"Quick, quick, quick! Everyone keep up, don't fall behind!"
"Boss, we'll take you back to Mondstadt, you must hold on!"
On the boundless prairie, four people were running wildly.
These people had the Knights of Favonius emblem on their clothes, so they should be the Outrider team Amber mentioned.
Among these four, the most striking was a burly bald man, though he was nearing fifty.
If it was one's first time seeing him, their initial reaction would probably be that fists the size of sandpots truly exist in this world.
The man's palms were much wider than an ordinary person's; one punch could probably break a tree.
If one looked closely, they would notice that the man's features resembled Amber's.
Coupled with the man's bald head, it's not hard to guess that the man should be Amber's Grandfather.
At this moment, Amber's Grandfather was severely injured.
His face was pale, and he was covered in cold sweat.
The clothes he wore were soaked with a large amount of blood, and his entire back was covered in shocking wounds.
Blood dripped along his footsteps, staining the flowers and grass along the way red.
Looking at Amber's grandfather's grim face, one of his companions said remorsefully, "Boss, it's all my fault."
"If I hadn't dragged down the team, you wouldn't have been injured. I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
From the companion's words, it was clear that Amber's grandfather's severe injuries were entirely due to protecting his companions.
However, Amber's Grandfather had no intention of blaming his companion, because blaming would not help at this critical juncture.
He waved his hand dismissively, "I'm fine, really..."
Seeing his companion remain silent, with red-rimmed eyes, Amber's Grandfather's expression darkened.
"I said, it's just a small injury, don't act like you're dying! I won't die anytime soon!"
"I haven't even cried out in pain once, so why are you crying here? Tell me, can crying solve problems?"
As his words fell, all his companions remained silent.
Their captain was severely injured, and they were still in the midst of being pursued.
It was adding insult to injury; the situation couldn't get any worse.
In fact, these people couldn't see any hope of survival.
Seeing the team's morale somewhat low, Amber's grandfather endured the pain and let out a roar.
"No matter what, you are all members of the Knights of Favonius. Look at the state of each of you now; wouldn't people laugh you to death if they saw you?"
"You may not care about your reputation, but I do!"
As soon as he said this, it indeed had an effect; at least this team was no longer as dispirited as before.
They were members of the Knights of Favonius.
They were elites selected through layers of trials, representing the glory of Mondstadt.
How could they be so dejected?
"Although we can't deal with those big guys, we must at least get back to Mondstadt alive and pass the information to the Knights of Favonius."
Seeing the atmosphere improve, Amber's Grandfather's attitude was no longer as tough as before.
Firstly, he understood the principle of combining toughness with gentleness, and not just scolding.
Secondly, his stamina was almost completely exhausted, and he couldn't continue to be strict.
Hearing the words 'big guys,' the other companions subconsciously looked back.
The few of them subconsciously swallowed, their expressions showing terror, looking still shaken.
It was as if something terrifying was chasing them from the deep mountains and old forests behind them.
At this moment, the earth trembled violently again.
Before anyone could react to what was happening, they only felt the sky suddenly darken.
The four instinctively looked up, only to see a Ruin Guards leaping high, like a mountain, covering the sky and blocking their path forward.
That wasn't all; three more Ruin Guards appeared with a rumble from deep within the forest.
Four, a total of four Ruin Guards appeared simultaneously, encircling the Outrider team.
No one knew why so many Ruin Guards would appear in Mondstadt at the same time.
But now was clearly not the time to think.
Looking at these four behemoths, everyone's breathing quickened, and their hearts were pounding in their throats.
That indescribable majesty made it impossible to breathe.
Compared to the panic of his teammates, Amber's Grandfather seemed to be in a much better state.
After all, he was someone who had walked through the gates of hell, and he had long since come to terms with life and death.
"You go first; I'll cover the rear."
At this moment, Amber's Grandfather gave a stern command.
He had observed that while these Ruin Guards were terrifying in combat, their intelligence was almost zero.
They would only attack humans indiscriminately. In other words, as long as someone stayed behind to draw their fire, the rest would have a chance to escape.
"Boss, but..."
The team members hesitated.
They and Amber's grandfather shared a life-and-death bond; it was no exaggeration to say that if it weren't for Amber's Grandfather's help, they would have died countless times.
