"Boom! Boom! Boom—!"
Flashes of fire lit up one after another, thick smoke billowing in every direction.
The Hilichurls' wooden palisade, their crude watchtower, and the haphazardly piled crates were all blasted into splinters. The entire camp was reduced to chaos.
But Klee didn't look happy at all.
Standing in place with her arms crossed, she puffed up her cheeks and frowned hard.
"Hmm... no, no, no."
"This explosion... is so weak..."
The tiny demolition expert furrowed her brows.
Watching the bomb she had just thrown explode without anything close to yesterday's massive blast, she felt oddly disappointed.
Yesterday, back at Starfell Lake—when Brother Kairo had helped her enhance her bombs using Clara's Path of Harmony—that explosion had been the real deal!
The blast had sent fire soaring sky-high, blowing open a huge crater in the lake.
Even the surrounding ground had been scorched black.
There'd been that distinct, terrifying aura of destruction lingering in the air.
Klee herself had been shaken back a few steps—excited beyond words.
But today?
Today's bomb...
...was just plain ordinary!
No grand shockwave.
No overwhelming power of annihilation.
Even the crater it left was several sizes smaller than yesterday's!
"What kind of bomb is this supposed to be?!"
"I'm not happy!"
The little girl stomped her foot hard, puffing out her cheeks as she glared at the smoldering remains on the ground—looking just like a child whose favorite toy had broken.
Then suddenly, Klee spun around. Her crimson eyes sparkled as she stared at Kairo, face full of anticipation.
"Brother Kairo! Hurry, hurry! Help Klee make her bombs stronger again!"
Kairo: "..."
Off to the side, Oz flapped his wings thoughtfully.
"My lady, I believe I understand now... If bomb power can be enhanced so freely, someone here might become more dangerous than the Abyss Order."
He and Fischl had witnessed firsthand how Kairo's strengthening ability could empower her Electro arrows—an utterly terrifying effect.
If that same force were applied to bombs... well, the result didn't take much imagination.
For an elemental familiar like him, the implications were crystal clear.
Compared to arrows, bombs were vastly more destructive, both in range and in sheer force.
"Hmph," Fischl declared dramatically, golden eyes gleaming, "This must be the crossing of fate's gears! If Klee truly wields such might, can Mondstadt even withstand her power?"
Kairo: "..."
He honestly had no idea what she just said.
"Fischl, clean up the area."
"Klee, take out your bombs—I'll strengthen them."
"Our main task is still gathering resources."
Following Kairo's orders, Fischl began sorting through the remains while Kairo infused Klee's bombs with Clara's Path of Harmony skill branch.
Before long, Fischl finished collecting the spoils of battle, snapped a few photos with the Kamera for record-keeping, and rejoined them.
Kairo, meanwhile, had completed Klee's bomb enhancements.
Then he activated the Bio-Wave Scanner once again.
A familiar low hum resonated as a translucent screen unfolded from his palm.
Countless flickering dots of light filled the projection—so many they nearly covered the entire display.
Kairo glanced down, his eyes narrowing in surprise.
The resource density here was absurdly high!
Even though this was just the edge of Whispering Woods, the scanner was practically glowing with potential.
The whole screen was covered in resource markers—so much that Kairo couldn't help but gasp.
It was like standing atop a natural treasure vault!
"Waaah—! So many red dots!"
Klee crowded beside him, staring wide-eyed at the dense clusters of light.
"Brother Kairo, what's that?"
It was her first time seeing the device in action.
"This is destiny's gift," Fischl intoned solemnly. "By divine will, we shall claim the bounty of this land."
Klee: "????"
Oz quickly translated, "The young lady means: we've hit the jackpot. These are Mondstadt's natural resources."
"Ohh! I see!"
Klee nodded in sudden understanding, her mood brightening.
So the trio set out again, following the scanner's guidance, collecting along the forest's edge as they went—methodically sweeping the land clean like diligent farmers.
Before long, Kairo stopped bothering with common items like Windwheel Asters and Philanemo Mushrooms, focusing instead on rarer, more valuable materials.
Klee stuffed her bag full of Valberries, planning to share them with Acting Grand Master Jean.
Fischl carefully gathered Philanemo Mushrooms, intending to trade them with adventurers in need.
As for the Mist Flowers... Kairo pocketed those himself.
They were prime alchemy ingredients—excellent for crafting Cryo potions, and worth a small fortune.
By the time they paused again, afternoon sunlight was filtering through the trees, and the air smelled of fresh earth and greenery.
A clear, shallow river ran before them.
"Whew—finally made it this far," Kairo exhaled.
Klee crouched by the bank, dipping her hands in the water and giggling at the chill.
"Heehee! So cool!"
"Once Klee's cooled off, I'll go bomb some fish!"
Fischl, meanwhile, was gazing toward the distant gorge, her eyes narrowing.
"Have we ever surveyed this region before?"
Oz responded, "My lady, this area borders Starsnatch Valley. According to prior reports, Hilichurls rarely appear here. Few monsters, few resources as well."
Kairo's expression twitched oddly.
Because on his scanner, a single blinding light pulsed at the center of the display—so bright it even outshone the Mist Flower markers.
This... was supposed to be a low-resource zone?
He frowned, thinking.
"What kind of resource is that?"
The brighter the mark, the rarer the find.
And if something shone even brighter than a Mist Flower... then it had to be truly exceptional!
A Mondstadt resource more precious than a Mist Flower...
Could it be a Magical Crystal Ore vein?
