Sacrificing Myself: Nine Transmigrations (Genshin Impact)

"Combine it..."

Eula fell into deep thought. She had never considered the possibility of merging the Dance of Sacrifice with swordsmanship.

"Yes. There's a move in the ritual dance that's very similar to a horizontal slash. Why not try it? That way, you could create your own unique sword style—something no one else can replicate."

Hearing Elliot's words, Eula seemed to realize something. She began dancing the Dance of Sacrifice again and, just a moment before the movement aligned, gripped her greatsword with both hands and swung into a horizontal slash.

"Not bad, just like that. There are a few more moves that could work too."

As Elliot carefully considered how to combine her normal attacks, he quickly identified a unique attack style tailored for her.

With his patient guidance, Eula's strikes lost their previous rawness and aggression. Instead, they became refined and elegant—like a graceful dance beneath the moonlight: distant, flawless, and untouchable.

"Ahh! Grandpa! I want to do it too! That's not fair! You're not teaching me!"

Seeing Eula's graceful and one-of-a-kind swordplay, Amber couldn't wait any longer. She grabbed Elliot's arm, begging him to teach her too.

She'd seen countless people swinging swords in the Knights of Favonius, but most of them were all brute strength and aggressive power, full of sharp, intimidating energy.

She had never witnessed anything like Eula's style before.

That terrifying greatsword actually looked elegant in her hands. Amber was clearly envious.

"Alright, alright, I'll teach you."

"Eula, mind lending her the greatsword for a moment?"

At his request, Eula handed over the blade and reminded Amber to be careful—it was very sharp.

Amber gripped it excitedly, full of confidence.

But after just a few swings, she was already panting, her arms sore and tired.

It didn't take long before she gave up, gasping for breath as she returned the sword. "Huff... huff... I'm done! This isn't for me—it's way too exhausting!"

The scene made both Elliot and Eula chuckle.

"Don't laugh! I'm still young! I'll be able to do it one day!" Amber declared with conviction.

"Of course, of course. Little Amber is the best!" Elliot agreed with a smile.

"Teacher..."

At that moment, Eula looked at Elliot seriously, as though something was weighing on her mind.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I still can't stop thinking about the bone whistle..."

From her tone and expression, Elliot understood—she still felt guilty.

Traditionally, when becoming a disciple, one should present a formal gift.

But she hadn't prepared anything. Instead, Elliot had given her a precious gift.

And to make it, he had clearly suffered injuries.

The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt.

"Eula, let me ask you something. What do you think one should receive in return for giving something?"

He didn't answer her directly but instead posed a seemingly unrelated question.

"For giving something in return..."

"Maybe... a reward? That you reap what you sow?" she said, a little unsure.

"In theory, yes. But reality is far harsher. Often, no matter how much you give, there's nothing waiting on the other side."

Eula fell silent, deep in thought. The things she had experienced within her family came to mind. What Elliot said felt all too true.

She was a once-in-a-millennium prodigy in the Lawrence family, having earned the honor of bearing the Glacial Seal from a young age.

Many had tried to claim that title before her, but in the past thousand years, only a handful had succeeded.

For everyone else—no matter how hard they worked—there was never any reward.

"Mm... that's true," she nodded, acknowledging the reality.

"Then tell me—if there were something that guaranteed a return, and that return far outweighed the cost, would you give without hesitation?"

"Teacher, are you saying..." Eula seemed to catch on.

"Obviously, my answer is yes."

"But... Eula hasn't brought you anything in return."

She lowered her head in guilt, clutching the bone whistle tightly, as if she'd done something wrong.

She hadn't expected her casual words to actually move Elliot to action—let alone to the point of getting hurt.

And thinking about it now, she felt utterly powerless.

Because...

She couldn't think of anything she could do for him in return.

As she wallowed in frustration, a warm hand gently patted her short blue hair.

Looking up slightly, she saw Elliot smiling softly at her, his eyes filled with boundless warmth.

"Silly child. How could a teacher ever seek profit from his student? For me, the greatest gain is seeing you live freely and happily in this world."

"Grandpa, you can't just love Eula! I want head pats too!" Amber immediately ran over and whined.

"Alright, alright. Head pats for you too. Let's go—it's getting late."

Elliot rubbed her head as he spoke.

"Teacher, the bone whistle..." Eula reminded him.

"Oh, right! My memory's getting worse—I nearly forgot!"

Elliot suddenly remembered that he had said he wanted to check how her bone whistle training was going.

He may have meant it as a joke, but with how serious Eula had taken it, continuing to brush it off would've hurt her feelings. So, he decided to follow through.

"Alright, I'll begin."

"Mm, go ahead."

Eula began to gently blow the bone whistle. The natural sound of ocean waves at the shore blended with the artificial waves from the whistle, making it feel as though the sea itself was accelerating.

As the sound gathered and intensified, the crashing of the waves grew stronger and more powerful—like a storm brewing on the surface.

Closing one's eyes and listening closely, there was an undeniable pressure to it—as if a tsunami was bearing down.

Eula switched up her technique several times, exploring the sound's full potential with incredible control.

"Eula! What is that?! That's amazing!"

When she finished playing, Amber ran over excitedly, her eyes wide with astonishment.

"This is the bone whistle. Teacher gave it to me," Eula said, holding up the finely crafted whistle in her hand.

"Grandpa is so biased!" Amber's eyes nearly popped out at the sight of it.

"Don't worry, Amber. You'll get one too."

"Hehe, it's a promise then!" Amber beamed.

"Alright, promise made." After replying to Amber, Elliot turned back to Eula.

"Eula."

"Hmm? Did I do something wrong, Teacher?"

"No." He smiled gently. "I just didn't expect you to be so clever—to have learned so many wave variations in such a short time."

Flushed from the praise, Eula murmured shyly, "It's... it's nothing special..."

...What's wrong with me?

...Why is my heart beating so fast?

...Back at home, my teachers used to praise me all the time, but I've never felt like this...

Her cheeks were bright red, and she seemed almost afraid to meet Elliot's eyes.

Elliot chuckled softly.

This reaction of hers—it was just like a student being praised in front of the entire class: bashful, blushing...

A very clear sign.