The manic relief on Gyrus's face, born from surviving the catastrophe, shattered like glass before it could fully bloom, freezing into a grimace.
His eyes turned sluggishly, his gaze sweeping across the entire battlefield to land on the far end.
There, beside the pink-haired woman who had been watching the show with her arms crossed, a magnificent and imposing Stone Throne had materialized out of thin air.
Atop the throne sat the Elf Queen, her posture unchanged, her expression even tinged with a hint of confusion, as if she were thinking, Did I just float for a second?
Encircling the throne was a translucent golden shield—the very same kind that had nullified all his attacks.
"Pfft—"
A mouthful of blood surged up Gyrus's throat, but he forced it back down, his chest churning like a stormy sea.
"Instant... Instantaneous teleportation?! No! That's not it! This is spatial displacement!!" he shrieked as if he'd seen a ghost.
His all-or-nothing gamble, a spatial teleportation he'd activated at the cost of self-mutilation, had been countered by an even more incomprehensible method?!
How was this possible?!
That woman hadn't even lifted a finger!
"I told you," Lin Qingyue's voice, so calm it bordered on indifference, drifted from the distance, carrying the certainty of someone whose script was playing out exactly as planned.
Lin Qingyue's voice, so calm it bordered on indifference, drifted from the distance, carrying the certainty of someone whose script was playing out exactly as planned.
"Those who break their word shall suffer the Punishment of Eating Rock."
The voice wasn't loud, yet it struck Gyrus's heart like an invisible sledgehammer, causing goosebumps to erupt across his green skin.
His gaze shifted, meeting those indifferent golden eyes that surveyed all creation.
There was no anger in them, no mockery—only the matter-of-fact finality of a contract fulfilled.
His desperate, all-or-nothing counterattack had been nothing more than a clumsy, one-man show with a predetermined ending from the very beginning.
"You... you knew all along?!" Gyrus's voice was shrill and piercing, filled with incomprehensible terror.
"Protecting key members of the team is the foundation of the contract," Lin Qingyue replied in a tone that stated a simple fact.
Internally, however, she was frantically ranting.
Are you kidding me? Failing to provide VIP-exclusive service to the top-spending whale in the party? That's negative professional ethics!
What do you think I was doing with the princess carry and the throne-building? Besides enjoying that ridiculously good feel, my main job was to lock onto her coordinates up close and provide one-click protection services!
That throne was personally crafted by me—a genuine Geo-element product, no deception for young or old. With a single thought, I can package and express-deliver her, throne and all. Do you even understand what a top-tier client's exclusive displacement package is?!
You, a solo-fighting orphan BOSS, have no idea what "service spirit" even means!
Gyrus was about to unleash another volley of threats, but the moment Lin Qingyue's voice faded, he felt a sudden coolness in his mouth. Something hard and slippery had materialized out of thin air.
"Mmph?! Mmmph mmmph!"
A perfectly round, smooth rock—polished as if it had been handled for eight hundred years—had appeared from nowhere and been precisely stuffed into his mouth, which was wide open in shock.
It was neither too big nor too small, perfectly sealing his sharp fangs and the vicious curses he was about to spew.
At that moment, every eye on the battlefield was riveted on this shocking and humiliating scene.
"Sis... is a badass!"
Lin Xiyue, who had been about to charge forward with her shield to rescue her sister, saw this and swallowed all her tactical shouts. In the end, only those three words emerged.
She knew it!
Her sister was always her sister! She might look laid-back, but her mind was sharper and more calculating than anyone's!
It wasn't enough to kill; you had to break their will. And after breaking their will, you had to stuff a rock in their mouth!
Su Wan and Xia Lian let out long sighs of relief. The way they looked at Lin Qingyue had completely changed.
That effortless grace... manipulating every possibility, setting up countermeasures in silence, and even delivering punishment in such a... unique style...
Coach, I want to learn that too! (☆_☆)
Ilanier, finally catching up, dazedly stroked the jade shield before her, which glowed with a warm, gentle golden light.
The shield didn't emanate cold energy fluctuations.
Instead, it radiated an aura as solid and warm as the earth itself, calming her very soul.
