"Th-this is… the Knights of Favonius…"
The Abyss Heralds couldn't even defeat Noelle.
And behind her stood Lin Mo, whose strength was unfathomable.
Now that reinforcements from the Knights had arrived, despair deepened in their hearts.
"Ha! Judgment!!!"
A deep, powerful shout rang out from the sky.
A fire phoenix that blotted out the heavens tore through wind and clouds, diving straight toward the cliffside battlefield where the eight Abyss Heralds stood.
"No—don't!!"
Lin Mo shouted anxiously.
Diluc's Elemental Burst.
That was multi-hit Pyro damage with terrifying shield-breaking power.
But these Abyss Heralds were training partners Lin Mo had gone to great lengths to find for Noelle!
Their shields were already flickering, on the verge of collapse.
Lin Mo had planned to throw them into a dungeon, let them recover, and then drag them out from time to time as real combat practice for Noelle!
But now… it was already too late.
The Abyss Heralds, already at the end of their rope, were instantly swallowed by the fire phoenix.
Thick white steam billowed across the battlefield, obscuring everything from view.
Then a gust of wind swept through.
The smoke dispersed.
On the devastated battlefield, not a single living thing remained.
The eight Abyss Heralds, who had barely retained a shred of fighting power moments ago, now lay motionless on the ground.
The protective shields around their bodies were gone.
Black smoke rose faintly from their scorched corpses.
They were dead. Beyond any doubt.
Looking at the eight bodies, Lin Mo's heart ached terribly.
Diluc… Diluc!
Of all things you could've done, why did you have to finish them off?!
I taught you so many hit liquor recipes during the invitation quests!
Jian'nanchun, Wuliangye, Maotai—
Whiskey, brandy…
Without me, could Dawn Winery really have monopolized the alcohol market of Teyvat?!
And yet you repay kindness with ingratitude—
You killed my training slaves!
These were Abyss Heralds!
Even in a direct confrontation, a four-man Abyss Herald squad could go toe-to-toe with Dvalin or the Wolf of the North.
Two such squads—and you just wiped them out like that?!
While Lin Mo was silently grieving, the figures riding the wind finally landed behind him.
Eula, Jean, and Klee were just about to step forward and check on him, when Diluc spoke first.
"Noelle, and you as well, sir—are you all right?"
Noelle turned her head and gently shook it.
"I'm fine. It's just that… Teacher finally found some practice opponents for me, and you killed them…"
"Practice… opponents?"
Diluc's usually expressionless face showed rare surprise.
Not just him—everyone present looked shocked.
Aside from Venti and Lisa at her peak, no one here could confidently say they'd win one-on-one against an Abyss Herald.
"They really were practice opponents~"
Noelle nodded innocently.
"My lord said he planned to capture these eight Abyss Heralds and lock them up in Mondstadt, so they could be long-term sparring partners for the Knights of Favonius~"
There was a trace of grievance in her voice.
"I worked so hard just to break their shields…"
To her, this had been a carefully prepared gift from Lin Mo.
After all, in the future storyline, Abyss Heralds nearly soloed the Wolf of the North.
They weren't weak.
It was just that after training with Lin Mo in her dreams, Noelle had become far too strong.
"Teacher… my lord?"
Lisa murmured softly, repeating the two peculiar titles.
Everyone else turned their gaze toward Lin Mo, who had his back to them.
Could it be…
That Noelle's explosive growth in strength was all taught by him?
"Ahem, everyone~ Long time no see~"
Lin Mo turned around with an awkward smile.
"I was bored this morning, so I taught Noelle a bit of swordsmanship and some small tricks for using the power of a Vision."
"Huh?"
Noelle tilted her head, completely confused.
"All right, no 'huh-ing'~"
Lin Mo quickly pressed his hand on her head, afraid she might reveal what happened in the dream.
Then he added, "If you really like Abyss Heralds as sparring partners, later I'll take you into the Abyss myself and personally catch a couple of squads for you to fight, all right~"
"Th-then… thank you in advance, Teacher…"
The resentment in Noelle's eyes vanished instantly.
What she longed for most was to travel the world with her teacher, challenging powerful enemies together.
With Lin Mo's promise, what did eight dead Abyss Heralds matter?
"…Hmm. So it's you…"
At that moment, Diluc finally recognized Lin Mo.
The close friend from his dreams—the one who had taught him the art of fine winemaking.
"You know each other?"
Lisa walked forward with a smile.
That playful gaze suggested she already understood quite a lot.
"Ahem. During my travels, I stayed at Dawn Winery as a guest," Lin Mo explained quickly.
At the same time, he shot Diluc a subtle look when no one was paying attention.
Men understood men.
Diluc knew Lin Mo didn't want the dream experiences exposed, so he nodded calmly.
"Yes. Mr. Mod Ganqing visited Dawn Winery some time ago. We discussed many topics related to winemaking."
"Oh? Is that really so?"
Lisa's gaze remained teasing.
Those captivating eyes stared straight into Lin Mo's.
He couldn't help feeling guilty.
In his memory, this woman had seen through ninety percent of his lies.
So he quickly patted Noelle on the shoulder and said seriously, "Ahem. Noelle, stay here and briefly report what just happened to Acting Grand Master Jean."
"Hm? My lord, do you have something else to attend to?"
Noelle heard the hint of departure in his words.
"Yes," Lin Mo nodded.
Then he turned to look at Lisa, who was watching him with a meaningful smile, and said,
"There are a few things about the dragon crisis that confuse me."
"I'd like to consult privately with the knowledgeable Lisa—"
"Senior."
"Would you be willing to give me the opportunity?"
…
Lisa smiled gently.
The smile was utterly enchanting.
"Of course~"
"But on one condition—"
"You have to call me Sister. Don't call me Senior."
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T/N:
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