In Teyvat, it all begins with rescuing the grass god.

It is clear.

Such fluctuations of power were a warning to the humans and gods who came to disturb her rest.

Rhodes also had some feelings about it.

Unlike Naxida.

He did not use fire, nor did he possess god-like perception.

However, the threat from Appepp sent chills down their spines, as if some unknown terror was lurking before them.

As they got closer to Appepp.

The wind and sand became increasingly fierce.

Amidst the flying sand and swirling stones, not only was the path difficult to traverse, but their eyes, blinded by the sand, were also hard to open. Rhodes and Narcida did not waste their elemental power, using their hands to shield themselves from the sand and relying on their senses to push forward with difficulty.

The people of the Grass Dragon were even more excited; whether they floated in the sky or ran on the ground, they were even more joyful than before.

Suddenly.

Rhodes' heart pounded, and Narcida stopped in her tracks, staring intently at a pair of enormous eyes that suddenly appeared in the swirling yellow sand.

As for Apep's body, it can only be identified from the vague black shadow that is faintly visible in the yellow sand.

Her size was at least several times larger than that of Biwalin.

A true dragon.

“Little gods, little humans, leave my territory.”

As soon as Appepp opened his mouth.

The sandstorm around them suddenly stopped.

Whether it was the howling wind or the flowing sand, all the agitation instantly subsided with the sound of Apep's voice. Apep did not release any elemental power; his mere cold voice was enough to leave Rhodes and Narcida with no time to spare, forcing them to focus all their energy on dealing with the oppressive aura of the primordial dragon king.

This was the first time Rhodes had faced such a terrifying opponent.

Honestly.

He was genuinely and instinctively terrified from the bottom of his heart.

This is Rod's most direct feeling at this moment.

Apep's strength is beyond doubt.

She hadn't done anything, just said a few words, yet Rod felt dizzy, his ears were ringing, and his body instinctively wanted to obey Apep's words and turn around and leave.

"call--"

Hermanubis's power moved without wind, transforming into a clear stream that brought Rhodes, who was instinctively gripped by fear, back to his senses.

Rhodes's gaze returned to normal upon seeing him.

Nasita withdrew her hand, which she had been about to place on Rhodes, and, holding the flowerpot of the Great Tree King, told Apep what she had come for.

The result was as expected.

Apep, who was already suppressing his anger, was completely ungrateful for Nasita's kindness. Instead, after berating her, he returned to the desert and never reappeared no matter how Nasita called out to him.

According to the plan that he and Rod had agreed upon before setting off.

Nasita stopped calling out to the stubborn Apep and instead took out the Heart of the Wind God, enveloping it with her own divine power. She shouted in the direction Apep had disappeared, "Grass Dragon, if you don't let me heal you, I will destroy the Heart of the Wind God right here and awaken the principles of Heaven!"

The voice just fell.

Apep, who had previously resolved to sever all communication with Nasida, has spoken out again.

"Humph--"

“Foolish Buyer, do you think doing this will attract the attention of Heaven?”

Apep's voice remained as cold as before.

"The Dragon of Grass".

"Don't you know that the Heart of God is a symbol of the divine law governing the continent of Teyvat and all its laws?"

Nasita's elemental power thickened again: "Are you really sure that the destruction of the Heart of God won't attract the attention of Tenri? Grass Dragon, are you willing to gamble on this? If Tenri does cast her gaze upon you and discovers that deep within Sumeru, there exists a Dragon King like you who possesses forbidden knowledge, just like the King of Nibelungen, what do you think she will do?"

Threat!

A blatant threat!

But it's very effective.

Because what will she do if Tenryu discovers that Apep is imitating the Nibelungen and also possesses forbidden knowledge?

That goes without saying!

It will surely be a bolt from the blue that will crush Appepp and leave him with no chance of ever recovering!

Do you think this is possible?

Appepp's words were still firm, but even Rod could tell that her tone wasn't as resolute as before.

After all, when she first discovered forbidden knowledge, it was a timely nail from Heaven that struck her and turned her into what she is now.

Given her current state.

If the sky nails fall again, it will be questionable whether she will even have a chance to survive.

After a brief silence.

The words that came out of Apep's mouth were completely different.

"Even if you could awaken the principles of Heaven, so what?"

"So what if Heaven kills me?"

“I am not one of those dragons who fear death. The scales and will of the King of Nibelungen are still an indelible light in my heart. Even if it means the end of my life, I will follow him.”

Got hooked.

Rhodes and Narcida exchanged a glance.

Nasita then asked, "What about the creatures that are growing inside you?"

Apep's voice suddenly stopped.

Nasita didn't stop, and continued, "Since you're not afraid of death, then why have you lived until now?"

Even though you are tormented by forbidden knowledge, you still want to live no matter what.

"Grass Dragon Apep".

"You boast that you have lived a long life and that you know more than I, a young god."

"So, do you really understand what you're living for? And what you hate for?"

While Nasita and Appepp were debating.

Rhodes gave a wink to the silent grass dragon people.

"Grass Dragon, Grass Dragon".

"go home."

"Going home"

Finally, they saw the Grass Dragon they had been longing for again. Although they had a thousand words in their hearts, in the end, the Grass Dragon people only uttered the simplest two words.

Come back home.

Upon hearing this, Appepp fell into a deathly silence.

Naxida did not speak again.

They just waited quietly for Appepp to make a decision.

And this wait lasted a very long time.

Just when even the most patient Rod began to doubt whether Appepp had truly given up on himself and abandoned treatment.

Suddenly.

The earth shook violently, and a gigantic, earthen-yellow dragon head tore open the ground and came rushing towards the crowd. Before Rhodes and Narcida could react, the dragon head opened its massive mouth and swallowed everyone present whole.

Apep was not angry because he couldn't win the debate against Nasida.

When Rhodes and Narcida recovered from their dizziness and opened their eyes, what greeted them was a heart that was completely withered and yellow, as big as a small mountain.

"The Heart of the Oasis".

After being confirmed by the Grass Dragon people, Nashida, realizing that Apep had been persuaded, immediately took action, drawing out the power of the Fire Seed and pouring its abundant grass elemental energy into the withered heart of the oasis.

Rhodes knew that the spark was fragile.

Therefore, Nasita was not allowed to use it along the way.

Furthermore, Rhodes specifically instructed Narcida that no matter what the situation, she should use the Heart of God to ward off unexpected events rather than use the fire.

The concern is that when the fire is actually needed, it might be destroyed.

And after the spark is activated.

Instantly, countless strange, grayish-green creatures surged from all directions toward the heart of the oasis.

They exuded a strong aura of desolation and death, moved slowly, like walking corpses, and their purpose was very clear: the fire in Nasita's hands.

These are the Grass Dragon people who failed to escape when the apocalypse came.

To survive.

They chose to actively adapt to the apocalypse within Apep's body, eventually evolving step by step into their current form, indistinguishable from monsters.

Unlike their brethren who transformed into fungi.

In the process of adapting to the environment, these grass dragon people, assimilated by the apocalypse, retained only the instinct to survive, discarding everything else that was useless.

For them.

The fire can alleviate their suffering and allow them to continue living.

So, driven by instinct, these apocalyptic grass dragon people flocked to the area, and their numbers continued to grow.

Given that they are all peoples of the Grass Dragon race, they all have the potential to recover after the Heart of the Oasis is restored.