Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Purification

"...High-quality thunder elemental materials with the property of storing elemental power? Hmm, alright."

Nolan nodded in understanding.

This kind of material didn't seem to be something that could be found overnight, and it really depended on luck.

He could only heed Lisa's advice and keep an eye out for them during his adventures.

...

Starsnatch Cliff stood high, allowing sounds to carry further with the wind, which was why Venti chose to summon the Stormterror here.

After all, the prerequisite for summoning also had to be for people to receive the signal of someone summoning it.

Miss Lisa had been here before, so she teleported directly using magic, saving herself the trouble of traveling or running.

At Starsnatch Cliff,

Lumine, Paimon, and Acting Grand Master Jean had been waiting here for quite some time. When they saw Nolan and the others, Paimon approached with a smug expression and said:

"Hehe, it seems like you're still a bit slower than us."

"If I remember correctly, this place is not far above the Thousand Winds Temple, you guys came over on the way, isn't it normal to be a bit faster."

Nolan said with a smile.

"Hehe." Paimon didn't feel embarrassed and stuck out her tongue.

"Lisa, is everything gone smoothly?" Grand Master Jean, with her legs clad in tight white pants, also walked over, her lips slightly parted.

"Pretty much, encountered some minor troubles, but it's all taken care of." Lisa's fair arm crossed her chest as she lightly tapped her head.

"In that case, it's just the bard and Master Diluc missing," Paimon clapped her hands excitedly, floating next to Lumine.

"Oh, I think I hear someone calling for me~" A clear young voice came from below the mountain.

Everyone looked over and saw Diluc draped in a black coat and his companion, Venti, dressed in green, slowly making their way up.

"Aren't you the Anemo Archon? How come you're slower than Nolan and the others?" Paimon asked curiously.

"We've already flown back all the way, how could we be slow? The result was probably due to the fact that Miss Lisa's spatial teleportation magic is more powerful~"

Venti said with a smile on his face.

"Lord Barbatos really knows how to talk~" Lisa chuckled, covering her mouth with her gloved right hand.

"Hehe, alright, bring out the Dvalin' tears you've collected, we still have to save poor Dvalin."

Paimon said urgently with her hands behind her back.

"Okay." Nolan nodded, then turned to the elegant lady beside him. "Miss Lisa, please bring out that treasure chest."

"Hehe~ Got it."

Lisa's purple Vision, barely perceptible against her snow-white chest, flashed slightly. A treasure chest appeared at her feet, adorned with black high-heeled shoes.

"Wow! It's a precious treasure chest!" Paimon's eyes, which looked like starry skies, were literally about to burst into stars.

"It would be great if there really was a treasure chest."

Nolan lifted the lid of the treasure chest, and the red crystal lying on a pile of still unrefined ores were displayed in front of everyone.

"Pfft, why is it all just stones?" Lumine, with white petals adorning her golden hair, couldn't help but laugh.

"Perhaps that's just the irony of life." Nolan sighed briefly, then turned to her. "Lumine, purify it and then repair the Holy Lyre."

"Mmm."

The wind on Starsnatch Cliff was quite strong. The hem of Lumine's skirt was gently blown up, and the surrounding light seemed to dim in the presence of her snow-white thighs revealed above her knee-high boots.

She took the red crystal from the chest.

Not a moment passed,

The gloomy and impure energy on the crystal was "evaporated" as far as the eye could see, and turned into a clear "Stormterror's Tear".

"It feels magical no matter how many times I see it. With this power, you, traveler, will surely shine in Teyvat in the future!"

Venti was quite emotional, after all, what polluted Dvalin was an abyssal power that even he, a god, found troublesome.

"Shining in Teyvat is all well and good, but I just hope to find my brother."

After purifying the "Tear of the Storm Dragon," Lumine gestured to Venti to hand over the collected red crystal.

As for the one she and Grand Master Jean had gotten in the Thousand Winds Temple, it had already been purified.

Venti handed the red crystal to Lumine, who quickly completed the purification. She then took out the Holy Lyre. As the "Tear of the Storm Dragon" dripped onto it, the Holy Lyre was once again filled with pure and concentrated wind elements.

"It feels like this is how it was meant to be." Jean looked at the rejuvenated Holy Lyre with a sense of youthful vigor.

Diluc, with his red hair draped in a black coat, nodded. "So, can we summon the Stormterror now?"

"Of course, when Dvalin hears this familiar and wonderful music, it will definitely appear," Venti said with a smile.

"Hehe, alright, I can't wait," Paimon said, clenching his fists and wriggling in the air.

"The current Stormterror is probably on the brink of mental collapse due to the poisonous blood and the curse of the Abyss Mage. Dialogue may no longer be effective. When it appears, we need to find a way to control it and let Lumine purify it!"

Nolan gave everyone his advice based on the course of the game's plot and with reasonable speculation.

"Even in a weakened state, Dvalin has immense power. It will be difficult for us to control directly. If we forcibly intervene, it may harm it, leading to a rapid deterioration of its condition," Venti shrugged, looking dejected.

"Oh? Is there no other way?" Jean's shawl kept swaying in the mountain wind, her snow-white back as well as her round and soft shoulders were hidden in it.

Venti pondered for a moment, then looked at the golden-haired girl in a backless white dress. "There is a way, but it involves a certain level of risk for the Traveler."

"Ah, is the Traveler in danger? Maybe we should reconsider," Paimon quickly waved his hands, sounding worried.

Lumine stood with her hands on her hips, staring at the grass on the ground, shifting her gaze from left to right. After a moment of thought, she said, "I don't want to witness 'separation' or even 'loss' again. This opportunity to save Dvalin is rare. I'm willing to give it a try."

"Aww, such a brave little cutie. Even I'm touched," Lisa smiled on her fair face, her legs wrapped in knee-high black lace stockings, turning her body to look at the green-clad youth.

"So what is Lord Barbatos's plan?" she asked.

"Very simple. When Dvalin is summoned later, Lumine will hide first. Once it appears, she'll seize the opportunity to climb onto its back and quickly attack the two venomous thorns there, purifying them!" Venti explained.

After everyone heard this, they all felt that it was indeed a simple yet dangerous plan. The Stormterror was able to control the wind element, so trying to counterattack Lumine that climbed onto its back was simply too easy.

It would also take some time to purify the poisonous thorns, during which time they would have to restrain the Stormterror in order to prevent her from being harmed.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Summoning the Stormterror

"Can you guarantee the Lumine's safety?" Nolan asked after some thought.

There was no such dangerous operation as forcibly climbing onto the back of the Stormterror in the game's plot.

"Don't worry, I'll help block Dvalin's attack," Venti replied with a smile, holding the Holy Lyre in his hand.

"In that case, let's begin the summoning."

The breeze ruffled her blonde hair, Lumine's fair ears faintly visible, as she said with a light nod of her head indicating that there was no problem.

"Mmm."

Venti walked to the top corner of the Starsnatch Cliff's near the outermost edge of the mountain, and the Holy Lyre filled with pure wind elements emitted a soothing and crisp musical sound as he played.

It wasn't long before a dragon roar came from afar, and the blue-colored figure swept past the trees below the Starsnatch Cliff, the terrifying pressure causing the little birds to panic and flee in all directions.

Beasts and monsters underground also couldn't help but scramble.

"It's here." Nolan once again caught sight of the dreamlike and resplendent creature. "It might soar up from below the cliff later. I feel like this is the chance to climb onto its back."

"It makes sense. This will also have a surprise effect. With my 'Wind' blessing, you should be able to climb up smoothly. Traveler, be ready," Venti nodded first, then turned to Lumine.

"This time, Dvalin, I will definitely save you. Just endure a little longer, please." Wendy looked affectionately at the approaching blue figure.

"Count me in too. I'll buy you time up there," Diluc said calmly, crossing his arms.

"Alright, thank you."

Lumine nodded in gratitude, then fixed her gaze on the rapidly approaching blue figure from below the cliff.

Her white knee-high boots outlined her knees clearly, and as her body slightly lowered its center of gravity, she exerted force in her calves, leaping forward towards the Stormterror's head.

As Dvalin watched the small bug approaching, it roared angrily, opening its huge mouth to swallow the insect while shouting, "Barbatos, have you indeed allied with humans to hunt me down?"

"No, Dvalin, we just want to help you," Venti used the wind element to push Lumine aside, narrowly avoiding the Stormterror's bite.

Taking advantage of the Stormterror's distraction, Lumine used its head as a foothold and slid down onto its back.

At the same time, Diluc also dryly jumped towards the back of the Stormterror, and a gust of wind kicked up the huge cyan-colored figure to appear completely in front of the crowd.

"Barbatos!!!"

Dvalin raised its head and roared angrily into the sky.

At this moment, it seemed to feel betrayal once again. When it first awakened, Mondstadt's people didn't recognize it, and now, its former friends actually allied with others to hunt it down!

How could it not be angry?

This was betrayal! Betrayal! Betrayal!

Dvalin's enormous dragon eyes slowly turned crimson as the corruption of its poisonous blood deepened.

"All of you will be torn apart in the storm!"

Instantly, the sky darkened as black clouds gathered, accompanied by roaring winds and torrential rain. Eventually, they formed a massive tornado, spiraling upward towards the Starsnatch Cliff.

"Oh, my~ looks like we're going to get wet." Lisa pressed down her pointed witch hat, a faint smile playing on her fair face.

The front hem of her dress robe slid inward with the wind, revealing her legs clad in knee-high black stockings. As the skirt tails fluttered dramatically, the black lace shorts encasing her soft buttocks were also partially exposed.

The Acting Grand Master Jean raised her arm to shield her eyes. She saw Stormterror condensing huge wind projectiles around itself, aiming them at the two on its back.

Then, a blaze-wrapped sword light shattered the wind projectiles.

But soon, the next wave of attacks followed.

"kekeke, that's right that's it, your Anemo Archon has betrayed you, let your anger tear him apart!"

Suddenly two Abyss mages appeared beside the Stormterror, one on the left and one on the right, water-blue and ice-white, and one of them said in an enticing tone of voice to Dvalin.

The already irrational Stormterror became even more enraged upon hearing the Abyss Mages' words!

"The Abyss Order has indeed appeared."

Nolan activated his golden Eye of Judgment, focusing on them. One was Level 63, and the other was Level 65, stronger than the Cryo Abyss Mages encountered in the Black Sun Clan.

Wait, Level 65?

He remembered Fischl being Level 37, and he himself was Level 27. Adding the two together would result in a maximum strength of Level 64...

But if that's the case, how could he see Level 65?

First of all, it certainly wasn't a case of hallucination.

Thinking like this, the most likely possibility was that Fischl had recently become stronger, so the effect of the ability gained from her "Eye of Judgment" had also increased.

"Hmph, isn't this something we've long anticipated?" Lisa pursed her lips and said.

"Lisa, let's deal with the Abyss Order. We can't let them interfere with the Traveler's purification operation."

Jean drew a single-handed sword with a guard, seemingly a standard weapon of the Favonius series, a four-star Favonius Sword.

She wrapped invisible wind power around the sword, and for a moment it was like holding a cyan-colored storm.

Then, the storm began to spread outwards, blocking the violent winds and rain originating from Stormterror. Lisa lowered her hand from her hat, and the catalyst, Favonius Codex, appeared beside her, its pages flipping automatically.

"Let's see how these lightning bolts feel, shall we?" Lisa smiled gently, extending her right hand towards the two Abyss Mages in the sky. Several purple magic circles unfolded beside her palm.

Sizzling electric currents flickered, followed by thunderstorms shooting upwards, hitting the elemental shields of the Abyss Mages.

"Such troublesome humans!"

The two Abyss Mages felt their elemental shields rapidly depleting and quickly teleported out of the range of the thunderstorm.

When they reappeared next to Stormterror, a cyan wind blade, condensed from wind elements, swiftly sliced through the Ice Abyss Mage's shield.

"Boom!"

The ice elements on the shield instantly dispersed, depleting a large portion of it and freezing the nearby Water Abyss Mage in the process.

"Impressive, as expected of the Acting Grand Master!"

Nolan hadn't expected the Acting Grand Master Jean to compress wind elements onto her blade and unleash a wind blade. It was quite impressive.

"Hehe, adventurer buddy, the Abyss Order is in your hands, I have to go help the Traveler and stopped by to have a good heart-to-heart talk with a friend I haven't seen in a long time."

Venti said with a smile as cyan-colored wind elements converged around him, slowly lifting him off the ground and flying towards Stormterror.

"Alright, stay safe."

Nolan drew his Adventurer's Hunting Bow, fire elements condensing on the arrow tip as he aimed at the Ice Abyss Mage.

When it came to depleting ice elemental shields, fire elements were very effective.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Clearing the Clouds and Revealing the Sun

A faint flame disregarded the pouring rain and raging wind, darting through the air and finally crashing into the elemental shield of the Ice Abyss Mage.

The melting reaction between the two elements caused the elemental power in it to be drastically depleted.

However, it was somewhat regrettable that, since this Abyss Mage was stronger than any Nolan had encountered before, the elemental shield containing ice elements was quite robust.

Therefore, Nolan's arrow with the fire element attached to it did not have much effect on it.

At this moment, the previously frozen Hydro Abyss Mage, now freed from its icy prison, spoke with a hint of anger:

"You foolish humans, there will be no mercy for you!"

"Special Attack - Bubbling Offering!"

Holding a blue ornate staff in its hand, it waved it towards the front, generating hundreds of transparent water bubbles, slowly but irresistibly surging forward like well-organized soldiers.

"Oh my, such pretty bubbles, hehe."

Lisa lifted her fingertips and flickered with a subtle thunder light, gently pointing forward, the thunder light was like a horizontal lightning bolt shooting out.

In the air, the lightning kept branching out and intruding into the bubble formation. One, two, three... every bubble hit by the electric current instantly burst, turning into water droplets that scattered onto the grassy ground.

Jean closed her eyes, and the hurricane swirling around the Favonius Sword intensified.

Perhaps due to the fact that he was not far away from her, Nolan was able to feel a strong sense of oppression, as if it were gathering strength.

At this moment, he didn't stop his actions; the second arrow, imbued with fire elements, was shot towards the Ice Abyss Mage.

