Chapter 172: Sneaking into the Hilichurl Camp
"Hello, Doctor. My name is Nolan. This is my companion, Fischl, and her familiar, Oz. We are the adventurers who accepted your commission," Nolan introduced himself with a smile, then gestured to Fischl and Oz.
Livingstone looked slightly surprised upon hearing this.
If she remembered correctly, one of the newly announced Honorary Knights by the Knights of Favonius was named Nolan.
Moreover, he resembled the portrait she had seen, bearing the distinct features of someone from Liyue.
"So, it's you, Honorary Knight! I heard you played a part in driving off the Stormterror. Your abilities must be exceptional. It seems I might finally succeed in unsealing the sword cemetery with your help," Livingstone said excitedly.
"You're too kind. Whether we can assist you remains to be seen. First, tell us your plan," Nolan replied thoughtfully.
The golden sunlight reflected off the shimmering water, casting mirror-like reflections of their silhouettes.
"Uh-huh!" Livingstone nodded vigorously.
"This place was once an ancient battlefield. The triple elemental seal was set up to protect the artifacts within the sword cemetery from being tainted by monsters. After extensive research, I've identified the key nodes maintaining this seal by tracing the elemental flow. If we can activate the elemental monoliths at these three key points, the seal will dissipate."
The water reflected the profile of the blonde girl, her right leg encased in black silk stockings, adding a blurred "background filter" to the scene. Fischl lifted her fair face slightly and parted her lips to speak:
"Oh? Lighting up the elemental monoliths sounds simple enough. Quickly, tell this princess where they are, and we shall set off immediately!"
"It's not that straightforward, Miss Fischl."
Dr. Livingstone said, brushing a lock of hair that was level with her brows.
She shook her head and continued, "Activating the monoliths is not difficult in itself. The challenge is that they are located within three nearby Hilichurl tribes. To get to the monoliths, we must either avoid detection by the Hilichurls or defeat them all.
"Regrettably, despite my intellect rivaling the stars and my courage to brave the Abyss, I lack the strength to defeat the Hilichurls myself!"
So, that's why you had to issue a commission through the Adventurers' Guild. If you had the strength to defeat them, would you be planning to solo the Abyss next? Nolan thought, somewhat amused.
Nolan silently complained in his heart.
"I've tried sneaking into those Hilichurl camps several times, but I always got caught. Luckily, my skills as an adventurer include a knack for escaping," Livingstone said.
"The elemental monoliths are located in the northern 'Meaty Tribe's arena, the southern 'Sleeper Tribe's pool, and the eastern Black Sun(Eclipse) Tribe's camp center. I'll leave them to you two."
Livingstone detailed the information she had gathered.
Fischl crossed her arms confidently and said, "Of course, there's no problem, leave these matters to this princess!"
"Given the current time, you should head to the closest one, the southern Sleeper Tribe," Livingstone suggested.
"Once night falls, they'll be fast asleep. Even the Hilichurls on watch will be drowsy, making it much easier to sneak in."
"That makes sense," Nolan agreed with a nod.
A Hilichurl tribe has at least dozens, if not hundreds, of monsters, some of which are quite powerful. A frontal assault was out of the question.
As night descended, the sky filled with a tapestry of stars. The trio gathered on the flat ground outside the sword cemetery's energy shield, lighting a campfire with the wood they had collected.
They hung a pot over the fire using a triangular wooden frame, and the aroma of mushroom and wild boar stew wafted from the pot.
Fischl sat with her knees slightly bent and her legs together on a log, her soft, bottom clad in a triangular bodysuit, partially hidden by her black silk stockings.
She held a bowl of steaming soup noodles, blowing gently on the surface.
Nolan sat beside her, having already finished his meal. He placed his bowl and chopsticks down and looked up at the starry sky.
"By now, do you think those Sleeper Tribe Hilichurls have fallen asleep? Can we sneak in yet?" he wondered aloud.
He could use his "Concealment Form" skill to sneak in at any moment.
However, activating the elemental monolith might disrupt his invisibility due to the elemental energy involved, making retreat risky.
So it was best to save it for later use.
Fischl sipped her soup thoughtfully before responding. "We should give it a bit more time to ensure they're fully asleep. The quieter we are, the better our chances of success."
Oz, perched nearby, added, "The Prinzessin is right. Patience will be our ally tonight."
"The sky is completely dark now. We should be able to go soon, but to be safe, let's wait a bit longer," Livingstone suggested, glancing upwards.
"Agreed. We've just finished dinner anyway, so a short rest won't hurt," Nolan concurred with a nod.
After everyone had eaten their fill and rested for a while, Dr. Livingstone stayed behind to guard the camp while Nolan and Fischl headed toward the Sleeper Tribe's camp.
A short while later, the two of them crouched outside the wooden palisade of the Sleeper Tribe's camp. They observed the nearby watchtowers and saw that the Hilichurls were indeed dozing off.
Some were even slumped over, fast asleep! Their tribe's name certainly wasn't misleading.
"The whole camp seems to be asleep, and Oz has spotted the Electro Monolith near the pool," Fischl remarked, sharing her vision with Oz.
"Idiot Attendant, this Princess believes we can head straight to the Black Sun Tribe in the east. Let Oz handle the monolith here," she declared.
"That it happens to be an Electro Monolith is convenient. We don't need to intervene," Nolan agreed with a slight nod.
Since the Sleeper Tribe's monolith was an Electro Monolith, Oz could easily activate it from a distance as they moved away.
Even if the Hilichurls were awakened, they wouldn't be able to attack Oz in the sky.
The Black Sun Tribe's camp wasn't too far from their current position. They could climb the mountain wall to their left and walk a bit further.
If they managed to light up two monoliths tonight, they'd only have the Meaty Tribe left for tomorrow, greatly increasing their efficiency.
Although the Black Sun Tribe's Hilichurls were more alert at night compared to the Sleepy Tribe, they had been significantly weakened recently when Lisa had cleared out a large number of them during the retrieval of the Dragon Tears.
It hadn't been long enough for them to fully recover their strength, though they still needed to be cautious of the Abyss Mage who had escaped last time.
Who knows if it has returned.?
With its strength, if Nolan and the others get close to the "Black Sun Tribe" camp, they will soon be discovered, which will be very dangerous.
Nolan considered the situation and said, "We can head toward the Black Sun Tribe but shouldn't get too close. Last time, I encountered a powerful Abyss Mage there. To be safe, let's have Oz scout ahead to see if it's still around."
(End of Chapter)
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