(1 more chapters coming today please give power stones)
Lumine carried the Favonius Sword and quietly slipped past the sentry's line of sight.
Grabbing a protrusion in the rock, she pulled herself up in one smooth motion and plunged her blade downward toward the hilichurl archer, who had just begun to sense danger.
Bang!
The hilichurl archer was struck down before it could react.
Lumine followed up immediately, leaping into the air and bringing her sword down in a plunging strike. The blade flared with Anemo light as it smashed into the ground.
Cracks spread across the earth.
The commotion instantly stirred the once-quiet hilichurl camp.
"Yaya ika!"
The archers on the watchtowers—and the samachurl sleeping in its tent—were jolted awake.
At that moment, a burst of Hydro energy exploded across the campfires.
The flames were snuffed out in an instant, plunging the forest into darkness.
The sudden change robbed the hilichurls of their vision.
Shifting from light to darkness took time to adjust.
"Breastplate!"
Noelle shouted.
She raised her greatsword with both hands as golden, sand-like Geo particles flowed around her, forming a sturdy shield.
Then she charged straight through the thorny barricade and rushed in.
With a single swing of her greatsword, three wooden-shield hilichurls were forced back. Because they blocked with their shields, they didn't take much damage.
Arrows fired from the watchtowers were also stopped cold by her Geo shield, clinking harmlessly to the ground.
"Kaito, these hilichurls… they're stronger than the ones I've fought before!"
Noelle said anxiously.
In the past, she could cleave a wooden shield in half with a single strike.
Now—
Dendro energy gathered beneath her feet. Leaves began to swirl.
The Dendro samachurl had started chanting.
The surrounding hilichurls grew excited, no longer rushing to attack Noelle.
They circled her shield, hopping left and right.
With the mighty samachurl at work, this human would surely become food for their pot.
But as their attention stayed fixed on Noelle—bathed in Geo light—
A shadow suddenly appeared behind the samachurl.
Flames ignited along a greatsword.
The blade came down without hesitation.
Greatsword. Pyro. Higher level.
Diluc held overwhelming advantage and raw power.
One strike was enough to end the fragile samachurl.
He surged forward, Searing Onslaught sweeping out again.
The shields raised by three hilichurls were blasted from their hands by sheer force, igniting midair as Pyro clung to them.
The hilichurls could only watch as their beloved weapons burned to ash.
Diluc did not deliver a finishing blow.
He withdrew his flames and sword, glanced once at the young Knight of Favonius, then retreated back into the darkness.
"Yah!"
The hilichurls roared in fury. Without their shields, they raised their clubs and smashed them toward Noelle.
Her Geo shield trembled, on the verge of breaking.
"This… isn't an ordinary commission…"
Noelle said in surprise.
Seeing that Diluc hadn't finished off the hilichurls, a thought suddenly occurred to her.
"This is the training Captain Kaeya mentioned… that special way of growing stronger, something only those with Visions can do?"
Her eyes lit up.
The Geo Vision tied to the red ribbon at her lower back suddenly shone brilliantly.
She was enveloped in Geo energy.
The surrounding hilichurls staggered back in fear.
The Geo energy flowed into her greatsword, forming a massive, radiant blade nearly four meters long.
"Sweeping Time!"
Noelle swung the greatsword in a wide arc.
Boom!
Three hilichurls were sent flying, smashed together with the two watchtowers, which collapsed instantly. The hilichurl archers atop them were flung to the ground.
Wielding this enormous blade, Noelle's fighting style became utterly straightforward—and overwhelmingly forceful.
Just like the name of the skill suggested—
It was like cleaning the battlefield.
By the time Lumine rushed over, all she could do was watch.
She couldn't even get close without risking being caught in the blast.
The entire hilichurl camp was quickly reduced to ruins.
The captured Pyro Slimes took the opportunity to flee—
Only to be casually dealt with by Barbara.
Letting them start a forest fire would've been troublesome.
Ley Line energy surged up from the ruins and flowed into Noelle's body.
"Kaito… was this trip actually training?" Noelle ran back and asked.
She looked up at him, her pale green eyes shining.
Who had ever taken her out like this to train before?
Jean and Kaeya were buried in Knights of Favonius affairs every day, their own strength even lagging behind.
The other knights weren't strong enough.
With too few people, they couldn't handle powerful monsters. With too many, the Knights couldn't spare the manpower.
After all, not everyone could obtain a Vision.
"Of course," Kaito said with a smile.
"I…" Noelle hesitated.
She had originally planned to be responsible for the party's safety—yet from the very start, she'd been the one receiving care.
She stepped back gracefully, lifted her skirt with both hands, bent her knees slightly, and bowed.
"I will repay this kindness."
"No matter what—making sweets, washing clothes, cleaning floors, or even washing curtains. If there's anything I can do, please tell me!"
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