It wasn't until Kael and the others disappeared from his sight that Diluc withdrew his gaze.
After thinking for a moment, Diluc decisively decided to send a message to his contacts in Mondstadt City to inquire about the Traveler's recent activities.
To see if they had truly left Mondstadt.
While Diluc was taking action.
Kael, Lumine, and Paimon had already passed the Dawn Winery.
It didn't take long.
With the blessing of Seele's Hunt Path skill [Ripple] and the Anemo power mobilized by Lumine, they arrived at Wolvendom.
Even during the day, Wolvendom remained dim.
Sunlight filtered through the treetops, barely illuminating this deep forest land.
The air here was humid, filled with the fragrance of earth and grass.
The wind gently brushed the leaves, making a rustling sound, as if nature was whispering.
Through the dense foliage, sunlight couldn't penetrate completely.
Only mottled spots of light were left on the damp soil, adding a mysterious atmosphere to this land.
However, despite the warm light and quiet air, Wolvendom was still full of dangerous auras.
The terrain was rugged everywhere.
Slippery rocks and intricate tree roots made every step require caution.
After nightfall, this would become the territory of wolf packs.
Wolf howls could often be heard echoing in this empty forest, carrying a chill.
When Kael, Lumine, and Paimon walked into Wolvendom, their pace unconsciously slowed down.
There was a sense of oppression in the air.
As if a beast would rush out from the bushes at any time.
"So this is Wolvendom... it really is deserted."
Paimon looked around Wolvendom while sighing, "Do we need to pass through Wolvendom to continue?"
"No, we just need to bypass it."
Beside her, Lumine looked at the map and shook her head. "Wolvendom is a place rarely visited by humans. Ordinary adventurers won't come here."
"Eh?"
While Lumine was speaking, Paimon suddenly pointed ahead with a look of astonishment. "Hell, Lumine, Kael."
Not far away, a large group of Hydro Slimes were clustered on a patch of grass.
Water droplets flickered as they jumped leisurely.
Their shapes varied, and their bodies exuded rich Hydro elemental power, completely unlike the beasts that should appear in Wolvendom.
Looking at the clustered slimes, Paimon scratched her head. "Is this Wolvendom? Why are there so many Hydro Slimes? Is this Slime Territory?"
"Strange."
Hearing Paimon's words, Lumine also looked confused.
She didn't expect such a weird scene to appear in a place that should be full of danger.
Subconsciously, Lumine looked at Kael. "Kael, aren't there wolf packs in this forest? How can these Hydro Slimes be here?"
"The laws of monster appearance are indescribable."
Kael wasn't surprised. Instead, he said, "The ecological environment here is more complex than we imagine. Although Wolvendom is named after wolves, it doesn't mean there are only wolf packs here. Some places are more vibrant than we think."
Hearing Kael's words, Paimon still couldn't believe it. "This is too strange!"
"And it's Hydro Slimes appearing here... it's really eye-opening."
"They are blocking our way. We have to deal with them first."
Lumine drew her sword and said, "Otherwise, if we walk past, these Hydro Slimes will attack us too."
Even if they didn't solve them in advance.
The Hydro Slimes would attack immediately upon seeing them.
This had happened many times yesterday.
Sometimes she wanted to let weak monsters go.
But these slimes chased people on sight.
While speaking, without waiting for Kael to speak, Lumine stepped forward quickly.
At this time.
Those small Hydro Slimes also saw Lumine.
Without a word, they all turned their heads and launched an attack.
Their small figures flashed among the grass, fast and agile.
Following a low roar, several Hydro Slimes gathered immediately and pounced on Lumine.
They opened their big mouths, spraying cold Hydro elemental power, trying to slow down Lumine's movement speed.
"Luckily I prepared."
Lumine gripped her sword tightly, calmly greeting the Hydro Slimes pouncing on her.
Bang!
As Lumine swung her blade, a slash cut out, carrying fierce Anemo power.
The Hydro Slime that rushed over first and got too close was instantly knocked flying.
Its body turned into a mass of broken water droplets and scattered.
However, surprisingly.
After she knocked this Hydro Slime flying, the other Hydro Slimes didn't stop. Instead, they let out a low roar.
They seemed enraged, and the power of anger erupted instantly.
These originally tiny Hydro Slimes began to expand rapidly.
Their volume grew violently, like inflated balloons.
Their bodies expanded to several times their original size in an instant, becoming more ferocious, their momentum stronger.
"They got bigger?!"
Lumine's eyes widened.
Seeing these Hydro Slimes suddenly become unusually large.
Each one was no longer a cute little guy, but a huge water monster.
They even waved their blade-like tentacles and pounced on her.
The appearance of the Hydro Slimes became more majestic, fierce light flashing in their eyes, as if a group of terrible monsters was approaching.