With the extraordinary characteristics of archery, the incredibly fast arrows basically had no possibility of being dodged, unless one predicted the point of impact in advance.

For the Abyss Mage, who wasn't particularly skilled in physical abilities, dodging after the arrow was shot seemed quite challenging.

While the Ice Abyss Mage was surprised that it was once again hit by a not-so-strong human in the district,

Flames erupted before its eyes, but were perfectly blocked by the shield, only slightly obstructing its vision.

It was about to mock the human when,

at that moment, a massive wind blade, seemingly distorting space, slashed at the ice elemental shield, still lingering with the fire elements from the arrow.

A large amount of wind elements enveloped the flames, instantly spreading and engulfing the Ice Abyss Mage in a red-hot tornado. As it felt the elemental shield rapidly depleting its ice elements,

The Ice Abyss Mage cried out in some despair, "No, this can't be! Just a mere hum—"

Before it could finish saying "human," the elemental shield of the ice Abyss Mage suddenly shattered, overwhelmed by the backlash of magic, and as it was knocked unconscious, the spreading flames also consumed it.

[Your Teammate Defeated A Powerful Enemy, Obtained 1042 Adventure EXP.]

Watching the Acting Grand Master, who had just withdrawn her sword strike, Nolan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, it was worthy of being an existence whose strength was also a question mark in his eyes, so her strength was undoubtedly high, and her level probably wasn't low either.

"W-what..." The other Hydro Abyss Mage paused for a moment, seemingly not fully grasping what had just happened.

In such a short time, a comrade who was slightly stronger than it suddenly disappeared?!

"Barbatos!!!"

At this moment, the Stormterror high in the sky once again let out a roaring sound, its huge dragon's mouth facing the sky as countless points of light coalesced towards it.

With Nolan's experience, it felt like it was preparing for some big move.

Could it be the one that destroys even the platform it's standing on in the game's story? Uh, would it even lose the entire Starsnatch Cliff if it used it here?

"Waaaah! No, we need to run!" Seeing this situation, the Hydro Abyss Mage hurriedly prepared to use its skill to escape.

"Hehe~ it's not that simple."

Miss Lisa, wearing her purple pointed witch hat, smirked, and with a slight grip of her fingers wrapped in black gloves, the lightning that had previously branched off to clear the water bubbles unconsciously spread towards the Hydro Abyss Mage.

Then, it instantly converged and attached to the water elemental shield, with electric currents constantly flashing and consuming the water elements on the surface of the shield.

In a continuous state of being hit, it was difficult for the water Abyss Mage to use skills to escape under interference. In just a few seconds, the shield shattered, and the lightning engulfed it, from below, only a mass of purple plasma could be seen.

[Your Teammate Defeated A Powerful Enemy, Obtained 1025 Adventure EXP.]

In such a situation, without any surprises, there would be nothing left but ashes.

"Traveler, hurry up! If Dvalin unleashes this move, it'll be terrible!" Venti stood on the dragon's back and barely dispersed the wind bullets that were attacking towards Lumine.

"Almost there, don't rush!"

Behind him,

Lumine stood with her legs apart, her weight shifted downward, her fair palms overlapping to form a vortex of wind, continuously attacking the giant poison spikes in front of her.

The purification power she carried also played a role; one could see the poison spikes exuding some dark red filth that dissipated.

"Break already!"

Under the strain, sweat dripped from Lumine's forehead, sliding down her brow and nose, finally falling onto her soft lips, gradually seeping in through the crevices.

It feels a bit salty.

She exerted all her strength in the attack. Just now, she successfully purified one poison spike, and now this was the last one.

As long as she could purify it successfully, Stormterror would return to normal!

So, hurry up! Faster!

Although feeling the pain in its back, Stormterror's rationality seemed to be gradually clearing. The attack it was about to release hesitated slightly.

But due to not being fully awake, it instinctively gathered a super-sized wind bomb beside it and shot it towards the few bugs crawling on its back, causing it immense pain.

Diluc held his sword with both hands, dense flames gathering on the blade. The calm pupils of his eyes reflected the incoming green wind bomb.

"Here—Dawn!"

He shouted loudly, swinging forward like a phoenix, the bird of fire colliding with it.

"Bang!"

Like comets colliding, fierce winds and flames suddenly spread, rustling the clothes of the people on the dragon's back.

At the same time, a sound like shattered glass came from the poison spike. In Lumine's surprised gaze, it finally cracked open bit by bit. A few seconds later, like a cup smashing to the ground, it burst into pieces with a bang.

"Phew~ finally done."

Lumine squatted down slightly, breathing heavily.

Purifying the poison spike was not easy, especially with Stormterror vigorously twisting its body in an attempt to shake them off.

The moment the poison spike was purified, the irrational frenzy in Stormterror's mind vanished instantly, replaced by a feeling of clarity.

It dissipated all the energy it had accumulated in its mouth, dispersing the storm it had maintained all this time.

As a result, the gathered dark clouds also faded, a ray of golden sunlight piercing through the clouds and shining on everyone. Unconsciously, it was already dusk.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Alright, Let's Go on a Great Adventure!

"Oh my, it looks like our little cutie succeeded~"

The golden evening sun caressed Lisa's legs clad in knee-high black lace stockings. She tilted her face slightly upwards, her emerald-like pupils gazing into the distant sky where a small black dot was slowly enlarging.

When Stormterror's enormous cyan-blue body landed on the Starsnatch Cliff, the powerful airflow it brought along blew Nolan's hair back.

Indeed, it was quite big and beautiful.

Nolan couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental. Unlike the attack on Mondstadt City, this time was a real up-close encounter with Stormterror.

"Hehe, it wasn't easy at all," Paimon finally let go of her worries about Lumine, a smile appearing on her face.

"Paimon, Nolan!"

Lumine, wearing a backless dress, stood on the dragon's head, a smile on her fair face as she waved her arms at everyone.

Then Dvalin tilted his body and also said to Nolan and the others, "Thank you all for saving me, please let me send you back."

"W-what, are you offering us a ride?" Paimon's eyes lit up, sounding somewhat incredulous.

Grand Master Jean and Lisa exchanged a glance, arms crossed, and nodded slightly.

Perhaps they confirmed that Stormterror really no longer harbored any hostility.

"Ahem... let's go then," Nolan said with a light cough, his fist pressed lightly against his lips.

Taking a ride on a dragon was something that everyone couldn't help but look forward to.

"What are we waiting for!" Paimon couldn't wait any longer and flew over.

After Nolan and the others boarded the dragon's back, they saw Diluc and Venti, who despite the intense battle, didn't have a speck of dirt on them.

Stormterror flapped its wings and took off, soaring vertically through the clouds.

"Wow, it's so high!"

Paimon, riding on the dragon's back, dared not float anymore. After all, she couldn't keep up with Stormterror's speed, and there was a good chance she would be left behind.

At this moment, standing on the blue dragon's back, she looked rather short and couldn't help but find it amusing.

"Hey, I saw that! What's with that look?" Paimon put her hands on her hips and glared at Nolan. "Do you want me to give you a nasty nickname too?"

"Uh, haha, that won't be necessary," Nolan chuckled awkwardly.

He couldn't imagine what strange nickname Paimon would come up with, so it was better not to provoke her.

"Hehe, I think it's great! How about giving him a nickname like 'Strange Adventurer' or something like that?" Lumine blinked her amber eyes, her soft lips slightly parting as she smiled.

"..."

So the two of you have come up with such distinctive names. Nolan couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.

"Dvalin, it's been a long time since we've flown in the sky like this," Venti said with some nostalgia as he sat on the dragon's head.

"I'm sorry for the trouble," Stormterror remained silent for a moment, remembering the chaos it caused to the citizens of Mondstadt by unleashing the storm.

"You were once the protector of everyone as the Dragon of the East Wind. And if it wasn't for the Abyss Order taking advantage of the situation, you wouldn't have become enraged, so you can't be blamed for all of it."

Venti's hand pressed on Dvalin's head, and the divine power that belonged solely to the Anemo Archon passed through.

"This is the power of the Anemo Archon's attendant, why?" Stormterror sounded somewhat surprised, continuing, "I won't be recognized by everyone anymore. There's no need for this."

"Even so, from now on, you'll still protect everyone, won't you? I hope you can fly with more ease," Venti laid back with his hands behind his head, smiling.

...

Mondstadt City, Knights of Favonius Headquarters.

Stormterror had set everyone down outside the city to avoid being misunderstood by the citizens as another attack on Mondstadt.

Diluc had already returned to the tavern, while Venti was catching up with Stormterror. Only Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon followed the Acting Grand Master and Lisa back to the Knights of Favonius.

Mainly because the Acting Grand Master said she wanted to reward them.

"Perhaps the citizens still have many doubts about Stormterror's attack. Tomorrow, I will represent the Knights of Favonius to clarify the misunderstanding to the citizens. Both of you, as honorary knights, have contributed a lot to this matter."

"Especially Lumine, without you, Mondstadt might have lost the Dragon of the East. Such achievements naturally deserve recognition from the Knights of Favonius. As for what it is... Well, I haven't thought about it yet. Come in first, everyone."

Jean's crisp voice echoed as she walked on the stone-paved ground in her white high-heeled boots.

As she spoke, just as she was about to open the door of the Knights of Favonius, there was a sudden "bang" as the door was violently pushed open, and a fiery figure rushed out shouting:

"Hooray, since Acting Grand Master isn't here, let's go on a great adventure!"

"Wait, Klee, there's still Stormterror causing trouble outside. It's too dangerous to go out and play."

Noelle, who was wearing a maid-style skirt and armor in the back, shouted somewhat anxiously.

"Hehe, it'll be fine. Even against a big dragon, Dodoco can protect Klee," the lively girl with the red hat said, completely unaware of the figure standing in front of the door.

She leaped forward, attempting to jump directly down the steps at the doorway, but just as she jumped, she suddenly felt her head bump into something soft.

"Huh?" Klee rubbed her head and shook it, then opened her eyes groggily. "Oh, it's Acting Grand Master Jean."

"Klee!" Jean sighed slightly as she held her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Acting Grand Master. Klee knows she's wrong. I didn't mean to bump into your belly," Klee said, poking her index finger downward.

"Oh, you're back, Acting Grand Master."

Noelle saw Klee being stopped by Jean and breathed a slight sigh of relief, patting her chest.

"Hi, Miss Noelle, long time no see," Nolan greeted Noelle with a smile.

"Oh, it's Mr. Adventurer."

Noelle looked at Nolan with some surprise as he returned with Acting Grand Master and the others.

Could it be that he was one of the two Honorable Knights that everyone was talking about who repelled the Stormterror?

"Little Noelle, the matter of the Stormterror has basically been resolved. If Little Klee wants to go play, accompany her for a while, but it's already late, so don't go out of the city," Lisa, with her fair arms wrapped around her chest bundled in snowy white fabric, smiled as she spoke.

"Yay! Thank you Lisa a.. Sis!"

Klee instinctively almost said "Auntie" but corrected herself just in time, narrowly avoiding a big blunder.

"Noelle-san let's go!" She grabbed Noelle's hand and ran off.

"Hey, Little Klee, slow down."

Lisa, wearing her purple pointed witch hat, pressed down the brim with her hand and sighed as she watched the two retreating figures.

"Am I getting too tired lately? My skin seems to be deteriorating. Why does Little Klee keep wanting to call me 'Auntie'? What do you think, little adventurer?" She looked at Nolan with her emerald-like pupils.

"Miss Lisa is worrying too much. Your skin looks very fair and soft," Nolan replied with great assurance.

(End of Chapter)

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Chapter 140: Chapter 140: A Complete Set of Four-Star Artifacts

In the Knights of Favonius' Acting Grand Master's office,

The golden sunlight streaming in through the window slowly faded, casting the room into darkness. Jean lit the candles on the candlestick, and the flames began to burn quietly.

The room appeared brighter this way.

Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon stood before her. Miss Lisa had already returned to the library next door.

"As honorary knights who saved Mondstadt from the crisis posed by Stormterror, the rewards given must not be too stingy. What do you need?"

Jean asked from her seat behind the desk. The documents that were previously spread out on the table had been reduced significantly, presumably dealt with through a night of work.

Grand Master Jean, work very hard. Nolan was slightly emotional.

"Grand Master Jean, are you saying we can ask for anything?" Paimon's face lit up with anticipation.

"Yes, after all, you are already honorary knights. As long as the request is reasonable, the Knights of Favonius can fulfill it."

Jean brushed her golden hair aside and nodded.

"Wow! That's great!" Paimon happily spun in the air, then turned to Lumine and urged, "Traveler, don't you want to find your brother? Now you can ask the Acting Grand Master for help!"

Lumine pondered for a moment and said, "Yes, Acting Grand Master, if possible, please have the Knights of Favonius keep an eye out for my brother's whereabouts."

"As an honorary knight, it's just a small matter like this. Of course, the Knights of Favonius will help. You can mention some of your more urgent needs."

Jean closed her eyes and slightly swayed her fair face from side to side, then looked back at Lumine and said.

"Acting Grand Master, you're so kind!" Paimon exclaimed with delight.

"Thank you," Lumine smiled gratefully, then after a moment of thought, she said, "I haven't decided what I need yet. How about you think of something, Paimon?"

"Hehe, when you don't know what you need, you can always ask for delicious food!" Paimon said with an experienced look, earning puzzled looks from the others.

"Um... by the way, I noticed that you all seem to lack Artifacts. How about letting the Knights of Favonius reward you with a set of Artifacts?"

Jean interlocked her fingers, leaning her elbows on the table, and rested her chin on her hands as she pondered for a few seconds.

"Artifacts? Are those relics found in treasure chests, or secret ruins? And what does it mean by a set?"

Lumine asked, her arms wrapped in white sleeves pressed against her abdomen, her face showing a puzzled expression.

"Yes," Jean nodded, then seeing Lumine's apparent lack of understanding, she explained, "Artifacts are most commonly found in treasure chests, secret ruins. It's appropriate to call them relics.

"They are generally divided into five types: Flower of Life, Plume of Death, Sands of Eon, Goblet of Eonothem, and Circlet of Logos.

