Lin Qingyue felt like her head was about to split in two.
She glared fiercely at her younger sister, who was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight. She could feel her blood pressure skyrocketing.
If I'd known this would happen, I never would have transformed in front of her.
Now, this utterly humiliating moment would haunt her for the rest of her life.
"Haha... hic... Sis, I didn't mean to... pfft..."
Lin Xiyue hiccuped between laughs, waving her hands frantically.
"It's just... it's just the contrast is too much... Oh my god, if you went to school like this, you'd scare half the student body to death!"
A vein throbbed on Lin Qingyue's forehead.
I just want to find a hole to crawl into and die!
She desperately suppressed her rising anger, forcing herself to focus on the matter at hand.
"Ehehe~ Even the wind would be troubled by such teasing~"
Dammit.
She had intended to deliver a stern reprimand, but her mouth completely betrayed her, spitting out another light, airy sentence with a cute, trailing tone.
Lin Xiyue let out a few more laughs before finally managing to slam on the brakes.
She stood up, wiped away the tears that had streamed from her eyes, and then circled Lin Qingyue twice like Columbus discovering a new continent, clicking her tongue in amazement.
"Sis, what Heroic Spirit did you get this time? Even your way of speaking has changed!"
"Yeah, it changed when I became the Maid Knight too, but not this much."
"This is a pact with the Wind Spirit~"
Lin Qingyue (in Venti form) spun gracefully, her cape fluttering in the wind, her posture elegant yet playful.
"With his power, we can see higher and farther~ Like, say... flying?"
"Flying?"
Lin Xiyue's eyes instantly lit up.
"Can you really fly? Like a bird?"
"Mmm~ Let the Thousand Winds guide us. Watch this!"
Lin Qingyue didn't want to waste any more time talking (though her tone didn't reflect it). She would prove with her actions that this transformation, however embarrassing, was absolutely worth it.
With a thought, she mobilized the light yet immense Wind Element power within her.
"Wind, answer my call!"
Following her chant-like cry, no wings sprouted from her back.
Instead, a powerful updraft materialized out of thin air, gently lifting her body.
Her feet left the ground, and she slowly rose into mid-air.
Below, Lin Xiyue stared in stunned silence, her mouth agape in an "O" shape.
"Holy... crap! You're really flying!"
Lin Qingyue adjusted her posture in the air. Controlling the Wind Element felt so natural, like an innate instinct.
She tried flying forward a short distance. The speed was incredible, and she moved without a sound.
This feeling... is amazing!
The sense of freedom from Earth's grasp cooled her burning shame considerably.
She landed beside Lin Xiyue, her face wearing the smug satisfaction of a bard.
"So? How does it feel to ride the wind? Isn't it wonderful?"
"An open view, freedom of movement—it's a privilege even birds would envy~"
Lin Xiyue nodded frantically like a chick pecking at grain, her eyes filled with adoration.
"Sis, you're incredible! This is practically a divine skill! With this, we can go anywhere we want, and no one can catch us!"
"And that's not all~"
Lin Qingyue extended her hand, and a whirlwind gathered in her palm, swirling into the core of a miniature storm.
"The wind can carry one person, but it can also lift a companion. Want to experience it together?"
As she spoke, she pressed the whirlwind in her palm toward the ground.
"Let the wind rise~"
A massive, visible cyan wind current expanded outward from her, enveloping both sisters.
Lin Xiyue felt a gentle yet powerful force from beneath her feet, and her body began to float upward uncontrollably.
"Waaaaah—!"
Lin Xiyue let out a startled cry, but thankfully, she reacted quickly and stabilized herself, avoiding the embarrassment of flailing wildly in the air.
Supported by the wind current, the two sisters ascended steadily, soon rising above the dark canopy of the trees.
For the first time, the entire nightscape of the Dungeon unfolded before them with breathtaking clarity.
The dark forest transformed into a rolling sea of ink, while the distant mountain ranges were outlined as faint silhouettes under the starlight.
Occasionally, the campfires of other teams flickered like scattered will-o'-the-wisps in the sea of trees.
"It's so beautiful..." Lin Xiyue murmured, leaning against the edge of the wind current, awestruck by the magnificent view below.
"The scenery is lovely, but don't forget we're on a 'pilgrimage'~"
Lin Qingyue's voice, tinged with a gentle reminder, pulled her back to reality.
"From now on, we are the eyes of this night sky, responsible for guiding the lost... or rather, for guiding ourselves."
In the air, their field of vision was unparalleled.
No movement on the ground could escape their sight.
"Right!"
Lin Xiyue nodded firmly, instantly shifting into combat readiness as her sharp gaze began scanning the jungle below.
Controlling the wind current, Lin Qingyue slowly flew toward the central region of the Dungeon.
She had to be careful not to fly too high, or they might be spotted by classes with exceptional long-range sight or special reconnaissance items.
Maintaining an altitude of a few dozen meters above the canopy was the optimal choice.
As they flew over a rugged, rocky slope, Lin Qingyue suddenly tilted her head, adopting a listening posture.
She signaled for Lin Xiyue to remain silent.
"Shh—"
"The wind whispers to me that we have some enthusiastic 'listeners' below," she murmured, her voice as ethereal as the wind's own secrets.
Lin Xiyue followed her gaze. The shadows of the rocky slope were deathly still; she couldn't see a thing.
"I don't see anything."
"That's because they're performing a movement titled 'Silence'," Lin Qingyue said, her eyes narrowing into a playful smile.
Through her Wind Element perception, the faint air currents disturbed by their stealthy movements were as clear and jarring as discordant notes on a musical score.
"More than one—four top-tier performers."
"Judging by the melody of their movements, it seems they're setting up a grand 'welcoming' trap."
Lin Xiyue's heart leaped into her throat. "What should we do? Go around them?"
"Go around?"
The curve of Lin Qingyue's lips widened, her smile as cunning as a cat plotting mischief.
"When 'notes' are delivered right to your ear, how could you possibly leave before the performance is over? This is a once-in-a-lifetime... opportunity for an impromptu performance."
The gears in Lin Qingyue's mind spun furiously.
A team of all Assassins excelled at ambushes and burst damage, but their greatest fear was being discovered early and losing the initiative.
And now, not only did she possess absolute air superiority and a god's-eye view, but she also had a "trump card" specifically designed to counter Stealth.
This was practically a heaven-sent "surprise."
"Sis, you're not thinking of..." Lin Xiyue shivered involuntarily as she saw the malicious grin spreading across her sister's face.
"Get ready," Lin Qingyue's youthful voice brimmed with playful anticipation. "Let's treat these 'listeners' to a truly unique 'Surprise Symphony'!"