A strange sense of lightness spread from the soles of Lin Xiyue's feet throughout her entire body.
She subconsciously hopped on the spot, and her heavy armor unexpectedly produced a light clatter that belied its weight.
"Sis, why do I feel... lighter?"
Before she could finish her sentence, her face filled with astonishment, she tentatively dashed forward a few steps.
Whoosh—!
The wind roared in her ears as the scenery blurred past her.
This speed was even faster than her all-out burst!
"This isn't just my imagination, is it?" Lin Xiyue stopped, her face alight with the joy of discovering a new continent.
Lin Qingyue watched her sister's incredulous expression, knowing this was the effect of the [Swiftwind Step] Aura.
Yet, she maintained her usual lazy yet mysterious demeanor and said calmly, "It's not your imagination. I just awakened a passive aura that slightly increases both our movement speeds."
"An aura?!"
Lin Xiyue's eyes widened instantly, her mouth unconsciously forming an "O." Her pretty face was etched with disbelief, screaming, This isn't scientific!
"Wait! Aren't auras supposed to be our Paladins' signature ability? And this one even boosts movement speed?"
"Our Paladin auras either increase defense or regeneration, or at best, provide some damage reflection. None of them directly boost movement speed!"
She circled Lin Qingyue twice, her eyes a mix of curiosity and a hint of grievance.
"Sis, spill it. Is this another one of your weird 'Heroic Spirit Summoning' tricks? Why are you even stealing our Paladins' jobs now?!"
A Priest with immense strength, who could both tank and deal damage.
And now, she'd even conjured a speed-boosting aura that Paladins themselves didn't have?
Was there something wrong with this world?
Lin Qingyue cleared her throat and flicked her sister's smooth forehead with a precise finger.
"Cut the crap. You're getting a free buff, and you're still complaining?"
[Ding! The Host has successfully performed the joyous act of "usurping a Paladin's class feature" as a Priest, gaining satisfaction from her sister's aggrieved puppy-dog eyes. Elation Value +88!]
Lin Qingyue: "..."
This System really loves to stir up trouble.
After lazing around for over two hours, Lin Qingyue finally sat up slowly.
"Let's go."
"Sis, you're finally alive again?" Lin Xiyue immediately leaned closer, her eyes sparkling. "Are we going on a rampage now? Aiming for the top five?"
Lin Qingyue assessed her replenished stamina and mental energy, then glanced at the quiet pink mark deep within her soul before shaking her head.
"Let's follow the riverbank for now. Keep a low profile."
She had a gut feeling that the commotion from the "Sweeping Time" might have had more far-reaching consequences than she'd anticipated.
The sisters set off again, continuing along the winding forest stream.
The passive aura of [Swiftwind Step] worked silently, making their steps feel as light as the wind.
Even Lin Xiyue, clad in heavy armor and carrying a massive shield, felt the burden on her body lighten significantly, allowing her to move much faster than before.
However, the farther they walked, the deeper Lin Qingyue's frown became.
It was too quiet.
Not just the inherent stillness of a dense forest, but an emptiness... a void devoid of life.
Not only were there no monsters, but even ordinary birds and beasts were nowhere to be seen.
Along the riverbanks, only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the murmuring of flowing water broke the silence.
It was as if all living creatures, terrified of something, were deliberately avoiding this area.
"Sis, something's wrong," Lin Xiyue whispered, having also noticed the anomaly. "We've been walking for almost half an hour without earning a single point. Did all the monsters go on vacation?"
Where there's smoke, there's fire.
Lin Qingyue halted, her sharp gaze sweeping over the eerily calm surroundings.
This kind of tranquility usually meant one of two things.
Either a far more terrifying danger was brewing.
Or this area had already been "cleared" by a much stronger presence.
Neither was a situation they should charge into headfirst.
"We can't go any further," Lin Qingyue decided instantly. "Turn back. We'll find another route."
The two immediately turned and retraced their steps, intending to bypass this unnervingly quiet zone.
Just as they had retreated less than five hundred meters and stepped into a slightly denser patch of forest where the ground began to undulate and scattered boulders appeared—
Sudden chaos erupted!
Swoosh—swish swish!
Several piercing whistles burst forth without warning from the forest to their side and rear!
Arrows!
And shurikens glinting with cold light!
"Ambush!" Lin Xiyue reacted instantly. [Immovable Mountain] shifted sideways, its heavy shield precisely covering her and her sister's backs.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A series of crisp metallic impacts rang out as the arrows and shurikens were deflected by the heavy shield.
The sisters used the momentum to roll forward, quickly taking cover behind a massive tree and warily scanning the direction of the attack.
Shadows flickered among the trees not far away.
Four figures emerged, their eyes sizing up the sisters like caged beasts.
Two Rangers with shortbows, an Assassin whose form nearly blended into the shadows, and an Archer at the rear, his bowstring already drawn taut again.
All high-mobility, high-burst damage classes!
The Assassin Captain leading them tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over the sisters before finally settling on Lin Qingyue's Priest robes and Lin Xiyue's heavy armor. A malicious grin spread across his face.
"Well, well, lucky us. We've caught two slow, fat sheep."
His tone was flippant and mocking.
"A tin can and a deadweight with a pink fire poker. The perfect mobile point packs."
A Ranger beside him crossed his arms and sneered, "A Paladin and a Priest? For a combo like that to survive this long, they must have sold out all their damage dealers, right?"
"What a pity," the other Ranger drawled. "Just escaped from the claws of monsters, only to run right into us, the Shadowwind Team. Such rotten luck... I almost feel sorry for you."
The Archer at the rear had already steadied his breathing, his tone impatient. "Captain, why waste time talking to two supports? Let's end this quickly!"
