Trapped in Honkai: Integrated Strategies [5]

While Lyra chatted with the system, [Defender] had silently cleared out most of the enemies in the settlement. Only a few Famiglia Crossbowman stubbornly remained hidden inside the buildings, fighting a futile last stand.

But to [Defender], it was just two more shield strikes—one for the door, another for the men inside.

"Wow, [Defender’s] fighting style is this violent? He’s basically recreating that door-smashing scene from The Shining," Lyra remarked, smirking slightly as she watched from behind a wall, still rubbing her sore right shoulder.

[Having someone powerful to carry you is pretty nice, isn’t it? But remember, you'll need to be careful at the upcoming "Unexpected Encounter."]

“Ugh, please no—I don’t want to be eaten alive by dozens of rabid dogs!”

“I’ve already decided, System. If that happens, I’m just going to commit suicide immediately.”

“I guess that’s the fate of all gunners,” Lyra said dramatically.

[I guess sniper rifles count as machine guns now, huh.]

At that moment, Lyra noticed that [Defender] had already finished his task and was walking towards her.

“Mission complete,” he announced quietly before abruptly disappearing into thin air, leaving behind only loot from the cleared node: a few [Originium Ingots] and a [Rec. Voucher].

“Huh? He’s gone just like that?” Lyra stared curiously at the dissolving motes of light left behind by [Defender]. She reached out to touch one, but her hand passed through empty air.

[Of course. Look at it this way—Defender disappearing means you’ve successfully cleared this node.]

“So…this loot isn’t really useful right now, is it?” Lyra picked up an [Defender Rec. Voucher] It immediately dissolved into a stream of light, sinking into her panel and revealing a completely blank recruitment list.

[Not exactly. If you manage to reach the final node, you can deposit the Originium Ingots at the Rogue Trader.]

“Oh, right!” Lyra suddenly remembered something from the system's earlier explanation. “You said clearing the first floor grants two [Originium Ingot], right? Is that the same type of [Originium Ingot] I just picked up?”

[Definitely not. The reward I mentioned earlier is usable in the system shop. The ones you just got here are only good for spending at the Rogue Trader and have no other use.]

“Can’t I at least buy [Collectibles]?”

[You can, but you can’t take them with you afterward. They’re cleared every new run. Given your current physical condition, any Collectible's boost during battles would be negligible anyway. So, I wouldn't recommend spending your currency on Collectibles.]

“So, basically, I don't really need to pay attention to [Hope] or [Originium Ingots] at this point.” Lyra sighed and picked up her [Detector]. “Alright, let’s see if I can actually clear this in one go.”

[I don't think you have a second life to spare anyway.]

“Let's see… Wait, something’s wrong. The [Detector] isn't showing the next map, just a path.”

[Then that's an "Unexpected Encounter." For other non-combat nodes, such as "Safe House: Research Outpost" or "One Small Step for Expeditioners," the map would show corresponding structures.]

“Great. That fits the definition of an unknown node perfectly—can’t even tell if it’s combat or not.”

“But hey, it's not all bad news. As long as there’s no battle, I’ll successfully clear the first floor on my first try.”

Putting the detector away, Lyra stepped onto the path ahead once more.

...

After a dozen minutes or so...

“Huff... Huff... Why is this snowy road so exhausting?”

Lyra dropped her backpack and leaned against an ancient tree, breathing heavily.

“I thought it only took about ten minutes initially—why haven’t I reached the node yet?”

[That's because it's an "Unexpected Encounter."]

The system’s reply was matter-of-fact.

[As long as you remain within this node’s range, an event could trigger at any moment. No rush, though—if you're tired, feel free to rest a little.]

“So if I take a break, could that influence what event I get?” Lyra asked lifelessly, staring ahead with dead-fish eyes.

[Absolutely! You might take a nap and wake up surrounded by an army, for example.]

“Then rest my ass!”

Hooking her bag’s straps, Lyra used her arm to swing it onto her back—but due to her sore shoulder, the bag slammed against the ancient tree she was leaning on, producing a loud crash.

“Oh, shoot! Did I just knock off my [Interference Resistance]?” Panicking, Lyra quickly opened her backpack to check.

At that moment, perhaps due to the heavy impact, the ancient tree’s bark cracked and peeled, revealing intricate patterns beneath.

“This…this is…”

Lyra stared blankly for a second, then reached out to touch the strange patterns.

The instant her fingertips brushed the ancient tree’s bark, the patterns abruptly vanished. Lyra felt her backpack grow heavier. She opened it, discovering a new rune quietly nestled inside.

“Ancient tree, first floor, receiving a [Foldartal]…” Lyra thought for a moment before realizing. “This is [Sami's Language]?”

An Unexpected Encounter—[Sami's Language], a node that allowed you to safely gain an extra [Foldartal].

[Correct! Host, your luck truly is amazing. Hurry, see what rune it is!]

Even the system sounded surprised, clearly not having intervened in this fortunate event.

“Let's see… Oh my god, Warrior?”

The [Warrior Foldartal] allowed choosing one combat node and then randomly selecting another combat node.

Combined with [Love], she could directly convert two combat nodes into Unexpected Encounters.

[My goodness, Host, you might actually have a chance this run!]

Even the system grew excited.

[If the first floor’s shop happens to sell a Foldartal compatible with Canopy to skip nodes, you might even clear the second floor without any combat!]

“Wait, can I actually buy [Foldartals] from the first-floor shop?”

[Normally you couldn't, but the enhancement system slightly tweaked various scenario settings for realism and practicality.]

[If the shopkeeper has a Foldartal, naturally, he'll sell it.]

“Now, this truly feels like a god-tier start,” Lyra smiled happily. “If I manage to clear the second floor this run, that should speed things up considerably, right?”

[Absolutely! The reward for clearing the second floor is another 2 Originium Ingots and 1 Hope. Considering you only need 6 Ingots for your first Elite enhancement, you could easily shorten the overall process by half a month.]

“Alright! I'm suddenly filled with determination!”

“No matter what the next Unexpected Encounter throws at me, I'm definitely breaking through it!”

[You'll definitely win.]

“No! Don’t finish that meme! I'm terrified of actually becoming 2.5 Lyra.” Lyra resolutely avoided planting any flags.

...

Some time later…

[Host, I have bad news.]

[Ahead of you is a cave, and there seem to be over ten people inside.]

Gulp. Lyra audibly swallowed hard.

[What do we do, Host?]

Even the system’s voice betrayed nervousness.

[This might actually be a combat node.]

---

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!