Paimon flew beside Kael, stunned. "Why did these Hydro Slimes suddenly become so big?"
"They became so strong! The easy hit just now didn't work!"
Lumine took a deep breath.
Although surprised, her eyes had recovered their calm. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, ready to deal with this sudden change.
With a quick step back, she dodged the attack of a large Hydro Slime.
Then she swung her sword again without hesitation.
Swish!
The blade edge carried fierce Anemo elements, cutting through the air and slashing directly at a giant Hydro Slime.
Bang!
The sword collided with the giant body of the Hydro Slime, making a dull sound.
The Hydro Slime's body twisted violently, seemingly unable to bear this force. The surface water churned violently, splashing water.
However, the Hydro Slime did not fall.
Its size and toughness meant this attack didn't defeat it completely; instead, it made its movements more violent.
"These Hydro Slimes aren't as easy to repel as usual. Their stamina has increased a lot!"
Lumine judged thoughtfully.
She could feel that these Hydro Slimes not only became larger but also seemed tougher, their attack power increasing accordingly.
"Be careful, Lumine."
At this time, Paimon also observed these constantly growing Hydro Slimes and said nervously, "If these Hydro Slimes continue to grow bigger, they might really be hard to deal with!"
"I understand."
Lumine nodded.
Crack!
Just then, the Everwinter Shadewalker moved.
The icy breath filled the air. With every step it took, frost spread rapidly under its feet.
It wielded that huge ice axe, sword energy splashing.
As if the surrounding air solidified due to its power.
As the Everwinter Shadewalker moved, the chill emanating from its body caused the surrounding temperature to drop sharply.
The grass on the ground began to be covered with frost. Water vapor in the air condensed into ice crystals. Everything around was instantly dominated by its power.
The group of Hydro Slimes obviously didn't notice the threat from the Everwinter Shadewalker. They still rushed towards Lumine, waving their bubble attacks.
But before they got close to Lumine, the Everwinter Shadewalker swung its ice axe fiercely.
A fierce cold air shot out, hitting the first Hydro Slime instantly.
Crack, crack, crack!
The Hydro Slime was just about to open its huge body to attack, but it was instantly frozen into an ice block, unable to move.
"Almost forgot about this big guy."
Lumine narrowed her eyes upon seeing this scene and sheathed her sword.
She was ready for a challenge.
But the scene in front of her exceeded her expectations.
The Everwinter Shadewalker's action was swift and precise.
With one axe strike, the frost froze the Hydro Slime's body instantly. It didn't even have time to release its attack.
Then, the Everwinter Shadewalker didn't pause at all and continued to swing the ice axe.
Another Hydro Slime came head-on, trying to ram it, but was cut open by the Everwinter Shadewalker.
The ice axe slashed precisely at the Hydro Slime's body, chopping down ruthlessly.
Then its body was also frozen into a block by the frost and fell heavily to the ground.
One Hydro Slime after another was effortlessly solved by the Everwinter Shadewalker.
The whole process was as easy as a simple training session.
The Everwinter Shadewalker's weapon and powerful strength gave the Hydro Slimes no chance to resist.
No matter how they increased their size, they couldn't withstand this powerful chill.
Seeing this scene, Paimon couldn't help but sigh, "So amazing! Even if these Hydro Slimes get bigger, they aren't worth mentioning at all."
"Look, they can't beat this guy at all. It's like tearing paper."
Lumine also nodded, her eyes flashing with emotion.
She thought these Hydro Slimes would cause her some trouble.
But now it seemed the appearance of the Everwinter Shadewalker still made their journey smoother. There was no need to worry about such dangers.
Kael saw this scene and smiled slightly, a trace of satisfaction in his eyes.
Along the way, the Everwinter Shadewalker had never disappointed him.
As a powerful shadow of the Fragmentum...
The ability it displayed here in Teyvat far exceeded imagination.
It was fully capable of handling most attacks, making his adventure much easier.
Time passed.
Soon, the Everwinter Shadewalker swept away the surrounding Hydro Slimes.
"Let's go."
Kael waved to the Everwinter Shadewalker, signaling it to continue leading the way.
Upon hearing the order, the Everwinter Shadewalker turned around immediately.
It led Lumine, Paimon, and Kael to continue along the road of Wolvendom.
Its frost spread on the ground. With every step, a thin layer of ice covered the ground, and the surrounding atmosphere was filled with chill.
Along the way, the Everwinter Shadewalker cleared all obstacles effortlessly.
Whether it was Hydro Slimes or other lurking Hilichurls, all were eliminated by it one by one.
Even in some hidden places where Hilichurls were hiding, they were found by the Everwinter Shadewalker and killed on the spot.
Especially the Dendro Slimes burrowing into the grass... they were still killed by the Everwinter Shadewalker's axe before they could even jump out.
Soon.
