"I remember that day. It was a sunny afternoon. The birds were singing, the children were dying, and the whole village was burning. And, I... can't seem to remember anything that happened next," a young man said in a nostalgic tone with a complicated expression.
"Ahh! I know this story. You were an adorable kid back then weren't you, Huozi? Let me tell you guys about it."
There was once a young lad who lived in a rural village in Liyue. At the young age of seven, his hometown was raided.. They pillaged his village, killed everyone there, and he watched it all happen. He was able to survive because he hid in a tree on a hill nearby. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know why his town got raided, all he knew was that those with the blessings of the gods were arrogant and privileged.
The young lad wandered around the lonely mountains in Liyue. He didn't know where to go, suddenly, he was suddenly ambushed by several Hilichurls. The young lad was scared out of his wits, crying for help. A group of Treasure Hoarders heard his cries for help, even though they were bandits, they still had souls. They rushed over to the young lad's location and took out the Hilichurls.
"Hey, kid, are you alright there?" one of the Treasure Hoarders said, concerned.
The young lad, shocked, looked up at the men and wiped his tears with his hands.
"What should we do about him?" another Treasure Hoarder asked.
"Leave him, we have our own job to do," the leader of the group said.
The group of Treasure Hoarders started walking away.
"Wait!" The kid suddenly said
The leader of the group looked back at the young lad.
"What? Do you have something to say to us?" the leader asked
"C-can you train me? To be able to fight like that? I-I'll help you guys with chores and stuff, I-I want to, no... I need to be able to fight like that!" The young lad said with fierce determination.
The leader stayed silent.
"Aw c'mon boss, he said he'll handle our chores," said one of the Treasure Hoarders.
"Alright then, kid..." the leader said reluctantly.
"You better show your worth then," he said in a firm tone. "
"Haha! Was Huozi really like that? I didn't know you were such a joker, Yan," a Treasure Hoarder with a deep voice said.
"Shut up, Jiang, or I won't continue the story." Yan said in a serious tone.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop."
"Ehem.
The group of Treasure Hoarders decided to take the young lad back to their base and raise him as one of their own. After a few years, the Treasure Hoarders decided to train the young lad, and they were surprised that the young lad was incredibly smart and physically gifted. He was talented with the sword and could defeat all five of them at the young age of 11. The Treasure Hoarders decided to take the kid with them on one of their missions to see if he was up for the job.
"Alright, Huozi, are you ready for this?" the leader asked Huozi.
"Of course I am, Sir Xin," Huozi replied.
"Then make me proud."
After Xin sent him off, Huozi double checked his tools, put on his mask, and swiftly entered the ruins. Just a few seconds after running in, he almost fell into a trap. Huozi disarmed the trap and carefully explored the ruins. Nonetheless, even after being careful, he stepped on another trap that sent a boulder rolling toward him. He took a sharp turn to his right and narrowly avoided the boulder. However, he tripped on a wire and landed face first on the floor. Several poisoned arrows missed him because he was lying on the ground
"I hate this place," Huozi thought to himself.
With his alertness level pumped to its limit, Huozi explored the ruins further and found three Hilichurls and one Mitachurl guarding a broken mechanism. He threw a rock towards a hallway, distracting the three Hilichurls.
"This'll be a piece of cake," Huozi thought to himself
Katana in hand, he strode forward to meet the beast, twirling it through the air. The stamping and shrieking of the Mitachurl got his heart pumping with excitement. As the Mitachurl's battle axe swung overhead, Huozi stepped to the side and sliced through the beast's stomach. The Mitachurl let out an earth-shattering scream that reverberated through the empty halls that caught the attention of the three Hilichurls. Huozi retrieved three knives from within his coat, a smirk plastered on his face. The three Hilichurls shrieked and rushed towards him in an enraged frenzy. He leapt in the air and released the knives, each one striking true and hitting each Hilichurl right between the eyes. They crumpled to heaps on the ground as he landed. He sighed with disappointment.
After cleaning up the mess that he had made, Huozi observed the broken mechanism and found
a secret code through a gap on its side..
*o the e*st li*s a s**rd t*at bri*gs do*n the br*dg*
To t*e we*t, th**e *ont*ins a a ri*er that ca*n** *e cros*ed
B*w*re t*e *ady th*t at*e*pts t* h*lp you on *he oth*r sid*e
"Fricking puzzles," he thought to himself with an annoyed expression.
Huozi filled the blank spaces and figured out the riddle. He pulled a hidden sword a few meters to his right and a bridge was created. After crossing the bridge, a beautiful lady who looked like an adventurer suddenly appeared.
She hummed a sweet-sounding tune. "Oh, were you the handsome young man sent to assist me?" The lady asked beguilingly.
Huozi launched a knife at her. The lady turned out to be a Hydro Mimic disguised as a human. It morphed into a crab as bubbles streamed from its pincers. He circled around it, keeping his distance. He retrieved another knife from his coat and thrusted it aiming for its eyes. Just then, it turned into a giant eagle and hovered above him. Eyes wide, Huozi scanned the room. He had no place to go. The eagle swooped at him and knocked him back against a wall. He groaned in pain, clutching the wall to get back on his feet.
"What the hell is this thing even doing here?"
----------------------
So. You made it here. To the end of the story.
Wow, thank you so much. Anyway, if you want to,
you can continue reading on.
This is my first story, so it may not be much, but, it's what I made.
YOU ARE READING
Light in the Shadows
Fantasy"I remember that day. It was a sunny afternoon. The birds were singing, the children were dying, and the whole village was burning. And, I... can't seem to remember anything that happened next..." --------- A GENSHIN IMPACT OC INSERT! A young boy n...
