"If I die, Lorna, I’m dragging you down with me."
The silence that followed was so tense that even the laugh that had been threatening to escape Ingrid’s throat disappeared completely. She remained slumped against the tree, her breathing shallow as pain continued to pulse through her injured body, but her expression had become strangely calm.
It felt like she was staring directly at Lorna despite knowing there was no physical person standing in front of her as the transparent system interface suddenly seemed much more like something with a presence of its own.
Even the forest around her seemed quieter as she waited for the system’s response. When Lorna finally spoke again, her voice carried a nervousness Ingrid had never heard from her before, and that alone made Ingrid’s brows lift slightly.
The system usually sounded annoyingly calm whenever it delivered bad news, as though announcing that its host was moments away from death was no more serious than informing her about the weather.
This time, however, there was an unmistakable hesitation in Lorna’s voice, and Ingrid immediately realized that her threat had actually frightened the system.
{ What do you mean by that? }
Ingrid’s lips curved into a faint smile despite the pain tearing through her body, and she slowly lifted her head toward the glowing interface. She didn’t have enough strength to sit properly yet, but she still managed to make her voice sound considerably steadier than she felt.
"I mean exactly what I said, Lorna, and I’m pretty sure the system understood me perfectly well." Ingrid paused to catch her breath before continuing, her expression hardening as she remembered everything that had happened. "If I’m going to die because you kept information from me and also threw me into dangerous situations without properly preparing me, then I sure as hell am not going down alone. The two of us are connected, aren’t we?" Her fingers curled weakly against the fabric of her clothes as she leaned more firmly against the tree.
"If your host dies because of a failed mission, then I’m is assuming the system doesn’t simply pat itself on the back, declare the mission unfortunate, and continue its day as though nothing happened."
{ Ingrid, there are certain consequences associated with mission failure, but... }
Ingrid had heard enough from that single unfinished sentence to know that there really were consequences waiting on the other side of mission failure, and that was more than enough information for her purposes.
Ingrid wasn’t particularly interested in finding out what those consequences were while she was bleeding to death, but she was more than willing to use the possibility against Lorna. If the system had rules, then Ingrid intended to make those rules work in her favor for once. She adjusted her position against the tree and waited patiently for Lorna to recover from the interruption.
"I can lie right here, watch that ridiculous timer reach zero, and wait for death to come collect ms, and when I die, whatever punishment comes for you can come too." Her eyes narrowed at the interface as she continued.
"At least I will have the satisfaction of knowing that you won’t be sitting somewhere laughing about how your useless host finally managed to get herself killed after all your wonderful advice."
{ You can’t do that! }
Lorna’s voice rose sharply through the forest, sounding so alarmed that Ingrid nearly laughed again. Still, there was something deeply satisfying about hearing the system panic after spending so much time calmly throwing warnings at her only after she had already stumbled into danger. If Lorna wanted to keep her alive, then Lorna was finally going to have to start acting like it.
"Why not?" Ingrid asked, her voice deceptively mild. "You’ve already explained that mission failure comes with consequences, so there’s nothing stopping me from accepting those consequences and letting you experience them alongside me." She shifted slightly against the tree, then immediately regretted the movement when another sharp throb travelled through her injured arm.
"Besides, I’m exhausted, bleeding, infected, and apparently only have a few hours left to live, so sitting here and doing absolutely nothing is starting to sound like a surprisingly reasonable plan." Her expression remained stubborn as she added, "If the system wants me alive so badly, then the system can give me a reason to get back on my feet."
{ Because we have missions to complete! }
"Then complete them yourself." Ingrid let her head fall back against the tree and closed her eyes again, making a deliberate show of settling into a more comfortable position. "You’re a system, aren’t you, so surely you have all sorts of impressive abilities that don’t require dragging a half-dead host through a forest. If the missions are really that important, then perhaps the system should consider doing some of the work for once instead of waiting until your host is already dying before remembering that useful information exists." She sighed dramatically and added, "It might even be good character development for you."
{ I can’t complete them without you! } Lorna’s mechanical voice sounded more desperate, if that was even possible.
"That’s unfortunate." Ingrid sounded almost sympathetic, although the amusement in her voice ruined any chance of Lorna believing her. "Unfortunately, since I’m dying, the problem has to solve itself. Unless you suddenly have a miracle hidden somewhere in that transparent little interface, she really doesn’t see how this arrangement is supposed to work. Honestly, this seems like a much better way to die than getting eaten by zombies." Her expression turned thoughtful for a moment.
{ What if I give you another gift pack? }
"No." Ingrid didn’t even bother opening her eyes this time.
{ One more gift pack with useful items. }
"I don’t care." Ingrid’s response remained completely flat, and she could practically feel Lorna’s frustration through the interface. She knew she was being unreasonable, but after everything that had happened, she felt entitled to be unreasonable for at least a few minutes. If Lorna truly wanted her to survive, then Lorna could prove it. Ingrid opened her eyes just enough to watch the interface.
{ Two gift packs. }
Ingrid’s eyes immediately opened fully, and before she could say anything, the interface changed again.
{ Two gift packs of your choice, Ingrid, and that is the maximum I can offer without triggering punishment protocols. If I give you anything beyond that, the system may classify it as unauthorized assistance, and both of us could be penalized. }