LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 8: Chapter 8
At the gates of Mondstadt, Hiroshi stood silently, taking in the scene within the city.
Massive tornadoes raged through Mondstadt, leaving countless buildings in ruins. The streets were littered with debris from the devastation. Knights of Favonius were urgently rescuing injured citizens, and the cries of pain echoed in Hiroshi's mind.
Having grown up in a peaceful area, Hiroshi had never witnessed such devastation firsthand. Although he had seen videos of similar events in the information age, it had always felt like a distant world—unrelated to his own life.
Now, seeing Mondstadt—a city that had welcomed him, a city he had grown familiar with—reduced to such a hellish state, Hiroshi felt an inexplicable anger rise within him.
Watching Fischl's efforts to rescue the injured, Hiroshi opened his status panel.
**Name:** Hiroshi lv8 [550/400] [Extraordinary]
**Strength:** 15
**Endurance:** 20
**Agility:** 17
**Intelligence:** 26
**Spirit Power:** 260
**Abilities:** Spirit Control - Metal lv4
Spirit Control - Wind lv5 (formerly Wind Elemental Mastery, integrated into Spirit Control - Wind as a unified ability)
**Derived Abilities:** Clear Mind lv2 (significantly enhanced perception, moderate increase in rationality, significantly enhanced spirit power recovery rate)
Transcendent Body lv1
**Skills:** Sniping lv3
With his newfound mastery over wind, Hiroshi had gained substantial increases in both intelligence and spirit power. He tapped on the upgrade button again, channeling all his attribute points into intelligence. A cool sensation spread throughout his mind, and suddenly, a multitude of new sensations emerged.
A notification appeared on his panel. Hiroshi glanced at it before closing the interface.
**Ding! Your Intelligence attribute has reached 30 points; your soul has achieved ascension.**
**New Ability Acquired: Divine Sense lv1. Spirit Power Elevated. Spirit Power Boost Enhanced. Clear Mind Upgraded to lvMax.**
**Ding! Mismatch detected between physical body and soul level. Please enhance your physical body promptly.**
Hiroshi wasn't too concerned about the panel's warning. Before this, he had not fully understood the extent of his true strength due to a lack of combat experience. But now, after gaining experience from his missions, he had a better grasp of his capabilities. All he needed to do next was handle the current situation, then he could rapidly level up to strengthen his physical body.
Closing his eyes, Hiroshi focused on the changes within him. He released his Divine Sense, using his upgraded Clear Mind ability to sense the energy throughout Mondstadt. Countless lights, some bright and some dim, appeared within Hiroshi's mind.
Opening his eyes, currents of wind swirled around him. His feet lifted off the ground, and several iron swords materialized around him. Guided by the weak signals sensed within the city, Hiroshi flew at full speed. His ascended soul and spirit power greatly amplified his original abilities—now, with Divine Sense commanding them, they were like a disciplined army compared to the previous disorganized rabble, their combat effectiveness vastly improved.
A wind-wrapped figure moved methodically through the chaos of Mondstadt, flashes of light following wherever he went.
When a sweat-drenched Hiroshi saved the last wounded person he could sense, the raging tornadoes in Mondstadt had already been isolated outside a rising grand barrier. Behind him, Jean arrived with a squad of Knights of Favonius.
Seeing Hiroshi, who was pale and drenched in sweat, Jean, her own face dirtied, bowed deeply.
"Thank you very much for saving the injured citizens."
Noticing how exhausted Jean looked, Hiroshi shook his head and glanced up at the massive dragon in the sky. "Let's save the thanks for later. Right now, we need to deal with that thing up there. But I won't refuse any rewards afterward!"
Hearing Hiroshi's straightforward words, Jean, who had been under immense stress due to the sudden attack from Stormterror, couldn't help but relax a little, a slight smile forming on her lips.
"In the name of the Dandelion Knight, I promise you won't be disappointed," she said.
Looking up at the sky, Jean's eyes held a mix of sadness and complexity. "You, who once were the East Wind, have protected Mondstadt for countless years, yet now you have fallen and become Stormterror, attacking Mondstadt."
"Oh, so you're the traveler from another world—the big brother who treated Klee to grilled fish? Thank you very much for saving Mondstadt's citizens." A beautiful woman with a deep purple hat approached from the other end of the street, stopping beside Hiroshi to observe him for a moment before speaking.
"As for Stormterror, its direct attack on Mondstadt today has allowed us to see the true source of the disaster. We'll be able to resolve this soon."
Jean, seeing the arrival of the woman, let out a slight sigh of relief. "Lisa, how's everything going?"
Lisa smiled gently. "Don't worry, Jean, everything is ready. Since Stormterror's revival, it has been causing chaos around Mondstadt, disrupting the flow of elemental energy and turning the ley lines into a tangled mess, like a cat playing with yarn. For a mage, that's the worst. But after today, I should be able to get some sleep."
Yawning lightly, Lisa kept her gaze fixed on the dragon above. A magical tome with wings appeared in her hand, and with a flash of lightning, a massive magic circle unfurled in the sky above Mondstadt.
The magic circle that enveloped Mondstadt began to spin slowly. Streams of energy from the barrier around the city converged on the magic circle, and in the blink of an eye, a bolt of lightning shot skyward, striking Stormterror above.
A deafening roar echoed, and Stormterror roared in fury, circling twice before abruptly retreating. A red glow fell along its path, eventually crashing just outside Mondstadt.
Seeing Stormterror retreat, Lisa let out a sigh of relief and put away her magic tome. Noticing Hiroshi staring at her, she smiled slightly.
"What is it? Have you fallen for me? If it's you, the hero who saved the people of Mondstadt, I might just consider it," she teased.
Hiroshi, who had been watching the sky, was taken aback by Lisa's words, then responded with a wry smile. "Thanks for the offer, but you're a bit outside my preferred age range."
"Oh, didn't expect you not to be into the older sister type," Lisa said, not at all offended, but rather seemed to consider it seriously.
"If a hero who saved Mondstadt ends up arrested for following little girls, what should we do with him?" she teased.
Having rested for a bit, Hiroshi felt somewhat recovered. He stretched his body to make sure he was fine and then pointed at Lumine, who was walking over with Paimon from the street corner. "That's impossible and inappropriate! Besides, she's the type I like."
Lumine, who was holding a teardrop-shaped crystal, looked confused as she stared at Hiroshi, who was pointing at her, his voice filled with emotion. She looked scared, unsure why she was being yelled at for being someone's type.
From a nearby street corner, a green cloak quietly disappeared.