Chapter 1 Listen to the Wind Singing 01
I'm going to die again, Hoshino thought.
The blood that oozed from the wound on his calf gathered in a pool in the depression on the ground. The excessive blood loss made him weak and his vision blurred. His consciousness was already groggy. Xingye Wang's eyelids could not stop drooping -
Until the sound mixed with electric current sounded:
[Does the host choose to pray? ]
*
Ten minutes ago, hospital.
Hoshino Nozomi was lying on the operating table, her white hair draped over her cheeks. Her turquoise eyes were like inorganic gems, staring straight at the ceiling above her head without blinking.
The bleak light of the hospital shone on his face, making Hoshino Nozomi's face as pale as a dead person - but soon it would not be just "like" because he was really going to die.
When she graduated from elementary school, Hoshino Nozomi was diagnosed with a terminal illness in the hospital. The cause of the disease was unknown and there was no cure. She only had a few years left to live. Fortunately, after taking a leave of absence from school due to illness, under the care of her parents, Hoshino Nozomi's condition was relatively stable, and she even broke the doctor's diagnosis prediction that she would "probably not live past the age of 15".
It was a great fortune to be able to snatch three years from the hands of death, so when Hoshino Nozomi's condition worsened and he was sent to the ICU, he looked calm, as if the person who was about to die on the operating table was not him, but someone unimportant.
During the years in the hospital, he had seen many deaths and separations. No matter whether one was unwilling to accept death or accepted it calmly, it would eventually turn into a thin piece of paper with the words "death certificate" written in black and white. Within a few days, or even on the same day, a new batch of patients would come in, lying on beds filled with the smell of decay, repeating the same drama.
After countless separations and deaths, the order of the world, the order of society, and even the order of hospitals are still in order. The disappearance of a life is like a leaf falling from a lush tree.
So whether it is life or death, Hoshino Wang doesn’t really care, this day has come sooner or later.
As his consciousness was about to fade away, he suddenly heard a voice——
[The system is loading, please wait patiently...]
The cold and flat voice carried an electric current, not like a human, but more like the AI in a mobile phone.
[Loading countdown, 10, 9, 8, 7...]
What are you? Hoshino Nozomi wanted to ask, but her voice was stuck in her throat and she couldn't make a sound.
【The system has been loaded. 】
【Hello, I am system 000~】
Unlike the dry voice just now, the voice of System 000 was slightly playful. Without waiting for Hoshino Momo to reply, the system continued: [Host, hello! Your life has come to an end, and you will be completely dead in half a minute. However, since you have no worries, a calm personality, and extraordinary talents, you perfectly meet the standards of the main system. Therefore, after binding with me, you only need to go to another world and complete the mission, and I can restore your body to health. ]
[The launch has started. I wish you a pleasant journey~]
The strange existence called the system spoke a lot to itself, not caring at all whether its host had any opinions or not. As soon as it finished speaking, a dazzling white light suddenly flashed in front of Xingye Wang's eyes, forcing him to close his eyes.
Yokohama, Japan.
Hoshino Wang suddenly opened his eyes and saw a glass window of a shop in front of him, reflecting his face which had regained some color.
Hoshino Nozomi touched his face and felt warm.
...I don't know what the system did, but it looks like he won't die for a while.
【Welcome to another world~】
The system's voice called him back to his senses, and a translucent panel suddenly appeared in front of Xingye Wang. In the upper left corner was his photo, with his name on the right and a series of attributes listed below.
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Status: Patient with terminal illness
Strength: 25 (Can you lift a Hilichurl's fire stick?)
Constitution: 20 (barely alive)
Agility: 20 (You can even race with slimes)
Appearance: 83 (Make a shining appearance with Mondstadt idol!)
Intelligence/Inspiration: 70 (Good intelligence and inspiration)
Willpower: 85 (You are not easily overwhelmed by hardship)
Education: 30 (elementary school graduate, people will look at you with pity)
Luck: 20 (You and a sunny and cheerful adventure group leader met too late)
On the right side of the character card, it was written in boldface: [Main Quest: Recover Forbidden Knowledge.]
【Side Mission 1: Survive the explosion and subdue the bomber.】
【Mission Reward: Safe House x1. 】
Xing Yewang: “…”
Although he had not received a proper education, he had learned reading and writing over the years. But now, seeing this series of confusing things, Hoshino Moto couldn't help but question himself - could it be that he was actually illiterate?
