A melody, utterly out of place amidst the roars of the undead and the clash of weapons, suddenly echoed throughout the gloomy church.
The tune was ethereal and distant, tinged with the festive cheer of a holiday celebration.
As the familiar melody began, Lin Qingyue's heart sank.
It's happening again! That damn [Melody Beyond the Strings]!
I was just about to recover enough to use the Maid Card!
Before she could react, a pink halo—like condensed moonlight and peach blossoms—instantly engulfed her.
The light wasn't blinding, nor was it playful like before. Instead, it radiated a pure, focused intensity—the spirit of a martial artist just beginning their journey, sharp and determined.
When the light faded, the Priest Girl with the Pink Staff was gone.
In her place stood a young woman with a straight, poised posture and a completely transformed aura.
Her robes, primarily red and white, were embroidered with exquisite cloud patterns and auspicious beasts. The wide sleeves and skirt billowed as if stirred by an unseen wind, exuding an otherworldly grace.
Her pink hair was meticulously styled into a half-up bun, lending an air of heroic spirit to her elegant appearance.
In her hands, she held two longswords of ancient, elegant design, their blades shimmering with a faint, flowing light.
—March 7th: Hunt Form, has arrived
[System Notification][Melody Beyond the Strings] triggered!BGM: "Invitation to a Moonlit Banquet" (HSR - The Xianzhou Luofu) Transformed Character: March 7th: Hunt
[System Notification]Gained additional buffs: Can use March 7th: Hunt's sword techniques and skills. "Master, It's Tea Time!" becomes an AoE skill.
"..."
Lin Qingyue stood frozen, her mind going blank for a moment.
She instinctively looked down, examining her new outfit.
A Chinese-style training uniform, a classical hairstyle, dual swords... Hunt?
This look... is actually pretty awesome!
Although fighting a Death Knight in a gloomy church while dressed like this felt absurdly festive—like she'd wandered in from a holiday celebration—at least...
At least these are clothes a normal girl would wear (probably)!
It was a million times more normal than that garish green Bard outfit or the Geo Archon's divine regalia!
A wave of relief, like surviving a disaster, washed over her.
However, that relief lasted less than three seconds.
Her body began to move uncontrollably again!
With a flick of her left wrist, a plastic bubble tea cup—complete with a straw and a cute bunny logo—materialized in her palm
Then, under the stunned gaze of her teammates—and even the Death Knight and its skeletal steed—the pink-haired girl, now looking like she'd stepped right out of a wuxia film, raised the bubble tea toward her allies. She held it high in a gesture that was part formal toast, part treasured offering.
A clear, pleasant voice—filled with March 7th's signature energy, yet inexplicably tinged with solemnity due to her outfit and posture—rang out across the silent battlefield:
"Master, please have some tea!"
Lin Qingyue: "!!!"
I—FUCK—(a certain plant)!
What the hell is this pose and line?!
Bubble tea?! Master?! What does any of this even mean?!
She felt the "normal girl" dignity she had just painstakingly rebuilt shatter into a million pieces with that single, crisp cry of "Master, please have some tea!"
She felt the relief she'd just felt over her normal-looking outfit get utterly smashed by this cup of bubble tea.
Right now, all she wanted to do was use her dual swords to carve a giant "WRONGED" character into the ground.
The entire church fell into a silence even more bizarre and absolute than when the Death Knight had been roaring earlier.
Zhao Shihao held his starting stance for [Solar Impact], the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
For the first time, a crack of pure astonishment appeared on Mo Chen's usually impassive face.
Wang Lei felt as if his shield had suddenly gained a hundred pounds.
Lin Xiyue's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg, her eyes screaming the three philosophical questions: Who am I? Where am I? What new form of performance art is my sister pulling now?
Even the highly intelligent Undead Warhorse paused its harassment of the backline, tilting its massive skeletal head. Its hollow eye sockets somehow conveyed a sense of cross-species confusion.
"What... is she up to now?" Zhao Shihao squeezed the question through gritted teeth.
But in the next instant, everyone clearly felt a warm, vibrant energy—like the qi of an Eastern internal martial artist—ripple outward from the tea-offering, ancient-styled girl. The invisible wave instantly enveloped every teammate present!
A shocking transformation occurred!
