Genshin Impact: Villain Life Simulator

Chapter 165: Villain Simulator, Ch 164

[But you knew the true culprit behind Amos' death wasn't her comrades. It was that sly, scheming wind spirit.]

[After the battle, the fragment of wind sought to flee immediately. But how could such a feeble being escape the grasp of the Storm God?]

[You caught it effortlessly, and it spilled everything—the full chain of events leading to the rebellion.]

[Andrius, the bard, the knight, Amos, and even the exiled Gunnhildr family had all been influenced, manipulated by the deceitful whispers of this tiny wind spirit.]

[It had railed against your "tyranny," convincing your people that you hoarded treasures in your vaults and urging them to rise against you in the name of "freedom."]

[The wind spirit's lies had driven the bard and knight—once beneficiaries of your gifts—to blame all their suffering on you.]

[You hadn't anticipated that the chaos stemmed from something as insignificant as a wisp of elemental wind. Even as it lay in your grasp, the spirit brazenly pleaded for mercy, its voice slick and familiar.]

[It was so weak you didn't know how to punish it. A mere squeeze could reduce it to nothing more than a trace of dust on the breeze.]

[Yet as you deliberated, the spirit transformed into a human form.]

["Forgive my ignorance!" its voice rang out, unsettlingly familiar. "Amos' death doesn't matter—I can take her place and serve you. Just spare my life!"]

[Yes, the cunning wind spirit had taken Amos' appearance, hoping to use her visage to save itself.]

[In its twisted logic, it thought you loved only Amos' physical form. Surely, if it looked like her, you might grant it forgiveness.]

[But its ruse only fanned the flames of your anger.]

[From your treasury, you retrieved the Holy Water of Binding and doused the spirit, sealing it in the human shape it had so brazenly adopted.]

["You like being human? Then stay that way forever," you snarled. "Foolish spirit, you will pay dearly for your insolence!"]

[You named it Barbatos, a fitting name for a jester.]

[Amos' true body was enshrined in a crystal coffin and placed in the hunting grounds she had loved. Barbatos, on the other hand, became the target of your wrath. Only her suffering brought you the faintest relief.]

[Her face, identical to Amos', did not evoke pity—instead, it magnified your fury. Compared to her torment, the punishments of the bard and the knight were trivial, akin to a pleasant afternoon tea.]

[Your vendetta extended far beyond the rebels. Their ability to breach the tower stemmed from the betrayal of your people—your beloved subjects.]

[You were sad to discover that inflicting pain was the only way to momentarily forget your grief.]

[At first, Barbatos wept and begged for mercy. But over time, she became numb. Even when her spirit seemed as lifeless as a corpse, you refused to relent.]

[Once, while lashing her with a steel whip, she did something that stunned you—she laughed.]

["Why are you laughing?" you asked, bewildered. "Don't you feel pain?"]

["Pain? Of course, I feel it," Barbatos replied calmly. "But if I'm going to suffer regardless, why shouldn't I laugh? You can imprison my body, but my mind roams free. My spirit dances on open plains."]

[Her words stirred a memory of Amos' dreams—dreams of waves and sand, forests and fields, boars playing among berries, and towering spires.]

[A new idea took root: you would see those places in Amos' stead, visiting the sights she had only glimpsed in dreams.]

[But the Teyvat of that era was a land ravaged by war, with gods battling for supremacy. To reach unknown lands, you had no choice but to join the fray.]

[Though there were no explicit rules, an unspoken agreement among the gods kept them from encroaching on each other's domains. To achieve your goal, you needed to hone your forces.]

[Age 1423: Two decades after the rebellion, your nation had regained its prosperity. No one dared question your authority anymore. You realized that what truly secured stability wasn't respect or love—it was fear.]

[You began expanding Mondstadt's borders, using your tempestuous winds to clear the surrounding eternal ice. No longer the isolated Solitary King, you established governance, recruited skilled advisors, and formed an elite force loyal to you: The Winds of the World.]

[Age 1502: The Winds of the World embodied your ambition—to spread your tempest to every corner of the world. You made no effort to hide your intent.]

[You sought out powerful individuals from across the land to join your cause as leaders within the organization.]

[You took in Havria, the Salt God from Liyue, a gentle and fragile deity who wandered with her followers after being cast out. Seeing echoes of your former self in her, you offered her protection in exchange for eternal servitude. For her own people, Havria did not hesitate to agree to your proposal. She became the Salt of the South Wind, one of your Four Winds.]

[A young knight raised by Andrius, one of the "Lupical" children chosen by wolves, came to you. She challenged you, hoping to win Andrius's freedom.]

[You accepted her challenge, though the result was inevitable—she was no match for the Lord of Tempests.]

[Instead of killing her, you took her into your service and gifted her the claymore Wolf's Gravestone. In time, she became the Wolf of the North Wind, a loyal guardian of Mondstadt.]

[Among the three families that betrayed you, the Gunnhildr family was annihilated, and the Imunlaukr family was exiled to the eternal snows. Only the Lawrence family remained, hoping to atone for their sins.]

[The current head of the Lawrence family, a brilliant and erudite woman, volunteered to serve as your advisor. After rigorous testing, you accepted her, naming her the Wisdom of the West Wind.]

[Age 1534: As your kingdom expanded, you encountered a young and powerful elemental creature. Had it been born a millennium earlier, it might have posed a threat to you.]

[But with only the North Wind and South Wind, you subdued the creature. You named it Dvalin and made it the Dragon of the East Wind.]

[With the Four Winds of the World established, your forces played a pivotal role in your conquests.]

[Age 1645: With the help of the Winds of the World, your influence spread across Mondstadt. Your ever-growing tower reached new heights, as if to grant you a view of every corner of the earth.]

[Surely, by then, Amos' spirit would finally find peace.]

[Age 1871: Under your and the Four Winds' leadership, Mondstadt flourished. You founded numerous city-states to accommodate its booming population.]

[The Four Winds offered valuable advice, including abandoning rigid societal roles and letting citizens choose paths suited to their abilities.]

[Though feared for your ruthlessness, you were not foolish. Useful suggestions were always heeded, even from former foes.]

[Yet there was one you could never forgive: Barbatos. After centuries of torment, you found it increasingly difficult to invent new punishments for the cunning wind spirit.]

[She had even grown to relish the pain, finding physical suffering preferable to the crushing loneliness of her dark prison. For Barbatos, a lover of freedom, her confinement was the harshest punishment of all.]

["Is that all you've got?" she taunted during one of your sessions. "Your punishments are so dull they nearly put me to sleep."]

[You couldn't help but admire the spirit's resilience. For all her weakness, she remained utterly defiant.]

[You sought counsel from your advisors on how to punish her further.]

["My lord," Wisdom of the West Wind bowed and suggested with a sly smile, "from my observations, she cannot resist fine wine. Drinking without her might be the ultimate torment."]

[Skeptical but intrigued, you decided to test the idea. After all, Mondstadt's cellars were overflowing with wine.]

[You selected a thousand of the finest vintages and brought them to Barbatos's prison.]

["Ah, my dearest God of Storms!" Barbatos greeted you with her usual slyness, oblivious to your intent. "How shall you torture me today?"]

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