As they gradually moved away from the entrance of Wolvendom, the sunny view gradually opened up.
While Paimon was in a happy mood...
Suddenly.
In the forest ahead, a strange sound rang out.
Three wolf-shaped monsters were wandering out of the forest.
Their appearance was completely different from normal wolves.
Huge bodies, but no hind legs—or rather, their limbs were detached.
They were even floating in the air, making almost no footsteps, as if driven by some mysterious power.
The skin of these wolf monsters presented a cold pale white, revealing a cruel chill.
Their heads were huge, eyes flashing with alternating gold and purple light, emitting a disturbing aura.
Their skulls looked like they were made of frost and stone.
Sharp teeth flashed with cold light, giving a cold and dangerous feeling.
On their bodies, there were thick spikes, like sharp blades growing from bones.
Those spikes emitted a faint glow, as if their existence itself was to bring pressure to the surrounding air.
Their limbs were extremely strange.
Seemingly incomplete, parts of their limbs floated in the air, appearing incomparably weird.
Although there were no limbs supporting them, their movements were very flexible.
As if integrated with the air, they floated silently.
"...What is that?"
"Wolves?"
Seeing these wolf monsters, Paimon exclaimed in shock, her eyes full of confusion.
The image of these wolf monsters was undoubtedly unseen before.
Moreover, their movements were no longer the pace of ordinary animals.
Instead, they were like monsters imprisoned in space, wandering in the air.
Paimon couldn't help but shudder lightly. "No way, the wolves in this place aren't normal?"
"Wolves? They don't look like it at all."
Lumine frowned, her heart full of questions.
The three wolf monsters circled in the air.
After seeing Kael and the others, they also stopped moving, staring stiffly at Kael and his partners in the distance.
With their appearance, the surrounding air seemed to stagnate, and the atmosphere was extremely tense.
Those scanning gazes flashed with cold light, looking extremely dangerous.
"They are Rifthounds."
Seeing this scene, Kael raised his eyebrows. "I didn't expect to encounter them with such a small probability."
He knew about these things.
"Rifthounds?"
Hearing Kael's words, Paimon scratched her head. "What kind of monster is that? I've never heard of it."
"Demon-blood beasts capable of eroding the world's boundaries. Much more powerful than ordinary monsters."
"Appearing here is equivalent to an invasive alien species."
Kael explained.
While Kael was speaking, the Everwinter Shadewalker had already pounced on the three Rifthounds ahead.
Those three Rifthounds' eyes flashed with fierce light.
They also opened their bloody mouths and surrounded it.
However, facing the impact of the Everwinter Shadewalker, the three Rifthounds had no power to resist.
The Everwinter Shadewalker waved the ice axe in its hand. The cold air on its body scattered, as if even the air was frozen, condensing into streaks of frost.
As the ice axe swung out without hesitation...
The axe blade slashed precisely at one of the Rifthounds, splitting its body instantly.
Cold energy swept through, and the hound's corpse was quickly frozen into an ice block, lifeless.
Seeing this, the remaining two Rifthounds immediately launched a fierce attack on the Everwinter Shadewalker.
Terrifying Geo elemental power was condensed (Rockfond Rifthounds).
Accompanied by sharp claws filled with black energy.
However, their attacks were like child's play to the Everwinter Shadewalker.
The Everwinter Shadewalker slashed with the axe, carrying endless cold intent. Every blow could easily dissolve the attacks of these Rifthounds.
The originally fierce Rifthounds, in front of the powerful strength of the Everwinter Shadewalker, were like prey trapped in ice and snow, unable to recover at all.
Finally.
With the Everwinter Shadewalker's last axe swing...
The remaining two Rifthounds were also shattered, turning into a pile of ice blocks scattered on the ground, completely losing signs of life.
The whole process gave the Rifthounds almost no chance to fight back.
The Everwinter Shadewalker stood in the cold air, like an indestructible iceberg, quietly looking at the fallen hounds.
Watching the scene of the Everwinter Shadewalker easily destroying the hounds, Kael marveled in his heart.
The Corrosion/Bleed effect of the Rifthounds couldn't work on the Everwinter Shadewalker at all.
It could be said that this thing was completely countered by the Everwinter Shadewalker.
After all, the Everwinter Shadewalker wasn't even a living creature. How could it bleed?
"So amazing."
Paimon looked at the Everwinter Shadewalker who killed the fierce monsters in a few moves and sighed, "No matter what monster we face, there is nothing an axe can't solve."
Immediately, the Everwinter Shadewalker continued to lead the way.
It could be said that the Everwinter Shadewalker pushed horizontally through Wolvendom, solving all dangers.
And Kael and the others gradually moved away from the entrance area.
At this moment.
Deep in Wolvendom.
A materialized cold wind howled, curling up a hoarse voice out of thin air.
"The foreign wolf pack... was actually solved. Interesting."