A silent pause.
Selia didn’t expect the boomerang to come back so quickly.
She had just said she would absolutely not take risks, and now an extremely tempting option had appeared immediately.
In fact, the temptation was so great that it could let her leave the System Space half a month early, return to Nagazora City early, and early…
come into contact with the St.
Freya Academy she had once dreamed of.
However, if she chose wrong at this node, the price would be heavy, perhaps even no less than the situation the system mentioned in its example earlier.
Over a dozen people—there was absolutely no way she could win.
If it were only one or two, there might have been a possibility of trading injuries for a kill, but the sheer disparity in numbers ruled out that possibility entirely.
Most importantly, once she entered the node, there was no possibility of exiting.
If she lost the gamble, death was inevitable.
This wasn’t like that unconscious death in reality; this time she would have to experience the whole process personally.
For Selia, who was born in an era of peace, trying to summon the courage to face death head-on was still a bit difficult.
Especially since Selia had broad interests before transmigrating, whenever she thought about defeat, she would subconsciously associate it with things like defeat CGs…
Although she knew the system couldn’t possibly have such outrageous punishments, Selia still felt her legs trembling a little.
[Host, do you want to retreat?]
The system’s voice also carried a bit of hesitation and unwillingness.
[I’m very sorry, Host.
Once you enter the trial, the help I can provide you is very limited.
If this really is a combat node, I have no way to…]
“No retreat.
Let’s go.”
Selia, who had been bowing her head in silence for a long time, suddenly looked up and said.
[Eh, Host, you need to think clearly.
Death is not as simple as closing and opening your eyes!]
“But I have to face it eventually, don’t I?” Selia put away her usual relaxed smile and said seriously: “Even if I dodge this time, as long as my goal is to clear the trial, I will inevitably encounter this situation again.”
“I can’t always have this kind of luck and opportunity to choose every time, right?”
“If I run away this time, the price I pay is only half a month of time.
But what about the next time, or the time after that?
Will there be a time when I pay a price I cannot bear for it?”
“Moreover, I indeed have no power now, and I am working hard for it, but if I even lose the courage to cast aside life and death, then I really will have nothing left.”
Listening to Selia speak in a calm voice about words that could be considered cruel, the system suddenly felt that its assessment of the Host could use an update.
[Alright, since the Host has made up her mind, I naturally have no need to stop her.
Then, I can only wish the Host good luck.]
“There’s no need to look like we’re parting ways forever.” Selia smiled, recovering her usual demeanor.
“I’m not dead yet.
Besides, even if there are people, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a combat-type Encounter.
I remember there are several stages in the first and second floors that involve many people but allow you to avoid combat through choices.”
Leaving these words behind, Selia quietly packed her things, picked up her sniper rifle, and slowly walked forward.
After getting closer, Selia’s footsteps slowed down.
Because she heard laughter and shouting coming from inside the cave, along with a distinct, foul stench.
Maybe I bet wrong, she thought.
But since she had already entered the node, retreating was definitely not an option.
No matter what, she had to walk the path she had chosen.
Pressing on her slightly trembling arm, Selia took a deep breath and walked into the cave.
Then, her legs went soft; the feeling of relief and escaping death nearly made her lose her footing and sit on the ground.
This cave, which was probably once a Rift Beast’s lair, echoed with laughter, shouting, and “Ursus profanities.” Some people who looked like new residents were clearly enjoying life, while in the corner, Selia could still see the “original owner,” who was on the verge of death after being kicked and beaten.
So it was this node…
Selia let out a sigh of relief.
Encounter—Ursus.
This was one of the few nodes in the first and second floors that seemed like it would involve a fight at first glance but actually didn’t.
When Selia first saw it, she also thought it was a combat stage, so she didn’t dare to enter and chose a safer option.
However, she later discovered that none of the three options in this stage involved fighting; it was just that the rewards were a bit lower.
Familiar with the situation of this stage, she immediately gave the standard response: “Why are there Ursus people all over the place here?”
“A place full of Ursus people is naturally already Ursus!” a drunk person replied to Selia.
Under Selia’s gaze, they seemed to be planning to turn the cave into some kind of territorial control office.
Subsequently, these people handed a pile of vodka wrappers to Selia and told her it was an “official colonization permit,” with which she could receive all kinds of state aid.
With an awkward yet polite smile, Selia walked out of the cave with the pile of wrappers.
After moving a dozen meters away, she stuffed all the wrappers into her backpack, her body went limp, and she collapsed onto a rock.
[Yo, where did our determined Host from just a moment ago go?]
The system’s teasing voice rang in Selia’s ears right on time.
“So annoying, you guy.” Selia didn’t want to pay much attention to this entity.
At this moment, she just wanted to punch this system girl and then calm her agitated mood.
“You clearly knew, didn’t you?
This wasn’t a combat node at all.” Selia gritted her teeth and squeezed out the words: “I don’t believe that even if you couldn’t see the specific information of the node, you would think a bunch of Ursus drunks who were too drunk to even see the cave clearly could be a combat node?”
“No wonder, why were you suddenly so kind as to give me a hint that the detector didn’t provide!”
[Hehehe, isn’t this just the perfect opportunity to test the Host a little bit?]
The system’s voice was full of apology.
[You have to know, Host, whether it’s the Honkai world or the Arknights roguelike in the trial, neither is a place for playing house.
Battle and death are everywhere.]
[I was afraid that the Host would still face these things with the mindset of a previous game and then be unable to recover when truly encountering setbacks.]
[But it seems the Host has a good level of awareness after all.
Those words just now were very cool.]
“Cool, my foot!” Selia’s cheeks flushed red, and she was so embarrassed that tears were almost coming out: “Isn’t that a total dark history?
What kind of brain circuit do you have to think it was cool?
Hurry up and delete it!”
[Ehe, that’s right, there’s a recording.
I would have forgotten if the Host hadn’t mentioned it.]
“You!
Just shut up, ahhhhhhh!”