The Laziest God Mortal Reincarnation

The moment we passed through the cave entrance, I felt the atmosphere change.

The narrow passage opened into a vast underground settlement.

Wooden houses stood throughout the enormous cavern, scattered along winding paths carved directly into the stone floor. Some were built against the cavern walls, while others had been constructed around the thick roots of enormous trees that somehow grew through the ceiling above.

Small lanterns hung outside the houses, their warm orange glow illuminating the paths and casting long shadows across the ground.

The settlement was surprisingly peaceful.

Almost too peaceful.

There were no merchants shouting from stalls, no children running through the streets, and hardly anyone wandering outside.

Most of the beastkin were asleep.

Every now and then, I caught sight of someone through a half-open window, curled beneath blankets or resting beside a dying fireplace. A few guards patrolled the quieter paths, but even they moved with the sluggishness of people nearing the end of a long day.

I kept my hood pulled tightly over my head as Mia walked ahead of me.

She didn’t say a word.

Neither did I.

There was something strangely familiar about the way everyone reacted to her.

The guards at the entrance had nearly fallen over themselves when they realized who she was. They had immediately lowered their weapons, bowed their heads, and apologized profusely.

Yet Mia had barely acknowledged them.

She simply walked past.

I hadn’t asked who she was.

Not because I wasn’t curious.

I was extremely curious.

But after spending seven days with her, I had already learned something important.

If Mia didn’t want to answer a question, she simply wouldn’t.

And I wasn’t interested in wasting my breath asking questions I already knew would be ignored.

Besides, there was something far more important bothering me.

I glanced down at my hands.

My fingers curled slightly.

The memory of the entrance came rushing back.

The moment I couldn’t move and circulate my mana.

Even Mana Aegis, my best defence, disappeared.

That bothered me.

A lot.

Eventually, curiosity won.

"Mia."

"Hm?"

"Why couldn’t I use mana back there?"

She continued walking for several steps before answering.

"The cave entrance has an artifact."

I blinked.

"An artifact?"

"Yes."

"What kind?"

"A suppression artifact."

Her answer was so casual that I almost tripped.

"Suppression?"

Mia nodded.

"It suppresses the mana of anyone below S-rank."

I stared at the back of her head.

"Anyone below S-rank?"

"Correct."

I frowned.

"So that’s why my Mana Aegis disappeared?"

"Your what?"

"My barrier spell."

"Oh."

Mia’s ears twitched.

"Yes. That would explain it."

I stared at her.

"You already knew?"

"I suspected."

"And you didn’t tell me?"

"You didn’t ask."

I opened my mouth.

Then closed it.

There was really no arguing with that logic.

I sighed and continued walking.

Still, something about her explanation bothered me.

"How does an artifact like that even work?"

"It interferes with the flow of mana within the body."

"So it doesn’t just stop people from using mana?"

"No. It suppresses the source itself."

I frowned.

"Meaning?"

"Your mana is still there. You simply cannot access it."

That made much more sense.

"So if someone below S-rank enters the cave, they’re basically powerless?"

"Not powerless."

She glanced over her shoulder.

"They still have their physical strength, skills that don’t rely on mana, weapons, and other abilities. But anything requiring mana becomes extremely difficult to use."

I nodded slowly.

That explained why the guard had been able to immobilize me so easily.

Without mana, my barrier was useless.

And if that artifact affected everyone below S-rank...

Then the cave entrance was probably one of the safest places in this entire region.

At least from magical attacks.

"Does it affect you too?"

Mia stopped.

For the first time since we’d entered the settlement, she turned to look at me.

A faint smile appeared beneath her whiskers.

"No."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Because you’re S-rank?"

She shook her head.

"Because I am much stronger than that."

I stared at her.

Of course.

I should have expected that answer.

Mia turned around and continued walking.

I followed silently.

The deeper we went, the more I began to notice the scale of the settlement.

There were hundreds of wooden houses spread throughout the cavern, but most of them were dark. The few lights that remained made the entire place feel like a sleeping village hidden beneath the earth.

Yet even in the quiet, there was something reassuring about it.

This wasn’t merely a cave.

It was a home.

A hidden civilization living beneath the surface, protected from the outside world.

Eventually, the houses became larger.

The simple wooden structures gradually gave way to more elaborate buildings decorated with carvings, banners, and strange symbols that I couldn’t recognize.

