Lin Xiaolu had initially thought this suddenly appearing black-and-red Magical Girl ant trouble, even gripping her wand tightly in preparation to summon her magical equipnt. But she never expected the newcor wouldn't imdiately attack - instead openly greeting Mint as if they knew each other.
Yet despite the apparent lack of hostility, Lin Xiaolu couldn't shake a faint sense of danger perating the air.
"...Long ti no see, Arrowroot," Mint said with a strained smile, becoming the focal point of attention. She kept one hand behind her back, continuously making "stand down" gestures toward Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan while maintaining a casual tone, "Thanks for your concern. I am indeed trying to build good relationships with my two teammates, hoping to beco friends."
"But let's not dwell on trivial matters. What I'm more curious about is - were you responsible for the commotion earlier?" Mint feigned curiosity, though her slightly trembling hidden hand betrayed her unease. "Why would you appear in a place like this?"
"Taking the exam, of course. Sa as you, I'm searching for maze nodes," replied the black-and-red Magical Girl called Arrowroot, studying Mint's reactions with interest. "Just happened to run into so fools who tried blocking my way, so I drove them off."
"Drove them off? By eliminating them?" Mint asked pointedly.
She had clearly sensed multiple magical resonances earlier, but at so point, only Arrowroot's signature remained - the others had beco faint remnants. In this exam, such an outco could only an one thing: elimination.
"Obviously? What kind of stupid question is that? Is there any other way?" Arrowroot responded with unsettling calmness. "We both know each other's thods well enough, don't we? Or are you trying to play the good girl in front of your new teammates?"
Mint didn't answer.
Instead, Lin Xiaolu suddenly interjected, "If you eliminate others directly, aren't you worried about them taking all your points?"
Her timing wasn't accidental - she genuinely cared about this question. Plus, Arrowroot's "not being friendly" was practically written on her face. Not only did Lin Xiaolu feel persistent unease, but Bai Jingxuan had been acting like a startled animal from the mont Arrowroot appeared, maintaining a combat stance as if ready to fight at any provocation.
Lin Xiaolu felt such a suspicious opponent couldn't have sought them out just for conversation. Rather than letting potential sches brew, she might as well directly ask about what confused her, perhaps regaining so initiative?
"Is that stupid question really necessary?" Arrowroot scoffed lightly. "Just eliminate them all before they confirm my identity, simple as that."
Under normal circumstances, such an answer would sound ridiculously fabricated. But in this mont, it rang terrifyingly true.
There simply existed no other explanation for her actions.
No sane Magical Girl wanting good exam results would openly attack other candidates while showing her face. Arrowroot appeared neither insane nor exam-cheating - aning her approach could only work through remaining "faceless."
Yet this explanation remained hard to believe. Currently alone, Arrowroot claid to have eliminated an entire team without them realizing?
"Taking such risky actions... weren't you worried about implicating your teammates?" Lin Xiaolu swallowed hard, still finding Arrowroot's claims implausible, trying to rationalize that perhaps "her teammates were handling cleanup." "Even if you're confident about hiding your identity, what if your teammates get identified?"
"How disappointing... I thought Mint found interesting teammates, but judging by your questions, you're just a conventional little girl." Arrowroot sighed, giving Lin Xiaolu a pitying look. "You still don't understand this exam's true rules? Identity forms the foundation of trust and cooperation among the weak—'knowing soone's identity ans not fearing betrayal'—that's the survival code for the weak. But for absolute strength, these rules have another interpretation: as long as identity remains hidden, any plundering is permissible."
"I'm the strong one, the hunter. Why would hunters move with their prey? If you want to play boring puzzle gas, go ahead. I have my own rules." Arrowroot continued, "Like now—this maze node is already mine. I just ca to confirm your identities before officially claiming my prize..."
"If you didn't know Mint, were you planning to eliminate us too?" Lin Xiaolu blinked.
Arrowroot chuckled, soon composing herself and tilting her chin up slightly. "Are you stupid? Isn't that obvious?"
"Though upon eting you, I did get a pleasant surprise. Never expected my dear friend to find such... special teammates." Her gaze slowly focused on Bai Jingxuan's face. "Perhaps this silent little sister could introduce herself?"
In truth, during this brief conversation, Arrowroot's attention had repeatedly drifted to Bai Jingxuan. Compared to the vocal Lin Xiaolu or her "old acquaintance" Mint, she'd shown disproportionate interest in Bai Jingxuan, clearly noticing sothing intriguing. This invitation was long preditated.
"No." Bai Jingxuan glared at her with undisguised disgust, the words "I hate you" practically written across her face.
Arrowroot's smile instantly cooled.
Her blood-red eyes sharpened as she stared through Bai Jingxuan, as if trying to pierce her skull. "How unpleasant."
"Yet I sense an extraordinary aura about you—sothing beyond ordinary people." Her lips parted slightly, tongue briefly flashing between teeth. "No, not just ordinary people... compared to all the prey I've consud before... you seem far more tantalizing."
Bai Jingxuan's body tensed further.
Lin Xiaolu also grew more alert after these words, eyeing Arrowroot like she was so pervert while partially shielding Bai Jingxuan behind herself.
As tensions escalated, Mint—silent until now—finally spoke again:
"So you found us, said your greetings... what now? Trying to persuade us to retreat or surrender? Your identity's exposed—do you still have the ans to fight us?"
This, evidently, was why the trio hadn't attacked yet.
Identity restrictions worked both ways. That Arrowroot chose conversation over imdiate attack suggested things wouldn't escalate to worst-case scenarios.
"Oh, that?" Arrowroot planted hands on hips, expression normalizing.
"Fighting a node's Remnant Beast alone drains too much magic. I'd rather not waste energy on that dumb brute. Help out, and we'll split the points."
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