At this moment, how could they just leave?
"No 'buts,' this is an order." Amber's Grandfather roared this sentence with almost all his strength.
"Dawdling like a bunch of women,"
"I'm annoyed just looking at you guys, now get out!"
As he said this, Amber's grandfather was already coughing blood.
He casually wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and turned to look at his companions: "I don't have much time left, how long are you guys going to stand there stunned?"
Everyone could see that Amber's grandfather was like a candle in the wind, about to flicker out at any moment.
In his final moments, he was still thinking of creating an opportunity for his companions to survive.
The other three, with red-rimmed eyes, fled the scene.
This was an opportunity Amber's Grandfather bought with his life; they could not waste it.
Just then, the large lights on the Ruin Guards' eyes lit up.
They sensed the movements of their prey.
However, before they could react, their attention was drawn to Amber's Grandfather.
"Hey, you pieces of junk, I'm talking about you."
"Don't look, your opponent is me."
Even facing four Ruin Guards, the man nearing fifty still had resolute eyes, without any fear.
"If you weren't so dishonorable, attacking with all four at once, I would have dismantled you one by one."
As he said this, Amber's Grandfather's expression showed regret.
What a pity, what a pity that four Ruin Guards appeared at once.
If they had appeared one by one, he would have been confident in dismantling these war machines into parts.
Now, there was nothing left to say.
The robots did not understand Amber's grandfather's words; they simply set him as their attack target.
He used all the skills he had learned in his life to continuously dodge the Ruin Guards' attacks.
This was to buy his companions the last bit of time.
Until the last bit of his stamina was drained, Amber's grandfather could no longer move.
His severe injuries pushed his physical strength to the limit; his legs swayed visibly, yet he did not fall.
Because his dignity and his pride would not allow him to do so.
Even if he died, he would die standing.
The four Ruin Guards began to move, closing in on Amber's Grandfather.
However, Amber's Grandfather looked very calm, because his mission was complete.
"I forgot to tell those little brats to take good care of little Amber for me."
"But... even if I don't say it, they'll do it, won't they?"
Amber's grandfather closed his eyes, calmly facing death.
"Little Amber, take care of yourself."
"From now on, you'll have to walk your own path; Grandpa won't be by your side anymore."
He closed his eyes, silently waiting for the countdown of his life.
Immediately after, Amber's grandfather heard a series of clanging sounds in his ears.
It was the sound of swords clashing.
Before he could react, all four Ruin Guards crashed down.
He... was saved?
Amber's grandfather was stunned, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses.
He thought he must thank the master for saving him.
This life-saving grace was deeply appreciated!
Amber's grandfather slowly opened his eyes; the sunlight was somewhat dazzling, and he couldn't clearly see his benefactor's appearance, only vaguely seeing a katana shimmering with a chilling glow.
This scene made Amber's Grandfather's heart surge.
He thought, as expected of a master, even standing still, their aura is so strong.
When his vision returned to normal, Amber's grandfather saw a small dog.
A small dog with a katana in its mouth.
Amber's grandfather was bewildered. My savior is a dog?
A dog defeated four Ruin Guards??
"Taroumaru, you worked hard."
At this moment, Makoto's voice came from the side.
Taroumaru heard the command, returned to Makoto's feet, wagging his tail, looking harmless.
Amber's grandfather sized up Makoto.
This young man is the dog's owner?
If he can train such a powerful dog, then will his own strength be even greater?
Amber's grandfather had a big question mark in his mind.
"Grandpa..."
At this moment, Amber also rushed over in a hurry.
She saw her grandfather covered in injuries and immediately burst into tears.
Immediately after, Makoto closed his eyes, and a Wind element magic circle rose from beneath his feet.
"Wind, answer me."
This was Acting Grand Master Qin's Elemental Burst, dandelion Breeze.
Used to repel enemies and heal teammates.
Watching his injuries recover at a visible rate, Amber's grandfather's entire expression was one of disbelief.
This young man in front of him...
Who... who is he...?
Why does he possess such powerful strength?
At this moment, Makoto chuckled and said, "Hello, Uncle."
"Let me introduce myself, my name is Makoto."
"I'm little Amber's friend."
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