Naofumi slowly put his hand on the tree as he was trying to feel or sense anything. But for a moment, he felt nothing, sure the green gem was glowing, but unless it opened up anything or triggered a notification, then Naofumi was unsure what to do.
Could he take a piece of wood from the tree without facing consequences? And… Wait, maybe he can use Anemo.
"Perhaps the tree would do something when being active with the element of freedom."
He then channels his Anemo element on his other hand while still having the hand on the tree. It went on for a whole minute with Amber and Bennett still looking around for Eula, unaware of what Naofumi is doing.
Naofumi suddenly felt like he was seeing things; he swore he saw letters trying to form in his mind. As if he were being connected by the tree for a better understanding of what it was trying to teach him. He felt like his hands had gathered something like using Anemo but… He was feeling it, feeling what it wanted him to do.
But he couldn't focus on Anemo right now, the words were now formed in his mind as he spoke them out loud.
"I am the source of all power. The Shield Hero commands you. I have understood the message left for me by my predecessor. Support them. Zweite Aura!"
It seems whatever Naofumi was doing needed a target to cast… A spell? He decided to place it on Amber as she suddenly felt some kind of power was put on her. She felt… Stronger!
"Wow! Did I power up? It feels like I can run an extra mile!"
Amber sprints as she immediately notices her speed has improved dramatically. Naofumi watches as Amber just runs around the whole tree, as Bennett watches in amazement at Amber's speed.
Naofumi suddenly felt like checking Amber's stats as he did so, only to find out that all of her stats had increased significantly. Every stat, as if they doubled, which explains her sudden speed boost.
"A buff spell! My first spell!"
Naofumi was extremely happy to have learned his first-ever spell in this world. A spell that is very useful for not only himself but his friends too! This could actually help with dealing with stronger enemies.
But he also noticed something, his help menu gained new information. He checked what was added, only to find two new strengthening methods. Two of them are mastery and level link. Naofumi read how the two new methods work as he got the gist of it.
Mastery was simple when using a weapon form, whether for battle or not, which can increase the weapon level to 100 while increasing the stats. For the level link, when Naofumi levels up, the shield forms he unlock will have its stats increase with each level.
He was surprised that the new methods were about increasing the weapon forms. Still, he wasn't complaining if he was getting stronger then it makes sense his shield grows too alongside him. He nodded to himself as he could see Amber was about to make a third lap around the tree. He then walks to Bennett who is still in amazement.
"Guess Amber was really excited when I cast Zweite Aura."
"Zweite Aura? Wait, Naofumi, that was a spell you cast on Amber?"
"Yep! Let's just say I have a bit of help from my predecessor and Vennessa. The spell doubts a target's stat to an extent that you feel stronger. Not sure if this is permanent or temporary, guess we'll find out soon enough."
Bennett was amazed by this as he wondered if he would get the chance to have his stats buffed too. Naofumi noticed the cost of MP for Zweite Aura was more than the SP cost for Gust Shield. The two then waited for Amber to continue running all around the tree for 10 whole minutes before finally collapsing on the grass. She was gasping for air.
"Oh… My… Phew…! I… I think I broke my record in running! What… What came over me?"
Naofumi lent Amber her water bag while Bennett helped her stand up as Amber drank the entire pouch.
"Sorry, I should have asked, but I went to check on the tree as I wanted to see if there was anything left behind by Vennessa. But it turns out there was something for me by my predecessor as it gave me a buff spell, Zweite Aura, to double your stats."
"Really? My stat for speed was already great, to think that a spell like that was in the great tree."
"I am glad I was able to acquire it. Hold on… Let me check the tree again."
Naofumi then went back to check on the tree again; it looked like it was as if there were no changes from what Naofumi was attempting to do. But he also noticed he couldn't get more from the tree as if it was only a one-time event.
He sighs as he thanks both Vennessa and Mamoru for giving him his first spell and two strengthening methods, he notices something he had now noticed. A rusty-looking shield, nearly visible, was stuck within the tree. It looks like it's been there since the tree grew.
"Is that… A shield? Was it Vennessa's?"
Naofumi had no answers as Amber and Bennett watched wondering what Naofumi was doing now. He was surprised as he was sure no one told him there was a shield in the oak tree. He placed his hand on the center of the shield, he was sure what it even looked like, but he wondered if it was possible for him… To…
"Wait, wasn't there an option to copy a weapon?"