"Each person can carry one of each type, meaning a person can carry up to five Artifacts. If some Artifacts are of different types but share a common essence, then they are considered a complete set. Collecting two or four pieces can provide additional abilities."

Jean briefly explained the knowledge of Artifacts to Lumine.

This includes two pieces of the same type of Artifact, which can cause interference and cannot be carried simultaneously. For example, newly acquired Artifacts need to be integrated with other Artifacts for reinforcement to gain greater power amplification, and so on.

"So, Acting Grand Master Jean, are you planning to reward us with a complete set of Artifacts?" Nolan asked somewhat surprised.

In the past, the Artifacts he obtained from treasure chests were either low in star rating or incomplete sets, and he didn't have much Mora to purchase additional Artifacts for reinforcement.

The initial state of Artifacts doesn't provide much enhancement, so Nolan hadn't focused on improving his strength through Artifacts.

After all, almost every adventurer on Teyvat knows that unless you're extremely wealthy, it's not wise to be fixated on Artifacts without sufficient Mora.

Enhancing one's strength with Artifacts is akin to using Mora to improve oneself.

Just think, a one-star Artifact costs around 20,000 to 30,000 Mora, a two-star Artifact is priced between 60,000 to 90,000, and a three-star Artifact costs between 150,000 to 200,000. Nolan had even found four-star Artifacts in treasure chests during adventures with Fischl in the past.

Although he had given them to Fischl because he took the primogems, it was said that a four-star Artifact was at least double the value of a three-star one.

And that's just for Artifacts in their initial state; the cost increases when they're reinforced.

For example, strengthening a three-star Artifact to its limit requires spending over 3 million Mora to purchase additional Artifacts to serve as reinforcement resources.

Moreover, strengthening also requires the consumption of Mora as a reinforcement medium, which costs about 50,000 Mora, although that's relatively small compared to other expenses.

Now that he was still a new adventurer, he didn't dare to hit any Artifact without enough Mora.

Furthermore, Artifacts themselves are quite rare and not readily available for purchase everywhere.

And now Acting Grand Master Jean was saying they would be rewarded with a set of Artifacts?! Nolan almost thought he had misheard.

"Yes, just a set of initial state four-star Artifacts. Considering your achievements, don't think the Knights of Favonius are being stingy," Jean nodded, a faint smile appearing on her fair face.

Five four-star Artifacts are worth around 4 to 5 million Mora each.

Furthermore, since they are a complete set, they come with additional set effects, which obviously increases their value even more.

Thinking about it this way, the reward given is already quite good.

"In that case, thank you, Acting Grand Master Jean," Lumine replied after understanding about the Artifacts.

She also felt that they were quite suitable for her. In the future, when she finds lower-star-rated Artifacts from treasure chests in the wilderness, she can also treat them as resources to "feed" to the set.

After Nolan also said that there was no problem.

Acting Grand Master Jean explained that there is a registration process for rewarding those who have made contributions. However, it was already late, and the Knights of Favonius responsible for the registration had already finished work for the day, so they would have to come back tomorrow.

"In that case, if there's nothing else, we'll go back first," Nolan said with a gentle nod of understanding.

"Alright, may the Thousand Winds of Mondstadt watch over you."

Jean rose from her seat, her soft lips parted slightly as she offered her blessing.

"Hehe, you too, Acting Grand Master Jean," Paimon waved, then followed Nolan and Lumine as they left the Knights of Favonius headquarters.

Outside, the sky was already showing the faint glow of the Milky Way formed by countless stars, as if it were just at the boundary between dusk and night.

Nolan and the others walked back in the direction of Val Berry Street.

Paimon and Lumine were talking about how worried she was as she watched her from the ground, fighting Dvalin in the sky.

The image of the scene was so vivid that Nolan almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

Just then,

His character panel suddenly popped up with a series of notifications.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 141: Chapter 141: The Gospel of the Sky (2-in-1 Chapter)

Sure enough, being involved in such significant events inevitably led to the formation of new character specialties.

Lumine's white dress revealed her snow-white back, and the fluttering straps attached to the back of her scarf fluttered in the cool night breeze, occasionally brushing against Nolan's arm.

As he listened to Lumine and Paimon chatting, Nolan continued to look at his character panel with anticipation.

[On That Day, You And The 'Princess Of Condemnation Who Rules The Evernight Kingdom' Accepted A Commission From "Future Knight Ellin" To Venture Into The Wilderness To Embark On A New Adventure.]

[Soon After, You Managed To Help The Gathering Team Recover The Supplies Stolen By Monsters And Unexpectedly Encountered The Blue Spirit. Guided By The Blue Spirit, You Arrived At An Unnamed Mountain Cave, Where You Obtained Treasures But Also Encountered Danger.]

[Without A Doubt, You Encountered The World's Top-Tier Magical Dragon, The Stormterror, For The First Time. The Storm It Brought Trapped You In The Cave.]

[You Defeated Many Wild Beasts And Monsters, Including Three Evil Mages From The Abyss. After The Storm Passed, You Returned To Mondstadt City Safely.]

[Encountering Your Friend Who Was Being Dragged To Learn The Wind Glider, Where You Encountered The Stormterror For The Second Time. It Attacked This Free City, But Fortunately, With The Presence Of "The Outsider From Another World," Her Purification Power Successfully Drove It Away.]

[Subsequently, You Were Invited To The Knights Of Favonius Headquarters And Entrusted By The Acting Grand Master To Solve The Source Of The Wind Disaster At The Abandoned Four Winds Temples. Upon Your Successful Return, You Were Knighted As An Honorary Knight.]

[While Continuing To Search For Ways To Resolve The Crisis, You Were Misled By The Unreliable Anemo Archon Into Stealing Mondstadt's Treasure, The "Holy Lyre Der Himmel" The Process Was Fraught With Twists And Turns, But In The End, You Successfully Persuaded The Acting Grand Master To Provide Assistance.]

[With The Help Of The Acting Grand Master And The "Darknight Hero," You Successfully Repaired The Holy Lyre Der Himmel And Summoned The Stormterror. After A Fierce Battle, You Successfully Cleared The Poisonous Thorns That Had Troubled The Stormterror For Many Years, Perfectly Saving It.]

[This Has Been An Incredibly Incredible Adventure. The History You've Experienced And Created Will Be Remembered, And A Character Specialty Is Taking Shape—]

[Please Wait A Moment...]

It's happening, it's happening!

Memories of the recent events automatically surfaced. The history created by Nolan's participation began to converge around him.

Once the history converged, it couldn't be changed by any means. Because that history had already anchored itself to him, turning into a power called "character specialties." As long as he didn't perish and his specialties remained, the past anchored to him couldn't be altered.

It was like adding an extra layer of protection named "Nolan" all around him.

Hmm, it does have its uses. After all, no one knows he's the anchor of this history. Who would randomly think of him in this context?

[You've Gained A New Character Specialty: Gospel Of The Sky.]

Oh boy, it finally appeared.

Nolan tapped on the introduction of the effects of this character specialty with some anticipation:

[Gospel Of The Sky: From The Power Granted By The Adventures Of "Saving Stormterror - Dvalin", This Specialty Allows The Wielder To Manipulate Anemo Elemental Power Even Without The Vision.]

Holy moly!

Nolan almost shouted out as he looked at the short description. Phew~ Luckily, he was a calm and collected person.

Elemental power, huh? Elemental power!

Previously, he had gone through many complicated processes in order to obtain the means to attack with elemental power.

Finding Wagner at the blacksmith shop to make elemental arrows, going to the alchemy table, and asking Sucrose to make elemental potions- he only used one bottle before the rest were shattered.

There was also the recently acquired Pyro Elemental Delusion.

All of these were just external items. Once they were used up or broken, they were gone. But having control over one's own power was more reassuring!

Thinking about this, Nolan finally couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth and clench his fist.

Lumine, wearing over-the-knee high-heeled boots, her skirt hiding her snow-white thighs, cocked her waist slightly, wearing a puzzled expression, and stared at him, saying:

"You've been acting strange since earlier."

"It's a bit suspicious!" Paimon rubbed her chin with her palm, doubt evident in her starry eyes, as she continued, "I mean, what's up with you?"

Nolan calmed his emotions and, after a moment of contemplation, spoke openly: "Um, I seem to have found that I can manipulate Anemo elements, for some reason."

This kind of thing couldn't be hidden unless he didn't even use wind elemental power in the future, which was obviously impossible.

"What!"

Paimon, wearing her crown, exclaimed, covering her mouth. Even Lumine showed a surprised expression.

"Could it be that you've obtained a Vision?"

Paimon asked in amazement for a moment before expressing some confusion, her gaze also showing a hint of disbelief, gesturing for him to try it out.

After all, she only knew that Nolan had a Delusion that could produce fire.

"That's not it."

Nolan shook his head, then raised his palm, attempting to conjure a Wind Bullet. However, he found that the green wind elemental energy only spun once in his palm before dissipating.

Obviously, his proficiency was lacking, and he needed more practice.

His current state was actually similar to an ordinary person who had just obtained a Vision. It takes time to smoothly control elemental power.

"It's actually true. Could it be that you also..."

Paimon widened her eyes, almost blurting out Lumine's secret origin, then hurriedly covered her mouth.

"Me too?"

Nolan pretended to be puzzled and casually asked, though he wanted to ignore what Paimon said. But she had gone overboard with her reaction.

"No, it's nothing, don't worry about it!"

Paimon hastily waved her hand, almost like when they were hiding from the rain in the cave, and nearly slipped up again.

Lumine looked helplessly at Paimon, wondering if saying that made Nolan more suspicious.

"Paimon wants to ask, are you also like me, from outside this world, with the ability to control elemental power by coming into contact with a deity/god?"

Lumine lowered her arm, clad in a white long-sleeved glove, and after a moment of contemplation, she asked openly.

She didn't mention it earlier because she didn't want to attract trouble, but after spending so much time together, she understood that Nolan was a friend worth getting to know.

So, revealing this small matter wasn't a big problem.

At the same time, Lumine was also puzzled. She knew that ordinary people on Teyvat needed to possess a Vision, an external magical organ, to control elemental power.

But now, she encountered someone besides herself who could control elemental power without bypassing the Vision.

If it weren't for those with similar experiences, they might only think Nolan was someone with a special physique in Teyvat.

But for Lumine, it added another thought: "Someone else from outside the world, just like me."

". . ."

Nolan didn't expect Lumine to be so straightforward.

He now had decent strength and had dispelled the confusion and lack of confidence he had when he first crossed over. As long as malicious people didn't find out, telling Lumine and Paimon wasn't a problem.

So Nolan nodded and said, "Actually, I'm not from Teyvat. I'm just an ordinary person from a world with more advanced science. As for why I'm here, I don't understand either.

"At first, I was very unfamiliar with this place and kept this matter hidden. Fortunately, my talent in various martial arts aspects is good, which has led to my growth to the level I am at today."

Nolan showed a helpless expression and briefly explained. As for abilities like gaining Adventure EXP from the character panel, it was attributed to his own talents.

He still wanted to keep some secrets.

"Wow, it's actually true."

Paimon covered her head, surprised for a moment, and then felt that it wasn't that strange after all.

After all, she had been following a visitor from another world all along, so having one more wasn't that difficult to accept.

"Hehe, tell me what delicious things your world has!"

She quickly put this matter aside, slightly moving her hands and feet in mid-air, saying with some anticipation.

"..."

Lumine folded her hands across her chest, giving Paimon a disdainful look.

"I'm not a master chef. I only know how to make some home-cooked dishes. I can't make any gourmet food."

Nolan scratched his head, a smile spreading across his face.

Then he continued, "Speaking of which, Lumine, you're also from another world, right? Did you also suddenly come here?"

Since he now knew that Lumine also came from outside the world, it wouldn't be right not to show curiosity.

"No, my brother and I came together, but in the end, he was taken away by an unknown god, and I lost my power too."

Lumine's fair face showed a hint of melancholy, but she still briefly recounted her experience.

"I see."

What Lumine said was the same as what Nolan had known.

He didn't pursue further on this matter rationally, but instead turned to Lumine and asked, "Lumine, since I inexplicably gained the power of the Wind Element, but I'm not very proficient in it, could you teach me when you have time?"

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Lumine now also controlled the Wind Element, and they lived in the same house, so it was convenient to ask for advice.

"Um, of course, that's no problem."

Lumine patted her snowy white chest, indicating that it was okay.

"Hehe~" Paimon stood with her hands on her hips, lifting her chin, then looked at Nolan and said, "You have to pay a fee for this, Traveler can't teach you for free. How about using it to offset the rent and meal expenses?"

"Paimon, you're quite thoughtful. Let's go with what you said then." Nolan endured a smile and said.

Val Berry Street, an exquisite two-story building.

After walking for a long time, the three finally returned home. Lumine and Paimon went to heat water for a bath, as they would be busy for a while.

Nolan, on the other hand, lay down on the light blue soft sofa for a while.

In addition to gaining a new character specialty from the Stormterror incident, he also obtained many Adventure EXP from the monsters defeated by everyone.

[Adventure EXP: 9555]

The panel displayed more than nine thousand, which could be used to raise several levels and enhance his strength without any problem.

Adventure EXP - 8400

Lv.27 (0/2700)

Lv.30 (0/3000)

Raising three levels at once, a huge and warm flow appeared in his body, gradually alleviating all the fatigue and muscle soreness.

Although there were no visible changes on the surface, he could clearly feel that his overall physical fitness had improved.

It was a pity that reaching level thirty wasn't a second breakthrough; that would happen at level forty, so there was no appearance of the three-choice racial specialization.

Name: Nolan Walker

Level: Lv.30 (0/3000)

Race: Human

Title: Honorary Knight

Innate Talent: Entangling Affection

Skills: Favonius Hunter's Archery Lv.10 (Advanced Stability, Shadowless and Silent), Favonius Royal Swordsmanship Lv.10 (Flickering Candlelight, Boundary of Stillwind), Stealth Assassination Lv.4 (0/400), Marital Arts Lv.2 (0/200), Sin-Purging Arrow Lv.1 (1/100), Rhine One-Handed Swordsmanship Lv.1 (1/100)

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

Adventure EXP: 1155

Looking at the remaining more than a thousand Adventure EXP on the panel, it wasn't enough to level up.

