"I've cleared out plenty of hilichurls before…"
Amber asked in confusion,
"So why didn't I ever get this kind of energy back then?"
"Were there any strong hilichurls near Mondstadt?"
Jiang Yan replied flatly.
"You need to fight ones you basically can't beat on your own."
Amber's face flushed.
Come to think of it, on an individual level, she really hadn't run into any hilichurls she couldn't handle. Compared to the ones inside this temple, those near Mondstadt were all weaklings.
The only times she'd had to run were when she accidentally poked an entire hilichurl camp at once.
"Let's move."
Jiang Yan pressed close to the wall and peeked into the main hall.
"Three wooden-shield hilichurls, two archers, and one slime hilichurl."
"Should we lure them out?"
Amber asked.
Setting an ambush at the doorway should work.
"No."
Jiang Yan shook his head.
"I'll isolate the two hilichurl archers. Lumine, you handle the slime hilichurl. Amber—you take on the three wooden-shield ones."
"M–Me? Three at once?!"
Amber was startled.
"Kiting is an archer's specialty," Jiang Yan said calmly, as if it were obvious.
If it were Fischl instead of Amber, forget three wooden-shield hilichurls—even a shield-bearing mitachurl wouldn't be an issue.
"I… I'll try…"
Amber had no real confidence.
Golden, sand-like Geo energy began to flow around Jiang Yan's body.
The sudden shift made both Amber and Lumine jump.
"G–Geo?!"
Paimon yelped and hurriedly floated farther away.
"Isn't Boss Jiang Yan an Anemo user?"
"Do you see an Anemo Vision on me?"
Jiang Yan extended a finger toward the hall.
"Stone Wall."
Rumble—!
A massive Geo wall, taller than a person, erupted from the ground, splitting the hall into several sections. The two hilichurl archers were instantly cut off from view.
"Yayaika!"
The hilichurls immediately noticed them.
"Lumine!"
"Got it!"
Lumine suppressed her shock and dashed forward, sword angled low, charging straight at a hilichurl holding a small Pyro slime.
The slime hilichurl was a support-type enemy.
It hurled elemental slimes at foes entangled with wooden-shield hilichurls, triggering explosions for area damage.
Against a single opponent, it was actually easier to deal with than a wooden-shield hilichurl.
Lumine planned to finish it quickly, then circle around the Geo wall to deal with the archers.
"Amber, this side's yours."
Jiang Yan's body was still wrapped in dense Geo energy, but he made no move to attack. That power was reserved purely as protection—in case Amber was truly in danger.
Amber didn't have time to be shocked by his dual-element control.
The three wooden-shield hilichurls had already charged in.
Her prepared charged shot slammed into one of the shields, igniting it instantly.
"!"
The hilichurl shrieked as the heat burned its hands, stopping in place and flailing the shield wildly, trying to put out the flames.
Amber rolled sharply to the side, widening the distance between herself and the other two.
She drew her bow again.
Pyro gathered along the arrow.
Bang!
Another shot—blocked by a wooden shield.
She glanced at the first hilichurl. The flames on its shield had mostly died out. Judging by the damage, it would take at least two Pyro arrows to burn through a single shield.
Amber felt like crying.
She kept moving, feet never stopping, desperately searching for paths that wouldn't get her boxed in.
"Is Jiang Yan really not helping?"
Paimon asked curiously.
"If I help, I'll be splitting the energy," Jiang Yan shook his head.
"I need my trainees to break through to level up. Ley line energy and dragon power don't matter to me."
On the other side—
Amid scattered flames from exploding slimes, Lumine's Favonius Sword traced elegant arcs through the air before she smoothly sheathed it behind her back.
At her feet lay the burning corpse of the slime hilichurl.
After confirming the flow of energy entering her body, she moved around the Geo wall toward the archers.
She could clearly feel it.
She had grown stronger.
Her lips curved into a faint, quiet smile.
As she slipped behind the wall, she couldn't help but glance back toward the figure standing calmly by the entrance.
"Did I level up?"
Jiang Yan didn't even need to look. The system had already told him.
Meanwhile, Amber had only just burned through two shields and was being chased all over the area by the remaining hilichurls—no chance at all to calmly charge another shot.
Jiang Yan sighed and snapped his fingers.
Another thick Geo wall surged up, cleanly separating Amber from the three hilichurls.
Amber looked over—and her eyes lit up instantly.
Listening to the hilichurls' footsteps, she aimed her charged Pyro arrow at the corner of the wall.
She released the string.
A hilichurl stepped into view at the exact wrong moment.
The charged arrow detonated directly against its head.
The wooden-shield hilichurl didn't even have time to react before it was blasted backward, sent flying through the air.
Amber took two steps back and began charging another arrow.
Then she started circling the Geo wall with the remaining hilichurls, pouring in effort and sweat before finally bringing them all down.
"There's… a real sense of breaking through a wall."
Amber stuck out her tongue.
She was drenched in sweat. Strands of hair clung to her cheeks as she panted lightly.
Her hands were still trembling faintly.
Even her breathing was uneven when she spoke.
And yet—
She felt amazing.
A brilliant smile bloomed across her cute, round face.
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