He recalled reading information that told him he could copy shields to gain their forms, but some copies still required materials to unlock bonuses. He did copy a nice-looking shield that belonged to a Hilichurl, which gave him an additional 3 stat points towards defense.
But it also gives him a small Dendro damage decrease. This would explain why the fire consumed the shield entirely when it was set on fire. As it was called the Wooden Dendro Shield, he also copied a Mitachurl's shield, as it was the Wooden Shieldwall Shield, which gave him a medium damage decrease from Dendro.
He also tried to find other shields in Mondstadt, but it seems they were nonexistent. This deeply confused Naofumi as he thought knights use swords, or polearms along with shields, but it doesn't seem like it. He did make a commission for Wagner to make a shield, but he knew it was not done yet.
So maybe, this ancient shield could hold something, so he imagined his shield to be the one stuck in the tree as the shield began to copy the shield.
Weapon copy activated!
Knight of Favonius Shield: equip bonus: skill: "Favonius Shield," +20 defense, +5 attack
Equip effect: Knights of Favonius experience increase (medium), dual wielding
The shield now looks like it was the icon of the Knights of Favonius, two swords on a shield-looking holder that is golden. The stats of the shield were very great, the best of all the shields. Naofumi was shocked by what the shield gave him and what it could do when equipped.
Which means Amber can get an increase of EXP as she is the Crimson Knight, as well as other knights like Eula the Spindrift Knight. And out of all of his shields, this shield gives him 5 attack points. Which means he can actually hurt Hilichurl and Slimes once he has mastered the shield!
Also, he placed the shield on his chest as he took out the two swords. Like the effect said, he can dual-wield both blades, two swords, to attack enemies. Naofumi felt that this could bypass the punishment for using different weapons, as technically, the sword is the Knight of Favonius Shield effect.
He nodded proudly as he felt this particular shield would be used more than all the other shields. The effects are great to ignore.
"Naofumi! What just happened? Your shield, what does it look like the one displayed in the Knights of Favonius headquarters?"
Amber as she and Bennett just witnessed something unheard of. She wondered what made Naofumi so happy when the shield changed to its new form. Until she saw him wielding two swords, she wondered if it had something to do with the swords.
"This shield probably belonged to Vennessa, possibly with Mamoru's help. It gives me the chance to actually do damage and can give me the ability to dual-wield the swords from the shield. You remember the weapon copy ability I told you about days ago, right?"
"That's—That's great! A spell like that is very crucial for anybody! Lisa would actually flip if she finds out about this! And definitely will ask you how you manage to learn that spell."
Naofumi blushes as he knows Lisa will ask him how he was able to get Zweite Aura. No doubt she'll flirt with him till he caves in. It was like that when he first met her, she even called him handsome whenever she saw him in the library or somewhere in the city.
"Have you spotted Eula?"
Amber's cheerfulness immediately died down to a sad expression.
"No, maybe she is somewhere else in Galesong Hill. Although I wouldn't be surprised if she managed to sneak off to Dragonspine."
Dragonspine, Naofumi had heard of the mountain that always snows with blizzards. There were rumors that the mountain was cursed to forever hail all year every year. It was barely safe for people to venture due to its deep cold temperatures, snow that never melts, and you have to be lucky to find fire or set up a fire to keep warm.
There were a few exceptions, brave people who still decided to go to the dangerous mountain, one of them was Eula. The other is a scientist named Albedo, who mostly spends his time there. And a few adventurers who wanted to find anything that was valuable. Naofumi would be surprised if there was something within that cold mountain.
"Hmm… Amber, Bennett, I think it would be best if we all head to Dragonspine. Eula told me about a spot in Dragonspine that she always goes to to relax."
"Oh, you mean… I'm still surprised to this day that she can handle that kind of cold water."
Naofumi didn't blame Amber for saying that, he was even surprised that Eula told him that she took an ice bath at Dragonspine from time to time. He wonders if her Cryo Vision makes her immune to the cold of Dragonspine.
"Do you have a waypoint location at Dragonspine Naofumi?"
"Not really, I haven't been to Dragonspine. But I did have a waypoint near Dragonspine, the one with that camp with those adventurers from the guild. Might be a risk of fueling the hatred of the adventurers if we ask if they had seen her."
"Oh yeah, I think only five of them stayed behind at that camp while the rest went back to Mondstadt for the Windblume Festival."