If you use it to upgrade your skills, you won't be able to level up to max level at once, so you can gain extraordinary characteristics, so it's better to save it for when you have enough Adventure EXP, and then upgrade one of the archery or swordsmanship skills to max level.

He remembered that in the character panel, a regular skill could gain three or more extraordinary characteristics, which might then be promoted to a more powerful extraordinary skill.

This extraordinary skill should correspond to the "Secret Arts" in the continent of Teyvat.

Most of the skills Nolan was learning now were ordinary-level skills, and only when they reached full level would they have extraordinary characteristics.

As for the "Secret Arts," it meant that it was already an extraordinary skill in itself, with its own extraordinary characteristics, just like his "Stealth Assassination" skill.

Reaching max level wouldn't mean gaining extraordinary characteristics; instead, it would transform into something even stronger on its original basis.

How much stronger it would become would only be clear when he reached that level.

Not long after,

Lumine finished bathing and changed into a white sleeveless top, stepping out of the bath, using a towel to dry her damp golden hair while her fair hands glistened with moisture.

She wore white shorts with frills at the hem, and her snow-white skin exposed by her legs looked dewy.

Her amber eyes looked at Nolan on the sofa, and her soft lips parted slightly as she smiled and said:

"After dinner, let's start teaching you how to use the power of the Wind Element. I'll teach you some techniques to control the wind element proficiently. I just thought of this, and it's very useful."

"Okay, there's nothing else to do after dinner anyway." Nolan nodded with some anticipation.

Next, little Paimon also finished bathing and came out. Nolan saw that it was almost time and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

The meat and vegetables were all freshly bought when they came back earlier; otherwise, they wouldn't use the power of ice to prevent the food from spoiling.

Soon, a sumptuous dinner was ready, quickly devoured by the hungry trio.

After clearing the table,

Lumine took a seat on the sofa, her softness leaving an indent in the plush cushions as the white skort hugged her rear.

Nolan and Paimon sat beside her, listening to her explanation.

"To quickly master the power of the wind element, it's all about practice. But for beginners in contact with elemental power, guiding the scarce wind elemental power from the surrounding space can be very energy-consuming."

Lumine paused and glanced at Nolan, asking him with her eyes if he understood.

"Yeah, I got it." Nolan nodded.

What Lumine said could probably be easily understood even by ordinary people.

"So, I thought of a simple technique, which is for me to condense a denser mass of wind elemental power first, and then I directly guide the wind elemental power in my hand. This way, it will be much easier."

Lumine raised her white hand, and a ball of cyan-colored wind element slowly rotated in her palm.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Brave Heart (2-in-1 Chapter)

"So, you mean artificially creating an environment with a higher concentration of elemental power for me to practice in?" Nolan said thoughtfully.

That's easy to understand. Let's say there are seventy small balls of different elemental powers in front of Nolan.

There are ten of each of the seven elemental powers, all mixed together. Now, Nolan needs to pick out the wind element ball. As a beginner, it might take a bit longer, and it's normal not to grasp it immediately.

And this method also consumes more energy.

What Lumine did was to pick out the ten wind element balls first, and directly present them to Nolan, like "feeding" him.

Perhaps the analogy isn't entirely accurate, but understanding the gist is enough.

Obviously, practicing in an environment with a high concentration of elements would make it much easier for Nolan.

"I see, the clever Paimon understands too." Paimon, wearing a small short-sleeved shirt, nodded and then took a bite of the apple in her hand, followed by a crisp chewing sound.

"Yeah, that's it. So, why don't you give it a try now?"

Lumine's fair right foot stretched out from her slipper, slightly pulling it back, pressing her ankle against the left leg, nestled in the gap between the soft couch.

"Sure, no problem."

Nolan nodded, bringing both hands close to the swirling mass of wind elemental power floating above Lumine's fair palms.

Relying on his intuition, he activated his character specialization, [Gospel of the Sky], attempting to slowly guide the wind elemental power in front of him into his own hands.

The spinning mass of wind elemental in Lumine's hand stalled slightly.

Then, two small "tentacles" were drawn to Nolan's hands, as expected, with Lumine's assistance, it was much simpler than guiding it himself.

"Wow, it moved, it really moved! Nolan, you're quite talented," Paimon exclaimed, swallowing the chewed-up fruit and then puzzledly asked, "Huh, why did it retreat?"

As Paimon said, just when Nolan thought he was about to succeed.

The wind elemental power he had drawn out retracted again. It seems that even in an environment with a high concentration of elements, he needs to practice several times.

"How does it feel?" Lumine used her left hand to tidy up her hair, which hadn't completely dried yet.

"It's indeed much easier, but there also seems to be an additional resistance to compete with you for control of the wind element."

Nolan thought for a moment, summarizing his feelings and said.

"My resistance?" Lumine pursed her lips, lightly nodded her fair chin in understanding, and continued, "This time, I'll release control of the wind elemental power. Seize the opportunity to guide them when they start to dissipate."

"Uh-huh." Nolan nodded softly, his palms still cradling the swirling mass of wind elemental power.

With a thought, Lumine released her control over the wind elemental power, causing it to start dissipating. Nolan seized the opportunity to guide them again.

The cyan-colored wind elementals seemed to gain some kind of force to maintain its cohesion between his palms, slowly rotating between them.

"It seems like it worked... Oh, it's dissipating again. Can't these wind elemental powers behave?"

Once again, Paimon was disappointed when she thought Nolan was going to succeed.

"It's okay, I feel like I've found the knack, Lumine, et's try this method a few more times."

Nolan wasn't as crestfallen as Paimon; he did manage to control the wind elemental power just now, albeit not for long.

As long as he familiarizes himself a few more times, he believes he'll get the hang of it soon.

After a long time passed.

Lumine and Paimon kept accompanying Nolan to practice controlling the wind element like this, they yawned, feeling a bit tired.

On the other hand, Nolan, with his [Abundant Life] specialty, didn't seem to feel sleepy.

Nolan didn't pay attention to how many times he practiced, anyway, he looked at Lumine's hand that was condensing the wind element, and it looked like she couldn't even lift it up.

Her head bobbed, as if she could fall asleep at any moment.

Nolan watched the unstable wind element gathered in her hands, seeming like it would dissipate at any moment.

Instead of waiting for Lumine to release her control over the wind element, he tried to guide it directly. This time, the resistance was minimal, and the rotating wind element easily came to Nolan's hands.

One second, ten seconds, one minute, three minutes...

"Phew~ Finally succeeded!" Nolan exclaimed in surprise. He felt like he could freely control this mass of wind elementals now.

After playing around for a while, he released his control over the wind elementals on his hands. When it completely dissipated, Nolan tried to guide the elementals without Lumine's assistance.

A faint breeze rotated in his palms. After several familiarizations with guiding the wind elements, he had successfully mastered this technique!

"Ah did it work, if it doesn't work again, I'm going to fall asleep."

Paimon, lying on the couch with Lumine's soft thighs as a pillow, rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Looks like you're learning well, that's all for today, just practice for a few more days and you should be able to apply it in a real battle."

Lumine said, relieved to see Nolan finally succeed. She raised her hands, stretching lazily, and the white short-sleeved top was lifted slightly, revealing her snow-white belly.

...

The next morning.

After Nolan and the others finished breakfast, they came to the Knights HQ and greeted the Knights of Favonius standing guard at the entrance, and entered the Acting Grand Master's office.

"Both honorable knights, and Paimon, you're here."

Jean, wearing the Knight Order uniform, smiled. This time she didn't sit on the chairs in the office area near the window.

Instead, somewhat unexpectedly, she sat on the right side of the square-long table, with a cup of steaming hot tea in front of her.

The Scout Knight with a red bunny ear knot on her head, also sat next to her.

"Good morning, Grand Master Jean, eh? Amber's here too."

Paimon greeted Jean first, then looked at Amber with some surprise.

"Hehe, why wouldn't I be here as a Knight of Favonius? Nolan, Lumine, come over and have some tea!"

Amber's white face revealed a smile as she stood up and picked up the ceramic teapot on the tablet and poured a cup of black tea for everyone.

"Wow, it smells so warm and nice."

Paimon didn't sit down on the chair like Nolan and the others did. Instead, she floated in mid-air, holding the teacup and sniffing it near her nose.

Jean picked up the white tea cup and put it to her soft lips and took a sip:

"This is a souvenir given to me by the Tianquan of Liyue when she came to Mondstadt to discuss business cooperation."

"It seems to be a tea called 'Dyed Dragon Snow,' produced on a tea tree unique to Liyue. According to them, this special tea tree grows differently from others, only producing tender buds and leaves in large quantities during the winter season. They need to be nourished by snow and cold, and only when it's 'Great Snow' season can they be picked to have a special tea fragrance, which is extremely rare and therefore precious."

"Great Snow? Is it a day with heavy snowfall?"

Lumine looked at the reflection of her face in the red liquid in the teacup, a bit puzzled.

"'Great Snow' doesn't refer to snowy weather, it's a solar term in the calendar of Liyue, a fixed day."

Amber explained.

"I see." Lumine and Paimon both nodded.

"Hehe, Nolan, as someone from Liyue, you should know about it, right?"

Amber looked at the young adventurer and asked.

"..."

Nolan paused with the teacup in hand. He understood the concept of 'solar terms,' but tea trees were something the game hadn't mentioned. How would he know?

Anyways, he is not really from Liyue, it's just he looks like one for obvious reasons.

Hmm. When he first crossed over, he didn't tell Amber the truth due to various considerations. It had always made him feel a bit guilty about not being honest with her.

Now was a good opportunity to come clean. After all, continuing like this would eventually lead to exposure, and it wouldn't be good to lose Amber's affection.

"Actually, Amber, I'm not from Liyue," Nolan replied after a moment of silence.

"Hmm? Huh?!"

Amber nodded twice as if to say she was listening, then widened her eyes in realization.

"Cough, actually, it's like this." Nolan patiently explained his situation of coming from another world to both Amber and Grand Master Jean. "At the time, to avoid being misunderstood by you, I said I was from Liyue. After all, if someone suddenly said they were from another world, anyone would find it suspicious, right?"

"Mm, I see. I can't believe it. If it weren't for knowing you for so long and knowing you're not someone who likes to joke around, I would have thought you were joking," Amber said somewhat surprised.

"That explains it. You seemed like an ordinary person with mediocre martial skills before. It's understandable that you concealed your bizarre origins," Jean nodded thoughtfully, leaning back against the chair.

"Well, since there's a reason for it, I won't hold it against you for deceiving me."

Amber's red bunny ear hair knot wiggled as her soft lips curved up slightly in a smile:

"Rather, I'm glad you told me your secret. It means I'm still worthy of your trust as a friend."

[Amber Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 300 Affection Points. Current Affection Level Lv.4 (350/400)]

"Amber has a point. As an honorable knight, the Knight Order will always be your strong support!" Jean folded her hands across her chest, showing a faint smile.

[Jean Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 180 Affection Points. Current Affection Level Lv.5 (10/500)]

Due to their already high levels of Affection, even though Amber and Grand Master Jean heard something unexpected, they showed understanding towards Nolan. This made him feel somewhat relieved.

"Ahem, that... Grand Master Jean, Amber, actually I am too..."

At this moment, Lumine, with white flowers in her golden hair, looked embarrassed as she spoke up.

"..."

Jean and Amber's faces showed helplessness. When did visitors from another world become so common?

Not only did they appear in Mondstadt, but they also became honorary knights of the Knights of Favonius at the same time.

After thoroughly understanding the situation between Nolan and Lumine, Jean sighed and nodded:

"Your situation is indeed a bit unexpected, and it does make sense for you to conceal it. Too many people knowing about it would inevitably lead to trouble, so we won't announce that you two honorable knights are visitors from another world.

"Anyway, let's put that aside for now. You're here to claim the Artifacts Set rewards I promised yesterday, right?"

"Yes, that's right." Nolan and Lumine nodded slightly.

"I have two sets of Artifacts here. Because of their similar powers, even in their initial state, the resonance effect of the set can provide a considerable boost in power to the bearer."

Jean stood up and took out two sets of golden-hued Artifacts from her Vision, placing them in front of the two.

"Wow, they're so beautiful!" Paimon admired their color, reminiscent of round Mora coins.

"Hehe~ They're called 'Brave Hearts'. They were found in a new secret realm discovered by the Knights of Favonius when we explored it together," Amber said with a slight smile on her fair face.

"I see. Well, then we won't be polite and accept them." Nolan nodded.

He remembered that in the game, the two-piece set of "Brave Heart" increased attack power(+18%), while the four-piece set boosted damage against high-health targets(Increases DMG by 30% against opponents with more than 50% HP).

Overall, it was quite good.

Artifacts are as mysterious as the existence of treasure chests, and their nature is precipitated by the history of a long time, with magical power.

So, the way to equip them was also quite mystical.

Anyone who touched them with their hands could choose to integrate them into their bodies as energy. Once successfully carried, removing them was as simple as a thought, very straightforward.

With the Knights of Favonius' reward in hand, Nolan and his companions prepared to leave.

According to their plan before leaving, the three of them would go to the Adventurers' Guild to pick up quests after collecting their rewards from the Knights of Favonius.

Although Lumine hadn't asked Venti if he knew the unknown god who kidnapped her brother, she probably knew it wasn't the mischievous Anemo Archon.

So, she would soon embark on the next adventure of her journey. But before that, she needed to earn enough Mora and buy some essential supplies in Mondstadt.

After all, a trip to Liyue, the closest neighboring nation to Mondstadt, would take about a month for a merchant caravan hauling goods by wagon.

She and Paimon couldn't continue living off the land by hunting forever. At the very least, they needed to bring enough food and clean water.

"Oh, wait a minute. Nolan, Traveler, do you have time now?"

Amber called out to Nolan and his companions.

"Hmm? Amber, what's up?" Paimon asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Later on I'm going to post your brother's missing person notice. Oh and by the way, I'm going to clean up some of the debris that was blown onto the walls and roofs of the buildings due to the windstorm, are you guys free to join me?"

Amber said with deliberation.

"Of course!"

Lumine nodded heavily, taking on a commission to earn Mora could come later, but finding her brother would have to be taken seriously first.

