Chapter 151: Chapter 151: Odd Behavior

Nolan looked at the character panel, with over five thousand Adventure EXP remaining. He could still max out another skill.

Right now, his Swordsmanship Skill or Archery Skill only needed to fuse one more Extraordinary Characteristic to reach the minimum standard of the Secret Arts Level.

Even if luck wasn't on his side and there was no evolution, having an extra extraordinary characteristic wouldn't be bad either.

However, there was also the question of whether to upgrade the archery skill or the swordsmanship skill.

Hmm... Nolan pondered for a moment.

Considering the current situation, it was better to use long-range attacks against the Riftwolfs.

After all, it was indeed a bit dangerous to fight them in close combat.

With that in mind, Nolan made a decision. He decided to upgrade the archery skill he had previously learned from Fischl—Sin Purging Arrow.

Adventure EXP - 4499

Sin Purging Arrow Lv.1 (1/100) > Sin Purging Arrow. Lv.10 (Condemnation / Fusible)

A new arrow technique knowledge emerged in his mind, and the acquired extraordinary trait, "Condemnation," significantly increased damage when hitting an enemy's weak point.

This complemented his Golden Eyes of Judgement, which allowed him to see weak points.

At the same time, the maxed-out "Sin Purging Arrow" also appeared to be fusionable.

Without much hesitation, he directly fused it with "Favonius Hunter's Archery", As a result, the text in the skill column slowly changed.

The two skills overlapped and evolved into a brand new skill.

[Arrow of World's Descent · Secret Arts Lv.1 (1/1000)]

Nolan was lucky. After the archery skill obtained its third extraordinary feature, it evolved into a secret art.

Looking at the name, it seemed to have morphed with the Sin Purging Arrow as the main body, very much a characteristic of Little Amy.

As he felt the information appearing in his mind, he realized that the secret art "Arrow of World's Descent" not only perfectly integrated the original extraordinary features but also became even stronger.

For example, the original "Advanced Stability" extraordinary feature was now more stable. As long as he could see and aim at the target, the arrows would hit with minimal interference.

And "Silent and Shadowless" was no longer just about moving at lightning speed; this time, it truly possessed the ability to traverse space and ignore distances.

Of course, due to its low level, the distance it could traverse through space wasn't too long, and the additional damage effect of "Condemnation" was also stronger.

Overall, this new archery skill's brand-new extraordinary feature was very powerful.

The only regret was that it couldn't change direction on its own; it still needed to be aimed, or else it would miss.

While feeling a bit regretful, Nolan glanced at the character panel, which had undergone significant changes, feeling that it had suddenly become much tidier.

Name: Nolan Walker

Level: Lv.30 (0/3000)

Race: Human

Title: Honorable Knight

Innate Talent: Entangling Affection

Skills: Concealment Mastery · Secret Arts Lv.1 (0/1000), Arrow of World's Descent · Secret Arts Lv.1 (0/1000), Favonius Royal Swordsmanship Lv.10 (Flickering Candlelight, Boundary of Windstill), Martial Arts Lv.2 (0/200), Rhine One-Handed Sword Technique Lv.1 (1/100)

Specialties: [Descender] [Maiden Savior] [Monster Slayer] [Abundant Life] [Gospel of the Sky]

Adventure EXP: 1135

The remaining 1,000 or so Adventure EXP could be kept for now, and the next step would be to try to raise the Sword Technique to the Secret Arts level as well.

...

The sky sparkled with numerous stars, forming a galaxy-like pattern across the night view.

This illuminated the night in Teyvat, making it not as dark as one might expect.

As time passed, with the help of Razor, the adventurer's party found a new camping spot in the Wolvendom.

The ground was covered in grass, with only a few short bushes nearby, and it looked quite empty, There was nothing around to hide the monsters or beasts that might want to ambush them.

Therefore, this place was relatively safe.

They took turns keeping watch at night, and before they knew it, a bright morning dawned. Razor set out with his two grey wolves to locate the territory of the Riftwolfs.

With two keen-scented grey wolves, they were able to pinpoint the locations quite accurately.

In only half a day or so, Nolan and the others found five or six places where there were Rift Creatures, and all of them had some RiftHounds present.

Using his secret art skill "Concealment Mastery," Nolan was able to easily approach and observe them.

Through his investigation, he discovered a common trait among these Rift Monsters: they didn't eat the prey they hunted but instead piled them up together, as if saving them for someone.

This piqued everyone's interest, and Lumine suggested directly tracking these creatures to see what they were up to.

Nolan naturally had no objections to this, but the task of investigating the number and location of Rifthounds could not be abandoned.

Therefore, the adventure team could only split up. Razor and Bennett as well as Fischl continued to look for the Rift Monsters, with Oz in the sky, they could confirm the location of the Monsters.

This way, there was no need to get close to the Rift Monsters and thus fall into danger.

As for Lumine and Paimon, they teamed up with Nolan to provide support. After all, his skills had a time limit and couldn't be used continuously.

If he were discovered during the "cooldown" period without anyone's help, he would be in trouble.

Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon arrived near a group of Monsters that they had found earlier, with two Rifthounds and six Rifthound Whelps in terms of size.

Compared to others, the overall strength of this group of monsters was relatively low.

The three climbed a tree to conceal themselves, which also allowed them to observe the creatures from above.

Since they were far enough from the monsters, they could blend their aura into the complex environment of the forest and grassland below, making it unlikely to be noticed.

The reason Nolan didn't use the "Concealment Mastery" skill to approach was mainly that those Rift Monsters were still hunting and did not have any other intentions for the time being, so turning on the skill to get closer to observe them would be a waste of physical energy.

"They've already stored three wild boars. Why do they need so much food?"

Under the canopy, Paimon, floating above the golden-haired girl, asked with a puzzled expression on her face.

Lumine, standing with her legs slightly apart on two sturdy branches, with her knees slightly bent, the slit skirt revealed white shorts underneath.

Her gaze penetrated the green leaves as she looked into the distance. With her fair fingers resting against her soft chin, she speculated, "Perhaps they have a 'leader' commanding them to collect food to bring back for it to eat."

Nolan, sitting on a branch behind them, heard Lumine's speculation and felt it wasn't entirely impossible.

If the Rifthound Whelps were the lower level of status amongst the Riftwolfs, the RiftHounds were the middle rank, there was indeed a ruler above them.

——The Golden Wolflord!

If it really appeared in the Wolvendom that would be a big deal, that would mean that the appearance of these Rift Monsters was not an accident.

Rather, it was a planned invasion of the Teyvat Continent by the otherworldly "Rift", and the city of Mondstadt, which was adjacent to the Wolvendom, would undoubtedly be the first to be affected.

Imagine if countless Rift Monsters appeared, it seemed that only Venti, the uncontrollable Anemo Archon, could blow away the entire Wolvendom territory to solve the problem...

"Look, they're taking their prey away!"

As Nolan chuckled to himself, Paimon's starry eyes blinked, and she keenly noticed that the Rift Monsters in the distance seemed to be starting to move.

(End of Chapter)

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Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Other Side of the Rift

"They run so fast, we need to keep up," Lumine said, watching the Rift Monsters as they teleported with their prey, her amber eyes widening slightly.

Just as she wanted to jump down from the tree to the ground, the heel of her shoe that was stepping on the branch slipped forward, scraping the bark of the tree as well as falling backward.

"Eh? Traveler!"

Paimon tried to grab her with both hands, but her reaction was a bit slow, and she only managed to brush against Lumine's hair with her fingertips.

Of course, with her strength, she might have pulled herself down if she had managed to grab Lumine.

Fortunately, although Lumine was not caught by Paimon, the direction she fell down was exactly the direction of Nolan, who was sitting on the tree branch.

Seeing the golden-haired girl falling down, Nolan instinctively reached out his left hand to catch her.

First, he felt the texture of the skirt rubbing against his hand, and then it turned into the smooth, soft touch of her snowy skin.

There was a moment.

The back of his hand seemed to have touched the silky fabric that was wrapped around something slightly weighty.

Before Nolan could continue to wonder, the girl's buttocks, padded with the white skirt, hit his chest directly, and the weight of her entire body knocked him off balance, causing him to fall backward without anything to support him on the branch.

A sense of weightlessness came over him as he felt the rising airflow brush past his face.

With a thud, Nolan's back hit the ground, and his abdomen felt a soft yet forceful pressure.

"Oops! Are you guys okay?" Paimon hurriedly flew down, looking worriedly at the two of them.

Lumine, who was sitting on top of Nolan, realized that a hand had slipped through the tear in her dress and was now wrapped around her waist.

Feeling an unfamiliar sensation along her waist and some of her ribs, a slight blush appeared on her fair face.

"You..!, hurry up and take your hand out," Lumine said with a disdainful and helpless expression, looking down at Nolan and parting her soft lips.

"Oops, sorry," Nolan just regained his senses, feeling slightly embarrassed as he awkwardly withdrew his hand. He hadn't expected it to slip in so conveniently.

"Phew~" Lumine breathed a sigh of relief. Being held like that made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

She stood up, dusted off her dress, and then reached out her hand to Nolan, who was still lying on the ground.

"Are you okay?"

"It just hurts a little, but no injuries."

Nolan replied, clasping the soft, fair hand as he was helped up. He shook his head slightly.

With his current physical strength, falling from this height and even with someone on top of him was nothing.

"Thank you," Lumine nodded her fair chin in gratitude.

[Lumine Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 210 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.5 (425/500)]

"Phew... I'm relieved that you're both okay," Paimon said with some concern, patting her chest and sighing in relief.

"Let's go, we need to catch up quickly, or those monsters will get away," Lumine said, swinging her legs clad in knee-high boots and walking forward, her exposed snow-white thighs bathed in the bright sunlight.

"Okay," Nolan nodded.

Although those Rift Monsters were using spatial teleportation to carry their prey and run, they couldn't descend into deep space continuously. They had to resurface periodically. This prevented Nolan and the others from losing track of them.

It didn't take long for them to come to a wide space zone following Riftwolfs.

To Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon's surprise, there were at least twenty to thirty Rifthounds gathered in front of them, and the Rifthounds Whelps were even more numerous.

"So... so many monsters!" Paimon exclaimed in surprise, covering her mouth with her hands. "What are they doing?"

"The space over there seems to have cracked!"

Lumine, with her arms crossed over her chest, wearing white sleeves, looked somewhat surprised.

"Hmm, I'll go take a closer look," it was time for Nolan to take action.

He activated his Secret Art skill "Concealment Mastery" and stealthily approached.

Now, as long as he didn't physically touch those creatures, he was unlikely to be detected. Nolan swaggered confidently toward the Riftwolfs.

In terms of environment, there was nothing special about this place, it was just an ordinary corner of the Wolvendom, but it was home to many Rift Monsters?

He saw the Rifthounds that had brought their prey back here earlier, distributing the food they had hunted to their companions.

Hiss...

So, they went out hunting to bring food here for the monsters. And the monsters here weren't "disabled" and unable to hunt for themselves.

Could it be... looked a bit like a division of labor? The division of labor among the Rift Monsters! While one group went out hunting for food, another part...

Nolan paused on the grassy ground, gazing up at a rift in the sky.

Another part of the Rift Monsters were using their "corrosion" power to dissolve and enlarge the rift.

"This is..."

Nolan seemed to understand what was going on. If he wasn't wrong, the Rift Monsters that had appeared in the Wolvendom Territory were only a very small part of them.

They were trying to continue expanding the border between Teyvat and the Rift Realm, allowing more of their comrades to descend, including the king of the Riftwolves pack- the Golden Wolflord!

Unexpectedly, it seemed to align with Lumine's speculation. Their "leader" really wanted to invade Teyvat.

Nolan seemed to be able to feel the powerful oppressive force originating from that side through the dark and blurred spatial cracks.

"This is troublesome." He couldn't help but be a little staggered.

After roughly understanding the purpose of the Rift Monsters, Nolan himself currently had no way to deal with it. He could only return and inform Lumine and Paimon of what he had seen.

"What?!"

Paimon exclaimed in surprise when she heard that a dangerous big guy was coming, then asked in confusion, "Is there any way to stop them from further enlarging that space rift?"

"Their numbers here are already considerable, plus those who haven't returned yet. Acting rashly will only put ourselves in danger," Lumine shook her head, her golden hair swaying along.

"... Well, it's not without a solution, I can use my bow and arrow to harass them from afar, maybe I can delay the time when the spatial rift fully opens up."

Nolan pondered for a moment and simply stated his thoughts.

At his current level, his "Arrow of World's Descent" could instantly travel a distance of 300 meters before the arrow reappeared and continued its normal flight.

During this process, the arrow's kinetic energy wouldn't be depleted.

Thus, Nolan's maximum shooting range could reach over five hundred meters, a distance where it would be difficult for the Rift Monsters to detect him.

Even if they did detect him, he would have enough time to escape invisibly and avoid being surrounded.

So, his idea of harassment still had some feasibility.

The only difficulty was that he couldn't precisely aim from a distance of five hundred meters; whether he hit or missed depended on luck.

(End of Chapter)

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Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Crisis Temporarily Averted

"Wow! When did you become so powerful?"

After hearing Nolan's explanation, both Lumine and Paimon revealed somewhat surprised expressions.

"Well, after all, I'm also from another world, so it's normal to have slightly better talents like you." Nolan chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"Hey, it's not like being able to make arrows traverse through space can be explained by having good talent."

Lumine's fist pressed against her soft waist as she stared at him with a skeptical look in her amber eyes.

"Remember how I inexplicably gained control over the wind elemental power before? I think it's probably a similar situation now."

Nolan said with a smile.

"Well, it seems like you people from other worlds are a bit similar. Lumine also doesn't know why she can control elemental power just by touching the Statue of Seven Archons, and that power to 'purify' Dvalin."

Paimon nodded, feeling like she had figured something out.

Seeing Paimon's genuine belief, Lumine couldn't help but facepalm, but she knew that everyone had their own secrets, and prying too much would strain their relationship.

Since he was her friend, there should be enough trust between them, just like how Nolan didn't inquire about her specific background.

[Lumine Has Developed Good Feeling Towards You, Obtained 120 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv. 6 (45/600)]

Nolan glanced at the notification that popped up in the character panel, slightly taken aback. It seemed like Lumine was pondering something in her mind.

"Alright, regarding the 'harassment operation'... Well, if you're confident, then there's no harm in giving it a try." Lumine reconsidered Nolan's idea and agreed.

"Mhm, as for the aiming issue, leave it to me, Paimon. After all, I can fly high and see far. I can tell you which direction has more monsters, and you'll definitely hit one with a single arrow!" Paimon, with a crown floating above her head, patted her chest proudly.

"Uh... that seems to make sense." Nolan nodded thoughtfully.

Lumine tousled the ends of her earlobe-length hair and smiled, revealing her fair ears. "No time to waste. Let's find a sufficiently distant and concealed sniper position now."

It didn't take long for Nolan and others to find a small forest, where they could only barely see the Rift Monsters side.

The advantage here lies in having enough vegetation cover, so they wouldn't stand out like they would on an open grassy field, easily spotted at a glance.

"Paimon, it's your turn. Fly higher and check if my aim is correct, okay?"

Nolan, crouching behind a low thicket with his adventurer hunting bow, signaled to the small, fluffy Paimon floating next to the golden-haired girl.

"Hehe, leave it to me!"

Paimon exclaimed excitedly before soaring into the sky.

She flew straight towards the rift monsters in the direction Nolan aimed, finding herself directly above the midpoint of the spatial rift.

The angle of the aim seemed slightly off, with no monsters present at this point. They were all at the edge, tearing the spatial crack wider.

Paimon quickly returned, prompting Nolan to adjust the angle of his arrow slightly downward, and he naturally did as she told.

"That's right, I feel that this angle is about right, It will definitely hit one!" Paimon said confidently.

Lumine crouched down, tucking her skirt between the calves enveloped in knee-high boots and the exposed snow-white skin of her thighs.

She settled her soft buttocks on her heels and smiled, saying, "Paimon finally gets to help, and that's great. I'm pleased."

