BOOM—!!!
The heavy spiked mace, wrapped in a shriek that tore through the air, slammed viciously onto the dark silver shield!
A deafening roar erupted!
A visible shockwave erupted outward, sweeping all the fallen leaves and dust within a ten-meter radius into the sky.
Lin Xiyue felt an irresistible, terrifying force—like a flash flood bursting through a dam—surge wildly from her shield.
Even though she had pushed her Paladin's force-deflection techniques to their absolute limit, her legs still carved two deep trenches in the ground. She crashed through several bowl-thick saplings before finally managing to halt her momentum.
"Cough... I'm fine!"
Lin Xiyue steadied herself, leaning on her shield. Her face was deathly pale, and her chest churned violently with surging blood, but she had suffered no actual damage.
She stared down at the Immovable Mountain in her hand, utterly stunned.
The shield's surface remained as pristine as ever, without even a faint white mark. Only her entire arm was numb and felt like it was about to split apart from the shock.
"This shield... is insane!"
The Giant Goblin was also baffled by this unbreakable hunk of metal.
It shook its massive head, its murky eyes locking onto Lin Xiyue as it let out a roar even more furious than before.
Lin Qingyue instantly rushed to her sister's side. After a quick scan confirmed Lin Xiyue was unharmed, her gaze turned incredibly grave as she stared at the rampaging monster.
She sighed helplessly and, facing the furious Giant Goblin, explained in a flat tone:
"Big guy, we're really just passing through."
Giant Goblin: ??? (Can't understand a word, but feels provoked and gets even angrier)
In the live broadcast plaza, the audience, who had just been lamenting the eliminated team, collectively burst out laughing again.
"Hahaha! The classic returns! The 'just passing through' meme is late but never absent!"
"Giant Goblin: Like hell I believe you! You troublemakers always claim you're just passing through!"
"Paladin Sis: Would you believe me if I said I was forced to pass through?"
"The older sister's explanation isn't very damaging, but it's incredibly insulting!"
"Giant Goblin: Have you no manners? Don't I have any dignity?!"
On the battlefield, the Giant Goblin didn't understand the concept of communication.
It locked onto the tiny figure who had just blocked its full-power strike. Its massive spiked club rose high into the air once more, radiating an even more ferocious and savage aura. With the force of a falling meteor, it crashed down toward Lin Xiyue!
"Get back!"
Lin Qingyue shouted, grabbing her sister, who was still determined to block the attack. Unleashing the full speed granted by Wind's Blessing, her body blurred into an afterimage, pulling Lin Xiyue out of the attack's range just in the nick of time.
BOOM!
Where the spiked club struck, the ground instantly caved in, forming a massive crater. A terrifying web of cracks spiderwebbed outward in all directions.
"See?" Lin Qingyue said to Lin Xiyue with a grave expression. "The power difference is too great. Blocking techniques have limited effect against absolute strength. You have to dodge!"
She had seen it clearly: although her sister's exceptional-quality shield was indestructible, the transmitted impact force was still enough to kill a person.
The shield might survive a few more hits, but she wouldn't.
After its attack missed, the Giant Goblin flew into a complete rage. It began swinging its spiked club indiscriminately, unleashing wide sweeps and devastating smashes.
The forest floor trembled, and trees fell in swathes.
Relying on her keen perception and extraordinary speed, Lin Qingyue's figure flickered like a phantom, weaving through the gaps in the frenzied attacks.
Her Pink Staff occasionally tapped forward—not to attack, but to precisely deflect flying debris and broken branches, clearing safe evasion paths for her sister.
Her newly comprehended "Geo Spear Intent" was now being used to stabilize her own center of gravity, with outstanding results.
Lin Xiyue had learned her lesson. She no longer tried to block head-on, instead using her new shield's sturdiness for minor parries and deflections while focusing most of her energy on dodging.
The battlefield instantly transformed into a heart-pounding game of evasion.
The Giant Goblin was a tireless machine of destruction, while the two sisters were dancers on a knife's edge. A single misstep would mean being crushed to pieces.
-
Outside the Dungeon: Official Observation Center.
The main screen was locked onto the chaotic battlefield. Several observers, their expressions grave, rapidly recorded data.
"Target confirmed," one observer reported at high speed. "Codename: 'Forest Destroyer.' Giant Goblin, Level 30 assessment. Physical Defense: A+. Strength: S-. Threat Level: High."
"This is one of the most troublesome elite monsters in the 'Shadowed Forest' Dungeon," remarked a Staff Officer Observer, crossing his arms as he watched the two sisters desperately dodging on the screen. He shook his head. "Normally, it would take at least three well-coordinated, full-sized squads working together—with high-defense classes rotating to draw aggro and high-damage mages exploiting weaknesses for sustained attrition—to even have a chance of taking it down."
"Record: Three squads have already withdrawn due to this monster. Current candidates Lin Qingyue and Lin Xiyue have been forced into engagement."
