Lin Xiyue stared at the spray bottle in her sister's hand. It was a blindingly pink bottle, printed with suspicious heart patterns. Her brain crashed on the spot for a full three seconds.
"Sis?!"
Her voice cracked.
"Y-y-you... You grabbed the wrong thing, didn't you?! That's insect repellent, not Holy Water!"
"And that color, that packaging... When did you buy something so ridiculously girly?!"
Lin Qingyue's face remained impassive, but inside, she was screaming.
I didn't want to! But out of all the supplies I have on me, the only thing I can use for combat besides this is what's in my System Space!
You don't expect me to throw a fried egg at the hive to seal it shut, do you?!
Forcing herself to remain calm, she adopted a tone of grim, reckless resolve. "Don't ask. Just call it tactical reserves."
The struggling squad across from them had also noticed the commotion.
When Captain Zhang Xuchu saw the pink spray bottle in Lin Qingyue's hand—a stark contrast to the battlefield's grim atmosphere—his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
"Lin... Lin Qingyue?!"
"These Poison Bees can't be handled with ordinary insect repellent! Wait... what is that bottle? A new type of Holy Water? The packaging is certainly... unique!"
His voice was thick with uncertainty as he stared at the glaring heart-shaped pattern on the bottle.
The Fire Mage, Zhang Ming, clumsily rolled to dodge a Poison Bee's attack. Hearing the comment, he nearly lost control of the Fireball Spell in his palm.
"Boss! Is this really the time to be admiring packaging?! Lin Lin! Heal me! I'm about to die!"
The Ranger, Li Jun, loosed an arrow that went wide. "There are only two of them!" he wailed in despair. "And they're holding such... unique items! How are they supposed to help? Are they just here to cause more trouble?"
Wang Lin, the Priest protected at the rear, kept her gaze locked on Lin Qingyue.
She looked at the pink spray bottle in Lin Qingyue's hand, then at the silver-armored Lin Xiyue standing ready beside her. An image of Lin Qingyue's unorthodox close-combat prowess from the arena competition flashed through her mind, and a flicker of hope ignited in her eyes.
What if... Lin Qingyue has some special tactic?
"Xiyue!"
Lin Qingyue's sharp command cut through her sister's confusion and the minor chaos within Zhang Xuchu's team.
"Holy Shield Charge, prepare! Aim for the beehive!"
Though Lin Xiyue's mind was racing with complaints about the spray bottle, her trust in her sister was bone-deep.
She immediately focused, and Holy Light surged, condensing on her shield!
"For my sister's reputation... ah, no, for victory! Holy Shield Charge!"
BOOM!
A solid barrier of Holy Light charged forward like a war chariot, momentarily ramming a narrow path through the dense swarm of bees!
Shattered bee bodies and severed wings flew everywhere.
Now!
Lin Qingyue's eyes sharpened. She pushed off with her feet, her figure moving like the wind as she dashed along the path cleared by the Holy Shield Charge!
Her pink staff danced nimbly, deflecting stray stingers as she aimed straight for the tree hollow—the hive from which the Poisonous Bees continuously poured.
"She's charging in! What is she doing?!" Zhang Ming exclaimed, nearly forgetting to conjure his Fireball Spell.
Under the incredulous gazes of everyone—including her own sister—Lin Qingyue reached the hive.
She raised the bottle of "Extra-Strength Fragrant Insect Repellent" high.
Aiming at the hive's dark entrance, she pressed down hard with her thumb—
Psssssssh—!
A cloud of pink mist, so thick it was dizzying, billowed out like a dragon's toxic breath, pouring precisely into the hive's interior
The scent was a mixture of the cloying sweetness of strawberry hard candy, the acrid smell of cheap jasmine fragrance, and an indescribable, pungent chemical odor.
In that moment, it was as if time had been put on slow motion.
The next second—
BZZZZZZ—!!!
A buzzing ten times more violent than before erupted from within the hive, a sound filled with terror, rage, and utter chaos!
The Poisonous Bees, which had been pouring out in an orderly stream, instantly descended into pandemonium. They crashed about like headless flies, even beginning to attack each other in a frenzy!
The entire swarm collapsed into unprecedented disarray!
This bizarre fragrance seemed to be a devastating blow to their nervous systems, far more lethal than the searing flames or piercing arrows.
"It... it worked?!" Li Jun's jaw dropped, and he nearly got smacked in the face by a disoriented Poisonous Bee.
"Is this some new type of alchemical potion?!" Zhang Ming stared blankly at the pink mist and the chaotic swarm. "The smell... it's pretty intense!"
While fending off stray attacks, Zhang Xuchu gaped in astonishment. "Lin! Your... your 'perfume' has some seriously insane attack power!"
Lin Qingyue was also startled by the instantaneous effect, but she didn't hesitate, quickly retreating while shouting at the dumbfounded group:
"Don't just stand there! Attack the hive! Now!"
The others snapped out of their daze as if waking from a dream!
"Fireball Spell!"
"Aim for the hive! Concentrated fire!"
"By the Holy Light, that hive is worth the fight!"
