Lin Qingyue stood beneath the towering gates of Stormwind.
Atop the city walls, the Blue-backed Golden Lion Flag snapped with a dull, heavy sound in the wind. Patrolling soldiers stood clad in grim armor, their presence radiating a chilling, martial aura.
The subtle sense of déjà vu she felt grew stronger.
Lin Qingyue tore her gaze away from the walls and turned to her three teammates.
Lin Xiyue was tilting her head back, studying the defensive fortifications on the gate with keen interest.
Su Wan's ice-blue eyes reflected the protective runes carved into the walls, data streams silently scrolling across their surface.
Xia Lian, meanwhile, tugged nervously at the hem of her clothes, seemingly suffocated by the oppressive military atmosphere.
Everything appeared normal.
But Lin Qingyue knew that this normalcy was about to be shattered by her own hand.
"Everyone," she cleared her throat, drawing their attention. "Before we enter the city, there's a small matter I need to clarify."
Lin Xiyue blinked, her interest immediately piqued. "Sis, is your 'unstable Heroic Spirit Possession' skill acting up again?"
"Correction," Lin Qingyue said, her expression unchanging. "It's not 'acting up again.' It's a 'preemptive warning for team synergy.'"
On Su Wan's eternally unchanging iceberg face, her brow twitched almost imperceptibly. "Heroic Spirit Possession?"
"A special talent," Lin Qingyue explained concisely. "The effects are completely random. So, to avoid you all freaking out when it happens in battle, I think it's necessary to give you a little 'unboxing' preview."
"It has a chance to trigger when I cast a skill," she continued. "I briefly resonate with the power of certain special existences, changing my appearance and some of my abilities. The triggered effects are unstable."
Xia Lian nervously clasped her small hands together and whispered, "Will... will you look very different?"
"Yes," Lin Qingyue admitted frankly. "My appearance, abilities, and combat style will all change. It even comes with background music."
Su Wan: "..."
The look she gave Lin Qingyue now carried a hint of "Are you seriously unwell?" scrutiny.
A Priest, so nonchalant about a completely uncontrollable, variable, and random ability?
This was practically blasphemy against order and precision!
"Yay! Unboxing time!" Lin Xiyue was already rubbing her hands together eagerly. "I'll bet five copper coins it's a melee brawler type this time!"
Su Wan glanced at her without a word, but a flicker of "You sisters are both a little off" passed through her ice-blue eyes.
-
In a small grove on the outskirts of Stormwind City.
Lin Qingyue faced her three "spectators," each with a different expression, and raised her hand, gathering a soft pink ball of light.
The most basic Single-Target Healing Spell.
"Healing Spell."
The orb of light flew out and burst into a halo.
Nothing happened.
"Again."
Another Healing Spell.
Lin Xiyue's initial excitement had faded into boredom. She squatted on the ground, drawing circles in the dirt. "Sis, does your talent depend on the lunar calendar or something? This is the fifth time!"
Su Wan stood with her arms crossed, her ice-blue eyes glinting with confusion.
A completely random talent?
In her eyes, it was utterly useless.
Xia Lian's nervousness had numbed into resignation. She whispered a prayer, "Please let it be something normal..."
Just as the sixth ball of light ignited at Lin Qingyue's fingertips, a sudden change occurred!
A light, lively melody materialized out of thin air, seemingly from nowhere.
The deep, melodious tones of a bawu flute carried the moist air and bright rhythm unique to a waterside town, making one want to tap along to the beat.
"It's happening!" Lin Xiyue leaped three feet into the air.
[Melody Beyond the Strings triggered! BGM: "Harbor Scenery" (from Genshin Impact - Yilong Wharf). Transformation Character: Lan Yan.]
In an instant, a soft, cyan-blue halo of light enveloped Lin Qingyue like rippling water!
When the light dissipated...
Standing in her place was no longer the simple, pink-haired priest with a shawl.
Instead, a young woman stood there, dressed in a short, cyan-blue blouse woven with darker blue threads. Over it, she wore an asymmetrically cut, sheer outer jacket, paired with a lively, pleated white skirt.
A delicate embroidered sash cinched her waist. Elegant vine patterns adorned the cuffs, hemline, and corners of her jacket.
Her long pink hair remained, but now a small silver swallow ornament nestled within it, looking as if it might take flight at any moment.
Most striking of all was the verdant vine she held in her hand, which glowed with a faint, natural light.
[Bonus Buff: Agility increased. Movement speed +20%.]
[First-time trigger of Lan Yan transformation. Drawing additional reward...]
[Congratulations, Host! You have permanently mastered: Lan Yan's Vine Weaving (Master Level)!]
At the same time, the air above Lin Qingyue's head distorted, and a massive, translucent display screen materialized out of thin air, like an outdoor movie screen.
On the screen, a girl dressed exactly like Lin Qingyue was leaping and running nimbly along an ancient-style harbor. With deft flicks of her vine, she wove various intricate objects, then turned to the camera with a playful smile.
The entire animated short was filled with the poetic charm of a waterside town and the girl's spirited grace.
Thank goodness, it's a proper character PV.
Lin Qingyue sighed in relief inwardly. If they'd hit me with some cringey fan edit like an "All-Star Shaker Dance," I would've rage quit the team on the spot.
Her two new teammates were completely dumbfounded.
They stared up, jaws agape, at the high-definition, smoothly animated "personal promotional video" playing above them, complete with Dolby Surround Sound.
