Zoran slowly drifted down to stand before Lu Mingfei. He studied the boy, who was currently transitioning out of his explosive state.
Lu Mingfei had always been clever. He knew he lacked inherent power; he knew Lu Mingze had left; and he knew that from the very beginning, he never truly had a choice. Some deals are completed by demons even if you don't agree to them, it's just that the alternative methods are often far more violent.
From the moment he roared Shendu's name, everything had begun to play out exactly as the script intended. It was an inevitable conclusion.
Lu Mingfei looked at Zoran and pouted. "Professor, so you weren't joking after all. I really was sold for a good price."
His voice was airy, clearly drained of strength. It wasn't from the battle itself, but rather because his human body could not yet fully sustain the massive augmentation of the Fire Demon Chi. With that kind of power at his disposal, Hela never stood a chance of affecting him.
"Lu Mingfei," Zoran said, calling his name. "You're a sharp kid. From the first time you shouted that name, you probably guessed the outcome, didn't you?"
Lu Mingfei nodded. He was used to wrapping himself in a shell of self-deprecation, but he was no fool.
"At least I managed to get something done!" He scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish. "I saved my Senior Brother and the Boss. And I saved my Senior Sister."
"You did well," Zoran replied.
"Professor..." Lu Mingfei's expression shifted, turning anxious. "If the day ever comes when they try to brand me as a lackey for some evil god, you've got to speak up for me!"
An "Outer God" had truly descended; he didn't want to go down in history as the ultimate traitor to humanity.
"Of course." Zoran offered a gentle smile. A soft gravitational pull lifted Lu Mingfei's body, helping him stand straight. He chuckled, "Your backer, the one to whom your faith belongs, is no ordinary fellow."
"Phew, that's a relief. I'm exhausted." Lu Mingfei rubbed his face. "I think I need to lay down for a week and just rot."
Lu Mingfei understood his current situation. No joke, he had hitched his wagon to a star, except this "star" was a mountain-sized powerhouse.
As they spoke, Shendu returned like a bolt of lightning, having completed his inspection of the world. There weren't many characters in this realm worth fighting, which was a bit of a pity. His eyes swept over Lu Mingfei, and a wisp of Fire Demon Chi flowed into the boy.
Lu Mingfei flinched in surprise, but quickly felt the bone-deep fatigue vanish. Shendu was currently in human form; Lu Mingfei noted that his physique was even more athletic than Caesar's, and his aura was transcendent.
"Though the flesh is still frail, with some tempering, he could be a capable vessel," Shendu remarked, giving his evaluation of Lu Mingfei.
Lu Mingfei's eyes darted back and forth. While offering up "faith" sounded scary, at the end of the day, wasn't it just being someone's underling? And this "Big Boss" didn't seem to have many demands; he looked like he'd be easy to get along with.
This was a role Lu Mingfei was practically born for.
"Greetings, Boss!" Lu Mingfei gave a mock-serious salute, then his eyebrows dipped into a mischievous, shifty-eyed grin as he rubbed his hands together. "Boss, do you need me to give you a shoulder rub or a foot massage? You must be tired after traveling such a long way!"
Shendu blinked, momentarily stunned. He glanced at Zoran, thinking to himself that this was indeed the perfect anchor. This was the type of character who, if given an inch, would take a mile; the kind of guy who would act like he owned the place the moment the sun came out.
"Unnecessary," Shendu said, satisfied. "I have servants for such things."
"Little Lu here has great technique! I've been professionally trained!" Lu Mingfei boasted.
Shendu let out a low chuckle.
"My servants aren't bad either, but I can't bring them here yet. So, I'm leaving this place to you. I will mostly be staying on the other side," he explained.
Lu Mingfei looked confused. What did that mean?
"You are responsible for managing everything here on my behalf. Don't worry about the rest. If you don't know how, I'll find someone who does to teach you," Shendu said magnanimously.
This was the world his brother had gifted him; he had to look after it properly. Moreover, as the first world gifted by Zoran, he had to set a good example. Facing the anchor his brother had chosen, and a subordinate who had successfully adapted to his own Fire Demon Chi, he saw no need to put on airs.
If things went as planned, he intended for Lu Mingfei to play the role of Valmont in this world. To hold money, status, and power as his proxy.
"When you say 'here'... you mean?" Lu Mingfei blinked.
Shendu glanced at him. "This world. Simply put, this planet. Is that difficult to grasp? Oh, and don't touch the Moon."
Upon hearing this, Lu Mingfei's legs gave out, and he sat down hard on the ground. He shook his head, feeling dazed.
Wait, wait, wait. He was just an eighteen-year-old kid, a college sophomore with zero social experience. It was hard to wrap his head around: a sophomore walking down the street, when suddenly some guy taps him on the shoulder and says, "Great, you're the one," telling him the planet is now his to manage and to "do a good job, don't embarrass me."
And what did he mean by "don't touch the Moon"? Did he look like he even had the ability to do that?
What the hell? Do you demons do everything this big? It's always a "world" this or a "planet" that. To you guys, the "brutal" Dragon Race are just minor league players, aren't they?
"If there's trouble, call me in your heart. I'll hear it," Shendu added.
Lu Mingfei nodded vacantly, feeling utterly lost. A tidal wave of shock, joy, and confusion crashed through his mind, leaving him dizzy. He felt the "leg" he was clinging to had grown so large he couldn't even see the top of it; he couldn't even wrap both arms around it.
"Room for improvement," Shendu commented briefly, then turned his gaze toward Zoran.
"Brother," he called out.
It was the dead of night. The bright moon hung high, emitting a pale, white halo. Zoran nodded slightly and raised a hand, gently shifting the lunar phases.
And so, the eldest of the eight Demon Sorcerers left his unique mark upon this world. Just as before, he sat high above the heavens, casting his moonlight upon the territories of his brothers and sisters.
It was foreseeable that in the future, that moonlight would shine upon more than just a single world. His light would eventually illuminate the myriad realms.
…
The Netherworld.
Zoran's soul traversed back, standing silently within the blood-red expanse of the Netherworld. He raised a hand, silencing a fading, agonized scream, and called out to his brothers and sisters:
"I have returned."
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