"Ugh, what's your deal, huh? Haven't I always helped you with the excess food you can't finish?" Paimon huffed, turning her face away to show an expression of "I'm angry".

"That's because you looked greedy, so I gave it to you." Lumine leaned her elbow on her knee, her fair palm supporting her chin, and a slight smirk gracing her lips.

Nolan listened to the sudden argument between the two, finding it somewhat amusing, but his hands didn't stop moving.

The elemental energy consumed by the Delusion yesterday had once again replenished. With Nolan's intention, they slowly released and attached to the arrow of the bow.

He released his fingers holding the bowstring.

The crimson arrow instantly ignored the spatial distance of three hundred meters, continuing at an invisible and swift pace to embed itself on the edge of the spatial rift where a group of Rifthounnd Whelps were eroding the boundary of Teyvat's space.

With the secret art skill "Arrow of World's Descent", it pierced through without the slightest delay.

[Defeated A Powerful Enemy, Obtained 625 Adventure EXP.]

With the prompt popping up on the character panel, Nolan understood that he had successfully hit his target.

He smiled and said to Paimon, "Paimon, go and see what's happening over there."

"Okay, since my contribution is so significant today, you and the Traveler must make something delicious for me later!" Paimon floated into the air, making her request while she flew.

"Of course, no problem," Nolan thought to himself, feeling that Paimon was indeed easily satisfied as long as there was food.

Shortly after, Paimon returned with the intelligence from the scene.

As expected, the death of a Rifthound Whelp had indeed alerted the group of monsters, but since they were hiding too far away, the monsters couldn't find them for the time being.

After causing a brief commotion, the Rift Monsters had no choice but to resume their space erosion.

"Hehe, I also noticed that when the monsters stopped eroding the spatial crack, it began to slowly repair itself. So, as long as we continue to harass them, we might actually disrupt their plans!" Paimon said excitedly, waving her arms and legs in mid-air.

"Oh? That's a bit unexpected," Lumine said, the ribbon hanging around her neck fluttering in the breeze, resting on Nolan's arm.

Well, the Rift Monsters were eroding the space border between the Teyvat World and the Rift Realm, and it was normal for them to be able to repair themselves when damaged.

Otherwise, with so many rift monsters releasing erosion power into Teyvat every day, it would have been riddled with holes long ago!

Nolan thought to himself as he tucked the ribbon hanging from his arm back to Lumine.

Next, the three of them continued to harass the Rift Monsters in this manner. Initially, to prevent the spatial rift from being repaired, the monsters didn't dare to stray too far in search of enemies after failing to find them.

But when the tenth rift monster was killed, the cunning pack of rift wolves realized that unless they found the assailant shooting from the shadows, they would eventually be nibbled away bit by bit.

Angry and with no other choice, they mobilized all their forces to search for any potential enemies from all directions.

Seeing the situation, Nolan and the others realized they had angered the wolf pack and quickly fled to meet up with Fischl and the others.

If they were surrounded and couldn't resolve the situation as soon as possible, not to mention the continuous onslaught of hundreds of rift wolves that would follow, even being torn in half wouldn't be enough for them to escape.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Trial Grounds of the Northern Wind

Wolvendom.

The withered grass and swirling dust beneath their feet.

Nolan and the others dashed forward—no, correction—two of them dashed while Paimon was flying wildly.

Anyway.

In order to avoid the search of the Rift Monsters, as well as in order to meet up with the others, they quickly ran in the direction where Fischl and the others were moving.

"Did we bite off more than we could chew? Why are they all chasing us so fiercely?" Paimon, hands covering her crown on head to prevent it from falling, panted.

"Don't worry, they haven't spotted us yet. As long as we run fast, they won't catch up!"

Lumine's legs, encased in over-the-knee white boots, swiftly moved, her skirt swaying in the rushing wind, revealing lantern shorts and snow-white thighs.

"They've all mobilized at once. As long as the space rift remains untouched, I believe it will repair itself soon," Nolan, relying on his powerful lung capacity, felt no need to gasp for air.

"In that case, it won't be easy for them to mess with it again anytime soon!"

If opening the boundary between the Rift realm and Teyvat was that simple for them, then Nolan and the others wouldn't need to intervene; the Golden Wolflord and more rift monsters would have already crossed over long ago.

As for the Rift Monsters that appeared in the Wovlendom today, they were probably the vanguard sent over by the realm.

Their main task would probably be to cooperate with the Rift Realm on Teyvat's side to expand the spatial rift together, which would probably increase a lot in terms of efficiency.

"Well, it seems like we've achieved something," Lumine's backless dress fabric wrapped around her softly swaying curves as she glanced at Paimon beside her, seeming a bit tired.

She asked, "Paimon, if you're tired, you can ride on my neck."

"Sniff... Traveler, you're so kind!" Paimon, already exhausted, was almost moved to tears by Lumine's words.

She flew directly to Lumine's back and straddled her neck, then slumped onto her head with golden locks, finally able to relax.

Nolan watched them with a sense of amusement.

About ten minutes later, they arrived at a hill where they spotted a raven flying high in the sky. Nolan waved at it.

Soon, Oz also spotted the trio and swooped down and said:

"How's the operation going, guys?"

"It's been smooth, but we've also angered those creatures. Where is the Princess and the others are?. We need to leave Wolvendom quickly!"

Nolan said as he briefly explained some of the things that happened just now.

"Aiya, this is really troublesome!" Oz, who was flapping his night colored wings, nodded, "Miss and others are just ahead, please follow me."

Descending the hill, Nolan and the others saw Fischl's group and two gray wolves by a small stream.

Fischl sat on a smooth stone by the stream, her notebook resting on her legs wrapped in asymmetric semi-transparent black stockings as she recorded the gathered intelligence.

Her bright green pupils flickered as she looked at the others, speaking with some confusion, "Oh, attendants and traveler, why the hurry?"

"The mission went relatively smoothly, but we've angered those creatures. We should retreat first and discuss further later," Nolan chuckled and said.

Fischl's fair, delicate face directly faced herself as she slightly tilted her head. She nodded, putting away the notes on the investigation.

With her buttocks clad in a triangular black stockings bodysuit lifted off the smooth stone surface, she stood up and said, "Indeed, as expected of the attendant of this princess, I presume you've exceeded my expectations!"

At that moment, the two gray wolves drinking by the stream suddenly raised their heads, glaring fiercely towards the grass-covered hills.

Razor, with a few strands of gray hair peeking out from under his hood, immediately warned, "Be careful! They're coming!"

"What's coming?"

Bennett, who had just washed his face and got his fingers pinched by a crab in the stream, followed their gaze towards the hills, where a pack of Rifthounds led by some whelps emerged.

"Wow, did they follow the scent?" Paimon, lying on Lumine's head, exclaimed in surprise.

Fischl crossed her arms, slightly puffing up her chest, and said, "Hmph, just a few black evil wolves. Let the Holy Judgment of this princess's Thunder smite them!"

"Miss, I think it's better to retreat first. There are many more gathering behind them!"

Oz, the Night Raven flying overhead, observed the other creatures slowly approaching from the hills and reminded them.

"In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's run!" Paimon urged anxiously, not wanting to become the Monsters' meal.

No more words needed, the temporary adventure team, along with the two wolves, all started running. Oz surveyed the surroundings from high above, guiding them in the right direction.

"Wow, they're fast!" Through Oz's vision, Fischl saw the group of monsters swiftly approaching through space rifts.

If they continued like this, they would easily be caught, thus falling into a surrounded predicament.

"Razon, is there a relatively safe place near by, where we can escape and take cover for a moment?"

Bennett asked the wolf boy next to him, who was quite familiar with the Wolvendom environment. At the same time, he accidentally stumbled over a protruding stone on the ground, staggering for a moment, nearly falling.

"Woahhh, that was dangerous!" He patted his chest, his face showing a lingering expression of fear.

Feeling the strong wind rushing against them as they ran, Razor contemplated for a moment, then nodded,

"There is safe place... Follow... me."

He increased his speed and raced ahead of Fischl to take the lead, observing the surroundings and sniffing twice before saying, "This way."

"Alright."

Following Razor, they diverted their path, and in their rearview, they could faintly see the black silhouettes of the Rift Wolves.

Trees flew past their peripheral vision, and after a while, they finally arrived at the safe place Razor had mentioned.

In front of them was the remains of an oversized circular pit building constructed of stone like a bullring.

"This is..." Nolan halted, looking surprised at the huge pit structure before him.

If he remembered correctly, this seemed to be the trial ground of "Andrius, the Wolf of the North," who guarded Wolvendom!

In other words, it was the Lupus Boreas from the game!

"This... is safe," Razor stood on the edge of the pit structure and said.

"Safe? But there's nothing here, right?" Paimon, floating beside Lumine, shrugged with some confusion.

In her eyes, it was just a particularly large pit structure, with no hiding places nearby.

Perhaps it was even more dangerous here.

(End of Chapter)

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Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Andrius

"Razor shouldn't deceive us. I can sense very strong and pure elemental traces here," Nolan spoke of what he had observed.

Since they were here, with Razor and the two gray wolves by their side, they believed the Wolf of the North wouldn't stand idly by.

"Hmph, is it that inferior version of yours golden eyes that impersonates this princess again!"

Fischl pressed her hands against her soft waist, leaning slightly forward with a proud gaze mixed with a hint of envy in her golden eyes.

...Hmm, why does a mere attendant... possess such handsome abilities? It's truly the manifestation of her ideal 'Grand Illusory Vision of All-encompassing Madness and Judgement- Eye of Judgment'!

Nolan looked at Fischl, who looked quite interested on her face, couldn't help but raise his index finger and flick her forehead, which was covered by her blonde hair, and said with a smile:

"As compensation for being a 'pirated copy,' I'll tell you how to acquire this ability when we have the time."

"Ugh... you pesky attendant dares to be insolent!" Fischl covered her forehead, a displeased expression on her fair face. "You'd better be telling the truth, or this princess won't spare you!"

"The monsters are coming!" Lumine suddenly sensed something and turned her body to look back along the path they had come.

Sure enough, the black rift hounds were following the scent of their fallen comrades, their numbers enough to tear everyone present to shreds in an instant.

"Why... why are there so many?!" Paimon cowered behind Lumine in fear.

"Haha, indeed, even though I've had my share of bad luck, this is the first time I've encountered such a situation!"

Bennett rubbed the back of his head, looking somewhat helpless.

Faced with this situation, he couldn't muster any fighting spirit. With so many monsters, and they were still very powerful.

With a significant numerical advantage, the Rift Monsters had no interest in encroaching step by step. Right now, they just wanted to tear apart the humans in front of them!

The next moment...

The front portion of the Rift Monsters vanished instantly, sinking into the depths of space, while some remained behind to prevent Nolan's group from escaping.

"Let's jump down!" Nolan didn't hesitate, leaping into the massive pit structure along with everyone else.

At that time, the Rift Monsters that performed spatial shuttling also appeared at their original location, and with a clawed pounce, they watched the humans escaping and hurriedly continued to chase after them.

They resembled a black waterfall cascading into the pit.

Razor and the two gray wolves suddenly halted, turning to face the approaching monsters behind them, baring their teeth!

"Oi oi! Why are you stopping, Hurry, run!" Paimon urged anxiously.

"..Umm Well, maybe we don't need to run anymore," Nolan just realized that the pit structure was slowly enveloped in mist.

Having played the game before, Nolan naturally understood what would happen next.

"Huh, what's going on?"

Bennett, Fischl, and Lumine also noticed the unusual surroundings and stopped, their expressions tinged with some surprise and suspicion.

"Why did you bring humans here."

A calm yet majestic voice abruptly echoed in the pit structure.

"Who!!- Who's there! Stop playing tricks, Paimon isn't afraid of you!" Paimon, hiding behind Lumine, was visibly startled, then gritted her teeth and said defiantly.

The golden-haired girl in a white dress, revealing her snow-white back, also looked around vigilantly with amber eyes.

Nolan glanced around, feeling a sudden chill down his spine. As he turned back, he saw, amidst the endless mist, a pair of huge eyes emitting blue flowing light, flickering momentarily.

"That is..."

Just as Nolan was perplexed, he suddenly heard a "thud" behind him and quickly turned back

A huge, blue-white, fantasy-like Wolf King fell from the sky and stepped on the Rift Monster group that was confronting Razor and the two gray wolves.

Endless ice elements blossomed, instantly turning each Rift Monsters that sank into the depths of space into ice sculptures.

Then with a tremor of its hind feet, all the ice sculptures instantly turned into powder that floated away in the wind.

"Oh my, Miss, that looks like quite an extraordinary presence," Oz, flapping his wings, remarked with some astonishment.

Fischl, her legs clad in asymmetric black stockings, felt a chill and instinctively drew them closer, crossing her arms as she spoke:

"So, this giant wolf is the reason that wolf boy claimed this place would be safe."

She had thought that the safe place Razor mentioned would be inaccessible to the monsters, but she hadn't expected a giant wolf to suddenly appear and defeat all their enemies with just a single strike.

"Because... they help us, they are... good people!" Razor, the wolf boy, looked at the wolf king and explained.

"Hmph." The North Wind Wolf King, Andrius, swept a dignified glance over Razor and the two gray wolves, then turned to Nolan and the others. "You seem to have a decent lineup. Are you ready for the trial?"

"Trial, what trial?"

Paimon, no longer as afraid after learning that the wolf king and Razor knew each other, asked.

"As humans who have received my help without undergoing a trial, it's only fair to make up for that," the North Wind Wolf King huffed coldly.

"This is allowed?!" Nolan was taken aback, not expecting the North Wind Wolf King to be so particular.

Indeed, this was the North Wind Wolf King's trial ground. Generally, besides the wolf pack of Wolvendom, it wasn't easy for others to get its help.

But accepting its trial was possible, and if they won, the North Wind Wolf King wouldn't be stingy with its reward.

"But we don't have anyone here who can defeat you, do we?"

Lumine's fair hands clenched at her waist as she looked calmly at the North Wind Wolf King.

"You'll face me together, and I'll adjust my strength to match yours," the tall and majestic blue and white North Wind Wolf King said, opening its mouth.

"Hmph, as the Princess of the Immernachtreich, I've never failed in battles across many realms. Do you think I, the Condemnation Princess, Ruler of the Ashen Darkness, would fear a mere trial!"

Fischl's skirt gently brushed against her legs encased in black stockings as she confidently hugged her chest.

The North Wind Wolf King glanced at her. "Everyone who comes for the trial says similar things."

"Since that's the case, let's begin," Nolan nodded. Since they had accepted help, it was only right to abide by the rules.

Of course, the main reason was that he knew even if the trial failed, they would at most suffer some injuries.

As one of the Four Winds Guardians, the North Wind Wolf King, Andrius wouldn't harm their lives any more than that.

Only four people participated in the North Wind Wolf King's trial: Nolan, Bennett, Lumine, and Fischl.

Razor was acknowledged as a Lupical*, so he didn't need to participate. As for Paimon... well.

She is just an unarmed emergency food, helpless and powerless.

(End of Chapter)

//*Quick Note: I made a mistake, Razor's constellation is called Lupus Minor and his family called 'Lupical' (Wolves). I Will update prevoius chapters when I have time!//

❇❇❇

Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Hidden in the Mist

In Wolvendom, the North Wind Trial Grounds.

Razor and the two gray wolves crouched at the edge of the large pit-like ruin, their eyes fixed on the impending trial below.

Paimon floated in mid-air, holding a paper bag of potato fries bought from the Good Hunter's, occasionally dipping her hand in to eat, leaving crumbs all over her mouth.

She wiped the corner of her mouth, tilting her head in puzzlement. "Razor, do you think the Travelers and others stand a chance?"

"It... is strong. No one... can defeat it," the gray-haired youth with a hood shook his head, not particularly optimistic about their chances.

"Although the North Wind Wolf King can indeed defeat so many monsters with a single blow, didn't it say it would lower its strength?"

