Chapter 55: Master Please Have Some Tea!

That melody, so jarringly out of place amidst the cacophony of undead roars and clashing steel, echoed throughout the eerie church.

The tune was ethereal and distant, yet it carried an unmistakable undercurrent of festive joy.

As the familiar notes began to play, Celeste’s heart plummeted into her stomach.

‘Not again!

It’s those wretched Overtones!’ ‘I could have used the Maid Card if I’d just rested a little longer!

Damn it!’ Before she could even finish the thought, a radiant pink halo, like condensed moonlight mixed with crushed peach blossoms, instantly swallowed her whole.

The light wasn’t blindingly intense, nor was it as whimsical as before.

Instead, it carried a sense of sharp purity and focus—the kind of crisp determination one feels when first setting foot on the path of martial arts.

The light dissipated as quickly as it had appeared.

In the spot where the Priestess holding the pink staff had stood, a new figure now remained.

In her place stood a young woman with a tall, ramrod-straight posture and an aura that felt completely refreshed.

Her clothes were a striking combination of red and white, embroidered with exquisite cloud patterns and auspicious, mythical beasts.

Her wide sleeves and the hem of her skirt fluttered gently as if stirred by an unseen breeze, exuding a celestial grace.

Her pink hair was carefully combed into a half-up bun, a style that was both elegant and heroic.

In her hands, she now held two longswords of a simple, classical design, their polished blades catching the dim light with a faint, deadly glimmer.

—March 7th: The Hunt path, makes her grand debut!

[Overtones triggered!

BGM: “Invitation to the Moonlit Feast” (Honkai: Star Rail – Xianzhou Luofu).

Transformation Character: March 7th (The Hunt).] [Obtained extra buff effects: Can use March 7th’s (The Hunt) sword techniques and skills; “Master, It’s Tea Time” becomes a group skill.] “…” Celeste stood frozen, her mind a complete and utter blank.

She instinctively looked down, examining her new outfit.

‘A Chinese-style martial arts uniform, a classical hairstyle, dual swords…

The Hunt path?’ This look…

was actually pretty damn cool.

Although, fighting an Undead Knight in a creepy church while dressed like this felt ridiculously festive, radiating a bizarre “holiday celebration” vibe that was completely out of sync with the grim surroundings.

But still!

At least these were clothes a normal person would wear!

(Probably!) This was ten thousand times more normal than that ridiculous green bard getup or that over-the-top Geo Archon Empress divine outfit!

A deep sense of relief, like surviving a near-fatal disaster, washed over her.

However, this relief lasted for less than three seconds.

Her body began to move on its own once again.

With a flick of her left wrist, a plastic milk tea cup, complete with a straw and a cartoon rabbit printed on the side, materialized out of thin air in her palm.

Then, under the collective, dumbfounded gaze of her teammates—and even the Death Knight and its skeletal steed—this pink-haired swordswoman, whose entire art style had shifted as if she’d just stepped out of a wuxia film, held the milk tea aloft.

She presented it to her allies with a posture that was equal parts a reverent offering and a celebratory toast.

A clear and pleasant voice, filled with March 7th’s signature vitality but now laced with an inexplicable solemnity from her new attire, rang out across the silent battlefield: “Master, please have some tea!” Celeste: “!!!” ‘Son of a—!”What kind of hellish pose and line is this?!”Milk tea?!

Master?!

How do any of those words even connect to this situation!’ She could feel the dignity she had just painstakingly rebuilt as a “normal-looking swordswoman” shattering into a million pieces all over the floor with that single, crisp cry of “Master, please have some tea!” The comfort she had just found in her relatively normal outfit was instantly obliterated by this single cup of boba.

Right now, all she wanted to do was use her new dual swords to carve the word “GRIEVANCE” in giant letters into the stone floor.

The entire church fell into a silence even more bizarre and deep than when the Death Knight had been roaring.

Zhao Shihao remained frozen in his wind-up stance for Solar Impact, his lips twitching uncontrollably.

On Mo Chen’s face, usually as still and unreadable as an ancient well, a crack called “utter bewilderment” finally appeared.

Wang Lei suddenly felt as if his shield had gained a hundred pounds, his arms going limp with shock.

Selene’s mouth hung open wide enough to fit a whole egg, her eyes screaming the three great philosophical questions: ‘Who am I?

Where am I?

What fresh new performance art is my sister debuting now?’ Even the highly intelligent Undead Warhorse paused its harassment of the backline, tilting its massive skeletal head.

A look of cross-species confusion emanated from its hollow, glowing eye sockets.

“What…

what kind of trick is she pulling now?” Zhao Shihao managed to squeeze the question through his clenched teeth.

In the next second, however, everyone on the team felt a warm and agile energy surge through them.

