EncounterEncounter.Put simply: a choice.When an event happens, a choice like this appears.Depending on that choice, the ending can even be decided.Putting that complicated background aside, my eyes lock onto the arrangement of the sentence.[(Help) Requirement: Strength LV3][(Do not help)]“I didn’t expect this to show up already.”This isn’t a main encounter.Just a sub-encounter.Not something that will change the flow of the situation.“Strength shouldn’t be a problem thanks to the ‘Humanity’s Strongest Weapon’ trait….”“Even if I fail, the stress fluctuation shouldn’t be large.”This system contains countless traps.Traps that stop you from choosing blindly.— Stress: 0 —One of them is the stress value.You look at a choice and act.If you fail the chosen action, or pick an inhumane option,the stress value rises.What if the stress value fills to 100?A negative trait will be added or strengthened.A negative trait is ultimately a debuff.The more you repeat choices made without intellect, the harder the game becomes.On the other hand, what if you successfully carry out a choice?You receive rewards tied to that choice.With facts like those in mind, you have to assess the current encounter.If I execute the “help” choice, what will the result be?“That I can’t know — results are purely in the realm of prediction.”I reflexively study the requester’s appearance.A man with a dull, gloomy air.Not a named survivor worth remembering.No — he might in fact just be someone who should be killed.The man is sweating coldly.His eyes are bloodshot.Drool is hanging at the corner of his mouth, and he hasn’t even thought to wipe it.Most of the group are in similar states.They all watch with ambiguous eyes that mix vigilance and desperation, but the bloodshot eyes are the same.Symptoms that appear before turning into mutants.Should I help them and force the Wayless headquarters’ entrance open?I must be cautious.Wayless is one of the city’s largest corporations.In practice, it controls the city.Its headquarters is like an oasis in the desert that supplies important resources.There’s no need to let people showing signs of mutation into the headquarters by helping them in.It will be a hassle later when they come back.It would be wiser to kill every person now who shows any sign of mutation.But being able to think like that so easily right now makes me feel complicated inside.“If necessary — if it’s truly necessary — then I’ll do it.”I force myself to compromise with that line.Having compromised, my thoughts change.Even if I kill them now, it’s only a drop in the bucket.Considering the number of mutants that will appear, it won’t make a dent.If you calculate the time it takes to kill them, it’s better not to.“…Excuse me? Are you listening?”But there is still something I’ve overlooked.“Who’s the person trapped inside the entrance that you’re willing to break the headquarters’ doors to save?”That is the person they’re trying to rescue.“Th-that is….”Just who are they trying to save?I push past the hesitating man and head into the crowd.Perhaps from wrestling with the entrance, my brow twitches at the unpleasant smell.“Coming to help? You pull from this side.”“…Wait a moment.”Swoosh—“Oh? Don’t shove.”“If you’re not here to help, then at least don’t get in the way….”I squeeze my body through, leaving the grumbling crowd behind, and peer through the narrow gap.A double-door structure.The first door and the second are separated front and back.Several people trapped between them are crying out in pain.The moment I confirm that, a voice close to resignation reaches me.“Please, stop dawdling and open it… please.”At the same time my eyes couldn’t help but flicker a little.‘This woman is—’“I’ll pay whatever you want.”Among the crowd I see long, draping platinum hair.Striking red eyes.One of the named survivors I’d seen before.Also, someone who uses the Wayless family name.“…Eli Wayless?”“If you know me… this will make things easier. You can even break this damn door. Please get me out.”It was surprising to find her here.Was she trapped here at this point in time?Her tired, resigned expression reflected her state.‘…She doesn’t look critical.’In terms of game progression, she will escape from here somehow.It’s only a difference in timing.Also, she is a person who has not been injected with NH-03.She’s simply tired and worn out from the situation.‘Eli was set up in the lore as someone who doesn’t need to suppress aging, right?’Finally the awkward pieces fit together.Cyberpunk.By setup, this place is a society where extreme individualism runs rampant.Sure, the apocalyptic background contributes, but in the game survivors are, to put it nicely, indifferent to others.To put it bluntly, they’re rude.If such people are going out of their way to smash the Wayless headquarters’ doors and rescue someone,the reason has to be someone like Eli Wayless.These would-be mutants wanted to rescue her to receive generous reward.That makes the situation a little different.Opening the door to win a named survivor’s favor is inefficient, but efficiency can be increased.“Do you have something to use as a lever?”“…A lever?”“A club or a bludgeon would work.”‘…An encounter is also a probabilistic way to gain bonus traits.’Encounters hide rewards.It depends on how you resolve an encounter.If you pick a ‘hidden choice’ instead of the presented options,the chance of getting a bonus trait increases.‘I can draw it out easily enough.’Just then, someone hesitates and stands around.They’re holding a baton for security use.From their clothes they’re a Wayless security guard.