"So I do believe that Traveler and the others can defeat it!"

Paimon said with a smile on her small face as she licked her fingers that were covered in oil and crumbled potato chips.

She had confidence in everyone.

"Are you ready for the trial?" The North Wind Wolf King gazed at the four humans before it, its eyes seemingly emitting a faint glow.

[Level: 40]

Nolan's golden eyes met the gaze of the North Wind Wolf King, noticing that its level had gradually fallen within the range he could perceive, from a string of question marks earlier.

Among them, he was level thirty, Bennett thirty-five, Fischl had recently reached thirty-eight, and finally Lumine was at forty.

So it wasn't hard to guess that the North Wind Wolf King was adjusting its strength based on the strongest present.

If the North Wind Wolf King was a typical monster of the same level, Lumine could likely defeat it, and Nolan could probably manage to win.

However, the essence of the Wolf King was a Demon God, although it was only a remnant soul it was not something that could be compared to ordinary creatures.

Therefore, the upcoming trial would undoubtedly be an exceptionally difficult one, and they could only do their best.

For Nolan, he didn't want to face an opponent much stronger than himself. After all, he wasn't someone who enjoyed seeking trouble.

"Hmph, this Princess has long been ready!"

Fischl swung her right hand clad in black silk gloves, and a purple longbow appeared in her hand.

Lumine and Bennett also took out their longswords, ready for battle. After some thought, Nolan finally decided to take out his bow and arrows. After all, his archery skills were stronger now.

As the group prepared, the mist on the scene thickened.

The North Wind Wolf King had disappeared from their sight at some point.

"Oz, fly higher!"

Fischl, with her long golden hair, kept her right eye, uncovered by the black eye patch, vigilantly on the lookout.

After not seeing anything, she instructed her familiar, the night raven Oz, to fly higher and see if it could spot anything.

"Alright, Miss."

Night Raven Oz quickly flapped his wings, yet even from above, the sight remained a haze of icy mist.

Tap, tap, tap, like the sound of running footsteps.

Because the mist was formed by elemental forces, with it pervading the entire battlefield, it did indeed cause some interference for Nolan's golden eyes of judgment and Lumine's elemental sight.

After all, both of them had the ability to observe elemental traces, but now, upon activating their abilities, they found their entire field of vision filled with ice elemental energy.

It became like being blind, less useful than their naked eyes.

Fortunately, Nolan's ability to locate by sound was quite good, allowing him to clearly perceive that the North Wind Wolf King was circling the trial ground, searching for an opportunity to attack.

Nolan released the fire elemental energy from his Delusion and attached it to an arrow, then quickly predicted and shot towards the left!

The fire elemental arrow disappeared into space the moment it entered.

"Hmm?" The puzzled voice of the North Wind Wolf King rang out, followed by a somewhat approving tone. "To wound me in such a disadvantaged environment, hm, you indeed have some skill!"

"Heh, you flatter me," Nolan chuckled.

Just then, the North Wind Wolf King halted its running footsteps and slightly manipulated the ice elemental energy, creating a path of ice extending towards Nolan and his companions.

"Be careful, dodge quickly!"

Lumine bent her knees slightly, her white high-heeled boots encasing her knees revealing soft and distinct lines, while simultaneously warning them.

The reactions of Nolan and the others were equally swift, dodging the "Path of Ice" in less than a second.

Subsequently, the North Wind Wolf King charged along the "Path of Ice," fortunately, everyone had dodged it in advance.

After the charge, the North Wind Wolf King once again vanished into the mist and resumed its run.

Fischl also attempted to predict the position and shot a lightning elemental arrow, but unfortunately, it was dodged effortlessly due to its slower speed.

Not long after, another "Path of Ice" spread out.

Once again, the four dodged the North Wind Wolf King's charge. Nolan still had some energy left and shot a fire elemental arrow, successfully hitting the wolf king's tail.

Flames erupted, causing it to grunt in discomfort.

"With this mist, it's difficult for us to attack it," Bennett said, holding his dark steel sword, ready to strike at any moment.

"Stay vigilant. It can't do anything to us now," Lumine said, always paying attention to the direction of the wolf king's footsteps. A large amount of wind elemental energy gathered in her fair palm, forming a huge vortex.

She was trying to pull the ice mist around her that was affecting her vision and make them concentrate in her hand.

Clearly, it was effective. Nolan watched as the thick ice mist flowed towards her, and soon after, the dense mist became much thinner.

The silhouette of the North Wind Wolf King became visible.

"Hmph, by doing this, you're only restricting yourself," the North Wind Wolf King said, its gaze flashing as a path of ice extended towards Lumine.

As the wolf king said, at this moment, because she had forcibly gathered a large amount of ice elemental energy using wind elemental energy, she couldn't move freely.

If she wasn't careful, all the ice elemental energy would explode and hurt her.

"Quick, throw them out!"

Nolan saw the wolf king about to charge again, this time targeting Lumine, and quickly reminded her.

"I can't, I can't control them anymore!"

Lumine also didn't expect that after forcibly absorbing the ice elemental energy, it would be so difficult to control.

Now, she could only continuously maintain the rotation of the vortex to continue drawing in the ice elemental energy. If she stopped, the ice mist ball in her hand would explode instantly.

She would be the first to be affected and engulfed.

"Human, it seems you're the first one to be eliminated!"

The North Wind Wolf King chuckled lightly, its agile limbs suddenly leaping towards the girl with golden short hair.

"Oz!"

Fischl's fair face showed a hint of urgency as she summoned Oz to appear by the side of the wolf king, spitting out a magical thunder bullet that hit its body.

The resilient youth Bennett leaped high with his sword imbued with fire elemental energy and struck the wolf king, but the resulting overload reaction had no effect on it, instead, he was blasted away.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Awwoooo—

Nolan watched as neither of their attacks seemed to have any effect on the North Wind Wolf King.

His legs tensed, and just as it was about to collide with Lumine, he leaped forward, pushing her away.

"Eh!"

Lumine felt her shoulder, exposed by her white dress, being grabbed, and then she was pushed to the side.

With the ice mist ball no longer restrained by the wind element, it suddenly exploded. The tremendous force slammed into Nolan's back, greatly increasing his speed.

Then, uncontrollably, he crashed into Lumine's arms.

The extremely cold sensation from the ice elemental damage to his back was about to pass into his mind when it was was washed away by the warm soft impact and suffocating sensation felt on his face.

"Bang!"

Lumine's back slammed directly into the wall of the pit ruins, causing several cracks to appear on the wall due to her impact.

"Aaah."

Feeling the pain in her back, Lumine also felt a slight pressure on her chest. She slightly opened her eyes and found Nolan lying on top of her chest.

"Hey, are you okay!"

As the two slid down from the wall, Lumine patted Nolan, who was lying on her chest, a hint of concern showing in her amber eyes.

She knew that Nolan, who was in front of her, had suffered the main damage from the ice elemental explosion, hence her question.

Nolan pressed against her soft white shoulders to push himself away, shaking his head slightly as his head became somewhat groggy from the suffocation and explosive impact.

He took a deep breath, slightly relieved and said, "I'm fine. It doesn't affect the fight."

"Mmm... that's good."

Lumine used her fair right hand to adjust the slightly loose black anti-slip belt on her dress, lifting and tightening the sides of her chest a bit.

Hearing Nolan's words, she nodded, relieved, and said, "Y-Yes."

[Lumine Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 210 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.6 (255/600)]

As the ice mist dissipated significantly throughout the arena, the North Wind Wolf King could no longer hide, so it changed its combat tactics.

Andrius leaped into the air, then descended towards the two who had just been blasted away.

In its observation, although Nolan's strength was not as great as that of the girl with the golden short hair, he posed the greatest threat to it.

After all, that girl used the power of wind element, and it was immune to damage from both ice and wind elements.

This is determined by its very nature, not considered cheating.

And that young man's fire elemental arrow was just too fast. At its current level of strength, it couldn't dodge it.

So, it's basically confirmed that he's the main damage dealer of this trial team. Once he's out, the rest won't have the ability to fight back.

Let these young adventurers suffer a bit more!

Nolan and Lumine watched as the North Wind Wolf King used the same move that defeated the Rift Monsters with one blow, and hurriedly left their spot.

Sure enough, as soon as the wolf king landed, that spot quickly froze over.

Lumine, carrying the Dull Blade, took advantage of its immobility to swiftly dash past with her delicate legs, clad in over-the-knee high-heeled boots, while the sword blade slowly spun, creating a cyclone of green wind.

Oz, in the sky, also quickly spat out a bolt of lightning magic.

At the back, Fischl, with one hand holding the bow and the other pinching the string, extended and raised her arm covered in black silk fabric, faintly revealing her snow-white armpits.

She began continuously shooting lightning-element arrows at the North Wind Wolf King.

"Hahh!" Bennett also rushed to the front of the wolf king, using the elemental combat skill "Passionate Overload" to stab at its huge wolf claw.

Faced with attacks coming from all directions, the North Wind Wolf King first kicked Bennett away with a hind leg, then blocked the thunder bullets and lightning arrows with its waist.

Lumine's sword, imbued with wind element, stabbed at its head, but had no effect.

"Crap!" She realized she had been tricked. The North Wind Wolf King intentionally exposed a flaw to her.

"Heh, it's too late now!"

The North Wind Wolf King's tail, long prepared, instantly swung back from behind, wrapping around Lumine, who was suspended in mid-air with nowhere to leverage.

"Oh no, the Traveler's been caught!" Paimon, who had stopped chewing on her potato fries, looked worried.

Seeing this, Nolan immediately fired a fire elemental arrow.

He didn't aim at the North Wind Wolf King but at the Dulll Blade entangled with the hurricane on its head. In the next moment, the arrow suddenly appeared on the sword.

The hurricane suddenly spread the flames above its head!

Feeling the burning pain in its head, the dignified gaze of the North Wind Wolf King froze on the young adventurer for a moment, and Nolan felt a sudden freeze, almost uncontrollably stiffening.

"Not bad, kid, catch this!"

The tail of the North Wind Wolf King, treating Lumine as a projectile, slightly gathered strength and flung her towards him.

"Ahhhhhh!"

Lumine was launched like a missile, and Nolan wanted to catch her, but his body felt somewhat frozen, unable to even lift his hand.

What kind of strange ability is this again!

As a result, he could only watch as Lumine's headbutt hit his abdomen, then flew up again, smashing into the wall of the ruins.

"Ah, Attendant, Traveler!"

Fischl's fair face showed a worried expression as she continued to shoot arrows at the North Wind Wolf King.

"I'm fine." Nolan leaned against the wall and slid down, kneeling on one knee and holding his stomach, forcing a smile. "I just almost threw up last week's meal!"

"Cough, cough. Didn't you say you were at the same level as us in terms of strength? How can it be this strong!"

Lumine, kneeling on the ground with her palms, coughed lightly, the white hem of her dress hanging down on her soft calves wrapped in boots.

"Maybe it's something like a Stormterror level existence, who knows." Nolan rubbed his stomach and stood up.

In that case, even if it's level twenty, it might easily defeat several people.

"The North Wind Wolf King's close combat ability is too strong. Next, you and Bennett don't approach it, let me and Princess use our bows and arrows to consume its strength."

He thought for a moment and continued.

"Okay, I'll activate the elemental burst to empower you!" Bennett, who had been kicked away earlier, approached and nodded.

"Do you really think my trial would be that simple?"

Although the North Wind Wolf King seemed to be overpowering the adventure team, their attacks still had an effect on it, after all, it's now in a state of suppressing its own strength.

Elemental resistance, physical defense, and the like have all been reduced.

Otherwise, if you just stand there and get beaten without being able to fight back, what's the point of the trial?

"You guys have some skills, but you still have a ways to go to pass the trial." The North Wind Wolf King opened its mouth. "Let's see if you can withstand this next attack. If you can, I'll consider it a pass!"

"What?!" Nolan and the others were slightly surprised.

"Awwoooo—"

Before they could continue to be amazed, the North Wind Wolf King howled to the sky, endless wind and ice elements converging on it, dyeing its entire body blue.

Following this, the entire trial ground was engulfed in a storm of wind and hail.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

(End of Chapter)

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Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Lord "Lady"

Mondstadt City, the Goth Grand Hotel.

The entire hotel here has been reserved by the diplomatic delegation from Snezhnaya.

Currently, in the luxurious suite on the top floor.

A lady wearing a black lace mask covering half of her face looked out the window at the street below, gently swirling the red liquid in her tall glass.

She took a sip of the wine, parted her rosy lips, and said in a somewhat indifferent tone, "What's the matter with you, Anastasia?

"Not only did you fail to take advantage of that stupid dragon's madness and pressure the Knights of Favonius, but you also let them turn the tables on us and demand an explanation. It's rather disappointing."

The Fatui's Diplomatic delegation, Anastasia, also wearing a black mask, stood in the corner of the room near the door, slightly bowing as she spoke, "Apologies, Lord 'Lady,' we made a mistake when retrieving the 'Holy Lyre der Himmel.'

"However, we have discovered that the holy lyre is currently in the hands of a young bard, and since both the Knights of Favonius and the Church are comfortable letting him hold that treasure, then..."

"Interesting."

Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalter, dressed in a black and white dress, with her snow-white slender legs slightly exposed between the hem and the front of the skirt.

She snorted coldly and said, "Find his whereabouts and let me know."

"Yes, Lord 'Lady.'" Anastasia nodded, then continued, "The Knights of Favonius have demanded an explanation from us regarding the theft of the 'Holy Lyre der Himmel.' How should we proceed? There is also that Electro Cicin Mage that they captured."

"The guy who accomplishes nothing and loses everything. Just say she's an impostor, we don't know her."

Rosalind's right hand, clad in black gloves, rested under her chest, and the tall glass tilted, causing the red liquid inside to shimmer along the rim, reflecting the sunlight coming in through the window.

"I understand."

Anastasia nodded without any surprise. After all, as a soldier of the Fatui's Diplomatic delegation, she had to demonstrate her own value no matter what.

Since the mission has already failed, there's no need to cause any more trouble for the organization.

As for whether the Knights of Favonius believe this childish excuse or not, it doesn't matter. They're just showing their stance.

If they say it's not true, then it's not true!

Even if they produce evidence, what can they do? They can just claim it's deeply fabricated, and they've got the Knights of Favonius on the back foot.

Wolvendom, Trial Area.

Wind blades and huge hailstones raged across the entire arena. Nolan couldn't even dodge, let alone counterattack.

Dodge the wind blade, and the hailstorm from above comes crashing down. Dodge the hailstorm, and the wind blade comes right after.

In the end, it was Bennett who gathered enough elemental energy to unleash an elemental burst, and the group endured the North Wind Wolf King's Blizzard skill by huddling together.

Nolan and Bennett, who were at the forefront, had clothes that looked like they had been gnawed by dogs, barely hanging on to their bodies.

And the two girls behind them, thanks to most of the wind blades being blocked by them in front, still looked decent.

As for the Night Raven Oz, to avoid being attacked, he had already been summoned back by Fischl.

"Oh? You actually managed to block it. That's a bit unexpected," said the North Wind Wolf King, Andrius, with a slight hint of surprise, as he reverted back to his blue and white dreamy appearance.

"Phew, so does that mean we passed the trial?!" Bennett flashed a brilliant smile, speaking with a tone of excitement.

"According to what I said earlier, being able to withstand this attack indeed counts as passing the trial," replied the North Wind Wolf King without much hesitation. Although these individuals didn't defeat it head-on, their performance was begrudgingly acknowledged.

Hearing the North Wind Wolf King's words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

After fighting for so long, they had realized that they couldn't defeat it. Continuing to fight would only result in them getting beaten up.

"Hehe, that's great! In that case, what you did to help us just now is considered even!" Paimon eagerly flew in from outside the battlefield, speaking.

The North Wind Wolf King glanced at the little guy and nodded, saying, "Naturally. Besides, since you've passed the trial, consider these items as rewards."

With a wave of its hand, some objects resembling colored crystal pieces appeared in front of them, including something that looked like a sword.

