Chapter 482: Chapter 482: Beating Down the Eye of the Storm (2-in-1 Chapter)
"So—So powerful!"
Bennett stared wide-eyed at the forest turned into an ice sculpture. Noelle nodded in agreement.
"Rosaria, what are you doing here?"
Nolan looked up at the cold, aloof woman standing atop the treetops, her dark red hair and thorned veil gently fluttering as she lightly stroked her pale, delicate back.
"Overtime," Rosaria replied, withdrawing her long spear. With a calm expression and a slightly annoyed tone, she crossed her arms over her chest, wrapped in a white high-collar, backless top.
"Uh… but it's early morning, isn't this your regular work time?" Nolan asked in confusion.
"Don't you get days off?" Rosaria sighed, shooting the question back at him.
"..."
Nolan was speechless. Ever since becoming an adventurer, he'd basically been working every day. Work had long become a part of his life.
The word vacation had long since disappeared from his world.
He cleared his throat and shifted the topic, glancing at the man in white now frozen solid in ice. "Is this guy who attacked us some kind of high-profile wanted criminal?"
Anyone that Rosaria herself would go out of her way to hunt down couldn't be a nobody. Judging by his level—55—he was even stronger than that demonic bird from before.
And he was a Vision holder, too.
Rosaria didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked back toward the direction of Falcon Coast. Clink—clank. The sound of armored footsteps rang out.
A squad of well-equipped Knights of Favonius came running into view, followed by a girl in a white, off-shoulder clerical dress—it was Barbara.
"I'm just in charge of the capture. If you want the full story, better ask the Knights directly," Rosaria said, her pale, soft lips parting as she spoke.
"Fair enough."
Since the guy was already caught, Nolan didn't really mind the details. Still, as an Honorary Knight, he figured it was at least proper to check in while the Knights were at work.
He, Noelle, and Bennett descended from midair, preparing to ask a few questions.
"Honorary Knight, sir!"
The Knights of Favonius greeted him with respectful salutes.
"Hello, everyone. Were you capturing a wanted criminal? Need any help?" Nolan asked with a light smile.
"Thank you for your concern, Honorary Knight."
The squad captain stepped forward and explained:
"That man is the infamous rogue pirate White Gull. He often robs merchant ships at sea, working in tandem with the magical beast he raised, Rain Gull. Together, they appear and vanish like ghosts.
"Fortunately, our undercover agents planted in the Treasure Hoarders sent word that their leader was planning to meet White Gull here at Falcon Coast today for a supply trade.
"So we went to the Church of Favonius and requested Sister Rosaria's help with the ambush. Her Cryo abilities are perfect for restraining Rain Gull's incredible speed.
"Unfortunately, White Gull was extremely cautious. Before he fully entered our encirclement, he sensed something was wrong and nearly escaped using Rain Gull's speed.
"Thankfully, you, Honorary Knight, delayed him just enough."
"I see..."
Now Nolan understood what had happened. Looks like Bennett's bad luck really paid off this time.
He figured if it weren't for Bennett's misfortune, White Gull wouldn't have randomly crashed into them like that.
As for the undercover agents they mentioned, they were probably the ones he had controlled using Command Seals.
Not long ago, he applied his experience dealing with the Treasure Hoarders in Liyue to Mondstadt, Inazuma, and Sumeru. In a short time, he'd helped capture many of these threats to society.
Public safety across the nations had noticeably improved—definitely a worthwhile achievement.
His "Sword God of Lumine" avatar in Liyue had already traced the elite remnants of the Treasure Hoarders to Qingxu Pool.
Once they were taken care of, the organization would take a huge hit, unlikely to ever return to its former strength.
Of course, to truly eradicate them, society itself needed development and productivity.
Only when everyone had jobs and enough to eat—without needing to worry about basic survival—would people stop risking everything to join criminal groups like the Treasure Hoarders.
The day that dream comes true... shouldn't be far off now!
Nolan silently thought to himself.
"Honorary Knight, if there's nothing else, we'll begin extracting White Gull from the ice and proceed with his arrest," said the leading Knight.
