot muttered as he sifted through the endless dead, searching for the one soul he sought.
The God of Salt, Havria.
By now, she should already be dead. Ghizhong, Marchosius, and Orobashi had only just been slain by him, and their souls likely hadn't reached this place yet.
Elliot was looking for Havria's soul—to bring her back and grant her rebirth as a human.
That way, even after the Archon War ended, she and the others would not be judged by The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
This was the solution Elliot had devised.
But as he searched, he felt something stir.
Turning around, he saw a woman standing in the air before him.
"So you've come after all..."
"The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles... Ruler of Death."
Elliot stopped where he was, gazing silently at the expressionless woman.