Sacrificing Myself: Nine Transmigrations (Genshin Impact)

"Good morning. The morning dew is sweet—want a taste?"

Seeing Elliot stir, Shenhe gently offered him the dew she had collected.

Elliot slowly sat up, stretched, and glanced at the bowl of clear water.

"Thank you." He accepted it gladly.

Taking a small sip, he found it just as she'd said—lightly sweet, leaving a refreshing aftertaste that cleared the mind.

"In terms of sweetness, it's no match for city drinks. As for the aftertaste, it's a bit different from light tea."

"But the combination of both in this morning dew? You won't find anything like it in a big city."

"Coming to the mountains to cultivate was definitely the right call."

He didn't hold back his praise.

"My master drinks light tea often, but I've never seen coconut milk before. Is it tasty?"

She asked, clearly intrigued by city things.

"It's delicious—especially the coconut milk from Wanmin Hall."

"But I can't drink it anymore…"

"Why not?" Shenhe asked, puzzled.

"I lied to someone. The price was never being able to drink coconut milk again."

"That person must've meant a lot to you."

"What makes you say that?"

"Your expression tells me she did."

Elliot was taken aback, then gave a faint, bitter smile.

"It's all in the past…"

"Let's go. Today's training has only just begun."

With that, they set off again.

They talked more than the day before, though Elliot still avoided sensitive topics like backgrounds or pasts.

To him, when someone shares their painful history, it means they trust you. And he didn't think they were there yet. So their conversations stayed light.

They foraged wild fruits along the way, filling their stomachs and enjoying the easy rhythm of travel.

Until they heard human voices.

"Oh no! It's a Hilichurl shaman!"

"Run! Mondstadt is just ahead—the Knights will protect us!"

"Hang in there! I've already alerted the Knights! Just hold on!"

Looking toward the source of the voices, they saw a group of civilians under monster attack.

The people clutched their weapons, standing nervously against the beasts.

Shenhe frowned slightly, and Elliot looked on, thoughtful.

Without hesitation, the two charged forward and wiped out the monsters with overwhelming force.

"A-Adepti… The legendary white-haired Adepti!"

"They're real! We actually met the white-haired Adepti who save the world!"

"So beautiful…"

"Thank you for saving us!"

Stunned by their power, the civilians stammered in awe.

Before Elliot and Shenhe could speak, someone else arrived, running from afar.

At a glance, the familiar face made Elliot pause.

"Hello. I'm Jean, Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. We received a report of a monster attack here."

She introduced herself cleanly, scanning the area as if still searching for monsters.

"Captain Jean, the monsters were already taken care of—by these two Adepti."

"Adepti?"

Jean gave them a strange look upon hearing that.

"We're not Adepti—just people who've trained hard," Elliot clarified.

"I see. Judging from your attire, you're not from Mondstadt, are you?"

"No. We're just travelers cultivating in the mountains."

"I understand… Regardless, thank you for stepping in. On behalf of Mondstadt, thank you."

"I didn't do much. She was the one who noticed them—you should thank her."

Elliot nodded toward Shenhe.

Everyone turned their eyes to her.

Shenhe spoke coldly, "Tempering myself and training my techniques is instinct—just a means of survival."

"I don't carry the ambition to save the world. Punishing evil was incidental. You don't need to thank me."

With that, she turned and walked into the forest without looking back.

Elliot had expected it. He pressed his hands together with a soft smile. "She's always been like this. Please don't take it personally."

Then he followed her.

Watching their silhouettes fade into the distance, Jean seemed a bit stunned, then quietly said, "May the Anemo Archon protect you, travelers who follow the wind."

...

"If I'm not wrong, you were lying just now, weren't you?"

Elliot asked as he caught up to Shenhe.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because your expression told me—you wanted to save them."

Shenhe froze.

Those words…

They sounded familiar.

"When you saw them in danger, your brows furrowed. It felt like you were reminded of something painful."

"And who punishes evil in such a rush, claiming it was casual? It felt more like you were afraid they'd get hurt."

She stopped walking and looked at him, puzzled.

Elliot could see the doubt in her otherwise calm eyes.

Clearly, he had guessed right—otherwise, she wouldn't look like this.

"Of course, if you don't want to talk, that's fine. I won't push. I'm just curious."

"Curious about what?"

"Why you go out of your way to suppress yourself with indifference."

As soon as he finished, he noticed Shenhe lightly pressing the red cord on her body.

"I think I've got a rough idea…"

The moment he said that, Shenhe quickly stopped the motion.

Seeing that she still didn't want to speak, Elliot didn't say more. Instead, he quietly walked ahead.

This time, Shenhe followed behind him.

She stared at his back, conflicted. Her once-calm heart now churned with unrest, all because of his presence.

She'd met many people—far too many.

Some worshiped her like an Adeptus, bowing and offering thanks.

Some cursed her as a witch, hurling insults.

Some pretended to be pitiful, while secretly coveting her body.

But Elliot was nothing like any of them.

Even alone in the same room, he never showed any untoward desire.

He was strong—strong enough to take down a Rock Shield Mitachurl in a single blow.

He spoke with neither arrogance nor submission—never groveling, never boastful.

Being around him was… comfortable.

Especially the words he said the night before—they still lingered in her mind.

And he was observant. Even the faintest frown hadn't escaped him.

It was only because she moved too fast that he uncovered a secret she'd hidden so deeply.

To him, nothing about her was truly hidden—yet he never pressed, never embarrassed her.