Sacrificing Myself: Nine Transmigrations (Genshin Impact)

The moment they erupted into that scene, everyone in Wangshu Inn froze, wide-eyed and stunned.

Realizing the attention they'd drawn, Xiao quickly returned to his usual cold demeanor. He cast a strange glance at Elliot, then turned his head away and said with detached calm,

"One bowl of almond tofu."

"I'll have one too," Elliot echoed.

"State your purpose."

Xiao's tone was colder now, as though he had finally snapped back to reality.

He had lost his composure earlier—but he couldn't deny it. In Elliot, he had seen echoes of his former Yaksha companions.

A mere human, yet his strength rivaled Xiao's. Even his stamina was abnormal, managing to keep up for an entire day and night of fighting when Xiao had gone all out.

Xiao had fought for over a millennium, and yet… he still couldn't win.

Perhaps it was bitterness. Or perhaps it was Elliot's infuriating personality—always fanning the flames—that had shaken his mindset.

If Elliot were just an average mortal, Xiao wouldn't have reacted, no matter what nonsense he said.

If he were an Adeptus, Xiao still wouldn't have cared.

But Elliot was a mortal—one whose strength was absurdly formidable. It was hard not to take notice.

"What else would I want? I'm just a bored, idle mortal. Born under a lonely fate, cursed to bring harm to others. The only thing I can do for people… is keep my distance."

"I actually learned this outlook from someone. It's my own… unique way of living."

"Honestly, I'm just lonely."

"And you seem just as lonely, so I figured I'd come chat with you."

Elliot spoke plainly, without the slightest hint of hesitation.

Then he craned his neck, eyeing the bowls of almond tofu being carried over with barely contained anticipation.

"You like almond tofu too?" Xiao asked, noting the eagerness in his eyes.

"Never tried it. No idea if I'll like it."

"You haven't? Then why'd you order it?"

"To get closer to you, of course. I heard you like the stuff, so I figured if I tried it too, we'd have something to talk about."

Elliot said it so openly that Xiao was momentarily stunned.

Who the hell just blurts their intentions out like that…?

"Why would you want to get close to someone as dull as me?" Xiao asked, genuinely confused.

"Beats me. Maybe because we're both lonely and we both use spears. Uh… what's that saying again..."

"Birds of a feather flock together," Xiao finished for him.

"Ah, that's it! Birds of a feather!" Elliot clapped his hands in excitement.

"…Weirdo."

"If I'm a weirdo, then you're a weird Adeptus. All the other Adepti are loved by the people—but you? Nobody seems to like you."

Xiao paused at that. Then, unexpectedly, a faint smile touched his lips.

"I didn't expect to meet someone like you in the mortal world." Xiao's impression of humans seemed to shift slightly.

"Oh, there's a lot more you wouldn't expect."

Elliot responded, then dug into the almond tofu to finally see for himself what the fuss over Xiao's "dreams" was about.

The tofu was soft, smooth, and melted in his mouth, bursting with the rich fragrance of almonds.

A lingering sweetness coated his tongue—it really was pretty good.

"Not bad. You've got good taste," Elliot praised.

"Hmph. Boring," Xiao replied, though he started eating his own serving.

Still… it had been a long time since he'd shared a table with anyone.

Elliot made quick work of his first bowl, then called out,

"Three more, please!"

"Coming right up!" the cheerful waiter responded.

Elliot kept going until he'd downed ten whole bowls.

He felt like he was going to turn into almond tofu himself.

"Wherever you came from, go back. Clearing evil spirits brings karmic burden far worse than you can imagine."

This was the third time Xiao had tried to talk him out of joining in demon-slaying. Having carried countless karmic scars himself, he knew the torment it brought.

Bosacius Yaksha had vanished, unable to bear the mental strain.

That pain—wasn't something a mortal could endure.

Xiao truly admired Elliot, and naturally didn't want him getting caught up in that darkness.

"You make it sound so dramatic. I've slain evil spirits before. Didn't seem all that mentally scarring to me."

As always, Elliot wasn't moved by Xiao's warnings.

"In the past thousand years, I've hunted down tens of thousands of wraiths," Xiao said, voice solemn.

"Their cries haunt me constantly. Roaring, wailing, screaming for death…"

"Mortal lives are short. You should spend that time doing things that bring you peace—not chasing pain."

He spoke seriously, trying to make Elliot understand the weight of what he was choosing.

Elliot just lowered his head silently…

Then yawned. Loudly.

"Ah~"

Xiao's face darkened.

"You're being disrespectful to an immortal."

"Just an immortal? I could beat ten of you."

"…Huh?" Xiao's brow twitched.

"Relax, I'm kidding. Kidding."

"Besides, I've experienced plenty of pain. This is nothing."

"Oh, and lunch's on you today—consider it payment for me helping out with the evil spirits."

"I'm gonna go take a nap now. Haven't slept in two days and nights—I'm exhausted."

With that, Elliot stood, stretched, and casually walked out.

Xiao: "?"

He stood there, stunned.

By the time he came to, Elliot had already vanished. Xiao turned and stared at the ten empty bowls… and sank into thought.

Then—

The corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

He'd lived for centuries—and this was the first time he'd met someone so shameless.

"Lunch's on you"? Seriously? Where did that guy get the nerve to say that?

They'd only known each other for two days! And he just waltzed in, ate ten bowls of almond tofu, and left?

That was some next-level audacity.

And what the hell was this "commission" nonsense?

He'd explicitly told Elliot not to get involved—and somehow, now it was a request for help?

Was this guy deaf? Or just out of his mind?

Xiao stood frozen, completely thrown off.

He had borne centuries of karmic suffering without breaking.

But now, this one reckless, arrogant, disrespectful mortal…

Was dismantling him piece by piece.

...

Meanwhile—

Elliot strolled out of Wangshu Inn, found a shady tree, laid down on the grass, and passed out almost instantly.

He was completely wiped. With his stamina drained, it took only seconds for sleep to claim him.