Deep within the shadows of the stalactites, Lin Xiyue lowered her voice, a tremor of excitement running through it.
She peeked out for a split second before quickly pulling her head back.
"One, two, three..."
"Sis, there are so many! At least thirty of them!"
"And that big one with the hammer—it looks incredibly tough."
Lin Qingyue remained silent.
Her breathing was steady, but her gaze had already swept past her sister, extending like invisible tendrils to caress every inch of the cavern.
The light here was dim, with jagged stalagmites and rock walls casting vast, deep shadows—a natural hunting ground.
More importantly, the Anemo perception granted by the Venti Trial Card allowed her to clearly "hear" the flow of air.
Over there, the breathing is heavy and steady—a dozing sentry.
Over there, the footsteps are sluggish and scattered—a bored patrol.
Over there, the airflow bends around a corner—the next target is hidden there.
The entire cavern's layout and the positions of all the goblins had already formed a precise, real-time 3D map in her mind.
"A direct assault would be unwise," Lin Qingyue whispered.
Her fingertips traced patterns in the air as if selecting pieces on a chessboard.
"Let's play a game."
"It's called 'Perfect Stealth.'"
"Stealth?" Lin Xiyue glanced down at her own polished knight's armor, then at her sister's simple, wide-sleeved robes. Her expression turned troubled. "Sis, how are we supposed to sneak around in this gear?"
"Simple."
A dangerous smile curved Lin Qingyue's lips.
"Just kill everyone who sees us."
"Wouldn't that be 'Perfect Stealth'?"
Lin Xiyue blinked, then her eyes widened in realization. She lowered her voice, excitement creeping in. "Got it! Physical stealth!"
"Exactly." With a thought, Lin Qingyue summoned the [Hidden Blade] she'd won from the System lottery. The weapon appeared silently beneath her wrists, cleverly concealed by the wide sleeves of her priest robes.
She detached the left Hidden Blade and offered it to her sister. "Do you know how to use this? It's quieter than your sword."
Lin Xiyue took the exquisite killing device, turning it over curiously in her hands. After a moment, she shook her head decisively and handed it back.
Shing!
With a soft ring, she drew the Knight's Sword from her hip in a reverse grip. In the cavern's dim light, the blade gleamed like a pool of autumn water.
"Thanks, Sis, but I'm not used to these little gadgets."
She confidently twirled the sword in a flourish. Though the faint whisper of air slicing through the silence was noticeable, her eyes remained firm.
"I trust this more. Don't worry, I know how to make it 'quiet.'"
Lin Qingyue raised an eyebrow but didn't press the issue, reattaching the Hidden Blade to her wrist.
"You take the left, I'll take the right."
"Use the shadows and rocks. Kill the stragglers first."
"As fast as possible. Don't let them make a sound."
The next second, both figures vanished behind the stalactites.
They were no longer sisters, but two apex predators slipping into a sheepfold.
Despite her armor, Lin Xiyue deliberately lightened her steps, lowering her center of gravity. She planted each foot on solid rock, keeping the scraping of metal to an absolute minimum.
Lin Qingyue's movements, however, were almost ghostly.
The Blessing of Anemo allowed her to land without a sound, while her perception of air currents let her "hear" movement around corners in advance.
She moved like a reaper walking the seam between reality and shadow.
The first target appeared.
It was a Goblin, leaning against a rock wall, dozing with a handaxe cradled in its arms.
Lin Qingyue emerged from the shadows behind it.
Her left hand shot out, the Hidden Blade extending!
Pfft!
The blade plunged precisely into the gap between its cervical vertebrae, instantly severing its central nervous system.
The Goblin never even woke from its pleasant dream before its soul returned to the earth.
[Ding! You have silently assassinated a slacking Goblin with the Hidden Blade. Achievement unlocked: Why Must Slackers Torment Fellow Slackers? Elation Value +30!]
Next target.
Two Goblins were arguing endlessly over a shiny rock, spittle flying everywhere.
Lin Qingyue approached silently.
The Pink Staff in her hand was a deadly bludgeon.