"Since that's the case, I'll help too," Nolan naturally wouldn't refuse.

"Hehe, count me in too."

Paimon raised a hand, indicating her willingness to join.

"Great, let's start by checking the rooftop of the Knights of Favonius' building. We'll see if anything has been blown up there."

Amber smiled gently.

Next, everyone bid farewell to Master Jean, left the Acting Grand Master's office, and followed Amber to the stairs leading to the upper floor behind the hall.

Two girls, wearing knee-high white boots, swayed their skirts as they walked up the stairs, the sound of their heels tapping against the ground crisp and clear.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Lighting up the Teleport Waypoint (2-in-1 Chapter)

"Amber, what's on the second floor of the Knights of Favonius headquarters?"

As they continued walking up the stairs, passing what seemed like an unremarkable second floor, Nolan asked curiously.

In the game, there was an "invisible wall" here that players couldn't pass through, so it naturally sparked his curiosity. He was no exception.

"It's a place for storing some files and information and providing a temporary resting place for everyone after work. Nothing special."

Her deep brown hair flowed along the gentle curve of her back as Amber looked ahead, her fair profile facing Nolan with a smile.

"Oh, I see."

Nolan nodded. As expected, as he had anticipated, the reason players couldn't access this area in the game was probably just because the development team hadn't bothered to do internal modeling.

Soon after, they arrived at the rooftop of the Knights of Favonius headquarters.

Pushing open the wooden door, they saw the same grayish-white stone floor.

They easily spotted the debris blown onto the rooftop by the wind disaster, such as leaves and newspapers. Some were hanging on the brick railing, while others were lodged in the tiles outside the railing.

"Ah, look, there's indeed a lot of debris. We'll have to clean them up."

Amber sighed a little.

"After cleaning up, we'll fly down to the area near the Windmill and post a missing person notice there."

After saying that, Amber led everyone to collect the debris while preparing to burn them to ashes with Pyro Elemental energy, as they were mostly useless.

At the same time, Paimon also asked Amber with some confusion:

"If we post it on the Windmill, won't it be seen by fewer people due to the high location?"

After all, for a missing person notice to be effective, someone had to see it. Otherwise, it would be a waste of effort.

Amber shook her head, the rabbit ear knots in her hair swaying as she parted her thin red lips and said:

"A lot of young citizens go to a few of the big Windmills in Mondstadt City to enjoy the view, especially some affectionate lovers. So, posting it there won't seem secluded, and someone is bound to notice it."

"I see. What Amber said makes sense. Let's hurry up and finish cleaning up the stuff and fly over to post the missing person notice."

Paimon waved her little fist in anticipation.

"Yeah, let's do that."

Amber squatted in front of the pile of useless debris, her thigh-high white boots creasing slightly at the knees. She extended her right hand to ignite the debris with Pyro Elemental energy, and suddenly remembered something:

"Oh, by the way, speaking of flying, Lumine, Nolan, it seems like neither of you have a flying license yet?"

"A flying license? What's that?"

Before the two could answer, Paimon, looking perplexed, asked first, while Lumine looked at her with amber-colored eyes.

Nolan, however, had some understanding of this.

"The name itself is pretty self-explanatory. If you want to fly legally in Mondstadt, you must obtain a flying license!"

Amber looked at the flickering flames in front of her, a slight smile appearing on her fair face.

"So, is Amber planning to give us a flying license?" Lumine smiled, her fair fingers brushing the golden tips of her hair that cascaded down her face.

"How could that be! The Knights of Favonius uphold principles." After the flames died out, Amber clapped her hands and stood up. "To obtain a flying license, one must pass an exam and then it will be issued by the Knights of Favonius."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "Today, as part of your task to clean up the city rooftop debris and post missing person notices, I'll act as your examiner to oversee the exam."

"After all, as Honorary Knights, it wouldn't be proper for you to fly around the city without a license, would it?"

"'Exam' is a word I often heard when I was studying and going to school back in my world."

Nolan scratched his head, feeling annoyed to encounter this troublesome word even after crossing over.

"Yeah, exams sound troublesome indeed, but if Amber is supervising as the examiner, then maybe..." Paimon blinked her starry eyes, looking at the enthusiastic scout knight with anticipation.

Nolan couldn't help but smile slightly at Paimon's expression, thinking that little Paimon really had a knack for wit, although the upright scout knight would certainly not agree.

As expected, Amber, with her hands on her hips and a determined tone, said firmly, "Absolutely not! Rest assured, with your abilities, this exam will be a breeze for you."

Her subsequent words softened a bit.

"Alright." Lumine and Paimon shrugged, showing a somewhat disappointed expression.

"Nolan is much better at handling situations like this." Amber looked at their expressions helplessly, then took out a thick book from the Vision and continued, "Take a look at this Flight Guide. Before the formal exam begins, familiarize yourselves with the rules and standards of flying."

"Wow, it looks pretty thick. Luckily, I can fly with my 'Illusory Wings' and don't need to take the exam to use the Wind Glider." Paimon patted her chest, feeling relieved.

Lumine glanced at her disdainfully. Look at you, all proud.

"When Lisa taught me magic, she also made me read many thick books first. Anyway, you don't need to remember everything, just get a basic understanding." Amber changed her posture, now crossing her arms over her chest.

"Alright, since that's the case, there's nothing we can do." Nolan nodded.

"Then let's sit here and quickly go over the key points." Paimon looked to the left side of the brick railing, where there was a grayish-white roof with a spire. Along the spire, she noticed something familiar and exclaimed in surprise:

"Hey, Traveler, look! There's a strange device here too."

Hearing Paimon's words, everyone followed her gaze and saw a large torch-like device emitting a red light quietly placed under the spire.

"Oh, you mean that. It mysteriously appeared there when the Knights of Favonius headquarters was built, and it's just as magical as the treasure chest. Everyone has long been used to it, and no one knows what its purpose is."

Amber explained with a look of realization after thinking for a moment.

This was an unlit teleportation waypoint, which Nolan had already seen before, but unfortunately, he couldn't use it.

Only those with special powers like Lumine can activate and use it.

"Hehe, we know about this." Paimon smiled, placing her hands behind her back.

"You know?" Amber looked at Paimon in surprise.

"Yeah, the first time we encountered this device was on the beach outside of Stormbearer Point. Out of curiosity, we touched it, and suddenly, that 'torch-like' thing floated up from its base, and the red light changed to blue."

Lumine, with one hand holding the backless white dress wrapped around her chest and the other hand supporting her chin, reminisced. Her snow-white skin with gentle curves was slightly lifted as she continued:

"I examined the device and found that as long as you touch it again, you can choose to teleport to another device that you've activated."

"What?! They're teleportation devices?" Amber was clearly surprised, and Nolan, standing beside her, mirrored the same expression.

"Yeah, and the Traveler can even take me along for the ride. Unfortunately, we only found one on the beach, one on a hill far beyond Mondstadt Bridge, and one above the streets near the Fountain Square. But the one on the street is in plain sight, so the Traveler didn't activate it to avoid attracting attention."

Paimon shared what she knew.

"So that's how it is. Could this be another special ability like your 'purification'?" Amber felt incredulous, but she didn't doubt it. After all, the Traveler was someone full of unknowns.

"I'm not sure, actually," Lumine shook her head, indicating uncertainty.

"How about it? Do you want to experience the feeling of teleportation? Let the Traveler activate this teleportation device and take you outside Mondstadt to see."

Paimon looked at the teleportation waypoint and said to Amber and Nolan..

"Is it possible?" Amber was intrigued.

Nolan also looked at Lumine with curiosity.

"Of course." Lumine nodded. "I'll go activate this teleportation device first."

After saying that, Lumine effortlessly climbed up the spire above the Knights of Favonius headquarters.

Taking a few steps forward with her legs clad in over-the-knee white boots, she gently touched the teleport waypoint with her fair palm.

Suddenly, a dazzling blue light flashed, and the teleport waypoint floated up from its grayish-white, stone-like base.

"I can't believe it actually changed!"

Amber's deep brown hair covering her hips swayed gently in the breeze as she watched. Her hair tips lightly brushed against her snow-white thighs.

Next, Lumine took Amber and Nolan separately to try teleporting to the waypoint outside Mondstadt, and then quickly returned.

This proved Paimon's words to be true.

"So fast. One moment you close your eyes, and the next moment, the world has changed. It's similar to Lisa's spatial transfer magic!"

Amber found that using the teleportation device for spatial transfer didn't feel particularly special. There was no discomfort in her body or anywhere else; everything felt natural.

"It's indeed marvelous. This can be considered a significant discovery for the continent of Teyvat." Nolan also sighed slightly.

"Yeah, that's right. You two stay here and familiarize yourselves with the contents of the 'Flight Guide.' I'll go report to Acting Grand Master Jean!"

Before Amber could finish speaking, she ran downstairs in a hurry.

"Ah, Amber is such a spirited girl." Paimon, wearing a crown on her head, shrugged helplessly and sighed.

Next, Nolan and Lumine sat on the railing and opened the book Amber had given them to read.

Paimon, although exempt from the exam, floated curiously behind them, her gaze passing through the two of them and landing on the pages of the book.

Before long,

Paimon, slightly puzzled, said, "Although I've only read a dozen pages, why does the book Amber gave us feel less like a 'Flight Guide' and more like... um, what was it again?"

She scratched her pure white hair, unable to remember for a moment.

"Like a fable," Lumine's fair face showed a pensive expression.

Nolan nodded, recalling that in the game's plot, Amber had mistakenly given Lumine a fable about "courage" instead of the flight guide.

At this point in time, it should be mismatched with the time of the game's plot, but unexpectedly, she still made the same mistake.

Only you, Amber.

Soon, the wooden door on the rooftop was pushed open again, and Amber came out with Acting Grand Master Jean and Miss Lisa.

"Oh, cutie, I heard you've caused another commotion~" Miss Lisa, wearing a purple dress robe, crossed her arms and said lazily.

She was reading in the library when she heard from Jean and little Amber that the strange device on the rooftop had been activated by Lumine. Naturally, this piqued her curiosity, so she chose to come and take a look.

After all, she had never heard of anyone being able to make these things change.

"After all, she's the miraculous Traveler from another world!" Paimon smiled and said.

"In any case, Lisa, why don't you go and see if you can figure out something, so as not to hide any imperceptible dangers." Jean looked at the device above the spire with some doubt.

"I've studied it over a hundred times. I hope I can see something this time." Lisa's legs, wrapped in over-the-knee black lace stockings, showed a symmetrical and gentle curve in the sunlight as she stepped into a purple magic circle in front of her and walked in with high heels.

Then she appeared in front of the strange device on the spire, which was already lit up and emitting a blue light, and began her research.

During this time, Lumine was asked to teleport a bit, and in the end, she came up with a conclusion that she herself was not too sure about.

Lisa believed that these devices should be "waypoints" set in key nodes of the ley lines.

Like carriages, they allow users to briefly participate in the circulation of the ley lines using these "waypoints" and then emerge from another "waypoint."

Although the circulation of the ley lines is fast, it's somewhat different from spatial transfer magic. The closer the two waypoints are, the shorter the time required for teleportation, but if they are far apart, there may be some delay.

Hearing Lisa's explanation, Nolan felt that it seemed quite reasonable.

After all, when he used the teleport waypoints in the game, if they were close, there was hardly any loading time, but if they were farther away, it would take several seconds to load.

Thus, Lisa's guessed principle of operation for the teleport waypoints was just right.

Unfortunately, she had no clue about how to activate the waypoints, for now, only Lumine could do that.

After clarifying the matter of the teleport waypoints, Acting Grand Master Jean finally felt relieved. She still trusted Lisa more, although it was just a guess, but since she dared to say it, it was probably not far from the truth.

After Lisa and Acting Grand Master Jean left the rooftop, Amber asked Nolan and Lumine if they had finished reading the "Flight Guide," only to be embarrassedly informed that she had given them the wrong book.

There was no choice but for her to search for another book in her Vision.

This book was of similar color and thickness, no wonder Amber carelessly took the wrong one without noticing.

To save time, Teacher Amber personally picked out the key points to explain to Nolan and Lumine the things they needed to pay attention to when using the Wind Glider for flight.

For example, "two people can not share a wind glider", "cannot use Anemo Slime for takeoff in violation of regulations," "cannot use Wind Gliders while intoxicated," and so on.

After confirming that both of them had memorized it, Amber's flight test officially began!

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Encounter at the Blacksmith Shop

"The first step before flying is to make sure that you are in good physical and mental health."

Amber, with her hands clad in brown gloves, pressed them against the belts on either side of her waist. She glanced at Nolan and Lumine, then continued, "From the looks of you, there shouldn't be any problems."

"Then let's talk about the first test item, which is to take off from a higher terrain, then fly steadily for a while while paying attention to the wind direction and conditions. We'll fly from the Knights of Favonius headquarters rooftop to the windmill tower near the city wall."

"Oh, that sounds easy," Nolan said, understandingly.

"Hehe, that's right. It seems we'll be able to handle it easily," Paimon said, arms crossed, with a smile.

"Don't be careless, after all, there are many cases of violations that have already told us that most accidents occur due to carelessness during flight," Amber explained, citing examples from the "Flight Guide."

Like the Mondstadt citizen Rudolf, who, to amuse his daughter, jumped from his second-floor window with the Wind Glider, fracturing his left leg and bruising his hip on landing.

Or the bard Josef, who insisted on showcasing his musical skills in the air to impress his drinking buddies, only to plunge from the sky into the wishing pool under Lord Barbatos's feet. Though uninjured, he was banned from flying by the Knights of Favonius for five years.

There was also the legendary adventurer, Miss Alice, who publicly used the Wind Slime's airstream to take off, drawing the Acting Grand Master's ire.

"So even if you are Honorary Knights, when flying in Mondstadt, don't get too cocky. If you cause any negative consequences, the Knights will punish you!" Amber warned in conclusion.

Paimon nodded after listening.

"Hehe, got it. The Traveler and I are law-abiding tourists. As for this guy..."

She glanced mischievously at Nolan and shrugged.

"Hey, what's with that look, you little troublemaker Paimon?" Nolan said, feeling speechless at her antics.