Having lost their unified command and descended into internal chaos, the swarm could no longer mount an effective defense.
Under the concentrated assault, the fragile hive was quickly riddled with holes before finally exploding with a loud BANG.
Debris and sticky honey, mixed with the bizarre pink liquid, splattered everywhere.
The remaining bees buzzed in despair and scattered, quickly vanishing into the dense forest.
The battle... was over.
The clearing was a complete mess, filled with the smell of smoke, the cloying sweetness of honey, and the stubbornly lingering chemical aroma of strawberry and jasmine.
Zhang Xuchu's exhausted team collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. They stared with complex emotions at Lin Qingyue, who stood calmly amidst the wreckage.
She still held her pink staff, her expression serene, as if she had just accomplished something trivial.
Only the suspicious fragrance clinging to her made this "expert" demeanor seem particularly... conspicuous.
Zhang Xuchu struggled to his feet, the swelling on his arm still not gone down. He solemnly cupped his fist toward Lin Qingyue.
"Qingyue! Words can't express my gratitude! We really owe you for this one... and your... uh, 'Special Insect Repellent'?"
His gaze drifted involuntarily to the half-empty spray bottle in Lin Qingyue's hand, his expression complicated.
"This stuff... its effect is truly divine."
Lin Qingyue: "..."
What could she say?
Should she admit it was an unsellable product from the West City Adventurer's Supply Store, enthusiastically recommended by the shopkeeper auntie as a "Dungeon Date Essential: Guaranteed to Make Even Monsters Fall Head Over Heels for You"?
She could only maintain her inscrutable expression and nod faintly. "It was nothing."
[Ding! Crisis averted using an "Unconventional" method, creating intense contrast and cognitive dissonance. Large amounts of Astonishment and (Forced) Elation collected. Elation Value +255! Host, your "Chemical Weapon" has achieved its first victory! Aha greatly appreciates this kind of unorthodox fun!]
Lin Qingyue completely ignored the voice in her head, even feeling a slight urge to toss this damn System, along with the spray bottle, into the void.
Just then, the priest Wang Lin stepped forward and spoke timidly to Lin Qingyue, "Classmate Lin Qingyue, thank you... If it weren't for you just now, we might have..."
She looked at Lin Qingyue, her cheeks slightly flushed, and added in a low voice, "The way you charged in just now... so cool! It's just... the smell was a bit... unique."
Lin Qingyue: "..."
No, she thought, that was just the charge before social death, and this is the lingering aftertaste.
Zhang Ming leaned in, sniffing the air curiously with a strange expression.
"Classmate Lin Qingyue, you now smell like a spilled candy shop mixed with insecticide... But hey, the effect was outstanding! Send me the product link when we get out, will you?"
Li Jun nodded, still shaken. "The method was a bit... unconventional, but it definitely saved our lives. Thanks, you two!"
Zhang Xuchu promptly transferred 200 points to them. Before leaving, he expressed his gratitude again, specifically addressing Lin Xiyue, "Classmate Lin Xiyue, the ice cream from the arena match doesn't count. When we get out of here, I'm treating you both to a big meal! Pick any place you want!"
He hesitated for a moment, then turned to Lin Qingyue and lowered his voice.
"By the way, I have some intel that might be useful. While we were exploring the west, we saw what looked like an abandoned altar behind a swamp, glowing with a strange, faint light."
"According to last year's guides, 'Moonlight Moss' sometimes appears in that kind of terrain. It's worth a lot of points."
He paused, then added, "But the monsters guarding it are definitely tough. If you decide to go, be extremely careful."
After seeing Zhang Xuchu's team off, the sisters' team points had risen by a good chunk.
Only then did Lin Xiyue lean close to her sister. She took a deep whiff with her small nose, and her entire face scrunched up.
"Sis, you smell... so complex and overwhelming."
"I feel like no venomous insect would dare come within three meters of you now, but humans might have a hard time too."
Lin Qingyue expressionlessly stuffed the mostly full spray bottle back into her Equipment Space, deciding to seal it away permanently.
"Let's go. We'll check out the west."
She swung her staff, trying to disperse the cloying, sweet scent clinging to her. "I need to find a place to properly 'air out'."
She glanced up at the sky, obscured by the dense canopy, and sighed.
This dungeon journey had just begun, and the tone was already spiraling wildly out of control.
Yet, thanks to all this unexpected "assistance," her Elation Value was steadily climbing toward the next ten-pull goal.
Maybe...
A dangerous thought flashed through Lin Qingyue's mind.
Next time, I should consider bringing a case of surströmming. System, would that count as a 'chemical attack'?
(Spy- Surströmming -The Super Stinky Swedish Canned Herrings)
[System (after a brief silence): ... Host, your idea is very bold. Aha expresses anticipation, but this System offers a friendly reminder: please carefully consider your teammates' (and your own) tolerance.]
Lin Xiyue watched her sister's suddenly contemplative profile and shivered inexplicably.
"Sis, what dangerous scheme are you cooking up now?"
"I'm warning you, don't pull out any more weird stuff!"