Suddenly—
Kairo's hand froze midair.
The Valberry he was about to pluck swayed in the breeze, trembling between the leaves—yet, in the end, he withdrew his hand.
He looked down at the burlap sack in his hand, then at the bulging backpack strapped to his shoulders. His brows furrowed slightly, and a helpless sigh flickered in his eyes.
He couldn't keep collecting.
The Whispering Woods were indeed overflowing with resources—every few steps revealed another local specialty—but there was one big problem:
He didn't have any storage device!
If he kept collecting, it would mean dragging two overstuffed sacks of materials everywhere.
Forget fighting—just moving would become a struggle.
And since combat could break out at any moment, carrying so much weight would make it impossible to react quickly.
Worse still…
How was he even going to bring it all back?
If he tried returning to the city now with this much on him, he'd probably collapse before even leaving the forest.
Even with good stamina, it wasn't worth the exhaustion.
He'd always traveled light before—only carrying his sword.
Convenient. Unencumbered. Free.
"What a waste…"
Kairo's gaze swept over the surrounding grove.
So many resources within reach, and yet he had to walk away.
To a pragmatic man like him, that was pure agony.
Still, when his eyes fell on the Bio-Wave Scanner in his hand, he relaxed again.
"Forget it. I can always come back. With the scanner, I can find every resource point again—whenever I want."
He let out a soft sigh, tied the full sack tightly, and patted his backpack to make sure nothing would fall out.
"Next time, I definitely need to get a storage device."
"My loyal companion," came a confident voice beside him, "thou hast reaped the bounty of this land—now it is time to make the darkness tremble!"
Kairo looked up to see Fischl already holding a map of Mondstadt's outskirts, her slender finger tracing along it with deep thought written across her face.
"I, Prinzessin der Verurteilung, have divined the flow of energies within this realm—the vile minions of shadow have entrenched themselves within these woods! Oz! Hast thou located the lair of those savage beasts?"
Oz flapped his wings and circled once in the air before translating in his usual calm tone,
"The young lady means she has pinpointed the mission site, and that we should proceed to complete it."
Kairo's mouth twitched slightly.
This girl never dropped the chuuni act for even a second…
But he didn't object.
After all, her objective and his aligned perfectly this time.
He wasn't just exploring the Whispering Woods for resources—he also needed to map the local lifeforms.
And since Hilichurls were the dominant species in this area, understanding their settlements would be invaluable for future expeditions.
Besides, he'd already promised to assist Fischl.
"Alright," Kairo nodded, "let's check it out together."
The two of them followed the route Fischl had marked, moving deeper into the dense heart of the Whispering Woods.
The trees grew taller and denser, the canopy above swallowing more and more light.
A heavy dimness settled over the forest, pierced only by the occasional distant, eerie howl.
"Grr—Awooo!"
Somewhere not far away, guttural Hilichurl cries echoed through the underbrush.
Kairo and Fischl exchanged glances.
Both moved silently, crouching as they crept toward a clearing ahead.
When they parted the bushes, the scene before them made them both pause.
In a modest clearing, over a dozen Hilichurls had gathered around a roaring campfire.
Several tattered tents lay scattered nearby, and a slab of unidentified beast meat roasted over the flames, filling the air with the greasy scent of charred fat.
A few Hilichurls lounged lazily on logs, half-asleep, seemingly unaware of any intruders.
But Kairo and Fischl's attention was drawn to the right side of the encampment—
where not only common Hilichurls, but several stronger variants stood watch, instantly raising the danger level of the entire area.
Atop a short wooden watchtower, two wiry Hilichurls manned crude crossbows, scanning their surroundings.
Two Pyro Hilichurl Shooters stood atop a crude wooden tower. Their weapons looked rough…
Once a target was struck, the flames would spread rapidly, leaving their prey nowhere to run.
It is said that the explorer Ella Musk once praised this as proof of the Hilichurls' "primitive intelligence"—
able to slay and cook their prey in one shot, a marvel of hunting efficiency.
But Fischl's golden eyes gleamed with caution.
Those shooters might be crude, but if they noticed an enemy, they could unleash a storm of flaming bolts in an instant.
Even a Vision bearer would struggle to fend off such a barrage.
And that wasn't the worst of it.
At the center of the encampment stood a hulking Hilichurl—taller and broader than the rest.
Its massive arms gripped a charred, heavy battleaxe that shimmered faintly with red embers.
A Pyro Mitachurl — wielding a blazing battleaxe.
Normally, repeated quenching would dull the blade and weaken the metal.
But Mitachurls don't need a sharp edge—
Their raw strength alone could crush bones and splinter shields, even with a blunt weapon.
That wild, relentless combat style was what made them so dangerous.
Fischl's expression darkened as she took in the sight.
Even as a bearer of an Electro Vision, she knew her long-range fighting style was ill-suited for a direct clash with such foes.
Those Berserkers could close the distance in a blink—if one reached her, it would be over in moments.
Not to mention the others.
The shooters. The Pyro Slimes. The sheer numbers.
Fischl's grip on her bow tightened, her brows knitting together.
"So many frenzied minions of darkness… all gathered in one place…" she murmured, voice tinged with reluctant frustration.
Oz added helpfully, "The young lady means… she may not be able to eliminate all these Hilichurls alone."
Kairo was silent for a moment, eyes scanning the layout of the camp.
The scale of this Hilichurl outpost was far greater than that of a simple patrol camp.
If left unchecked, it could grow into a major stronghold.
And when that happened, Mondstadt's outer regions would be in danger.
"Strange…" Kairo murmured. "Hilichurls don't usually form camps this large without Abyssal influence."
Fischl's gaze flickered. "The shadows stir once more… the heralds of chaos draw near."
Oz translated: "Her Highness suspects something abnormal may be guiding them."
The Knights of Favonius would have no choice but to send an entire battalion to purge it.
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