"This is so boring. Even more boring than watching Zhongli drink tea at home."
Hu Tao complained as she reduced a Cryo Hilichurl Archer to ash with her Staff of Homa. She had hoped to see some of the snowy mountain's unique monsters, but all they had encountered so far were Hilichurls and Slimes. It was dreadfully dull.
Nearby, Shenhe grabbed a Hilichurl and tossed it off a cliff, then brushed the snow off her clothes. She hadn't originally wanted to come out, but seeing Eula so eager to clear out monsters had made her join the effort.
"Not much of a challenge. Just ordinary Hilichurls—not even a single Samachurl."
Lumine was also feeling underwhelmed. These ordinary Hilichurls no longer sparked her fighting spirit. She just wanted to finish clearing the area quickly and get back to Albedo's camp. Su Bai and Albedo had promised to give everyone a device for easier communication.
"This path is meant for new adventurers to familiarize themselves with the mountain. It's normal not to have many monsters. It'd be strange if there were more."
Eula cut down a Hilichurl, conveniently stealing Lumine's target as well. She clearly didn't want to waste time here. There was still more ground to cover, and she wanted to get back to Albedo's camp to pick up a communication device so she could chat with Amber.
"Not many monsters here. Looks like I'm getting lucky today. That makes me happy."
Bennett had barely finished speaking when Lumine felt the ground tremble. She looked at Shenhe, whose expression hadn't changed, and relaxed slightly. At least the enemy was within Shenhe's ability to handle.
From a hidden spot, a pair of eyes watched Lumine's group. Seeing them already on alert, the observer seemed displeased and vanished into the snow with a cold snort.
With a shudder, two Ruin Graders slowly rose from the snowbanks. Lumine gasped at the sight of the activated machines. Hadn't Eula said there weren't many monsters here?
"Um... Ruin Graders don't count as monsters, right? Ha... haha."
Eula laughed awkwardly. Bennett scratched his head apologetically. Maybe he shouldn't comment on his luck anymore. The moment he did, two powerful enemies showed up.
"Just two little robots. Your director can handle one by herself. Sister Shenhe, just apply some Cryo for me."
Despite her confidence, Hu Tao wasn't being reckless. Two Ruin Guards she could handle, but two Ruin Graders was pushing it. Their spinning attacks covered too much area—getting caught in one would leave anyone badly injured.
"In that case, Lumine and I will take the other one. Bennett, you provide support."
"I've got support and healing covered!"
Bennett slammed the ground, and a red circle appeared beneath everyone's feet. Feeling the surge of power, Hu Tao twirled her Staff of Homa.
"Bennett, when I open a Wangsheng branch in Mondstadt, you should join us. I'll pay you a salary."
"Really? That's great! But my luck..."
"It's fine. Everyone at Wangsheng has their own quirks and personality. Bad luck doesn't matter."
After witnessing Bennett's support abilities, Hu Tao directly invited him to join Wangsheng. Bennett's face flushed with excitement. He had never expected anyone to invite him into an organization—especially someone who knew about his bad luck.
Eula, feeling the boost from Bennett's support, wanted to say something but held back, thinking of his luck. Even if Bennett passed the Knights' evaluation, they would never let someone so plagued by misfortune join.
But Wangsheng seemed like a good option. From what Hu Tao described, it was a major establishment in Liyue. A large operation like that probably wouldn't mind Bennett's salary. At least he'd have a steady job.
"But I still want to be an adventurer... I might not have much time for work..."
"Don't worry. Anyone invited by your director has flexible hours. As long as you can get back to Wangsheng when I call, you'll get paid every month."
Having already taken in so many freeloaders, Hu Tao didn't mind adding one more. Eula pursed her lips. Hu Tao's offer was tempting. She barely interacted with the Lawrence clan anymore and had no claim to their assets. A well-paying job with flexible hours sounded very appealing.
"Now's not the time for this. The Ruin Graders are almost on top of us."
Lumine trapped both machines with Geo. The battle began. Hu Tao took the lead, her combat skills honed by years of training under Zhongli, the God of War. Her movements were fluid, her spear techniques precise. The Ruin Grader couldn't even land a hit—it couldn't even touch her.
Her Pyro, amplified by the Staff of Homa, dealt massive damage while frequently triggering Melt reactions with Shenhe's Cryo. Between Hu Tao's relentless attacks and Shenhe's casual Cryo applications, the Ruin Grader was taking heavy damage.
Eula was having a tougher time. The Ruin Grader's tough armor made even her Song of Broken Pines feel inadequate. But with Lumine assisting, she wasn't at too much of a disadvantage.
"Eula, watch out behind you!"
Eula was startled by Lumine's sudden shout. In that moment of distraction, an arrow laced with strange black energy flew toward her lower back.
No time to dodge. Hearing the projectile cut through the air, Eula knew she was in trouble. But she was tangled up with the Ruin Grader—if she turned to defend herself, Lumine would be hurt. She could only hope her hastily formed Cryo would block it.
Unfortunately, reality wasn't so kind. The thin layer of Cryo she managed to summon only slowed the arrow for a second before it continued its course.
"This is it. I'm going to take a heavy hit."
Eula gritted her teeth. If she couldn't dodge, she'd have to tank it. One second passed. Then two. Still no pain. She glanced back in surprise to see Shenhe standing behind her, holding the arrow—its black energy still writhing—in her bare hand.