Genshin Impact, I, a mere mortal, cannot accompany you to the very end.

[Talent: Single-mindedness (Unmoved)]

The most obvious feeling that the new body gave Kiyono was lightness, as if she were light as a feather, and her body was transparent and clear.

Even my mindset feels younger because of this light and comfortable body.

This body has a very high starting point, and was born with the understanding of being unmoved. Perhaps... it can challenge an even higher realm, and even the peak that the Pillar of State could not surpass in his entire life.

This is the legacy he inherited from his previous life; he inherits this legacy every time he is reborn.

Of course, memories cannot be inherited; they must be completely severed.

Death is a complete death. The soul of a mortal cannot bear too much burden or too much of life, otherwise it will lose itself, and this also goes against the workings of nature.

Once you die, the system will cut off your memories of this life and incorporate them into the human realm.

You can't kill them.

The system says.

Yes, it can't be killed.

Kiyono was already feeling the pressure. He was unfamiliar with his new body, and he knew nothing about the operation of the wind element, how to drive it, how to control it... He had no idea about any of these things.

The hounds of the beast realm swarmed forward like mountains, their gaping maws filled with countless teeth, moving so fast that they left afterimages everywhere.

But in his unmoved vision, every trajectory was clearly visible. Qingye took a step back, his body slightly tilted, and in the next instant, those afterimages grazed past him. He moved freely among the hunting dogs, strolling leisurely.

But Kiyono couldn't kill them; he couldn't skillfully use the wind element, and his technique alone couldn't even break the skin of these hounds.

The difference in levels is too great.

He gradually began to struggle, his forehead was covered in fine sweat, he was breathing heavily, and his steps became heavy.

Not enough, this body hasn't reached its limit yet.

[The time before last it was also windy. Your past skills will help you. Would you like to take a look?]

The system's voice came to my ears again.

The last time... wasn't because of Raimei Kiyono, but much earlier...

Kiyono couldn't remember anything about the past.

All he remembered was that five hundred years ago, the battered and bruised Kiyono Raimei came to Narukami Island and collapsed in front of Narukami Taisha Shrine.

Before that, he had completely abandoned and severed all memories of what had happened—he only remembered that before Kiyono Raimei, he was a Mondstadt person.

The Mondstadt knight who died on the battlefield before the body of Kiyono Raiyo was fully developed—that is, the same knight the system referred to as the "following in the footsteps."

Extracting skills from the Human System... or rather, extracting his past skills, is the 'cheat code' given by the system. Thanks to this, he, a mortal, grew stronger and stronger.

However, this has a drawback: the memories that were once severed will reappear randomly and intermittently. If used too much, one will lose oneself and violate the laws of nature.

Once the skill has been fully mastered, the memory must be sealed away again.

Kiyono stepped aside, avoiding the hound's fangs, and said, "Come on."

He was also very curious about his past.

Volume One: Chapter Thirteen: Please Give Me a Final Ride, Soldier

[A sword that thirsts for blood will be awakened by blood] (Note)

[You were born in Mondstadt, grew up with your best friend, and at sixteen you joined the Knights of Mondstadt and were granted the Vision.]

A grand church.

The dazzling stained glass cuts through the sunlight, evenly coating the hall, while the dome is covered with colorful, magnificent wallpaper, and the sound of an accordion plays in the background.

The wind in Mondstadt is gentle and warm.

Kiyono Raimei found himself kneeling on one knee in front of the church.

This is a ceremony for awarding knighthoods.

He felt the power of the wind ignite in his chest, and the wind responded to his call with kindness and affection. The gentle breeze surrounded him, and Kiyono found that he could move it freely and at will, as if it were his own hands and feet.

He waved his hand gently, and the wind gathered in his palm before dispersing, transforming into sharp blades.

[You have gradually mastered the skill: Wind Whisper]

[Can manipulate wind, creating wind blades around themselves to slash enemies]

Kiyono wanted to keep watching, but everything around him was rapidly disappearing. The church vanished, the sound of the accordion disappeared, and as the world spun, everything vanished from his sight.

Only the cold touch of his skin told him that he had returned to reality, back to that icy world.

In my mind, it all felt like a long time, but in reality, it was just a fleeting moment.

He was still surrounded by hounds, their fangs almost within reach. Qingye could already smell the overwhelming stench of the beast; he could even count the monster's hairs as he got closer.

"Wind Whisper".

He said softly, in a world where the heart is unmoved, everything slowed down. Qingye used the wind as a guide, causing the monster pressing down in front of him to turn around. His feet spun around, and the swift, thin wind blades covered the hound's body, cutting it open and pulverizing it.

