You need to have more confidence in yourself, Host. Whether it was what you thought, wouldn't you know if you opened it and looked?
Xia Ling: Fighting Feels Great!
"Fine. Anyway, it's just you and me here. Even if it's embarrassing, no one else will see."
As she spoke, Xia Ling unhesitatingly pressed the Support Recruitment option. The next moment, a row of portraits appeared on the light screen before her.
"Wow, so many?"
Xia Ling was startled by the sudden appearance of such a long list of portraits. She truly hadn't expected herself to be unexpectedly popular.
See? I told you not to underestimate yourself so much. When are you going to fix that personality of yours, Host...
Looking closely, Xia Ling saw that most of the portraits belonged to students in her class who specialized in support and drawing enemy fire. She even spotted a familiar face among them.
"Huh? Why is Duck Duck here too?" Xia Ling asked in confusion. "Does Duck Duck count as a Defender?"
Duck Duck definitely counts as a Defender. Although the Big Three hadn't obtained Valkyrie armor yet, even without armor, Bronya's Heavy Armor Rabbit would definitely count as a Defender. Its name literally has "Heavy Armor" in it.
"Hiss, when you put it that way, it makes so much sense."
Xia Ling nodded, immediately drawing an inference from it. "Then if I refresh a few more times, could I get Theresa or Himeko? If they led me, forget the Fifth Floor—even clearing the Third Floor would be easy."
Unfortunately, Host. On one hand, Support Recruitment operators also needed to be promoted. Otherwise, they could only display the capabilities of their Elite 1 stage. On the other hand, support operators' abilities could not exceed the strength level of the host's highest-level body.
So even if you recruited Himeko or Theresa, you would only get an operator equivalent to a B-rank Valkyrie. Of course, their extensive combat experience would allow them to perform somewhat better.
"I see. Then there's no need to force a replacement. Duck Duck it is."
Xia Ling selected Bronya's portrait and decisively confirmed the recruitment.
Seeing that her squad finally consisted of more than just herself, Xia Ling shed tears of emotion. "Finally... I finally have a teammate."
Once the squad selection was complete, Xia Ling expertly took the backpack containing 36 Originium Ingots and the detector from the tent on the left, then looked eagerly toward the tent on the right.
"Sister Xia Ling, is this your weapon? I brought it out for you."
A moment later, Xia Ling heard a familiar, milky, expressionless voice from the tent on the right. Bronya lifted the flap and walked out, holding Xia Ling's Crescent Rose in her arms.
"Huh, System, does Duck Duck have self-awareness?" Caught off guard by Duck Duck's question, Xia Ling immediately asked the system in her mind.
Uh, more or less. The principle behind the system's Support Recruitment was actually rather complicated. It wasn't a simple simulated intelligence like the Shieldguards, but a direct connection to the supporter's mental world.
For the supporters, this trial would probably become a dream they forgot after waking up. During the support period, aside from retaining an impression of you, they would also be implanted with some basic knowledge about the trial.
"A dream? So that means there's a chance they might remember it?"
No, unless they were a Mental Perception type or a mental-type Herrscher like the Herrscher of Consciousness. However, if you wanted, the system could slightly alter this dream and allow them to remember it.
What, do you have something in mind, Host?
"I just think there might be some risk in doing that... but forget it. Since you can control and alter the contents of this dream, there shouldn't be a problem. Maybe, in a way, it could further support the background I made up for myself."
Taking the weapon from Duck Duck, Xia Ling pulled out the detector and looked at the foresight prompt on its screen.
After clearing this floor, you will obtain Cipher Plate: Doubt
While fiddling with the detector, Xia Ling casually asked, "Bronya, do you remember our objective?"
"Of course." Bronya replied expressionlessly, "We are to explore as deeply into the Sami Snowfield as possible, bringing back more routes and data for the expedition team."
What a convenient ability... After silently mocking the system's support system, Xia Ling slung on her backpack. "Good. Let's go. Time to set off."
Bronya silently nodded and floated behind Xia Ling.
"By the way, what kind of weapon did you bring, Bronya?"
"Bronya generally relies on Heavy Armor Rabbit for close combat." Bronya answered unhurriedly. "For long range, Bronya mainly relies on this."
As she spoke, a heavy cannon appeared in Bronya's hands.
"Oh, this thing. The SU-22 grenade cannon." Xia Ling suddenly understood. She hadn't used it much, but it was definitely familiar. It was the default equipment for heavy cannon characters, and also the only green-rarity heavy cannon.
Wait, if she followed the Arknights classes, Duck Duck was currently a Defender. She could fight up close and strike from extreme range, so wouldn't her subclass be... Fortress?