Bennett told Naofumi about who was still at that camp as he nodded, five people getting mad at Eula, he could somewhat handle it. But should they insult her or anything he'll talk back to those ungrateful people.
With that, Naofumi touches the statue again, and within a second, they are just next to the adventurers' campsite. The three walk into the camp, and two people seem to have recognized the three.
The two adventurers ask Naofumi, Amber, and Bennett what they were doing here and wonder if they were going to explore Dragonspine. But Naofumi immediately asks if they had seen Eula heading to Dragonspine and awaited a response he was now used to hearing.
But to his relief as the adventurers calmly respond that they did see Eula heading to Dragonspine. Neither of the adventurers had any reason to lie to Naofumi, as he was a big help during one of his commissions in bringing them supplies.
So Naofumi thanks the two of them, and with his party, they venture off to Dragonspine. Not before being given three warm Jewelry Soups and two Radish Veggie Soups as thanks for giving them excellent qualities of food and materials. Naofumi put them in his shield as thankfully it wouldn't be spilled or turn cold the moment they enter the ice mountain. At least for a while.
The cold immediately took over the three of them as Amber had to light up a nearby fire torch thanks to her Pyro Vision, for warmth until they had to move on. Thankfully Naofumi activated another Teleport Waypoint as it immediately brought warmth to everyone.
Naofumi checked his map to see if there were other nearby waypoints. But because he hasn't activated the Statue of the Seven for Dragonspine, all he can see is an empty map of where he is. Actually, there was a statue nearby but the red beacon-like glow was showing it was up further in the mountain.
"I need to activate that statue to get a better view on my map menu. Are you both okay with going on a big detour?"
Neither Amber nor Bennett objected as they both knew it would help Naofumi if they had the map shown all over Dragonspine. So they all began to walk to the statue while fighting Hilichurls on the way.
Naofumi notices one of the Hilichurls has an ice shield, and so does a Mitachurl, who is the leader. He wonders if he could copy it and be better than the Wooden Hilichurl Shield. So he asks Amber not to break the shield as she nods in agreement. So afterwards, after defeating the Hilichurls and absorbing them, he copied the shield that the Hilichurl and Mitchurl had.
Ice Cryo Shield: equip bonus: Cryo damage decrease (small)
Ice Shieldwall Shield: equip bonus: Cryo damage decrease (medium)
Naofumi nods as he expected two shields like that after the two Dendro ones. He decided to master the new shield forms later as they continued towards. They soon met a Seelie, but it wasn't the blue one Naofumi met a few times; it was blazing reddish/orange.
He met these cute floating angels, and whenever he encountered one, he found treasure when following them. But this one, when the group got close, warmed them up, and the Seelie then floated somewhere as they all followed. Soon it stops at its court as it still brought heat to the three of them.
But it brought them close to the statue, all they had to do was to climb up and reach the top where the statue stood. But more Hilichurls came out from the top and began attacking.
"Air Strike Shield!"
A giant shield appears out of nowhere as Naofumi launches it at a Mitachurl as it falls to the ground. He got the skill when he absorbed a rope, which can be used as a launcher or as extra protection in case he needs to block an attack. It lasts about 15 seconds before it vanishes.
"Shield Prison!"
A prison made out of shields trapped the Mitachurl from doing anything as it tried to escape. He was able to get this skill when absorbing a pipe, which can trap anyone within a radius of 5 or 6 meters, as it is durable, depending on the shield form. The same goes for Air Strike Shield. It lasts for 15 seconds which means Naofumi handles the attacks of the other Hilichurls before the prison vanishes.
Amber and Bennett took care of them as they continued to reach the top. Once they saw the statue, Naofumi noticed there was strange ice covering the bottom of the statue. The statue itself was nearly on the edge of a remnant of a structure.
"That ice looks very strange."
Naofumi spoke as he tried to climb to reach the statue, but found that it was very slippery, and he fell. No damage was done to Naofumi as he didn't feel the impact of falling.
"Oh! Eula told me about this! This is Ancient Rime, a special type of ice that cannot be melted by Pyro or damaged by any kind of weapon. You can only get rid of it by using a weapon imbued with Scarlet Quartz. I think I saw one nearby."
Amber spoke as she led Naofumi to a rock that was glowing red on the snow.
"Bennett, we're going to need you to break the rock so that we can use it to break that Ancient Rime. Once one of us touches it we have 25 seconds before the effects wear off."
