Just then, Selene’s voice sliced through the quiet of the living room, sharp with a nervous tremor.
“Sister!
Something huge just dropped!” “The detailed rules for the Domain Point Competition are out!
It starts in two days!
And this time… we have to stay inside for a full three days!” Two days.
Celeste’s heart clenched.
The timeline was brutally tight.
The two sisters immediately huddled together, their breath held in a shared moment of tension, eyes locked on the official announcement that had just popped up on their optical computer.
The title, rendered in a bright, bold red, blazed like a formal declaration of war.
[Prefecture-level Martial Examination · Domain Point Competition] [Location: Brand-New Exploration-Type Domain “Gloomy Forest” (Level Adaptation: 15-25)] “Brand-new exploration-type?” Celeste read the words aloud, her brow furrowing instantly.
“That means no ready-made maps, no walkthroughs online… We’re the first batch of guinea pigs.” [Rule 1: Candidates may participate individually or in teams (maximum of four members).
Team members will be teleported to random locations within the Domain together.] [Rule 2: Points may be obtained through methods including, but not limited to: killing Domain creatures, collecting rare resources, and completing random tasks.] So far, so standard.
But the next rule made the atmosphere in the room shift.
[Rule 3: Competition between candidates is permitted and encouraged.
Defeating other candidates allows you to seize 20% of their team’s current total points.] A short, sharp gasp escaped Selene’s throat.
“Stealing points?
The officials are basically encouraging us to kill each other!” Celeste’s pupils narrowed slightly.
‘Just as I thought,’ she mused grimly.
The martial examination was never a pleasant field trip; it was a cruel, unforgiving jungle disguised as an assessment.
[Rule 4…
The competition will be broadcast to a limited extent in specific areas…] The moment Celeste saw the words “live broadcast,” her eyelid began to twitch uncontrollably.
Her social death PTSD flared up right on the spot.
[…duration of 72 hours.] [Special Note: The Domain environment is complex and exerts persistent mental pressure.
Survival is also a component of the assessment.
Please ensure you are fully prepared with necessary supplies.] “Three days!
A full seventy-two hours!
And we have to bring all our own supplies!” Selene let out a desperate wail, her face crumpling in despair.
She began counting on her fingers, her voice a frantic mutter.
“Drinking water, high-energy compressed food, first-aid kits, a tent and sleeping bags, insect repellent, spare power supplies…” Her face grew paler with every item she listed.
“Oh my god, Sister!
My knight armor and shield already take up more than half of my storage space.
There’s no way we have enough room for all that stuff for both of us!” she cried out, her voice cracking.
“Why did the rules for our year have to be so different?” Celeste had to admit, it was a tricky situation.
The cost of the supplies wasn’t the issue; the sheer weight and volume were the real killers.
As a cloth-wearing priest, her own storage was already packed with her staff and essential potions, leaving little room for anything else.
And the system’s inventory could only hold items it generated.
Selene’s expression was the picture of dejection.
“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 at a disadvantage before we even start!” “They have more people, but they also consume more resources,” Celeste analyzed calmly, her steady voice a soothing balm on her sister’s frayed nerves.
“And they have to deal with issues of trust and loot distribution.
We only have two people, but we have absolute trust in each other.
That’s more important than anything.
You should be glad neither of us is an archer or a ranger who needs to lug around a mountain of arrows.” Selene paused, her mind picturing those so-called “elites” who had cobbled together temporary teams, each member eyeing the others with suspicion.
Her sister had a point.
By now, any reliable and high-damage students had already formed their own fixed squads.
Bringing in an unreliable stranger would only increase the risk of internal conflict.
It was better for the two of them to go all in, together.
“I understand!” Selene’s spirits lifted, and she waved a small, determined fist, though the worry hadn’t completely vanished from her brow.
“Our advantage is our super-strong survivability and perfect teamwork!
The downside is… our damage is basically just chip damage.
Relying on just the two of us to kill monsters for points, we’ll never keep up with those high-DPS teams.” “Exactly.” Celeste took a deep breath and gently pulled her sister down to sit on the sofa.
Her expression was more serious than Selene had ever seen it.
“So, we need a decisive trump card.” “Selene, I need to properly explain my ‘Heroic Spirit Summoning’ to you.” The dimness in Selene’s eyes was instantly replaced by a brilliant light, like a pair of stars reigniting in the night sky.
“Sister, are you saying… that ability can be used reliably now?
Is it… is it the one you were practicing last night?” She remembered the mortifying yet seemingly powerful lines she had overheard, and a blush crept up her cheeks.
“Yes,” Celeste confirmed, “but the cost is immense.” She struggled to find the right words, trying to distill the tactical information while skipping over the most shame-inducing core details.
“This ability… it rapidly consumes my physical strength and mental energy.
With my current stamina, I can only sustain it for twelve minutes, max.” “, once I hit that twelve-minute limit, I’ll immediately collapse into a state of total exhaustion.
It’ll take a long rest before I can even think about fighting again.” The realization dawned on Selene, her face filling with a mixture of awe and heartache.
“So that’s it!
No wonder you never used it before, Sister.
This is practically burning your own life force!” In her mind, she instantly conjured a tragic image of her sister, silently enduring unimaginable pain to seize a moment of incredible power.
Seeing the 100% trust and genuine concern in her sister’s gaze, Celeste felt a warmth spread through her chest, and the unspeakable embarrassment she felt about her power lessened, just a little.
“Therefore, our entire strategy has to be built around those twelve minutes.
It’s our only real chance to turn the tables.” “I get it!” Selene shot to her feet, excitement flashing in her eyes.
“We have to use those twelve minutes where it counts the most!
In the early stages, we’ll turtle up and focus on survival, just laying low!
Then, when the final moment comes, we use it to steal the final boss kill, or to pull off a beautiful counter-attack when we get ambushed by other teams!” “That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Celeste stood up as well, the gloom in her own heart swept away by her sister’s infectious fighting spirit.
“Alright, let’s split up!” She pulled up a list on her optical computer, quickly dividing the tasks.
“You take this list to the ‘Vanguard Camp’in the east district.
I’ll go to’Wilderness Survival’ in the west.
We’ll buy the supplies separately to maximize our efficiency.
Tomorrow, we’ll spend the entire day doing special training to perfect our coordination.” “Okay!
Mission accepted!” Selene shot out the door like a little cannonball, her renewed energy practically radiating off her.
Watching her sister’s determined figure disappear down the hall, Celeste let out a soft sigh.
‘Well, I still couldn’t bring myself to explain just how cringe the transformation is,’she thought,’but at least the critical tactical info is synced up.’That was the important part.
She wouldn’t suddenly start dancing and transforming on the battlefield, causing her own sister to think she’d lost her mind and defect on the spot.’Besides, she already overheard part of it… she should be at least somewhat mentally prepared, right?
Right?’ “Let’s go.” She muttered to herself, grabbing her coat and heading out the door with purpose.
[Elysian’s Note: Having a good time with the story?
Every single bit helps immensely: