Chapter 251: Level Up!!

"It's blooming! It's blooming!"

Paimon's eyes sparkled as she watched the Glaze Lily slowly unfold. A faint, soothing fragrance filled the air, reminiscent of the calming light of the moon.

"The outer petals are a soft blue, the inner ones a misty moonlight white, and there's a small yellow bud in the center. Yep, this is definitely a Glaze Lily!"

Hu Tao compared the flower to her memory, confirming it was the real thing.

"Alright, let's go ahead and pick it. It's about time we head back to Liyue Harbor anyway," Nolan said, reaching out to pluck the Glaze Lily, but hesitated and pulled his hand back.

The Glaze Lily is a delicate flower, and if he accidentally damaged it, having to find another one would make even his normally calm self lose it.

"Let me handle it," Lumine said, noticing Nolan's hesitation. She understood his concerns, so she used her Geo abilities to gently lift the soil around the Glaze Lily.

Within seconds, a perfectly square block of dark soil rose from the ground, with the Glaze Lily firmly rooted on top.

Lumine carefully manipulated the Geo energy, causing the soil to gently crumble away from the flower's roots. Soon, a pristine Glaze Lily, untouched and unharmed, was successfully harvested.

"Quick, put it in your inventory space before it wilts from being out here too long without water or nutrients," Nolan reminded her.

Lumine nodded, fully aware of the situation. She stored the Glaze Lily in her time-suspending inventory space, finally allowing herself a breath of relief.

With that, the mission was complete.

"It's already so late. Are we still going to investigate the location of those green-eyed crows? Paimon is feeling a bit scared," Paimon said, her earlier excitement about securing the Glaze Lily fading as she remembered their next task.

After all, the area had been creepy enough during the day, and it would only be worse at night!

"We can't just leave them. What if those creatures break out and cause trouble?" Nolan admitted he was also nervous, but the thought of earning more Adventure EXP made him push the fear aside.

After thinking for a moment, he added, "How about you two head back? I can turn invisible and use my 'Interstellar Travel' ability. Once I've figured out what's going on with those crows, I'll teleport straight back."

While those crows weren't a challenge for any of them—except for Paimon—the sheer number of them was overwhelming. If they were surrounded again, it would be a huge hassle. Everyone understood the saying, 'Enough ants can take down an elephant.'

"Mhm, it's actually safer if someone stays outside with the 'waymark' so we can escape quickly if needed," Lumine said thoughtfully, resting her chin on her hand.

"Why don't Paimon and I wait ahead at Qingce Village or head back to Stone Gate? You and Hu Tao can go investigate together."

Concerned for Nolan's safety, Lumine didn't want him going alone. Having Hu Tao there to watch his back would make things much better.

After all, she was quite familiar with Wuwang Hill and knew how to handle any supernatural creatures they might encounter.

"Hmph, leave it to me, the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor," Hu Tao said confidently, flicking her hat brim and flashing a self-assured smile.

Since Hu Tao agreed, Nolan had no objections. He suggested, "Qingce Village is closer. You could check if there's a 'teleport waypoint' there. Heading back to Stone Gate would be unnecessary."

Nolan remembered that in the game, there was a waypoint in Qingce Village. While the real world map was much larger now, there shouldn't be much difference. They should be able to find it.

"Yes, yes, Paimon definitely don't want to go back to where we just were," Paimon nodded eagerly.

"That works," Lumine agreed, crossing her arms.

With Lumine and Paimon heading to Qingce Village to find the 'teleport waypoint,' Nolan and Hu Tao returned to the eerie area they had previously explored.

Throughout the journey, they kept the "stealth field" activated so the green-eyed crows wouldn't detect them.

Soon, Nolan and Hu Tao arrived back at the scene of their earlier battle, but the bodies of the green-eyed crows had all mysteriously disappeared.

"Nolan, look at the branches—they're still here, watching us. These crows really hold a grudge!" Hu Tao remarked, glancing up at the row of green-eyed crows perched in the trees.

"Yeah, it reminds me of the 'Rifthounds' I encountered in Mondstadt. They're from another realm and also hold grudges. I wonder if these crows have some connection to the Rift," Nolan speculated.

"Oh? The Rift? That's intriguing," Hu Tao said, pausing, her plum blossom-like pupils reflecting her growing interest.

"Yeah, if this is related to the Rift, it could be serious. The creatures from there often have the power to erode the world's boundaries. If we don't stop them in time, their 'Boss Beasts' could descend, and that would be a significant threat to Liyue," Nolan explained, spreading his hands in a gesture of mild helplessness.

"It seems we have no choice but to deal with them. Next, we'll need to figure out a way to get them to lead us to their nest," Hu Tao said, her expression becoming more serious as she continued to watch the crows.

"That's easy," Nolan chuckled. "They can't stay here forever. Once they go back to their nest, we'll just follow them."

It was all about who had more patience.

"We can stay invisible for hours. If this doesn't work, we can rest and come back tomorrow," Nolan added, sharing his plan.

Hu Tao thought for a moment and realized that this strategy, based on patience, was more practical than running around aimlessly.

The two found a flat stone and sat down.

Since waiting was rather boring, and Hu Tao's lively personality made it hard for her to sit still, she stretched, then rested her head on Nolan's shoulder for a brief nap, hoping that when she opened her eyes, the crows would be heading back to their nest.

Nolan, meanwhile, took advantage of the time to open his character panel and think about how to use his large amount of Adventure EXP.

First, leveling up was a must. With over 97,000 Adventure EXP, he had enough to raise his level to 60.

Becoming stronger would help him react more quickly to any danger that might arise later on.

Though, with the 'Interstellar Travel' ability, he didn't think there was much that could prevent him from escaping—unless something could kill him in an instant before he had a chance to react.

To avoid such bad luck, it was best to level up and enhance his reflexes.

Adventure EXP -54,500

Lv. 50 (0/5000) → Lv. 60 (0/6000)

(End of Chapter)

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