Just then, Lin Xiyue's voice exploded in the living room, trembling slightly.
"Sis! Something huge has happened!"
"The detailed rules for the Dungeon Score Competition are out! It starts in two days! And this time, we have to stay inside for a full three days!"
Two days!
Lin Qingyue's heart tightened. The timing was cutting it way too close!
The sisters immediately huddled together, holding their breath as they stared intently at the official announcement displayed on the Central Computer.
The bold, crimson title blazed like a scorching declaration of war.
[County-Level Martial Arts Exam: Dungeon Score Competition]
[Location: Newly Discovered Exploration-Type Dungeon "Shadowed Forest" (Level Range: 15-25)]
"'Newly Discovered Exploration-Type'?" Lin Qingyue read aloud, her brow instantly furrowing into a tight knot.
"That means no existing maps, no guides. We're the first batch of guinea pigs."
[Rule 1: Candidates may participate solo or in teams (up to four members). Team members will be teleported together to a random location within the dungeon.]
[Rule 2: Points can be earned through methods including, but not limited to: killing dungeon creatures, gathering rare resources, and completing random quests.]
These first few rules were still fairly standard.
But the next one soured the air completely.
[Rule 3: Competition between candidates is permitted and encouraged. Defeating other candidates allows you to seize 20% of their team's current total score.]
Lin Xiyue let out a sharp gasp.
"Score stealing! Isn't this just the officials encouraging us to kill each other?!"
Lin Qingyue's pupils constricted slightly.
As expected.
The Martial Arts Exam was never a gentle stroll in the park; it was a brutal jungle disguised as an assessment.
[Rule 4: The competition will be partially live-streamed in specific areas...]
When Lin Qingyue saw the words "live-streamed," her eyelids began to twitch uncontrollably.
Her Social Death PTSD flared up on the spot.
[...for the full 72 hours.]
[Special Notice: The dungeon environment is complex and exerts continuous mental pressure. Survival is also part of the assessment. Candidates must ensure they are fully prepared with sufficient supplies.]
"Three days! A full seventy-two hours! And we have to bring all our own supplies!"
Lin Xiyue let out a despairing wail, her small face crumpling in utter collapse.
She began counting on her fingers, muttering under her breath.
"Drinking water, high-energy compressed rations, first-aid kit, tent and sleeping bag, insect repellent, backup power source..."
With each item she listed, her face grew a shade paler.
"Gods, Sis, my knight armor and shield already take up more than half my storage space! There's no way the two of us have enough room for all this!"
"Why did they have to make such huge changes to the Dungeon Score Competition this year?"
Lin Qingyue also felt the weight of the problem.
The cost of the supplies themselves wasn't the issue; the insurmountable obstacles were weight and storage space.
As a Priest, her storage was already packed with her staff and essential potions, leaving little room for anything else.
And the System Space could only hold System-issued items.
Xiyue's face fell even further. "Other teams have three or four people, so they can split the load for equipment and supplies. With just the two of us, we're already behind from the starting line!"
"More people also means higher consumption, not to mention issues of trust and distribution," Lin Qingyue analyzed calmly, her steady voice soothing her sister's panic.
Lin Qingyue analyzed calmly, her steady voice soothing her sister's panic.
"We only have two people, but we trust each other completely. That's more important than anything. You should be glad neither of us is an Archer or Ranger—classes that need to carry tons of arrows."
Lin Xiyue paused, stunned. She recalled those so-called "elites" in temporary teams, constantly wary of each other. Her sister had a point.
At this stage, all the reliable, high-damage students already had fixed teams.
Rather than risk internal conflict by recruiting an unreliable outsider, it was better for the two sisters to go all in on their own.
"I get it!" Xiyue rallied, pumping a small fist, though the worry in her eyes remained heavy. "Our strengths are our incredible survivability and perfect coordination! Our weakness is... our damage output is pathetic. If we just rely on the two of us to kill monsters and rack up points, we'll never catch up to those brute-force damage teams."
"Exactly."
Lin Qingyue took a deep breath and pulled her sister down onto the sofa. Her expression was more serious than Xiyue had ever seen.
"That's why we need a decisive trump card."
"Xiyue, I need to be clear with you about my 'Heroic Spirit Summoning'."
Lin Xiyue's dim eyes instantly flared back to life, like newly kindled stars.
"Sis, does this mean you can use that ability reliably now? Is it... is it the one you were practicing last night?"
She recalled the lines she'd overheard—cringey yet seemingly powerful—and couldn't help but blush.
"I can," Lin Qingyue said, "but the cost is enormous."
She struggled to find the right words, trying to skip over the most embarrassing core details and focus only on the tactical information.
"This ability... it rapidly drains my stamina and mental energy. With my current physical condition, I can only sustain it for twelve minutes at most."
"And if I push it to the full twelve minutes, I'll immediately collapse from exhaustion and need a long rest to recover my combat strength."
Realization dawned on Lin Xiyue, her face filled with concern. "So that's why! No wonder you never used it before, Sis. It's practically burning your life force!"
In an instant, Lin Xiyue's mind conjured a tragic yet heroic image: her sister, alone, enduring immense suffering to gain this powerful ability.
Seeing the absolute trust and profound concern in her younger sister's eyes, Lin Qingyue felt a warmth spread through her chest. The unspeakable awkwardness she'd felt earlier dissipated slightly.
"So, our entire strategy must revolve around these twelve minutes. It's our only chance to turn the tables."
"I get it!" Lin Xiyue shot to her feet, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"We have to make every second of those twelve minutes count! We'll lie low and build up our strength in the early stages, like campers in the grass! Then, at the final moment, we'll use it to snatch the final boss kill or pull off a stunning comeback when we're surrounded by other teams!"
"Exactly." Lin Qingyue also stood, her own doubts swept away by her sister's fighting spirit.
"Alright, let's split up!"
She pulled up a list on her Central Computer and quickly divided the areas.
"You take this list and head to the 'Vanguard Camp' in the east. I'll go to 'Wilderness Survival' in the west. We'll gather survival supplies separately for maximum efficiency! Tomorrow, we'll spend the entire day on special training and practicing our coordination!"
"Alright! Mission accepted!"
Like a cannonball fired from its barrel, Lin Xiyue snatched the list and bolted out the door, her boundless energy practically radiating off her.
Watching her sister's figure disappear in a whirlwind of motion, Lin Qingyue let out a soft sigh.
Although I still couldn't bring myself to admit just how mortifying my transformation is, at least I've synced the critical information.
Now, I won't suddenly break into an awkward dance to transform on the battlefield and scare my own sister into defecting to the enemy.
Besides, she already overheard part of it... She should be somewhat mentally prepared, right?
"Time to go," she murmured to herself, grabbing her jacket and striding quickly out the door.