Ying began searching nearby.
After some time...
"Speaking of which, I didn't pay this much attention while searching for Slimes earlier. When playing the game, the map didn't feel this big, but why have I walked so far and only covered this little distance?"
"This isn't when the Host is playing the game. The map is perfectly replicated based on the Host's arrival. Besides, the physical abilities of characters in the game and the Host's own are vastly different. Comparing yourself to them is like an egg hitting a rock."
"Wow! Does this system feel uncomfortable if it doesn't retort to me?!"
"Yes, dear~"
"Damn it... You win this time!"
"A Hilichurl camp has been detected ahead."
"Oh? Why are you suddenly being so helpful?"
"I fear the Host might get so engrossed in bickering that they'd rush in without watching their step."
"Emm... Tha-nk... you... for... your... concern!"
...
"Hmm... three with clubs, two with bows, and one explosive barrel Slime... they don't seem easy to deal with... I'll hide in the grass for a while..."
A little while later...
A squirrel suddenly scurried by. The three club-wielding Hilichurls immediately gave chase, and the attention of the other two archers was also drawn away.
"Opportunity!"
Ying drew her silver sword and quickly circled to the other side, accelerating towards the explosive barrel Slime directly in front.
Upon spotting Ying, the explosive barrel Slime immediately pulled out a Pyro Slime from its body, intending to ignite and throw it. However, before it could even do so, Ying was already in front of it. With a heavy blow, she knocked the Pyro Slime out of its hand and sent it flying. She then immediately unleashed her Anemo skill, Anemo, gathering it in her hand and pulling the Hilichurl into the air.
After several seconds of continuous assault, with a "boom!", it exploded. The Hilichurl, already low on health, was sent flying by the additional explosion damage. As soon as it hit the ground, it dissipated into dust.
The other two archers, hearing the commotion, quickly turned to investigate. Upon seeing that their companion had been dealt with, they immediately drew their bows and began charging their arrows.
Ying quickly retreated, dodging behind a slope to avoid the continuous barrage of arrows.
"Why are these Hilichurls shooting so fast? It's hard to escape like this..."
The three pursuing Hilichurls, realizing something was amiss, hurried back. They used the archers' barrage as cover to close in.
"Whoa! They even understand coordinated charges? This is outrageous!"
"It's remarkable that the Host can still make observations at this point."
"Get lost! Who do you think I am? I have a backup plan!"
"However, these five Hilichurls are too dispersed. My whirlwind can only hit three of the club-wielders at most, and the interference from the two archers prevents me from repositioning... I've got it!"
At this moment, the three club-wielding Hilichurls had reached the top of the slope. They leaped up, intending to strike Ying with their clubs.
"Eat my Rasengan!" Ying once again condensed Anemo into a ball, pulling them into the air. The powerful energy contained within raged within them.
A few seconds later, with a "boom!", they exploded and were sent flying. Meanwhile, Ying seized the opportunity to charge forward, using their bodies as cover. As they landed, she immediately followed up with "Gale Blossom."
"Be carried away by the wind!"
Intense Anemo rapidly condensed into a small whirlwind and rushed forward. Its powerful suction prevented the two archers from charging or moving. As they were approached, they, along with the three Hilichurls still lying on the ground, were swept into it.
Ying seized the chance to quickly run forward. The archer Hilichurls, due to the distance, might not be killed by the damage. To prevent any accidents, she prepared to finish them off.
As expected, after the whirlwind dissipated, the two archers were dragged to the bottom of the slope but had not yet turned to dust. Seeing this, Ying leaped from the slope and performed a plunging attack to finish them off.
"Phew, perfectly resolved."
"It seems the Host does have some skill."
"Low-key, low-key, just basic stuff."
"You get boastful after just a little praise. As expected of the Host."
"Go to hell!"
Ying collected the dropped materials and returned to the camp.
"Haha, this is the first treasure chest I've seen since arriving here! And it's a Common Chest, nice!"
"The Host is smiling like a fool."
"Get lost! Hmph... don't get angry... Let's open the chest first..."
With a small, forceful lift of her hand, a brilliant light flashed.
"Wow! It's blinding!"
As the light gradually faded, the treasures within were finally revealed.
Ten Primogems, a silver sword, and ten refining materials.
"Ten Primogems? Did I read that correctly?"
"The Host did not misread; they are indeed ten Primogems."
"You're this generous?"
"Since I've restricted the Host in many ways, I should also provide some benefits."
"Hmm~ I suppose you have some conscience. What about the extra silver sword? Two-star weapons can't be refined, can they?"
"That's correct, dear. The Host can choose to sell it for Mora. One silver sword is worth 200 Mora."
"Only 200..."
"That's already quite good. In the game, buying one costs 600."
"Uh... alright, alright. It's not much use holding onto it for now anyway."
"And what about these ten refining materials? Can I upgrade this silver sword?"
"Minerals make weapons sharper when applied. The Host can also understand it as in-game upgrades. However, to upgrade, you'll need a blacksmith's forge."
"So, Mondstadt is definitely a place to go. I'll wait until I get a better weapon before upgrading. It feels like a waste to use them on this two-star weapon... But Mondstadt is probably still dealing with the stormterror incident. I should go a little later."
Meanwhile, on the other side...
After clearing a few more Hilichurl camps along the way, Ying and Paimon finally arrived in Mondstadt.
"Allow me to formally introduce the City of Wind and Dandelions, the City of Freedom—"
"Travelers under the protection of the Knights of Favonius, welcome to Mondstadt City!"
"Everyone in the city... seems quite distressed..." [Ying]
"It's because the entire city has been troubled by Stormterror recently."
"But with Jean here, everything will be fine. By the way, before we head to the Knights' Headquarters, I have a gift for Ying~ Come with me, we need to go to a... higher place in Mondstadt."
"And so, the promised gift is— the Wind Glider!"
"The Reconnaissance Knights use it to travel through the sky, and the residents of Mondstadt also love to use it... Alright, come on, let's quickly test the Wind Glider's performance."
After some time... safe landing.
"As expected of you, to control the Wind Glider so well in such a short amount of time!"
"Thank you."
Suddenly! The sky instantly turned dark, and strong winds swept up dust and flyers from the ground.
"The sky..."
The silhouette of a giant dragon suddenly appeared above Mondstadt. Residents on the street immediately scattered.
The Stormterror let out a roar into the sky, and three giant tornadoes instantly appeared, madly destroying houses in Mondstadt.
Ying was accidentally swept into the air by a tornado and quickly unfurled her Wind Glider, managing to stabilize herself.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
"What the heck?!" Even though she was still a considerable distance from Mondstadt, Ying noticed the anomaly above the city.
"We've reached the Stormterror attacking Mondstadt part of the story. This means the Anemo God should be about to intervene and help Ying. But this is the first time I've seen such large tornadoes, and there are three of them..."
"My small tornadoes are like ants compared to them... Sigh, I should continue farming Hilichurls for now~"