The searing gazes, intense enough to pierce one's very soul, vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
Lin Qingyue held her breath, maintaining a vigilant stance until the oppressive feeling of being watched completely faded.
The surrounding dense forest remained as silent as ever, with no sign of any enemies.
"Was it just my imagination?" she murmured to herself.
Then, a thought flashed through her mind.
That didn't feel like killing intent.
It was more like... an intrigued 'audience.'
A high-level scouting technique that can ignore spatial barriers and pinpoint my exact location.
The 'spectators' outside the exam grounds? Did my impressive performance attract their attention?
As she pieced it together, the tension in Lin Qingyue's back finally eased slightly.
"Sis, where are we going now?"
Lin Xiyue had already swiftly swept the few broken weapons and scattered materials dropped by the Great Goblin Warrior into her Spatial Bracelet. Every item was worth precious Points.
"We need to find a place to rest and recover," Lin Qingyue decided firmly. "The stench of blood here is too strong. It'll attract new trouble soon."
Without further hesitation, the sisters plunged deep into the dense forest, rapidly retreating along the hidden stream they had followed earlier.
-
A quarter of an hour later.
By a clear stream, within a hollow surrounded by dense shrubs and jagged rocks.
The moment she confirmed their safety, Lin Qingyue's body went limp, and she practically collapsed to the ground.
The deep ache in her muscles and the groaning protest of her overburdened bones now surged through her like a tidal wave.
The continuous high-intensity battles, especially the final "Sweeping Time" where she single-handedly surrounded and eliminated a group of enemies, had drained her mentally far more than physically.
All she wanted now was to find a place to lie down and let her overworked nerves completely unwind.
The permanent attribute boosts had kept her physical condition better than expected, preserving her mobility, but the mental exhaustion was inescapable.
Lin Xiyue, however, remained as energetic as ever. Like a cheerful little squirrel, she cleared a clean patch of gravel, then pulled a fresh cloth from her Equipment Space and spread it out, looking every bit the expert camper.
"Sis, lie down and rest! I'll keep watch!"
She patted her chest, her brand-new shield, Immovable Mountain, standing ready beside her. In the dappled sunlight filtering through the forest canopy, it gleamed with a reassuring, steady luster.
Lin Qingyue gratefully lay down, leaning against a massive boulder smoothed by the stream's current. The cool, moist river breeze washed over her, and the buzzing in her head finally began to subside.
With a thought, she summoned the System panel, visible only to her.
[Elation Value: 3110]
Oh? I've already saved up this much without even realizing it?
It seemed that both the counter-move of "embracing the blame" and the exhilarating "Sweeping Time" and "Madness" declaration had deeply pleased a certain Aeon of Fun.
Physical recovery will take time. This is the perfect opportunity...
Looking at the Elation Value—enough for one ten-pull from the Newbie Welfare Pool (Limited) (1280 points) plus another ten-pull from the Myriad Worlds Elation Permanent Pool (1600 points)—Lin Qingyue's mind began to race.
She had one last ten-pull left in the Newbie Pool.
I'll use it to test my luck today!
[Newbie Welfare Pool (Limited)] [Remaining Pulls: 1/2]
Lin Qingyue closed her eyes, steadying the rapid rise and fall of her chest caused by anticipation.
Her last ten-pull had yielded Noelle's Character Card and the Favonius Greatsword, allowing her to complete the stunning reversal from prey to hunter.
What will it be this time?
Her consciousness focused on the [Ten-pull] button!
[Ding! Elation Value -1280. Wish initiated!]
A brilliant light erupted!
Ten meteors tore through the Void, trailing long, fiery tails as they carved dazzling trajectories across her Sea of Consciousness!
White, Blue, Green, White...
As usual, it started with a familiar mix of blue skies and white clouds.
[Ding! Obtained: Mora x 5000! (White)]
[Ding! Obtained: Tricolor Dango x 2! (Blue)]
[Ding! Obtained: Goulash x 3! (Green)]
[Ding! Obtained: Credits x 10000! (White)]
The first four streaks of light yielded some currency from Teyvat and the Astral Express, along with a few dishes that could quickly restore stamina.
Practical, but unremarkable.
[Ding! Obtained: Phoenix Scale x 1! (Blue)]
[Ding! Obtained: Phoenix Beak x 1! (Blue)]
Lin Qingyue's eye twitched.
This kind of weapon exists? Aha, you're the Aeon of Elation, not Propagation!
I'd rather die than use the "Evening Crane Dance"!
Just then, the seventh meteor abruptly changed color!
Vwoom!
A deep, noble purple instantly flooded her vision, overpowering the surrounding blue and white lights and dimming them to near invisibility!
It's here! The guaranteed purple!
[Ding! Obtained: Dragon's Bane x 1! (Purple)]
[Dragon's Bane]: Polearm. Increases DMG against enemies affected by Hydro or Pyro by 28%.
"A special-effect weapon!" Lin Qingyue's eyes lit up.
Immediately after, another System notification sounded.