"Alright, I'll fly over first. Follow my lead when you're ready to start flying," Amber said, standing on the brick railing with her legs clad in over-the-knee white high-heeled boots, slightly leaning forward, then leaping off with her Wind Glider spread out.

She glided like a large red bird.

The sunlight caressed Amber's relaxed, snow-white thighs as they hung down, casting a slightly dazzling reflection.

Not long after, she stopped on the walkway near the windmill tower in the distance, then turned around and waved back at the others.

Lumine and Nolan saw Amber's signal and subsequently launched their Wind Gliders and flew out.

For these "veteran drivers," the exam was simply no challenge at all.

The Wind Glider, slightly trembling, revealed Lumine's snow-white back, with her symmetrical and gentle shoulder blades becoming more prominent as she spread her arms.

A gentle breeze brushed Nolan's face as the two of them landed smoothly on the wooden walkway above the windmill tower.

Amber clapped her hands and said, "You two are indeed Honorary Knights. The standard flight license exam set by the Knights was indeed too easy for you."

"That's true, but this kind of exam still depends on luck. If an unexpected crosswind comes, I dare not say we can fly over to meet the standard," Nolan said with a touch of emotion.

This flight license exam reminded him of memories of taking the driver's license exam for motor vehicles back on Earth.

"Well, that's true. I remember a young adventurer named Bennett who always had various strange accidents every time he came to take the flight license exam with the Knights. He still hasn't passed yet."

Amber casually said as if she had thought of something, mainly because that level of bad luck was truly impressive.

So it was Bennett! Nolan had already associated him with being unlucky just by hearing that name alone.

"Anyway, before we proceed to the next exam phase, Paimon, could you please pick up the debris hanging on the windmill rotor?" Amber asked as Paimon leisurely flew over.

"Of course, no problem," Paimon said with a smile on her fair little face.

After dealing with the debris, Amber took out a pale yellow piece of paper from her Vision and handed it to Lumine, saying, "This is a missing person notice I made based on the appearance of your brother as mentioned earlier. Take a look to see if there's anything else to add."

"'Seeking the missing young man with distinctive blond exotic clothing. Any information, please contact Scout Knight Amber. Much appreciated!'"

Lumine read the contents aloud, parting her soft lips.

Apart from the lack of a portrait, there were no major issues, Nolan thought to himself after glancing at it.

After posting the missing person notice, Amber and the others went to the city wall. The second test phase was obstacle avoidance, which also didn't pose a challenge for Nolan and Lumine.

As time passed...

The debris blown onto the city wall was cleared, and the missing person notices were mostly posted in their designated spots.

"That's great, the area we needed to clear has been cleared. Thanks to you all, it wouldn't have been done so quickly without your help. The rest can be left to our fellow Knights and the citizens themselves," Amber said near the "Good Hunter" restaurant.

"Fountain Square and the streets have returned to their bustling state as usual," she added, addressing Nolan and the others.

[Amber Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 150 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Level 5 (100/500)]

"No need to be polite, after all, we're honorary knights too." Nolan said with a smile on his face.

"Well, you guys also passed your flight license, wait for a few days and the Knights will have them issued and I'll bring them over to you," Amber said before bidding farewell to attend to her other duties.

Next, Nolan and Lumine still planned to go to the Adventurers' Guild to pick up a commission. But before that, Nolan went to the blacksmith shop to find Wagner and collect the elemental arrows he had customized last time.

After such a long time had passed, it was no surprise that they were ready.

When they arrived at the blacksmith shop, they unexpectedly saw a familiar figure mentioned earlier—Bennett!

"Uncle Wagner, can't you lower the repair cost a bit? With 200,000 Mora, I could buy a new one!" The blond-haired youth was bargaining with the burly man there.

"Bennett, what are you talking about? A three-star one-handed sword starts at least at 1 million. Look at your broken sword, it has several deep cuts. To repair it, we'll need to forge it again with new materials, and their cost is almost the same as this price," Wagner explained helplessly.

What nonsense are you spouting, Bennett? And, what's there for me to cheat about? Besides, the most important thing to me, is my reputation.

"Hello there, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Wagner," Nolan greeted the two.

"Oh, it's you, kid. I thought you didn't want those elemental arrows anymore," Wagner said, crossing his massive arms.

"How could that be? I'm here to pick them up," Nolan replied with a smile.

"Oh, Nolan, it just so happens I've been looking for you lately," Bennett said, slightly surprised to see Nolan and the others, then remembering something.

A few days ago, he heard from the hunters in Springvale that there were strange wolves appearing in the Wolvendom. He wanted to go on an adventure there, but he got delayed for a few days because of the Stormterror incident.

Seeing the good weather yesterday, he thought of going to find Nolan to go on an adventure together, but when he tried to find him, he realized he didn't know where he lived.

Unable to locate him, he had to go and check out the situation by himself, and almost didn't make it back!

"You're looking for me?"

Nolan was a bit puzzled.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Monsters from Another World

In Mondstadt City, at the blacksmith's shop.

Bennett recounted the recent events he had encountered.

"So, you're saying there are fierce-looking flying wolves in the Wolvendom, and you almost got injured?"

Nolan's face showed a slight expression of surprise as he spoke.

Fierce-looking and flying. If I'm not mistaken, those must be the monsters from the Otherworld, a Riftwolf or a Rifthound or maybe Rifthound Whelp?

Back when the game was updated, even Noelle, whom he always took along no matter what, would be severely damaged by them.

Once attacked by these creatures, even through a shield, it would cause a long-lasting "bleeding" effect.

In the game, it was manageable, but if one were scratched by them in reality, they might quickly bleed to death. In other words, they were much more dangerous than you'd think.

Fortunately, Bennett's elemental burst had a healing effect; otherwise, he might really have fallen in the Wolvendom.

Speaking of which, Bennett might be unlucky, but regardless of the circumstances, he could always turn the situation around.

Perhaps that's why his constellation/Seat of Destiny/Archon Seat is called "Fire Ventures With Me."

The adventure process may be perilous, but the ending is always satisfactory.

"Yeah, I've never seen those monsters before. They seem quite strange, and I don't know why they suddenly appeared in the Wolvendom Territory."

Bennett said as he stroked his blonde hair.

"It sounds interesting. How about we investigate? After all, as they say, the greater the danger, the greater the adventure. Besides, the unknown often signifies treasure!"

Paimon, who was listening nearby, adjusted the position of her floating crown on her head and smiled.

"...Hmm"

Lumine, with her hands on her soft waist, looked at Paimon with some exasperation and said, "In case of unusual circumstances, you should first inform the Knights of Favonius or the Adventurers' Guild; don't take unnecessary risks!"

"Eh-hey!" Paimon blinked one eye and stuck out her tongue.

"Um, this friend with golden hair is right. Let's go report the unusual situation in the Wolvendom to the guild first," Bennett agreed with a nod.

"Hehe, she's Lumine and I'm Paimon." Paimon briefly introduced himself and Lumine.

"I'm Bennett. Nice to meet you both," Bennett said with a smile.

Before heading to the Adventurers' Guild, Nolan also picked up the elemental arrows made of water elemental ore at the blacksmith's shop.

Wagner's forging skills were still good; he forged sixty arrows from three pieces of water elemental ore.

Since Nolan provided the main raw materials, he only charged a crafting fee of thirty thousand mora, and the wooden shafts for the arrows weren't worth much either.

"Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild."

The receptionist, Katheryne, dressed in a maid-style dress, smiled as she looked at the familiar faces approaching from outside.

"Hello, Miss Katheryne," Paimon, who had only recently met Katheryne, spoke in a tone that made it seem like they were quite familiar.

"Hello, Paimon. Are you here to take on a commission?"

Katheryne politely inquired, her hands elegantly folded in front of her.

"No, Miss Katheryne, we've discovered some unusual occurrences in the Wolvendom," Bennett reiterated what he had just told Nolan and the others.

"I see. Have unknown dangerous monsters appeared?" Katheryne pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I understand. If what you say is true, then these monsters are indeed very dangerous. It's necessary to investigate them, so..."

"So what?" Paimon scratched her head, a bit puzzled.

Katheryne's fair face showed a gentle smile as she faced everyone. "So, such a dangerous task is difficult for ordinary people to handle. Why not have the Traveler, who was able to repel the Wind Dragon to take the lead and take it on?"

"Me?" Lumine showed a slightly surprised expression.

"Of course, no one is more suitable than you and your companions," Katheryne confirmed with a nod.

Hearing Katheryne's words, Paimon clasped her hands behind her back and said with a smile, "Hehe, as expected, we're heading to the Wolvendom in the end."

"That shouldn't be a problem. After all, we're here to take on commissions anyway," Nolan said, rubbing his chin.

"Makes sense," Lumine twirled a strand of her golden hair around her finger, showing no objections.

Bennett, needless to say, was eager to take on the task. After all, he was the first to discover the anomalies in the Wolvendom, and as someone aspiring to be a "great adventurer," he couldn't simply ignore these dangerous monsters.

"Thank you very much. Please prepare adequate supplies before setting out. I'll report this information to Branch Master Cyrus and have him prepare the specific commission details," Katheryne politely excused herself from the reception desk.

[Katheryne Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 150 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.3 (70/300)]

"Katheryne is right. This time, we have to prepare properly this time, we can't eat roasted meat without seasoning again."

Paimon said, spreading her hands and looking at Lumine.

Clearly, their life in the wilderness before arriving in Mondstadt wasn't all that wonderful.

Next, the group spent some time purchasing essential items for wilderness adventures.

For example, Nolan's tent was broken and needed to be replace it with a new one.

In Mondstadt City, there was a shop specializing in outdoor adventure gear for adventurers. Before long, they bought everything they needed and returned.

To Nolan's slight surprise, in addition to Branch Master Cyrus, there were also two familiar figures who came back with Katheryne.

Fischl and her familiar, Night Raven Oz!

"Hehe~ My attendants, it has been a long time. Undoubtedly, you must have missed this princess deeply!"

Fischl, with her long golden hair, saw Nolan and raised her fair cheeks slightly as she spoke.

"Aiya, the young miss still often misses you guys in the course of her investigation mission."

Oz said as he flapped his night-colored wings.

"Mind your words, Oz!" Fischl retorted discontentedly.

"Long time no see, Miss Fischl and Oz," Bennett greeted with a smile.

Nolan also greeted Fischl and Oz and introduced Lumine and Paimon to everyone to get acquainted.

He then asked with some confusion, "How come you're here? Did Mr. Cyrus ask you to come over to investigate the monsters in the Wolvendom together?"

"Haha, you guessed it right, kid. Little Fischl here is a very capable investigator for our Adventurers' Guild. With her, you'll have a much easier time," Cyrus, wearing a monocle, laughed loudly.

Nolan's thoughts were confirmed, and he naturally welcomed Fischl and Oz's joining. After all, as the branch master said, Fischl's assistance in investigating the Rifthounds would be of great help.

Shortly after.

Branch Master Cyrus officially announced the adventurers' commission.

The commission was designated as high-risk, with a reward of two million Mora. Hearing this amount made Paimon extremely excited.

Then, this ad-hoc adventure team set out.

Out of curiosity, Nolan activated his Golden Eye of Judgment to glance at Cyrus, the former legendary adventurer, and discovered that his level was sixty, indeed not weak.

Surprisingly, the gentle and elegant Katheryne also had a level of twenty. Perhaps it was because of her puppet nature? Nolan speculated.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Appearance of Rifthound

Mondstadt, Springvale.

On their way to Wolvendom, the temporary adventure team decided to stop here first and inquire about any clues.

Even before they entered the small town, they saw a group of hunters from Springvale gathered on the roadside discussing something. Leading them was their hunting chief, Draff.

"No, Chief, I must slaughter those damn beasts! I trust my archery skills!" exclaimed a young hunter wearing a hat, filled with excitement.

"That's too risky. They're not ordinary wolves; they're monsters!" Draff, with a beard, shook his head. "I think even if all the hunters in our town went out, it might not be enough. Besides, such behavior is foolish. We should go and ask the Knights of Favonius for help."

"Long time no see, Mr. Draff," Nolan greeted as he approached.

"Oh, Nolan, it's you. Indeed, it's been a while," Draff, slightly surprised to see Nolan, replied.

Then, he smiled and said, "Are you here to share a drink with me?"

"Haha, sorry, Mr. Draff. We heard about the strange monsters appearing in Wolvendom, so we took on a commission to investigate. By the way, is what you just said related to this matter?"

Nolan scratched his head awkwardly, then asked with a puzzled expression.

"...Well, indeed." Draff lowered his gaze thoughtfully and explained, "Wolvendom is our main hunting ground in Springvale. Generally, there aren't any powerful monsters there that we can't handle.

"But yesterday, two of our hunting teams came back injured. Their faces were pale, as if they hadn't eaten for days. According to them, it was a type of creature that looked like a wolf.

"Being scratched by them causes continuous bleeding. Two of them had minor wounds less than a centimeter, yet the whole team's hemostatic and healing potions were almost depleted just to barely stop it. It's terrifying. If we don't clear them out, no hunters in Springvale will dare to go hunting there. We're troubled by this."

After all, not everywhere was like Wolvendom, which was more suitable as a long-term hunting ground in all aspects of conditions.

The matter of unstoppable bleeding had been mentioned by Bennett earlier. He had encountered these creatures and was injured by them, but he easily resisted them with the healing effects of his Elemental Burst.

"It seems that they have already endangered the residents in the neighborhood," Lumine said thoughtfully.

Just then, a slightly chubby hunter rushed over hastily from outside, shouting as he ran, "Bad news, Chief! Those guys have appeared on the roads near the town!"

"What?!"

At once several hunters including Draff were shocked and ran outside.

"Are they saying those strange monsters from Wolvendom have come near Springvale?" Paimon watched the departing figures, scratching his head in confusion.

"If that's the case it's really troublesome. If the monsters stay in Wolvendom and they stay away from Wolvendom to avoid danger, but running to the vicinity of Springvale means there's no way to avoid it anymore," Nolan said with a heavy heart.

"Oz, follow them!"

Fischl, with her symmetrical legs wrapped in asymmetrical black stockings, began to sway slightly. She and her raven Oz immediately followed Draff and the others without hesitation.