When Kiyono threw it into the air, it dispersed into puffs of blood mist, scattering onto the pure white earth.

Kiyono was panting heavily, his head felt like it was about to explode, and all sorts of double images appeared before his eyes—this was the aftereffect of using the system.

However, its effectiveness is also significant.

[Beast Hounds have died; currently, nine remain.]

Nine more...

But Kiyono has gradually become familiar with this body and with the ability to manipulate wind elements.

The hounds surged forward like a tide, undeterred by the deaths of their companions; these abyssal monsters never knew how to flee.

Kiyono took a step forward, the snake-slicing sword hanging at his waist swirling in his hand. He didn't draw the sword, but instead, imbued with wind element, he pressed the scabbard upward and slashed it upward, instantly disemboweling the first hunting dog.

Seizing the opportunity, he turned again, his toes barely touching the opening, facing the second monster. Facing its gaping maw, he sliced ​​the snake horizontally across its jaws, bracing it against its upper and lower jaws. A whistling sound rose again, and he plunged it straight into its throat...

He held the snake-cutter upside down, the wind swirling around him. With each step he took, a hunting dog died. When he had taken all his steps, the ground was littered with the corpses of hunting dogs, their intestines spilling out, and their blood seeping into the soil, staining the snow red.

All ten Beast Hounds have been defeated.

[Level: 10]

It has increased by a full ten levels, and its body has transcended the level of ordinary humans.

But this is actually the easiest to improve; it will become increasingly difficult later on.

Kiyono sheathed his sword and looked up at the snow-capped mountain. The sun had fully broken through the dawn, and the hazy morning light covered the area around the mountain. The snow mixed with the morning light looked hazy and dreamlike.

Let's keep going...

In the following days, besides traveling, Kiyono spent his time training his second incarnation's body.

This wind-based body is unstable and can only exist for one hour each day.

Besides the hunting dogs, the most common creatures roaming this snowfield are filth.

Kiyono began to try using the wind to cleanse the weak filth. It was difficult at first, but he gradually became more skilled.

He must hurry.

After the first time, he tried to access his past memories again, which was very uncomfortable and painful.

He learned that he had once joined the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt, but he was not active in the public eye and seemed to be just an unknown person.

Kiyono approached the giant snake step by step.

He could sense that this final moment was approaching.

The stench grew stronger, and even the snow falling from the sky became heavy and dull, losing its former luster.

Ba Yun Island.

This island is the most defiled place in the worship of gods. Thick dark clouds press down directly above the island, as if the weight of the entire sky is pressing down on it, making it dark and gloomy. This is the scene described as "gloomy clouds gathering for thousands of miles".

All the plants on the island had withered and died, and only thick permafrost and solid ice covered the plains.

The island was clearly on the other side, yet the chilling filth felt as if it were right beside me.

It's winter today, and there isn't a single boat in the harbor—but even in normal seasons, there are few boats coming and going to Ba Yun Island.

In the last half hour of this body's life, Kiyono heard a call.

"Young man, shall we board the ship?"

The speaker was an elderly boatman with a weathered face and dark skin. He was wearing a tattered military uniform with a lightning bolt tattoo on the sleeve—he looked like a retired soldier. He pointed to the small boat behind him.

But Kiyono knew that this was not a human.

This is filth.

Or rather, they are human souls that remain in the world only because of their filth.

They were not even aware that they were dead, wandering aimlessly and helplessly among the people.

"You are..."

Kiyono stared at the patterns on the boatman's uniform. "Were you once a soldier in the Pillar State Army?"

"Ah..." The old boatman was stunned for a moment. He subconsciously straightened his chest and a proud smile appeared on his aged face. "I am Mishima Jemin, a second-class naval soldier under the command of the Great Pillar of State!"

He recounted his past with obvious pride, his cloudy, pterygium-filled eyes seeming to glow, his withered hands resting on the oars.

"Don't let the strong wind fool you, I'm a pro. I grew up in a fishing village and used to be in charge of rowing when I was with General Zhuguo. I was really good at it. Of course, even more impressive was General Zhuguo—he even gave me an award."

...

"Have you been here the whole time?" Kiyono asked.

"Yes, I've always been here."

He kept reminiscing about the past:

"The giant serpent is here, and the rebels from Haiqi Island are here too. General Zhuguo wants to take us to war, but he won't let me go to the battlefield. He saw that I'm good at my craftsmanship, so he asked me to stay here and be responsible for escorting the people. This is an important duty, and I can't be careless!"

He smiled as he spoke of these things:

"I transported them boat by boat, sending one group of people away and then moving on to the next, from this shore to that shore, from morning till night, without stopping. Lord Zhuguo is fighting on the front lines, and I can't let him down!"