Under the dim red sunset.
The Wind Dragon Ruins, imbued with a unique historical atmosphere, appeared even more desolate.
Aside from the thousand-year-old solitary wind still swirling, only two or three monsters lingered on the ground.
Swish!
Suddenly, a lightning arrow pierced through the air.
A Hilichurl holding a torch instantly had its neck pierced, its life fading as it returned to the Ley Line in release.
"Have we not been to Wind Dragon Ruins for too long, Oz? Why do the monsters seem a bit few?"
Fischl asked her familiar and companion. In places with few people, she still spoke in a normal tone.
"Indeed, it seems as if this area has been cleared by someone. Perhaps that fire dragon really did build its nest here?"
"It's not impossible, Oz. Let's fly up and scout."
—Night Phantasm!
The elemental form of the monster, Oz, transformed into wings, carrying his host, Fischl, high into the sky.
With Oz's excellent eagle-eye view, Fischl observed the surroundings comprehensively.
"Huh? Is that... a camp?"
Fischl saw a temporary camp set up by a lake. The campfire was still burning, proving that the previous team of Adventurers there hadn't gone far.
"Let's go there, Oz. If there are Adventurers who came to Wind Dragon Ruins on a mission before, they should know if the fire dragon has been here."
Oz responded with a cry, and then the two streaked across the sky, heading towards the Adventurers' camp in the distance.
...
A few minutes later.
Fischl exited her elemental burst state, kneeling on one knee, landing gracefully on the ground.
"My Lady, there is a very strong residual Anemo elemental energy here. The current god's eye holders in Mondstadt do not possess this level of intensity."
In other words, the Wind Demon Dragon might have been here?
Fischl quickly stood up, vigilantly holding the Polar Star gifted by the Traveler.
Tens of minutes later.
"My Lady! A discovery!"
Oz's shout made Fischl immediately walk over.
Upon approaching, an object on the ground, distinctly different from its surroundings, caught her attention.
Fischl picked up the white silk fabric remnant from the ground and carefully rubbed it in her hand.
"It's a silk stocking, a top-grade one, a specialty of Liyue's Jinxiu Pavilion. But why is it torn into such pieces? Could a great battle have taken place here?"
Fischl scanned the surroundings.
A campfire still emitting red sparks, wooden skewers from eaten grilled fish—all typical traces of Adventurers' lives.
If a battle had truly occurred, these surroundings wouldn't be so well-preserved.
"My Lady! There's more here!"
A few meters away from where Fischl was crouching, several more strands of silk stocking remnants were found.
"Oz, can you track the direction using this trace?"
"The previous group shouldn't have gone far. The elemental aura is very strong, we can track it!"
"Good! Let's speed up! If they really encountered the Wind Demon Dragon, they might need help."
As a senior member of the Adventurers' Guild.
Fischl was happy to help Adventurers who encountered danger in the wilderness, especially when they encountered a monster of the natural disaster level like the Wind Demon Dragon.
...
Approximately a few kilometers away from Fischl's team, in a certain ruin.
Jack was leisurely strolling with Barbara on his back.
"Brother-in-law, look! There seems to be something there!"
Barbara pointed to a collapsed house. Around the house, a Ruin Guard was patrolling.
"A Ruin Guard. What, Barbara, haven't you seen one before?"
"I have, but I've always watched from afar, hiding behind everyone in the Knights of Favonius. My sister said this big iron block is very dangerous, and if you encounter one in the wild, you must run far away."
Even without seeing Barbara's face.
Jack could guess that the girl must have a look of eagerness to try.
"Want to fight it?"
"Mm-hmm, can I, Brother-in-law?"
"If you change your address, I'll let you go. 'Brother-in-law' definitely has to listen to your sister."
Barbara immediately understood Jack's meaning.
She gently breathed into his ear: "Jack... Gege~"
This sweet, cloying whisper, like an electric current, went directly from his right ear through his brain and out his left ear.
She's so good at this! Is this still the Barbara I know?
"Alright! Then you go, I'll give you a buff."
About a hundred meters from the Ruin Guard, Jack put Barbara down, his left hand holding Geo element, his right hand holding grass element.
"Stone Fortress!"
"Nature's Blessing!"
Two consecutive T0-level support skills were applied to Barbara.
The former was a shield that even the Archon Osial might not be able to break.
The latter gave Barbara grass element coordinated attacks, allowing her to efficiently trigger Bloom reactions.
Fully equipped, Barbara jogged to the Ruin Guard.
The Ruin Guard's single eye flashed red, its back ammunition compartment opened, and a dozen or so homing projectiles shot towards Barbara.
"Ah!"
Barbara let out a delicate cry, whimpering as she closed her eyes.
However, the golden yellow barrier protecting her didn't even ripple; it truly remained unshakeable like a solid rock.
"So, so powerful!"
Barbara looked back at Jack.
Jack nodded at her, as if saying: You're buffed, go for it.
"Go, Barbara! You can do it too!"
The girl raised her small fist to cheer herself on, pulling out a Refinement 5 Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers from her hand.
"Heya!"
A water ball the size of a human head was thrown by Barbara, heavily smashing into the Ruin Guard.
The Ruin Guard remained motionless.
A green light followed closely, striking the exact same spot Barbara had hit.
Boom!
The Ruin Guard was violently shaken.
And the Hydro-Grass elemental reaction caused several Dendro Cores to condense around its body.
"It worked!"
Barbara excitedly jumped, then her small expression turned serious as she continuously fired Hydro bullets.
This kind of attack consumed almost no elemental energy for her.
So she continuously released Hydro attacks, and Jack's elemental skill's Grass elemental synergy followed closely behind.
Before long, a large pile of Dendro Cores had accumulated at the Ruin Guard's feet.
And then...
Bang, bang, bang!
Once the Dendro Cores' time limit was up, they exploded continuously, like firecrackers on New Year's Eve.
This astonishing scene greatly surprised Barbara.
"This... did I really cause this?"
She looked at her fair, small hands in disbelief, then, as if a peculiar hobby had awakened within her, she accelerated her Hydro Orb attacks, continuously adding Hydro catalysts to the Dendro Core reactor.
When a certain limit was reached.
New and old Dendro Cores underwent a chain reaction, forming a super massive Grass elemental explosion.
Rumble!!
...
"Oz! Did you hear something?!"
"No need to listen, Miss, just look at that mushroom cloud ahead."
"Hiss! What astonishing destructive power, it seems we underestimated that team of Adventurers. Let's go, if there's a god's eye holder of the grass element, our support role can be even greater!"
Fischl quickly accelerated, running towards the site of the explosion.
And, as expected.
The three met a few minutes later.
…
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