Lighting the God's Eye

As everyone knew, the further one progressed in cultivation, the more time it required. Zhongli's talent was exceptionally strong, so he grew powerful especially quickly in the early stages.

Even in Dragon Form, he would only be considered an adolescent once his strength reached the hundred-thousand-year level.

The span from a hundred thousand years to a million years was adolescence, while adulthood was comparable to becoming a god.

Growing for a few more years was important.

Back home, Zhongli looked at their battered new house and at Aserine, who was painstakingly tidying it up.

He suddenly had the urge to give those people from the Floating Spirit Mercenary Group a few more rounds of Heavenly Moving All Things and whip their corpses.

"Have you rested?"

Zhongli walked over to Aserine. She promptly stopped what she was doing, turned around with soft breaths, and straightened up to look at him.

The beads of sweat on her head and her slightly hurried breathing had already revealed much. Forcing an explanation was not something a Maid should do; it did not accord with loyalty.

"No, because it isn't time to rest yet."

Aserine answered seriously.

"How is your rest time determined?"

Zhongli pressed again.

"Unless otherwise specified, I rest after working eight hours. If my body cannot endure it, I may rest for ten minutes, and I must remain ready for new work at all times during all twenty-four hours of the day."

Aserine said solemnly.

The corner of Zhongli's mouth twitched slightly. What kind of work schedule was that? Even capitalists would probably weep at the sight of it. Was she the legendary God of War of 007?

"Go rest. Now. Immediately."

He spoke in a commanding tone. Since Aserine's mindset had basically been fixed in place, Zhongli did not know how to correct it for the moment. It was better to have her rest first.

"Yes."

Aserine put away the tools in her hands, then walked to a corner and sat down.

She lowered her head, her ample chest rising and falling faintly as she began to rest quietly.

"I told you to rest. Why are you squatting in the corner?"

Zhongli asked with a deep sigh.

"This is closest to the work area. It will not interfere with your movements and is conducive to improving work efficiency."

Aserine stood up and answered politely.

A Maid could not sit while speaking to her master...

Zhongli rubbed his face with one hand, feeling a headache coming on. He sat on the sofa with his hands clasped and his head lowered, silently considering how to solve this problem.

Just like a tool...

No wishes of her own...

No will of her own...

Wishes... will...

"Take out the necklace I gave you."

Zhongli slowly raised his head and said.

"Yes!"

Aserine obediently took out the necklace at her chest. It was a dimly glowing God's Eye. If its user lacked a sufficiently powerful wish, the God's Eye could not be lit and would be unable to serve any purpose.

"Try to light it with your will."

Zhongli continued.

In theory, a God's Eye was not a divine artifact. It was more like the initial form of a Divine Core. Everyone who possessed a God's Eye was qualified to become a god.

Thus, such people could also be called Original Gods.

As long as Aserine could light the God's Eye, she would surely gain a will of her own. Conversely, if she could not develop her own will and wishes, she would be unable to light this God's Eye.

As long as the God's Eye could help her find what she truly wanted and what she wanted to do, it could greatly improve her way of thinking and make her more like a real person.

"Mhm."

Aserine nodded faintly and stared directly at the God's Eye before her. Yet there was no reaction from it, not even the slightest sign that it might light up.

Zhongli was not surprised. Aserine was different from Mo Yuqing. In a crisis, Mo Yuqing had naturally given rise to an intense wish—the wish to protect—and thus lit her God's Eye to gain strength.

A God's Eye carried a person's beliefs, wishes, and the memories related to them. If there was nothing for it to carry, how could it possibly be lit?

"Light it with your heart, with your wish."

Zhongli guided her again.

"Mhm."

Aserine bit her lip, her brows tightly furrowed. She had no particular wish, nor anything she especially wanted to do, because Maids did not need wishes. They only needed to be loyal, capable, hardworking tools.

Wish... wish...

She gently bit her lip as she thought. After some time, the God's Eye actually lit up, and its radiance was not weak.

Zhongli was slightly stunned. He raised his head to look at the calm-faced Aserine, his brows gradually knitting together.

That's not right. Her will isn't that strong. She shouldn't have lit it up so quickly, should she? Could it be that there's something she has always wanted to do, some goal she has always wanted to achieve, or something else?

I should ask first.

"How did you light it?"

Zhongli asked in confusion.

"Um, I was thinking that I must become the best Maid in the world someday. Then it lit up on its own."

Aserine answered earnestly.

After lighting the God's Eye, her gaze changed somewhat, becoming firmer and more powerful. The God's Eye passively drew in the surrounding Geo Elemental Power, silently cleansing her body and strengthening her.

That was right. It had truly lit up...

But this was not what Zhongli had imagined. He had only hoped that Aserine would find a wish of her own and become more normal, not simply become a tool-like Maid.

Who would have thought that she could light the God's Eye with such a wish? Judging by the situation, she seemed to have become obsessively devoted to being a Maid...

What a headache!

An Original God whose goal was to become a Maid—if she became a god, would she not become the Maid God?

"Master, I can feel a new power surging through my body after lighting it. This feels wonderful. I can continue working now!"

After saying that, Aserine immediately walked to where the cleaning tools were kept, picked them up, and resumed working.

And she worked with exceptional energy!

•᷄ࡇ•᷅•᷄ࡇ•᷅•᷄ࡇ•᷅

Zhongli looked at Aserine, whose eyes were shining, and for a moment did not know what to say. In the end, he merely revealed a helpless smile and let her continue working on her own.

Perhaps she simply liked it this way?

Bang!

The sofa, which had seemed perfectly fine, suddenly sank. Zhongli, who was sitting on it, lurched and was badly startled.

This was most likely an aftereffect of the damage those people had caused earlier. It was definitely not because he had bad luck.

"Every time they come, I'll kill every last one of them. Once I've grown for a few more years, I'll head straight to Suotuo City, force out the Employer behind them, and then... hmph!"

Zhongli lifted himself up, changed places, and sat down again. The fury in his heart grew ever stronger.

Bang!

Another part of the sofa sank as well. Zhongli frowned deeply at it, watching it fall apart on the spot as his clenched fists creaked.