"Is this... the prototype of a Northland one-handed sword?!" Bennett exclaimed excitedly as he looked at the sword-shaped object.

"A prototype? What's that?" Lumine asked, her face showing confusion as she tousled her golden hair.

"It seems to be the main material for forging four-star weapons, said to be extremely rare. That's why blacksmiths rarely sell four-star weapons; the weapon prototypes are too scarce," explained Bennett.

"I see."

Lumine nodded knowingly, then as if recalling something, she said, "Yesterday, when I met you at the blacksmith's shop, the old man mentioned that your original sword was almost beyond repair. Now, you can ask him to forge a four-star quality weapon for you."

"Hey, is it really okay to give me something so precious?" Bennett exclaimed in surprise.

Although he did want a four-star weapon, this was a valuable reward obtained through everyone's efforts, and he didn't want to take it for himself.

"Lumine is right. If it weren't for your elemental burst, we wouldn't have been able to pass the trial. You deserve this," Nolan said with a smile.

"Hmph, stupid attendant, if they say you should take it, then take it. Stop being so hesitant," Fischl said, crossing her arms wrapped in black silk gloves.

"You guys are so kind to me!"

Bennett was moved to the point of tears. Suddenly, he felt like he was also lucky sometimes.

For example, meeting this group of good friends.

In addition to the prototype of the one-handed sword, there were other elemental materials that could be used for Ascends, three-star quality pieces of the Agnidus Agate Fragment, which just so happened to be two pieces for each for Lumine, Nolan, and Fischl.

After they distributed the loot, the North Wind Wolf King continued, "Aren't you investigating those foreign black wolf monsters? I have some information that I can share with you."

As an existence guarding the Wolvendom, Andrius naturally didn't want his territory to have those creatures that would threaten the local wolves and residents of Mondstadt.

"Oh, do you know where they came from? That's great, if you know, then we don't have to continue investigating!"

Paimon, floating in the air, said cheerfully. Nolan and the others also looked at the giant wolf with some curiosity.

The North Wind Wolf King didn't beat around the bush either, lightly tapping his wolf head as he explained, "Those creatures come from a rift realm called the 'The Abyss,' created by the 'Gold,' they were the vanguard of the war once upon a time."

(End of Chapter)

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Chapter 159: Chapter 159: 'Whoosh' back to Mondstadt

"Rift Realm? The Abyss? Gold? War? What are these things?"

Paimon rubbed her chin with the back of her hand, looking puzzled.

The North Wind Wolf King, Andrius, briefly explained about the "Abyss Realm" and a story involving an alchemist called "Gold."

He then continued:

"As for the war, it is related to the fallen kingdom of 'Khaenri' 500 years ago. The 'Gold' Rhinedottir was the chief alchemist of that kingdom."

"She researched alchemy to an incredible depth, but she also birthed disasters that caused varying degrees of damage to all seven nations."

"Is the disaster referring to those Rift monsters?" Bennett scratched his head.

He had a deep impression of the danger posed by the Rift monsters. If many of them appeared, it would indeed be a disaster.

"No, it's just one aspect of it. They are likely here to continue invading Tevat. Before they grow stronger, it's best to eliminate them as soon as possible."

"Well, I should go, if you guys want to know the specifics go check the history."

With that, the North Wind Wolf King slowly faded away before their eyes.

"It left quite quickly," Paimon said, shrugging helplessly.

"Well, now that, the matter of the Rift Monsters has been investigated, let's go back and submit our quests first. After all, the Wolvendom does still have a lot of Rift Monsters scattered about, and it really needs to be cleared of them as soon as possible."

Nolan nodded and said.

He had some understanding of the fall of "Khaenri" from the game's plot.

Umm, of course, it was only surface-level knowledge; Andrius definitely knew more since he had experienced it firsthand.

"Yes, previously they tried to dissolve the 'boundary' of the world to let their powerful ones come over. Although Nolan and I barely stopped them, if left unchecked, the Rift monsters will soon try to open spatial rifts again."

A slightly worried look appeared on Lumine's fair face.

"Then let's go," Bennett said.

"By the way, do you guys know if there are any of those strange devices nearby? Umm...The kind that's in the street above Fountain Square."

Paimon, who had a crown suspended from her head, asked as she put her hands behind her back.

"Oh, those strange devices, huh? I don't really pay much attention to it, even though I do come over to the Wolvendom for adventures quite occasionally."

The youth with ash-golden hair shook his head.

"This Princess isn't quite sure what you're looking for in something like that, Paimon?"

Fischl, with her hands resting beneath the soft fabric of her black silk bodysuit, her bright green pupils showing a hint of puzzlement, asked.

"Hehe. Because they are actually teleportation devices, and the Traveler knows how to use them. Once we find one, we can 'whoosh' back to Mondstadt," Paimon explained.

"Yeah, that's right," Lumine nodded slightly, affirming the statement.

"Is that so?!"

Both Fischl and Bennett looked extremely surprised. This shattered their long-held beliefs.

After all, when they saw it around when they were kids, they'd wondered about it and asked the elders of the family who didn't know about it, so they quickly became accustomed to it.

And subconsciously labeled them as "useless devices".

Therefore, hearing that they were actually teleportation devices came as a big surprise to them.

"What... you...said...I, know." Razor said as he walked over to the ground with the two gray wolves.

"Huh, Razor you know...oh, right, you live in Wolvendom, so it's normal for you to know!" Paimon was first puzzled, then tapped her head before realizing and said apologetically.

"Then, could you please take us there, Razor?"

Although Nolan used "Teleport Waypoints" in the game before, he didn't know the specific locations other than the Knight's headquarters rooftop and the memorable one along the streets.

After all, which player would bother to remember where the "Teleport Waypoints" are, especially since the real-world Teyvat is much, much larger than in the game.

So even if they remembered the locations, they might not necessarily be able to find them.

Next, under Razor's guidance, Nolan and the others walked along the path from the Trail Ground straight to the Cider Lake.

After a long time, they finally saw a device emitting a red light on the slope to the right of the road.

Lumine gently touched it with her fair hand, and sure enough, the "Teleport Waypoint" floated up from its pedestal, and the red light turned into a clear blue.

In this way, it was considered successfully activated.

"Razor, then we're off. Feel free to come to Mondstadt and play with us sometime," Paimon waved to Razor.

"Okay."

Razor's answer was short and to the point, and as usual, not very good with words.

Lumine wanted to bring others with her for teleportation, which required physical contact.

So with Paimon and the others, a total of four people, it would take two trips to teleport everyone back to Mondstadt City.

Mondstadt, at the Teleport Waypoint atop the Knights of Favonius headquarters.

After a brief darkness, Nolan and the others returned to Mondstadt very smoothly.

"This is the Knights' headquarters, and over there is the Anemo Archon Plaza! Did we really come back to Mondstadt so easily?!"

Bennett, after experiencing the "Teleport Waypoint," felt greatly shocked. If they could return so conveniently every time they went on an adventure, that would be fantastic.

"Hmph, it's still not as good as the Evernight Leap that I used to tour the worlds."

Fischl tried to hide her surprise, then pursed her soft lips, lifted her fair chin proudly, and said.

"Hehehe, in that case Fischl, when are you going to invite us to the Immernachtreich as your guests."

Paimon said jokingly.

Lumine, standing on the side wearing knee-high white high-heeled boots, also smiled slightly as she looked at her. They were indeed a pair of "mischievous" individuals.

"Ahem, most of the power of this princess was sealed upon arriving in Teyvat, so I can't take you there until the seal is lifted," Fischl averted her gaze, her words somewhat ambiguous.

"Alright, now that we've arrived at the Knights' headquarters, before we go to the Adventurers' Guild to submit the investigation commission, let's first inform the Acting Grand Master of what happened over there," Nolan suggested, trying to ease the situation for Little Amy.

"Mm-hmm, the attendant is right. We'll talk about visiting the Immernachtreich when this princess's seal is lifted," Fischl, with her hands on her hips, her pale fingers slightly sinking into her soft abdomen covered in black silk, showed great agreement with Nolan's words.

Instead of entering the Knights of Favonius through the stairs on the rooftop, Nolan and the others politely landed on the ground using the Wind Glider and greeted the two Favonius Knights standing guard before entering through the main entrance.

After knocking on the door of the Acting Grand Master's office, they found that a visitor was already here.

With light golden hair, blue-green pupils, and a fair complexion, the combination was extremely perfect. He was also dressed in the style of the Knights of Favonius.

If Nolan remembered correctly, this person seemed to be Albedo, the Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Lovers (2-in-1 Chapter)

Knights of Favonius Headquarters, Acting Grand Master's Office.

The sunlight outside illuminated the room brightly, while a gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers and grass into the room. Sitting in the chair with a high back, the Acting Grand Master Jean, with her golden ponytail tied behind her head, swayed gently with the breeze.

"Thousand Winds brought us together. Honorary Knights, what brings you here today?" Grand Master Jean faced Nolan, a strand of hair falling onto her fair nose, visible through the sleeveless uniform of the Knights of Favonius, revealing the snow-white skin beneath.

Nolan carefully chose his words and explained in detail about the appearance of the rift monsters in the Wolvendom.

"I see." Jean rested her elbow on the desk, the crossed fingers supporting her soft chin. "I heard about this yesterday, but I never imagined they would be so dangerous."

"Huh, has Grand Master Jean already heard about it? It should be the hunters from Springvale who came to inform you."

Paimon floated in the air, swaying her body slightly from side to side with a tone of doubt.

"Yeah... At the time they brought a... Well, the carcass of the Rifthound you guys were talking about."

"The hunters said these unseen creatures are very dangerous, so I had a colleague from the Knights of Favonius take the body to the Chief Alchemist for examination. He has just come to explain the situation."

Jean nodded, then turned to the silent young man beside her.

"The Chief..Alchemist?" Lumine was not unfamiliar with this name, having heard it from the North Wind Wolf King only a short while ago.

That "Gold" Rhinedottir was also the Chief Alchemist of the fallen kingdom of Khaenri'ah.

The silent Albedo raised his hand and nodded in acknowledgment. "Greetings, everyone. I am Albedo."

"As you are also involved in investigating these Rift/Abyss creatures, why not listen to the results of my examination of the Rifthound's corpse?"

"Hehe, hello, I'm Paimon, the best guide in Teyvat," Paimon waved her hand and said with a smile.

"Could it be that there's something else strange about those monsters?" Lumine's amber eyes looked at him, a hint of confusion on her fair face.

Albedo crossed his arms and said with a somewhat confirming tone, "Indeed. They are creatures of Abyssal blood, and the black blood inside them even possesses the power to dissolve the world.

"And with such dangerous power originating from another world, they are not tolerated by the world. Before I could delve deeper into my research, that corpse was expelled from this world, leaving behind only a pair of claws.

"Technically, those claws shouldn't have been left behind either. Upon further examination, I discovered they are Alchemical creations of the 'Liquefaction Layer,' extremely rare, and can be used to upgrade weapons as a substitute for some elemental materials."

He simplified the results of his overnight research in a way that ordinary people could easily understand.

"Ah, Abyssal Blood? Liquefaction Layer? What are all these? I feel like my head's spinning," Paimon hurriedly covered her head and shook it.

"You don't need to understand. Just know that although they are very dangerous, they are also quite valuable," Albedo said briefly.

As far as he could remember, those capable of creating such life were few and far between, with the greatest likelihood being his aloof and strict master.

However, He didn't say this out loud though.

"Well then, the Knights will issue a statement in the next couple of days, warning Mondstadt citizens about the danger in the Wolfendom. The Reconnaisance Company will return today for rest, and by then, we'll have enough manpower to clear out the monsters."

Jean pondered briefly before decisively speaking.

The post-disaster reconstruction in Mondstadt and the ongoing monster cleanup in the surrounding areas were unavoidable tasks.

"If possible, please have the Reconnaisance Company collect some claws for me to study."

The light blonde haired Abedo said.

"Sure. I'll talk to Eula about it," Jean replied without hesitation.

"Then, I'll take my leave."

After finishing his business, Albedo left the Acting Grand Master's office.

Jean turned her gaze back to Nolan and the others, nodding as she spoke, "Thank you very much for bringing the news. I have a lot of work to attend to, so I won't keep you any longer."

[Jean Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 200 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.5 (210/500)]

"Hehe, we're off to submit a commission to the Adventurers' Guild next, so after sharing the intel with you, we'll be on our way too," Paimon shook her head playfully, smiling.

"Grand Master Jean, please take care of yourself amidst your duties. We'll take our leave now," Nolan expressed his concern before leaving.

"I understand, thank you for your concern."

Jean lightly brushed her fair fingers through her temple, lifting some strands of golden hair to reveal her delicate ears as she smiled.

"Hey, Katheryne, we're back!"

Passing by the Cat's Tail tavern, descending the steps from the street, Paimon waved to Katheryne, who had no one to attend to.

"Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome Back to the Adventurers' Guild, and I hope your missions went smoothly."

Katheryne, in her maid-style dress, clasped her hands in front of her abdomen and slightly bowed, smiling.

"Huh, why isn't it the usual 'Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild'?" Bennett felt puzzled and scratched his head.

"Hehe. There's no need to be so formal with a few 'old friends'." Katheryne maintained her smile, then continued, "I believe your commissions went well, right?"

Sunlight streamed through the eaves, casting a glow on Fischl's snowy shoulders. She stood with her arms crossed, a proud expression on her face as she said:

"With this Princess's involvement, success was inevitable."

"As expected of Miss Fischl. Please, enlighten me on the situation," Katheryne said in a gentle tone.

Fischl was very flattered as she took the volume of investigation records out of the Vision and handed it to Katheryne.

She nodded her head lightly:

"Everything from the basic details to the mission process is recorded in here. Those 'Dark Enemies' are extremely dangerous. Please ask Uncle Cyrus to raise the level of the monster cleanup commission and remind the adventuring teams not to send rookie adventurers."

"Okay, understood." Katheryne accepted it with both hands, then handed over a bulging cloth bag from behind. "This is the reward for your high-level commission. Please accept it."

"Thank you." Fischl's expression lit up with happiness.

Two million Mora, split between four people, meant each of them had five hundred thousand Mora. This made Nolan couldn't help but sigh; the commission fee from this high-level commission was worth half his fortune.

So now, with the addition of the Mora on him, totaling 1.4 million, he could be called a millionaire.

Though it would only be enough to buy a three-star one-handed sword.

After smoothly submitting the commission, there was nothing else to do. Bennett had already rushed off to the blacksmith to ask Wagner to craft four-star weapons.

With the Northlander Billet he brought along, plus some crystal ores and miscellaneous materials at most, along with the crafting costs, it shouldn't be too expensive.

"Lumine, Nolan, let's go back too. Look at your clothes, all tattered. Let's go back and change, and also I suddenly feel like eating cream cake."

Paimon watched a small child walk by on the street holding a cake, and found herself tempted as well.

Lumine lowered her head and glanced at the slit in the skirt of her dress, revealing a glimpse of her snowy white skin underneath. She could only nod helplessly.

This dress was what she had been wearing all along, and she was reluctant to part with it. She could only go back and repair it with her own excellent skills.

Nolan bid farewell to Fischl and Katheryne, Just as he was about to follow Lumine and Paimon back, Nolan suddenly felt his coat being tugged.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Nolan turned around and asked Fischl, who seemed hesitant to speak.

"You darn attendant, didn't you promise to tell me how to get the 'Eye of Judgment'!"

Fischl's hands were on her hips, and the discontent in her uncovered right eye stared at him.

"So that's it."

He hadn't expected Fischl to be so concerned about this. But then again, it made sense. After all, her claim of possessing the 'Eye of Judgment' was just her fantasy.

The black eye patch over her left eye was just a decoration and couldn't possibly seal any power.

She understood all this, so it was only natural for her to be very interested when she saw Nolan possessing what she considered her favorite imaginary ability.

Thinking this, Nolan decided to satisfy the girl's curiosity.