"Alright, I'll let you get to it," Nolan nodded lightly, stepping aside to avoid interfering with their work.
Once the Knights of Favonius had left, Nolan turned his gaze toward the cute girl who had just run over, slightly out of breath, her light blonde twin-tails tied neatly to the sides of her head.
"Barbara, did you come to help too?"
"Hello, Honorary Knight," Barbara greeted him with a cheerful smile. "I saw Miss Rosaria heading out with the Knights on a mission.
"I was a little worried that someone might get hurt, so I followed along to see if I could help out.
"Luckily, everyone was very strong. During the capture of the Treasure Hoarders, there were only a few minor injuries, and they were quickly healed."
Her fair face lit up with energy as she spoke.
She then looked curiously at Bennett—who was often treated at the Church of Favonius—and her good friend Noelle, standing behind Nolan.
"Are you all heading off on an adventure?"
"Yes, that's right. We accepted a commission to go to Musk Reef and take down the mutated Eye of the Storm," Noelle replied gracefully, her short silver-gray hair adorned with rose ornaments on either side as she folded her hands in front of her, just as elegant as always.
"Huh? You're going up against a powerful creature like the Eye of the Storm?" Barbara exclaimed in surprise, visibly worried about her friend Noelle, as well as Nolan and the accident-prone Bennett.
"Do you want me to come along too? In case anyone gets hurt, my healing magic might come in handy."
"Really?! You're willing to come with us? But... that place is really dangerous..." Bennett's eyes lit up at her offer.
Because of his bad luck, he was frequently injured. But as long as he could find Barbara at the Church of Favonius and ask her to cast a healing spell, almost any injury would be completely healed!
Her magic was even more effective than his own Elemental Burst. If Barbara came along, they'd barely have to worry about getting hurt.
However, Musk Reef was quite dangerous—especially the Spiral Abyss, which attracted many monsters.
"That's right, Barbara, maybe it's best if you don't come. With the Honorary Knight with us, we probably won't get hurt, so you don't need to trouble yourself," Noelle said, concerned.
"I see... alright then..." Barbara lowered her head, a little disappointed at being turned down.
Sensing her disappointment, Nolan thought for a moment, then smiled and said,
"Actually, it's perfectly fine if you come along. Having someone skilled in healing magic is an extra layer of safety.
"And as long as we stay cautious, it shouldn't be that dangerous."
"Mhm! If the Honorary Knight says so, then I'm sure everything will be okay!" Hearing that, Barbara's face lit up with her usual adorable smile.
In her heart, she felt a joy that came from being acknowledged.
[Barbara Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 240 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (300/400)]
Nolan glanced at the notification from his character interface. Looks like bringing Barbara along wasn't a bad idea at all.
It would help improve their relationship. And since Barbara was coming along...
He turned his gaze back to the nun standing atop the tree, giving off an unmistakable stay away aura—Rosaria.
Rosaria noticed his gaze and furrowed her brows slightly, speaking in a clearly rejecting tone:
"I just want to go back and continue my vacation."
She was clearly not interested in doing any more overtime.
Nolan chuckled and said,
"But didn't you come out with Barbara? If you go back alone, won't the Head Sister scold you?
"How about coming with us instead—just treat it like a holiday trip?"
After all, Barbara and Rosaria had left the Church together. Letting Barbara return alone wouldn't feel quite right.
Joining them on their adventure was clearly the best option.
"Eh... Did I cause Miss Rosaria trouble?" Barbara asked, surprised and a bit apologetic.
"No."
Rosaria clearly didn't want to go back and get scolded either. She jumped down from the tree and said,
"Just so we're clear—I'm not going to help out. I'm only here for a vacation."
So she's a closet tsundere, huh? Nolan chuckled inwardly.
She was obviously worried about Barbara but just couldn't admit it out loud.
On his face, he kept only a faint smile.
"Mm, of course."
"Speaking of which, there are five of us now—this counts as a proper adventuring party, doesn't it?
"After all, we've got me for offense, Noelle for defense, Bennett for buffs, Barbara for healing...
