Stormbearer Mountains, Northern Region.
In the vast grasslands, a small cluster of deep green bushes stood quietly. A brownish-red wild boar stuck its head inside, searching for food.
It didn't find any tasty mushrooms, but discovered a small tree growing plump, translucent light red berries instead.
The wild boar's eyes lit up. It had eaten this kind of berry before, and still remembered fondly their blossoming, floral sweetness that filled its mouth.
Just as it wanted to take a bite,
Suddenly, the boar's ears picked up the sound of multiple continuous footsteps trampling on the grass.
In the wild boar's shallow memories flashed some unpleasant images. On an evening bathed in sunset glow, it and its companions had gone out together to forage and play.
It should have been a carefree, worry-free day as usual.
Until footsteps sounded just like the ones now, and appearing with them were two-legged monsters with strange tree branches in their hands.
Using the strange tree branches, the two-legged monsters could shoot sharp wooden spears very far.
Its companions had been pierced one by one by those wooden spears, falling dead to the ground before being dragged away by the two-legged monsters.
Thinking of this, the wild boar fearfully pulled its head out from the bushes, looking left and right but not spotting any two-legged monsters.
But never mind that, it had to run first.
Being able to survive until now without being dragged away was thanks to how fast it could run.
The brownish-red wild boar randomly picked a direction and charged ahead like a cavalry charge, crashing through recklessly.
Then, after just a few seconds, it only felt its head hurt before its consciousness sank into darkness.
[ Adventure EXP +25 ]
"Oh geez, what's up with this wild boar, it really had to charge over huh!" Li Qiu Zhi thought in annoyance, looking at the wild boar he had just knocked out with a punch.
They had been walking along normally, harboring no ill intentions towards it, and had been dozens of meters away, yet it still charged over for no reason.
In front of these two girls, if I really let it "hit" me, how could I keep any of my dignity?!
"Nolan, I can't believe you're actually getting annoyed at a wild boar, how unexpected," his friend Amber lightly laughed and joked.
So the Mr. Adventurer's name is Nolan? What a not-so-Liyue-styled name! Sucrose thought to herself, pushing up the circular half-frame glasses that had slid down to the tip of her nose.
"It's not like that, getting charged by it would really hurt after all," Nolan said sentimentally. "When facing creatures like wild boars, I believe that even gods can't be careless!"
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"Ah, is it really that exaggerated?"
While confirming the location from her memory, Amber chatted casually with Nolan, then her gaze suddenly fixed:
"Eh? I found some Barries, but it seems like they've been dug up by a wild boar?"
"Don't tell me that guy already ate all the berries," Nolan stroked his cheek in thought and said, "Amber, how about getting the iron pot out, we'll give it a hot water bath right here!"
"That's a good idea."
Amber pushed aside the bushes to discover the sweet berry tree was still fine and standing, with no less of the light red berries.
It seemed that the wild boar had discovered them but hadn't had a chance to eat them yet. Consider it lucky; they couldn't be bothered to give it a bath now.
The wild boar, lying unconscious on the ground, had no idea it had narrowly escaped a calamity.
"Sucrose, shall we uproot the whole plant next?" Amber turned back to the green-haired girl wearing glasses behind her.
"Ah yes, please leave this kind of thing to me. Because the digging process needs to avoid damaging the roots, it will require some time."
Sucrose nodded lightly, then took out the small iron shovel she had prepared beforehand.
She came to the small berry bush and crouched down slightly. The light black over-the-knee stockings she wore wrapping her legs folded a little at the knees, with barely noticeable wrinkles.
Her buttocks rested on the heels of her white short boots, the leather straps on the side of her legs pressed against her snow-white, soft skin, slightly tugging at the elastic bands of her socks, perfectly preventing any chance of slipping.
Sucrose gently used the iron shovel to turn over the soil beneath the berry bush, gradually exposing its root system.
After a long time, under Sucrose's careful digging, the berry tree finally left the ground completely undamaged.
"Ah~" Amber raised her hand and stretched lazily, yawning, "Sucrose, watching your slow movements is making me sleepy."
"This is to ensure the experiment goes smoothly. It's necessary to guarantee its excellent health."
Sucrose put away the iron shovel and the whole intact berry tree into her Vision.
After harvesting the first berry tree, next, relying on her outstanding memory, Amber recalled the locations where she had encountered berry trees during her regular patrols.
Then, she brought Nolan and Sucrose to harvest three more.
As for the Electro Crystal, although they didn't miss those either, based on what Amber knew, there was only one location. That kind of ore that crackled with electric sparks needed to be broken with Pyro attacks to safely collect.
If one were to approach them directly, they would be shocked all over.
Fortunately, they encountered Amber as soon as they arrived at Stormbearer Mountains, or else collecting all the materials wouldn't have been so quick.
Even so, after finding the location of the last Electro Crystal mine and harvesting four pieces of Electro Crystals, it was already noon.
Amber's task of dealing with the Ley Line Disorder, along with Nolan and Sucrose's main goals were all accomplished, so with nothing else to do the group began to head back together.
Returning from Stormbearer Mountains to Mondstadt City took quite some time too.
Originally, Nolan wanted to invite the two of them to have lunch together, but Amber had to go back to the Knights of Favonius to report to the Acting Grand Master.
And Sucrose, having obtained not only the Lawachurl's Bone Mask but also the rare Blossoms of Revelation today, was already eagerly wanting to begin her "bio-alchemy" research.
She also seemed distracted, immersed in her own world.
Well, nothing could be done about that, he'd have to find another chance next time.
Amber left first, and Nolan and Sucrose arrived at the crafting bench.
Although Sucrose wanted to immediately return to her lab to research those novel items, she had promised Nolan to craft Elemental Potions first.
After all, things had to be done one step at a time.
"Oh? You're back so soon, did you collect all the materials already?" Timaeus asked in surprise when he saw them at the crafting bench.
"Mn, it's thanks to Amber, otherwise it wouldn't have gone so smoothly."
Sucrose nodded lightly, then pushed up her circular half-frame glasses that had slid down.
"I see, so it was that scouting knight miss. " Timaeus nodded, then continued, "That's right, Miss Sucrose is here to craft those Elemental Potions now, please let me observe!"
"Of course, that's no problem Timaeus," Sucrose answered with a smile.
There were many ways for alchemists to grow, and observing others' experiments was necessary too.
(End of Chapter)