Chapter 23: Let’s Go Again!

A small shop. A few cards were casually placed on the floor, along with some strange and unusual items.

Vajra Pestle: 2 points

Gain 1 Strength at the start of combat.

Amethyst Eggplant: 2 points

Gain an additional 1 point for kill rewards.

Crystal Hourglass: 1 point (Special Offer!)

At the start of your turn, deal 3 damage.

Following these were some potions and other cards on display, but Ying Su just shook her head at the sight of them. This system seemed to be primarily combat-oriented, and it also used system points for exchange. If you didn't like the goods, you could refresh the selection for one point. But the problem was...

Ying Su looked at the 8 HP floating above her head.

Heh... better not think about fighting.

And right now, she only had the two points she got from completing Olivia's route. She shouldn't waste her precious points on a place like this.

Then, Ying Su checked the item she got from completing the second stage of the route.

Misha's Parrying Dagger: A short sword for close-quarters defense, forged from Spirit-Blood Shimmer Steel, possessing the Royal ability of the Volk Royal Family, capable of changing the weapon's form.

Your birthday gift, bought off the street. Don't expect me to get you anything fancy. Hurry up and say thank you.

— Olivia

It seemed pretty good. When Ying Su summoned the weapon, her Strike card's damage... actually increased from 1 to 2!

Ooooh!

What the hell good is that?!

Ying Su tested it in her mental world. This parrying dagger could transform into items made of the same material—a short spear, jewelry, a wrench, a plug, a bracelet. It was indeed a very handy close-quarters weapon to carry around.

But it still didn't offer any substantial help to her current situation.

The improvement was too small... No, perhaps it was more accurate to say the tutorial dungeon was just too terrifying.

Shouldn't I have leveled up by beating up a few small fry first before coming here?

She couldn't take this thing out either. It would be troublesome if Big Eye noticed something was off.

"Then I'll arrange a physical examination later. Just cooperate well," said Dr. Anna. "Any other requests?"

"I want a few novels to read!"

"Alright. Then, see you next time." Having finished her instructions to Ying Su, Anna left the room. Once again, Ying Su was alone, just like before.

She was used to it. This was already the third time. Ying Su lay on the large bed. Actually, thinking about it, she was starting to feel quite nostalgic for this place.

Whether it was D-Class or C-Class, none of the beds were as comfortable as the one in this containment room.

After all, they had to consider the containment subjects' emotions, while the staff just needed to stay alive.

Ying Su was still scheming about how to escape from this containment facility.

It was obvious the facility held extreme malice toward transmigrators. Every extra day she spent here was like dancing on the edge of a blade. During her previous loop, Ying Su had also realized that even if she behaved obediently and stayed quietly in the base, just being locked up wasn't an option.

Because there were also beings here with mind-reading abilities. They'd probably read her down to her very depths!

There might even be an annual mind-reading assembly where everyone gets checked one by one. Even if she really climbed to a B-Grade personnel position, she'd probably still get checked. There was no way she could live in peace.

But how to escape was a huge problem. She'd already died three times, but each death only made her feel more despair.

Can this damn place even be escaped from?!

Forget about the extremely tight security here, there was also the Director, Big Eye, who was always watching everyone, and even the super backup, the Trickster. Olivia was powerful, but Ying Su knew she was absolutely no match for the other party.

And Ying Su herself was just a side dish, probably couldn't even beat a parrot.

I'm done for...

Ying Su thought dejectedly.

"Hmm... Maybe I should try reviving and restarting to draw a new system?"

Ying Su's system could only be used for one loop. After reviving, she had to draw again. It was probably because the system couldn't follow her through save/load or something. Otherwise, it definitely would have beeped when she saw the Resource Exchanger last time.

But thinking about how the systems she drew weren't that great, Ying Su slumped down again.

The Favorability System wasn't bad. If she changed the target to Dr. Anna, she might find a way to escape...

Uh, feels like Dr. Anna would end up getting killed along with her.

Maybe she could try targeting the Director... Not likely. The Trickster killed her outright the day he arrived, giving her no time to do anything. And Big Eye's whereabouts were completely unknown.

"Feels like it's already a dead end..."

Aside from drawing a new system, she seemed to have absolutely no other methods or means. And as time passed, she would definitely be killed. That meant if she did nothing in each loop, she probably wouldn't survive a year.

Ying Su finally understood completely why so many transmigrator seniors had died here.

Damn it, even with save/load I can't escape, let alone those with other systems.

Ying Su directly chose to give up.

Another three weeks later.

Ying Su calculated the time and directly said to Roland, "Ms. Roland, there's movement in the bathroom!"

Then, regardless of anything else, she rushed out of the room. But just as she emerged, she heard a sound.

Boom!

"What happened now?" Ying Su was stunned. Was this sound there before?

"Screech!"

The parrot from the same corridor flew down from mid-air and landed on the ground.

But Ying Su couldn't care about that now. She started running. Within two seconds, Olivia charged out of the room with Roland in tow, while Roland was constantly transforming her body, engaged in a mutual brawl with Olivia.

Ying Su didn't dare get involved in the fight between these two powerhouses. Besides, Olivia wasn't thinking clearly before she was full.

But things didn't go as planned. Somehow, after Olivia charged into the corridor, she actually threw the entangled Roland to the side. Then, with a violent surge, she chased after and directly swallowed the fleeing Ying Su.

"Wait! What are you doing glug glug—!"

But the moment Olivia swallowed Ying Su, she instantly regained her senses. Then, carrying Ying Su, she turned and lunged back toward Roland.

"What the hell glug glug—!"

[Ultimate Favorability Mission Completed. Mission Rewards Distributed.]

"Glug glug—!" Ying Su, still being eaten by Olivia, was completely bewildered.

What did I do to complete it?!

Did I... do it with Olivia? When?!

Dammit, did that woman Olivia secretly nibble on me or something?!

But soon, that familiar sensation came again.

Crackle zap!

"Aaarrrghhh—!" The intense electric current transmitted through the liquid made Ying Su's whole body tremble and go numb. Clearly, Roland had transformed into an electric eel again for a hit-and-run.

Hit by this move, Olivia's form also dispersed for an instant, but she quickly recovered and was about to give chase.

"Cough cough... Don't chase!! Don't chase!" Ying Su cried out from within her body. "Escape first!"

"?!" Olivia's reason returned immediately. Now was indeed a good opportunity to escape!

"Huff ha..." Ying Su, who had finally managed to pull her head out, gasped for air.

Right, the Reshaper was invading right now. They had a teleportation device. Ying Su and Olivia might be able to escape through there.

"Olivia, listen to me, we..." Ying Su had just started speaking when she felt something was off.

Looking up, she saw a patch of black, shadowy substance beginning to appear at the corner of the ceiling...