"And Rosaria, who's always alert and watching out for ambushes. Honestly, it's the perfect party composition!
"With a setup like this, we can probably handle any commission without a hitch!"
His voice carried a hint of excitement as he spoke.
Bennett, Noelle, and Barbara suddenly realized how well-rounded their team really was!
In an instant, everyone's confidence for the upcoming adventure shot up.
"Don't just include me like it's nothing. I said I'm here for a vacation."
Rosaria crossed her arms, clearly displeased.
"Yes, yes, got it. Hehe, let's get going then."
Nolan replied with a smile, then turned to check on the Knights of Favonius, who had finished digging out the frozen bandits.
After confirming that all members of the Treasure Hoarders had been captured and there was no further need to help, he and the group set out for Musk Reef.
Just to be safe, before leaving, Nolan quietly placed a Command Seal on the unconscious White Gull and her pet Rain Gull.
After all, they were fast—if they woke up and fled, all their effort would've been wasted.
By around noon, the five of them finally crossed the vast ocean using their Wind Gliders and arrived at Musk Reef.
From the sky, the reef didn't look small—it could easily be called an island.
It was crescent-shaped, and besides a smaller "island within an island" in the center, five other small islands surrounded the main one.
Around those small islands, they could see many boats anchored—clearly belonging to adventurers who had come to explore the Spiral Abyss.
However, a complication had arisen. The portal leading into the Spiral Abyss was located on the central islet.
At the moment, the island and surrounding sea were engulfed in a violent storm, making it impossible for boats to get through.
There was no doubt about the source of the storm—it was their target: the mutated Eye of the Storm.
"Nolan, look! It's above the portal!"
Bennett's sharp eyes spotted the enemy first.
Nolan followed Bennett's line of sight and saw the Eye of the Storm radiating dark miasma, swirling within the violent winds.
No wonder so many adventurers had failed to deal with it.
[Level: 72]
The golden Eye of Judgment lit up. A bold [Lv.72] indicator appeared above the Eye of the Storm, along with glowing markers for its weak spots.
It was even one level higher than Rosaria. No wonder the commission reward was a full 10 million Mora—this thing wasn't weak.
Looks like he'd have to step in personally.
Although Nolan could easily defeat it in one blow, he had no intention of doing so right away.
Since Bennett and Noelle were already here, this was a great opportunity for them to challenge a powerful enemy.
It would be good training, and besides, with him around, there was no danger of anything going wrong.
Yes—this would help them grow.
Having made his decision, Nolan looked at the others and said,
"Alright, let's begin. Just stick to the plan: Noelle draws its attention up front,
Bennett supports the offense and boosts the team,
Barbara heals as needed, and Rosaria watches our surroundings."
"Got it! We'll do our best!"
Noelle clenched her fists, her tone firm and determined.
"Facing such a powerful enemy... I feel my blood boiling! Like I'm on fire!"
Bennett was brimming with fighting spirit, completely unfazed by the challenge.
"I'll keep a close eye on everyone's condition!"
Barbara took a deep breath and showed her resolve as well.
Only Rosaria sighed, her expression one of resignation, as if saying Here we go again... more overtime.
"Heh, if everyone's ready, then let's go!"
Nolan was very satisfied with their readiness.
Activating the "Lumine's Authority"'s space traversal ability, he teleported the group through the storm to the small central islet on Musk Reef.
Before the corrupted Eye of the Storm could even react, Noelle had already stepped forward and activated her Breastplate, taking the front line.
Nolan and Bennett stayed a few steps behind her.
Barbara and Rosaria brought up the rear, and just like that, their battle formation was in place.
Sensing intruders in its domain, the already-violent, corrupted Eye of the Storm flew into a deeper rage!
Its hardened shell began to spin rapidly, drawing wind elements from all directions to condense into a barrage of green wind bullets that it launched at the party.
With a power level of 72, there was no way Noelle could block them all on her own.
Nolan immediately drew the Frostlight Descending Blade, sending out several sword beams to slice through most of the incoming projectiles.
He deliberately left just one that had survived the attack—
perhaps to give the others a proper taste of battle.
(End of Chapter)
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