"…urning up again! We need to…"
"…own. I've given hi…"
I hissed weakly as I slowly woke, and everything immediately went silent. I sighed in relief at the silence, and slowly tried to open my eyes. Everything was blurry, but he could at least see that he was staring at some ceiling. He wasn't out next to that lake he was last in.
Suddenly, I could see grey hair, blue eyes, and a gentle smile. "Hello. It's good to see you awake!" Her eyes narrowed in concern. "Do you feel well? Does anything hurt?"
I took a deep breath, and breathed out in awe. The pain and weight I felt was gone. I felt…good. A bit warm, but good. "I'm…okay." I whispered. My voice was raspy, as if I hadn't spoken in a while.
Another person appeared, and though I couldn't see him clearly, his eyes shone like Cor Lapis. I felt an odd sense of apprehension as he came closer. "Good morning." He said with indifference, though I somehow knew that he felt awkward as he spoke. "What is your name, young one?"
I gulped. "V-Venti." I stuttered out.
"Morax!" The woman shouted as she saw my fear. The man—Morax, it seemed—nodded slowly as he backed away. The woman gently came close and held my hand. "Sorry about the blockhead. He always forgets to tone it down whenever he talks with a mortal."
I froze. "Mortal…?" I repeat, not quite sure why those words felt so wrong.
The woman seemed to come to some realization, and she giggled sheepishly. "Sorry, this must be a surprise." She cleared her throat as she smiled. "I am Guizhong, and this is Morax. We are gods of this land."
"Gods…" I should pay them respect, right? But no matter how much the thought passes my mind, being respectful with them felt odd. Especially with Morax. There was an odd feeling that I should both run as far as I can and needle him with all sorts of taunts. I forced both feelings down as I attempted to bow. "Uh, it's an honor-"
Guizhong gently pushed me back down. "It's alright. You don't need to force yourself." She smiled gently. "Just rest. You're still quite warm." Morax said nothing, but he too nodded.
I nodded slowly, and before I could even thank them, I fell back asleep.
…
When I next woke, my eyesight had become clear again. The room I was in was bathed in moonlight, though there was a glowing rock lamp on a desk by my bedside to keep some light in the room. I groaned as I slowly sat up. I felt better, though still a little warm.
[Venti - Wanderer
Body: 2
Speed: 3
Mind: 2
Elemental: 0]
I raised an eyebrow. My Body rose by 1? None of my new Talents did that-, oh. Was it because I was recovering after being sick? Though I didn't know how, I knew that 'taking damage' allowed me to increase my Body. And that meant becoming stronger and being more durable.
I scratched the back of my head. Getting stronger by being sick…it felt a bit strange to consider. Though I guess it was the effect of my Growth Soul.
[Growth Soul 4★
You are destined for ascension.
Increases the growth of all Attributes by 50%]
Gingerly, I lifted myself off the bed. It took me a bit to reorient myself, but when I did I made my way to the dresser. I knew I'm supposed to be resting, but everything in me felt antsy over the idea of staying in one place for an extended period of time. If I looked at the edge of my sight, it almost looked as if the edges of the room were slowly shrinking towards me.
I opened the dresser, and blinked. There was a lot of…green in here. Male and female clothes, one in similar style to the ones Morax and Guizhong were wearing, but all green in some way. It looked nice, but…
Nevermind.
I replaced the bathrobes I'd been wearing—I didn't even want to think about who switched my clothes—with one of the ones I found in the dresser. I checked to make sure the door was locked. It wasn't, and almost hurried, I opened the door and left the room I was in.
Out I came into a balcony hovering over a beautiful oriental city, bathed in warm orange from the many lanterns hung around, laid across beneath the starry night sky. The balcony I was in was connected to many other rooms, and I spotted a staircase heading down not too far away.
But before I could head out, I heard a familiar voice. "You're awake!"
I turned and found Guizhong heading towards me, a wide smile on her face as she gently clasped my hands in hers. "It's good to see you walking." Her face was filled with concern. "Morax wasn't sure when you'd next be awake, but I knew you'd be awake soon!" She pulled me along. "Come on! I'll show you around!"
Before I could even get a word in, Guizhong led me down the stairs and out to the city. I didn't mind though, and I found myself smiling as she introduced the city she and Morax had created. The Guili Assembly was its name, and it felt strangely familiar to me, despite this being the first time I've heard it.
