Lin Qingyue slept soundly. It was the first time she had allowed herself to completely relax since entering the Dungeon.
Her nerves were no longer taut, and the exhaustion from continuous fighting receded like a tide.
When she opened her eyes again, the world outside the mountain alcove had been swallowed by the deep night.
Lin Xiyue was nibbling on a compressed biscuit. Seeing her awake, her eyes instantly brightened, and she immediately offered a water flask.
"Sis, you're awake! You look great—seems like you've fully recovered."
Lin Qingyue took the flask and gulped down a mouthful. The cool liquid sliding down her throat jolted her fully awake.
She stretched her limbs, feeling power surge through her body once more, as if every breath drew in energy.
Peak condition.
Her gaze pierced through the narrow cave opening, settling on the bottomless, inky jungle outside.
The Dungeon's night was quieter than the day, but far more lethal.
Daytime dangers were visible monsters and tangible opponents.
Nighttime dangers lurked in every swaying shadow—a pair of eyes spying from the darkness, or a cold arrow poised to strike.
Lin Xiyue clearly understood this as well. Chewing on her biscuit, she kept her voice extremely low, as if sharing a secret.
"Sis, the visibility at night is terrible. Our perception advantage will be weakened. Why don't we... just stay here until dawn?"
She thought this hiding spot was perfect.
With their backs against the mountain wall and a narrow entrance, all she had to do was plant her greatshield, Immovable Mountain, and it would be an impenetrable fortress.
Hunkering down here until the exam ended seemed like the best possible choice.
"Wait for prey to walk into our trap?" Lin Qingyue glanced at her and shook her head. "How boring."
Her sister was great in every way, except for her tendency to play it too safe.
"But..." Lin Xiyue started to protest.
"I know what you're worried about," Lin Qingyue interrupted. "The visibility issue is indeed a problem."
As she spoke, she subconsciously touched her long pink hair.
In the pitch-black night, her hair might not glow, but even the faintest moonlight or starlight would make it stand out more than any other color.
A moving pink target.
Lin Qingyue silently mocked herself.
But... poor visibility is fair to everyone.
Wait.
A thought she had deliberately suppressed deep in her memory suddenly surfaced.
Poor visibility... can't see clearly...
Doesn't that mean...
Lin Qingyue's breath hitched. She remembered something she had intentionally forgotten.
The Venti Trial Card.
That ridiculously embarrassing bard cosplay outfit.
Using it during the day wouldn't just be public humiliation; it would be a county-wide, live-streamed social execution—the complete annihilation of her social life.
But what if it was a pitch-black night where you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face?
As long as no one could make out the details, and as long as they were far enough away, all they'd see was a blurry figure in strange green clothes, right?
Besides, the card still had 23 hours and 49 minutes left. It was meant to be used!
And what was Venti's power? Anemo.
Freedom. Flight. Unparalleled mobility.
In this complex jungle terrain, on this final night of chaotic battle, possessing air superiority was tantamount to declaring victory in advance.
Reconnaissance, repositioning, pursuit, and even desperate escapes...
The temptation was too great.
So great that she was willing to take that thing called "shame," temporarily stomp it underfoot, and grind it into the dirt a few more times.
Anyway, the outfit's just a little weird. It's not like it exposes anything it shouldn't... Lin Qingyue struggled to psych herself up.
"Sis? Sis? What are you thinking about?"
Lin Xiyue watched her sister's expression shift from calm to grave, then to a bizarre internal struggle, before finally settling into a look of reckless, devil-may-care resolve. She couldn't help but wave a hand in front of Lin Qingyue's face.
"I was just thinking... I have a new move we might be able to use tonight," Lin Qingyue said, snapping back to reality, her voice perfectly level.
"A new move?" Lin Xiyue's curiosity was instantly piqued. "What kind of move? Did you get a new Heroic Spirit? Is it even stronger than that super-fierce Maid Knight?"
"...If anything, it's even stronger," Lin Qingyue replied curtly, unwilling to elaborate. "But the side effects are also... more intense."
"Side effects?"
"You'll find out when the time comes," Lin Qingyue said evasively. She couldn't bring herself to explain to her sister that the side effects primarily targeted her own mental health and social dignity.
"For now, let's eat up and get our strength to its peak."
Lin Qingyue stood, brushing the dust from her clothes. A flicker of barely perceptible excitement flashed in her eyes.
"I have a feeling tonight's going to be lively. A lot of rats who've been hiding for a long time should be coming out to play."
That's right. Though she acted like a slacker on the surface, deep down, she had an intensely competitive side.
Especially now that she'd discovered a new "toy."
Seeing the light in her sister's eyes, Lin Xiyue felt a similar fire ignite within her. She devoured her biscuit in a few quick bites, then grabbed Immovable Mountain and Dawn's Light, clashing them together with a heavy thud.
