Sacrificing Myself: Nine Transmigrations (Genshin Impact)

Though he had indeed caught the presence, it remained incredibly faint. Still, one thing was certain—

It was the aura of a god.

Elliot couldn't yet pinpoint the exact location; all he knew was that the presence was weak and could only be sensed with complete focus.

The slightest distraction, and it would vanish instantly.

"Teacher, is something wrong...?"

Eula had noticed the change in Elliot's expression.

"It's nothing, just something on my mind. Let's keep training."

Snapping back to himself, Elliot smiled softly and drew his pitch-black Demonic Blade, beginning another round of sparring with Eula.

Amber stood nearby, cheering them on with bright enthusiasm.

After the session, Elliot pointed out the areas where Eula needed improvement.

He trained her nearly every day, and her progress was nothing short of remarkable.

After all, she was exceptionally talented.

When they returned home, as always, Eula waited until Amber was asleep before applying medicine to Elliot's wounds.

...

The next day, Amber and Eula headed to Mondstadt, while Elliot took down a Hilichurl camp and used the Mora he earned to buy bundles of thread before returning home to sew.

That night, they returned to the shore once again—practicing swordsmanship, dancing, and blowing the bone whistle as usual.

This routine continued for about a week, and during that time, Elliot noticed the presence growing stronger and more distinct.

By now, he had a rough idea of what was happening...

The god's reawakening likely coincided with the completion of his mission.

His goal was to help the people of Mondstadt accept Eula. That meant that as her stigma gradually faded in their eyes, the dormant aura grew increasingly active.

During this time, most of Elliot's injuries had already healed.

...

Several more months passed.

The aura had grown so powerful that he no longer needed the bone whistle to sense it—it was always there.

Oddly, no one else seemed to notice it.

Even Barbatos showed no response when Elliot visited Mondstadt to check.

He figured this must be one of those "special farewell gifts" the system had arranged for him alone.

...

In the dead of night, just before dawn, Elliot opened his eyes and quietly got out of bed.

"It's time..."

Glancing at Eula and Amber, who were still fast asleep, a gentle smile appeared on his face.

He retrieved his long-unused Knights of Favonius insignia from a drawer, dusted it off, and slipped it into his pocket.

Then he made his way to Mondstadt, quietly infiltrated the Knights' headquarters, and left the insignia behind.

The god's location wasn't in Mondstadt—it was in his homeland, Liyue.

Beneath the sly glow of the moon, he journeyed alone through mountains and forests. After a long trek, he finally reached his destination.

"Not a thing has changed..."

Liyue Harbor.

Liyue's most prosperous region.

Except...

What had once been filled with bustling crowds was now crawling with malevolent spirits.

They seemed to be celebrating their master's imminent awakening—the entire pier was swarming with them.

Xiao...

There were so many spirits here, yet Xiao hadn't appeared. Perhaps he was being held up by others in the forest.

Or maybe...

A barrier was cloaking this place, making it impossible for the Adepti to sense anything.

Elliot didn't know for sure. All he knew was that the god would reappear here.

The God of the Whirlpool—Osial—sealed at the bottom of the sea by the Geo Archon's rock spear.

In the original story, after discovering he had been manipulated by the Geo Archon, the Fatui Harbinger Childe used the power of the Hundred Taboos and the Empress's gift of "Harbinger" authority to temporarily break the seal and release Osial.

But from what Elliot could sense now, that god was close to breaking free on his own.

The evil spirits quickly noticed the intruder and charged at Elliot without hesitation.

He raised his blade and struck them down one by one. Even at his age, dealing with small fry like this posed no challenge.

Suddenly, the sea began to churn, as if boiling, and colossal waves surged outward with unstoppable force.

Boats large and small were tossed about violently.

"Come on out, Eula. Don't tell me you were planning to watch your teacher handle all these spirits alone?"

"Teacher... you knew?"

Eula emerged, cutting down the spirits behind him with her greatsword. She looked puzzled.

"Never underestimate a reconnaissance knight."

Elliot knew Eula was a sharp one.

Back when she blew the bone whistle and he had sensed the aura, she'd already been keeping an eye on him.

She understood that Elliot preferred to act alone, silently taking on burdens without telling others—just like how he bought her the bone whistle without a word.

So she'd made a habit of paying closer attention.

When he opened the drawer earlier that night, she had already woken up—and followed him ever since.

"Teacher, why are there so many spirits here?"

Eula was confused. She felt like she'd seen more evil spirits tonight than in her entire life.

They were everywhere, completely surrounding them.

"They're here to greet their king—soon to awaken."

"Their king? You mean..."

Even before she finished, Eula's pupils shrank sharply.

Reflected in her eyes was a massive blue serpent rising toward the sky.

She stood frozen in shock.

"The God of the Whirlpool—Osial," Elliot murmured, staring at the solitary serpent.

He knew this thing hadn't fully broken free yet. In its true form, the God of the Whirlpool was far more than just a single serpent body.

"A-A god...?" Eula stared, wide-eyed.

BOOM!!!

A second serpent body burst out from the center of the sea.

The ocean raged, the sky was shrouded in black clouds, and the aura of divinity grew even stronger.

The creature was too far out at sea for close combat. In the original story, it took the Terminal Mechanism to even reach it.

Elliot's only ranged option was the malevolent power of his new Demonic Blade.

As the thought hit him, his brow furrowed sharply.

BOOM!!!

A third serpent body exploded from the ocean's depths.

The sky itself cracked open with a deafening fracture.

Crack...

Craaaack...

BOOM!

With the sound of glass shattering, something in the void fully broke apart.

In that instant, everyone in Liyue seemed to awaken.

"What is that?!"

"It's a god! That's a god's aura! The god is awakening!!"

"How did this happen all of a sudden?!"

All of Liyue descended into chaos.

The Adepti who guarded the land rushed to the pier where Elliot stood.

From the looks of it, whatever had just shattered in the sky was likely the barrier that had been concealing the god's presence.