Hours later, as we reached the edge of the city, Guizhong brought me to a sandy shore. The waters were calm when we arrived, reflecting the white of the moon. "This is where we found you." She told me, a frown on her face. "When I found you, I thought it was hopeless. You were sick, and Morax said-" She shook her head. "Nevermind."
I gulped. To be fair, it did feel like I was going to die when I did that draw. Getting those Talents shoved into me—especially [Wind Breathing: Divine]—felt like my lungs were being scraped out. I approached the ocean, letting the waters crawl towards my sandals. "Thank you." I eventually said, not quite sure what words I could even say.
Guizhong smiled. "It's what anyone would do."
No, they wouldn't, something in me said.
I kept those thoughts to myself as I looked out into the ocean.
.
.
.
Days passed by in relative peace.
I was given the room I'd woken up in—it was a shelter for refugees from beyond the Guili Assembly. Unfortunately, I haven't seen Guizhong since she last brought me to the shores. She was a god; it was natural that she'd be too busy to talk with one of the many refugees the Assembly had taken. Morax was naturally the same.
But I couldn't just not do anything, no matter how appropriate it felt for some reason. I had to be somewhat self-sufficient. It was a matter of pride!
I decided to take two jobs to fill my time. The first was hunting. One time, as I was exploring, I heard a group of men talking about how more and more of their children were becoming soldiers in the militia, creating a lack of hunters necessary to bring in food.
I'd never touched a bow, but something about holding a bow again felt right, and I signed up before I could think otherwise. And I took to it like a fish to water. I learnt their basic archery so quickly that I was called a genius by the hunters who taught me. I was flattered, even if I felt like [Growth Soul] allowed me to cheat slightly.
[Guili Hunting Archery 1★
The most basics of Guili Archery, meant for hunting.
Increases Arrow damage by 5%. Reduces the effect of environmental interference by 5%.]
I also found out I could get Talents from just practicing something, which was neat. Though my new Talent started at 1★.
My second job was, well-
"Jiějiě!" The little girl cheered as she tried to climb onto my lap, giggling as she waved her arms.
I smiled as I lifted her up and sat her down on my lap. "Careful there." The girl just giggled as she began reaching her little hands towards my braids of hair. I smiled wryly. "And it's gēgē, remember?"
"Jiějiě!"
I laughed tiredly. No matter how hard I try, I can't convince the girl to call me her elder brother. I don't blame her—I do look quite feminine. And it's not like I feel too bothered about it. Not like I could remember much about myself anyway.
Yesterday, after a long day of hunting, I'd gone to a local restaurant to rest my weary arms when I heard a mother worrying about her daughter. She'd been talking to her friend about how she secured a deal with some merchants from a remote village to the south, but couldn't afford to leave her daughter on her own. It didn't help that her husband was a commander in the militia, meaning he wouldn't be home most days.
Long story short, I got the task as a babysitter, and was introduced to this little sunshine named Jinxing.
She clapped her hands as she cheered. "Song! Song!"
I smiled, and clearing my throat, I began to hum that now-familiar tune I'd thought up at the spot. I wasn't sure where and how I came up with it, but the moment I did, I felt my Talent infuse the fanciful tune with an ethereal deepness. Almost as if a choir of angels sang behind me with every hum.
Yinxing, usually bright and loud, turned silent as she enjoyed my humming. She leaned into my chest, as if using my heartbeat as supporting drums as I hummed. In a way, she wouldn't be wrong.
[Windblume Festival: Resonance 5★
A grand festival beats within your heart and soul, resonating across the sea of souls. You are the weaver of hopes and dreams, drawing all into one through your concerts.
Increases Music Prowess by 1000%. Increase Musical Empathy from listeners by 500%. Allows the User to pacify corruption through their songs. Syncs the entire concert into a single existence.]
Whenever I began to sing or hum, I could feel myself becoming one with the song. The line between me and my music blurred, and it felt as if the world itself danced to my voice. It was scary the first time I did it—especially after I saw how silent Yinxing became—but after a few more tests of singing it alone I became just a little more used to it.
And it's…fun. Going out to hunt boars and fowls in the morning, coming home to Yinxing in the afternoons, and then finally taking a rest back in my room. I still didn't know who I was or why I had this Genshin System, but I was happy. It felt as if I'd become part of this city I'd been found in. As if I finally found a place where I belonged.
I could only hope that this joy remained.
As my song came to a gentle stop, Yinxing cheered as she clapped. "More! More!" She said, eager for an encore.
I laughed softly, and brushing a strand of hair away from my eyes, I cleared my throat as I began to sing once more.