Genshin Impact Simulation: Starting with Melsin's Friend

"Ugh... my head hurts so much..."

Elodie sat up from the cold ground, looking around blankly.

Is this what heaven is like?

It seems... no different from the House of Hearths.

The dazzling golden light gradually subsided, the golden light in Mu Feng's eyes slowly faded, the Eye of God automatically flew back, and the wings of the wind element unfolded once more.

"Elodie!"

Mu Feng casually hung the Eye of God on his waist and rushed to Elodie's side, carefully examining her injuries from head to toe.

"Hey? Brother Mufeng..."

Lifting her head from Mu Feng's embrace, Elodie's eyes still held a hint of confusion and bewilderment.

Isn't she dead?

Elodie looked down at herself. Her fair and smooth skin showed no trace of wounds, as if everything that had happened that afternoon was just a nightmare.

Dream……

Can the pain of being far removed from the world also be a dream?

Tears streamed down her face silently. The girl, who had been trying to remain calm in the face of death, finally let down her faltering defenses, and her soft sobs echoed in the empty dueling arena.

"Brother Mufeng... Waaah..."

"Don't be afraid, Elodie."

"Just treat it as a nightmare."

Mu Feng pulled the weeping Elodie into his arms, gently patting the girl's frail shoulders and back, his eyes filled with tenderness and the joy of surviving a disaster.

"I'll take you home."

……

"Waaaaaah..."

"Um... Clementine, don't cry."

"See, I'm fine..."

Elodie chuckled and patted Clementine, who was crying uncontrollably, then reached out to wipe away her tears.

"You bastard, give me back my tears! Waaaaah..."

Clementine hastily wiped away her tears and unleashed a torrent of punches on Elodie's arm, but her strength was as weak as cotton.

"I thought……"

As she turned away in embarrassment, Clementine murmured almost inaudibly, but Elodie still heard the relief in her voice.

Yes, she shouldn't be here anymore.

Elodie glanced furtively at Mu Feng, who was standing behind them, talking to Peruvieri. Her eyes crinkled with a smile.

She gently placed her hand on her chest, feeling the strong beating of her heart.

Elodie didn't know what method had been used to pull her back from the brink of death, but she knew that it was the boy in front of her who had given her a second life.

From this day forward, her heart will forever beat for him.

……

"What exactly happened just now?"

Unlike Clementine's carefree attitude, Peruvier was much more perceptive.

She knew very well that the "mother" would never allow a loser to leave the dueling arena alive, no matter who it was.

"To be honest, I don't know."

Mu Feng sighed, and the Eye of God in his hand instantly transformed from wind-elemental wings into an hourglass representing time, its turquoise color replaced by dazzling gold.

Why would Istaru, one of the Four Shadow Rulers who is above the Seven Rulers of the Mortal World and who wields the Sands of Time, cast his gaze on an outsider like him for no reason?

This cannot be explained by what is called a strong desire.

For a fleeting moment, a hint of surprise flashed across Peruvieri's bright red cross-shaped eyes, and for the first time, her calm tone carried a barely perceptible expression of astonishment.

"This... is not one of the seven elements."

"Yes."

"It comes from one of the shadows of Sky Isle, the Ruler of Time—Ishtar."

However, Peruvieri's emotional turmoil subsided with astonishing speed. She turned to Elodie and Clementine, who were laughing and joking behind her, and calmly asked the most crucial question:

"What should we do now?"

The fact that someone presumed dead could brazenly return to the Hearth House was bound to arouse Kujavina's suspicion and interest.

But if they don't go back, the consequences will be unimaginable if Kujavina's spies throughout Fontaine are discovered.

"go back."

Mu Feng answered succinctly, holding the Eye of God in his hand, the firelight in his eyes shining brightly.

Now that we have gained power outside the rules, it's time to solve some problems once and for all.

Peruvieri stopped talking. She silently patted Mu Feng's shoulder, her bright red cross-shaped pupils staring directly into the boy's eyes, expressing her attitude through her actions.

"Any plans?"

……

The door to the Hearth House was slowly pushed open, and the children of the Hearth House were completing their tasks or training in the courtyard, everything as usual.

However, the moment the door opened, everyone stopped what they were doing and all sorts of eyes turned toward the doorway.

Shock.

Puzzled.

doubt.

And...fear.

Mu Feng, pulling along the somewhat timid Elodie, followed by Clementine and Peruvieri, stepped into the courtyard of the Hearth House as if no one else was there.

How can this be?

The same question arose in everyone's mind.

That afternoon, Kujavina announced the winner of yet another duel to them.

That person was not Elodie in front of her.

In their minds, no loser could ever leave the dueling arena, and it was impossible for two survivors to exist in the same duel at the same time.

But the facts were laid bare before them, leaving them no choice but to believe them.

Elodie is back, and even... she's back unharmed.

The children of the Hearth House turned their gaze to Kujavina, who stood at the end of the stairs, waiting for their "mother" to respond.

The crowd parted automatically, forming a path leading to the steps. Mu Feng raised his head and looked directly at Kujavina on the steps, his face calm and expressionless.

"Mother, we are back."

Beside them, the Fools soldiers looked as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight, their eyes filled with fear as they stared at Elodie.

Kujavina's face showed a fleeting look of surprise, but she quickly returned to normal.

She scanned Elodie, who was hiding behind Mu Feng, up and down, as if trying to confirm something.

Mu Feng subtly moved a step to the left, blocking Kujavina's gaze from falling on Elodie.

The two sides remained silent for a moment, their gazes clashing in the air like sparks. The tense atmosphere weighed heavily on the hearts of everyone present, as if a battle was about to erupt at any instant.

Is someone about to raise a sword against their mother for the first time?

Standing quietly at the bottom of the steps, Mu Feng met Kujavina's oppressive gaze without fear, as if he wanted to challenge the authority of his "mother" in front of everyone.

The scene was at a stalemate, and the oppressive atmosphere was suffocating.

Suddenly, Kujavina smiled kindly, walked down the steps, waved for the children to disperse, and quietly instructed the kitchen to serve dinner.

"Just come back."

A meaningful smile played on her lips as she welcomed the four men back without any apparent reluctance.

"To be able to deceive my 'mother' with 'death,' isn't that a kind of 'victory' in itself?"

"And the victors have the right to live on."