Got a new fanfic up; it will update at 7:00 and 19:00 GMT-4 or EST
It is called Genshin Impact: A Liyue Storyteller Makes Hu Tao Tear Up
---------------------------------------------
Having dealt with the four Abyss Mages, Bonanus sat bored on the sidelines, quietly chatting with the system about trivial matters.
She tried asking the system for intelligence about this world—about the Heavenly Principles, the gods, Celestia. The information existed, but it cost karmic debt.
And not just a little. With her current karmic debt balance, she couldn't afford such expenses. This system was practically a profiteer—whoever created it must be the same.
Sometimes the system's tone grated on her nerves, making her want to drag it out and give it a beating. She didn't really want to talk to it, but she had nothing else to do.
Though she didn't purchase any intel, she still gleaned something useful. The system had said:
[The Heavenly Principles are the laws of this small world. They will not permit the host's existence, for the host is an unknown.]
[Therefore, to ensure the host's early survival, the system will conceal the host's activities as much as possible. Though perhaps not strictly necessary, it is better to be safe.]
Thinking it over, the system was somewhat useful.
Little Yanfei had gone to support the east side and wasn't beside her. The Millelith soldiers were too occupied with battle to chat, and the cowards who had collapsed on the ground didn't dare speak to her.
She was unbearably bored.
[System... do you think I made the consequences of that curse sound too severe? What if Big Brother and Xiao refuse to let me absorb karmic debt after this?]
She sat cross-legged, chin resting on her hand, her tone languid.
[Beep. This is the host's own concern. The system shall not interfere.]
The system responded coldly. Though it was the host's golden finger, it didn't do everything. It only recognized karmic debt, not people.
Want help? Pay up with karmic debt.
Aside from occasional free event packages, almost everything cost karmic debt—merchandise, intelligence, everything.
[You're really so heartless...] Bonanus shook her head helplessly. This system never issued quests either. Other systems gave quests to help hosts earn rewards and grow stronger. Hers just slacked off.
If she could, she'd file a complaint against this system: "Poor attitude! Incomplete functions! Obsessed with profit!"
[The system is not human. To put it simply, the system is merely an auxiliary software.]
The system replied in its cold, mechanical tone. Though it was considered one of the more successful models among its kind, it wasn't perfect. It needed gradual updates and upgrades.
[So if I'm seriously injured and my life's in danger, will you help me? I mean, you're my personal system. If I die, your performance metrics will suffer, right?]
Hearing this, the system paused briefly. After a minute, it responded.
[Answering host: When the host's life is in danger and the host is unconscious, the system will not provide direct treatment.]
[The system will use the host's existing karmic debt to sustain the host's life. If external treatment is still not received before all karmic debt is exhausted, the host may potentially kick the bucket.]
Bonanus's face fell. This system is so useless! Everything has to involve karmic debt!
Just go live inside your karmic debt hole!
Shaking her head, she ignored the irksome system and turned her attention to the battlefield.
The battle raged on. After fighting for so long, the Millelith soldiers were showing signs of fatigue. Sweat soaked their uniforms, and their spear thrusts grew weaker.
"So many Hilichurls. I heard they gathered in a cave. I wonder if they have foot odor or armpit stench," Bonanus muttered to herself.
She had to admit, some of the previously unreliable recruits were now displaying unexpected capability. Though only a portion.
The rest were either trembling on the ground or huddled in corners crying for their mothers. They didn't count.
She found it speechless. Being a man, a Millelith soldier, meant having a heart steeled for sacrifice.
These cowards' behavior was truly repulsive. Fortunately, no foreigners or traveling merchants were present. If outsiders saw this, there would certainly be whispers.
"I wonder how Little Yanfei is doing. So boring without her here."
No Xiao either. If Xiao were here, she could tease him. His cold demeanor giving way to a blush was always amusing.
Looking at the growing pile of Hilichurl corpses, Bonanus shook her head. So much fragrant karmic debt... but I can't act recklessly.
She was also surprised—how had so many Hilichurls gathered so smoothly?
As corpses piled higher, the shield-bearers began struggling. They slowly retreated, trying to create some breathing room.
In that moment of retreat, a Geo Samachurl among the Hilichurls seized the opportunity. As the crossbowmen pulled back, it began chanting, preparing to strike at the Millelith.
Crack!
The Samachurl raised its staff, dancing a strange ritual. Suddenly, Geo pillars summoned by the Samachurl erupted from beneath the shield-bearers' feet.
These pillars rose with blinding speed, bursting from the ground in an instant. Their force sent the unsuspecting Millelith flying backward.
The launched soldiers, caught mid-shout of surprise, experienced a brief moment of flight before completing a perfect 360-degree spin and landing face-first.
Those who landed face-first lost several teeth. But this was no time for jokes—the enemy had broken through.
The middle shield-bearers' collapse had created a gap in the formation. The Hilichurls seized their chance, raising clubs and charging with wild cries.
The shield wall was breached. Recovering quickly, the Millelith engaged the invading Hilichurls in close-quarters combat.
"Everyone! Hold formation! Push them back!" Yan Ning shouted commands while gripping his spear tightly.
"Sir!" the soldiers still capable of fighting roared in unison.
Though exhausted, they gripped their spears tightly and thrust desperately, hoping to drive the monsters back and re-establish their defensive line.
The Hilichurls still numbered many, but after the prolonged battle, they too were worn down. The Millelith crossbowmen had been fairly accurate.
Many of the larger Hilichurls had already been shot down. Admittedly, these so-called "brutes" had unusually thick hides.
But so what? If one bolt didn't kill them, fire another. If two didn't, fire a third. With crossbow power, they'd eventually drop.
The Millelith crossbowmen aimed for vital spots. Only two or three brutes remained, along with a few Samachurls—but not many.
The Hilichurls now fighting hand-to-hand were mostly the smaller variety. Troublesome, but manageable.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Hilichurl archers fired wildly into the crowd. Unlike Millelith crossbowmen who aimed carefully, Hilichurls shot indiscriminately.
Their indiscriminate fire wounded many of their own kind. But the Millelith weren't faring well either—most had taken arrows in shoulders and thighs.
The situation grew tense.
"Protect the wounded! Hold the line!" Yan Ning dragged injured soldiers to the rear. Accidents were bound to happen.
He'd thought eliminating the Abyss Mages would simplify things. Wishful thinking. These monsters were relentless.
Bonanus frowned. The line broke after all. The Millelith have only suffered injuries so far, no deaths. Time to intervene.
From a nearby mountaintop, Xiao frowned as well. He shook his head, muttered a quiet "weak," and appeared in the center of the battlefield.