His pitch-black pupils slowly took on a golden hue, like a calm lake bathed in the sunset, reflecting the slightly surprised demeanor of the girl before him.

"Um, before I tell you how I awakened this ability, would you like to see if there's any difference between mine and the genuine one belonging to Her Royal Highness?" Nolan thought for a moment before saying.

"Well, that's fine."

Fischl nodded, dropped her hands from her hips, and took two steps forward, her legs clad in asymmetric black stockings. She leaned forward slightly, carefully observing his eyes.

At close range, the warm breath and gentle fragrance of the girl blew onto Nolan's face together.

His gaze lowered slightly, looking at Fischl's soft, rosy lips, then leaned forward slightly and pressed against them, warmth transferring from the small contact area.

Soft and moist, with a hint of sweetness.

The girl clearly hadn't expected this to happen, and for a moment, she froze, then a blush quickly spread across her fair face.

Fischl quickly took two steps back, wiped her lips, and stared at Nolan with wide eyes, stuttering with embarrassment:

"You, you idiot, w-what are you doing?!"

"I told you, this ability of mine is actually a gift from Her Royal Highness, from that time we kissed in the cave, so seeing your curiosity, I thought I'd demonstrate it again."

Nolan said with a smile.

"B-but you could have just said it directly, w-why did you have to k-k-kiss me?"

As Fischl spoke with her lips parted, she could still feel the pressure of their lips touching, unlike last time, her heart was beating so fast, it felt strange.

"Uh, after all, practice makes perfect, right? Since you also want to awaken the Eye of Judgment, this was the only method I could think of."

Nolan was using an excuse; he actually wanted to kiss Fischl again a long time ago. After all, after kissing Fischl last time, he still wanted to do it again.

"Y-you, how dare you, to-offend me, the p-princess like this, I-I won't let you off."

Fischl tried to cover up her inner turmoil with threatening words.

Even a fool could see that this guy was just fooling around with her. That kiss just now was obviously planned! How despicable! Damn it!

Last time, she could console herself with the emergency situation, but now she was directly confronted with it.

Sure enough, being kissed by him meant that they would become, lovers, right? If he's the one. Ugh!

Thinking of this, Fischl quickly stopped her chaotic thoughts, took a deep breath to calm herself, and glared at Nolan:

"Even if you become this princess's lover, your status will always be that of an attendant!"

With that said, Fischl didn't give Nolan a chance to retort and just snorted, then turned and ran off with her legs wrapped in black semi-transparent stockings.

"Uhh..." Nolan stared at Fischl's retreating figure for a moment, slightly dazed.

According to what she said just now, does it mean that in the future, besides the relationship of attendant, there will also be the relationship of lovers? This development is a bit unexpectedly fast.

However, her affection for him is already max, so this kind of transformation is actually just a matter of a small opportunity.

Looking at it this way, it's reasonable.

Forget it, let's not think about this matter for now, let's let Fischl calm down first in a few days. Nolan scratched his head and then followed Lumine and Paimon, who had already walked away.

"Oh my, oh my, it seems that little Fischl has reached the age to fall in love."

Katheryne, who had been watching the whole time, couldn't help but cover her mouth and smile like a lady.

"What were you talking about with Fischl? Why are you so slow?" Paimon looked at Nolan, who was slowly catching up, with a puzzled expression.

"She's a little curious about my golden eyes and just wanted to take a look."

Nolan smiled in response. Talking about kissing Fischl with another girl was something he couldn't bring himself to do.

"By the way, let's go buy some ingredients to make cake later, after all, Paimon has contributed a lot in this adventure and promised to make her some delicious treats."

Lumine's white thighs swayed alternately under her dress as she swung her high-heeled over-the-knee boots on the stone ground, emitting a faint sound.

She turned her head to look at Nolan.

"That's no problem."

Nolan was naturally willing, and at this moment, he saw a series of messages popping up on his character panel.

[This Adventure Journey Was So Amazing, You Destroyed Pack Of Rift Wolves Encroaching On The World's Borders To Summon The Golden Wolflord, And Also Passed The North Wind Wolf King's Trial With Your Companions.]

[The History You Have Experienced And Created Will Be Remembered, And Your Character SpecialtyIs Forming—]

[Please Wait...]

The memory scenes from accepting the commission two days ago appeared in Nolan's mind, finally freezing on the scene where they separated from each other.

[You Have Gained A New Character Specialty: North Wind]

Nolan slightly clicked on this specialty to look at its effects, and was surprised to find that it was able to allow his attacks to penetrate elemental shields with a small probability.

(End of Chapter)

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CREATORS' THOUGHTS

iRedX43

See You Next Week!...

Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Eula's Return

Nolan was all too familiar with the aggravation of dealing with elemental shields or barriers.

Especially when facing Abyss Mages, the advantage of his new specialization was immense. These enemies had frail bodies and relied entirely on their elemental shields for defense.

Without their shields, they were as vulnerable as ordinary humans, easily susceptible to lethal damage. Of course, their shields were correspondingly strong.

But now, with his new specialization, *North Wind*, Nolan had a small chance for his attacks to penetrate these elemental shields and barriers, directly striking the body.

This specialization was incredibly practical, albeit somewhat unreliable due to its low probability.

He couldn't rely on it to work every time, as its effectiveness depended on luck.

However, with enough attacks, it would eventually activate, ensuring he wouldn't be helpless against such defenses.

Even though he now possessed a Pyro Delusion, as well as the Wind Elemental Power that he had mastered through his specialties, he could basically deal with most of the elemental shields.

When he encountered a more stable geo elemental shield, he could also prepare a heavy weapon to break it.

However, none of these were as good as [North Wind]. After all, those mentioned above required a process of utilizing elemental reactions to take down the shield.

The stronger the enemy was, the thicker their elemental shield was, and it might take a long time to break it, all while enduring enemy counterattacks.

It's very dangerous.

The [North Wind] specialty, he didn't need to worry about this at all.

He could stay at a distance, firing arrow after arrow. As long as one arrow hit, the creature hiding behind the elemental shield would be injured.

Even if it didn't kill them, it would significantly impact their subsequent performance, providing Nolan with a substantial advantage.

This specialty offered solid reliability.

Nolan, Lumine and Paimon went into a Mondstadt's department store on the street and purchased some cream, eggs, flour and other ingredients for making cakes.

After returning home, the girls excitedly began to prepare the cake, while Nolan lay on the light blue sofa and looked at the character panel.

[Adventure EXP: 7760]

These Adventure EXP were accumulated while battling the Rift Monsters with Lumine.

According to his prior plan, he aimed to upgrade his swordsmanship level, hoping to unlock another secret-art level skill.

*Experience Points -4499*

*Rhine One-Handed Swordsmanship Lv.1 (1/100) > Rhine One-Handed Swordsmanship Lv.10 (Charge/Ready to Fuse)*

The exceptional characteristic of *Charge* allowed him to build momentum while executing sword techniques, unleashing an incredibly swift and powerful strike.

According to the knowledge that surfaced in his mind, this strike could cut through steel without causing significant damage to the sword itself. This was an extraordinary characteristic that greatly enhanced the power of his swordsmanship.

Nolan attempted to fuse it with the "Favonius Royal Swordsmanship," but unfortunately, the new skill did not evolve into a secret-art level technique.

[Royal One-Handed Swordsmanship Lv.10 (Flickering Candlelight, Wind Stillness, Charge)]

It seemed to have only gained an additional extraordinary characteristic, with not much change in name. However, the power had indeed increased.

It felt as though an ordinary person, not particularly powerful, possessing such a level of swordsmanship could traverse most wild areas unimpeded.

With over three thousand two hundred Adventure EXP left, Nolan decided not to hoard them and immediately invested three thousand EXP into his level.

As a warm current surged within his body, it didn't take long for him to complete another round of enhancement, reaching level thirty-one.

Just as he felt pleased with this level up—

"Crash!"

Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass and a girl's startled cry echoed through the room.

A shard of glass flew towards Nolan. His reflexes quick, he caught it, then sat up and looked towards the two preparing the cake at the table.

"What happened?" Nolan asked Lumine and Paimon, puzzled.

"Uh, I accidentally used too much force," Lumine said, dispelling the vortex of wind elemental energy from her hand. She wiped foam from her face with the back of her pale hand, looking slightly embarrassed.

"You wouldn't use the wind element to whip egg whites, would you?"

Nolan knew that making a cake required beating egg whites into a fine foam, a somewhat tedious task. He hadn't expected Lumine to come up with the clever idea of using swirling wind elements for the task, only to misjudge the strength and shatter the bowl.

"Ugh! Traveler, you idiot! Foam got all over me!" Paimon fumed, hands on her hips.

"Haha…"

Lumine wiped the white foam from her chest, imitating a certain playful bard by sticking out her pink tongue in a cute attempt to get away with it.

"Let me help you clean up," Nolan said with a smile.

Due to her lack of experience, Lumine ended up covered in egg white foam. It took them the entire afternoon, but they finally managed to make a barely passable cream cake.

In the early morning, brilliant sunlight streamed through the window, casting its glow on Nolan.

Though he had awakened, he lingered in bed for another half hour before finally getting up. By then, Lumine and Paimon had already prepared breakfast.

He stretched in the front yard, squinting and yawning. As he opened his eyes, he saw two figures outside the wrought iron gate, waving at him.

It was Amber, her long brown hair tied with a bunny ear ribbon, and Eula, whom he hadn't seen in a while, dressed as always in her form-fitting leather suit and over-the-knee black high-heeled boots.

"Amber, Eula, what brings you here?" Nolan walked over, opened the gate, and invited them in.

"Good morning, Nolan. I'm here to deliver your flight license, and Eula, well, she insists on testing your swordsmanship or something..," Amber said, placing her hands on her soft waist, a smile lighting up her fair face.

He did recall Grand Master Jean mentioning that the reconnaissance squad would return for a break, so it wasn't surprising that Eula, the squad leader, would come back.

However, he thought Jean would assign her to clear the rift monsters in Wolvendom. Since it was an urgent mission, they would have at most half a day to resupply before heading out.

He didn't expect Eula to skip resting and come over to test his swordsmanship. Her dedication touched him deeply. Fortunately, his skills had reached an impressive level, not disappointing her... um, mentorship.

"Hmph, I just wanted to see if you've been slacking off. If you have, I'll hold a grudge!"

Eula said, crossing her arms and lightly pressing them against the light blue, gold-patterned tie that draped over the center of her leather suit, accentuating her figure.

"Of course, my swordsmanship will absolutely surprise you," Nolan replied with a smile.

"Alright, let's hold off on the swordsmanship test for now. I'll give you your flight licenses and relay Master Jean's instructions, then I need to get to work," Amber said, taking two booklets from her Vision and handing them to him.

As Nolan accepted the flight licenses, he noticed the additional message in her words: "Is there something Grand Master Jean needs us for?"

(End of Chapter)

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Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Eula's Swordsmanship Lesson

"Actually, there's nothing much, just a request to return the 'Holy Lyre der Himmel' to the cathedral," Amber said with a smile, her white thighs exposed under her brown leather shorts.

"The 'Holy Lyre der Himmel'? Hasn't Venti returned it yet? Alright, we'll go find him," Nolan replied after a moment's thought.

That unreliable bard is probably passed out drunk somewhere, having completely forgotten about it.

"Uh-huh, please take care of that. I have to get back to work," Amber said, nodding with her hands on her hips. She turned on her heel, her legs elegantly wrapped in over-the-knee white boots, and headed out the door.

"By the way, have you had breakfast? Would you like to join us?" Nolan asked Eula.

"Since you're so insistent, I'll reluctantly accept your invitation," Eula replied, raising her fair chin in a haughty manner.

The two of them walked from the front yard into the living room. Lumine, dressed in a sleeveless tank top that revealed her pale arms, and Paimon were sitting at the dining table, sipping porridge.

"Huh, who are you?" Paimon asked, licking a grain of rice from the corner of her mouth as she eyed the tall, curvaceous woman following Nolan with some confusion.

Lumine, her cheeks puffed out as she drank her porridge, also looked curiously at the newcomer with her amber eyes.

"This is Eula, the captain of the reconnaissance squad I mentioned before, and the true owner of this house," Nolan explained with a smile.

"Wow, you're the wealthy landlord!" Paimon's starry eyes seemed to sparkle as she flew up to Eula.

"Ahem... Amber mentioned you two. The Traveler who drove away Stormterror and her good companion," Eula said, slightly uncomfortable under Paimon's intense gaze, lightly coughing into her fist and averting her eyes.

"Hehe, that's us! I'll get you some porridge," Paimon said eagerly, causing Lumine to facepalm in exasperation.

...

After finishing breakfast, Eula led Nolan to the backyard for a swordsmanship lesson.

Lumine, the blonde girl, sat on the veranda with her pale arms wrapped around her knees, watching curiously as a spectator.

Paimon, meanwhile, hovered above her head.

A gentle breeze rustled Eula's single-shoulder cape that draped over her white back. She pulled out two wooden training swords from her Vision, tossing one to Nolan with a smile.

"Come on, show me what you've got!" she challenged.

Nolan caught the spinning wooden sword by the hilt with one hand and faced Eula.

"Eula-sensei, here I come!" he declared, lowering his center of gravity. The wooden sword aligned with his shoulder, his toes digging into the ground. In an instant, he closed the distance between them, the surrounding scenery blurring in his peripheral vision.

The wooden sword sliced through the air, aiming for Eula's abdomen, where she had deliberately left an opening. Nolan could tell she was confident, and he wouldn't hold back either.

"Oh? Such speed! You've improved a lot since last time!"

Eula's fair face showed a hint of surprise. She twisted her wrist, meeting his strike with the tip of her own wooden sword.

"Thud!"

The two wooden swords clashed with a dull sound. Eula seized the brief moment of impact to lift her sword, sweeping the blade towards Nolan's face.

Eula wasn't pulling any punches. Even though they were using wooden swords, a hit from this strike would make his teeth ache for days.

Nolan leaned back to dodge the tip of her sword, then swiftly countered with an upward strike aimed at her waist, tightly encased in her form-fitting outfit.

"Not bad!" Eula remarked with a light laugh. She stepped forward, her waist brushing against his arm.

With a quick, fluid motion, she spun, her body following the curve of his elbow like a dancer twirling under her partner's arm.

The soft sensation against his arm made Nolan hesitate for a split second. Before he could react, he found his face pressed into the soft fabric of her abdomen, his nose just touching her navel.

The sheer black material over it blocked his nostrils, making it hard to breathe.

As he tried to slide down to escape, he felt a hand press against the back of his head, pushing him deeper into her midriff.

At the same time...

Eula circled behind Nolan, placing the wooden training sword against the right side of his neck. She smiled, her lips parting slightly in surprise.

"Incredible," she said. "Your swordsmanship is nearly on par with mine. If it weren't for my superior strength and physical abilities, I wouldn't have been able to overpower you!"

"...Ugh." Nolan conceded, lowering his wooden sword and tapping the side of her white thigh encased in black over-the-knee boots, signaling her to release him.

"My apologies." Eula retracted the sword and let go, laughing lightly.

"Well, as expected of the guerrilla captain," Nolan remarked, standing up and stretching his slightly sore neck.

"I didn't expect you to be taken down so quickly. I was hoping to see an exciting duel," Paimon said from the veranda, spreading her hands in disappointment.

"Exactly," Lumine agreed, nodding emphatically.

"You two, if you're so disappointed, why don't you give it a try?" Nolan suggested, looking at them helplessly.

"Hmm, Traveler, how about sparring with me for a bit?" Eula extended a hand to Lumine.

"Bring it on, we won't lose!" Paimon said with her hands on her hips, full of fighting spirit. She then looked at Lumine, "Right, Traveler?"

Lumine thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay, I want to see how far I am from Eula's level."

Lumine, being stronger than Nolan, held her ground against Eula for a while but was ultimately defeated. This outcome was expected, as Lumine had lost most of her power and was currently only at level forty. Losing to Eula was understandable.