No one wants to be illiterate, and Xingye Wang naturally doesn't want to either. Before he could ask the system in detail, a deafening explosion suddenly sounded behind him, shaking the display glass violently, as if it would shatter in the next second.
“Ahem—”
The smoke blew in his face and Xingye Wang couldn't stop coughing. He covered his mouth and nose and looked towards the source of the sound.
Not far away, a man with a crazy look in his eyes threw a can towards a store on the street. The moment the can hit the glass, an explosion sounded again, and thick smoke billowed in an instant.
[Host, our mission target has appeared, let's subdue him handsomely! ]
The system's voice was full of energy, which was out of tune with the continuous explosions. Xingye Wang listened and said coldly: "I want to go back."
[But host, you will die if you go back? ]
"Um."
Of course he knew that going back would mean death, but compared to being killed in a bomb, Xingye Wang felt that dying from illness was more honorable.
Compared to the chaotic and noisy streets, the operating room is clean and tidy, and the doctors are calm and considerate.
If ratings could be given, Hoshino Nozomi would be happy to give the hospital a five-star rating and introduce to everyone in the comments section the 108 benefits of dying in a hospital.
[Now that you are here, host, please give it a try first. 】
Hoshino Nozomi shook his head.
Do you still need to try? The result is clear at a glance, try and you will die.
Seeing that Hoshino Momo was passively slacking off, the host immediately used his trump card: [Host, don't be afraid, we actually have a cheat. ]
"Um."
[Don’t you want to know what a cheat is? Actually, a cheat is——]
"I have contacted the Armed Detective Agency!"
The system was halfway through its words when a loud shout suddenly interrupted the rest of the sentence.
Before Xingye Wang could hear clearly what the system said, a powerful slap landed on his shoulder, and numbness and pain spread instantly.
He turned his head and saw the man who had just spoken standing in front of him. He reached out to pull him over and said, "What are you doing standing there like an idiot? Run!"
Xingye looked down and took a step back consciously.
He was not used to being touched by strangers, so his body reacted first. He dodged the man's hand, stood two steps away, and looked at the man quietly.
"What are you standing there for? Are you waiting to die here?!"
"Um."
The man was stunned.
The rest of the words were stuck in his throat, unable to come out or out. After a moment, he said "I can't save someone who's looking for death" and left the scene without looking back.
Hoshino Nozomi rubbed his numb shoulders.
He knew that the other party wanted to save him, but Hoshino Nozomi didn't think he needed to live.
He was a dying man and had already accepted the fate of death. His only dissatisfaction now was that this place was too dirty and noisy, and was not his ideal environment for death.
Hospital is still better.
Unfortunately, before Xingye Wang could continue arguing with the system and ask the system to release him back to the hospital, Xingye Wang was knocked staggering again.
He looked down and saw a girl about three or four years old sitting on the ground with a large skinned knee.
She was holding the doll tightly, but when she fell, the doll flew out and was kicked aside in the crowd. She reached out her hand, and the next moment——
There was a piercing roar.
Mixed in with screams, they came into his ears intermittently. The girl's expression was blank for a moment, and then, as if a switch was turned on, she suddenly burst into tears heartbreakingly.
Hoshino Nozomi had a headache.
Unable to bear the girl's endless crying, Xingye Wang struggled to cross the chaotic crowd, picked up the doll, dusted it off, and stuffed it into the girl's arms: "Be quiet."
The young man's voice was as brittle as broken ice and as cold as the wind, without any of the tenderness that should comfort someone.
The girl cried even harder.
Xing Yewang: “…”
I clearly helped her pick up the doll, why is she still crying?
The crying stung my eardrums and turned my brain into a mess, making it impossible to think quietly, let alone discuss the matter of "going back to the hospital" with a system.
Hoshino Wang couldn't help but frown and prepared to stay away from this noise maker.
But just as he moved, he felt a tearing pain in his calf. The sharp iron pieces caused by the explosion pierced deeply into his left leg. Sticky, warm blood flowed out and gathered into a pool in the depression.
The slightest movement would tear the wound, causing severe pain, forcing him to stay where he was and listen to the noise.
Hoshino was silent.
Is this the power of Lucky 20? How does the leader of the adventure group stay sunny and cheerful?
Hoshino Nozomi placed his hand on the wound, looked at the blood flowing out from the gaps between his fingers, and thought: He is going to die again.
Also, it's noisy.
*
[Does the host choose to pray? ]
Two options appeared in front of Xing Yewang: [Yes] and [No].