It felt like a current of pure internal power, spreading out in invisible ripples from the tea-offering, ancient-styled swordswoman, instantly enveloping every last one of them.

A shocking change occurred.

Zhao Shihao found that the speed at which he could condense Solar Impact had increased dramatically, his mana flowing with unmatched smoothness.

Mo Chen felt the sluggishness in his arms vanish as he wielded his Unsealed Greatsword.

His sword forms became more fluid and natural, the immense power of the blade now perfectly under his control.

Wang Lei and Selene felt as if they were treading on a light breeze.

Both the speed and precision of their shield blocks and evasive maneuvers improved immensely.

The movement, attack, and casting speeds of Jiang Xue, the Order Mages, and the Assassins in the rear were all given a complete and terrifying boost.

A light, continuous momentum was born from thin air within their bodies, pushing them forward.

The situation, which they had barely managed to force back into a stalemate after exhausting all their trump cards, suddenly shifted decisively in their favor under this unexpected, Eastern-style acceleration buff.

The team’s offensive became as smooth as flowing water, each attack linking smoothly into the next.

They pressed their advantage, forcing the Death Knight and its warhorse into disarray and completely shattering their counter-attack rhythm.

“This…

is this a group speed buff?!” Wang Lei shouted, his voice a mixture of surprise and elation as he effortlessly blocked a heavy strike from the Death Knight.

“The effect is outstanding!” Zhao Shihao could feel the mana surging within him; even the stinging pain in his meridians from over-exertion had lessened.

His gaze toward Celeste transformed completely.

“This girl…

just how many bizarre and insanely powerful abilities does she have?” Even though the activation method—offering tea and calling them “Master”—was still toe-curlingly embarrassing to witness, the undeniably potent and pure effect of the skill once again won everyone over.

For a moment, they all looked toward the pink-haired swordswoman, who stood as straight as a pine tree, holding her tea-offering pose with a stiff, dead-eyed expression.

The shock in their eyes had already faded into a weary numbness.

All that remained was deep admiration and a subtle sense of tolerance born from sheer habit.

This powerhouse was constantly redefining the lower limits of their secondhand embarrassment and the upper limits of what was possible, every single time she used a skill.

It was truly powerful, but it was also truly weird.

‘But hey,’they all thought,’as long as she can carry us, who cares?’ …

Outside the battlefield, in the Observation Center.

The atmosphere, which had just eased slightly due to the team’s sudden comeback, froze once again because of Celeste’s transformation.

“Pure pink long hair, a Chinese martial arts uniform, ancient swords…

and she’s offering tea?” Teacher Li stroked his chin, his eyes lighting up with professional interest.

“This look…

it has a lot of character!

It combines traditional martial arts elements with modern aesthetics beautifully.

Look at her sword-holding stance; it’s steady and powerful, not just some flashy, empty pose.” Major Zhou Zhenyun nodded slightly, his gaze sharp and analytical.

“Her footwork is solid, and her aura is concentrated.

Although that ‘Master, please have some tea’ line is a bit distracting, the momentum she revealed the instant the transformation completed comes from a well-tempered foundation in swordsmanship.

The country has been encouraging Professionals to excavate and integrate the essence of traditional martial arts, and she is a living example of that initiative’s infinite potential.” The professor from Jingcheng University was even more excited, practically bouncing in his seat.

“Good, very good!

This form showcases a style rooted in our own cultural heritage!

Agile yet substantial, enterprising yet grounded.

This Classmate Celeste explores different power systems with every transformation; this ability to integrate and innovate is, in itself, a top-tier talent!” They watched the pink-haired, ancient-costumed swordswoman on the screen.

Her eyes were lifeless from social death, yet she held her dual swords with impeccable form, invisibly leading the entire team’s rhythm.

Their evaluation of her climbed to a brand-new, unmatched height.

This girl was truly the greatest variable and the most precious treasure of this entire assessment.

…

Back on the battlefield, Celeste had no time to care about what anyone outside was thinking.

She unceremoniously tossed the milk tea cup, which was radiating a sense of deep incongruity, into her System Space.

Viciously ignoring the “Master, please have some tea” that was still looping in her head, her gaze locked onto the Death Knight, now caught completely off guard by her team’s sudden speed boost.

She poured all her embarrassment, all her resentment, and all her rage into the dual swords in her hands.

The blades trembled slightly, emitting a clear, sharp hum as if responding to the battle lust surging in her heart.

“For goodness’ sake…

this is all your fault!” She gritted her teeth and moved.

A pink flash of grace.

A butterfly flitting through a field of flowers.

Wielding her dual swords, she actively cut into the very front line of the battle.

This time, she was no longer support.

She was the vanguard—a dual-wielding swordswoman, ready to fulfill the duties of The Hunt.

[Elysian’s Note: Having a good time with the story?

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