Sacrificing Myself: Nine Transmigrations (Genshin Impact)

[Ding! Congratulations on successfully completing the fourth reincarnation.]

[Please select three skills to inherit: Netherflame, Demonbane Sword, Flame Sigil.]

Same as always—three choices.

But Elliot Yuan didn't rush to pick. Instead, he took a deep breath, slowly suppressing his emotions.

He couldn't carry the weight of the previous life into the next. That was something he had to master.

His top priority was to focus completely on completing all nine reincarnations as swiftly as possible. If he kept clinging to the past, unable to let go of its grief, he'd only sink deeper.

There was no escaping the nine cycles—he could only get through them faster. That was his decision.

He sat cross-legged, meditated for a long while until his mindset stabilized. His eyes turned calm as still water, and his expression grew deep and unreadable.

Finally, he examined the three abilities.

Netherflame: Summons five rotating flames around the user to provide defense, offense, and close-range deterrence. Duration scales with Spirit.

No hesitation—he skipped the first one entirely.

Across his previous lives, except for the one with Xiao, he hadn't fought seriously.

(Hu Tao's life didn't really count—without that one devastating trump card, he'd never have been able to take on four max-level Kairagi. They'd utterly destroyed him.)

But it was during Xiao's life, when he fought with everything he had, that he finally understood his true level.

Netherflame was certainly useful—it provided both offense and protection—but the downside was its reliance on spirit.

If it were powered by stamina, maybe he'd consider it. But Spirit?

No way.

Right now, he was burdened with Shenhe's "Lonesome Calamity" fate, and after slaying tens of thousands of malevolent spirits in Xiao's cycle, the karmic backlash was constantly eroding his mind.

He had to conserve every bit of mental strength.

Demonbane Sword: Grants master-level swordsmanship. Infusing it with malevolent energy boosts its damage. (Bonus scales with the amount of infused energy.)

Hmm…

Not bad.

Definitely worth considering.

Flame Sigil: Casts a burning curse mark. Enemies affected take 300%-500% bonus critical damage, and fire-element attacks against them deal 1000%-2500% more crit damage. Duration scales with Spirit.

The moment he read the third, he instantly chose Demonbane Sword.

The other two were good, but he was far too sensitive to Spirit right now. That kind of mental agony? He never wanted to experience it again—not in this life, not in the next.

[You've selected: Demonbane Sword. Initiating next reincarnation.]

[Initiating… Success!]

[Quest: Help Eula earn the trust of the people of Mondstadt.]

[Transferring…]

...

As soon as the transfer began, a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into his mind.

"Ugh…"

"Give me a second…"

This cycle was the same as his first: a soul transfer.

The second and third had been body transfers—his entire self transported wholesale.

But this time, only his soul had entered this body.

Strangely, the body looked exactly like his original—same name, too—except for one addition:

A surname.

An.

His current name was Elliot An, and his identity… was Amber's grandfather.

Apparently, An's arrival caused the original owner—Amber's real grandfather—to pass away from a heart attack.

Whether that was orchestrated by the system or just fate, he didn't know. Nor did he dwell on it.

He carefully sorted through the memories that didn't belong to him—and quickly discovered that this predecessor's personality closely mirrored his own.

A gentle soul.

Originally from Liyue, he'd once led a mercenary company tasked with guarding a transcontinental caravan.

During one mission, the caravan was attacked by a swarm of monsters. He was the only survivor, later rescued by a physician affiliated with the Knights of Favonius.

Ashamed to return home empty-handed, he chose to repay the physician by joining the Knights.

There, he founded the Reconnaissance Knights unit—personally training and leading them into missions.

Later, he settled in Mondstadt, started a family, and raised children.

Young Amber had been a troublemaker, always getting into mischief. But her grandfather never scolded—he quietly cleaned up after her, minimizing the damage.

His silent care had been like the warmest breeze over Mondstadt, gently wrapping around Amber.

She understood his quiet love, his sense of duty, and accepted it without words.

It really was… just like Elliot.

Both were the type to give without asking for anything in return.

Though…

He remembered that in the original lore, Amber's grandfather was bald.

Thank the system this body wasn't from canon—he wasn't sure he could handle being bald.

From what he could gather, the system had likely set him up to become Eula's teacher.

But based on his memories, he had no prior connection to Eula yet.

Which meant—it hadn't happened.

Yet.

Knowing the system, it wouldn't be long.

Elliot didn't think much of it. Instead, he unsheathed his new weapon—Demonbane Sword.

"Guess picking this sword is what landed me in this cycle."

He stared at the pitch-black blade, muttering softly.

His swordsmanship now? Ridiculous. After all, it was master-level.

...

Bang, bang, bang…

A knock at the door.

Elliot knew—it was Eula.

He opened it slowly, revealing Eula in her usual composed poise.

Her short blue hair framed a calm, elegant face. She wore a knight's outfit that balanced grace with practicality: a black fitted bodysuit with a lighter strip down the front, a white lace-trimmed bolero cinched across her chest, and black gloves with blue palms.

"Hello. I'm Eula Lawrence. Are you Mr. Elliot An?"

Her voice and posture were graceful and reassuring—her manners impeccable.

She had come with a heart eager to learn.

She'd heard that a respected and open-minded reconnaissance knight lived here—someone people could turn to when lost in thought or heart.

They said he could offer a different perspective, and had already helped many resolve their inner turmoil.

Right now, Eula was going through the most uncertain chapter of her life.

Countless questions clouded her heart. She didn't know who to talk to, or what path to take next.

So, when she heard about Elliot, she came without hesitation.

"That's me. What brings you here?" Elliot replied with a gentle smile, his expression warm and kind.

"There's something I can't figure out... I was hoping to ask your advice."

She treated him with the utmost respect—not only because of his reputation, but because she was truly here seeking guidance.