SFS Chapter 166 The Final Meeting with the Dragon
Chapter 166 The Final Meeting with the Dragon
Following his custom in Liyue, Xu Ning clasped his hands in a respectful greeting and said, "Hello, Miss Yura. I have heard about your story of joining the Knights of Favonius, and I greatly admire and respect you."
Yura put one hand on her hip and said, "Oh, so you're the kind of person who dares to talk to me like this after knowing my past. You've got guts. But where were your eyes looking the whole time you were talking? I'll remember that."
Xu Ning awkwardly looked away from Yura's waist and coughed twice to cover up his embarrassment.
My old habits from my past life have resurfaced. Cough cough, I have to change them, or they'll really hold a grudge.
“We’ve noticed something strange about the Hilichurls in the wild these past few days. They seem to be being driven by someone. We were worried that something might have happened in Mondstadt, so we came back to check on them.”
Yura explained to Amber why her guerrilla squad had returned, and then said to the team members behind her, "You guys should go back to the city and rest for now."
Amber asked, "Aren't you going back to rest for a couple of days?"
Yura said nonchalantly, "It's more comfortable out in the wild. If they hadn't been unable to hold on, I wouldn't have even planned to come back. I mean, instead of setting up sandbags here, we might as well go out and wipe out those Hilichurls in the wild."
"If I remember correctly, it's been a long time since we fought side by side since your grandfather passed away, hasn't it?"
When Amber suddenly heard Yura mention her grandfather, her expression darkened slightly, but she quickly brightened up and laughed, "It has been a long time indeed."
Yura turned to Xu Ning and asked, "I remember Liyue did something like that, and it seems you were the one who spearheaded it?"
Xu Ning nodded and said, "That's true, but we had plenty of manpower back then. Now, almost four-fifths of Mondstadt's troops have been taken away by Grand Master Falgar, leaving us extremely short-handed. It's difficult to achieve any outstanding results in battle, so defense is a more practical approach..."
Yura said nonchalantly, "But killing a few means fewer, right? What do you say? Amber, and our newly promoted honorary knights?"
Amber glanced at Xu Ning with concern and said, "I don't care, it's just Xu Ning..."
Xu Ning smiled and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking. I'm planning to go out of the city for a couple of days. It would be great if you could come along."
The three hit it off immediately. After a brief discussion, they agreed that the area in the direction of Dadaupa Valley had the most Hilichurls, and clearing them out in that direction would be the most efficient.
It has to be said that there are an unusually large number of small Hilichurl communities near Mondstadt. By the time it got dark, Xu Ning and his three-person squad had already wiped out no fewer than six Hilichurl groups.
Having chosen a quiet high ground as her resting place for the night, Yura sat down and took out several paper-wrapped, biscuit-like objects from her backpack.
Yura smiled and said to Xu Ning, "You're in for a treat! You'll get to try my specially made Moon Pie, a delicacy I've named 'Tidal Wave Pie.' Come and have a taste!"
Seeing that Amber was about to find some branches to start a fire, Xu Ning grabbed her and said to Yura, "Don't rush, let me take you to a safe and comfortable resting place first, and then we can eat slowly."
A moment later, Yura sat somewhat dazed in the Dust-Hidden Cave, watching Xu Ning and Qingyi busily preparing a large table of dishes, and then looking at the two hard moon pies she was holding in her hand.
"Alright, I'll remember this grudge. When we get back to Mondstadt, I'll prepare the necessary ingredients so you can taste my cooking."
When Xu Ning saw that Yura was about to put the Moon Pie back, he quickly stopped her, saying, "No, I've wanted to try the Moon Pie for a long time. It's known as the best military ration of the Knights, especially since you made it yourself. Give it to me to try. Maybe you can get revenge right here."
Qingyi had noticed in the past few days that Xu Ning had been particularly attentive to that An Bo, and now he was being especially solicitous to this one. She secretly jotted down two more names in her little notebook, thinking to herself, "Someday I can write a story about this... If Xu Ning dares to bully me again, I can use this to blackmail him into showing it to Ningguang, hehehe!"
Hearing Xu Ning's words, Yura blushed slightly. She wasn't confident that her Moon Pie could match the delicious and colorful dishes on the table. However, seeing that Xu Ning really wanted to try her cooking, Yura still demurely handed one over.
"Hmm, it's savory and delicious, with a rich and full-bodied smoky flavor. It's exactly the taste I like! Well, how should I put it? I'll remember this grudge. Looks like I'll have to show off my real skills for the next meal."
Yura received unprecedented praise and shouted in embarrassment and annoyance, "Hey, don't you dare mimic me! You're the one who made me hold a grudge three times in just half a day, you better watch out..."
Over the next two days, Xu Ning and Amber Yura fought their way to the vicinity of Dadaupa Valley, clearing out almost all the Hilichurl monsters along the southern route.
Strangely, we hardly saw any Abyss Mages along the way; instead, we only saw reckless Hilichurls paving the way.
Although Xu Ning couldn't figure out the reason, it didn't stop Xu Ning and his team from cleaning up.
Moreover, Xu Ning even had the time to drive away the three fairy spirits and unlock the sword tomb in the middle of the road in Dadaupa Valley.
"Achievement Completed: The Best Sword in the Tomb - Unlock the Tomb Seal."
"Offering to Dionysus upgraded by one level: Increases stamina by eight points and grants twenty Wine Seals."
In addition to the above achievements, Xu Ning also found a "Northern Land One-Handed Sword Prototype" in the center of the Sword Tomb.
Amber and Yura both said they didn't need anything, so Xu Ning casually tossed them into his own inner world, thinking he would go back and find a blacksmith to forge a good sword so he would have more options in battle.
After all, the silver sword in the cave was really not presentable.
"Judging by the time, we should head back now, or we might miss the final battle."
Xu Ning followed Amber's advice.
When the three returned to Mondstadt, Goodwin greeted Xu Ning and said, "Commander Jean has just returned and instructed that you should come to the Knights' headquarters immediately upon seeing you."
"Xu Ning, our operation has failed."
As soon as Xu Ning walked in, Qin immediately informed him of the results of their operation.
Wendy scratched his head and chuckled, "It wasn't a complete failure. Although Dvalin did show signs of regaining his senses, the abyss mage's influence ultimately led to..."
Jean said to Xu Ning seriously, "So now we only have one choice left: to face Dvalin in person, get close to it, and then rely on Void's purification ability to remove the curse and awaken it."
"Perhaps my request is unreasonable to you who have been working hard to clear out monsters these past two days, but according to various intelligence, the Abyss Mages are very likely to attack Mondstadt while we are dealing with Dvalin. I hope you can go to the Wind Dragon Ruins with everyone in my place."
Is the moment finally approaching when we'll face the dragon head-on?
Although I was a little scared, I was also secretly looking forward to it!
Xu Ning smiled and nodded, saying, "I'm willing."