The rest of the temporary adventure team followed closely behind.

Leaving the hunters to face these monsters alone would be too dangerous.

Not long after,

The group of people arrived at a small hill where they could observe the road below. They clearly saw a huge wolf-like creature hovering in the air with several smaller companions swaying in the grass by the roadside.

"Yes, those are the strange wolves from Wolvendom!"

Bennett revealed a look of still having some second thoughts, the sword he had used for a long time was damaged by this kind of creature.   

"Appearing near Springvale, for the safety of the townsfolk, we must clear them out!" The hunter who had been excited and looked younger earlier was once again stirred up. One of the two injured yesterday was his younger brother.

He wanted to avenge his brother!

"Unfortunately, we have no choice. With our numbers, as long as we use our bows and arrows to maintain enough distance, defeating them shouldn't be difficult," Draff nodded helplessly. He began instructing the six or seven hunters present to prepare for the attack.

"Wait!"

Nolan was slightly puzzled when he heard Draff's words, didn't they know that these "Bleeding Wolfs" could move instantaneously?

In the field of vision of his Golden Eye of Judgment, those Rift Wolfs were shown to be only level 20 or so, and Draff and his group might barely be able to handle them. But the leader, the Rifthound, was level forty.s level 40.

With its ability to traverse space, a swipe from it would mean certain death for ordinary people, even without the "bleeding" effect.

"What's wrong?" Draff said with some doubt.

Nolan explained, "I have a special ability to see that they are very strong, beyond what you can handle. So let us handle it!"

"Chief, this..."

A slightly plump hunter looked at Nolan, then at Draff.

He clearly saw that most of the people here had the Vision and were definitely much stronger than them.

If this adventure team was willing to help, it would be great.

After a moment of contemplation, Draff nodded. Nolan's and Lumine's defeating of the Stromterror and becoming Honorary Knights had already spread throughout Mondstadt.

He was long gone from the young apprentice who had followed him to learn archery some time ago.

Isn't this growth speed a bit unbelievable?

While Draff was thinking this, his eyes caught a glimpse of the fiery red glass ball hanging around his neck.

So he's obtained a Vision. That explains it.

The hunters, upon hearing that Nolan and the others were willing to intervene, acknowledged their own insufficient strength and didn't hesitate.

"Hehe, while these monsters haven't noticed us yet, we can launch a surprise attack and see if we can heavily damage that big guy!"

Paimon pointed his index finger at the Rifthound in the distance, her starry eyes twinkling as she spoke.

"Oh, Paimon's idea is quite constructive. I'm sure Nolan is thinking the same thing right now," Night Raven Oz chuckled, knowing Nolan's combat style well from their adventures together.

That is, strike first with a surprise attack, and if you can't win, carry the team and run away together!

"Uh that's right, I've already seen that wolf-like monster has an old wound on its back spine, later on Her Royal Highness can aim to attack there."

Nolan nodded.

He reiterated the fact that he could see weaknesses with his eyes, and quickly prepared to attack with Fischl, who was also an archer.

During this time, Bennett asked if they needed him to activate his Elemental Burst to boost their power.

Nolan thought about it and felt that it would be better to keep his ultimate ability, just in case anyone was scratched by the "bleeding dog", it would be troublesome if it was not healed in time.

(End of chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Attraction

Using his gaming memories to understand the Rifthound's attack habits, Nolan urged Draff and the others to retreat a bit to avoid being affected by their counterattacks later.

As Fischl's lightning-element arrow cut through the air in a graceful arc, just about to hit the Rifthound, Nolan's fire-element arrow flew out first.

The weak points on the RiftHound's back, as discovered by the Golden Eye of Judgment, were sequentially hit by the fire and lightning elemental arrows.

This caused damage from both fire and lightning elements, and the subsequent overload reaction blasted it back.

The RiftHound couldn't help but howl, indicating that it was seriously injured.

Although Nolan had a minor damage bonus specialty [Monster Slayer], as well as the boost from the artifact set effect, he couldn't defeat a monster ten levels higher than himself with a single strike.

Even with Fischl's assistance in triggering Overload, it was the same.

If it were Abyss Mages who hadn't activated their elemental shields yet, they could be taken down relatively easily; after all, without their shields, they were truly weak.

Perhaps the elemental shield was their true form.

"Everyone, be careful, they're coming!" Nolan's mind was filled with thoughts as he also kept an eye on the movements of the creatures.

RiftHound and Rifthound Whelps paid attention to Nolan and the others on the small hill as they were being attacked.

Suddenly, without warning, they disappeared from their original positions.

According to Nolan's memory, they would reappear behind everyone and launch a surprise attack.

"They might appear from behind, everyone, get out of the way!"

Despite being somewhat surprised by the sudden disappearance of these wolf-like creatures, everyone present had ample combat experience and didn't panic.

After Nolan's reminder, they quickly realized the likelihood of this happening.

So they quickly backed away, and the next moment, these creatures indeed appeared in the air above where they had originally stood, their sharp claws instantly striking down.

But unfortunately, they missed.

Nolan didn't miss this opportunity. He put away his Adventurer Hunting Bow and quickly switched to the Dull Blade, instantly releasing the fire element from the Delusion and attaching it to the RiftHound's forehead with a max-level sword technique.

Also launching an attack was Bennett, who was about to use his Elemental Burst when suddenly his foot slipped on the grass and he fell to the ground.

As expected, his unlucky constitution had just been triggered.

Seeing this, Oz quickly stepped in and spat out a Thundering Magic Bullet to make up for the missing attack.

Then, Lumine, with her fair palm, conjured a rapidly spinning vortex of wind. With soft, rosy lips parted, she shouted:

"Wind Vortex Sword!"

The fire element attached to the RiftHound instantly spread to the other creatures.

The heavily injured RiftHound and several weak Rifthound Whelps couldn't hold on for long.

[Defeat Powerful Enemies *5, Obtained 2305 Adventure EXP.]

As the monsters were defeated, the prompt for gaining Adventure EXP popped up. Nolan had defeated the RiftHound, gaining over 1700 Adventure EXP.

The others, defeated by Lumine, didn't receive many experience points due to their lower levels.

And this part, he could only get one-third of it, so it's only a little over two thousand Adventure EXP.

"Amazing, the cooperation between you all was absolutely splendid!" Draff and the hunters applauded.

"Hehe, it's nothing much!" Paimon smiled, as if basking in the praise.

"Um, Mr. Draff, actually, the Adventurer's Guild is already aware of the abnormal situation in the Wolvendom Territory. We're the ones who accepted the commission to investigate," Nolan explained.

"Since they've already appeared near Springvale Town, it's conceivable that there will be more inside Wolvendom Territory. Recently, it's better for you not to hunt there. Let the Adventurer's Guild handle the matter first," he advised.

"Hmm, of course," said Draff, dressed in hunter attire, crossing his arms and nodding.

Lumine's golden hair fluttered in the breeze as she remembered their purpose for coming here and asked, "By the way, Mr. Draff, when your hunting team returned from Wolvendom yesterday, did they notice where these creatures emerged from?"

Draff hadn't gone hunting yesterday, so he thought for a moment before replying, "We don't know exactly where they came from. But according to the injured hunters, they encountered these unfamiliar creatures in the WolfHook Fruit Forest of Wolvendom Territory. You can go there to see if there are any other clues."

"Huh, it's not far from where I encountered them," remarked Bennett, rubbing his nose somewhat unexpectedly. He had just taken a tumble for no apparent reason, landing right on his nose.

"Oh, that's quite a coincidence. Then let's go there first and take a look. Perhaps we'll find some clues," suggested Oz, flapping his Night Raven wings.

"Nothing can escape the gaze of this princess's Great Illusionary Dream All-Seeing Eye of Madness!"

Fischl raised her right hand, covering her left eye with the black eye patch, striking a handsome pose.

Next, the temporary adventure team continued on toward the Wolvendom.

As for the bodies of the Beast Domain creatures on the ground...

Nolan asked Mr. Draff and the other hunters to take the bodies to the Adventurer's Guild and the Knights of Favonius for further examination. Perhaps they would make some discoveries.

He didn't know much about the "Bleeding Wolfs" himself.

They seemed to have been created by the renowned Mondstadt alchemist, Albedo's mentor, "Gold" Rhinedottir, using alchemy combined with powers from beyond the world.

With an ability called "Erosion," which is why their attacks cause bleeding.

And their instinct is to dissolve the boundaries of the world and traverse space, which is also why they are so dangerous.

In short, they were a very dangerous group of creatures.

Wolvendom.

By the time they arrived, it was almost dark, and continuing to move would be unwise.

They first set up a tripod on a relatively open grassland, with a cauldron hanging in the middle containing a black bass, and the boiling soup turned milky white.

At the same time, they erected four tents side by side, with Nolan also setting up a small bonfire rack made of wood on the outer perimeter.

The burning flames illuminated the darkness around them and kept the usual wild beasts at bay.

Of course, this was only for ordinary beasts, as it was now.

A group of Rifthounds, capable of flying like Paimon, stared at the approaching group, their numbers much greater than those encountered in Springvale Town.

There were already three Rifthounds alone, and over ten Rifthound Whelps.

"We've only been here for a short time. Why did they find us so quickly and gather so many companions to surround us?!" Paimon exclaimed, looking surprised.

Bennett scratched his ash-blond hair, speculating, "I heard from the old folks that dogs and wolves are the same kind of creatures, with very keen noses. I think these black wolf packs are the same. Perhaps they smelled the scent of their dead kin on us and came seeking revenge."

(End of Chapter)

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Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Cunning Riftwolfs Pack

According to Bennett, it wasn't impossible.

Otherwise, there was no other explanation. After all, they were still on the edge of Wovelndom, and the camping spot was so open and empty.

According to the habits of creatures, they shouldn't choose to settle near such an environment. There were too few hiding places and they could easily be discovered by enemies.

"Everyone be careful, they might be about to attack."

Lumine said, her legs apart, wearing knee-high boots, and her body slightly lowered in a defensive stance.

The snow-white thighs revealed under the diagonal hem of her skirt seemed to tighten slightly as well.

This group of Otherworldly Creatures, led by the three RiftHounds in the lead, like hunters closing in on their prey, approached the members of the temporary adventure team step by step.

"This isn't going to work. There are so many of them. What should we do? It feels like we might not be able to handle it," Paimon said, her face full of worry, hiding behind Lumine.

"It is indeed troublesome. Those big black wolves are no weaker than the one we encountered earlier," Nolan said.

Although his eye of judgment was golden, it didn't shine in the darkness. After all, he wasn't some kind of feline with glowing eyes.

At this moment, among the attacking creatures, one of the Rifthounds, along with several whelps, dissolved the boundaries of the world and traversed deeper layers of space, while the others remained motionless.

"No way, they're so cunning?!"

Seeing this situation, Nolan couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

At the same time, everyone had experienced this situation before. The five of them quickly left their original positions, and sure enough, a black wolf suddenly appeared above their original location, its claws swinging down.

Seeing it miss, Nolan hadn't even breathed a sigh of relief when several Riftwolf Whelps suddenly appeared beside him, their mouths full of sharp teeth ready to bite.

Nolan raised an eyebrow, instantly releasing the fire elemental to attach to the Dull Blade from his Delusion.

Using the extraordinary property of his swordsmanship, "Boundary of Stillwind," he easily sensed the airflow movements around him.

After dodging the whelps' attacks, he seized the opportunity to stab the fire-element-attached long sword into the bright weak spot under one whelp's jaw, piercing straight through its skull.

[Defeated A Powerful Enemy, Obtained 435 Adventure EXP.]

As the prompt popped up on the character panel, it proved that it was as dead as dead could be.

"Attendant, be careful!"

As the Rifthounds attacked the adventure team, scattering them, the other Rift creatures split into several groups and attacked the others.

These creatures with wolf-like habits are truly disgusting in their cunning!

Fischl, with a ready thunder elemental arrow, was about to shoot at the incoming young beast when, out of the corner of her eye, she silently spotted a huge black wolf behind Nolan.

Quickly alerting them, she redirected her arrow towards the target while firing.

Sensing the exposed vulnerability of the Rifthound Whelp, it immediately lunged towards her arm.

When Fischl felt something was amiss and turned around, it was already too late!

"Miss!"

Oz, shimmering with lightning, like a spinning drill, rushed into the mouth of the Rifthound Whelp, tearing it apart.

Just as Fischl breathed a sigh of relief, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her calf.

Another Rifthound Whelp appeared from behind her, instantly biting the defenseless Fischl, eliciting a painful whimper from her soft lips.

Her entire body tingled with lightning, paralyzing the Rifthound Whelp biting her calf.

Biting her lip, Fischl instantly attached lightning elemental to the arrow in her hand and released it at the Rifthound Whelp beneath her foot.

It had no chance to evade. The arrow of lightning, shot at close range, left its final consciousness forever shrouded in purple.

Although the Rifthound Whelp had died and slipped off Fischl's leg, wrapped in her thigh-high black stockings, the "corrosive" force caused the wound it had bitten to continue oozing fresh red blood.

Nolan, hearing Fischl's warning, immediately moved away from his original position. A Rifthound had just emerged from the deep space, without causing any disturbance in the surrounding air.

This caused him to miss it at first, but the following thunder elemental arrow sent it back into the deep space.

Seeing Fischl injured, Nolan was suddenly alarmed. This could be bad if not treated promptly!

With anger rising in his heart, the fire elemental attached to his Dull Blade became fiercer.

Using his full-level swordsmanship, he quickly killed two Rifthound Whelp besieging him, swiftly running towards Fischl's direction, shouting to Lumine and Bennett:

"Everyone, come over quickly! These guys want to pick us off one by one!"

Lumine planted her Dull Blade in the grass, slowly breathing out a sigh of relief from her moist lips.

The golden tips of her hair were slightly stuck together with sweat.

Her amber eyes stared at the RIfthounds and Rifthound Whelps in front of her, daring not to move recklessly, lest she reveal a flaw.

Her backless dress had been slashed open across her abdomen at some point, revealing glimpses of the snowy white skin and navel beneath.

With both sides evenly matched, it wasn't easy to fight. Suddenly, Lumine's Dull Blade whipped up a whirlwind, shattering the soil below and sweeping towards the Rifthounds.