However, Lumine's rapid growth meant that surpassing Eula was only a matter of time.

"Eula, do you have time later?" Nolan asked, watching Eula as she took a short break.

"Hmm? I'm free all morning. Why do you ask?"

Eula responded, crossing her arms and slightly lifting her chest encased in the semi-sheer black fabric, a puzzled expression on her fair face.

Nolan explained their need to return the "Holy Lyre der Himmel" to Mondstadt Cathedral, expressing his concern about the Fatui causing trouble again. He wanted Eula's support.

In the game's storyline, Venti was attacked by "La Signora" right after returning the "Holy Lyre der Himmel."

Though uncertain if the same event would occur, the Fatui's goal was the "Gnosis," and they would inevitably target Venti. Nolan wanted a strong ally to ensure they could resist any potential threat.

"I see. Since you've been diligent in practicing your swordsmanship, I'll accompany you," Eula said, raising her fair face slightly, her tone a bit haughty.

[Eula Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 300 Affection Points, Current Affection Level Lv.4 (25/400).]

(End of Chapter)

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Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Clues of a Relative

In Mondstadt City, at the Angel's Share Tavern.

Before returning the "Holy Lyre der Himmel," they first needed to find Venti, as the harp was in his possession.

Typically, to find the elusive Venti, one would try their luck at the tavern. After all, he needed Mora to buy his beloved wine. As a bard, he would naturally be at the tavern, where telling stories would draw a crowd and good business.

Unfortunately, it was still early, and the tavern wasn't crowded. They couldn't find Venti. Just as they were about to leave, the bartender, Charles, called out to them.

"Wait a moment, everyone. The master would like to see you upstairs."

"Master Diluc? Why does he want to see us?" Paimon tilted her head, surprised.

"I'm not sure," Charles replied, shaking his head slightly.

"Alright, let's see what Diluc wants," Lumine nodded, agreeing.

Nolan, Lumine, Paimon, and Eula ascended to the tavern's second floor, where they saw Diluc, clad in a black coat, sitting at a table.

"Hey, Master Diluc, we meet again," Paimon greeted him.

"I overheard that you're looking for the bard?" Diluc asked after a moment of contemplation.

"Yes, that's right. Do you know where he is?" Nolan responded.

"On my way to the tavern earlier, I passed Fountain Plaza. Some children there mentioned a man in green telling stories near the Anemo Archon Statue. I suspect that's him," Diluc explained calmly, crossing his legs under the table.

"So, Master Diluc called us up here just to tell us this. Hehe, that means we don't have to search for him all over the place," Paimon said excitedly.

"Besides that, there's something else I want to ask you," Diluc said, directing his gaze toward Nolan and Lumine. "To be honest, I've been investigating you two in private."

"Investigating us?"Lumine's fair face showed a puzzled expression.

"Given your unknown origins and considerable strength, it was quite suspicious. So, investigating you is a reasonable action," Diluc said calmly.

"Wait a minute, we're not bad people! Even if you took us to the Knights, Master Jean would release us immediately," Paimon retorted, hands on her hips, glaring at Diluc.

"Amber told me they're from another world, so there's no need to dig any deeper," Eula said, crossing her arms beneath her chest, her gaze sharp as she looked at Diluc.

She had been surprised when Amber mentioned this yesterday, but since Nolan was her friend and she felt no animosity from Lumine, Eula valued them both despite her often tough exterior.

So, even though she understood Diluc's actions were justified, she couldn't help but feel a bit defensive of her friends being under suspicion.

Diluc glanced at the eldest daughter of the Lawrence family, whose strength might rival his own and who sometimes displayed a surprising naivety. Then he spoke again, "I know, but that's not what I want to discuss right now."

"Then what do you mean?" Eula asked, brushing an icy blue strand of hair aside.

Ignoring her question, Diluc shifted his focus to Lumine. "I heard you're looking for your brother. During my investigation, I captured an Abyss Mage who said you resemble their leader, the 'Prince'."

"What?!"

Hearing this, Lumine's amber eyes widened in shock. Paimon, floating beside her, was equally stunned.

Nolan felt a wave of surprise. His presence had clearly altered events slightly.

Lumine had received information about her brother shortly after arriving in Mondstadt, something that took much longer in the game's storyline.

This was undoubtedly a positive turn of events. Nolan had already stretched the limits by revealing his otherworldly origins.

If he had gone further to claim knowledge of the world's future events, it would have certainly aroused suspicion from everyone.

After all, if you know about me and then want to get close to me, it's obvious they have some ulterior motive. That immediately labels them as suspicious. In such a situation, earning anyone's affection becomes extremely difficult.

Therefore, unless it's a dire situation where someone important is in danger, it's best to stay hidden as much as possible.

Even for something like returning the lyre, I needed a good reason to ask Eula for help. I couldn't just say, "I know the Fatui will attack, please help me." or something like that.

That would sound foolish.

As they left the tavern and headed towards the Anemo Archon statue plaza, Lumine was deep in thought.

While Diluc had said it was just a guess, and that the Abyss Mage might have mistaken someone who looked like her brother for their "Prince," she couldn't shake the unease.

Lumine believed her brother wouldn't lead a malevolent organization, but five hundred years had passed since he was taken by the god.

What he had gone through during that time, and whether it would have changed his character, no one knew.

"Lumine, are you okay?" Paimon asked, worried as she hovered close to the traveler.

"I'm fine. I'm just a bit surprised. It seems we need to keep an eye on the Abyss Order during our journey," Lumine said, shaking her head slightly, her golden hair shimmering with the motion.

"In that case, if I encounter the Abyss Order in the wild, I'll capture some of them and interrogate them to see if their leader is indeed your brother," Eula said reassuringly, her curvy legs clad in black over-the-knee heeled boots.

"Thank you, Eula." Lumine forced a smile onto her fair face.

In a somewhat somber silence, it took them a while to finally reach the plaza of the Anemo Archon statue.

Sure enough, they spotted Venti playing the lyre and telling what seemed to be fairy tales to a group of children.

"Hey, Traveler! We meet again. Are you looking for me?" Venti asked curiously as he saw them approach.

"Yes, Venti. Acting Grand Master Jean is urging us to return the Holy Lyre der Himmel to the cathedral. Do you still need it for anything?" Lumine explained, having regained her composure.

"Oh, so that's what it's about," Venti said, clapping his hands as if in sudden realization.

"I was hoping to keep my old friend for a bit longer, but I understand. Alright, alright," he added, a touch of regret in his voice.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 164: Chapter 164: The Chill of Frost Approaches

"Goodbye, Bard Brother! Next time, you must tell us more stories!" The children dispersed tactfully, knowing Venti had other matters to attend to.

"Haha, no problem." Venti waved his hand towards them.

"Paimon feels a bit sorry for you, selling your music like this. After all, the lyre is originally yours, yet now you have to return it to the cathedral," Paimon said, spreading her hands in mild sympathy.

"True, but I abandoned it for so many years. The people of Mondstadt took good care of it during that time. Taking it back now would be rather shameless," Venti said, scratching the back of his head with a touch of embarrassment.

"Venti, did you switch personalities or something? Since when did you think you had any shame?"

Lumine crossed her arms over her midriff, the long white sleeves of her outfit revealing glimpses of her soft, fair skin through slits at the elbows.

She looked at the young bard with disdain.

"Ah, Traveler, your words wound me deeply," Venti clutched his heart in mock sorrow, "I did help resolve the crisis in Mondstadt, you know."

Who was the one who came up with the plan to steal the Holy Harp in the first place? As a god, was such behavior appropriate? Nolan thought to himself.

Eula rested her finger on her chin, gazing at the bard with some disbelief.

Could this guy really be Lord Barbatos? Then why doesn't he look like him.

"Well, let's not waste any time. Let's return the 'holy lyre der himmel' first," Nolan reminded everyone.

Walking from the Anemo Archon statue plaza, they soon reached the open main door of Mondstadt Cathedral. Nuns were bustling in and out.

"Ah, it's the honorary knights. Are you here for the rooftop cleaning commission?" A nun approached, looking at the group with hopeful eyes.

"...Uh, no, we're not here for the commission. We're here to return the 'Holy Lyre der Himmel'," Nolan explained, shaking his head slightly.

"Oh, I see. Miss Barbara is inside. You can give it to her," the nun said, slightly disappointed. She sighed inwardly, wondering why no one had accepted the cleaning commission yet.

"Thank you," Nolan replied with a smile and nodded. The group then walked into the inside cathedral.

It wasn't difficult to spot a girl cleaning the floor ahead. She wore the priestess hat of the Church of Favonius, her light golden hair styled into wavy twin-tails. She was dressed in a black and blue-trimmed white dress, her legs covered in white silk tights, and she wore round-toed boots with large cuffs.

Humming a tune as she cleaned, she radiated a sunny disposition. Without a doubt, this was Barbara.

Nolan thought secretly.

"Hello, Barbara," Eula greeted as she walked over, her pale, shapely legs carrying her gracefully across the floor.

Eula knew Barbara, so it was fitting for her to initiate the conversation.

"Oh, it's Sister Eula! Have you returned from your mission in the wild?" Barbara's face lit up with excitement upon seeing Eula.

Eula, much like Barbara's older sister, was a respected member of the Knights of Favonius, and Barbara held her in high regard.

"Yes, I'll be heading out again in the afternoon," Eula replied, lifting her chest slightly before looking at the others behind her. "By the way, they are here to return the Holy Lyre der Himmel."

"Hi there, Miss Barbara," Paimon waved cheerfully.

"Ah, you must be the Honorary Knights! I'm Barbara, the Deaconess of the Church of Favonius," Barbara said, smiling and placing her hands over the large bow on her chest.

Paimon, Lumine, Nolan, and Venti all introduced themselves politely.

"The storm ended several days ago, but you hadn't returned the borrowed Holy Lyre der Himmel. I thought you might have forgotten, so I mentioned it to my sister," Barbara said, her white hands clasped together nervously as she rubbed them, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, so it was you who told the Acting Grand Master. That's why Amber came to remind us," Paimon said, nodding in understanding. Then, her eyes widened in realization. "Wait, the Acting Grand Master is your sister?"

"Yes," Barbara responded softly.

"Alright, time to finish up the introductions. Hand over the Holy Lyre der Himmel to Barbara," Eula said, her lips curling slightly as she spoke.

"Hehe, Here it is, the Holy Lyre der Himmel," Venti said with a smile, presenting the now brilliantly shining harp to Barbara.

"Wait, it looks a bit different, doesn't it?" Barbara asked in disbelief as she took the lyre, noticing its rejuvenated appearance.

"It was restored with the Tears of the Storm Dragon," Lumine explained simply.

Thanks to their careful handling, the Holy Lyre der Himmel hadn't suffered any damage like in the game's storyline and had even been repaired.

The bright sunlight streaming through the windows fell on Barbara's legs, covered in white tights, as she exclaimed in realization, "Oh, I see. That means it can play even more healing music now. Thank you so much!"

Barbara hugged the harp and bowed slightly to express her gratitude.

[Barbara Has Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 260 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.2 (160/200)]

"You're welcome. It's only right to take good care of borrowed items," Paimon said with a smile.

"If there's nothing else, I'll go put the Holy Lyre back in its place," Barbara said, carefully cradling the lyre as she left.

"Well, that went smoothly. Let's go," Venti said, stretching lazily. As he headed towards the exit, he glanced at Lumine. "Traveler, you probably have many questions for me. Now's a good time to ask."

The blonde girl paused for a moment before nodding gently. "Yes, do you know the god who took my brother?"

She described the appearance of the female god briefly.

"Uh...well," Venti fell silent for a while, still deep in thought as they stepped out of the cathedral. "I'm afraid I don't recognize her. You'll have to..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a wave of frost surged from the ground, quickly encasing everyone's legs in ice, except for Paimon of course.

"What?! What's happening?" Paimon shouted, looking in the direction the frost came from.

A woman in a black-and-white dress, wearing high heels, walked towards them with elegant strides, her long, snow-white legs moving gracefully.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Gnosis

"Hmph, what a weakling."

Signora's arrogant gaze swept over the group before settling on the young poet.

Granted divine powers by the Queen of Ice, she could freeze even another god for a short time, especially one like the Anemo Archon, who neither governed a nation nor performed his divine duties and thus had little divine power.

So, this Fatui Harbinger finally appeared. With so many Fatui agents lurking in Mondstadt, finding Venti, who wandered around the city all day, was hardly difficult.

Nolan struggled against the ice encasing his legs, but it was like trying to break free from steel, utterly immobile.

Seeing the "Lady" advancing toward Venti, he frowned and asked Eula and Lumine, "She seems to have some plan for Venti. Can you stop her?"

"Damn it, I can't move either!"

Lumine channeled the wind element to break the ice around her legs, but to no avail.

"I need a bit more time."

Eula's legs, clad in black over-the-knee high-heeled boots, were also frozen, but her familiarity with the ice element and her formidable physical strength allowed her to create a small crack through sheer force.

Nolan summoned a fireball using his Delusion's fire element, directing it at the ice around Eula's legs to speed up the melting process.

"Hmph!"

Seeing this, Signora stopped her leisurely approach. Her white legs tensed as she broke through the air, appearing in front of Venti in an instant. In his surprised gaze, her black-gloved hand plunged into his abdomen.

Just as in the game's storyline, Venti offered no resistance, despite having been warned long ago.

"Ah, the bard!" Paimon gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

Nolan quickly drew his Adventurer's Hunter Bow, nocked an arrow infused with fire element, and aimed it at the Lady's head.

Signora noticed Nolan's action, smirked coldly, and swiftly withdrew her hand, now holding a chess piece-like object—Venti's Gnosis.

Nolan released the arrow, sending the fire-infused projectile hurtling toward Signora. She nonchalantly raised her hand, conjuring an ice shield in its path.

However, to her surprise, the arrow seemed to teleport past the shield, appearing instantly before the black lace mask on her forehead.

The impact, though dampened by the mask, delivered a significant jolt. The fire element burst forth but was quickly extinguished by her ice manipulation, though it still singed a few strands of her golden hair.

Damn, that's one tough mask!

In Nolan's golden eyes of judgment, the "Lady" was undoubtedly another being whose level he couldn't discern. Even hitting a weak point seemed to have minimal effect.

"Bastard!"

Signora had never imagined that she, the powerful "Lady," would be injured by such a weak adversary.

Anger flared, threatening to unleash her true form as the Crimson Witch. Fiery red butterflies of infernal fire flickered into existence around her before vanishing again.

Fortunately, the power granted by the Queen of Ice allowed her to regain control. Now was not the time for reckless behavior. With the Gnosis in hand, it was time to leave.

Signora glared fiercely at Nolan. "Very well, I will remember you!"

[Signora Has Negative Feelings Towards You, Obtained -200 Affection Points, Current Affection Level Lv.1 (-200/100)]

Nolan looked at the notification that popped up on the character panel, and felt a slight headache. Being marked by the "Lady" meant she might eliminate him the next time they crossed paths.

"Hmph, no one can lay a hand on my 'vengeance' target before I complete my revenge!"

Eula shattered the ice around her legs and summoned a blue greatsword with golden edges. She charged at Signora with determined grace.

The frost-covered blade swirled with her elegant movement, descending upon the enemy from above.

Signora raised her hand, forming an ice shield to protect herself. Facing a captain-level member of the Knights of Favonius, she wasn't going to take another blow head-on.

As the sword clashed with the shield, a burst of icy energy exploded between them.

Not far behind, Paimon was instantly blown away by the blast. Lumine reacted quickly, catching her mid-air, while Nolan shielded his face from the debris.

"Crack!"

The ice shield began to fracture. Sensing trouble, Signora stomped her high-heeled foot on the ground.

A massive ice spike shot up towards Eula's soft abdomen, clad in semi-transparent black stockings. She swung her greatsword down, blocking the sharp tip of the spike.

Using the momentum, Eula twisted gracefully in mid-air, bringing her blue greatsword with golden edges down on her enemy once more.

