Torina used to enjoy reading system novels in her past life.
The system gives the Protagonist tasks, helps them level up, and gifts them divine artifacts.
The Protagonist just needs to follow the system’s rules, which makes readers feel at ease and authors write with peace of mind.
But now…
Torina and Laxis were making their way through the forest that had just fallen into night, with Torina leading the way.
“You said you always knew where the lord was? And even knew its weaknesses?”
“Just think of it as me having my own sources of information…”
Along the way, Torina gave Laxis a brief explanation.
Although Laxis was surprised, she accepted it.
“So, you think Milora and Wenren Ji Xue ran off to challenge the lord on their own? That’s really… I wonder if we can recover their socks and underwear intact from their corpses.”
“What nonsense are you talking about… Anyway, Milora must have heard something she shouldn’t have, or rather, ‘someone’ made her hear it! Anyway, hurry up, hold on tight!”
“Ah…”
Torina grabbed Laxis around the waist, and ice runes gathered at her feet, turning the ground she touched into ice.
She sped along like she was skating, and with her familiarity with the route, they quickly reached the swamp area.
“I didn’t know you had this skill,” Laxis said with interest.
“I usually don’t bother using it.
Does it make you a bit dizzy?”
“Not at all.
Being princess-carried while skating isn’t a privilege everyone gets to enjoy.
Some people would be insanely jealous.”
“? I don’t understand what you’re saying… Anyway… let me find… got it! Over here!”
Torina quickly found a triangular mud pit and, without a word, pulled Laxis in with her.
“Ugh, a secret passage? It looks disgusting.”
“Let’s go quickly.
There shouldn’t be any forks here.
At the end is the boss room.”
“Be careful, try not to get your socks dirty with anything other than your foot sweat.”
“What are you even talking about… ah, here come the monsters.”
Human-faced insects gathered with a screech, but Torina immediately unleashed a wide-range lightning strike.
She deliberately reduced the damage, focusing on the paralyzing effect of the lightning for efficiency, as they weren’t there to kill monsters.
“Captain, look, there are quite a few of these monster corpses on the ground, all cut down with sharp weapons.”
“It must be their doing… Tsk! Laxis! I remember you have the ‘far sight’ blessing? Give me one!”
“Understood, you search for their tracks, I’ll clear the monsters.”
Laxis, a Holy Word Mage who practiced both holy arts and elemental magic, mainly used offensive holy arts but also had some support skills.
She tapped Torina’s forehead with a talisman, and Torina’s vision immediately changed, as if her consciousness had left her body and traveled far away.
Got it! At the end of a deep rock cave, in a wide underground space, Milora was maneuvering around the lord, while Ji Xue was on standby behind a mushroom! Milora’s battle was extremely dangerous, but she managed to dodge attacks just in time, probably due to the system’s guidance, right?
“I see them! They can still hold on for now! Let’s hurry over!”
“Okay.”
Torina, maintaining her far sight, rushed towards the boss room with Laxis.
The lord was in a frenzy, leaving itself wide open.
If Ji Xue launched a fierce attack now, they might actually defeat the boss!
(Could they really win?)
Thinking of this, Torina relaxed a little—
Then the development of events left her dumbfounded.
Milora hesitated for a moment, then threw a smoke bomb while calling Ji Xue, a completely unnecessary move that prevented Ji Xue from fully killing the boss, resulting in both Ji Xue and the boss being severely injured.
What kind of pig-headed operation is this?
(What the hell…? Is she stupid!?)
Ji Xue was gravely injured, and the boss, in a rage, went to attack her.
Milora should have rushed to support her at this point, but she stopped after just two steps, clutching her ringed hand in pain, as if conversing with some invisible presence.
This brief hesitation cost a few seconds, but those few seconds were enough to make the situation irreparable.
Any attempt at remedy was too late!
(…Damn it!!!!)
Seeing this, Torina fully understood.
(This idiot!! Is the system your mother that you listen to it so much!?)
When she used to read those system novels, the Protagonist would do whatever the system told them to do, and it seemed perfectly natural while reading.
But encountering it in reality—it’s just stupid, isn’t it!?
(It slightly sows discord, and you start doubting me! It tells you to do something, and you do it! You don’t listen to a word of my sincere advice! If I had known, why did I go to such lengths to win you over!?)
By this time, they had reached the end of the rock cave and entered the underground hollow, where the far sight and real vision overlapped, just in time to see the boss enter the second phase—
——————————
Time returns to the present.
“To-Torina…” Milora struggled to say her name.
“Just call me by my name.
Won’t your ‘friend’ get angry?” Torina said coldly.
“Eh…?”
The undisguised disappointment in her eyes made Milora shiver.
“I sincerely hope that as a Protagonist, you have some brains of your own.
Don’t treat those obviously ridiculous demands as gospel… Laxis, please, take them away for emergency treatment.”
“Understood, but please don’t swear,” Laxis nodded, “and what about you if I take them away?”
“I’ll hold this guy off.
Come back to support me after you finish the emergency treatment… try to be quick, or I’ll have to solo it.”
“Then I’ll take my time coming back.”
Laxis smiled sweetly, gave an elegant curtsy, and carried Milora and Ji Xue away.
Only Torina was left facing the second-phase boss, the Fly Hero Grelou… or should it be called “Warrior Hada Gan” now? Whatever, Grelou it is.
“Huff… huff… roar!!!”
Grelou let out a terrifying roar, advancing step by step.
Torina was in a foul mood.
Her previous fondness for system novels had completely vanished.
She had seen the essence: The systems in system novels are a bunch of meticulously selfish, malicious, controlling maniacs.
The Protagonists in system novels are a bunch of brainless, indecisive puppets who obey the system’s every word.
Such a combination is impossible to win over, and there’s no point in trying.
Torina was ultimately rational.
She had invested time, money, and even genuine feelings to get close to the Protagonist, but the result hadn’t fundamentally changed anything.
The system was still a control freak, the Protagonist was still a puppet, and they almost got innocent teammates killed for nothing.
So why not cut her losses in time?
(…That’s it, to hell with the Protagonist and the system.
In the end, I still have to rely on myself.)
But for now, the primary issue was dealing with the immediate trouble.
“Come on… I’m fed up with all the red tape!”
“I’ve had enough of wild mushrooms!!!”
“Do you think I like eating them?!!!!”