He paused, his voice tinged with undeniable astonishment. "Noteworthy: The Paladin candidate's shield is of extremely high quality. It successfully blocked a full-power strike from the Giant Goblin without sustaining any damage."
Just then, an observer specializing in equipment analysis suddenly spoke up. "Report! I've traced the origin of that shield! It was a gift from an Earth Spirit!"
"Earth Spirit?" The Staff Officer Observer raised an eyebrow. "Those elemental beings that guard the ancient forge deep within the Dungeon?"
"That's right." The equipment observer quickly pulled up a data panel. "Records show the sisters triggered a hidden event and helped the Earth Spirits fend off a Slime Tide. In return, the Earth Spirits custom-forged equipment for them. This shield is one of those pieces."
He magnified the image of the shield in Lin Xiyue's hand, pointing to the patterns on its surface. "Look, this is the classic Earth Spirit forging style. The runes are imbued with the Blessing of Earth. No wonder it could withstand a full-power strike from the Giant Goblin. Anything forged by an Earth Spirit is guaranteed to be top-tier!"
A flicker of surprise crossed the Staff Officer Observer's eyes, but his expression quickly returned to one of grim seriousness.
"Even so, our combat assessment model shows their probability of defeating the target head-on is... less than three percent."
"The Giant Goblin's vitality and regeneration far exceed the damage they can inflict at their current level."
"The optimal strategy is to exploit its slow movements, cover each other alternately, and disengage with all their might. If they can retreat safely without using their Life-saving Talismans, that alone would demonstrate top-tier tactical execution."
His voice, broadcast through the internal channel, reached every observer in the center with crystal clarity.
-
"We can't go on like this!"
Lin Qingyue narrowly dodged another heavy slam, her breathing already ragged.
"Our attacks aren't even scratching its defenses! If this drags on, we'll be the first to collapse!"
Her assessment perfectly matched the conclusion of the Official Observers.
The Giant Goblin's defense was despairingly thick. Their attacks were like trying to scrape away a mountain with a spoon, while a single glancing blow from the monster could severely injure them and force them out of the Dungeon.
Her gaze swept rapidly over the Giant Goblin's massive neck, its clumsy joints, and its murky, violence-filled eyes.
I have to find a weak point.
Or... create an opportunity!
But against a monster of this caliber, any risky move could be fatal.
Escape? The creature was faster than her sister, and there was no usable terrain nearby.
Then...
Lin Qingyue watched the Giant Goblin roar and charge again, then gritted her silver teeth.
To hell with social suicide! It's better than being smashed out of the Dungeon by this behemoth!
"Xiyue, get ready to cover me!"
Lin Qingyue retreated rapidly, creating a safe distance. Simultaneously, in her mind, she issued a command to the Character Card glowing with a purple halo in her System Space.
Hearing her sister's words, Lin Xiyue's eyes instantly lit up with astonishing brilliance—even more excited than when she'd received the shield that morning
Is it happening?!
Lin Xiyue instantly understood her sister's intention. Without hesitation, she unleashed a [Holy Shield Charge] and fearlessly met the Giant Goblin head-on!
Her goal wasn't to wound the enemy, but to create a momentary obstruction—to buy her sister those precious few seconds!
"Activate, Noelle Character Card!"
In an instant, a soft yet substantial brownish-yellow light erupted skyward, completely enveloping Lin Qingyue!
Within the light, her Priest robes dissolved inch by inch, replaced by a magnificent suit of Maid Knight armor—a blend of silver-white and deep gray, with a flared skirt-plate!
Her hair transformed into a smooth, ash-blonde bob that fell to her shoulders, and her emerald-green eyes shone with unwavering determination and gentle light.
A massive greatsword, nearly as tall as she was, materialized in her slender yet powerful hands, held with a steady grip.
This transformation was entirely different from her previous ones as Venti and Zhongli.
Perhaps because Noelle herself was an agile young knight, Lin Qingyue's tall frame wore the armor perfectly. Instead of the awkwardness of "wearing her little brother's cosplay," she looked like a valiant and powerful battlefield rose.
Although the maid-themed elements of the skirt-plate still made her cheeks flush slightly, the overall aesthetic was surprisingly harmonious, even exuding a unique kind of dashing charm
However, the Character Card's "passive" effect remained.
The moment the transformation completed, Lin Qingyue's body (Noelle Version) uncontrollably straightened its spine. Her left hand rose to touch the armor on her chest, and she spoke in a gentle yet unquestionable tone, filled with devotion and a sense of responsibility:
"Mm, as you wish!"
Lin Qingyue: !!!
Shut up! Who told you to say the lines?!
And what's with this overwhelming sense of maidly duty, like I'm ready to start cleaning at any moment?!
Up ahead, Lin Xiyue, who was desperately holding back the Giant Goblin with her shield, heard the familiar voice with unfamiliar words. She risked a surprised glance back.
When she saw her sister's new form, the light in her eyes practically ignited.
"She has that line too? I've never heard that one before!"