18 Chapter 18

Merry Christmas to everyone! ≧ ◡ ≦

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As we soared through the sky towards Whispering Woods, I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Amber losing her license. She shot me an offended glance.

"Quit teasing me already, or I'll make you get your own license," she threatened, pointing her finger in my direction.

"A license? But I can naturally fly."

"True, but the guards in Mondstadt don't know that. Flying without a permit can get you arrested. So, you better prove your skills by passing the license tests."

I grumbled a bit. I hated taking tests, but I also didn't want to be chased around town by guards like a bunch of chickens.

"Come on, it'll be fun," Amber insisted, her bright eyes shining as she stepped closer to me, her wing nearly brushing against mine. "Don't worry too much. I'll personally hand you your license."

"Alright, you win. What do I need to do?"

"Basic aerial maneuvers, speed control, marksmanship..." Amber listed off. "Nothing too challenging for you."

With a nod, she continued, "Before we head to Whispering Woods, let's start your test at Galesong Hill."

Galesong Hill was still within Windrise, right where the Temple of the Falcon, one of the game's starting Domains, was located. I recalled that Amber had prepared this hill as a test for the Traveler.

The hill itself was much taller than in the game. As we approached, I could easily see it reaching a height of forty meters.

Among the rocks at the base, I spotted the entrance to the Domain. The large steel double doors with peculiar engravings glowed a vibrant red.

From this vantage point in the game, one could normally see the city. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Mondstadt, just vast fields and forests extending as far as the eye could see.

I mentally noted to activate as many Waypoints as possible to expedite travel.

There was no way I wanted to walk that far every time I needed to go somewhere!

"We've arrived—"

Just as Amber spoke those words, we heard a commotion in the distance. Shouts echoed through the air, indicating that a battle was taking place.

We exchanged a glance and turned towards the sound. It originated from the left, where a thin column of smoke rose into the sky.

"It's coming from over there, Kaito! Let's go!"

Letting out a small sigh, we simultaneously activated our gliders and swiftly soared in that direction.

We maneuvered through the trees at full speed, skillfully avoiding branches. Soon, we emerged into a small clearing, where the source of the smoke came into view.

A campfire blazed fiercely next to a demolished campsite.

"Hilichurls!"

Amber exclaimed, her grip tightening on her bow. In front of us, a group of monsters attacked a trio of humans. Two men and a woman struggled to free themselves, while a small figure sobbed uncontrollably, hiding behind a tree.

We landed with a nimble jump and approached the scene. It was a frightened little girl, no older than 8, covered in ashes.

"My mom, dad... they're being attacked! Please save them!" She pleaded.

"Don't worry, Amber the Outrider always helps those in need!"

It seemed that the Hilichurls had also noticed our presence. They growled menacingly before brandishing their weapons in our direction.

"Looks like they want a fight." I twirled the spear in my hands, the Anemo element glowing as I infused it. "Ready, Amber?"

She nodded with determination, igniting an arrow. "What's the plan?"

"Keep them at bay with your fire attacks. And make use of that thing hanging at your waist," I pointed out. "I'll take care of the ones that come too close. Let's do this!"

"It's not called 'That Thing'! It's Baron Bunny!" Amber shouted from behind me.

I watched as she tossed that teddy bear—err, Baron Bunny—into the air to the side. The Hilichurls, who were cruelly tormenting the humans, became distracted and moved closer to Baron Bunny, who was busting out some...

...impressive dance moves in the middle of the battlefield.

With a hiss, I unleashed my elemental ability, covering my body in Anemo energy as I dashed towards the nearest group of enemies. The force of Anemo sent several of them flying into the air.

Then Amber sprang into action, displaying her impressive archery skills by launching flaming arrows at the foes. The hilichurls screeched in agony as they were engulfed in flames, running around in a frenzy.

Before long, we found ourselves surrounded from all sides. I swiftly swept my spear, pushing back some of the assailants, while Amber had my back, providing support. We fought back-to-back, like a well-coordinated team.

However, the enemy numbers were overwhelming. We needed to end this battle quickly.

"Amber, use your special ability!" I called out.

She nodded, reciting the name of her attack. With an adorable shout, she unleashed her ultimate skill—Burning Rain.

Multiple fire arrows soared through the air, descending upon our adversaries in a torrential downpour of flames. The arrows inflicted continuous Pyro damage, scorching everything in their area of effect.

The explosion of heat filled the surroundings. I combined my Anemo elemental with this fiery surge, generating a whirlwind of fire that swept away the remaining hilichurls.

Soon, only scattered ashes and a few unburned bodies remained.

After defeating the hilichurl camp, we heard screams in the distance. It was the terrified travelers we had rescued earlier.

Seeing us emerge victorious, they cautiously approached.

"Thank the Lord Barbatos! You saved us!" one man exclaimed. "These monsters attacked us on our way back to our village."

Another individual stepped forward, offering us a handful of Mora and a pair of shiny primogems. "Please accept this as a token of gratitude. You've saved our lives."

Amber declined the reward, but I quickly reached out and accepted the gifts with a warm smile. "It's not necessary, but it's appreciated."

Amber shot me a glare before turning back to the travelers. "Is there anything else we can do to help?"

"To be honest, we would feel much safer if you could accompany us the rest of the way," the woman with the young girl on her arm requested. "With those creatures still lurking around..."

I was about to argue that we weren't guides, but Amber promptly replied, "Sure, we'd be happy to escort you. We're not far, right, Kaito?"

This time, I glared back at her. She simply winked mischievously, causing me to let out a resigned sigh.

"Wait, I want to check something."

Before we set off, I asked Amber to pause for a moment. Activating my "Elemental Sight," I was able to perceive elemental traces that were invisible to the naked eye. Everything appeared in shades of gray, except for the interacting entities.

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