Sacrificing Myself: Nine Transmigrations (Genshin Impact)

"I don't have that much right now. Could you lower the price? I really do like this," Elliot pleaded.

"How much can you pay?" the vendor asked, sounding impatient.

"Uh…" Elliot thought for a moment, then slowly held up three fingers.

"No way. Thirty thousand's too low. I can't sell it."

"Thirty-five. My max is thirty-five thousand. Think it over," Elliot countered.

"Fine, fine. Just take it."

"I don't have the money on me right now. Can you hold it for a few days? I swear I'll get it."

"Hold it for a few days? No can do. I'm heading to Liyue in two days."

"Two days. Just two days! If I don't come back by then, don't wait for me."

"Alright then." The vendor finally relented.

Elliot thanked him repeatedly, then rushed home without delay.

"Teacher, you're back."

"Yeah. Eula, I've got something I need to take care of. I won't be back for the next couple of days. Try not to go out at night."

Leaving her with that reminder, Elliot hurried out again, weaving through the remote forested mountains.

He only had 2,000 Mora. He needed to come up with another 33,000 within two days.

"Tch... this body's way too old..."

After running for a while, Elliot was already feeling exhausted.

This body was aged, and unlike in his first life, he didn't have a Vision to prolong his strength or life.

Before long, he was gasping for breath.

Just then, a group of Hilichurls and Geo Shield Mitachurls appeared.

Elliot took a deep breath, straightened his posture, gripped his blade, and charged straight in.

...

"Did something urgent come up?"

Eula sat at home, looking around the empty room in confusion.

"Hmm… I was hoping Teacher would teach me how to make tomato and egg noodles today. Guess I'll have to figure it out on my own."

She stepped into the kitchen and got to work.

Having trained in cooking from a young age, Eula could replicate most dishes she had tasted—so long as she had enough ingredients.

It might not be an exact match, but getting 80% of the flavor right was no problem.

After a while, she carried out a bowl of steaming noodles. One bite in, and it was indeed delicious—but still not quite as good as Elliot's.

It felt like... something was missing.

She frowned, deep in thought.

"Oh well, I'll just wait until Teacher comes back and shows me. In the meantime, I'll clean up the house."

Eula rolled up her sleeves, full of energy.

And so, she cleaned until nightfall.

Only after tidying every corner of the house did she step outside.

She sat quietly on the rooftop, chin resting in her hands, visibly troubled.

Night was always the best time to think, and she kept replaying all the things Elliot had said to her.

...

Two days passed in a blink.

Still no sign of Elliot.

Eula began to feel anxious.

Elliot's swordsmanship was indeed amazing, but he was still an old man.

The second night, she went to bed uneasy, planning to set out at dawn to search for him.

...

On the morning of the third day, she found his bed still empty. Worried, she rushed to open the door...

And ran right into Elliot, who had just returned.

"Teacher!?"

"You're up early, Eula."

Elliot greeted her with a calm smile.

But Eula frowned slightly. She sniffed the air—there was a faint, distinct scent.

Blood.

She also noticed that the clothes he was wearing were completely different from when he had left—his pants too. These garments were clearly oversized.

Her brow furrowed further. Something didn't add up. It felt like he was hiding something.

"Teacher, are you bleeding?"

"Huh? No, I'm fine. Look, nothing wrong with me."

Elliot turned in place to show that he had no visible injuries.

Eula stepped closer, scrutinizing him carefully. Just as she reached to pull back his clothes, he grabbed her hand.

"Eula, look what I brought you."

He smiled and held out a finely crafted object.

"What's this?" Her attention shifted slightly as she asked on instinct.

"Put it on, then blow gently through here. Try it."

Elliot helped her put on the bone whistle and pointed to a small hole.

Eula hesitantly gave it a try—and as the air passed through, the sound of ocean waves filled the air.

She froze for a moment, then blew a little harder—and sure enough, the sound of waves became even clearer!

"How amazing…"

Eula was stunned. She hadn't expected such a small item to produce such a magical sound.

"It's called a bone whistle. It's a gift—for you."

"A bone whistle... it's amazing! Thank you, Teacher!" Eula was overjoyed and hugged Elliot tightly.

"Hiss..."

Elliot winced immediately, frowning at the pain.

"You are hurt!"

Eula suddenly recalled the smell of blood from earlier. She quickly reached to lift his clothes.

"It's nothing, really. I slipped on the mountain and scraped myself. Just a scratch."

Elliot stopped her.

Seeing his smiling face, Eula asked with concern, "Really...? Come inside and rest."

Eula knew—he was lying.

His clothes were clean, neatly pressed. If he had really fallen, there'd be at least some scrapes, wrinkles, or damage to the fabric.

He clearly didn't want her to know the truth.

Smart as she was, Eula didn't press further and simply helped guide him into the house.

"Sigh... this old body can't take a fall like it used to," Elliot sighed as he sat on the bed.

"I'll get some ice for you—to ease the swelling."

"No need. A good nap and I'll be fine. Don't trouble yourself."

"Alright..." Eula looked disappointed, her plan foiled.

"Eula, go have fun with the bone whistle. I'm feeling a bit tired—I'll take a short nap."

"Okay~ I won't disturb you then. Thanks again for the whistle."

"No problem. Go on."

"Mm!"

Eula quietly left the room and went to fiddle with the bone whistle.

She practiced for a long time before finally putting it away. Then, carefully, she tiptoed back to Elliot's door.

She still wanted to see how badly he was hurt.

She was certain that the bone whistle and his injuries were connected.

She had told him just the night before how much she loved the sound of ocean waves. The very next day, he'd gone out—and stayed gone for three days. When he returned, he brought her a whistle that could recreate those waves.

There was no way that was a coincidence.

Eula was sharp. She understood that much.

She reached her hand toward his clothes...

"Eula, I've been awake for a bit. I plan to test you later. The bone whistle has many different combinations. I'll quiz you on how many you've learned. Fail, and there'll be punishment."

Just as her hand was about to touch him, Elliot's sudden words made her freeze.

A chill ran down her spine, and she immediately jerked her hand back.

"O-okay, Teacher! I'll go practice more right away!"

And with that, she bolted out of the room.

Elliot gave a faint smile, then drifted back to sleep.