Oh no. This was the episode where the module's block-based damage increase was at its strongest.
Looking at the detector in her hand, Xia Ling saw the usual two branching paths ahead. One led to a Deep Pool camp, while the other led to a prison.
Four is Not Too Much and Death Row Prisoners... Xia Ling continued examining the later nodes.
The Death Row Prisoners route split into two paths again. One had nothing on it and was probably an Unexpected Encounter, while the other led to a combat node.
After Four is Not Too Much... good, a red Emergency Operation.
As for the third column of nodes beyond that, nothing was displayed. It was the so-called "Ominous Premonition," and both routes were the same.
"Then there's nothing to choose." With a teammate, Xia Ling's confidence soared. "We'll take Four is Not Too Much, then go straight to the Emergency Operation afterward."
You're being so bold this time, Host?
"Because my goal this time is the Third Floor. I need to get as many collectibles and Cipher Plates as possible on the first two floors."
"If I avoid every early Emergency Operation, I probably won't be able to beat the boss fight either."
Xia Ling answered as though it were only natural.
Following the detector's guidance, Xia Ling slowly approached the Deep Pool camp below. Unlike before, however, a similarly petite companion floated at her side this time.
After walking along the path by the lake for seven or eight minutes, Xia Ling and Bronya could finally see the outline of the Deep Pool camp in the distance.
"Wait, Sister Xia Ling." Bronya stopped Xia Ling from continuing forward. "We don't need to head down immediately. The camp is already within my firing range. We can bombard it from afar first."
"Long-range bombardment?" Xia Ling looked at Bronya's massive cannon. "Does it have enough range?"
"Don't worry, Sister Xia Ling. More than enough."
"Good, then we'll do it here. This spot already counts as high ground."
"From what I remember, there shouldn't be any enemies in this stage capable of attacking us from the camp." Xia Ling swung her scythe back, and Crescent Rose immediately unfolded into a giant scythe.
"I'll stop any high-threat enemies that break through the fire blockade and rush toward you. As for the remaining fodder, you'll have to deal with them yourself."
Now This Really Is an Emergency Blocking the Entrance
Although Xia Ling had just told Bronya that they were on high ground, strictly speaking, this place wasn't actually that high.
Still, there was some good news. In this terrain, there was only one path upward, while both sides were sheer cliffs over ten meters tall. Anyone who fell from here probably wouldn't have much fighting power for a while.
"Huh, wait." Standing on the only path and looking down at the two forks below, Xia Ling suddenly realized, "Isn't this the map from Four is Not Too Much? One road in the middle, pits on both sides."
That's right. The game map was referenced during the design. It should be reasonable, right?
While Xia Ling was still figuring out how to push people down later, Bronya's cannon fire began booming from above.
Three shells trailing white exhaust flames crashed into the camp below.
"Some time, I need to suggest to Theresa that she upgrade the students' equipment." Xia Ling looked at the camp below. "Wouldn't it be great to switch to MiG-13? Charge it to three stacks and fire fifteen shells at once."
Amid the commotion below, two hounds were released first, rapidly closing in on Xia Ling.
At the same time, four Deep Pool phalanx soldiers began arranging themselves into formation.
"Killing dogs is easy. One shot each."
Xia Ling raised her hand and aimed. Two bullets sent the two hounds flying before they even made it halfway.
Bronya's bombardment continued, while the casters and sword-and-shield phalanx soldiers below steadily advanced upward.
"I need to deal with the casters first..." Xia Ling unfolded her giant scythe and lowered her body slightly. Then, she shot forward.
Before they could react, a streak of red blade light had already swept past the soldiers ahead and headed straight for the caster behind them.
However, the strike was clearly not very effective this time. The scythe blade coated in Honkai Energy did not inflict much noticeable damage on the caster, leaving only a deep crack in its armor.
"Hiss, I forgot. The Deep Pool soldiers' absurd Arts resistance!"
In the trial, the monsters' Arts resistance had been changed into resistance against energy-based attacks. As it happened, all Deep Pool monsters possessed an outrageously powerful talent—Refraction.
This talent directly increased the monsters' Arts resistance by 70%. Xia Ling's attacks with Honkai Energy coating her weapon were probably less effective than simply cutting them directly.
Casually raising a shield manifested from Honkai Energy, Xia Ling gripped her scythe in reverse and simultaneously dispelled the Honkai Energy coating the weapon.
Then Xia Ling pulled the trigger, using the recoil to swing her scythe forward with savage force.
This attack was much more effective. The caster's pitiful defenses failed to stop the pure slash, and a massive gash was carved across its chest.
