"HILICHURLS! HAND OVER YOUR HEADS!"
Swinging his massive battle axe as if it weighed nothing at all, Jia Changjiang charged straight toward the Hilichurl camp.
The Hilichurl archer posted on the watchtower spotted him immediately and let out a sharp "Ya!" to signal danger. The Hilichurls who had been resting in the camp grabbed their weapons and sprang to attention.
"So… the fight's starting."
From afar, Amber stood atop a tree, watching the scene unfold.
"For Mondstadt's sake… let me see what you're really capable of."
She clenched her fist slightly, eyes fixed on the battlefield.
The Pyro Hilichurl archer pulled back the trigger of its crossbow and fired a flaming bolt straight at Jia Changjiang.
At the same time, the Mitachurl hefted its giant axe, charging forward with several club-wielding Hilichurls at its back.
This was a situation Amber was extremely familiar with.
Give her a little time, and she could clear out this camp herself.
But today, she wanted to see how this suspicious traveler—who had challenged Jean the moment he arrived in Mondstadt—would handle it.
"Fight! Fight!"
Facing the onrushing Hilichurls, Jia Changjiang's face flushed with excitement, the same look he used to get when gaming too hard back in the day.
He swung his axe.
The massive blade cut straight through the incoming flaming bolt.
The Weapon Master system hadn't fundamentally transformed Jia Changjiang's body—but it had given him something just as terrifying:
Perfect combat technique.
No flashy skills.
No elemental bursts.
Only pure, honed martial skill.
Amber's eyes widened in disbelief.
He… split a crossbow bolt in midair?!
With a weapon that heavy?!
How could someone wield such a massive axe with that level of precision?
Is this guy a monster?!
What followed was a battle that could only be described as overwhelming.
The long haft of the axe flowed seamlessly around Jia Changjiang's body, accelerating the blade over the shortest possible distance. The axe's sheer weight and razor edge turned every strike into devastation.
Even the Mitachurl couldn't withstand such brutal power.
Amber knew better than most that Hilichurls weren't particularly strong—but they weren't pushovers either.
If she had been clearing this camp, that Mitachurl would've given her at least some trouble.
But now?
The Mitachurl lay on the ground, its flaming axe shattered, its fate unknown.
For the first time, Amber felt a little shaken.
Is my Vision fake or something…?
At that moment, Jia Changjiang finished off the ground troops and turned his gaze upward—locking onto the lone Pyro archer still clinging to the watchtower.
"Ga…!"
The Hilichurl archer hugged its crossbow, staring in despair as Jia Changjiang swung his axe like a lumberjack, chopping straight through the watchtower.
It looked one step away from screaming "Don't come any closer!"
"You're the last one."
When the tower collapsed, Jia Changjiang completed the final requirement of his quest.
The instant the task was completed, a warm current surged through his body.
The system's voice echoed in his ears.
[Quest reward being distributed…]
[Obtained Skill Fragment 1/10. Collect all fragments to acquire a skill.]
Skill fragments aside, the other reward was unmistakable—
He could feel himself getting stronger.
"So skills really can be obtained…"
Jia Changjiang's excitement surged after tasting real progress.
"Keep going."
"One week is more than enough."
"First—beat Jean. Everything else can wait."
He spoke with confidence, completely unaware that he was being closely monitored.
After rummaging through the camp for anything of value, Jia Changjiang set off in search of his next target.
At that moment, the Hilichurls around Mondstadt had no idea what kind of disaster was about to descend upon them.
Jia Changjiang had left the city before noon.
And once he started—
He didn't stop for seven or eight hours straight.
By the end of it, Amber—who had been tailing him the entire time—was completely stunned.
Did this guy have some kind of blood feud with Hilichurls?
The number of camps he cleared in a single afternoon exceeded what she usually handled in an entire day.
"…Am I the Outrider," Amber muttered to herself,
"or is he the Outrider?"
As dusk settled in, Jia Changjiang glanced at the darkening sky and rubbed his stomach.
He'd gotten a little too into the grind.
"…Alright. Time to head back."
He turned toward Mondstadt—then caught a glimpse of a red figure flashing past a cliff in the distance.
"A stray Pyro archer?"
He squinted, but saw nothing.
"Guess not. It's getting late anyway."
Stretching casually, he picked up his axe again.
"One week from now, I'll fight Jean…"
"Come to think of it, the Knights have others too. Kaeya, Amber, and… Klee? Oh, and the librarian—Lisa."
Jia Changjiang stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"If they're all playable characters, they must be strong."
"So… one by one?"
"Or should I start with someone else first?"
Not far away, having just slipped out of his sight, Amber shivered.
It felt like she'd been targeted by something terrifying.
"…No. I need to report this to Jean."
Slipping her bow onto her back, Amber hurried toward Mondstadt.
Meanwhile, Jia Changjiang strolled leisurely along the road back to the city.
At the Knights of Favonius headquarters, Amber burst inside—
And promptly collided head-on with someone exiting.
"Ow—!"
She fell onto the floor.
"Kaeya?! Where's Acting Grand Master Jean?"
She asked urgently from the ground.
Kaeya pulled her up with a grin.
"She's still buried in paperwork. What happened?"
"Weren't you supposed to be monitoring that strange traveler?"
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