"Ah, how am I supposed to live like this?"
At a Hilichurl camp, Ji An sat around a campfire with a group of Hilichurls, forced to perform a ridiculous ritual dance.
He felt so melancholy.
The cooldown until the next simulation was still four days away.
Actually, it wasn't that he couldn't escape.
Over these past few days, relying on his smooth talking, he had become quite familiar with this group of Hilichurls, having fully gained their trust. They called each other brothers.
If he really wanted to leave, he could just find a moment deep in the night when they were all asleep, slip away, and make a run for it.
The problem was, where would he go?
During this time, Ji An had been drifting from place to place with the Hilichurls, covering at least over a hundred kilometers without seeing a single living person, let alone a human town.
Striking out on his own away from the Hilichurls might actually be less safe than staying with them.
"Mosi, Mita! (Eat, meat!)" A Hilichurl handed him a bowl of meat broth.
Ji An glanced at the broth bubbling with greenish foam, rubbed his hungry stomach, and still waved his hand, "Nye, Nye (No, I won't eat.)"
The meat in this broth was actually just from small animals.
Not the kind of meat he had assumed.
Thinking about it, it made sense; out in the wilds, encountering humans was rare, so how could the Hilichurls possibly be eating human flesh every day?
But the reason for his refusal wasn't the ingredients; it was the seasonings.
Making a meat broth and adding all sorts of random things like frog skin, lizard tails... No matter how hungry he was, Ji An didn't dare eat such dark cuisine.
Ji An poked one of the Hilichurls.
"Good brother, I'm going to scout the surrounding area and pick some Jueyun Chilies along the way."
For some reason, the Hilichurls quite liked Jueyun Chilies.
"Dada!"
Sure enough, hearing that he was going to pick Jueyun Chilies, the Hilichurl knocked its club against its shield, praising his diligence.
Leaving the Hilichurl camp,
Ji An didn't go far, following a small stream, hoping to find a duck or something along the way to catch and roast to fill his stomach.
When he reached a place with lush water plants,
He suddenly saw the grass move, and a furry tail disappeared back in.
A squirrel!
Ji An's eyes lit up. He was very fond of this kind of cute little animal.
Whether in soup or roasted, they were both delicious.
Great, tonight's dinner is decided.
He immediately gave chase.
But the squirrel was just too agile. Once it went into the grass, it instantly vanished.
Ji An chased after it for a long time, ending up quite far away, before finally admitting that he had lost it.
"Alright then, extra meal failed. I really don't want to eat Sunsettias anymore!!"
He felt annoyed. The first time he ate a Sunsettia, he found it sweet, a bit like a ripe peach, no wonder they were so popular among Hilichurls.
But no matter how good something tastes, eating it three times a day is too much.
Ji An really wanted to eat meat!
"Speaking of which, where am I now? Let's find a place to sit down and rest for a bit."
Looking around, he found himself in an unfamiliar place that resembled ancient ruins, full of dilapidated stone structures.
Ji An scanned the area and lay down on a pile of hay.
The afternoon sun warmed him, feeling cozy.
The surface beneath him was furry and soft, like resting on a woolen blanket, so comfortable it made him sigh contentedly.
At this moment, the recent dangers he'd faced, the grievances suffered during his wanderings, seemed to fade away.
Ji An felt as if he had returned to his previous life, lounging on a recliner, sunbathing on his balcony.
Gazing at the azure sky, his emotions stirred.
"If I can return to my original world, I must try every means to get back."
"Assuming the worst, that I can never return home... but there's no need to be too pessimistic. At most, I'll treat this as a new starting point."
"Here, ordinary people without Visions are at a disadvantage, but I have the Life Simulator. That's my confidence."
"Using the simulator, I believe that even in the world of Teyvat, I can climb step by step, gaining strength, power, wealth..."
"A true man should don his armor, seizing fifty provinces in battle!"
Ji An's eyes grew brighter. He had been through his chuunibyou phase, felt passionate and what teenage boy hasn't dreamed of wielding supreme power and lounging with beauties, like characters in novels?
"Perhaps, this transmigration isn't a punishment for me, but an opportunity!"
Thinking excitedly, he enthusiastically patted the 'blanket' beneath him.
But his hand met a force pushing back.
Huh?
Eh...
Why is this blanket moving?
Feeling the movement beneath him, Ji An found it strange and turned to look.
Before him,
He first saw a black raven mask. Through the holes in the mask, two green, ghostly eyes stared intently at him.
Ji An: ...
His gaze slowly fell on the masked figure's cloak.
Furry.
No wonder it felt so comfortable earlier...
Turns out he was lying on someone's clothes.
"Big bro, if I say this is all just a misunderstanding..."
Ji An slowly stepped backward, forcing an awkward smile, trying to communicate.
"Lanlanlu"
The furry figure pulled out a staff, began to dance, and started chanting incantations.
"Oh crap!"
Even someone as magically clueless as Ji An could feel the nearly tangible elemental power. He immediately shut his mouth and turned to run.
However, before he could get far.
"Kaiyaya!"
Whoosh!!
The furry figure's staff struck the ground, and a bubble of water emerged beneath Ji An's feet.
He felt his body lighten, lifted by the water bubble. A large amount of water flooded his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
"Ugh... ugh"
Ji An struggled desperately, but it was useless. Soon, his strength was exhausted.
He was on the verge of suffocation, his consciousness fading, feeling as if he were sinking into the deep sea.
In his dazed state, Ji An tried calling out to the system.
"System, can you save me?"
[Simulation count cooling down. Cannot be used.]
"..."
He didn't know how much time had passed.
His consciousness was almost plunged into darkness.
Just as he thought he was about to transmigrate again, he faintly heard a clear, cold female voice.
"Evil spirit, cease harming others!"
"Lanlanlu", the masked figure turned, pointing its staff at the newcomer.
The female voice chanted lowly, "Manifest, ice-born body!"
After a flash of blue light, a sound like shattering ice echoed.
Simultaneously, Ji An felt the water bubble restraining him suddenly burst. His feet met empty air, and he fell to the ground.
"Cough... cough."
Ji An supported himself on the ground, coughing violently, vomiting up the water in his stomach.
He tried hard to look up.
He had heard that the owner of that female voice saved him.
But the aftereffects of nearly drowning blurred his vision. He could only see the masked figure, now turned into shattered ice, not far away.
As for his savior, the person standing on the high rock, he couldn't make out her face no matter how hard he tried.
That slender figure stood on the high rock,
watching him for a moment.
Seemingly confirming he was alright, she nodded slightly, then turned to leave.
"Benefactor, please wait!"
Ji An grew anxious, quickly calling out in a weak voice.
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A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Zenless Zone Zero: Loving Daily Life Starting in New Eridu
patreon.com/deadlygoober