Undercover in Snezhnaya, My Teyvat Spy Life [34]

The next day.

The reconnaissance squad set out as usual.

But as their patrol route unfolded, something started to feel off.

“Again…?”

Standing before the wreckage of yet another ruined hilichurl camp, the squad captain scowled. “How many is this now?”

“The third one,” a squadmate replied at once.

The captain’s frown deepened as he murmured, “What’s going on here…?”

“Is this really just a coincidence?”

Three monster camps along their route had been wiped out—every one of them cleared out just before the squad arrived.

Coincidence didn’t begin to explain it.

And whoever had done this was no ordinary fighter.

There wasn’t a trace of elemental energy left at any of the sites.

In other words, someone had taken out dozens of hilichurls at each camp using nothing but pure skill.

And all the bodies showed the same thing: a single, clean strike—no mess, no hesitation.

Whoever this mysterious person was, their strength was downright chilling.

“Everyone, raise your alert to maximum,” the captain finally ordered, after some thought.

This meant rest shifts would be staggered, so half the squad was always on watch.

It made the already exhausting patrol even harder, but no one protested.

An unknown powerhouse lurking in the wild was nothing to take lightly.

As for retreating to Mondstadt, the captain wasn’t ready to make that call yet.

Whoever this mysterious figure was, they hadn’t shown any hostility—maybe it was just some wandering hero with a sense of justice, helping to clear out monsters in the night.

So the captain gritted his teeth and pressed on with the patrol.

But what they saw next started to shake even his resolve.

Every monster they should have encountered on their route...

Had already been wiped out.

Even the tough ones: hilichurl berserkers, giant slimes, mitachurls, and even abyss mages and shamans—all left as broken bodies in the grass.

Sure, it made the squad’s work a lot easier, but everyone couldn’t help thinking the same thing:
Is this person really just clearing out monsters?
Why do their movements match our patrol route so perfectly?

Someone did know the answer.

It’s him again…
What is he up to?

Eula bit her lip at the rear of the squad, eyes alert as she scanned their surroundings, thoughts racing.

The mysterious monster hunter shadowing them could only be that Snezhnayan envoy.

There were only a handful of people in Mondstadt with that kind of power besides the Grand Master—and none of them had time to babysit a patrol.

Only Artem Vetrovski, who’d shown up just last night, fit the bill.

Just thinking about him brought back last night’s embarrassing encounter, Artem’s teasing words echoing in her ears, her heart thudding uncontrollably.

Could he be… trying to lighten my burden?

Once that thought entered her mind, she couldn’t shake it.

He’d saved her once at Windrise Mountain, drunk with her in Mondstadt, brought her coffee at Starfell Lake just last night… Now he was clearing out camps ahead of her squad.

And he’d even joked about her “thanking him with her whole self.”

Her heart pounded harder with each step.

Is it possible… that Snezhnayan envoy has taken a liking to me?

Eula was no naive girl. As a Lawrence, her upbringing had included all the expected lessons about love and courtship.

Everything Artem did fit neatly into those lessons.

No way.
No way at all.
He’s a high-ranking Fatui officer—he’s seen all kinds of women. Why would he be interested in me?

Eula’s cheeks burned as she hurriedly shook her head, banishing those ridiculous thoughts, but the worry and confusion lingered as she trudged along behind the group.

...

Eula’s guesses weren’t wrong.

The one doing all this was indeed Artem.

The patrol route hadn’t changed in years—even before he left for Snezhnaya, it was always the same, so he didn’t even need a map to find his way.

Unlike the game, where monsters seemed to pop up every few steps, the real outskirts of Mondstadt were much quieter. No massive hilichurl hordes—no thousands of monsters clustering together. The monsters here were scattered and weak.

For Artem, clearing them out barely even made him break a sweat.

But near Windrise Cliff, Artem did run into something a bit trickier.

A trio of figures in heavy robes, thick capes despite the summer heat, and—most distinctive of all—bird-beaked masks.

Abyss Mages?

Artem was genuinely surprised as he watched the ritual underway among the trees.

Three abyss mages: one Hydro, two Cryo.

They were dancing in a circle around an altar, chanting in a language he didn’t understand.

Enemies of all Teyvat.

No matter the nation, abyss creatures were to be destroyed on sight.

Snezhnaya included.

After all, the abyss monsters sought to overthrow the rule of the gods—their arrival was always a disaster, wherever they appeared.

Some liked to say the Fatui and the Abyss Order were cut from the same cloth.

But within the Fatui, there was an unbreakable rule:

You can use the Abyss Order for your own ends, but you must clean them up when you’re done. Even if you’re outmatched, fight to the last. Anyone who breaks this rule is to be executed on the spot—no exceptions.

The two factions were mortal enemies on sight.

So whether he looked at this from Mondstadt’s perspective or Snezhnaya’s, Artem couldn’t just ignore these creatures.

Especially since three abyss mages, if left unchecked, could easily wipe out half a reconnaissance squad.

Her Majesty the Tsaritsa really does dream big…
Defy Celestia above, smash the Abyss below.
And in between, trample on the other six nations for good measure.
Is there anything she won’t try?

Artem couldn’t help but laugh to himself.

Then he drew his longbow.

Not an elemental construct, but a genuine weapon from Snezhnaya—a custom commission, a gift from Arlecchino after Artem secured a massive budget for the House of the Hearth.

This bow was specially built: it could channel multiple elements, featured auto-aim tracking, and was the only weapon Artem truly called his own.

With a flick of his wrist, he nocked two arrows: one blazing with Pyro, the other swirling with Anemo.

The surge of elemental energy quickly caught the abyss mages’ attention.

They barely spared him a glance before conjuring shields, their chanting rising in urgency.

Artem squinted, took careful aim, and let the arrows fly.

Pyro and Anemo, one after another, struck the altar.

A pillar of flame, stoked by the wind, exploded outward, engulfing everything.

The abyss mages’ shields didn’t stand a chance—within moments, they were gone.

But even as their bodies burned, the mages didn’t scream. They kept chanting, voices eerie and unbroken.

Artem’s expression shifted—he put away the bow and drew his greatsword.

He charged forward, boots trampling embers, and reached the altar in a heartbeat, blade swinging to slice the mages in half.

But in that instant, a blinding light burst from the altar.

Artem’s sword crashed down with a clang, as if hitting an impenetrable wall.

“What the…?”

In the heart of that light, three enormous figures began to emerge.

Stonehide Lawachurls.

And three of them!

Those charred abyss mages had summoned these monsters with their dying breath.

And behind the trio of lawachurls, a whole hilichurl tribe was massing. Shamans, berserkers, foot soldiers, even representatives of all seven elements.

---

T/N: an auto aiming bow... how the fu

This is a fan translation of 提瓦特之我在至冬做臥底 by 曉風殘月聽荷 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!