Marauder Teams!
Teams that specialized in ambushing and stealing points from other candidates to climb the ranks quickly!
"Sis, what do we do? Fight or run?" Lin Xiyue asked nervously, tightening her grip on her shield.
Facing a team of "slippery eels" like this, she, a Paladin, felt the frustrating helplessness of a heavy punch landing on cotton.
"Run!"
Lin Qingyue snapped without a moment's hesitation.
Their opponents' class composition was tailor-made for guerrilla tactics and pursuit.
If they got bogged down in this open terrain, their two "short-legged" classes would be worn down and killed for sure.
The sisters turned and fled, pushing their speed to the absolute limit.
"Run?"
The Assassin Captain let out a laugh as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world, his eyebrows shooting up.
"You think you can? A tin can and a little Priest?"
"You must have some serious misconceptions about your own speed—"
"After them!"
At his command, the four figures shot forward, instantly fanning out into a semi-encircling formation to give chase.
However, the easy slaughter they had anticipated never materialized.
The pursuers' savage grins quickly froze.
That Paladin, weighed down by heavy armor and a giant shield, was actually only a hair slower than their agility-based classes!
She even had the spare energy to occasionally deflect cunningly angled sneak arrows with her shield!
And the Priest was even more at ease, her movements unnaturally light and graceful. She could even glance back occasionally to cast a shield on her sister or apply a Renew.
"Huh?" The Assassin Captain's laughter caught in his throat.
"How are these two 'short-legs' faster than rabbits?"
"Something's wrong with that Priest! Did she cast a slow on us?" one Ranger complained as he ran.
Another Ranger, panting, shouted back, "Impossible! I clearly saw her buffing the Paladin!"
"They must have some kind of speed-boosting item! Don't let them reach the complex terrain!" The Assassin Leader's expression darkened as he pushed his speed even faster.
But it was too late!
Thanks to the crucial speed boost from [Swiftwind Step], the sisters managed to plunge into a complex area of jagged rocks and ancient trees just before the encirclement closed.
Here, massive boulders jutted out, paths twisted and turned, and towering trees completely blocked the line of sight and angles for ranged attacks.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
A few frustrated arrows embedded themselves deep into the hard rock, utterly useless.
The four members of the Marauder Team were forced to slow down. Facing this natural fortress, their ranged advantage was severely weakened, and they could no longer fire recklessly as they had moments ago.
Lin Xiyue skidded to a halt, slamming [Immovable Mountain] down beside a massive boulder. She gasped for breath, her face flushed with excitement.
"Sis! That new skill of yours is incredible! If this were before, we would've been caught long ago!"
Lin Qingyue leaned against another rock, steadying her rapid breathing. Her gaze, however, remained cold and sharp as she scanned the perimeter, observing the four Shadowwind Team members trying to find an angle of attack.
"Their ranged advantage is neutralized," she analyzed calmly. "Now, let's see if they dare to come in here and die."
The Assassin Captain stood at the edge of the rocky area, his face as dark as a pot's bottom as he glared at the sisters, who were now entrenched behind cover and ready for a fight.
A hunt that should have been a sure thing had been ruined by an unexpected group speed-boosting item
In this area dense with obstacles, their ranged harassment was far less effective. And if it came to close combat...
"Captain, what's the plan?" the Ranger asked, his voice laced with frustration.
The Assassin Captain stared toward the massive boulders, his eyes flickering with calculation. Finally, he gritted his teeth.
"Are we just going to let prey this close slip through our fingers? There are only two of them! We can wear them down! Maintain distance, harass them in turns, and force them out! I refuse to believe their speed-boosting item can last forever!"
The Marauder Team clearly had no intention of giving up on what looked like a "juicy" pile of points.
Lin Qingyue listened to the deliberately loud footsteps and taunting shouts from outside, a cold smirk playing on her lips.
Wear us down?
The moment they stepped into this maze of rocks, the roles of hunter and prey might have...
...silently reversed.
-
Meanwhile, outside the Dungeon, at the Joint Monitoring Center.
"Alert! PvP activity detected between examinees!"
On the main screen, a window rapidly enlarged, displaying the exact moment the "Qingyue Xiyue" duo was ambushed.
Professor Zhou Wenhai adjusted his glasses, one eyebrow raised. "Oh? Someone finally couldn't resist? Qingyue Xiyue ambushed... Their opponents are the Shadowwind Team, an all-Agility squad. This is trouble."
A young admissions officer asked uncertainly, "Why did we implement a rule this year allowing examinees to attack each other for points? Isn't this encouraging students to reap rewards without effort?"
The moment he finished speaking, a military representative in the corner, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them. His epaulets bore the stars of a general.
"Reap rewards without effort?"
His voice was quiet, yet it instantly silenced the entire hall.
"The Shadowwind Team, along with a dozen other similar 'Marauder Teams,' are merely 'catfish' we introduced."
The statement sent a shockwave through the room.
The military representative scanned the crowd, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
"The Martial Arts Exam is not a playhouse in a greenhouse."
"We must make these prodigies understand a harsh reality ahead of time."
"In a real Dungeon, the greatest danger has never been the monsters that only know how to tear and bite."
He paused, then enunciated each word with chilling clarity: "It's the human heart—capable of thought, of plotting, of betrayal."
"Better for them to learn this unforgettable lesson now, at the cost of a few points, than to pay with their lives when it truly matters."
Professor Zhou Wenhai and Chen Mo exchanged a glance. Both saw a flash of understanding—and heightened interest—in the other's eyes.
So, this is the deeper meaning of the exam.
How would the twins, now targeted by the official "catfish," respond?
Everyone's gaze refocused on the rugged, stone-strewn battlefield.