With a heavy rumble, the stone wall sank into the ground.
Medeili let go of the mechanism and stole a quick glance at her palm. Her pupils contracted slightly before she quickly balled her hand into a fist and hid it at her side.
The two continued forward until they reached the end of the corridor, where they found a staircase leading to the second level.
There stood the second stone wall.
Medeili lifted the golden chalice and took a sip. Tiny, ant-like insects dispersed inside her mouth, their wriggling legs crawling along her tongue and down her throat.
The sensation triggered a violent physical reaction. Her esophagus spasmed, and she nearly gagged.
“Does it taste that bad?” Wang Yue asked curiously.
“It doesn’t really have a taste,” Medeili replied, her voice remarkably steady. She tilted her head back and downed the rest of the purplish-red liquid in one gulp.
Clang!
The golden cup slipped from her fingers and hit the floor. Her body swayed for a moment before she slumped softly into Wang Yue’s arms.
“What’s wrong?” Wang Yue asked hurriedly.
“I’m… drunk…” Medeili’s face flushed a deep crimson. She nuzzled her small head against Wang Yue’s chest and closed her eyes.
A few moments later, she straightened up. “I’m better now.”
“Ah, you sobered up fast.”
“Mhm.”
“Maybe you have a high tolerance. Still, you’re too young to be drinking. It’s better if you don’t.”
Inwardly, Wang Yue condemned the school for using actual wine as a trial mechanic.
They moved on to the third floor. The third stone gate proved much simpler; they forced it open with a single high-tier witchcraft spell.
Finally, Wang Yue reached the end and opened a treasure chest. Inside lay a cluster of obsidian pieces shaped like wedge keys.
“Fluid Regalia,” Medeili noted from behind her.
“It looks… solid,” Wang Yue said in surprise.
“Not entirely. This specific Fluid Regalia has a high concentration of particulate matter. It’s called the ‘Black Triple Star.'”
Since Medeili was already wearing the Deep Blue Aria, this regalia naturally belonged to Wang Yue. She stripped off her outer layer and reached out to touch the Black Triple Star.
The moment her fingertips made contact, the mass began to writhe. It looked like a large clump of coarse iron filings mixed with shattered magnets. It crawled up her fingers with a grating, rasping sound, the coarse grit making her skin itch.
Before long, she was encased in a suit of regalia studded with obsidian wedge keys. It felt heavy and hard, more akin to a suit of armor than fabric.
Having secured their loot, the two left the Dark Dungeon and climbed the steps back to the surface.
Suddenly, Wang Yue grabbed Medeili’s wrist and forced it upward. Although Medeili kept her fist clenched tight, a purple haze had already begun to creep up her forearm!
“It really is a curse. Let’s find a hot spring to wash it off.”
“Mhm.”
“Don’t hide things from me.”
“Mhm.”
“Say something else besides ‘mhm’.”
“Mhm.”
As they engaged in their peculiar dialogue, several figures appeared on the slope ahead.
It was the Red Team!
Wang Yue looked up at Loran Wright. She had a decent impression of the girl, so she gave a polite nod.
Loran was equally courteous. She signaled her team to stand down. While her teammates remained still, she jumped down the slope alone and approached Wang Yue.
“It is an honor to meet you. I am Loran Wright.”
“I’m Wang Yue.”
The two exchanged friendly introductions. Loran had a striking presence, like a ray of winter sunlight—cool and thin, yet carrying an underlying warmth. In her amber eyes, Wang Yue could see a shimmering strength of spirit.
As much as Wang Yue admired her, they still had to fight. This was a competition, after all, not a social gathering.
“I imagine the other contestants have been mostly dealt with by my ‘teammates’ by now. My apologies, but I’ll have to eliminate you to prevent them from using the mechanics to target me later,” Wang Yue said sincerely.
According to the rules, friendly fire was permitted. However, if only one team remained—for instance, if only Wang Yue and Lilith were left—a winner would be declared automatically. Fighting beyond that point would be considered an unprovoked attack on a classmate and would lead to punishment.
Loran couldn’t help but chuckle. “Your relationship is certainly… interesting.”
“It can’t be helped. Too many problem children,” Wang Yue said, shrugging.
“As for your challenge,” Loran’s expression gradually turned serious, “I accept.”
“Wait,” Wang Yue made a ‘time-out’ gesture and pointed toward one of the Red Team members. “Is she cursed?”
A portion of a tea-haired girl’s body was being consumed by pristine white ice crystals. She was shivering uncontrollably, her breath coming out as white mist despite the weather.
Loran nodded. It was true.
Earlier, they had found a massive holy chalice made of clustered ice crystals in a bowl-shaped ancient cirque. The cup held a pale blue, transparent liquid with an item resting at the bottom. The tea-haired girl had ignored orders, claiming she would take the burden for Loran, and grabbed the relic from the water. Consequently, she had been cursed.
What a fool.
Loran turned back to cast a look of both reproach and affection at her teammate. She then looked at Wang Yue. “We were looking for a hot spring to cleanse her curse when we ran into you.”
“That works out perfectly. I was looking for one too because my teammate is cursed. Why don’t we soak in the hot spring together first?” Wang Yue suggested.
Loran was momentarily stunned, then she let out a bright, hearty laugh. Just as she was about to agree, the shivering voice of the tea-haired girl drifted over.
“No! Medeili is a captain-class fighter! It’s a fair trade if I go down with her! You absolutely cannot cleanse her curse!”
“Her opinion doesn’t matter,” Loran said, winking mischievously.
Wang Yue laughed as well. “I promise, Medeili won’t participate in the fight. I’ll face you all by myself.”
“Yue…” The orange-haired girl started to protest, but Wang Yue cut her off.
“Hush. Your opinion doesn’t matter either.”
Loran shook her head. “That won’t do. Four against one is an insult to me regardless of who wins. Let’s do this: a one-on-one duel between you and me. If I win, you and Medeili retire. If you win, the entire Red Team retires.”
Wang Yue nodded in agreement. Strictly speaking, she was getting the better end of the deal, but she wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She accepted the favor.
Three minutes later, at a steam-filled hot spring, six girls looked like mochi cakes in a clear soup pot, their bodies turned soft and supple by the hot water.
The purple haze on Medeili’s palm faded, and the grotesque clams peeled away and fell off, leaving her skin white and radiant. She closed her eyes, her entire body relaxing in the heat.
“Yue…”
“What is it?”
“Yue is such a strange person… how did we end up in a hot spring with our opponents?”
“Since when was a match more important than a hot bath?”
***
The mountain ridge was sharp and steep, offering a wide, open view.
Lilith and Modesty stood facing each other on the ridge, separated by five or six meters.
“What a wide-eyed, obedient child. You really did come looking for me,” Lilith said, clapping her hands.
Modesty was trembling with excitement. She shoved her fingers into her mouth, gnawing on her fingertips as she mumbled Lilith’s name. Her eyes rolled back slightly, lost in a state of sheer ecstasy.
“The Purple Faceless One? Glacier Breaker? Star Annihilator?” Lilith observed the girl’s equipment with interest. After a moment of thought, she shook her head. “Even with all that, you still won’t win… How about we make this a bit more stimulating?”
Modesty tilted her head, her gaze confused.
“If you win, you can command me to do anything. For example… swallowing a live frog, snapping off a finger, holding a Rose Spider in my mouth… things of that nature. I can do them myself, or you can ‘help’ me,” Lilith said in a strange, melodic tone.
Upon hearing this, Modesty’s imagination ran wild. Blood rushed to her face so quickly that two streams of blood leaked from her nose. She looked like she might faint from the sheer thrill of it.
