Ji An suddenly realized that only three days had passed since the last simulation.
He couldn't help but check: "System, hasn't the simulation cooldown period ended yet?"
[Ding. Informing the host: this simulation triggers a sub-achievement of "Mondstadt's Millennial Flowing Wind" and is therefore not subject to cooldown restrictions.]
Ji An remembered immediately. There was indeed such a rule.
He turned to Jean and the others: "I think I've found something relevant. Give me a moment."
Paimon's eyes lit up: "Is it treasure?"
Ji An: "No. It's the remnant presence of a terrifying demon god who apparently has a taste for emergency food."
Paimon: "..."
Jean asked with concern: "Mr. Ji An, what exactly have you found? Do you need our help?"
Ji An answered with a half-truth: "There seems to be a remnant of the solitary king's aura clinging to the stone throne. You should all stay back for now. Too many people approaching at once might provoke a reaction."
Diluc crossed his arms: "Then we'll stay here. We'll trust Ji An on this."
Lumine nodded.
Ji An turned his attention back to the fragment.
"System, begin the simulation."
[This simulation is an epic-grade simulation and operates under a non-standard simulation mode.]
[The character for this simulation is Decarabian. The host will experience the simulation from a first-person perspective.]
So it really was the solitary king of the tower. But the system had flagged it as non-standard.
The last time it had used that designation was for Childish Jiang's simulation.
[Simulation starting. Loading initial attribute template. Loading initial talent template.]
Attributes:
Ji An stared at the numbers.
A demon god's starting attributes were this low?
Was the system broken?
He checked the talent skills next:
[Little Luck]: Slightly increases luck.
One talent. Just one.
He scratched his head. Then a thought occurred to him.
Actually, that makes sense. The system didn't specify a timeline. If this starts before Decarabian became a demon god, these numbers would be consistent with a newly born elemental being rather than a fully realized god.
He clicked Start New Life.
---
[0 years old: Above a land scorched bare by ancient raging flames, for the one thousand, one hundred and forty-fifth time, a tornado arose. You were born as a single thread of wind within that gale.]
Scorched by raging flames? Ji An blinked. He had always heard that Mondstadt three thousand years ago was a frozen wasteland. Was Decarabian a being who originated elsewhere? Or was this even further back than that?
[1 year old: You did not dissipate with the tornado that carried you into being, but remained on the scorched and desolate land. (Physique +0.1)]
Ji An was surprised. Attributes could shift during the simulation itself?
The increases were small now, but across enough time, the accumulated total would eventually be staggering. He was beginning to understand that the final stat sheet he would see at the end would reflect Decarabian's true power at his peak.
[2 years old: You attempted to blend in with the ordinary flowing winds around you. (Intelligence +0.1)]
[3 years old: You discovered you could not blend in. You possessed a violence and intensity that the others lacked entirely.
Among them, you stood out the way a fire stands out in darkness, the way a wolf stands out among dogs.
You were simply too different to conceal.]
[Talent unlocked: Born Different. Appearance +3.]
Well. That is certainly a talent.
[4 years old: You felt anger for the first time. (Intelligence +0.5) You roared at the ordinary flowing winds around you. (Physique +0.2)]
As expected of something that would eventually become The God of Storms. Attributes from simply existing and reacting to the world. Ji An found it deeply enviable.
[5 years old: Though your roar was terrifying, the flowing winds on the desolate land were of low intelligence. They could not understand your intent. They only felt an instinctive unease in the presence of such an unusual one of their own kind.]
[6 years old: You had still not brought the nearby winds to your side. They had grown increasingly indifferent toward you, this strange presence among them.
Then, several winds arrived from what would later come to be known as Fontaine. Upon hearing the sound you made, they were overwhelmed with fear and surrendered immediately.
The nearby winds, seeing this, followed.
You became the leader of all the winds in your vicinity.]
[Talent unlocked: Gales, Hear My Call. Physique +5, Family Background +6.]
[7 years old: You led your wind followers, claiming the surrounding territory.
Any wind that drifted into your domain was either driven away by your followers or captured and brought into the fold.
You felt satisfaction for the first time. (Intelligence +0.5)
You found that you enjoyed this feeling of control.]
[8 years old: A violent sandstorm swept across the land, taking everything with it.
Including you and all your followers.
Your followers exhausted their strength against the howling storm and dissipated.
You found a gap in the chaos and escaped. But you were alone again, a wind with no following.]
[9 years old: You missed the feeling of commanding others and let out a furious roar. (Physique +0.1)
You gathered a new group of winds and began again.]
---
[11 years old: While patrolling your territory with your followers, you encountered a volcanic mountain range. As you crossed it, the intense heat was too much for your followers. They exhausted themselves and dissipated.
You were alone again.]
[12 years old: You let out a furious roar. (Physique +0.1) You gathered new winds to follow you.]
---
[17 years old: You and your followers crossed paths with a group of celebrating Pyro Geovishaps. In the scorching breath they exhaled, your followers exhausted themselves and dissipated.]
[18 years old: You let out a furious roar. (Physique +0.1) You gathered winds.]
---
[154 years old: You and your followers were circling a great ancient tree when a passing Fire Dragon King beat its wings and generated a surge of wind powerful enough to sweep everything away. Your followers exhausted themselves and dissipated.]
[155 years old: You let out a furious roar. (Physique +0.1) You gathered winds.]
---
The pattern repeated, again and again, across centuries.
Followers gathered. Followers lost. Roar. Gather again.
The numbers climbed slowly each time.
---
[683 years old: The Eternal Throne descended from the heavens.
You and your followers were caught in the crossfire of the battle between The Heavenly Principles and the Dragon King.
Your followers exhausted themselves and dissipated. You were severely wounded and fell into a dormant state.]
The Heavenly Principles. Ji An turned the words over.
What was that, exactly? And what was the Dragon King it was fighting?
He felt he was missing context that the simulation was not providing.
---
[743 years old: Forty winters have buried the flames. The land that was once scorched bare has gradually been transformed into a frozen wasteland.
Your presence has still not stirred.]
[Talent unlocked: Quality Sleep. Physique +1, Appearance +1.]
[1143 years old: At the behest of the one who sits upon the Heavenly Throne, mountains and rivers were shaped into being.
Its shadow gave rise to birds, beasts, and fish.
It created flowers, plants, and trees.
Finally, it created the beings known as humans.
You awakened.]
[Talent unlocked: Well-Rested. Physique +1, Appearance +1.]
Ji An looked at the two new talent names and said nothing for a moment.
Quality Sleep. Well-Rested.
God of Storms who would one day build a royal city and reign over Mondstadt had just unlocked talents named after having a good nap.
-------
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