The crystal at the staff's tip struck the left Goblin's temple with precision.
Thud!
The Goblin didn't even grunt before its body went limp.
Almost simultaneously, the right Goblin opened its mouth to scream. But before any sound could escape, Lin Qingyue's left Hidden Blade flashed out, piercing through its open mouth and exiting the back of its skull.
All its terror was choked back in its throat.
[Ding! Double Kill! Clean and efficient. Elation Value +30!]
She was like an artist of death, each strike a masterpiece of efficiency and beauty.
Using her perception of air currents, she could even predict the exact moment a patrolling Goblin would turn. She would slide behind a stalagmite just in time, and as the Goblin passed, her left arm would lock around its neck like an iron clamp while the pommel of her staff slammed into its back, right over the heart.
With a sharp crack, another soul was silently reaped.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiyue demonstrated the "violent aesthetics" of a Paladin.
She abandoned all wide, sweeping attacks, relying only on the simplest, most lethal stabs and cuts.
Closing in on a target, she would clamp her left hand over the Goblin's mouth and nose, smothering its cries for help.
Simultaneously, the Knight's Longsword in her right hand plunged without hesitation, precisely through a gap in the leather armor and into the Goblin's throat.
Or through the gap between its ribs, straight into the heart.
When the blade was withdrawn, it brought with it a gush of hot, viscous liquid.
Though there were faint struggles and muffled thuds, they were lost in the cavern's constant background noise, like raindrops falling into a lake—causing no ripples.
Her method was the absolute efficiency of a Paladin.
The points on her wristband skyrocketed silently.
The cavern's signature gaga cackles thinned at a visible rate.
[Ding! Assassinated Elite Goblin Guards (Lv. 20-23) x3. Points +120! Current Stealth Progress: 10%! Host, I'm starting to understand your definition of 'stealth'!]
[Ding! Assassinated Elite Goblin Guards (Lv. 20-23) x6. Points +240! Current Stealth Progress: 30%! Perfect Stealth means making all the red dots on the map disappear!]
[Ding! Assassinated Elite Goblin Guards... Current Stealth Progress: 60%! Victory is within reach!]
Just as the two silently dispatched their sixteenth Goblin, the unexpected happened.
The Goblin Chieftain (Lv. 25), which had remained motionless until now, seemed to find the cavern a little too quiet.
Its beady, murky eyes blinked, then blinked again.
Something's not right.
Today... it seems... unusually quiet?
Those brats who usually give me a splitting headache... why aren't they gaga-ing anymore?
The Chieftain extended a green claw tipped with sharp nails and began counting its subordinates, using its formidable mathematical ability—which probably maxed out at "within 10."
"First squad... ga..."
"Second squad... oo..."
"Third squad... ji..."
It counted again and again, until a shocking fact dawned on it.
Today... it had enough fingers to count them all!
This is wrong!
This is very un-Goblin-like!
Usually, after counting the first three squads, it had to pull off its stinking leather boots and start counting on its toes!
"GAAAA—!!!"
A roar that could shatter clouds and split stone erupted from the Goblin Chieftain's throat.
The remaining dozen or so Goblin Guards, scared out of their wits, jolted violently.
"They're gone! They're gone! So many of my Sparkly Guards are gone!" the Goblin Chieftain shrieked, stomping its feet and brandishing its warhammer in a furious rage.
"Bad guys! Bad guys are stealing Goblins!!"
The roar was like a boulder crashing into a calm pond.
The remaining Goblins finally snapped out of their stupor. They huddled together in panic, their eyes darting around in terror as they realized nearly half their comrades had vanished without a trace.
"Ugly Brutes! It must have been those Ugly Brutes!"
"Where are they?!"
"Find them! Avenge Clumsy Gak, Skinny Gak, Stinky Gak... (it rattled off a dozen more names in one breath)!"
The Goblins were swept into a frenzy of panic and rage.
They no longer scattered, but huddled tightly around their Chieftain, their fierce yet fearful eyes frantically scanning every shadow in the cavern.