Hoshino Nozomi did not make a choice immediately: Does AI also believe in religion?
[Host, I don’t believe in religion~]
——A warm hand suddenly covered his wound.
Hoshino looked up and saw the girl crying and trying to stop the bleeding.
"Take it away," Xingye Wang said forcefully, "It's dirty."
There's no need to get your hands dirty.
[Host, don't worry about whether it's dirty or not. Choose to pray, or you will die.]
[Host——You are going to die——]
[Host——]
[Your prayers are being conveyed to the demons of Teyvat... Congratulations, host. Barbatos, the god of wind, has responded to your prayers and agreed to lend his body to you! ]
Hoshino Nozomi slowly lifted her eyelids: I have no choice.
【I ordered it for you! 】
The system's voice sounded rather angry, as if it would be suffocated in the next second. At the same time, a third person's voice suddenly appeared in Hoshino's mind: "Hello, traveler from another world."
The boy had a clear voice and a light and cheerful tone, which was totally out of place in the explosion scene filled with smoke and dust.
"I was sitting in a tree, playing the piano and singing, when I suddenly heard a voice from another world on the wind. I don't know what the other guys think, but I decided to respond to your prayers - this way, maybe no one will yell in my ear anymore, 'Barbatos, get down to business' or something like that."
"Yeah, I know. Travelers from another world are favored by the gods, overcome hardships and dangers along the way, and play their own pearl song... This is the heroic dream of many people since childhood! Just thinking about it makes people feel excited! Work hard, and if you perform well, I will write a poem for you and sing it..."
"Need not."
"Huh?"
“I didn’t pray.”
"Huh? Is that so?! Oops, am I just being too sentimental?!"
The system kneels down to Xingye Wang: [No, no, no, Master Fengshen, you are not being sentimental! In fact, it was me who did it. I can't just watch the host die! ]
The system was afraid that Fengshen would change his mind, so it explained at a very fast speed, but Xingye Wang just thought it was noisy.
There is noise in the mind and outside.
The girl's tears mixed with dust covered him, and Hoshino Motoki missed the hospital countless times. If he were still lying on the operating table, he would have quietly stepped into the arms of death.
His consciousness became increasingly blurred, and the system suddenly interrupted the conversation with the God of Wind and turned to Xing Yewang and said: [Can you answer a question for me? ]
Perhaps knowing that Hoshino Momo would say "no", the system did not even wait for him to answer, and continued: [You think you have seen through life and death, so can you tell me why the girl in front of you wants you to live? ]
Xingye Wang was silent.
He doesn't know.
His family saved him out of kinship; the doctor saved him out of responsibility.
What about her? What about that passerby? It was clear that whether he was dead or alive had no effect on them. His death was just...
[You don’t understand because you are not as clear-headed as you think. ]
[The answer to the question is actually very simple... you just ignored it. ]
Hoshino's eyelashes twitched slightly.
"Go and search," the Wind God's tone slowed down, like a gentle breeze, "I hope that at the end of your journey, you can find your own answer."
Go find him? Hoshino wondered.
He had to admit that he was curious about this answer which was completely contrary to his eighteen years of knowledge.
"……good."
[As a condition of borrowing, the host needs to play the role of the wind god and must not do anything that violates the image of the wind god. The information about the wind god Barbatos has been transmitted to the host.]
[Creating character card...]
[Host, please roll the dice to determine the character's attributes. ]
[Created successfully, equipped with character card: Barbatos/Vendy (God of Wind). ]
The explosions continued, but the world became quiet.
Whether it was the sound of the wind, the shouting or the explosion, they were all blocked from Xingye Wang's perception.
A large amount of information was instilled into her mind in an instant. Hoshino Motoko didn't have time to calm down and study it carefully. She could only try to grasp a few key words - she claimed to be the best bard in the world, liked singing, yearned for freedom, loved fine wine, and spoke in a light-hearted and playful manner.
This is a gentle god who is sometimes unreliable, but will step forward in times of crisis.
A strong wind suddenly swept through the street, forcing Explosive Brother to cover his mouth and nose with his hands.
After the wind died down, a young man was standing quietly there. He was dressed in medieval style, with a white flower pinned next to his green hat. His wide green awning fluttered in the wind, and he was holding a lyre in his hand.
Hoshino Motoko briefly considered the character's setting and said in a relaxed but warning tone: "It's rare to have such good weather, don't spoil the fun."