Trapped in Honkai: Integrated Strategies [2]

“Wait, wait, let me get this straight.”

Lyra clutched her head, her expression filled with disbelief.

“First off, my real-world body is already dead. If I revive now, I'll respawn right there, then immediately die again from the concentrated Honkai energy.”

“And if I try to leave as just a soul without a body, I'll vanish completely within five minutes if I don’t find someone to possess—even you, as my system, couldn't save me.”

[Um… that's correct.]

[I'm really sorry, but it genuinely isn't my fault this time… the teleportation system malfunctioned…]

The system’s voice grew softer with every word.

“Any compensation?”

[There is…but because the system installation isn't complete, we can't access the compensation mail.]

“What about the beginner’s gift pack?”

[We have that too…but it's also delivered via mail.]

Lyra felt her blood pressure rising.

“Is there a way to complete the system installation?”

[Yes, but because the installation was previously forced, it needs a full reinstall from scratch. The whole process would take at least a day, and you can’t remain in the system space during that time…]

Lyra laughed in resignation.

“Great, so I've managed to trap myself in a death loop.”

[Um…maybe…yes…]

The system's voice became increasingly faint, as if one more harsh word from Lyra might actually make it burst into tears.

“Forget it, forget it. Blaming you won’t solve anything at this point.”

Lyra sighed heavily and asked, “So, given the circumstances, do you have any suggestions?”

[Well…considering your original body's condition, I wouldn't recommend using it in the real world. Even if you did, you'd need some major upgrades first.]

[Ah, by the way, host, would you mind changing bodies?]

“I don’t mind at all. It’s not like I’m some kind of purist. Honestly, if I manage to win a revival round at all, I'll count myself lucky.”

Lyra picked up a nearby twig, poking at the fire in front of her.

[Great, that's a relief!]

The system audibly relaxed.

[Since you're open to the idea, there's actually a solution, although it might be…a tiny bit difficult.]

“Clarify. Are we talking a tiny bit or a massive bit?”

[Uhh…it’s actually massively difficult.]

Lyra took a deep breath. “Alright, tell me. I’ll try my best to stay calm.”

[Okay, um, basically…you’d have to clear a certain number of stages of the Expeditioner's Jǫklumarkar rogue-lite trial—alone, using your current body.]

[Since the system rewards are calculated by levels cleared, you'll have to at least pass the first level to earn any reward.]

[But if you want a new body—that is, to unlock operator recruitment—you'll have to at least clear the third level.]

“Sorry, I lost it,” Lyra laughed incredulously again. “Solo rogue-lite? Seriously…?”

[Don’t worry, host! You’ll manage!]

[And even if not, we could gradually collect Originium Ingots to strengthen your original body…though it'll take a long time.]

“How about you clearly explain what this system actually does?” Lyra stared thoughtfully into the snowy wilderness around her. “Why, of all things, am I playing Arknights’ rogue-lite mode while stuck in Honkai Impact? Even something from Elysian Realm would’ve made more sense.”

[Mainly because…you wouldn't survive Elysian Realm’s rogue-lite mode either…]

Before the system finished explaining itself, it felt Lyra’s glare and quickly corrected course.

[Ahem, let me explain the system properly.]

[The reason it’s based on Integrated Strategies is because the enhancement modules are customized according to your gameplay hours.]

[Previously, there was a case where we loaded a Warcraft III system for a host who’d never played Warcraft before, resulting in complete disaster. Ever since, we’ve tailored modules specifically for hosts.]

[From my observations, host, before you transmigrated, you spent the most time playing Integrated Strategies. Hence, this configuration. If you'd spent more time in Simulated Universe or Elysian Realm, it would’ve been a different module entirely.]

“Damn it. So this is the result of my obsession,” Lyra felt like a boomerang had just hit her squarely in the face. “Any good news, then?”

[The good news is your previous progress is fully saved. Your cognition upgrades, encyclopedia entries, difficulty levels, and unlocked squads—all your data is intact.]

“Meaning I can directly select difficulty 15 and speedrun my death?” Lyra said flatly.

“Wait, hold on.”

“You said my unlocked squads are still here?”

[Exactly. Not just the Expeditioner's Jǫklumarkar theme either—when you eventually unlock Mizuki and Phantom themes, your previous progress will carry over as well.]

“Whew…” A smile slowly spread across Lyra’s face. “One last question. If I don’t like my starting loadout, can I reset?”

[Of course. The system limits theme trials to one cleared run per week.]

[But if you quit midway without claiming rewards, you can retry indefinitely.]

“Perfect. Never have I had such a splendid starting position.” Lyra jumped to her feet, practically springing up. “Thank goodness it’s the Expeditioner's theme. If it was Mizuki’s, I might’ve fed myself to the fish already.”

“Let’s get started, then. It might take forever to get the perfect start.”

[So quickly rekindling your fighting spirit? Truly worthy of the host I spent two and a half years finding…]

“Stop quoting that meme and just hurry up and explain what I do next.”

“If I guessed right, we're currently at the Expedition Base Camp, right?”

Lyra had already circled the camp twice. Within the snowy surroundings, she could only interact with the bonfire. The tents nearby had tightly sealed flaps and couldn't be opened.

[Actually, the process is pretty much identical to your usual rogue-lite playthroughs.]

As the system spoke, a transparent screen materialized before Lyra.

[Select difficulty]

“Braving Nature”

[Selected Braving Nature]:

[Starts with +4 Life Point cap.]
[Collapse Level from Level 3 increases at a slower rate.]
[Buff 0%, Flair 0%, Score 60%]

[Cross-cultural Comparison: 43 Lucid Acuity]

“Begin exploration, choose [Life Prioritizing Squad].”

[Survivalist Squad]:

[Starts with 3 random Foldartals.]
[Clairvoyances always reveal a Foldartal even at Collapse Level 3 or above.]

[Eh? Are you gambling on a good Foldartals start?]

“That’s right. With good luck, I might only need one battle to clear the first level.”

“And if I manage to snag the [Silence Foldartal], I can easily win with just a [Defender]. If I get [Surprise], [Doubt], or [Love Foldartals], even better—I could clear the first floor without fighting at all.”

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T/N: this will have slow updates mostly because I'm learning about the Integrated Strategies terms and names as I go on

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!