Yet the battle was not over. Honkai Energy continued surging around Xia Ling, and several tentacles formed from Honkai Energy burst among the surrounding Deep Pool soldiers. Of course, their purpose this time was not to kill, but to slow them down.
Entangled by the tentacles, the Deep Pool soldiers' advance was greatly delayed. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Bronya's heavy cannon began unleashing saturating fire.
"That should be about enough. Even if these soldiers reach Bronya, she can probably deal with them one punch at a time." Xia Ling looked behind the phalanx. "But I remember there being a shield-bearing caster too."
Sure enough, before Xia Ling had even finished speaking, a caster in black robes, surrounded by a ring of black protective energy, emerged from the camp. The caster looked around and seemed utterly bewildered by the fact that more than half its soldiers had been killed or wounded.
"Don't worry. I'll send you to join them soon."
Xia Ling dashed to the caster again and ambushed it from behind.
In the game, high-level shielded casters like this one, with solid physical and Arts defenses, were extremely troublesome. Their sturdy durability and area attacks often caused enormous problems.
But in reality, Xia Ling countered this thing in every conceivable way. Its slow movement speed and extremely long casting windup meant that by the time it cast once, Xia Ling could cut it and leave its attack range.
Only then did Xia Ling truly understand the meaning of the saying that under heaven, only speed was unbeatable.
Its only flaw was that she was chipping away at it a little slowly.
Several minutes later, Bronya slowly floated down from above.
"All eight Deep Pool soldiers have been dealt with. Sister Xia Ling, should we search again to see whether there are any stragglers?"
Xia Ling recalled the number of enemies that had appeared and confirmed that it perfectly matched the number in the game. She shook her head. "No need. There shouldn't be any enemies left. Once I collect the spoils, we'll continue on."
Arriving at the camp with practiced ease, Xia Ling found a box in one of the rooms. Opening it, she found two Originium Ingots, a Support Recruitment Voucher, and a Cipher Plate inside.
"Not bad luck. A Cipher Plate actually dropped."
Opening the system screen, Xia Ling saw two possible Cipher Plate options displayed before her.
Patrol: Fully investigate upon approach. When combined, the Collapse value reduction becomes two points.
Shaman: Select one combat node, then randomly designate two more combat nodes.
"Good, I don't even need to look. Shaman it is."
After all, for Xia Ling, whose combat power was currently in short supply, the boost provided by a red Cipher Plate was quite considerable.
After selecting Shaman on the screen, the Cipher Plate inside the box instantly turned red. Xia Ling put away the Cipher Plate and Originium Ingots, then looked back at the detector.
The instant she saw the next node's information, Xia Ling's vision went dark.
"Oh no. Emergency Moss Hand."
For Xia Ling, the troublesome nodes in the trial were completely different from those in the game. If this were the game, she would probably be delighted to see this stage, but in the trial, this stage was extremely difficult to handle.
Unlike the game, where enemies spawned in a fixed order, the monsters in the trial clearly had no sense of fair play. Once the fight started, they generally all rushed out at once. At the Moss Hand node, not only was the terrain complicated and unsuitable for Bronya's long-range firepower, but two crossbowmen hid in the alleys to harass them, making it especially troublesome.
Even worse, there was more than one Butcher Veteran in this node. An axe from one of those large units was not something she could casually take. If she failed to defend properly, Xia Ling might end up missing something from her body.
"Looks like there's no branch route around this node either..." After pondering for a moment, Xia Ling came up with some ideas.
"Let's go, Bronya. The next node might be difficult, so prepare yourself mentally."
"Rest assured, Sister Xia Ling." Bronya seemed to see Xia Ling's concern and comforted her. "Bronya is the Silver Wolf of Ural. In terms of combat experience alone, Sister Xia Ling might not even compare to Bronya."
"Is that so?" Xia Ling smiled. "Then I'll be entrusting some tasks to Bronya."
"Please rest assured. Bronya guarantees mission completion."
Emergency Moss Hand: Ling and Duck's Low-Budget Dual-Core Strategy
Ten minutes later, outside the Emergency Operation node—Moss Hand.
"Um, Sister Xia Ling..." There was a hint of confusion in Duck Duck's voice. "What do you mean by absolutely not getting injured?"
"If Sister Xia Ling gave that order because you were worried about Bronya, that may not be necessary. Bronya was once a mercenary as a child. Pain and injury are commonplace for Bronya."
"Worrying about you is one reason, but more importantly, once someone gets injured in the Sami Snowfield, it triggers a series of chain reactions."
"Of course, even if you aren't injured, strange things will start happening once we go deep enough into the snowfield. But injuries cause those things to arrive earlier."
That was right. What Xia Ling was referring to was the Collapse Paradigm in Sami's Integrated Strategies.
Before you continue