Trapped in Honkai: Integrated Strategies [8]

After a short wait, part of the map reappeared on the detector along with a new notification:

[Detector undergoing regular maintenance. Please wait patiently.]

"Ah, I get it," Lyra said, suddenly realizing. "This must be the [Regular Maintenance] node."

[Unexpected Encounter: Regular Maintenance]. It was a beneficial early-game node granting a decent amount of [Hope]. Normally, it gave 2 [Hope] points—but holding the collectible [Amma's Affection] would grant a whopping fifteen points at once.

Lyra sat down leisurely, taking in the scenery around her. In the distance, a few young Wild Beasts playfully chased their prey across the snowy plains, and a herd of Hornbeasts was slowly migrating.

Sami’s bizarre yet fascinating ecosystem was an eye-opener for Lyra. Soon enough, the detector beeped, indicating its task was complete. Upon checking, Lyra saw the map had fully recovered—and, simultaneously, 2 [Hope] points appeared on her panel.

"Whew..." Lyra sighed in relief. Currently, she had 4 [Foldartals] in her backpack: [Love], [Warrior], [Canopy], and [Reproduce].

Pairing [Warrior] and [Love] could turn two combat nodes into [Unexpected Encounters].

Meanwhile, combining [Canopy] and [Reproduce] could transform any node into [One Small Step for Expeditioners].

As long as the newly-created [Unexpected Encounter] ahead wasn't a forced combat node, she'd definitely clear the second floor safely.

Lyra retrieved [Warrior] and [Love], her fingers trembling slightly.

If only I had a Nature-type [Source]. Using [Love] to trigger a [Concord effect] could guarantee a [Wish Fulfilled] node.

Lyra sighed softly, then pressed the two [Foldartals] together decisively.

"Alright, time for an all-or-nothing gamble, my friend!"

The system enthusiastically chimed in:

[Win everything, or lose it all!]

Accompanied by a dazzling flash as the [Foldartals] fused, the system’s prompt sounded clearly:

[Initiating Declaration]
[High mountains rise like sturdy walls, icy horns adorn.]
[Frostbound earth beneath your feet, yet hearts remain aflame.]

Instantly, the detector’s map altered dramatically. The previously marked structure vanished, replaced by an unmarked [Unexpected Encounter] node.

…

Ten minutes later.

A strange man appeared before Lyra.

Though it was clearly sunny weather, the man spread out various instruments from his bag onto the ground, muttering ceaselessly under his breath.

Only after Lyra moved closer could she clearly hear his words:

"It's black rain..."

"We just finished harvesting a few samples," the man says in a numb voice, "but now both my samples and equipment are destroyed, and my people have run away... What do I do about the money I owe the company?"

Lyra fought hard to keep her expression neutral, afraid she'd burst out laughing if she said even a single word.

If one were to describe Lyra’s feelings right now, it would simply be:

Perfect. Absolutely perfect!

The man’s rambling clearly identified the node:

[Unexpected Encounter—Rain!]

It was another safe event. Depending on your choice, you either gained +1 [Anti-Interference Index] or +3 [Objective Shields] points.

With a blank face, Lyra picked up one of his scattered detectors and held it up before him.

The instruments were visibly undamaged, completely dry, yet the man saw things differently. Irritated, he knocked the device aside and reached to push Lyra away. After a glance at her small frame, he merely waved impatiently, signaling her to take whatever she wanted and leave quickly.

Recalling the node details from memory, Lyra made a token effort at persuading him a few more times. When the man completely ignored her, she swiftly left.

Only after walking several dozen meters, confirming the strange man had completely disappeared from view, did she approach the next node. Unable to suppress her delight any longer, Lyra burst into cheerful laughter.

[Congratulations!]

The system applauded enthusiastically, even employing surround-sound effects.

[Amazing, Host—you’ve cleared the first two floors perfectly on your very first trial!]

"Don’t celebrate too early! There’ll be plenty of time to pop champagne once I officially clear."

Quickly, Lyra retrieved the final two [Foldartals], removed their protective wrappings, and smacked them together firmly.

[Initiating Declaration]
[Activating Concord Dialogue: Soul of Kovaddi]
[Among the stars you journey high, gazing down upon the frost.]
[Life and death among the beasts and trees—may blessings linger long.]

On the detector’s map, the empty space marked by the [Unexpected Encounter] slowly disappeared, replaced by a distinct megastructure—the node known as [One Small Step for Expeditioners].

"Oh, right—System," Lyra asked thoughtfully, staring at the strange building representing the node just ahead. "What happens if I enter [One Small Step for Expeditioners] myself to undergo promotion right now?"

[Trying to exploit a bug, are we?]

The system sighed helplessly.

"Hehe, it’s just that this node seems quite different from the game version, so I thought I’d double-check."

[Nothing special. The enhancement system transformed this node into a teleportation device.]

[Operators entering this device will undergo immediately be promoted to Elite 2 and be teleported to the next floor—but only if someone stays outside to activate the device.]

[If you don’t enter, the system simply adds 2 Hope points directly to your panel.]

"Ah, too bad. I thought it might teleport me straight to the third floor."

Lyra entered the peculiar building, circled around the teleportation device twice, and only left after confirming the +2 [Hope] points on her panel.

"Last stop: the guaranteed second-floor [Wish Fulfilled] node."

Standing before the small general store, Lyra took a deep breath and strode confidently inside.

While [Wish Fulfilled] resembled a shop, actual transactions didn’t occur. Instead, after a friendly chat, the shopkeeper would voluntarily offer several items for selection.

In this trial—modified slightly by the enhancement system—the process was even simpler. Leveraging her knowledge of the shopkeeper, "Bob," Lyra smoothly guided the conversation, successfully obtaining her collectible.

"Tsk, tsk, the [Broken Wand - Malediction]," Lyra flipped through the small book-shaped collectible and sighed. "Such a great item—shame it’s useless to me."

[So, Host, will you be ending this week's trial here?]

"Eh? Shouldn’t I check out the third floor first?" Lyra asked curiously.

[Trust me, Host—you don’t want to. You haven’t experienced any battles yet, so your Collapse level isn’t noticeable. But on the third floor, accumulated Collapse would reach levels that trigger Collapse Paradigms. Until you undergo Elite promotion, it’s best to avoid it.]

"Alright then, if you insist." Lyra obediently opened the system panel and decisively selected to exit the trial.

---

This is a fan translation of 人在崩坏，但是集成战略启动 by 想做饭的饭之律者 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!