Kael's fingers paused in midair. The Valberry he was about to pluck rocked gently in the breeze, the bright skin trembling once before settling again. He looked from the berry to the bulging sack in his hand, then to his already overstuffed backpack. A long breath escaped him.
He could not keep harvesting.
Whispering Woods truly lived up to its reputation. Every few steps revealed another cluster of Mondstadt specialties, but the problem was simple. He had no spatial storage.
If he continued picking, he would be carrying two heavy bags of materials. In a real fight, that amount of weight would be suicide. Even moving quickly would be difficult.
Worse, he still had to walk all the way back to Mondstadt. He would exhaust himself before he even reached the city gates. Kael preferred lighter travel. One sword, one pouch, nothing unnecessary.
"Shame," he muttered.
Resources everywhere, but he was forced to walk away. For someone who had spent years surviving on scarcity, passing up valuable supplies felt painful. Yet the Bio-wave probe in his pocket gave him some peace. As long as he had it, he could return and locate these resources again.
He tightened the rope on the filled sack and settled the backpack properly.
"Next time I need a storage tool," he said to himself.
Fischl's voice rose behind him, brimming with her usual theatrical confidence. "My loyal companion, the bounty of this land has been claimed. Now it is time for the darkness to tremble."
She unfolded a large map. Her gloved finger glided across it as her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"I have already traced the flow of shadow in this region. The dark brood has entrenched itself. Oz, speak."
Oz lifted off her shoulder and circled above them with a soft flutter. "She means she found the mission site. She wants to move."
Kael felt his mouth twitch. She never slipped out of her persona, not even for a second. But she was not wrong. He needed a look at the deeper parts of these woods. Mapping monster distribution was just as valuable as gathering resources.
And he had told her he would accompany her.
"All right. Lead the way," Kael said.
They advanced along the marked trail. The trees grew taller, their crowns merging overhead. Light thinned into scattered shafts that painted uneven shadows across the ground. The forest felt heavier, quieter. Somewhere ahead, a distant howl echoed.
A low growl followed.
Kael and Fischl exchanged a brief look.
They quieted their steps and moved through a curtain of shrubs.
A clearing opened before them.
And they froze.
Dozens of Hilichurls crowded around a bonfire. Several ragged tents ringed the camp. A large haunch of some forest beast roasted over crackling flames. Smoke curled upward, carrying the scent of charred meat.
Some Hilichurls lounged lazily on wooden stakes, half asleep and paying little attention to their surroundings.
Kael's attention, however, went elsewhere.
To the right of the camp stood a crude wooden tower. Two slender Hilichurls manned a simple but dangerous contraption. A heavy bow frame, tightened sinew, and crude levers formed an improvised launcher.
Fire Arrow Hilichurls.
Their arrows were coated in an unstable, flammable resin. Accuracy barely existed, but if even one arrow struck, flames would spread with vicious speed. In groups, they were infamous for overwhelming prey with fast bursts of incendiary fire.
Further inward, a towering figure stood near the center of the camp.
A hulking Hilichurl, broader than two ordinary ones combined. Mottled fur and beast hide draped over its shoulders, and in its hands rested a charred great-axe. The metal head still glowed with fading embers.
A Fire-Axe Mitachurl.
Even among Hilichurls, these were monsters of brute power. Their weapons were often re-forged by repeatedly plunging them into fire slimes, infusing each swing with a surge of elemental heat. Their edges dulled quickly, but they did not rely on sharpness. Pure, crushing strength served them well enough.
The creature's breath steamed in the cold forest air. It paced with a restless energy, clearly ready to fight at a moment's notice.
Fischl inhaled slowly. Even she, a wielder of Electro vision, understood the danger. Her combat strength excelled at ranged engagements. A Mitachurl's speed and brute force were lethal at close quarters.
And that was without considering the camp as a whole. Hilichurls, Fire-Axers, Fire Arrow snipers, and elemental slimes mixed among them.
Fischl's hand tightened around her bowstring.
"To see such chaotic dark brood amassed in one place…" she murmured.
Oz translated quietly. "She means she cannot take this camp alone."
Kael said nothing, observing the arrangement with careful eyes. This encampment was far beyond a routine patrol target. If ignored, it would grow into a large-scale threat. Eventually the Knights of Favonius would be forced to deploy a full squad to clear it.
Kael lowered his gaze and exhaled once. The air tasted of smoke and danger.
A concentrated Hilichurl warband in Whispering Woods meant trouble. It also meant an opportunity.
And he had a Bio-wave probe in his pocket, humming faintly, sensing something deeper beneath the earth.
Something that pulsed like a living heartbeat.
He did not know what he would find here.
But it would not be ordinary.