A colossal nuclear blast erupted, engulfing them entirely in blinding light.
It was unclear how much time had passed before Morax finally snapped back to reality from that overwhelming spectacle. The scene completely overturned his understanding of Geo power.
He had never imagined that the strength of Geo could reach such terrifying heights.
That wasn't an attack—
It was the outright reshaping of terrain!
"What? Finally snapped out of it?" Elliot asked, sipping his tea.
Morax turned to him blankly. Elliot had already lit a campfire and brewed the tea, and from the looks of it, he had been sitting there drinking for quite some time.
"I..."
"How long was I out?" Morax asked instinctively.
"Not long—just three pots of tea. About an hour and a half."
Morax stared at Elliot in disbelief.
He had thought he understood Elliot well enough. After all, they had been together for three or four years now. But this display once again shattered his understanding of him.
He realized... the big brother was always the big brother. Forever mysterious, powerful, and unfathomable.
He had once believed he was finally close enough to grab hold of Elliot's hem, only to find that, in truth, he couldn't even catch sight of his taillights.
"Brother..." Morax approached with a grave expression, as though carrying something important to discuss.
"What is it?" Elliot asked, still sipping his tea without looking up.
"Do you think... I can really master this skill?"
Before witnessing Heaven's Motion, All Phenomena, the confidence Morax had once lost under Elliot's harsh training had slowly returned.
Back then, when Elliot had guided him step by step in forging his first Magic Scale Spear, it had taken him half a month to succeed. Yet the following nine weapons he had developed on his own, and their crafting time had shortened considerably. That progress had greatly bolstered his confidence.
But before he could enjoy that sense of accomplishment for even two days, Elliot had dealt him a crushing blow, leaving him dizzy and disheartened. His newly restored confidence was instantly shattered.
"Of course. Once you grasp the principle behind it, it's actually simple. I've already tested the most complicated step for you. With enough practice, you'll definitely succeed."
Elliot's answer carried genuine affirmation, as though he truly believed in Morax's potential.
"Is that so..." Morax still looked at him with doubt in his eyes.
"Yes."
"Then... how long would it take me to learn?" Morax pressed further.
"Let me think..." The question gave Elliot pause.
He set down his cup, lowered his head slightly, and fell into deep thought.
After a long while, he seemed to reach an answer. Slowly raising his head, he fixed his gaze on Morax.
Morax watched him nervously, his anticipation clear.
"Honestly, I don't know. But if you're quick, maybe three or four hundred years. If not... perhaps a thousand."
At those words, Morax's eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
He regretted asking the question. Even though he had expected it to take a long time, hearing the answer still made his heart sink.
And worse still, the one giving the answer was Elliot—the least reliable person in his eyes.
Three or four hundred years might not be an eternity for a god's lifespan, but time wasn't measured like that. To devote oneself to a single pursuit for centuries... Morax doubted he had the willpower to endure it.
No matter how impressive and powerful the skill appeared, the timeframe was simply too absurd.
"Brother... I think I'll give up. This is just too much for me." Morax began to retreat.
"I agree," Elliot nodded without hesitation.
Morax felt a pang of disappointment.
First, because he was too dull to master such a formidable skill. Second, because Elliot hadn't hesitated in the slightest to affirm his withdrawal.
Of course, Elliot's response was simply the truth. Looking at Morax's current state, he could see no possible way to push him toward mastering that technique.
Three or four hundred years was no exaggeration. At Morax's present pace, Heaven's Motion, All Phenomena really would demand that much time to learn.
Of course, this was based on the assumption that "Morax remained exactly the same over those three or four centuries."
At present, Morax devoted himself to forging weapons and improving his skills, not only because he wanted to catch up to Elliot, but also because these weapons and techniques were undeniably more impressive than his earlier ones.
But relying on those two motivations alone to sustain him for centuries of practice on a single technique? That was unrealistic.
Naturally, Elliot couldn't force him to learn.
Learning was never about compulsion. It was about willingness.
Only when one felt genuine interest, had a goal, and formed a clear desire, would they begin to learn of their own accord.
Right now, Morax had no goal other than catching up to Elliot. But the gap between them was far too great, one he couldn't hope to bridge anytime soon.
Thus, Elliot needed to give him a new goal—something worth striving for.
"Morax," Elliot asked slowly, lifting his teacup and closing his eyes, "what do you think of humans?"