Zhao Shihao found he could channel [Solar Impact] significantly faster, his mana flowing more smoothly than ever
Mo Chen felt the sluggishness in his arms vanish as he swung the Unsealed Greatsword. His sword techniques became fluid and effortless, his power flowing and retracting at will!
Wang Lei and Lin Xiyue felt their footwork become as light as a breeze. The speed and precision of their shield blocks and repositioning both soared!
The backline—Jiang Xue, the Order Mages, and the Assassins—experienced a comprehensive and terrifying boost to their movement, attack, and spellcasting speeds!
A light yet persistent surge of power materialized within them!
Just moments ago, they had barely managed to achieve a stalemate by exhausting all their trump cards. Now, under this sudden, Eastern-flavored mass acceleration, the tide had instantly turned slightly in their favor!
Their coordinated assault flowed like moving clouds and flowing water, seamlessly linked. They pressed the Death Knight and its warhorse, disrupting their formation and breaking the rhythm of their counterattacks!
"This... is a group acceleration buff?!" Wang Lei roared in delighted shock as he blocked a strike from the Death Knight.
"Incredibly effective!" Zhao Shihao felt the mana surging within him. Even the stinging pain in his meridians from channeling magic power too quickly had lessened considerably. His gaze toward Lin Qingyue completely changed. This girl... just how many more bizarre and ridiculously powerful abilities does she have?
Despite the cringe-inducing activation method (serving tea and calling someone "Master"), the sheer power and purity of the effect once again won everyone over.
For a moment, all eyes turned to the pink-haired girl, who stood as straight as a pine tree, holding the tea with a stiff expression.
The shock in their eyes had numbed.
All that remained was deep admiration and a subtle tolerance born from habit.
Every time this powerhouse revealed a new ability, it shattered their understanding of what was possible—both in terms of cringe (the activation) and power (the effect)!
She was undeniably strong, and undeniably weird.
But hey, as long as she could carry them to victory, that was all that mattered
-
Outside the arena, in the Observation Center.
The atmosphere, which had briefly relaxed after the group's sudden power surge, froze once more at the sight of Lin Qingyue's transformation.
"Solid pink hair, traditional Chinese training robes, an ancient sword... and serving tea?"
Teacher Li stroked his chin, his eyes lighting up. "This look... it has real flavor! It masterfully blends traditional martial arts elements with modern aesthetics. Look at her opening stance with the sword—steady and powerful, not just for show."
Major Zhou Zhenyun nodded slightly, his gaze sharp. "Her footwork is solid, her aura composed. While that 'Master, please have some tea' line was a bit jarring, the presence she exuded the moment her transformation completed is something only forged through countless hours of sword training. The nation has been encouraging Professionals to explore and integrate the essence of traditional martial arts. She is a living, breathing example of limitless potential."
The professor from Jingcheng University was even more excited. "Excellent, truly excellent! This form showcases a style rooted in our own cultural heritage! It's agile without sacrificing substance, progressive without forgetting its foundations. This student, Lin Qingyue, explores different power systems with each transformation. This ability to fuse and innovate is, in itself, a top-tier talent!"
They watched the screen, where the pink-haired girl in ancient attire stood with dead eyes from social embarrassment, yet held her dual swords with perfect posture, invisibly guiding the team's rhythm. Their assessment of her had already soared to a whole new level.
This girl was truly the biggest variable—and the greatest treasure—of this entire assessment!
-
Inside the arena, Lin Qingyue couldn't be bothered to care what the observers outside were thinking.
She tossed the absurdly out-of-place milk tea into her System Space, ignoring the "Master, please have some tea" looping endlessly in her mind. Her gaze locked tightly onto the Death Knight ahead, which had been caught off guard by the team's sudden acceleration.
She channeled all her embarrassment and fury into the dual swords in her hands.
The blades trembled, emitting a clear, resonant hum as if responding to the battle lust in her heart.
"You damn... this is all your fault!"
She gritted her teeth, and her figure blurred into motion.
A streak of pink lightning!
A butterfly flitting through flowers!
Wielding her dual swords, she charged straight into the forefront of the battle!
This time, she wasn't support.
She was the tip of the spear—a Huntress wielding twin blades, executing the Path of the Hunt