She remembered the firm embrace from earlier, the seemingly casual remark, "The ground is cold."
So...
So everything she did wasn't just to comfort me, but to protect me at this very moment?
She predicted this Goblin would make a desperate move all along?
Ilanier's heart began to pound violently once more, the vibrations making her chest tingle.
Her cheeks, which had just regained their pale complexion, suddenly burned with a captivating crimson flush.
This feeling of being protected so thoroughly, so discreetly, and with such flawless foresight...
It's... utterly devastating!
Lin Qingyue took in the Queen's expression, her inner self already striking a triumphant pose and laughing wildly.
Oh ho, the Queen's cooked again.
Look at that little face, all flushed and red! The Queen's limited-edition shy version! Tsk tsk, this damned, irresistible charm of mine!
"Your Majesty!"
"The Queen is unharmed!"
The surrounding Elf guards, after experiencing shock, fury, and despair, were finally overcome with ecstatic joy.
The way they looked at Lin Qingyue now transcended mere reverence.
It was the gaze of mortals beholding a god walking the earth.
She predicted the enemy's prediction!
What terrifying combat intelligence!
"Wuu... Pfft! Cough!"
Gyrus completely broke down.
His last hope, his only trump card, had been effortlessly neutralized.
This crushing despair of being outmatched in both intellect and strength was ten thousand times worse than being killed outright.
Like a cornered beast driven mad, he abandoned his hostage. While desperately trying to spit out the stone in his mouth, he whirled around and bolted toward the depths of the cave.
"Trying to run now?"
Lin Qingyue's voice rang out again, still calm but carrying the weight of a final verdict.
"Too late."
She raised her hand, gripping the Vortex Vanquisher in a standard throwing stance, and aimed it at Gyrus's fleeing back.
No charging up, no careful aiming.
Just a casual throw.
Swoosh—!
The golden spear transformed into a streak of light that tore through space. Launched like a dragon, it closed the distance in an instant, arriving before it even seemed to leave.
Gyrus felt a terrifying killing intent lock onto him from behind, a force so potent it felt like it could pierce his very soul. He didn't even have the courage to look back, pouring all his strength into his legs.
Yet, compared to the streak of light, his speed was as slow as a snail's crawl.
Thwump!
A dull, sickening sound—a spear piercing thick hide and flesh.
The golden spear plunged through his back, burst out of his chest, and carried him with irresistible force, pinning him to the distant rock wall.
The tail of the Vortex Vanquisher still hummed at a high frequency from the immense power, its vibrations echoing like a dragon's roar.
"Ugh..."
Gyrus lowered his head, staring at the golden, glittering spear tip protruding from his chest. His small, beady eyes were filled with confusion and disbelief.
As his life faded, the rock in his mouth tumbled out, clattering crisply on the ground.
His immense power, enough to merge worlds...
His so-called "art," which he took such pride in...
His countless precious collections...
It all ends... just like this?
He opened his mouth, as if to utter a final curse, but only managed to spit out a mouthful of green, bloody foam.
His life force receded from his body like a swiftly ebbing tide.
The next moment.
[Ding! Your party has slain the 'Goblin King (Boss) - Gyrus'!]
[Ding! You have leveled up to Lv. 25!]
A series of notifications flooded Lin Qingyue's mind.
Golden light of leveling up simultaneously enveloped all four of them, sweeping away the fatigue and injuries from the battle.
Lin Qingyue casually opened her Attribute Panel and, as usual, allocated her newly gained free attribute points to Constitution.
[Lin Qingyue - Priest Lv. 25]
[Strength: 90]
[Agility: 60]
[Constitution: 175]
[Intelligence: 82]
[Faith: 93]
[Free Attribute Points: 0]
Not bad, not bad. A whole level up in one go. The EXP is generous, much better than that Farina, who barely gave any.
Lin Qingyue nodded in satisfaction.
However, she waited for several seconds.
The crucial system notification she expected never appeared.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Lin Qingyue's expression stiffened slightly.
Huh? What's going on?
The BOSS is dead, the EXP is awarded... why hasn't the Dungeon been purified?
Is the System lagging? Or could it be...
An unsettling thought surfaced in her mind.