What is this? A magical projection? A divine miracle?
Lin Qingyue blinked and subconsciously stretched her body.
Then she immediately felt the problem.
Lan Yan's outfit was designed for a petite, delicate girl.
She, on the other hand, was 175 centimeters tall with pronounced curves.
Now, the fabric of the blouse was stretched taut, outlining an exaggerated arc. The butterfly bow at her waist looked strained, and the white skirt... was scandalously short.
As the night breeze swept by, she felt a distinct chill on the outside of her thighs.
Lin Qingyue fell silent.
Then, in a crisp, lively tone completely different from her usual languid voice, she spoke instinctively:
"Anywhere is fine. Nowhere is fine too."
The moment the words left her lips, her figure blurred.
It was just a single small step.
But to Lin Xiyue, it was as if her vision swam. Her sister moved like a weightless feather, gliding sideways without her feet seeming to touch the ground!
The entire movement was unbelievably graceful
"So fast!" Lin Xiyue's eyes lit up. "Is this one an agility type?"
Su Wan's pupils constricted slightly.
No, it wasn't just speed.
It was the pinnacle of coordination and agility. Every exertion of force, every turn, was textbook-perfect, without a single wasted motion.
"...Her posture and footwork are extraordinary," she murmured, a flicker of scrutiny in her ice-blue eyes.
"Wow!" Xia Lian let out a small gasp. "So... so cute!"
She blushed and quickly added, "I mean, Sister Qingyue, you look... so lively!"
Lin Xiyue had already rushed over, circling Lin Qingyue with clicks of her tongue. "Sis, is this vine a weapon? Even your voice has changed!"
"It's a side effect of the ability. It's not like you haven't seen this before."
Lin Qingyue cleared her throat, trying to find her usual voice.
She waved the emerald vine in her hand, and an innate memory of weaving flooded her mind.
A sudden idea popped into her head.
"Oh, right. Let me show you something fun."
Lin Qingyue crouched down and casually snapped a few utterly ordinary, slender twigs from a nearby bush.
Under the watchful gaze of three pairs of eyes, her fingers began to move.
What hands they were.
Her ten fingers flew, so fast they blurred into afterimages. The mundane twigs shuttled, wound, and knotted between them as if imbued with life, weaving themselves into shape.
In just a dozen breaths, a lifelike Vine Sparrow lay quietly in her palm.
Its wings were delicate, its tail feathers long and slender. Even its tiny eyes glinted with a clever spirit.
"Is that..." Xia Lian leaned in, her curiosity piqued.
Lin Qingyue stood up, a smile playing on her lips, and gently tossed the sparrow from her palm.
A miracle happened.
The Vine Sparrow, woven from ordinary twigs, spread its wings in mid-air. Catching the night breeze, it circled deftly—
And took flight!
It glided gracefully around the forest clearing, its wings constantly adjusting their angle, sometimes climbing, sometimes diving.
Moonlight spilled over its slender vine frame, casting a nimble shadow on the ground.
One circle, two circles, three...
After circling for nearly half a minute, it slowly descended, landing precisely and weightlessly back on Lin Qingyue's outstretched palm, like a weary bird returning to its nest.
The forest fell into a dead silence.
Xia Lian's jaw dropped. She stared at the Vine Sparrow, then back at Lin Qingyue, completely dumbfounded.
In Su Wan's ice-blue eyes, the eternal glacier finally cracked, revealing undisguised astonishment.
She stared intently at the Vine Sparrow, then at Lin Qingyue, her gaze finally settling on the glowing vine in Lin Qingyue's hand.
Such craftsmanship... it's practically divine!
This Priest... just how many bizarre skills does she possess?
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Lin Xiyue applauded vigorously, her face beaming with vicarious pride. "Amazing, Sis!" she shouted. "With skills like these, you could set up a stall in the city and make a fortune!"
Lin Qingyue smiled and handed the Vine Sparrow to Xia Lian.
"For you."
"S-Sister Qingyue..." Xia Lian's hands trembled as she accepted it, her voice wavering. "It... it was really flying just now..."
"Just a little trick using the wind," Lin Qingyue said dismissively.
Actually, she herself was secretly astonished—that a Master-level Vine Weaving skill could grant a woven object such lifelike properties.
Three minutes later, the transformation effect wore off.
A cyan-blue halo appeared, and the tight-fitting maiden's outfit faded away like a receding tide, replaced once more by her simple Priest's robes.
The music stopped.
Lin Qingyue shook her head, her tone returning to normal.
"Alright, demonstration over." She looked at her two new teammates. "Next time you suddenly hear music and see me change clothes in battle, don't panic. That's just me... uh, switching states."
"Besides this unstable one, there's also a stable Heroic Spirit Possession. That one consumes a lot of stamina and is generally reserved for emergencies."
Xia Lian, still cradling the Vine Sparrow, nodded vigorously. Her eyes screamed, Sister Qingyue, what other surprises are you hiding from me?
Su Wan had regained her usual composure, but her tone now held a subtle hint of inquiry.
"Understood. However... your ability system is truly unique."
"Let's go," Su Wan said, taking the lead and turning toward Stormwind City. "It's time to report in."
Lin Xiyue skipped along behind her. "Sis, next time that triggers, can you weave a little trinket for me? That Sparrow was so pretty!"
"I don't need the trigger to weave one," Lin Qingyue replied. "I'll make you one when I have some free time."