“May I borrow what you’re holding?”“This…?”“Yes.”“What are you intending to do?”“Break it.”“…”A momentary hush.The surrounding reactions were much the same.“What is this person doing…?”“Stop talking nonsense and at least help open the door.”“Sorry, but with that you can’t break the composite glass.”Only the guard looks troubled and tries to dissuade me.He’s right.The dark glass at the headquarters’ entrance is reinforced composite glass.Metallic glass — that thin baton doesn’t look like it could break it.But that’s just common thinking.Theoretically, it’s possible.If you have Strength LV7 and a weapon proficiency trait.“There is a way to break it.”“Yes?”“I’m very busy right now. I don’t have time. Please.”“Tch…”No persuasion was necessary.Those suffering from mutation symptoms were already worn down.“Hah… is this really the time to be stubborn?”“Fine, let’s see what you can do.”Their responses were more of irritated amusement — as if saying let’s just watch him fail.“…Here.”I adjusted my grip on the baton the guard handed me.The feeling in my hands—Honestly,I couldn’t be sure.I still didn’t have full confidence in my traits.But if this world truly was the same as the one I knew,then it should be possible.That’s why this moment was also a test — a line between certainty and doubt.It was too late to admit it now,but the biggest reason I’d gone through the trouble of choosing the “help” optionwas to confirm this.If I overthink it, I won’t be able to do anything. Just think of it as a game. It has to be that way.In thousands of playthroughs, there had never been a choice to physically swing a weapon in real life.I hadn’t learned kendo.I hadn’t learned baseball.I’d never even hit something with a club before.With that lack of experience, the best I could do was mimic the character.So I gripped the baton with both hands and poured strength into my grip.I took a stance to swing the blunt weapon and aimed at the composite glass.“Hah, he’s seriously gonna try to break that?”“What a waste of time.”Reactions of disbelief poured from behind me.But I didn’t care.Even I wouldn’t have believed it easily.“Just in case, stand back.”In that instant—I felt like my whole body was about to burst apart.Like a coiled spring ready to explode.Maybe it was anxiety.Maybe the stance was awkward.But it didn’t matter.As I rotated my waist, my arms moved.The baton sliced through the air in a clean line.There was no time for reflection.It all happened in a heartbeat.Only a short, powerful sensation in my palms—KAAAAANG!“Huh?”A deafening crash struck my ears, reverberating through my skull.What just happened?No matter how I thought about it, the explosive motion that came out was unbelievable.“!?!”This feeling…I couldn’t help but be shocked by the result I had created.Crack…!Contrary to everyone’s expectations, the composite glass had fractured.“…”“Uh…”“Huh…”Their reactions were dry — not really shock, but blank disbelief.Then someone muttered what everyone was thinking:“What the hell did I just watch?”I felt the same way.Holy shit.The exclamation echoed inside, though I kept my expression still.I forced down the heat of excitement.Thanks to that, my mind quickly settled.“Phew…”It was a successful test.…And yet,something about it felt complicated.Because what came to mind first wasn’t a positive trait — but a negative one.Still—Maybe… five more swings should do it.It wasn’t meaningless.At least now I knew I could make a difference.The composite glass was cracked.With its multiple layers, breaking it in one blow was impossible.So, without hesitation, I swung again.KAAAANG—!“Uh… shouldn’t we move back?”The second impact was smaller than the first.But the cracks spread wildly across the glass.KRRRCK—!“G-get back!”The spiderweb of fractures in the dark glass thickened.KWA-KRAK—!“The glass is breaking! Move away!”Maybe this was what it felt like to get used to hitting things.I raised the baton high over my head for the final blow—and brought it down.“Huh, hhuup!”“It’s really breaking!”KRRRRACK! TAAANG!The glass burst apart like an explosion.Then, belatedly, a small worry surfaced.Wait — if Eli gets hit by glass shards… that’d be a disaster.Caught up in the thrill of testing my traits, I’d forgotten about everything else.But those fears were unfounded.“Are you… by any chance, a monster?”Eli and the others stepped out unharmed, faces blank with shock.It was a perfect success.Ding!【People Trapped in Wayless (1)】[(Unexpected Choice: Break the door without help)][+Sub-Skill: Focused Strike (LV.1)]“…That’s it.”A hidden choice — an [Unexpected] one.And the reward was quite satisfying.I’ve already learned a skill.It wasn’t a trait, but gaining a skill was valuable enough.But then—Ding![Canceled: Focused Strike (LV.1)][-Sub-Skill: Focused Strike (LV.1)]A confusing system message appeared.Ding![‘Legendary Swordsmanship Talent’ effect activated][+Sub-Skill: Strike (LV.1)]Ding![‘Legendary Swordsmanship Talent’ effect activated][Modified: Strike (LV.1) → Heavy Strike (LV.1)]Ding![‘Legendary Swordsmanship Talent’ effect activated][Modified: Heavy Strike (LV.1) → Sharp Strike (LV.1)]Ding![‘Legendary Swordsmanship Talent’ effect activated][Modified: Sharp Strike (LV.1) → Slash (LV.1)][+Sub-Skill: Slash (LV.1)]“Hah… ha-ha.”Along with the confirmation of my trait—I finally [N O V E L I G H T] understood what the overwhelming “talent” described in the Legendary Swordsmanship Trait truly meant.

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