Seizing the moment when the Rift creatures diverted their gaze, she swiftly retreated towards Nolan and Fischl.

Bennett's side of the encounter was more dangerous. Not only did he have a Rifthound Whelp hanging from each of his feet, he also had another one on his left shoulder, biting and not moving.

With his right hand holding an unrepaired dark steel sword, he also had to deal with the Rifthound Whelp in front of him.

Near the entire campsite, several RIfthounds lurked in the deep space, ready to emerge and ambush at any moment. They seemed even more cunning than the intelligent Abyss Mages!

Seeing Bennett's predicament, Nolan quickly drew his adventurer's hunting bow and continuously shot arrows with fire elemental attached at the Rifthound Whelps biting him.

With the "Silent and Shadowless" feature, the arrows seemed to ignore distance, accurately piercing their foreheads the next moment.

Adventure EXP +426

Adventure EXP +399

Adventure EXP +501

Freed from danger, Bennett unleashed his elemental burst "Passion Overload", piercing through the Rifthound Whelp in front of him, swiftly running over to reunite with the others.

At this moment, among the Rift Monster, the three Rifthounds were still there, they also resurfaced in the deep space and appeared, staring at the several people with fierce gazes.

The rest of the Rifthound Whelp had been killed by the group, leaving only four or five remaining.

Overall, their numerical advantage wasn't as significant anymore.

"Bennett, you look pretty badly injured!"

Lumine looked at Bennett's wounds with some concern.

"Haha, it's fine, I'm used to it all." Bennett rubbed the back of his head, revealing a smile, and said, "But it's time for us to fight back next!"

"Setbacks, adversity, wounds - they're all part of the 'glorious journey' to becoming great adventurers!"

With renewed determination, he jumped up in place, and then slammed his fist into the ground. A fiery red light spread across the grassy ground, forming a cheering domain with a pattern resembling a "thumbs-up" gesture.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Razor

On the outskirts of the Wolvendom, at the temporary campsite.

Nolan and the others stood within Bennett's elemental burst domain, feeling their strength increase significantly.

Fischl's continuously bleeding wounds from the erosion power were quickly healed, leaving only torn stockings on her calves, revealing glimpses of snowy white skin.

After all, the power of erosion was limited, and it soon depleted as time passed.

Bennett, who was more seriously injured, experienced the same, his body instantly restored to full health.

"..."

The Rift Monsters were slightly silent when they saw this situation.

They had exerted so much effort to injure just two of them, and now, inexplicably, they were healed?!

This instinctively enraged them, and the Rift creatures immediately sank into the deep space to shuttle through the boundaries of the world.

Nolan and the others didn't dodge this time, after all, there was no way to get a power boost if they left Bennett's Elemental Brust.

"Oz, be on guard!"

Fischl's purple-black skirt fluttered silently in the gentle breeze, revealing the snowy white skin beneath her black semi-transparent stockings.

"Understood, Miss." Oz, who flapped his night-colored wings, hovered above the group, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

Before long, the Rift creatures suddenly appeared beside them.

Nolan, who had already prepared for this, once again attached the fire element to the Dull Blade, and used the heavy strike technique of swordsmanship to continuously strike twice, slashing through the air and landing on the head of the Rifthound.

The burning flames and the cutting edge brought intense pain to the Beast Domain hound, eliciting a fierce howl.

Oz, who hovering above them, saw the right moment to continuously shoot out Thunder Magic Bullets to hit the Rift creature that Nolan had wounded, drowning it in a combination of lightning elemental attacks and explosive overload reactions.

"Bursting Passion Overload - Second Stage Heavy Strike!"

Bennett slightly charged up his elemental skill, sweeping towards another Rifthound and the remaining Rifthound Whelps. Under the Boost of his Elemental Brust, the tremendous power instantly crippled them and pushed them back.

Lumine, wearing knee-high white boots that revealed her snowy thighs, gracefully turned and executed a "Wind Whirlwind Kick," sweeping towards them!

Fischl, with her golden silky long hair, aimed a thunder-element-infused arrow into the tornado formed by the wind element.

In less than a second, the green tornado was instantly dyed purple by the thunderous vortex.

The thunder vortex advanced in a straight line, sucking in all the Rift creatures along the way, continuously inflicting elemental damage.

[Your Teammate Defeated Powerful Enemies * 6, Obtained 1324 Adventure EXP.]

As Lumine defeated a Rifthound and the remaining Rifthound Whelps, there were only two Rifthounds left in the camp, one of which was severely injured by Nolan and Oz.

But it was also at this moment that Bennett's Elemental Burst duration ended, and the power boost for everyone gradually faded away.

However, their current physical condition was at its peak in all aspects, fully capable of dealing with these two Rifthounds.

"Oh no, oh no, I see more wolves coming!" Paimon, flying high to avoid the battle, saw many black shadows quickly approaching from the distant woods.

"Ah it can't be that unlucky!" Bennett's enthusiasm suddenly cooled a bit.

He began to suspect if his bad luck had attracted the wolf pack.

"Wait, something's not right!" Paimon, dressed in all white, put her hand to her forehead and looked out, then said with some confusion, "They seem to be real wolves, not those dark guys!"

"Phew~ That's a relief, just ordinary beasts then." Bennett breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Paimon's words.

"But ordinary beasts would have fled upon sensing the aura of monsters, why are they still coming this way?" He scratched his head, puzzled.

"Maybe they're different somehow," Nolan said, understanding the situation.

He sheathed his Dull Blade, switched to the adventurer's hunting bow, infused the arrows with fire elemental, and continued to aim at the already severely injured Rifthound.

Now, in Nolan's golden eyes, there were bright weak points all over its body.

In other words, its life was already like a candle in the wind, ready to be extinguished with a breath.

A few seconds later, arrows imbued with fire elemental struck its head one after another, ending its wicked life.

[Defeated A Powerful Enemy, Obtained 1775 Adventure EXP.]

The remaining Rifthound, sensing the danger, instinctively wanted to shuttle through space to escape. Nolan attempted to stop it, not wasting time to infuse elemental power into the arrow.

Arrow after arrow was swiftly shot out, launching the already limited number of armor-piercing arrows.

Fortunately, although it didn't have the same powerful attack as fire-element-infused ones, under the various effects of specialties, artifacts, and the like, the damage it caused was not to be underestimated.

The pain in its body made it unable to concentrate on using the "Erosion" power to dissolve the world's boundaries and enter the deep space.

As a gregarious creature, the more companions there were, the bolder it became.

If it still had companions, it might have fought ferociously, but when it was left alone, it preferred to fly higher to escape the humans' attack range.

Its idea was good, just as the Rifthound wanted to fly higher.

Two fiercely aggressive wild wolves suddenly darted out and leaped up, biting its tail!

The sudden attack made the Rifthound's body sink, and when it turned its head, it found that it was just two local wolves that they had driven away, trying to bite it.

A figure flashing with lightning suddenly leaped onto the Rifthound's head.

"Owww!"

He emitted a wolf-like cry, his hands wrapped in lightning transformed into claws, stabbing into its eyeballs, and riding on its back.

"Hey, who's that?"

Bennett looked at someone who actually pulled down the fierce wolf-like creature, somewhat surprised.

"Wolf boy?"

Fischl, after seeing the appearance of the newcomer, showed a surprised expression on her fair face.

There had always been rumors of a boy in Mondstadt who lived with wolves. Of course, she remembered such a story so similar to a fantasy novel.

So now, seeing the boy in front of her pulling down the creature with two wolves, she also thought of that rumor.

Sure enough, it was Razor.

Nolan looked at the wild boy with gray hair wearing a hood not far away, pondering.

In the game storyline introduction, Razor, the wolf boy, lived in the Wolvendom and lived with wolves. The appearance of the Rift Monsters must have also affected them.

So it was not surprising that he found out that Rift creatures were ravaging here and would come over to help.

He watched as the Rifthound was about to be killed, restraining the urge to intervene to avoid being misunderstood by this wolf boy and the two wolves.

Not long after, Razor got up from the motionless Rifthound.

His wild and fierce expression softened, and he looked at the adventurers, speaking hesitantly as if still not fluent:

"Thank you, you, fight, them, why, come, here?"

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Secret Arts Level Skill

"Hehe, we are the adventurer team investigating these creatures!"

Paimon floated down from high in the sky and replied lazily.

"Understood."

Razor, with his gray hair, nodded, and the two wolves approached him, one on each side, licking his hand.

"So, why are you here? And why are you helping us?" Paimon asked, somewhat puzzled, with her hands behind her back.

"I Razor... and... Lupus... live here." Razor touched the heads of the two wolves and said.

"Lupus? Is that the name of a wolf?" Paimon asked, shifting her feet, clad in little boots, back and forth in the air and tilting her head to the side.

"Yes... they, family."

Razor looked at the two gray wolves, who appeared to be young, with gentle eyes.

"Oh, miss, it seems the rumors were true. There really is a wolf boy in Wolvendom," Oz, flapping his wings, said.

"It does make this princess a bit surprised."

Fischl, with her hands crossed under her chest wrapped in a black fishnet-patterned undershirt, nodded slightly.

"Foreign monsters... disturb... the peace... here." Razor said haltingly, "I want... to... be with... you."

"You mean you want to help us investigate those creatures together?" Lumine, with two pretty white flowers pinned in her golden hair, asked.

"Um-Um, Yes." Razor nodded succinctly.

"Hehe, that's great, one more person, one more power." " Paimon clapped her hands, showing a happy expression.

"Not... one person, also Lupus... them." Razor rubbed the heads of the two wolves by his feet and said.

Nolan pondered for a moment and asked, "Razor, since you have been living here, have you found out where they are distributed?"

As gregarious creatures, Rift monsters must be clustered together. If they were to investigate them, they would have to find them first. Not like just now, when they came looking for them, but actively seeking out their nests.

After all, the danger of them was something that the Adventure Team had already learned just now.

After reporting to the Adventurer's Guild and the Knights of Favonius, they would most likely conduct a large-scale cleanup of Wolvendom.

Even if they couldn't completely eradicate them, they would control them within a certain safe number.

Otherwise, letting them expand wantonly in Wolvendom would eventually endanger the residents of Mondstadt.

So Nolan's next task for them was to investigate roughly their number and location.

And why these creatures appeared in Wolvendom is also something worth noting.

"Lupus... can... smell them," Razor said without hesitation.

"So, you mean they also have a keen sense of smell. We might be surrounded by them before we even get close," Paimon said, spreading her hands in resignation.

"..."

Razor was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Hehe, it's simple. Just collect some herbs, crush them to extract the juice, and apply it to your body to mask most of the scent," Bennett, showing his expertise as an experienced adventurer, offered a very constructive suggestion.

The girls all widened their eyes at once.

"No way! Paimon doesn't want to smell all stinky!" Paimon exclaimed, hands on her hips, shaking her head.

Fischl's purple-black skirt fluttered slightly in the wind, revealing her snow-white thighs clad in over-the-knee black stockings on the left side, which seemed to blush under the glow of the fire.

She covered her mouth and coughed lightly before saying, "This princess also finds this matter somewhat inappropriate."

Encounters like this were quite common for adventurers, but it didn't matter when faced alone. However, presenting oneself in such a sorry state in front of others did tarnish the princess's dignity.

Wearing a white dress with a slit in the abdomen, Lumine hugged her chest silently nodded, then pondered for a moment and sighed helplessly, "If there's really no other way, then so be it."

"Or let me go. I have stealth skills, so the chance of being detected is smaller," Nolan said with a slight smile.

"Oh, right, Sir Nolan indeed possesses very powerful stealth skills."

Oz, who flapped his night-colored wings, nodded and said.

"But if you go alone, what if you're accidentally discovered? Then you won't be able to escape," Paimon expressed some concern between her eyebrows.

"Don't worry, I won't get too close to those black wolf packs, and you can support me nearby," Nolan said, shaking his head.

He was confident mainly because the battle just now had earned him a lot of Adventure EXP points, enough to max out his stealth skill.

[Adventure EXP:9534]

With over 9,000 Adventure EXP, he had more than enough to upgrade two skills.

"Great, then we'll rely on you, Nolan." Bennett knew himself very well; if he went along, even the most perfect plan might inexplicably fail.

So, it was best to stay away from Nolan and support him from outside, which was indeed the best choice.

Lumine and Fischl also breathed a sigh of relief. As girls, they were a bit resistant to the idea of applying grass juice.

[Lumine Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 180 Affection Points. Current Affection Level Lv.5 (215/500)]

...

After discussing the strategy for tomorrow's operation, they began to clean up the battlefield.

In fact, it was mainly Razor and Lupus who found the Riftwolfs, and then Nolan would stealthily go to investigate.

Overall, it was quite a simple plan.

While cleaning up the battlefield, the members of the adventure team noticed that the claws of these creatures seemed to be of good quality, possessing extraordinary strength. They could probably be sold for a good price as materials for forging or alchemy.

Once everything was settled, they began to pack up their things and prepare to find a new camping spot for safety.

After all, the original campsite was a bit unsafe.

During the process of moving the camp, Nolan opened his character panel and began to prepare to enhance his strength.

He decided not to level up this time since even with a three-level increase, he wouldn't be able to roam freely in Wolvendom.

First, he needed to upgrade his "Stealth Assassination Technique." At level 4, it only provided ten minutes of invisibility, which was not enough.

Adventure EXP -3900

Stealth Assassination Technique Lv.4 (0/400) > Concealment Mastery · Secret Arts Lv.1 (0/1000).

As new knowledge appeared in his mind, Nolan was surprised to find that this Stealth Assassination Technique had evolved from a common level to a secret arts level!

Perhaps it was because it had the extraordinary characteristic of "stealth invisibility".

It doesn't need to be leveled up like other ordinary skills to derive extraordinary characteristics, so it directly "transformed" and evolved at max level.

Nolan thought to himself with some surprise.

Now, in addition to optical invisibility, this skill also had the effects of concealing one's presence and moving silently, with the duration extended to one hour.

This way, he didn't have to go through the trouble of applying green grass to cover his scent.

The only downside was that the level of the skill has not only reset, but the amount of Adventure EXP required for each level has also increased.

(End of Chapter)

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