Fischl's Resolve

"An Abyss Mage! Someone from the Abyss Order!"

Fischl's pupils contracted. Although she had no idea what the Abyss Mage intended to do to the Statue of the Seven, anything involving the Abyss could only spell trouble!

Her instincts told her that the Abyss Order must be plotting something. Besides, the statue represented Mondstadt City's faith. She could never allow the Abyss Order to defile it.

"I have to get back to Mondstadt City and report this right away!"

With that, Fischl immediately turned to leave.

Unfortunately, she was already too late!

The Abyss Mage had incredibly keen senses and had detected Fischl the moment she showed herself.

"Hehehe, since you've seen us, don't even think about leaving!"

A voice suddenly came from behind Fischl.

Fischl turned at the sound, only to pale in shock!

A Pyro Abyss Mage had teleported behind her without her noticing and conjured a fireball the size of a soccer ball, launching it straight at her.

"No!"

Fischl's expression changed drastically. The Abyss Mage's teleportation had caught her completely off guard, and it was barely two meters away from her!

There was no way she could dodge a surprise attack from that distance!

Thud!

A muffled impact rang out!

The fireball slammed into Fischl's back, then erupted in a violent explosion!

Flames exploded behind her. The force of the blast sent her flying like a kite with its string snapped, slamming her hard into a large tree!

"Milady!!"

Frantic, Oz immediately attacked the Abyss Mage, but his lightning attacks could barely even damage its fire shield, let alone do anything to the mage itself.

"Oz... I'm fine."

Fischl struggled to her feet. Yet her face was deathly pale, blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, and her back was soaked in red. She could barely stay upright, bent over and bracing herself against the tree. She looked anything but fine.

"Oh? You're still alive after taking a direct hit from me? How resilient!"

"But to keep you from leaking this information, for His Highness the Prince's grand ambitions, and for the Abyss, you must die here today!"

"Only the dead can keep a secret forever!"

The Abyss Mage let out a sinister cackle. Just then, another Abyss Mage approached with eight Hilichurl Berserkers and more than a dozen Hilichurls.

"Two Abyss Mages, eight Hilichurl Berserkers, and more than a dozen Hilichurls..."

"It looks like there's no escaping my fate today..."

Fischl gritted her teeth. With so many enemies before her, her chances of escaping were slim.

Even setting aside the two Abyss Mages, the strongest among them, those eight Hilichurl Berserkers alone were enough to fill her with despair!

Hilichurl Berserkers stood nearly five meters tall. Already immensely strong, they carried enormous axes as tall as themselves, each swing delivering over a thousand pounds of force.

If an ordinary human took a hit from a Hilichurl Berserker, at least half the bones in their body would break!

A single Hilichurl Berserker was already that terrifying, let alone eight of them, along with more than a dozen Hilichurls and two Abyss Mages.

Faced with such powerful enemies, Fischl's face turned ashen. She knew she was certain to die this time.

Every breath sent tremendous pain through her back.

Pain and despair intertwined, devouring her hope.

The light faded from her eyes. But just as she was about to give up and accept death, the image of a white-haired girl appeared in her mind.

That white-haired girl's sweet smile was like a gust of icy wind from Dragonspine, instantly jolting her out of her despair.

Hope shone once more in her dimmed eyes.

"No! I can't give up yet!"

"I want to live! I still have to give her that Slime pendant!"

"I still want to live happily with her!"

"I can't die yet! I have to survive!"

At that moment, Fischl's fierce desire to survive sent adrenaline surging through her body, making her temporarily forget the pain.

She glanced back at the forest behind her, and a plan immediately formed in her mind.

"Oz, fly back to Mondstadt and get help right now!"

"But, milady..." Oz was frantic. In such a dangerous situation, he wanted to protect Fischl rather than leave on his own.

"Don't worry. I'm an archer. Fighting in the forest is my specialty!"

"I'm no match for them on my own, so going back to Mondstadt for reinforcements is our only option!"

"Hilichurl Berserkers are huge. In a forest full of trees, they'll have a hard time moving freely."

"I'll use the terrain to keep them occupied and do everything I can to survive until help arrives!"

"Go!"

"Yes!"

Oz and Fischl shared a mental bond and could communicate directly through their minds, so it took only an instant for Oz to understand her resolve.

Without hesitation, he took flight and headed for Mondstadt as fast as he could!

At that same moment, Fischl rolled backward, plunging deeper into the forest.

She was an archer. Stealth and hit-and-run tactics were what she did best.

Meanwhile, Ellin had just finished training and returned home when her heart suddenly fluttered for no apparent reason!

"That's strange. Why have I been feeling so uneasy all this time?"

Ellin pressed a hand to her chest, her brows tightly knitted.

Just then, a sudden knock came at the door. Ellin opened it and found Fischl's mother standing outside.

"Hello, ma'am. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Ellin, dear, I'm looking for our Amy. Is she with you?"

"No, I've been training by myself all day."

Seeing the anxiety on Fischl's mother's face, Ellin felt her own unease grow stronger.

"Ma'am, has something happened?"

At that question, the worry on Fischl's mother's face deepened.

"The sun is about to set, but our Amy still hasn't come home, so her father and I went to the Adventurers' Guild to ask about her."

"The people at the Adventurers' Guild told us she'd accepted a commission to gather Wolfhooks in Wolvendom. But she should have finished such a simple commission and come back long ago."

"I thought she might be with you, so I came here to look for her..."

"Wolvendom is full of wolves, and Hilichurls show up there sometimes too. I'm really worried something might have happened to her!"

After the incident in the Whispering Woods, Fischl's parents had become far more apprehensive.

"Don't worry, ma'am. Maybe she was having fun and lost track of time. I'll head to Wolvendom right away!"

Ellin first reassured Fischl's mother, but the unease in her heart only grew stronger.

Without any hesitation, she called for Feng'er and immediately left, rushing toward Wolvendom at full speed.