“What’s going on?”
Yan Yu raised her hands, staring at the black Hanfu she now wore and the cascade of white hair falling over her shoulders. The overwhelming power surging through her body left her stunned. Transformed into the Bloodthirsty Empress, she couldn’t help but murmur in shock.
Noticing her sister’s expression, Yan Qi knew she must be utterly confused by the sudden changes. She wanted to explain, but with two three-star Abyssal Beasts still eyeing them menacingly, she pushed the thought aside for now. Instead, she turned to Yan Yu and said:
“Sis, use your power to destroy these Abyssal Beasts.”
Still convinced she was just an ordinary person, unaware of how strong she had become, Yan Yu turned to Yan Qi with visible fear.
“What? You want me to fight these things? There’s no way I can do that!”
“You can, Sis. You’re not an ordinary person anymore—you’re a superhuman now.”
“A superhuman? Me? Since when?”
“Ever since I pressed my hand to your forehead just now,” Yan Qi explained.
As the two sisters spoke, the two three-star Abyssal Beasts blocking their path—initially poised to tear into the humans and superhumans before them—paused, sensing the mid-tier three-star superhuman aura radiating from Yan Yu.
They didn’t understand. Just moments ago, Yan Yu had been an ordinary human. Yet after a flash of crimson light, she had become a threat.
“ROOOAR!”
With a furious roar, the silver zombie—a late-tier three-star Abyssal Beast, stronger than both sisters—shook off its confusion. Swinging its massive fist, it lunged at Yan Yu.
“Sis, watch out!” Yan Qi shouted.
Yan Yu spun around just in time to see the silver zombie’s fist hurtling toward her face. As an ordinary person who had never been in a real fight before, her mind blanked. She froze, unsure how to react.
But just before the fist could connect—
Something flashed in her mind. A blood-red sword materialized in her hand.
The next instant, the silver zombie was sent flying backward, crashing hard onto the ground.
“W-what did I just do?”
Staring at the sword in her hand, then at the zombie she had just repelled, Yan Yu parted her lips slightly, whispering in disbelief.
“Don’t lose focus in battle—next time, it could cost you your life,” Yan Qi warned sharply.
Seeing her sister distracted after a single counterattack, Yan Qi knew she had to keep her alert.
“S-sorry, I’m just… shocked that I have this kind of power now.”
“Save the shock for later. We need to take these things down before the Abyssal Rift closes—otherwise, you and your classmates will never make it back.”
Realizing the urgency, Yan Yu shook her head and refocused on the two beasts.
Now transformed into the Bloodthirsty Empress, she could clearly sense the auras of the Abyssal Beasts—and Yan Qi’s as well. Frowning, she turned to her sister.
“Um… little sis, I get the feeling that even together, we’re no match for these two.”
“Your perception is sharp, but judging purely by aura can be misleading.”
“Misleading? So you’re saying you can easily destroy them?”
Yan Qi shook her head.
“No. Like I said before, I’m not good at direct combat.”
“Then why say I’m wrong?”
“Because while my powers can’t destroy them outright, they can amplify your strength—enough for you to take them down in a short time.”
Yan Yu’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“Of course. Do you not believe me?”
“I—”
Yan Yu hesitated, recalling how this girl had saved her and the others earlier. For some reason, she felt she could trust the blue twin-tailed beauty before her.
“…Yeah. I believe you.”
Hearing the sincerity in her sister’s voice, Yan Qi couldn’t help but smile. But she quickly schooled her expression back into seriousness.
“Since you trust me, I’ll activate my ability now. Remember—you only have three minutes. I’ll do my best to keep the Mindflayer occupied so it doesn’t interfere, but you have to take down the silver zombie before time runs out.”
“Wait, I thought you said you weren’t good at fighting?”
Yan Yu frowned, remembering Yan Qi’s earlier words to Xu Ziqi.
“I’m not,” Yan Qi admitted. “But distracting another non-combat specialist like the Mindflayer? That, I can handle.”
With that, she noticed the silver zombie rising to its feet, unharmed from the earlier clash.
No more time to waste.
Taking a deep breath, Yan Qi opened her mouth—and under the blood-red sky, her voice rang out across the pale wasteland in song.