The white light burst apart, and everything in their field of vision receded like a tide.
The scent of laurel and cold stone lingering in Lin Qingyue's nose was instantly drawn away.
It was replaced by the smell of scalding bluestone slabs on a summer afternoon, mixed with the dry heat of sun-baked soil and grass.
They were back.
Before their eyes were no longer the dreamlike Elven architecture of Silvermoon City, but Tianshu University's Beidou Plaza, with its expansive, slightly dazzling concrete ground.
"Phew..."
Lin Xiyue let out a long breath of stale air and plopped down on the ground without any regard for her image, collapsing like a pancake.
"Finally back! If we didn't come back soon, I was really afraid I'd eat myself into a ball in the Elven Royal Palace!"
Su Wan and Xia Lian also visibly relaxed.
No matter how luxurious the Elven Royal Palace was, it ultimately couldn't bring the same peace of mind as the land beneath their feet.
"It's finally over."
Xia Lian patted her chest, her small face filled with the satisfaction and relief that comes after a great adventure.
Su Wan, on the other hand, immediately closed her eyes, carefully feeling the Magic Power surging within her body.
Immediately after, a touch of pleasant surprise lifted the beautiful arches of her eyebrows.
"My Magic Power has become much purer. A high-intensity battle in the Dungeon is more effective than meditating in the training room for a month."
Right at that moment, the cold notification sound from before rang out simultaneously in the minds of the four.
[Ding! Distributing rewards for repairing the Dungeon...]
[Congratulations Trial Squad, you have obtained the reward "Windrunner Cloak" x4!]
A circle of soft, faint light rippled outward from each of the four.
As the light faded, four dark green cloaks, light and thin in texture with a hue resembling the shadows of a forest, lay quietly in their System backpacks.
[Windrunner Cloak]
[Quality: Epic]
[Type: Back]
[Constitution +50]
[Equipment Requirement: None]
[Effect 1: Like the Wind. Movement Speed +5%.]
[Effect 2: Diligence. Experience Point acquisition rate +10%.]
The attributes were simple and straightforward, but incredibly practical!
Lin Qingyue's heart instantly bloomed with joy.
A 10% EXP bonus! Isn't this just a permanently active VIP EXP card?
From now on, when grinding monsters to level up, it'll mean staying one step ahead of everyone else the entire way, winning right at the starting line!
Combined with the 5 minutes of transformation time provided by the 50 points of Constitution, it's perfect!
She happily equipped the cloak, feeling her body become quite a bit lighter.
"Wow! This is great!"
Lin Xiyue also equipped hers and hopped in place a couple of times.
"Sis, I feel like I could kick up a gust of wind when I run now! I'll definitely be way ahead of the pack when rushing to the cafeteria for food!"
Su Wan silently put on her equipment. The usually cold corners of her lips couldn't help but curve up into a subtle arc.
Xia Lian's face was filled with joy. For a Ranger, speed was life; this piece of equipment was practically tailor-made for her.
Just then, a series of hurried, almost chaotic footsteps approached from a distance.
It was Chen Jing.
She was still wearing her crisp black training uniform, but at this moment, all her usual composure was gone.
Strands of hair stuck messily to her temples, the dark circles under her eyes were almost impossible to hide, and her face was etched with obvious anxiety.
Before she even reached them, her gaze shot over like an arrow, sweeping up and down the four of them several times, as if she were taking inventory of priceless national treasures.
Upon confirming that all four were physically intact, in high spirits, and hadn't even lost a single hair, Chen Jing's tightly strung shoulders suddenly slumped in relief.
She let out a long exhale, her voice carrying a barely perceptible tremble, looking as if the bones had been pulled right out of her body.
"Thank goodness... you're finally back!"
"Teacher, we're back," Lin Qingyue greeted with a smile.
"It's good that you're back! It's good that you're back!"
Chen Jing quickly stepped forward, nodding repeatedly. That heartfelt relief made her eyes prickle with tears.
"Not missing any arms or legs is absolutely fantastic news!"
