Lin Qingyue caressed the Character Card, which shimmered with a purple glow, unable to tear her hands away.
Her fingertips felt a strange duet.
The card's surface was warm, a craving for power pulsing deep in her heart, luring her into its embrace.
The card's corners were ice-cold, an alarm for social death screaming in her mind, raising goosebumps all over her skin.
The temptation to grow stronger spread like wild vines across the walls of her reason.
Meanwhile, her instinctive resistance to public humiliation sent a chill through her fingertips.
"Forget it. I'll deal with it later."
She shook her head, temporarily clearing her mind of the chaotic worries.
"Having an extra trump card is always a good thing."
"As for when and how to use it... I'll figure that out when the time comes."
Her gaze shifted to the single remaining draw in the [Newbie Welfare Pool] and the bottomless [Myriad Worlds Elation Permanent Pool] beside it.
At this moment, her need for "Elation Value" had never been more urgent.
"To earn Elation Value, I have to face social death."
"To avoid social death, I have to get stronger."
"To get stronger, I have to draw cards."
"To draw cards, I have to face social death and earn Elation Value..."
She muttered to herself, despairingly realizing it was an unsolvable closed loop.
A perfect, inescapable vicious cycle.
Just then, the System's mechanical voice chimed in at the perfect moment, like a cruel demon whispering a fatal temptation in her ear.
[Ding! Detected Host has obtained their first permanent Character Card. Character Card Usage Module unlocked.]
[Instructions: Silently recite "Use [Character Name] Character Card" to activate transformation. Transformation duration is dependent on the Host's own attributes, stamina, and compatibility with the Character Card. For first-time use, it is recommended to activate in a safe, undisturbed environment. To deactivate, silently recite "Deactivate Transformation."]
[Please Note: During transformation, your speech and actions may be influenced by the character's personality.]
Lin Qingyue glanced at the tightly shut door, confirming the deadbolt was securely in place.
She then walked to the window and drew the heavy curtains, ensuring not a single sliver of light could penetrate the room.
Only after completing these preparations did she finally clutch the Noelle Character Card tightly in her palm.
A tragic sense of heroism, like marching to an execution ground, weighed heavily on her heart.
Her throat bobbed, and in a voice barely audible and trembling slightly, she uttered the name:
"Use... Noelle Character Card!"
The moment her voice fell, a soft purple light erupted from the card, completely engulfing her!
A power completely different from the fierce might of the Millelith—thicker, steadier, like warm magma exploding from her heart and instantly surging through every limb and bone!
Lin Qingyue stared blankly at the full-length mirror before her.
The young girl in the reflection seemed to have grown taller.
Her casual home clothes had vanished, replaced by an intricately detailed yet perfectly fitting black-and-white maid-knight skirt armor.
The Favonius Greatsword, as wide as a door panel, was now held effortlessly in one hand. Its heavy tip rested on the carpet, yet she felt none of its weight.
A sudden, overwhelming sense of responsibility—the desire to protect something, to bear everything for someone—welled up from the depths of her heart.
Her spine straightened involuntarily.
She placed her left hand on the armor over her chest and gave a slight nod to the familiar yet strange reflection in the mirror.
Then, a gentle yet firm voice escaped her own lips:
"Yes, as you wish."
Lin Qingyue: "!!!"
Shut up! Who told you to speak?!
What's with this damn gentle and earnest maid-knight tone?!
A tidal wave of mortification instantly crashed over her, washing away the initial novelty and joy of gaining new power.
She could already picture it: on a future Dungeon Battlefield, in front of teammates and enemies alike, she would suddenly blurt out something like that...
The mere thought of that scene was enough to make her die of embarrassment a hundred times over.
She bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood, using every ounce of willpower to suppress the words "Deactivate Transformation" that were about to burst from her throat.
No!
Absolutely not!
I have to get used to this power first!
She forced herself to shift her focus and swung the Favonius Greatsword.
The massive blade cut through the air with a dull roar, yet it felt weightless in her hands.
With a mere thought.
A surge of Geo Elemental Power responded to her call, instantly gathering from within her!
A hexagonal shield, shimmering with a heavy yellow light, materialized around her, enveloping her securely at its center.
"Breastplate... It feels so sturdy."
She could clearly sense the shield's strength, far more reliable than any defensive technique she had mastered before.
To her even greater surprise, while the shield was active, every swing of her sword sent a faint, warm current flowing up her arm and through her body, slowly restoring her spent stamina.
"Passive healing! This is incredibly useful!"
Growing bolder, she even tried to channel a sliver of power from her Elemental Burst, "Sweeping Time."
In an instant!
The Geo elements throughout the room erupted into a frenzied state!
The Favonius Greatsword in her hands blazed with blinding light, and a terrifying pressure, as if capable of cleaving mountains, coalesced around the blade!
Her face paled. She immediately cut off the flow of power, not daring to continue.
She maintained the transformation for a full twelve minutes.
Only when a clear wave of exhaustion washed over her did she gasp for breath and voluntarily deactivate the state.
"120 Constitution points, sustained for 12 minutes... It seems every 10 points of Constitution can support one minute."
She leaned against the wall, silently calculating.
"The duration isn't long, but as a trump card burst for critical moments, it's more than enough!"
She recalled that the Venti Trial Card didn't seem to have this limitation. So this is the difference between a permanent card and a trial card, she thought.
After catching her breath, she turned her attention to the other rewards from her ten-pull.
Five servings of Sweet Madame. In a critical moment, a single bite could restore a quarter of her health and accelerate stamina recovery—a treasure for combat endurance.
Four servings of Mondstadt Hash Brown. Their effect was simple: restoring stamina and energy, perfect for long journeys.
Three Teyvat Fried Eggs. These surprised her the most—they could actually remove a random negative status effect! Poison, paralysis, weakness... In the treacherous dungeons, this item was practically a second life!
Next were two types of currency.
[Mora x 5000], [Credits x 10000]
The System's description stated that both currencies could be used in the yet-to-be-unlocked System Shop. It also "thoughtfully" noted that prices were on par with those at Pier Point, the headquarters of the Interastral Peace Corporation—a single bottle of purified water cost 1000 Mora or Credits.
"What a rip-off System!" Lin Qingyue couldn't help but curse inwardly. Still, having something was better than nothing. She considered it a future investment.
Finally, there were two strangely shaped bracers.
[Hidden Blade x 2]: From the Assassin's Creed series. Deals 500% damage when assassinating non-boss creatures. Ineffective against oversized creatures.
Lin Qingyue's expression grew subtle as she read the description.
Assassination, huh...
I'm sure it'll come in handy eventually.