"Hey, don't chase it… it's just a little steamed bun…"
Xu Ning watched the little Beidou girl sprinting after the dog just to get her bun, and he couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
But looking at Beidou's resolute side profile and recalling what she had said earlier, a sudden pang of sympathy struck him.
He had always been overfed, never knowing what real hunger felt like.
Flipping through photos of emaciated people, reading texts about famine years… none of it could compare to the experience of being truly starving for three whole days.
Xu Ning sighed, tightened the cap on his bottle, and gripped it tightly as he quickened his pace to follow.
The little girl had been given two steamed buns, but, starved as she was, she had only eaten one—and had just offered him the last one.
Seeing her chase the dog so desperately, he guessed she must have been hungry for a long time and couldn't bear to eat the last bite herself.
At this moment, what surged within Xu Ning wasn't just regret over the words he'd said earlier—it was a full-blown urge to protect.
Even though he still had no idea what that "thing" above had intended by dumping him on this continent…
He had arrived, so he had to do something.
The older and younger sisters of Liyue seemed to have had rough childhoods. Since he was here, he might as well help wherever he could, as long as it didn't endanger his own survival.
Right now, there was no way he could let this little girl go hungry again.
Of course… he was starving himself, and running only made it worse.
Xu Ning rubbed his stomach as he ran, grimacing as he swallowed hard.
"This won't do… if I run any longer, I won't even catch up to Beidou. Sure, drinking on an empty stomach will hurt my stomach, but… a quick swig to stave off hunger!"
He didn't slow down. Twisting open the bottle cap, he took a quick sip.
The liquor shot down his throat like a fiery snake, instantly spreading warmth through his body.
It was as if every cell stretched, waking up and relaxing all at once.
Xu Ning let out a contented sigh.
"Alcohol element detected. Eye of God activated."
"Achievement unlocked: Casual Sip — Master the element of 'Alcohol.'"
"Offering to the God of Wine increased by one level: +7 stamina, 5 Wine Marks gained."
Xu Ning was stunned by the stream of sultry, authoritative voices ringing in his ears.
His legs chased Beidou relentlessly, but his eyes were glued to the bottle in his hand.
Calling it a mere "bottle of alcohol" suddenly seemed wrong.
The once-blue bottle with a red label, squat and square-cylindrical, had transformed.
It was now a bronze-colored gourd, intricately carved with dragons.
In the center of the gourd's belly was a peculiar Eye of God.
It looked like a deep, ocean-blue gem, with a flickering flame dancing at its core.
Suddenly, a transparent panel appeared beside his left side.
Xu Ning glared at the panel in disbelief.
"What kind of knockoff template is this?!"
"Couldn't I have gotten one of the seven elements that's actually useful? Why alcohol, of all things?"
"And this ridiculously low HP of 666… am I supposed to fight an adult boar with this?"
"Even ignoring weapons, the attack power is pitifully low, and the defense is… just plain mediocre."
He cursed silently at whoever had dragged him here. "Only one thing is accurate! 'Tragic' is spot-on—precisely describes me. Because this entire mess… is your fault!"
Still, curse or not, under someone else's roof, he had to endure.
Besides, the Eye of God was something countless people in Teyvat dreamed of but never got. Yet he got it just by taking a swig of alcohol. Surely, telling anyone about this would drive them insane with envy.
Despite the seemingly cheap setup, the +7 stamina instantly made him feel physically stronger, running with far more energy.
Xu Ning couldn't resist taking another big gulp.
"Huh? Nothing happened?"
He pondered—it was probably because offerings to the God of Wine had other conditions for rewards.
He shook the bronze gourd in his hand. After two sips, it still seemed more than half full.
Legend said the Eye of God was divine in origin, so the Alcohol Element should be inexhaustible.
Xu Ning glanced at Beidou, still chasing the dog, her little legs starting to tire.
Maybe… she could have a sip?
Beidou would later receive a Thunder-element Eye of God, proving her extraordinary affinity for elements.
If he let her touch this brand-new Alcohol Element now… what would happen?
Would it have no effect, or would she gain an Alcohol Element like him?
The thought made Xu Ning itch with anticipation.
He closed the gap, running alongside the little girl, and popped the gourd's cork with a "pop."
"Here, take a sip."
Beidou shot him a curious glance at the gourd.
"What's this? Is it good?"
The little girl still had some caution toward Xu Ning.
He answered honestly, "It's a type of alcohol… not very tasty. But it's good for giving you strength. It'll help you catch that dog."
At those words, Beidou's eyes lit up.
She grabbed the gourd and took two big swigs.
Wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, a small burp escaped, and her cheeks flushed red.
Xu Ning shook the gourd—it was still more than half full, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
He looked at the slightly tipsy little girl and asked carefully:
"So… did you hear a lady's voice in your ear? Did any weird panel pop up in front of your eyes?"
"Huh?" Beidou murmured, her words slurred from the alcohol.
Then she raised two fingers, tapped him on the head, and scolded, "Stop imagining weird lady voices and panels! Right now, the most important thing…"
She pointed at the dog ahead, clutching a bun, already panting hard.
"…is my steamed bun! Ohhhhhh!"
The little girl shouted with fierce cuteness, accelerating her sprint.
Xu Ning wiped cold sweat from his brow and sped up to follow.
"Looks like stamina increased, but the element hasn't activated yet."
And so it was: one little boy, one little girl, and one dog.
They ran wildly across the tidal flats, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.
Xu Ning gazed at the sparkling water ahead, feeling a pang of nostalgia.
"In my past life, this would've been a beautiful painting, filled with laughter and joy."
"But the reality is… two kids and a dog, all starving, racing like mad for a single steamed bun."
The word tragic on his panel now felt entirely appropriate.
"It's about to run into the village,"
Beidou's voice held a hint of panic.