[You should know that your next body is not yet mature. Don't repeat the mistake of last time.]
The voice of the Human Principles System echoed in Seino's ears, waking him up.
[Before that, you can't die yet. You need to go to Mondstadt next.]
[What you need to protect is not just Inazuma.]
Seino opened his eyes.
Actually, rather than being woken up, he was more frozen awake.
Dawn had not yet broken, and the end of the snow island was a vast expanse of white. The bonfire had gone out, leaving only scattered charred yellow wood blocks on the ground, with sparks still flickering on them. His clothes that he had hung out to dry had also formed a thin layer of frost due to the light snow last night.
"Then I'll practice a bit first."
Seino shook his cloak, shaking off the snow flakes. He slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and coughed twice. He squinted his silver-gray eyes, staring at the monsters appearing on the horizon:
"There are still two days of travel ahead, and there are many things blocking the way."
Standing in front of him were dog-like monsters, but their size was several times larger than ordinary hunting dogs, as majestic as bears, with sharp yellow teeth dripping with saliva. They moved in packs, pitch black all over, like ghosts.
[Beast Realm Hounds]
[Biological weapons from beyond the border, not creations of this world, intended to tear open the barrier and bring about the invasion of the Abyss.]
[Level: 25]
The Human Principles System provided information about these monsters.
Regarding combat power levels, it defined them simply and brutally:
Below level 10 were ordinary hilichurls, levels 10 to 20 were hilichurl level... above level 80 was the realm of archons, and at level 90 was the domain of the Seven Rulers of the Mortal World, true gods.
Seino Raimei's level in this life was stuck at 89 - which was also the limit of this body, the limit of what mortals could achieve.
The Beast Realm Hounds dripped saliva, warily eyeing Seino, circling around him. Clearly, they smelled the scent of danger from this person.
The sun was just rising, and a bit of morning light gradually shone through the ice fog, casting a pale orange glow over the snow plain.
Seino Raimei's appearance suddenly changed, undergoing a significant transformation;
His bones regrew, the silver-gray color in his eyes gradually spread out and then slowly condensed, like a pool of paint on a clear water surface, gathering and dispersing, mixing and separating. In the midst of this turmoil, his eye color had changed.
Violet eyes, like purple irises.
His body also comes alive. His heart beat vigorously, supplying fresh blood. The youth's vigor dispelled the surrounding chill. Seino took off the cloak he was wearing, revealing a long and well-defined upper body.
Anemo...
Huff... He squinted slightly, feeling the breath of wind passing through his body.
The wind, mixed with frost, was soft and whispering, as if singing.
[You haven't named yourself yet.]
"Seino..." Seino Raimei opened his eyes and said: "Fugin."
"Seino Fugin."
[Seino Fugin]
[Level: 1]
[Daily existence time: 1 hour]
[Talent: Musou Isshin (Fudoshin)]
The most noticeable feeling the new body gave Seino was lightness, light as if he was barely touching the ground, his body transparent and clear.
Even his mentality became younger due to this light and comfortable body.
This body's starting point was very high, innately understanding Fudoshin. Perhaps... it could challenge an even higher realm, challenge the peak that the Pillar of the Nation couldn't surpass in a lifetime.
This was the inheritance from his previous life. Each time he was reborn, he would inherit the legacy of his previous life.
Of course, memories couldn't be inherited and had to be completely severed.
Death was complete death. A mortal's soul couldn't bear too much burden, couldn't carry too many lifetimes, otherwise, it would lose itself. Moreover, this would violate the operation of heavenly principles.
Once dead, the system would cut off the memories of this life and incorporate them into Human Principles.
[You can't kill them.]
The system said.
Yes, they can't be killed.
Seino already felt the pressure. He wasn't familiar with the new body, and he knew nothing about how to operate wind elements, how to drive them, how to use them... he was completely ignorant of all these things.
The Beast Realm Hounds swarmed towards him like mountains, bloody mouths full of teeth everywhere, moving so fast they left afterimages, thick afterimages everywhere.
But in the vision of No-Mind, all trajectories were clearly visible. Seino took a step back, his body slightly tilting, and in the next moment, those afterimages brushed past his body. He moved freely between the hounds, as if taking a leisurely stroll.
But Seino couldn't kill them. He couldn't skillfully use the wind element, and even with technique alone, he couldn't break through these hounds' skin.
The level difference was too great.
He gradually began to struggle, fine sweat beading on his forehead as he exhaled, his steps becoming heavy.
Not enough, not yet reached the limit of this body.
[The last time but one was also wind. Your former skills will help you. Want to take a look?]
The system's voice sounded in his ears again.
The last time... didn't refer to Seino Raimei, but to even earlier...
About the past, Seino couldn't remember clearly anymore.
He only remembered that five hundred years ago, a badly wounded Seino Raimei came to Narukami Island and fainted in front of the Grand Narukami Shrine.
As for what happened before that, it had all been completely abandoned and cut off by him - he only remembered that before Seino Raimei, he was a person from Mondstadt.
A Knight of Mondstadt who died in battle before Seino Raimei's body had matured - this was the mistake the system referred to.
Extracting skills from the Human Principles System... or rather, extracting his former skills, was the 'cheat' given by the system. Thanks to this, he, a mortal, became increasingly powerful.
But this had a flaw. The memories that were once cut off would randomly reappear intermittently. If used too much, he would lose himself, violating the laws of heavenly principles.
After fully mastering the skills, the memories must be sealed again.
Seino sideways to avoiding the hound's fangs, and said: "Come on then."
He was also very curious about his past.
The English name for "清野风吟" is tentatively set as "Seino Fugin".
Any better suggestions are welcome.