Morax the Geo Archon: Billionaire in the Chat Group

"Hmm…?"

A bald man with a gleaming head, draped in a white cape and wearing a matching yellow jumpsuit, strolled leisurely toward Zhongli.

He looked relaxed, like someone who had just finished work and was on his way to a supermarket to grab half-priced bento.

"Hey," the bald caped man casually patted Zhongli's shoulder, showing no sense of formality.

"Which one of these guys is the Deep Sea King?"

Without waiting for a response, he nudged the unconscious Puri Puri Prisoner with his foot.

"This one?"

Zhongli shook his head. "No. If you're looking for the lizard monster from earlier, it's over there."

He pointed to the distant remains of the Deep Sea King, its green corpse pinned to the ground by a golden spear, now resembling a dried husk.

The bald man blinked in surprise before jogging over to the corpse. Curiously, he nudged it with his foot, then reached out to touch the golden stone spear embedded in its chest.

Pinching the rock lightly, he exerted a bit of strength.

Crack!

A visible fracture appeared on the spear.

"Whoa?!"

The bald man looked genuinely astonished. He glanced back at Zhongli, pointing at the cracked spear.

"Did you do this?"

Zhongli nodded. His earlier memory retrieval had already confirmed the man's identity—he was none other than the strongest being in this world, the [One Punch Man], Saitama, who had broken through his limiter.

"Impressive! I couldn't crush it immediately," Saitama said, his shiny head glinting faintly under the now-clear skies.

He gripped the golden spear like a toy, squeezing and releasing it repeatedly until the fractures spread further. Finally, the spear crumbled into golden sand.

"Hey, wanna fight me?"

Saitama's proposal came with an eager smile.

"Why?" Zhongli asked, neither agreeing nor refusing.

"Because I can tell you're strong," Saitama said earnestly, his expression unusually serious.

"Strong enough that I can't tell if I'd win against you."

"It's been ages since I had a real fight."

"Are you a battle maniac?" Zhongli asked calmly.

"No, no!" Saitama waved his hands defensively, scratching his smooth head with an awkward grin.

"It's just... I haven't had a proper fight in a long time. Sometimes I feel restless, you know? At most, I dream about fighting a worthy opponent. That's about it."

"That sounds like a battle maniac," Zhongli said with a faint shake of his head.

"If you can't find someone to match you in combat, perhaps you could consider other pursuits, like contributing to humanity?"

"Ahhh, no way, not happening." Saitama waved his hands dismissively.

"Well, if you're so eager to fight, I might be able to oblige. It won't cost me much." Zhongli raised his gaze to meet Saitama's.

"But we'll need to establish a contract first."

"A contract? If it involves doing bad things, I'm out," Saitama replied, frowning.

"The terms aren't decided yet, but I can promise they won't violate your moral principles," Zhongli said evenly.

"In that case, we're good. So, can we start now?" Saitama cracked his knuckles, his enthusiasm unmistakable.

"Not here," Zhongli said, shaking his head. "We should find a remote location, like a desert. I don't want to destroy the city."

"Ah, right. Makes sense," Saitama agreed.

---

The world around them shattered.

The desert was torn asunder, the vast expanse reduced to fine dust.

The once-rough sand now became a swirling sea of powder, and the sunlight filtering through the sky seemed distorted.

In the middle of this desolate battlefield, Saitama stood, his chest heaving slightly as he caught his breath. Across from him, Zhongli remained calm, showing only the faintest signs of exertion.

"Wow! You're incredible!"

"Seriously amazing!"

"This time, you win! But next time, I won't lose!"

Standing atop a golden stone pillar, Zhongli shook his head. "I did not win this time either."

He gazed at Saitama, a rare smile of satisfaction crossing his face.

"I didn't even manage to injure you."

"And I didn't hurt you either," Saitama replied, rolling onto his back before sitting cross-legged with his arms folded.

"This is the first time my punches have failed to break through someone's defenses. Great! Now I'm motivated to train again!"

Zhongli nodded in agreement. "Yes, I've learned much as well. It will be useful next time."

"Good! Let's spar again after I've trained more," Saitama said, flexing his wrists with excitement.

"If time allows." Zhongli nodded before continuing, "This battle is over. According to the contract, you still owe me a favor. Rest assured, it will not conflict with your moral code."

"Now then, my time here is up. I must take my leave."

With those words, Zhongli glanced at the countdown timer in the chat group interface. He closed his eyes and silently counted to three.

[The chat group is initiating transdimensional jump.]

[Please stand by.]

The next moment, Zhongli opened his eyes to the familiar presence of the seven elemental forces surrounding him once more.

His tranquil gaze betrayed the rippling thoughts beneath.

The duel with Saitama had provided him with profound insights—perhaps even more than it had for Saitama himself.

Living in a world where elemental forces reigned supreme, Zhongli had rarely focused on raw physical combat. Despite being hailed as a Martial God, his physical prowess paled compared to Saitama's unparalleled strength.

Though his stone armor had withstood Saitama's unrelenting blows, none of Zhongli's attacks had managed to land. And even if they had, he doubted they would have caused any meaningful harm.

It was a clash of two undefeated forces.

Of course, Zhongli had refrained from using his divine authority as the Geo Archon, the power of gravity, or his newfound abilities to transcend time itself.

But then, Saitama hadn't gone all out either.

And as the true protagonist of his world, Saitama exuded a pressure—a tangible force of destiny. It was a weight so immense that Zhongli could feel it bearing down on him.

This, he realized, was the favor of the world. The will of fate itself.

To fight Saitama to the death would mean not only battling the man but also the very malice of the world protecting its chosen hero.

So this is the nature of destiny… does every world have this?

Lost in thought, Zhongli was startled by the sudden chime of a notification.

[Ding! Bzzt! Bzzt!]

[Mind Reader has sent you a private message with a window nudge.]

---

T/N: LMAO how do you guys feel that the fight was cut out