Trapped in Honkai: Integrated Strategies [6]

“...”

An awkward silence hung heavily in the air.

Lyra hadn’t anticipated the boomerang returning so swiftly. Just moments ago, she’d sworn off taking any risks—but now she faced an incredibly tempting choice.

It was so enticing that it could let her leave the system space half a month early, returning to Nagazora City ahead of schedule, and finally… seeing the Saint Freya Academy she'd dreamed about for so long.

But the price for choosing wrongly here was steep—arguably worse than the scenario the system had previously mentioned.

Facing over a dozen people was an absolute impossibility for her. If it were just one or two enemies, she might manage a desperate trade-off, but this overwhelming numerical disadvantage eliminated even that slim chance.

Worse yet, entering a node meant there was no turning back. Losing meant experiencing death firsthand—not like the painless, unconscious death she'd experienced back in reality. To Lyra, who’d grown up in peaceful times, finding the courage to confront death so directly was no small feat.

Especially considering her broad interests before transmigration, defeat immediately brought to mind certain CG scenes from games… Though she knew the system wouldn’t actually produce anything that drastic, her legs still trembled uncontrollably at the thought.

[Host, shall we retreat?]

Even the system’s voice was hesitant, tinged with unease.

[I’m sorry, Host. Once inside a trial, there’s little I can do to help. If this truly is a combat node, I won't be able to—]

“No, we’re not retreating. Let's move forward.”

Lyra, who'd been silent with her head down for quite a while, suddenly looked up and spoke decisively.

[Eh? Host, please reconsider! Death isn’t just closing your eyes and reopening them!]

“But it’s something I'll have to face eventually, isn’t it?” Lyra’s usual easygoing smile disappeared, replaced by a serious expression. “Even if I avoid this one, as long as my goal is to clear these trials, I’ll inevitably encounter similar situations.”

“I can't possibly count on having this kind of luck or these options every single time, can I?”

“This time, running away would only cost me half a month. But what about next time, or the time after that? One day, avoiding danger could cost me something I truly can’t afford to lose.”

“Besides, it’s true—I don't have power now, and I'm working hard to change that. But if I lose even the courage to confront death, then I'd really have nothing left.”

Listening to Lyra calmly speaking these rather cruel truths, the system suddenly felt the need to revise its evaluation of its host.

[Alright. Since you're determined, there’s no reason for me to hold you back. All I can say is good luck, Host.]

“You don't have to sound like we’re parting forever,” Lyra chuckled, easing back into her usual manner. “I’m not dead yet. Besides, even if there are people here, it doesn’t necessarily mean combat. If I recall correctly, there are several nodes on floors one and two involving multiple people but offering peaceful solutions.”

With that, Lyra carefully packed up her belongings, shouldered her sniper rifle, and cautiously moved forward.

As she drew closer, her steps slowed even further.

She could now clearly hear laughter, shouting, and a distinctly pungent smell emanating from the cave ahead.

Maybe I gambled wrong after all, she thought. But now that she’d entered the node, retreat was impossible. She had chosen this path herself; she had no choice but to see it through.

Pressing down her trembling arms, Lyra took a deep breath and stepped into the cave.

Then, her knees nearly buckled beneath her as relief and the exhilaration of narrowly escaping death surged through her, almost causing her to collapse on the spot.

The cave—once probably a Beast's nest—echoed with loud laughter, crude shouting, and bursts of “Ursus profanity.” Several people, clearly new “residents,” were busy enjoying themselves. In a corner, Lyra noticed the battered and barely breathing “original occupant.”

So it’s this node… Lyra exhaled heavily.

An [Unexpected Encounter—Ursus]. This node was one of the rare occurrences on floors one and two that seemed like combat at first glance, but actually posed no danger. The first time Lyra had encountered it, she'd mistaken it for a fight and backed out, choosing a safer option.

Later, however, she’d discovered all three options here were non-combat, just with varying levels of reward.

Familiar with the situation, she immediately delivered the correct line: “Why is the ground covered in Ursus people?”

“A place with Ursus people all over it naturally counts as Ursus territory!” a drunken man cheerfully shouted back.

Under Lyra’s watchful gaze, they seemed to be setting up the cave as some kind of territorial administration office.

Shortly after, the drunken men handed Lyra a heap of vodka packaging, explaining it was an “official colonization permit” entitling her to all forms of government aid.

With an awkward but politely maintained smile, Lyra took the stack of packaging, walked out of the cave, and after about ten meters, stuffed the pile hastily into her backpack before collapsing onto a nearby rock in exhaustion.

[Oh my, whatever happened to our host brimming with determination earlier?]

The system’s teasing voice rang cheerfully in Lyra’s ears.

“Oh, shut up, you jerk,” Lyra groaned, not in the mood to humor it. Right now, she desperately wanted to punch this cheeky system girl and calm her racing heart.

“You knew all along, didn’t you? This wasn’t even a combat node!” Lyra ground out through clenched teeth. “I refuse to believe you—even without specific node data—would’ve seriously mistaken a group of drunk Ursus idiots, barely able to find their way around a cave, for a combat node.”

“I knew it! No wonder you suddenly got so generous as to give me information the detector didn't show!”

[Ehehe~ Well, the chance presented itself, so I thought I'd give you a little test, Host.]

The system’s voice turned apologetic.

[You have to understand, Host—neither the Honkai world nor Arknights’ Integrated Strategies trials are playgrounds. Battles and death lurk everywhere.]

[I was worried you’d approach these scenarios with your previous gaming mindset and be crushed when facing true setbacks.]

[But seeing your performance just now, I can tell you’re mentally prepared. Those words earlier were really quite cool, you know~]

“Cool, my ass!” Lyra’s face flushed scarlet, embarrassment threatening to bring tears to her eyes. “That was pure black history! What twisted logic made you think that was cool? Delete it, now!”

[Oh right, the recording—I almost forgot until you mentioned it.]

“You—Shut your mouth, right now! Aaahhhhhhh!”

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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!