Signora furrowed her brow, quickly forming a triple-layered ice shield while leaping back a few steps.

The sword sliced through the ice shields effortlessly, continuing its path until it struck the ground, carving a crack in the stone that stretched all the way to Signora's feet.

Eula straightened her posture and locked eyes with Signora. In her hand appeared a pure white, incomplete greatsword, the Lightfall Sword.

This sword, formed from solid ice, would grow more complete over time, eventually unleashing a massive physical shockwave.

"Impressive strength."

Signora recognized the danger of the floating white sword near Eula and decided she didn't want to prolong the fight. She smirked before her body slowly dissolved into frost, vanishing from the spot.

"Hmph, I'll remember this grudge!"

Eula stared at the empty space where Signora had been, dispersing the Lightfall Sword with a wave, her frustration evident.

"Venti, are you okay?" Paimon asked, flying over to support the weakened bard who was struggling to stand.

"... Cough, I'm fine, just a bit of a stomachache," Venti replied, seemingly unbothered.

Though Signora had plunged her hand into his abdomen, there was no visible wound. Nolan and Lumine spent some time melting the ice around their legs and hurried over to help Venti, checking for injuries.

Confused, Nolan asked, "Aren't you the Anemo Archon? Even at your weakest, you should have had some resistance. Why did you let her attack you? And what did she take from you?"

Lumine and the others shared the same question.

"... Sigh, she took my Gnosis," Venti admitted, clutching his stomach in discomfort.

"I don't know why the Tsaritsa ordered the Fatui Harbingers to steal it, but it was better to let it go. If they need it, they can have it, rather than causing more chaos in Mondstadt trying to get it."

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 166: Chapter 166: 'Wear and Tear'

"Haha, actually, there's another reason why I couldn't fight back against the Tsaritsa."

Venti stood with his hands on his hips, smiling as if nothing had happened.

"What! Is the Tsaritsa really that terrifying?" Paimon gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

"Indeed. Otherwise, the Fatui wouldn't dare act so brazenly in every nation."

Venti nodded, his expression serious.

"...That, Lord Barbatos, what is a Gnosis? Will losing it affect you badly?"

Eula asked, her hands resting on the sides of her hips, which were clad in a form-fitting leather bodysuit with semi-transparent black stockings that revealed glimpses of her pale skin beneath.

Venti explained, "A Gnosis is a magical item similar to a Vision, but it's more advanced. It's a symbol of the Seven Archons' authority. Having it allows me to control my elemental powers fully. Without it, my powers are somewhat diminished, but it doesn't harm me."

"Phew—" Paimon breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought without it, you wouldn't live long."

"Not at all. Generally, as long as an Archon isn't directly killed, we don't have lifespan issues. However, there are other unavoidable problems. The longer we live, the more 'wear and tear' we experience emotionally. The more 'wear and tear,' the more we might turn into something we despise."

Venti shrugged, his tone light despite the seriousness of his words.

"I see. But I've rarely heard the term 'wear and tear' used this way. What exactly does it mean?"

Lumine asked, crossing her arms and looking slightly puzzled.

"Well... over time or through experiencing sorrowful events, our mindset and perception can change in ways we might not even notice. I might end up like Dvalin, causing storms and becoming a god who hates humanity," Venti said with a hint of exaggeration.

So, if Dvalin had been controlled by the Abyss Order, losing his freedom or even dying, that would count as one of Venti's 'wear and tear' experiences?

Nolan pondered. Given Venti's bond with Dvalin, any harm to the dragon would surely sadden him deeply.

"What?! You want to destroy the world, you bard!" Paimon shrieked, hiding behind Lumine.

"Haha, it seems I've scared little Paimon. But don't worry. As long as I live freely and happily, 'wear and tear' will be a very slow process."

The green-clad bard laughed, his demeanor carefree.

"If 'wear and tear' is so bad, is there any way to avoid it?" Nolan asked curiously.

"... Hmm, theoretically, as long as one is alive, 'wear and tear' will happen. To avoid it, a long period of sleep is a good method."

Venti thought for a moment and suggested a common solution among gods. After all, sleeping would prevent them from experiencing events that could lead to severe 'wear and tear.'

Thus, the remaining 'wear and tear' caused by the passage of time can be mostly disregarded.

"Uh, what kind of solution is that?" Paimon was a bit speechless.

Long periods of sleep were practically like "temporary death," a complete waste of time without any benefit. It only prolonged the inevitable 'wear and tear.'

"This method is actually quite effective. Take the neighboring nation of Liyue, for example. The Geo Archon there frequently uses this method to avoid 'wear and tear.'

Though he governs the nation, he only appears once a year during the 'Rite of Descension' to guide the development for the upcoming year.

"He is recognized among the gods as the one who has lived the longest and knows the most. Traveler, if you want to find out who took your brother, the Geo Archon might have seen them."

Venti had wanted to tell Lumine about this earlier but had been interrupted by the sudden attack from the Fatui Harbinger.

"He only appears once a year?! When can we see him?" Paimon exclaimed in surprise.

"In about two months. It will take you a little over a month to get there, so if you don't want to miss him, you should set off soon."

Venti thought for a moment before smiling and suggesting.

"Alright, we'll prepare to leave as soon as possible." The gentle breeze ruffled Lumine's golden hair as she nodded in agreement.

Not long after, Kaeya, the cavalry captain, arrived with a squad of Knights of Favonius.

"I heard from the nuns that there was a fierce battle here. Can you tell us what happened?" Kaeya asked, a smile playing on his dark-skinned face.

"Kaeya, it's you. A Fatui Harbinger attacked us just now but has already fled." Eula briefly explained the events that had transpired.

"Oh, a Fatui Harbinger's attack? This is a serious diplomatic issue," Kaeya said, his expression uncharacteristically stern.

Due to the Abyss Order's rampant activities on Teyvat, Snezhnaya, and the other six nations had formed diplomatic alliances to jointly resist the invasion of the Abyssal Monsters.

The fact that a Fatui Harbinger attacked the Anemo Archon in such a brazen manner was not something that could be easily overlooked.

This incident could severely strain the diplomatic alliance, increasing the pressure on Mondstadt to fend off the Abyssal monsters on its own.

Although the Fatui were domineering, they still served a purpose in Mondstadt; otherwise, they would have been expelled long ago.

However, the Anemo Archon was the faith of Mondstadt, and regardless of the consequences, the Knights of Favonius had to demand an explanation from the Fatui!

Seeing the dangerous glint in the cavalry captain's eyes, Venti quickly tried to diffuse the situation, "Uh, Kaeya, there's no need to provoke them. Honestly, I don't mind."

"Lord Barbatos, we can't just let this slide. Otherwise, everyone will think that the Knights of Favonius are cowards," Kaeya replied, spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

In the game's storyline, the Knights of Favonius had no significant reaction to the Anemo Archon losing his Gnosis, likely because the "Lady" had taken it and left without being seen by the knights, leaving no evidence behind.

But now, with the reconnaissance captain personally fighting her and numerous nuns as witnesses, the situation was different.

Even though they didn't know Venti was the Anemo Archon, the extent of the damage meant the Fatui had to be held accountable.

"Alright, but no matter what happens, we can't let Mondstadt go to war with Snezhnaya," Venti said, lowering his hands in resignation.

He understood the vast difference in power between Mondstadt and Snezhnaya. If it came to war, Mondstadt would likely lose, and maintaining the peace of recent years was no small feat. He couldn't let everyone be dragged into conflict.

Of course, the gods knew each other well, and there was no real animosity between their nations. A major conflict was unlikely to occur.

"Understood," Kaeya acknowledged.

He then turned to Eula, Nolan, and Lumine, saying, "Reconnaissance Captain, along with our two honorary knights, please join me in surrounding the Goth Grand Hotel."

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Rosalyne's Escape

In Mondstadt, at the Goth Grand Hotel, a squad of Knights of Favonius had blocked the entrance, attracting a crowd of curious citizens.

"Hey, why are the knights surrounding the hotel? Isn't that the residence rented by the Snezhnayan diplomatic delegation?"

"Maybe they did something wrong. Honestly, I've always disliked their superior attitude!"

"I heard from someone who came from the plaza near the Anemo Archon statue that their Harbinger had a conflict with the Lawrence family's knight and they fought."

"Oh, it's the Lawrence family, those people who are still stuck in the past and think they're better than everyone else. No wonder they fought—it's like 'like poles repel,' after all."

"Umm, Don't say that. The guerrilla squad captain has achieved a lot."

"Hmph, who knows if she's just trying to gain the trust of the Knights and then implement some scheme? I still can't understand why the Knights let someone like that join in the first place!"

The citizens of Mondstadt were engrossed in discussion, but because of Eula's involvement, the nature of the conversation had taken a wrong turn.

Their voices weren't hushed, either, showing no concern that Eula was right there.

Typically, grudges might fade with time, hidden within society. However, the sharp attitude of Mondstadt's citizens towards the Lawrence family indicated that the problem lay with the Lawrence family itself.

Sigh, Eula is still being dragged down by her family's reputation. She's such a good person.

Nolan stole a glance at Eula.

Her arms were crossed over the black leather strap around her midsection, the sheer black fabric clinging softly to her chest, which rested lightly on her forearms. Her expression was calm, seemingly used to this treatment.

But if one looked closely, they'd see her hand, resting on her left arm, gripping her white sleeve so tightly it had wrinkled, betraying her true feelings.

"Damn it, why do they say those things about you, Eula!" Paimon stomped her foot in mid-air, fuming.

Lumine's pale face also showed a trace of concern.

"Hmph, it doesn't matter. They can say whatever they like, I've already memorized this grudge anyway, sooner or later I'll get back at them!"

Eula flipped a lock of her icy blue hair, speaking in a slightly aggrieved tone.

"You see, she does have a scheme! Talking about revenge right here in public! I must report this to the Acting Grand Master and have her expelled from the Knights!" one citizen shouted.

"Yes, exactly!" another chimed in.

Hearing Eula's words, the onlookers forgot their initial curiosity about why the Knights were blocking the Goth Grand Hotel and began to berate her.

"..."

Nolan rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Although Eula didn't share her relatives' arrogance, she had her own pride and refused to back down.

This led the uninformed citizens to believe she was just like the other members of the Lawrence family, refusing to acknowledge history and make amends.

Those who knew her, however, saw her as somewhat contradictory, behaving like a child despite her age.

Perhaps this was part of Eula's innocent charm.

Kaeya felt powerless in this situation, so he instructed the other Knights of Favonius to disperse the citizens under the pretense that a battle might break out soon.

Before long, the Fatui diplomat Anastasia emerged from the Goth Grand Hotel after being alerted by the guards outside.

Seeing the Knights surrounding the entire premises, she furrowed her brows and angrily demanded, "What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to sabotage the alliance between our two nations?"

"Oh, don't try to threaten us with that," Kaeya replied with a smile.

"This morning, a Fatui Harbinger attacked the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt Cathedral and stole something from one of our citizens. We need her to come out and assist with our investigation."

Kaeya chose not to reveal that what was stolen belonged to the Anemo Archon, fearing it would cause an uproar among the citizens.

"Exactly! Fatui, your deeds have been exposed. Hand over that woman immediately!" Paimon shouted, pointing at the masked diplomat.

"Our 'Lady' left Mondstadt and returned to Snezhnaya yesterday. There's no way she could have been at the cathedral attacking your Knights. Are you kidding me?"

Anastasia retorted arrogantly.

Is she really unaware or just pretending? Nolan wondered, rubbing his chin.

"Hey, we all saw it! There's no point in denying it!"

Paimon stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Anastasia.

"Hmph, regardless, our 'Lady' departed yesterday. If you have questions, take them up with her directly. We Fatui do not accept baseless accusations!" Anastasia responded firmly.

Kaeya frowned at Anastasia's words, not believing the Fatui's claims. Yet, since they weren't directly involved and were part of a diplomatic mission, he couldn't arrest them without cause.

"Everyone, follow me inside to search the hotel. Captain Eula and Honorary Knights, stay here to prevent any Fatui personnel from escaping or causing trouble."

"Understood," Nolan nodded.

Given the situation, it was clear that "The Lady" had likely left Mondstadt. The Knights' search was more for show than anything else.

At most, they could issue a warrant for her arrest and continue diplomatic wrangling with Snezhnaya. Without capturing her, any plans were moot.

In Mondstadt, the Knights could search a hotel without opposition from the Fatui.

Unfortunately, the cunning Harbinger had fled with the Gnosis, leaving no clues. Frustrated, the Knights had no choice but to leave.

"Damn it! All we can do is issue a warrant for attacking the Knights and damaging the Cathedral? That's so unsatisfying!"

Leaving the Hotel, Paimon fumed as they walked through the streets.

"Haha. It can't be helped, after all, only human witnesses are too easy to deny to a diplomatic mission as strong as the Fatui, only by catching the 'Lady' can they be made to soften."

Venti laughed and said.

"Hey! Bard, how can you laugh at a time like this?" Paimon huffed, She really couldn't understand.

Lumine also seemed displeased, "I'll capture her next time."

"Great, I'll count on you.

"I don't know why the Tsaritsa is collecting the Gnosis. I tried contacting her but got no response. It's frustrating," Venti sighed, stretching.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Lumine Prepares to Travel to Liyue

The Tsaritsa collecting the Gnosis—what could she possibly gain? Even if she didn't say it outright, Venti could likely guess.

Perhaps the secret was too significant for them to know now, which is why he was keeping it to himself.

Nolan, considering the game's storyline, had his own suspicions that Venti might have willingly handed it over, at least partially.

"Well, before you leave, let me give you this as compensation for that treasure chest I took last time," Venti said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He extended his hand, and a thin, azure shard appeared in his palm.

"What's this?" Nolan asked, puzzled.

"This is a scale I got from Dvalin. It's a fine Wind element material, Oh and I've also inscribed an archery technique on it," Venti said with a smile.

"An archery technique?" Nolan's eyes widened in surprise.

The Anemo Archon's archery technique—just the thought was thrilling. Could it be an ultimate skill beyond the secret art-level techniques?

"Well, it's called the 'Divine Generation Archery Technique' from the era when many Demon Gods(Archons) existed, with some improvements from me in it.

"According to current terms, it should be an Arcane Level or an Ultimate Art. However, to unleash its full potential, you need to master the Anemo element. Unfortunately, bestowing a Vision isn't within my power; otherwise, I would have given you one," Venti said regretfully, spreading his hands.

After all, bestowing the Vision was actually not too related to the Archon of the corresponding element.

"It's not relevant, I can actually use a little bit about the wind element, I'm just not very skillful yet."

Nolan said, accepting the cyan scale with a pleased expression.

The skill Venti gave him was indeed more advanced than a secret art technique—it was a legendary Ultimate Art, a level of skill said to be attainable only by those who had mastered their craft to its utmost limits.

And this kind of martial art technique that possessed the Ultimate Art, if a systematic learning method was organized, it could be similarly passed on to future generations.

This was the concept of an Ultimate Art, which Nolan had read about in the Knights' library. He hadn't expected to obtain something so rare today.

"Oh? As expected of someone from another world, like the Traveler. You both have unique abilities," Venti said, somewhat surprised.

"Hey, bard, I don't recall anyone telling you they were from another world. How did you know?" Paimon asked, puzzled.

"Oh, this is of course because on you guys, there is a completely different 'wind' aura from the Teyvat continent."

Venti explained simply.

"Hmm? I don't sense anything at all," Paimon said, leaning in to sniff Lumine's hair, then spreading her hands. "Just the scent of hair."

"Paimon, you idiot, it's not something you can smell," Lumine retorted, her legs, clad in knee-high white boots, swinging gently. She spoke in a teasing tone.

"When your understanding of the 'wind' reaches the level of a god, you'll be able to sense it too," Venti nodded, then added, "I need to go busk to earn some Mora to pay off my debt to Master Diluc, so I'll be off now."

"Alright, see you," they all watched him head towards the Angel's Share tavern, feeling amused. He truly was a down-and-out god.