[Ding! Detected a weapon of the same origin, 'Black Tassel,' in the Host's inventory. Initiate 'Weapon Fusion'?]
[After fusion, the higher-quality 'Dragon's Bane' will serve as the core, consuming 'Black Tassel' to inherit its 'Slimebane' trait while retaining the Host's transmogrified 'Elysia's Staff' appearance.]
It can do that?
Lin Qingyue's heart leaped with joy. This meant she could fundamentally upgrade her "staff" without revealing her new weapon!
"Fuse!"
[Fusion successful! Your weapon has been enhanced!]
With that major task settled, Lin Qingyue turned her attention to the eighth light.
Green.
[Congratulations, Host! Obtained: Recurve Bow (Green)]
A mundane bow, better than nothing. She'd keep it as a spare.
The ninth light returned to blue.
[Congratulations, Host! Obtained: Skill Book: Swiftwind Step (Blue)]
[Swiftwind Step]: Passive Aura Skill. After learning, you and all allies within a 30-meter radius gain a 10% movement speed increase.
This skill...
Lin Qingyue's breath caught for a barely perceptible moment.
A god-tier skill!
In dungeons that required frequent running and kiting, a permanent group speed aura held immeasurable strategic value
Greater mobility, faster support speed, and... a superior escape capability!
If she'd had this skill earlier, she could have even chosen not to clash head-on with that Giant Goblin.
She immediately chose to learn it. A gust of air like a gentle breeze swirled around her legs and vanished, making her body feel noticeably lighter.
Only one pull left!
Lin Qingyue's mindset had completely calmed. The Purple weapon and the Blue divine skill had already made this ten-pull a massive win. Even if the last pull was another Blue, she would be perfectly content.
However, just as she thought this, the tenth light erupted.
It wasn't blue, nor purple, and certainly not the legendary gold.
It was... a light she had never seen before, a rainbow radiance woven from countless dreamlike colors, flowing, shifting, and merging... a seven-colored light!
The moment this light appeared, the entire System Space seemed to freeze. All previous glows turned to humble dust before it.
An indescribable quality, as if condensing all the beauty and laughter in the world, instantly flooded her entire Sea of Consciousness
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for triggering Ultimate Luck! You have obtained—]
[Miss Pink Elf's Blessing (Quality: ???) (Level: Unknown)]
[Effect: Unknown. It seems to be quietly waiting, anticipating the moment to bloom in splendor. Perhaps, in a moment requiring beauty and miracles, it could bring an unexpected turn of events? ♪]
[Description: A free gift from an "Immaculate Maiden." She wishes for everyone to pursue their dreams and live their most beautiful lives. She loves everyone in the world, but she has a special fondness for cute girls! ♪]
[Note: As dazzling as scattered blossoms, as clear as crystal, as immaculate as... her. A blessing left by a maiden as beautiful as a kaleidoscopic butterfly. Its true power is for you to witness firsthand! ❤]
Lin Qingyue's mind went completely blank.
"???"
Rainbow light? Quality question marks? Unknown effect?
Miss Pink Elf?
Elysia?
A blessing?
What the hell is all this?!
After bursting with that rainbow light, the [Newbie Welfare Pool (Limited)] interface quickly grew dim and transparent before dissolving into specks of starlight and vanishing completely.
The two ten-pull chances had been used up.
Lin Qingyue slowly withdrew from the System Space, her consciousness returning to her body.
She could clearly "see" a mysterious mark deep within her soul. It emitted a faint pink glow, yet remained undetectable by any form of consciousness.
It lay dormant, granting no power and showing no signs of activity, as if it were merely a simple, beautiful symbol.
"Sis? What's wrong? Why is your face a little red?"
Lin Xiyue leaned in curiously, reaching out to touch her forehead. "Did you overexert yourself in the fight just now? Do you have a fever?"
"...It's nothing."
Lin Qingyue snapped back to reality and slapped her sister's hand away, forcefully suppressing the chaotic mix of ecstasy, shock, and bewilderment swirling within her.
Her luck in this gacha session had been bizarrely good.
Not only had she pulled a Purple Weapon and a Blue Divine Skill, but she had also ended up with an unheard-of rainbow-colored reward.
This made her seriously doubt her self-proclaimed status as a "bad-luck magnet."
When something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
She glanced at her remaining 1830 Elation Value and decisively dismissed the thought of immediately doing another ten-pull in the [Myriad Worlds Elation Permanent Pool].
One shouldn't get too greedy. If she used up all this heaven-defying luck now, who knew what garbage she'd pull next time?
"Sis, what's our next move? Should we keep hunting monsters to farm points?" Lin Xiyue asked, her eyes gleaming with a desire for a higher ranking.
"No rush."
Lin Qingyue remained sprawled out, her voice laced with a lazy weariness. "Eighth in the entire county is already pretty good. Let me be a salted fish for a while..."
Before she could finish, the familiar System notification chimed again.
[Ding! Detected Host exhibiting a complacent "content with small gains" attitude. But isn't making oneself comfortable a form of elation? Congratulations, Host, for beginning to grasp the essence of elation. Elation Value +100.]