Naofumi and Bennett nodded as Bennett suggested Naofumi try to at least absorb the quartz to unlock a shield. And maybe the effects will be there when the crystal is absorbed. Naofumi nodded as Bennett broke the quartz with a few strikes. The crystal was still growing as Naofumi reached the crystal.
But suddenly instead of holding it, it was immediately imbued in his shield. Naofumi immediately wonders if he should have let the shield absorb the crystal instead of trying to hold it. But he quickly focused on the Ancient Rime as he is now on a time limit. So he quickly reached the ice and struck it with his shield.
A red flash burst out of his shield as the ice immediately glowed before breaking into pieces. Naofumi absorbs a chunk but it turns out he needs a higher level to unlock the shield form. Which makes sense as Amber did say it was ancient.
He then touched the statue as he heard the same words he had heard when he touched the first and second statues. He then saw the complete map of Dragonspine, as well as unactivated waypoints.
"Amber, did you happen to know where she could be, other than the spot where she takes an ice bath?"
Naofumi asked as he hoped she was somewhere else in Dragonspine, as he was looking through the updated map something caught his eye. Someone was heading back on the road where they came from. A familiar…!
"EULA!"
Naofumi shouted as loud as he could, as it startled not only Amber and Bennett, but also Eula, who was walking back, was on full alert as she looked to see who called her name. But to her shock, she saw Naofumi, whom she didn't expect to be at Dragonspine.
"Naofumi!?"
With no hesitation, Naofumi ran back down with Amber and Bennett trying to catch up with him, but had to be careful trying not to slip. But Naofumi was somehow able to run towards Eula with impressive speed.
"Naofumi! Why did you run? You could slip and fall! Even if your defense is high, that doesn't mean you should be ignoring safety."
Eula worried as she checked Naofumi in case he somehow managed to hurt himself. She sighs in relief at seeing no damage. But before she could do anything Naofumi began to question her.
"Why did you run off when I asked you about the Windblume Festival? I had to ask Amber to see where you were when I wanted to check up on you. Only to find out that you were even in the city, I spent until midnight trying to find you."
"You—You did?"
Eula blushes but Naofumi continues.
"I was really hoping to see you today, but then I heard you were out somewhere in Galesong Hill then to Dragonspine. Eula, if you didn't wish to hang out with me during the festival then you could have said no, I understand if you said so."
Eula looks away, ashamed of leaving Naofumi without answering his question.
"I'm really sorry Naofumi, it's just I can't help it. It is your first time experiencing an event like this in Teyvat. I didn't want to ruin it for you just because of my presence in the city."
"But you know I would have defended you all the way."
"I know you would, this week you proved that to anyone, it just shows you are the Shield Hero, no pun intended. But my worries for you just make it unbearable."
Neither said anything, the sound of the snowstorm echoing around the mountain. Amber and Bennett were watching from afar, while having a fire torch beside them for warmth. At least until Naofumi spoke.
"How about this, Eula? If you want, we can spend time in Dragonspine. The whole day. You really seem to like this place. We can make our own games or do something on this mountain. Sure it's really cold, but I wouldn't mind spending time with you."
Eula again looked worried as she knew Naofumi still had his clothes on when he first arrived in Teyvat.
"You really wish to stay here with me and survive this freezing cold with me?"
"I could possibly unlock a shield that helps with the cold. I just want you to feel that you won't be completely alone throughout this whole festival. Amber and anyone else who would love to spend time with you like what I'm doing. But I doubt they want to survive this cold, heck, I wouldn't, but if it means to make sure you have someone with you, then what can a storm do?"
Eula looks at Naofumi for a moment, before giving him a smile.
"Fine, I guess we can do that. But could you teleport me to Mondstadt? I need to report my observations at Galesong Hill as well as Dragonspine. The reason why I was here was to check in with Albedo to see if he noticed something strange here and he got a few things written down for the Grand Master."
Naofumi had no objection as he was willing to do so, as well as there was a Teleport Waypoint nearby. So after gathering everyone up, as the other two truly didn't want to stay in the cold for much longer as they all teleported back to Mondstadt, the waypoint in the city.
Amber and Bennett had their own things to do as they said their goodbyes and left the two alone again.
So throughout the day after Eula finished reporting, she and Naofumi went back to Dragonspine. Thankfully, Naofumi did unlock a shield that helped him to deal with the cold, and they even had fun during their time there. The friendship between them became stronger than before.