Or maybe—
His curiosity piqued, Kairo headed straight for the target zone, with Fischl and Klee close behind.
By now, they'd each filled two sacks with loot; they knew how valuable the scanner's readings were.
After crossing a stream and entering what seemed to be an ordinary meadow, Kairo scanned the area again.
Thick grass, vibrant life—nothing looked out of the ordinary.
He frowned, double-checking the display.
No mistake—the signal was right here!
"Could it be buried mineral deposits?"
He considered the possibility. Rare ores often lay deep underground, invisible to the naked eye.
Made sense—it must be a hidden ore vein.
And not a small one, given the signal's intensity.
A vein like that could be a real treasure. Definitely worth marking down.
Klee tilted her head curiously.
"Brother Kairo, what are we doing here?"
"There's treasure underground," Kairo said casually.
"Treasure?!"
Her eyes lit up instantly.
"Klee wants to dig! Klee loves digging for treasure!"
Before he could reply, she was already kneeling with a little shovel, enthusiastically digging at the marked spot.
But after just a few strokes—
Kairo's eyes sharpened. The ground trembled slightly beneath them.
"Something's not right," he warned. "Klee, stop."
"Huh?"
But Klee, absorbed in the thrill of excavation, didn't notice anything amiss.
Her tiny shovel kept digging.
Then—
A biting chill swept through the air. The temperature plummeted.
Cryo Element energy burst forth from underground, a wave of frost sweeping across the clearing.
The blades of grass froze solid in an instant.
Klee froze mid-motion, confused.
Crack—!!
The ground erupted violently!
Before she could react, a massive surge of Cryo power exploded upward—
BOOM!!
Blizzard-like force howled in every direction.
Kairo and Fischl instinctively leapt back, while Klee was knocked flat on her back, blinking in shock.
A guttural roar echoed from the depths—
And then, bursting out of the shattered earth, came a colossal, icy-blue creature.
It was like a plant brought to life, its twisted body sheathed in thick ice, roots writhing as snowflakes spiraled around it.
Its head resembled a flower bud, flanked by two broad, petal-like fronds that drooped like rabbit ears—patterned with frost, ethereal yet eerie.
Two pale yellow eyes stared out—cold, empty, mechanical.
It had no mouth, yet the sound that came from it was a deep, crackling growl—like ice splitting under pressure.
"A Cryo Whopperflower..." Kairo muttered, eyelids twitching.
Damn it—it had to be a Whopperflower.
This counted as a resource?!
He knew these mimic plants—monsters that lured prey by disguising themselves as "resources," ambushing unsuspecting explorers.
Some could even evolve into Cryo Regisvines over time.
So it wasn't a mineral vein after all.
The scanner had gotten it wrong.
If an ordinary adventurer followed this signal, they'd be walking straight into disaster.
Then again, the confusion made sense—the Whopperflower's intense elemental energy must've fooled the scanner.
Fischl drew her bow instantly, golden eyes narrowing.
"To think we have trespassed into the hunting grounds of frost... Fate decrees that this place shall be stained with battle!"
Oz translated calmly: "My lady says, it looks like we're fighting."
"Heehee! Big target! Klee loves big targets!"
Klee looked up at the towering creature—momentarily stunned, then beaming with excitement.
"Watch Klee blow it all up!"
She gleefully pulled out one of the Enhanced Bombs.
In response, the Cryo Whopperflower's aura surged—frost spreading rapidly, freezing the once-green field in moments.
The air turned biting cold, like midwinter.
Kairo narrowed his eyes.
"It's moving!"
"Klee, be careful!" he shouted.
The Whopperflower's petals snapped shut. Its body tensed—then dove underground again, the earth quaking from the movement.
Burrow attack!
Fischl immediately nocked an arrow, Electro light crackling along its edge.
"This fiend of the shadows seeks to evade our judgment—"
Oz translated: "It's trying to escape."
"No," Kairo shook his head. "It won't run."
He swiftly cast Ripple, boosting Klee's and Fischl's speed by 25%, then began preparing Sampo's Path skill.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
The Cryo Whopperflower burst from the ground—right behind Klee!
Its blossom tilted upward, gathering a surge of Cryo Element energy that condensed into sharp icy spikes—Frostthorn—lunging straight toward her!
"Swish!"
But Klee was faster.
Without panic—in fact, grinning wide—she raised her hand. The fiery Vision on her chest flared to life.
A torrent of Pyro Energy erupted from her palm—
BOOM!
A searing flame roared skyward, devouring the oncoming ice thorns in an instant.
The collision of elements exploded in a burst of steam and firelight—scorching air and vaporized frost filling the battlefield.
"Hmph! Klee's not scared of you!"
She clapped her hands proudly, eyes sparkling.
Then, with a mischievous grin—
"Klee's gonna set off fireworks now!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
Dozens of Enhanced Bombs flew from her hands, landing perfectly around the Whopperflower.
Each one detonated on impact—flames bursting outward in a chain of fiery shockwaves.
Even as the Cryo Whopperflower tried to burrow again, the blasts consumed it entirely—
leaving behind a scorched crater where the ground itself glowed red-hot.
Its massive body writhed in the inferno, petals curling and blackening, that icy-blue glow fading fast.
"Grrrhhh—!!"
The monster let out one final shriek before collapsing, its form crumbling into ash and charred fragments.
Silence fell.
Only the faint haze of smoke and the smell of burnt earth lingered in the air.
Kairo raised an eyebrow, glancing at the unrecognizable remains.
"Well... that's one thorough explosion."
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