Bennett scratched his head sheepishly. His messy hair was caked with dust from the chest, and even his goggles were knocked askew. He looked both pathetic and comical.
His cheeks flushed red. "Don't even mention it... Three days ago, I came here exploring and spotted this chest from a distance. There wasn't even a single slime nearby, so I thought I'd hit the jackpot!"
"But when I opened it—" He threw his hands open, his voice filled with frustration. "It was empty! I was about to turn and leave when I tripped on a rock and fell right into the chest."
"To make matters worse, just as I tried to push myself up, the lid slammed shut and locked tight. I yelled for two days and two nights, but no one heard me..."
As he finished speaking, his stomach let out a loud gurgle, the sound echoing starkly in the quiet wilderness.
Bennett rubbed his empty stomach and lowered his head with a bitter smile. "If you hadn't found me, I might have actually starved to death in there."
Lydia's heart softened at his story. She reached out and gently patted his shoulder, her touch light.
She had once been a member of Bennett's Adventure Team herself. All she could say was that adventuring was thrilling, but life was incredibly tough.
Following Bennett to pick Sunsettias, they'd been caught in a downpour halfway there, leaving them soaked to the bone. When they went searching for ruins, they'd nearly fallen into a trap and died.
In the end, she couldn't stand the constant danger of "disaster striking wherever they went" and voluntarily left the team.
Looking at the "top student" from Natlan studying in Mondstadt, Lydia couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. "You've really been through a lot, Boss Bennett."
"Bennett, your bad luck is just too ridiculous," Paimon couldn't resist commenting as she floated in the air.
Bennett chuckled sheepishly, the tips of his ears turning red, but he didn't argue.
He had long since grown accustomed to his "lucky" constitution. As far back as he could remember, he'd rarely encountered anything that went smoothly.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about bad luck for now," Lydia quickly changed the subject, seeing how hungry he was.
"Springvale is nearby. Let's head over and buy some meat from Uncle Draff! Let me tell you, Uncle Draff is an amazing hunter—he's sure to have fresh boar legs!"
At the mention of food, Bennett's eyes lit up instantly. "Yeah! Yeah, I'll come with you!"
The four of them soon arrived in Springvale. From a distance, they spotted Draff standing in front of his wooden cabin, head bowed as he organized his hunting gear.
"Uncle Draff!" Lydia was the first to run over, her snow-white ponytail bouncing wildly behind her, her voice filled with excitement.
Draff turned and saw her, his stern expression immediately softening. "Lydia! It's been a while. You've grown taller again!"
He set down his hunting tools, his gaze sweeping over Lumine, Paimon, and Bennett. "I know all of you," he said with a smile. "What brings you all here together? Planning to share a drink?"
"Careful, Uncle, or I'll tell Diona," Lydia teased, poking Draff with a mischievous grin.
At the thought of his daughter, who hated his drinking, Draff laughed awkwardly.
"Actually, we came to buy some meat from you," Lydia explained, pointing at Bennett. "He hasn't eaten in two days and just got trapped in a treasure chest."
Hearing this, Draff shook his head helplessly. "Bad timing. I just ran out of stock. I was about to head into the forest to hunt."
"If you don't mind, why not come with me? Tonight, I'll roast a wild boar for you and pair it with my prized wine. I guarantee you'll have a fantastic meal!"
"Yes! Yes!" Hearing the offer of free food and drink, Lydia jumped up instantly. "Oh, and Uncle, tomorrow's my eighteenth birthday! I'm having a party at Angel's Share. Diona will be there, so you have to come too!"
Draff paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. "I still remember when you were little, always pestering me to take you hunting. You were only up to my waist back then. In the blink of an eye, you're already having your coming-of-age birthday."
"Time really flies. You've grown into a young woman," he said, gently patting Lydia's head, his voice filled with emotion. "Don't worry, I'll be there."
Lydia's cheeks flushed, and she scratched her head shyly. "Then let's head out now! It's been a while since I've hunted, and hearing you talk about it is making my hands itch."
"Hahahaha, alright!"
-
The group followed Draff into the forest near Springvale and crouched down behind a dense thicket of bushes.
Draff lowered his voice, pointing a finger toward the path ahead. "Be patient. Around this time, wild boars will follow this path looking for food. When you see one, don't rush in—their hides are tough. We need to wait until it's close, aim for a vital spot, and then strike."
Lydia nodded, ready to tear the linen cloth from her Festering Desire at a moment's notice.
Bennett also tightened his grip on his one-handed sword. Though he knew he'd likely just get in the way, he stared intently at the path, silently steeling himself.
After about an hour, a rustling sound finally broke the silence—a plump wild boar burst out from the undergrowth.
"There it is!" Lydia's eyes lit up, and she instinctively started to rise, but Draff and Lumine simultaneously grabbed her arms.
"Wait!" Draff hissed, his brow furrowed in deep concern. His eyes darted around warily. "Something's wrong with this boar. It's running too frantically, like it's being chased."
Lumine nodded, her hand quietly closing around the hilt of her Dull Blade as her gaze swept through the surrounding woods. "Wild boars are usually cautious. They wouldn't charge forward so recklessly."
"Unless... something startled it."
Lydia immediately dropped to the ground, holding her breath as her heart hammered in her chest.
Sure enough, moments later, a flurry of rapid footsteps echoed from the direction the boar had fled.
Several wild wolves, wreathed in the black mist of the Abyss, burst into view!
Their eyes glowed with a crimson light, their teeth stained with dark red blood. Their limbs were long and slender, and they moved with the speed of dark shadows, leaving black scorch marks on the ground where they ran.
The boar had barely turned to flee when the lead wolf lunged, sinking its teeth into the boar's hind leg. The boar let out a piercing squeal.
The other wolves swarmed in, their sharp fangs instantly tearing through the boar's hide. Within moments, they had ripped the boar to shreds.
Black mist billowed continuously from the wolves' bodies, staining even the green grass black and releasing a pungent, rotting stench.
"These aren't ordinary wolves—they're too fast!" Draff whispered, not daring to breathe as he remained frozen in his ambush position.
"Abyss monsters!" Lumine reacted instantly, drawing her Dull Blade. Her expression turned grim. "Why are there so many near Springvale? This is too close to Mondstadt City..."
"Could it be... that Dragonspine has fallen?" Paimon voiced the thought aloud.
Beside her, Lydia froze, turning to stare at Paimon in disbelief.
Realizing her mistake, Paimon quickly clapped her hands over her mouth.
"They're just ordinary creatures tainted by the Abyssal aura. We can't jump to conclusions just yet," Lumine said, taking a deep breath to reassure Lydia. "Our priority right now is to get out of here."
The group huddled together, discussing how to avoid the monsters.
Draff suggested circling around to the other side of the forest, but Lumine worried they might encounter more monsters. Lydia, meanwhile, wondered if they could sneak back the way they came without alerting the wolves...
Before they could reach a decision, a sizzling sound of tearing space erupted behind them.
Lumine and Lydia reacted fastest, whipping their heads around.
A dark purple spatial rift had ripped open in mid-air. Black mist poured out like a tide, and the faint, piercing shrieks of monsters echoed from within, making their scalps tingle!
"Not good!" Lumine spun around instantly.
Before she could act, a sharp claw shot out from the rift, slashing straight for Bennett's head