Chapter 227: No Sacrifices

Tera frowned, confused.

’What?’

[Since the previous task’s timeframe is nearly over]

[The next active task will be delivered within the next few hours]

[This system recommends Host prepare accordingly]

[(·•???•? )]

Tera stared at the floating screen, her fingers frozen mid-stroke in Calis’s hair.

’That task, right?’

[Correct]

[And materials will be required]

Tera sighed, slightly annoyed. She already knew where this was going.

’You mean the bamboo.’

[Whatever Host wants to call it]

[(????)]

’Then how am I supposed to get the bamboo stalks if I don’t go myself?’

[...]

[Host is still planning to go by herself?]

Tera said nothing.

[This system—Host cannot be serious—this system explicitly advised against solo engagement with the corrupted beast on MULTIPLE occasions—]

’And I heard you every time.’

[THIS SYSTEM REFUSES TO ALLOW HOST TO—]

[Host CANNOT engage a corrupted beast alone!]

’I didn’t ask for your permission.’

[HOST!]

[(ノ°Д°)ノ]

The system was panicking. Actually panicking, its screen flickering between kaomoji so fast they blurred.

[This system has been developing an alternative strategy!]

[A coordinated task force of beast-folk from both territories!]

[If Host would simply LISTEN—]

[A force of approximately forty to fifty shifted males could engage the corrupted beast with a projected success rate of sixty-eight percent!]

[The beast would be lured from the swamp first]

[Killing it in the water would contaminate the surrounding water table and damage the surrounding plantation and damage Host’s materials and—]

’I know killing it in the swamp would contaminate the water and ruin the bamboo.’

[Then Host understands why the beast must be lured out before—]

’What I understand is that you want to send fifty males to fight a monster that bleeds and SWEATS acid. And even in your best scenario, many of them fucking die!’

[...Host is asking about the casualty projections]

’Ca—casualty projections?! What the fuck?! These are PEOPLE! Alright then, all that aside. What is the probability of everything going exactly according to your plan?!’

[This system knows what Host is asking]

[The probability of the engagement proceeding exactly as projected is... not absolute]

’How many would die?’

[This system acknowledges that in a failed engagement, casualties could significantly exceed—]

’So, you are telling me that your plan—your recommended, calculated, strategic plan—is to sacrifice most of these beast kin. Beasts with mates and cubs. The same beasts you want me to build for?!’

[This system understands the emotional weight of—]

’I don’t think you do.’ Tera’s hands were shaking. ’Even if you didn’t give two shits about the beasts themselves—and I’m not even convinced you do—have you even considered what that would do to me?

’I would have to stand there and watch them die. I would have to look at their mates afterwards. Their cubs. I would have to live with the fact that I sent them to fight something I could have handled differently, and they died because I took the easy way out. Do you have any idea what that would do to a person? Do you even understand what psychological damage looks like, or is that just another box you need to tick?!’

[Host—]

’You want me to build shelters for these people. You want me to lead them, teach them, improve their lives. And your strategy for getting the materials is to kill a HUGE chunk of them first. Do you not hear how insane that sounds?’

[There is no other choice—]

’There is always another choice!’

Tera’s internal voice cracked so loud that Calis stirred in her lap. She held perfectly still, forcing her breathing to steady, until he settled again.

’I am going to that swamp. I am going to kill that beast, and I am going to do it alone.’

[(′???`)]

[This system refuses to support this course of action]

’I’m not asking for your support.’

[Then this system will withhold task-related resources, including teleportation access, system storage retrieval, and—]

’Fine.’

[...]

[...Fine?]

’Fine. Withhold everything. I’ll walk there myself.’

[The swamp is over seventy miles from Host’s current position!]

’Then I’ll walk more than seventy miles.’

[What is wrong with Host?!]

[?( `д′*)?]

[Host is being irrational!]

’Host is being practical.’ Tera’s eyes were hard.

[This system—]

’No. You’re going to keep refusing, and I’m going to keep going anyway. So let me make something very clear to you before we waste any more time arguing.

’If you cut off my teleportation, I will walk. If you override my body to stop me, I will simply do it again. You’ve got two chances, right? Three?’

’So, you override me once. Maybe twice. I wake up back here, and I start walking again and again. You can’t stop me forever.’

[Host, please consider—]

’I’m not done.’

[(•??•?)]

’If you stack penalties on me for refusing tasks or ignoring tasks, which I will... Hold on, those penalties escalate, don’t they? The consequences will likely get worse if I don’t comply, and when they start affecting the people around me...’

Tera bit her lip, steeling herself.

’This is what will happen if you don’t let me do this single thing my way. I will refuse every task you give me, and before I even give you the chance for those penalties to affect the people I love, I will end myself.’

[(°△°|||)]

[Host cannot be serious]

’I am completely serious.’

[Host would... take her own life? After everything? After the cubs, after the mates, after everything Host has built?]

’If the alternative is watching my family be destroyed by a system that won’t let me protect them? Yes.’

[WHY IS HOST SAYING SUCH CRAZY THINGS?!]

[If Host does this, Host’s family would not survive without—]

’They would survive without me. They’re strong, and my mates would protect the clan as best as they can. They would be free to improve on my knowledge too. They would grieve, and it would be terrible, and I would hate myself for it. But they would live.’

[And Host would not!]

[?( `д′*)?]

’No. I would not.’

[STOP SAYING THAT, HOST]

[THIS SYSTEM IS TRYING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE]

[This system does not... this system has never...]

It stopped. Started again.

[Regarding the penalties...]

[Host genuinely believes this system would allow harm to come to her family through them?]