"Alright! I'm with you, Sis! Let's go out and pull off something big!"
She had an almost blind faith in her sister.
If Sis said it would work, it would definitely work!
The two quickly packed their gear, erasing any traces that might reveal their location.
"Let's go," Lin Qingyue murmured, stepping out from the shelter of the cliff face first.
Under the faint starlight, her long pink hair flowed like a cloud of cherry blossoms.
Lin Xiyue followed close behind, her massive shield held defensively as she scanned their surroundings with vigilance.
The night was deep, the world utterly silent.
Like two shadows, they melted soundlessly into the hunting ground.
After finding a secluded clearing, Lin Qingyue gestured for Lin Xiyue to halt.
"Xiyue, I'm about to use that new move."
Lin Qingyue's voice was calm, as if she were stating a trivial fact.
"Remember, no matter what you see, don't be surprised, and absolutely do not laugh. Got it?"
Lin Xiyue looked utterly bewildered but nodded firmly. "Got it!"
She was dying to see what kind of earth-shattering ultimate move her sister had been hiding that required such a solemn warning.
Lin Qingyue turned her back to her sister.
She couldn't bring herself to face Xiyue's gaze while performing the upcoming ritual.
Silently, she commanded in her mind:
"System, use [Venti Trial Card]."
The next second, the wind came.
A gentle, formless force materialized from thin air, lifting and enveloping her.
The weight of her body vanished instantly. For a moment, she had the illusion that she could ride the wind just by standing on her tiptoes.
Her priest robe dissolved into particles of light.
In its place appeared a heavily modded, forcefully fitted bard outfit.
A green beret, a capelet adorned with white flowers, a cropped white blouse, and... those ridiculously tight green pants.
Her long pink hair spilled out from under the beret's brim, still glaringly conspicuous in the darkness.
Lin Qingyue: "..."
She stiffly looked down at her clothes.
A wave of searing shame shot straight to her skull, threatening to burn her sanity to ash.
Even in the dark, this outfit was just too bizarre!
Especially that green hat!
Behind her, a sharp gasp cut through the silence.
It was followed by a strange, choked laughter that, despite being desperately suppressed, finally burst free.
The sound was like a duckling being strangled, or a leaky bellows.
"Pfft... heheh... ghk..."
Lin Qingyue closed her eyes.
Just destroy me now.
Quickly.
I'm so tired of this.
[Ding! The Host has bravely broken through her self-imposed limits, revealing a new form to her teammate and causing intense visual and mental shock. Elation Value +250!]
Thanks a lot, System. Accepting this Elation Value feels like a knife to the heart.
"Don't... you... dare... laugh!"
Lin Qingyue spun around, intending to growl in a low, suppressed voice. Instead, what came out was Venti's clear, bright tone, laced with a liveliness and playfulness that made her want to vomit.
"This outfit might look a little strange, but it's imbued with the Anemo Archon's blessing, you know!"
Wait, that's not what I wanted to say!
Her voice, tone, and even her choice of words were, as always, corrupted by the Character Card!
She had intended to deliver a stern reprimand, but what came out was this light, cutesy line!
However, her turn gave Lin Xiyue an even clearer view.
Her sister—usually so calm, aloof, and radiating an intimidating two-meter-tall aura—was now clad in a bizarre, exotic outfit, complete with a green hat and flowing pink hair.
The face was the same, but her demeanor had transformed into something nimble and mischievous, as if she might take flight with the wind at any moment, singing as she soared.
Lin Xiyue finally broke.
Clutching her stomach, she squatted right on the ground, her whole body shaking violently with laughter as tears streamed down her face.
"Sis... Hahahaha... Y-y-y-you... What is this outfit... Hahahaha... And your voice... Why... why does it sound so... so playful?"
Lin Qingyue's face was so dark you could wring ink from it.
But the words that tumbled from her mouth were still absurdly cheerful:
"Oh, stop laughing~ This outfit is actually super practical! It lets me command the power of Anemo and soar freely through the sky~"
She clapped a hand over her mouth in despair.
I knew it!
I knew this would happen!
This damned Trial Card!
Lin Xiyue was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. "Sis, p-please don't talk in that tone... My stomach hurts... Hahahaha..."
Lin Qingyue clenched her fists so tightly her nails nearly dug into her palms.
Summoning every ounce of her willpower, she fought the overwhelming urge to break into song and play the lyre right then and there. Each word was ground out from between her teeth.
"Shut... UP!"
"We... have... business!"
The words came out with immense difficulty, beads of sweat forming on her temples as if she were wrestling with another soul for control of her own body.
While this Trial Card was active, she had to maintain maximum vigilance at all times.
Otherwise, she might unconsciously transform into a carefree, slacking bard.
That was even more infuriating than the green outfit