Mia continued forward until we reached the largest wooden house in the settlement.

Unlike the others, this one stood on a raised platform supported by thick wooden pillars.

Its walls were made from dark timber, polished smooth and decorated with intricate carvings of wolves, cats, birds, and other beasts.

A pair of massive wooden doors stood at the entrance.

Two guards stood on either side.

The moment they saw Mia, their expressions changed.

They immediately straightened.

Then they bowed.

Mia didn’t even slow down.

She simply walked toward the doors.

I followed behind her, keeping my hood over my head.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of Mia and embraced her.

"Mom, you’re back."

The words rang softly in the hall, filled with a warmth I hadn’t heard in days.

Mia froze, the sudden warmth of the embrace halting her mid‑step. For just an instant, the stern lines of her face faltered. Slowly, she lowered a hand, her claws brushing lightly over the silver hair of the girl clinging to her.

"You have grown, Lyssa," she said softly.

"I heard you came back," the girl replied, her voice bright with relief. She refused to release her grip, her tail swaying behind her with restless excitement. "I missed you."

Only then did I truly notice her.

She was a young cat beastkin, small yet graceful, with long dark silver hair spilling over her shoulders in a soft, flowing curtain. Two grey ears twitched atop her head, their fur catching the glow of the lanterns in the hall. Her golden eyes, mirrors of Mia’s, held a youthful brightness untouched by the weight her mother carried. A slender tail swayed behind her like a banner of unspoken joy.

Her gaze shifted toward me.

She blinked.

Once.

Twice.

A small tilt of her head followed, curiosity spilling across her features.

"Who’s that?"

I looked at Mia.

Mia looked at me.

The silence stretched between us, as if neither wished to answer first.

"Mom..." Lyssa’s voice broke the pause, her eyes never leaving me. "Why is there a human child with you?"

"He is under my protection," Mia said, her tone even and final.

Lyssa’s ears perked and gave a small twitch. "Under your protection?"

"Yes."

There was no further explanation, and something in Mia’s voice made it clear none would be offered.

Lyssa studied me for a moment longer before exhaling softly. "The other leaders are already waiting for you. They’ve been preparing ever since the guards announced your return."

"I see," Mia murmured, her face unreadable.

"They said your return must mean something happened."

Mia gave no reply, only turned toward the door at the end of the hall.

"Then we should not keep them waiting."

Lyssa nodded, finally letting go to follow at her mother’s side.

I took a step forward as well, but Mia’s voice cut through the hall, quiet yet firm.

"You stay here."

I blinked. "I’m not allowed to come?"

"This meeting concerns the fate of the clans," she said, her golden eyes sliding toward me. "I will talk with them first."

One glance at her expression told me any argument would be pointless.

"...Fine."

She gave a small nod, already turning away. Lyssa threw me one last curious look over her shoulder.

Then she followed Mia inside, and the heavy wooden doors closed with a deep, resonant thud.

I stood alone in the quiet hall, the air carrying the faint smell of polished wood and lantern oil.

"Well... I guess I’m waiting," I muttered to myself.

My eyes drifted toward the benches lining the walls.

I walked to the nearest one, settled onto the smooth wood, and pulled my pillow from my storage ring.

If I was going to wait, I might as well wait the way I knew best.

I placed my pillow carefully against the corner of the bench, adjusting its soft, familiar weight beneath my head. The wood beneath me was firm, but with the pillow pressed against it, it became a makeshift sanctuary, a small island of comfort in this cavern of unfamiliar faces and silent, watchful walls.

Distantly, I could hear the murmur of footsteps, the low whispers of guards passing in the corridors beyond, and the distant crackle of firelight somewhere deeper in the settlement.

I let my eyes drift shut.

This was the first time since arriving in the beastkin territory that I felt like I could truly rest. No endless forest paths snaking through shadow. No midnight cold gnawing at my bones. No need to glance over my shoulder, waiting for danger to slip through the trees.

Here, in this quiet hall, under the protection of a woman who could move through the world like a silent storm, I could surrender for a moment.

My fingers curled loosely into the pillow’s soft fabric, and I let out a slow breath. The tension in my chest eased, and the edges of my thoughts softened, like ink bleeding into water.

For the first time in what felt like weeks, sleep crept toward me without resistance.

A nap while waiting felt like the most natural thing in the world.

After all, if I was under Mia’s protection, then for once... the world could wait.