"Why doesn't he just ask Dvalin for another scale to solve his problem? It's worth a luxurious chest, after all," Paimon wondered, her hands on her hips, tilting her head in confusion.

Don't say that, Paimon. I can already imagine Stormterror covered in treasure chests. Nolan silently mused, struggling to contain his thoughts.

"Nolan, Lumine, What are you two planning to do next?"

Eula asked, her white, ample thigh partially revealed above her knee-high black leather boots as she turned slightly, arms crossed.

"I plan to buy some supplies this afternoon, then leave for Liyue tomorrow to continue my journey to find the next Archon," Lumine said, pressing her soft chin with her pale fingers as she thought.

"I'd like to see Liyue too, but it seems too far to travel by carriage. How about you find a teleport waypoint there and come back to bring me along?" Nolan suggested with a smile.

His lazy suggestion made Lumine and Paimon put their hands on their hips and glare at him with disdain.

"Even though what you said makes sense, why do I feel like we're doing your work for you?"

Lumine crossed her arms, looking at him with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

"Exactly!" Paimon agreed vehemently.

"Well, laziness is human nature. How about I cover the cost of your supplies for the journey to Liyue as compensation?"

Nolan offered, not intending to have them work for free.

"That sounds more like it," Lumine and Paimon nodded in satisfaction.

"Oh, what a pity. I was hoping to invite you to the Wolvendom this afternoon to clear out some Rift Monsters," Eula said with a hint of regret on her fair face.

"Forget it, it'll take another couple days to get over there." Paimon said, shaking her head.

"In that case, since it's almost noon, why don't we go to the Cat's Tail Tavern for a drink?" Eula suggested to the group.

"Drinking in the middle of the day? Eula, are you upset because of what those people said earlier?" Paimon asked, surprised.

"Hmph, who cares about such trivial matters!" Eula crossed her arms and slightly raised her soft, white chin, looking away.

"..."

Isn't it obvious that she cares a lot. Nolan and the others thought silently.

"Hehe, sure, it's also lunchtime anyway," Paimon said with a smile.

"Hmph, then let's go. This round is on me," Eula declared.

As they walked near the fountain square, Eula led the group down the steps toward the Cat's Tail Tavern.

At the same time, a notification appeared on Nolan's character panel.

[Eula Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 200 Affection Points. Current Affection Level Lv.4 (225/400)]

The Cat's Tail Tavern primarily sold alcohol and beverages, with only soft bread and cakes as food. Overall, it was enough to fill their stomachs.

The main attraction was the numerous cats that didn't scratch, and petting them noticeably lifted everyone's spirits.

After lunch, Eula returned to the Knights of Favonius to prepare her Reconnaissance Company for their mission. Nolan and Lumine spent two hours buying supplies for their long journey.

They prepared basic medicines, healing potions, jerky, grains, and more. Both of their loads were full, and they still had bags to carry by hand.

Nolan spent a total of 200,000 Mora, which made him wince a bit.

Back at home, while Lumine and Paimon packed their things, Nolan went to the Adventurers' Guild to ask Katheryne where Fischl was.

After all, if Venti offered an archery skill and Dvalin's scale as compensation for a luxurious chest, then Fischl deserved a share too.

Naturally, he had to inform her.

(End of Chapter)

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Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Stupid Attendant

At the Adventurers' Guild

Miss Katheryne, as usual, was dressed in her maid-like uniform, her face adorned with a gentle smile as she greeted each adventurer who came to accept or submit commissions.

"Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild." Katheryne greeted Nolan with the well-rehearsed line she had repeated countless times. "I happen to have a rather challenging commission that was posted a few days ago. Would you be interested?"

Before Nolan could speak, Katheryne continued.

"A rather challenging commission?" Nolan asked, a hint of curiosity on his face.

"Yes, here's the situation," Katheryne nodded and went on to explain:

"Dr. Livingstone is a very determined adventurer who has spent a long time in Dadaupa Gorge, studying the Forgotten Sword Cemetery in the center of the shallow lake. She recently seems to have discovered a method to lift the seal but needs help dealing with the numerous monsters in Dadaupa Gorge. Therefore, she returned to post a commission, hoping to find a skilled companion to assist in clearing out the monsters."

Forgotten Sword Cemetery!

Nolan seemed to remember something about this—it supposedly had a luxurious chest that could yield a two-handed sword billet or something similar.

He pondered for a moment. Lumine and Paimon's journey to Liyue would take considerable time.

In the meantime, he should take on commissions to earn Mora and gain Adventure EXP.

Moreover, obtaining a two-handed sword billet could allow him to forge a four-star weapon.

After all, his swordsmanship was adept with both two-handed and one-handed swords.

So Nolan nodded his head and agreed, saying that there was no problem.

"Great, thank you so much! I've asked many adventurers about this commission earlier, and they were all reluctant when they heard that they had to go to Dadaupa Gorge to deal with those Monsters."

Katheryne said, visibly relieved with a smile.

It would look bad for the guild if they couldn't find a suitable adventurer for the commission.

[Katheryne Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 250 Affection Points. Current Affection Level Lv.4 (20/400)]

"Dr. Livingstone should be around there for the next couple of days. Just head over when you have the time," Katheryne added with a slight bow.

"No need to be polite, after all, taking commissions is what adventurers do."

Nolan replied with a smile, then got to the point of his visit. "By the way, Miss Katheryne, do you know where Fischl is right now?"

"Oh, are you looking to ask Fischl out on a date?" Katheryne teased, covering her mouth with her fair hand and giving him a playful look.

"If she has the time, I wouldn't mind, but I'm actually here to give her something," Nolan said, scratching his head.

"Haha, I see," Katheryne chuckled. "Fischl is out on an investigation mission in the wild this morning. If you want to see her, you might have to wait here for a while."

"Out on a mission, huh? That's fine; I don't have any plans for the afternoon," Nolan said thoughtfully.

Entering the reception area of the Adventurers' Guild through a side door, Nolan took a seat to rest for a while, engaging in some light conversation with Katheryne.

As the clock approached 5 PM, Fischl, dressed in her dark purple short dress, and her raven, Oz, approached the Adventurers' Guild from the city gate.

"Miss Katheryne, we successfully completed the investigation mission," Oz announced as he flew over.

"Thank you for your hard work!" Katheryne responded with a smile and a nod.

"Hmph, investigating ley line anomalies is a simple task," Fischl declared haughtily, crossing her arms over her black fishnet bodysuit and slightly raising her chin.

"Hey there, Princess, Oz," Nolan greeted them as he emerged from the reception area.

"Oh, it's you, Sir Nolan," Night Raven Oz remarked with some surprise.

"Foolish attendant, what are you doing here?" Fischl's bright green eyes fixed on him before she huffed and looked away, still clearly upset about the last time Nolan had stolen a kiss from her when she wasn't paying attention.

"Last time, when we went on that adventure with Ellin and found a luxurious chest, we were tricked by that bard. Today, he gave me a powerful archery technique as compensation, so I came to share it with you," Nolan explained with a smile.

In truth, he was just using this as an excuse to spend time with her. The archery technique could be given at any time; there was no real need to wait so long.

"Hmph, what archery technique can compare to the 'Sin-Pursing Arrow' that this Prinzessin can give to all living beings in the world to break their sins!"

Fischl arched her attractive eyebrows, intrigued by an archery technique praised by Nolan, a master archer, though her words revealed a different attitude.

"This is an Ultimate Arcane Level Archery Technique inscribed on a Dvalin scale. It might be difficult to master, so besides sharing it with you, I actually hoped to seek your assistance, Your Highness," Nolan said, presenting the azure dragon scale to Little Amy.

Fischl's face showed a hint of surprise. The scale came from the dragon that had caused chaos in Mondstadt but was later recognized by the Knights as one of the Four Winds, the Dragon of the East Wind.

She reached out her pale hand to take the dragon scale from his palm. As she tried to withdraw, she felt her hand being held.

"Ah! Stupid Attendant, what are you doing…?"

Fischl exclaimed, slightly startled by the warmth of his touch. She attempted to pull her hand away, only to pull Nolan closer.

"Hey, you… mmm!"

Seeing that no one was paying attention and there wouldn't likely be any rumors of an Honorary Knight kissing a girl in public, Nolan used his free left hand to gently pull her snowy shoulders closer, pressing his lips against hers.

This time, Fischl was much calmer compared to their previous encounters. She managed to control her shyness and, though she didn't immediately break free, decided to teach this impudent attendant a lesson.

Would biting his lip hurt too much? Maybe... yeah, this will do.

With her mind made up, Fischl slightly lifted her right leg, encased in black tights, and brought her short boot down firmly on his foot.

Feeling a slight pain in his foot, Nolan stopped and looked at her. She huffed and turned her pale face away, showing only her golden hair.

Nolan smiled, still holding her hand, and asked, "I accepted a commission from Miss Katheryne to assist with breaking the seal of the Forgotten Sword Cemetery in Dadaupa Gorge. Do you have time to join me tomorrow, Your Highness?"

"Idiot, who would want to go with you?" Fischl pouted, her lips slightly red, and replied in a dissatisfied tone.

"My, it seems Miss Fischl and Sir Nolan are already in a relationship. How surprising," Oz commented, having long noticed his mistress's feelings for Nolan but not expecting things to progress so quickly.

"We are not!" Fischl glared at Nolan with her uncovered right eye, "At most, he's just a close idiot of an attendant!"

"Hehe... Little Fischl is adorable," Katheryne chuckled softly.

(End of Chapter)

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Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Departure

Val Berry Street, A Small Independent Yard

Nolan pushed open the iron gate of the yard. The weeds in the garden, which Amber had burned once before, had slowly started growing back again.

It wasn't much of an issue in good weather, but if it rained and the ground got wet, the mud would stick to his shoes and get tracked into the house.

Compared to a grassy yard, he much preferred paving the ground with stone slabs or bricks. At least it looked much cleaner.

Hmm... the next time I see Eula, I should suggest paving the front yard with stone slabs. The backyard can be left as it is since it's easier to avoid during rain.

Keeping some plants around would make the place more pleasant to look at, too.

It's definitely not because I don't want to spend too much Mora! Nolan thought silently.

Regarding tomorrow's commission, Fischl had just finished an investigation mission, so she had some free time. In the end, she agreed to join Nolan on the adventure.

With Fischl accompanying him, the journey wouldn't be so lonely, and she could help handle any dangerous monsters they might encounter.

"Where have you been? If you didn't come back soon, Traveler and I were going to eat without you!" Paimon flew out of the house, hands on her hips, looking at him.

"I went to find Fischl and invited her to join us for tomorrow's adventure, so it took a little time," Nolan said, scratching his head.

As they walked into the house, Paimon asked curiously, "What kind of commission is it? Is it difficult?"

"Not really. We just need to break a seal at the Forgotten Sword Cemetery," Nolan replied, looking at Lumine, who was setting the dishes on the table and answered after a little thought before sitting down on the chair.

"Forgotten Sword Cemetery's seal sounds interesting. It's a shame I'm heading to Liyue tomorrow, so I can't join you," Lumine said, having overheard their conversation.

"That's not a problem. Venti said the 'Rite of Descension' in Liyue is still two months away. Even if you go a bit later, you won't miss seeing the Geo Archon," Nolan said, secretly thinking that as long as they went to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, they could find him anytime.

Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in Liyue was akin to a funeral home, and at the beginning of the game's storyline, the Geo Archon, using the alias Zhongli, worked there as a consultant.

"But... won't that be cutting it too close?" Lumine, sitting at the shorter side of the rectangular table, hesitated.

Her hesitation indicated a slight inclination. With a bit more persuasion, she would likely agree.

"Besides, you could teach me a bit more about using Anemo techniques. I feel I'm close to mastering them in combat," Nolan said with a smile.

"Hmm, I think it's better not to risk it. After all, the Geo Archon appears only once a year. Missing it would be unfortunate," Lumine said, shaking her head and taking a bite of rice with her chopsticks.

"Alright then," Nolan conceded.

It seemed his mastery of Anemo would have to wait a bit longer, but for now, his Pyro Delusion would suffice.

"However, I can teach you some techniques for imbuing elements into your attacks later. I believe you'll soon be able to use Anemo in combat effectively."

Lumine had already taken a bath. She was now wearing a light-colored sleeveless vest, her collarbones prominent against her soft, fair skin. She paused for a moment, pressing her chopsticks to her lower lip in thought.

After dinner, everyone cleaned up the dishes together. Nolan and Lumine then moved to the light blue sofa, sitting cross-legged and facing each other. Paimon hovered nearby.

"Last time, you successfully mastered the basics of Anemo manipulation. Learning to imbue elements will allow you to use Anemo in battle effectively.

"Using your own controlled Anemo for this is a bit different from how you imbue Pyro from your Delusion."

Lumine raised her fair right hand, summoning her Dull Blade. She guided a small amount of Anemo onto the blade, turning it a pale green. The softly swirling Anemo also blew aside the golden strands of hair on her forehead, revealing her smooth, white brow.

Nolan knew that controlling elemental energy for imbuing was vastly different from using the Pyro Delusion modified by Lisa, which merely required simple activation and deactivation.

With the Delusion, once activated, it would operate according to Lisa's pre-set configurations. Controlling Anemo, on the other hand, required careful, step-by-step manipulation, making it much more challenging.

"The Dull Blade, being a one-star weapon, can only bear a limited amount of elemental energy, so be cautious during practice," Lumine advised, indicating that Nolan should take out his own Dull Blade.

"Alright," Nolan nodded, drawing his Dull Blade from his Delusion.

"Imagine yourself as a gentle breeze, becoming one with the Anemo, and then wrap that energy around your sword..."

Following Lumine's meticulous guidance, Nolan managed to imbue Anemo into his Dull Blade by late at night, maintaining it for ten seconds.

According to Lumine, this achievement marked the initial mastery of the technique.

At that moment, his character panel displayed a notification:

*[Skill Acquired: Anemo Manipulation Lv.1 (1/1000)]*

Seeing the skill, Nolan felt a slight relief. Just reaching the entry level was this difficult. Without using Adveture EXP to level up, it would take several months of practice to maintain elemental imbuing for extended periods.

Though it was somewhat disappointing that leveling up this skill required a thousand points, which was on par with secret art level techniques, Nolan accepted it with a hint of regret.

His remaining two hundred or so Adventure EXP couldn't even raise it by one level. For now, he could only maintain elemental imbuing for ten seconds, limiting its use to arrows.

Nevertheless, being able to utilize it in combat was still a significant step forward.

The Next Morning.

Lumine took all the supplies, just enough to stuff her load without having to carry a large adventure backpack.

Nolan accompanied Lumine and Paimon to the city gate, waving them off.

"Hehe, Nolan, we'll see you later! Once we reach Liyue, we'll come back to take you with us. Don't worry," Paimon assured, patting her chest with a smile. Lumine turned, her fair face lighting up with a warm smile as she nodded.

Nolan expressed his eagerness, and after they left, he headed to the Adventurers' Guild to wait for Fischl.

It was about time to join her in visiting Dr. Livingstone at Dadaupa Gorge to see how she planned to lift the sword cemetery's seal.

It wasn't long before Fischl, with her asymmetrical black tights hugging her legs, arrived accompanied by her familiar, Oz.

"Ah, Nolan, I hope you haven't waited long," Oz greeted, flapping his dark wings.

"Good morning, Prinzessin der Verurteilung, Oz. No, I haven't waited long. Lumine and Paimon just left for Liyue, and I came here after seeing them off," Nolan replied, offering a brief explanation.

"Liyue, the neighboring land of a thousand ships?" Fischl asked curiously, her bright green eyes fixed on him as they walked side by side out of the city.

"Yes. Haven't you been there, Princess? We should go together someday. I've heard their Lantern Rite Festival is spectacular," Nolan suggested.

They chatted as they followed the main road to Dadaupa Gorge.

Along the way, they often ascended high points to glide using their wind gliders, making the journey more efficient.

Despite this, it still took them a considerable amount of time to reach Dadaupa Gorge.

(End of Chapter)

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