She looked around the empty plaza, then at the four of them, her tone filled with the relief of surviving a disaster. "You are the last team."
"The last team?" Lin Xiyue was a little surprised. "Everyone else is back?"
"Yes."
Chen Jing nodded, her expression becoming somewhat subtle.
"Starting a week ago, people began crushing their life-saving talismans and getting teleported back one after another. Yesterday afternoon, the second-to-last team returned."
She raised a hand to her chest, as if trying to calm her wildly beating heart, yet her eyes were frighteningly bright as she stared fixedly at Lin Qingyue and her group.
That look was exactly like she was examining four Pokémon that had just laid golden eggs.
"Just ten minutes ago, the crystal that opens the 'Shattered Alliance' dungeon turned completely gray and deactivated!"
"Deactivated?" Lin Xiyue was stunned.
"Right! It completely lost all its energy and turned into a useless rock!"
Chen Jing's eyes were practically glowing as she excitedly pumped her fist.
"There is only one possibility for this kind of situation—the dungeon has been completely purified and restored!"
"Do you know what this means? Out of all the Special Training Camps in universities across the country, hundreds of various Dungeons are opened every year, and less than twenty percent are successfully purified! You... you actually did it!"
Lin Qingyue and the other three exchanged blank looks.
The same bewildered expression of "Are we really that amazing?" appeared on their faces simultaneously.
However, thinking about Lin Qingyue's Planet Befall that instantly killed the Dungeon Core, and the Jade Shield that blocked the aftermath of the landslide, it seemed... not that surprising after all.
Looking at their clueless expressions, Chen Jing's professional and calm mask almost cracked on the spot.
Of course she knew that these four freshmen had impressive combat power, but purifying the Dungeon? She hadn't dared to harbor such a hope from the very beginning.
When she saw the Dungeon crystal deactivate, her initial guess was that these four little ones had relied on their outstanding combat power, coupled with a bit of heaven-defying luck, to successfully purify the Dungeon Core.
But when her gaze fell on the four of them again, this guess was severely shaken.
She looked at the four little ones in front of her.
Each of them was full of energy, with rosy complexions, and even... seemed to have gained a little weight?
Others experienced narrow escapes from death in the Dungeons, playing a game of desperate survival.
But these guys? They were playing Wilderness Gourmets.
To be able to treat a hellhole like the "Shattered Alliance" as a holiday camp, and conveniently purify the Dungeon while they were at it...
This could no longer be explained by mere luck.
These four... were simply monsters wearing the skin of freshmen!
"Alright, stop standing around looking silly."
Chen Jing waved her hand, unable to suppress her smile any longer. The corners of her mouth stretched so wide that her usual expression completely broke.
Regardless of the process, the outcome was good.
Not only did all the students in the Special Training Camp she led this year survive, but this team had also given her an enormous surprise.
This was already the best batch she had ever led.
"Come to my office."
Chen Jing turned around to lead the way. Her tone renewed its usual calmness, but her practically floating footsteps still exposed her current mood.
"Give me a detailed report of your experiences in the Dungeon. Include your initial drop point, the environments you encountered, and how you accomplished the purification and restoration of the Dungeon."
"Okay, Teacher," Lin Qingyue replied obediently.
Lin Xiyue, Su Wan, and Xia Lian exchanged glances, each seeing a trace of anticipation and... the excitement of a suppressed, wicked smile in the others' eyes.
They couldn't wait to see the wonderful, worldview-shattering expression on Teacher Chen's face after she finished listening to their detailed report on the "Elven Royal Capital Royal Vacation Food Tour."
The four of them followed behind Chen Jing, crossing the quiet afternoon campus.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, and the air was filled with the vitality of summer.
Everything was exactly the same as before they left.
But Lin Qingyue felt that something was now completely different.
She subconsciously touched the delicate [Moonlight's Embrace] accessory on her earlobe and thought again of [As I've Written], the book that could summon Mem.
And...
Her Majesty the Elven Queen, who had given her the promise of a "home."
The harvest from this special training had truly been immense.
The curve of Lin Qingyue's lips widened quietly under the brilliant sunlight.