The quiet forest of Whispering Woods suddenly filled with rustling sounds.
Leaves shook.
Branches creaked.
The once peaceful woods felt alive with movement.
Paimon jumped in fright.
She shivered and quickly flew behind the group.
Yesterday she and Lumine had crossed Whispering Woods during the daytime, encountering no monsters at all.
So she had underestimated the place.
Now she realized—
The forest at night was terrifying.
In truth, the reason they met no monsters yesterday was simple.
Stormterror Dvalin had descended into the forest.
No monster would dare appear while a dragon was nearby.
"Big Brother Jiang Chen… the other person you mentioned is actually Diluc?"
Barbara looked slightly nervous.
Once she had performed at Angel's Share while Diluc was present.
He had frowned the entire time.
Barbara had assumed it meant he didn't like her singing.
So she lacked confidence standing in front of him.
Jiang Chen chuckled.
"How about it? Having Master Diluc act as our bodyguard is worth writing about."
"I bet the noble ladies of Mondstadt would go crazy with envy."
"I… I wouldn't dare."
Barbara said shyly.
Her eyes looked at Jiang Chen with admiration.
Inviting Mondstadt's uncrowned king to be a bodyguard was something most citizens wouldn't even dream about.
Yet Jiang Chen had actually done it.
Only Big Brother Jiang Chen could accomplish something like that.
Diluc clicked his tongue.
"If you have time to chat, you might want to think about how to clear the monsters blocking the road."
He pointed behind him into the dark forest.
"Monsters blocking the road?"
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow.
This road was still close to Mondstadt and frequently used by merchants.
Why would monsters appear here?
"Hilichurls."
Diluc replied.
"They've set up barricades ahead."
"Even Cyrus from the Adventurers' Guild has been complaining about it."
Cyrus was the Mondstadt branch master of the Adventurers' Guild.
A rather… enthusiastic man.
Diluc continued.
"Because of the dragon crisis, Mondstadt hasn't had the manpower to deal with them."
"So the hilichurls have become bold."
"They're attacking merchants and adventurers—and now even setting up roadblocks."
He paused.
"This is probably the work of the Abyss Order."
"They're using hilichurls as tools."
"If they can slow down investigations into Stormterror, that benefits them."
"Cannon fodder."
Jiang Chen nodded.
"Low-intelligence monsters like hilichurls are easy for the Abyss Order to manipulate."
The group followed the merchant trail into the forest.
Thick leaves blocked the moonlight, making visibility worse.
Yet ahead—
A bright orange glow flickered.
Campfire light.
And the sound of snoring echoed through the woods.
They had found a hilichurl camp.
The camp entrance was blocked with thorn barricades.
Two tall watchtowers stood on each side.
Archers slept on top of them.
Below, wooden-shield hilichurls patrolled around the camp.
Nearby, several Pyro Slime had been captured and trapped in water basins.
Their flames had dimmed.
Diluc pointed toward a rock outside the camp.
"Look there."
A hidden hilichurl archer stood guard.
The two watchtowers were decoys.
Even simple-minded hilichurls possessed inherited primitive tactics.
"Clear them out or go around?"
Diluc asked.
According to Teyvat adventuring rules, the person who initiated the expedition acted as the leader.
Diluc respected that.
And Jiang Chen was someone he trusted to make decisions.
Jiang Chen scanned the camp.
These hilichurls—likely strengthened by the Abyss Order—had higher levels than normal.
Which meant…
Good experience points.
"Clear them out."
He said.
At the same time, he activated his system.
Add training targets: Diluc, Barbara, Noelle.
[System Notification]
Relationship evaluation complete.
Training targets added:
Diluc
Level: 18
Element: Pyro
Skills: Searing Onslaught, Dawn
Barbara
Level: 5
Element: Hydro
Skills: Let the Show Begin, Shining Miracle
Noelle
Level: 5
Element: Geo
Skills: Breastplate, Sweeping Time
"Seven enemies total."
Jiang Chen said.
"One of them is a Dendro Samachurl."
Diluc glanced at him with surprise.
He had personally scouted the area earlier to determine that information.
Yet Jiang Chen knew it with just a glance.
Still—
He had seen Jiang Chen do far more outrageous things during previous adventures.
Diluc quickly calmed himself.
Jiang Chen began assigning targets.
"Lumine, take out the hidden lookout."
"Barbara, extinguish the campfire and support Noelle."
"Diluc, eliminate the Dendro Samachurl."
"Don't let it start chanting."
A samachurl's support magic could dramatically increase battle difficulty.
Jiang Chen finished outlining the battle plan.
"Got it!"
Lumine immediately drew her Favonius Sword.
She had already been eager for the fight.