When Su Yuan and his group rushed back to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters and reported to Jean about the upheaval within the Spiral Abyss near Musk Reef, Jean's expression instantly turned to one of utter shock:
"Monsters controlled by eerie force, using that eerie power to break through the rules of the Spiral Abyss, and now they're about to attack all of Mondstadt???"
"But… we shouldn't need to panic just yet…"
Aether spoke up to explain:
"The monsters that appeared first were just hilichurls and slimes. For now, they can't swim, they don't have the ability to cross water, so they should be trapped at Musk Reef for the time being and won't pose an immediate threat to Mondstadt…"
"Traveler, how can you be so sure?" Jean asked. "Even if those monsters originally couldn't swim, what if, after being controlled by that eerie corruption, they somehow gain the ability to?"
"This brings me back to my experience in Fontaine," Aether replied.
"Back then, I also encountered hilichurl monsters controlled by eerie force. If it weren't for the fact that it had no intelligence and walked straight into the water to drown itself, I fear I might not have survived that day…"
"So, for now, we still have a little time to prepare ourselves to face this crisis and disaster."
But at that moment, Lisa frowned and spoke: "Traveler, you said the monsters that have appeared so far are mainly hilichurls and slimes, correct?"
"Yeah, Lisa, what about it?" Aether asked, puzzled, not understanding why Lisa was bringing that up.
"Then, Traveler, do you still remember how Dawn Winery was constantly troubled by slimes?"
"The slime outbreak at Dawn Winery? Of course I remember. I helped the people there deal with countless commissions about that!"
Aether nodded, then added:
"Back then, I had only just arrived in Teyvat, still a rookie adventurer. Whenever I fought those Cryo Slimes near water, I was tormented endlessly…"
As Aether spoke, his voice grew quieter and his expression more and more grave.
He quickly realized why Lisa had that look on her face, and why she had asked such a question…
"Lisa, you mean… among the slimes coming out of the Spiral Abyss, there could be Cryo Slimes???" Su Yuan was the first to speak, answering in Aether's place.
"That's right, that's exactly what I mean. If Cryo Slimes take the lead and use the Cryo elemental power radiating from their bodies to freeze the water's surface, then those monsters will very likely be able to cross over the water and reach Mondstadt…" Lisa replied, her expression growing ever more serious.
"Th-that… that shouldn't happen, right…?" Hearing this, Paimon felt a chill run down her back, sweat dripping down her face.
"Those monsters controlled by eerie force are supposed to have no intelligence. They shouldn't be able to coordinate that well, right?"
"But don't forget," Lisa continued, "the Abyss Order's Abyss Mages are also present within the Spiral Abyss. They have intelligence, and they have the ability to command monsters…"
"If it's just Abyss Mages, that would still be somewhat manageable…" Su Yuan said grimly, his face full of worry.
"But with how strange the Spiral Abyss has become, I can't help but suspect that Dottore is behind all this!"
"And if it really is Dottore pulling the strings from behind the scenes, then this situation is even worse!!!"
"Report to Acting Grand Master Jean! Bad news!!!"
Just as everyone was debating what to do next, a Knight of Favonius rushed in, panicked and breathless:
"The sentinels stationed at the watchtowers on Starsnatch Cliff, Cape Oath, and other high vantage points have all reported the same thing—countless monsters are swarming across the waters from the east, heading straight for Mondstadt City!"
"At the very front, rows upon rows of Cryo Slimes are bouncing forward in unison, freezing the surface of the sea, allowing the other monsters to advance behind them!!"
Upon hearing this news, the faces of everyone present turned dark.
The speed of this approaching monster horde… was far too fast!!!
"Notify all Mondstadt citizens to evacuate immediately, then gather every available fighting force to block the monsters at their landing points!" Jean ordered at once.
"We absolutely cannot allow those monsters to invade Mondstadt City and harm its people!!!"
"But Acting Grand Master Jean… the sheer number of those monsters is overwhelming!"
The Knight of Favonius spoke with deep concern:
"Not long ago, many of our knights were dispatched to support Grand Master Varka. With the limited forces we have left here in Mondstadt, can we really stand against such a massive monster horde?"
"Don't forget about us!" At that moment, Guildmaster Cyrus appeared.
"Our adventurers on reconnaissance also spotted the monster army advancing from the eastern waters!"
"The Adventurers' Guild is a part of Mondstadt. When Mondstadt is in danger, of course we will never sit idly by and do nothing!" Cyrus declared firmly, his voice full of conviction.
"With the elite adventurers of our guild, mere numbers alone won't be enough for those monsters to overwhelm us!" Cyrus added with confidence.
"That's wonderful, Guildmaster Cyrus! With so many outstanding adventurers from the guild aiding us, we're not completely without hope—we may actually stand a fighting chance!" the Knight of Favonius said excitedly.
After that knight left, Jean turned to Cyrus and spoke: "Guildmaster Cyrus, do you remember what I mentioned to you before about the eerie force?"
"Of course I remember. That thing is terrifying—just one ordinary Eerie could probably defeat even a hundred of our elite adventurers." Cyrus replied, then asked curiously, "Why bring that up now, Acting Grand Master?"
"Wait… don't tell me you mean that these aren't just ordinary monsters, but ones corrupted and controlled by the eerie force?" Cyrus joked.
But when he looked around the room and saw everyone's solemn expressions—no one laughing, not even a smile—his eyes widened in shock.
He stammered in disbelief:
"Oh! My Anemo Archon, Lord Barbatos… don't tell me it's really true? I was only joking!!!"
"If every one of those monsters has been corrupted by eerie force, then even if our numbers multiplied tenfold or a hundredfold, I fear we still wouldn't be their match!!!"
------------
Exclusive access : 550+ch on paetron
Join now : patreon*com/DeCakraWnloverz