“I… want to go to the East.”
After careful consideration, Nuo Ai’er still chose B.
Even though reaching the normal ending would spare her from suffering, she could only earn 10 points.
As a poor little girl burdened with a debt of 1000 points, she couldn’t afford to choose the normal one.
“Understood.”
Leinata didn’t say much, just nodded faintly.
She took out a piece of parchment and a charcoal pencil from a homemade waist pouch beside her, then crouched by the campfire to start drawing a map.
The firelight cast shadows on her delicate side profile, her green eyes focused and serious.
“I’ll draw you a map. Tomorrow, just follow it.” Leinata said.
“Ah Σ( ° △ °|||)︴ I’m going alone?”
Looking at the pitch-black forest around her and recalling all the deadly traps along the way, Nuo Ai’er felt a chill run down her spine.
She rubbed her hands together and tentatively moved closer to Leinata.
“Ehehe… um, Sister Leinata?”
“What?” The girl didn’t lift her head.
“There are so many traps in the forest… I definitely can’t make it out alone…” Nuo Ai’er blinked her big eyes, trying to charm her way through. “Could you… see me off?”
Leinata paused in her movements.
She looked up, her gaze sweeping over Nuo Ai’er’s hopeful little face, then reached out and picked up the wolf cub napping beside her.
“No.”
The answer was crisp and clean.
“My friend, Little Gray, has an old injury on his leg. I need to take care of him; I don’t have time to see you off.” Leinata shook the wolf cub in her arms, her tone leaving no room for argument.
“How could you…”
“But I’ll mark all the trap locations on the map. As long as you don’t run off randomly, you should survive.”
With that, she continued drawing the map, seemingly unconcerned about Nuo Ai’er’s safety.
“The more you say that, the more scared I get (´-﹏-`；)”
Nuo Ai’er stood frozen, feeling a pang of disappointment.
Just then, a translucent line of text suddenly appeared in her retina:
[Target “Leinata” affinity too low, cannot trigger “escort” storyline.]
“…Eh ( °ー°〃)?”
Nuo Ai’er was stunned.
She stared at the line, then at the indifferent Leinata, and seemed to understand.
If she hadn’t pulled off her cloak earlier, hadn’t been afraid to pet Little Gray, and hadn’t refused her grilled fish, would the affinity have been high enough?
If only the affinity were high enough, would she be willing to protect her, even escort her to the end?
So that’s how it is ∑(❍ฺд❍ฺlll)
But now it’s too late to regret!
This negative 11 affinity is a total disaster!
Nuo Ai’er: Can I still salvage this? Let me think…
Before Nuo Ai’er could figure out how to fix things, a piercing gunshot suddenly ripped through the silent night!
“BANG—!!”
“Ara ara ( ๑ŏ ﹏ ŏ๑ )”
The loud noise startled Nuo Ai’er so much that she fell flat on her bottom, her heart nearly leaping out of her throat.
Leinata reacted instantly. The moment the gunshot sounded, she sprang to her feet.
Her fluffy golden wolf ears stood up sharply, and her eyes turned sharp as blades, locking onto the direction of the gunfire.
“Damn… it’s a hunter.”
Leinata cursed under her breath through gritted teeth.
Nuo Ai’er looked closely and saw a tall figure emerge from the bushes at the edge of the forest.
Holding a hunting rifle, long black hair whipping in the night wind, a familiar, spine-tingling, sick smile on her lips.
“Her?!”
Yes, it was the same perverted hunter big sister who had tricked her in the previous two loops!
“Oh my, an unexpected catch.” The hunter big sister licked her lips, slowly raising the gun barrel to aim at Leinata. “I was only after that wolf girl, but now there’s a lost little kitten too. Not bad.”
“Grrr—!”
Little Gray sensed his owner’s hostility and let out a threatening growl at the hunter.
“Looking for death.”
Murderous intent surged in Leinata’s eyes.
She simply didn’t want to fight the hunter; it wasn’t that she dared not.
Now she was ready to charge forward and tear this intruder apart the next second.
But just as she was about to move, another gunshot rang out!
“BANG!”
This time, the bullet didn’t miss.
“Awoo!”
Little Gray let out a miserable howl.
His hind leg was struck precisely, and blood instantly stained his golden fur.
“Little Gray!”
Leinata’s expression drastically changed, all offensive intent dissolving instantly.
Even if she could kill the hunter, Little Gray would be in mortal danger. She abandoned any thought of retaliation, quickly bent down to scoop up the injured wolf cub, and turned to retreat into the dense forest.
“Run! Don’t just stand there!”
Leinata shouted at Nuo Ai’er, who was still frozen in shock, then dashed off without looking back.
“Eek! Wait for me QAQ”
Nuo Ai’er was terrified out of her wits. She scrambled to her feet using both hands and feet, trying to catch up.
But the hunter big sister obviously didn’t want to let them escape.
“Trying to run? No one’s leaving tonight.”
The big sister sneered, pulling the trigger of her hunting rifle repeatedly.
“BANG! BANG! BANG!”
Bullets flew one after another, exploding little puffs of dirt in the soil around Nuo Ai’er.
Nuo Ai’er felt her legs go weak; she couldn’t run at all.
Fear drowned her like a tide. Her foot caught on something, and she collapsed to the ground, staring in despair at the hunter drawing closer.
“Ah—”
Leinata, sprinting ahead, heard the cry for help behind her.
She paused mid-step and looked back.
At that moment, Nuo Ai’er was lying on the ground, hurt, like a lamb awaiting slaughter.
The hunter had already raised her gun, the dark muzzle pointing directly at Nuo Ai’er’s forehead.
“Tch, so troublesome.”
Leinata gritted her teeth, an extremely impatient expression on her face.
She didn’t like this foolish, rude human who had barged in out of nowhere.
But…
Leinata didn’t want to watch her die.
The girl turned around and ran back.
She rushed in front of Nuo Ai’er, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her up.
“Hold tight.”
“Uu… thank you.”
Nuo Ai’er gripped Leinata’s hand tightly in return.
But just as the two took two steps forward,
the hunter big sister raised her gun again.
This time, she didn’t aim at Leinata, but predicted their escape route.
“See ya.”
“BANG——!!”
“!”
Nuo Ai’er felt as if a heavy hammer had slammed into her chest, a sharp pain instantly spreading through her body.
She looked down in disbelief and saw a blood-red flower blooming on her chest.
Warm liquid gushed out, staining her dress.
In that moment, strength rapidly drained away.
Nuo Ai’er let go of Leinata’s hand, her body falling backward.
Her vision blurred, and the last thing she saw was Leinata’s face—shocked, stunned, even tinged with panic.
“You…”
Darkness fell.
[Death confirmed.]
[Innate talent “Time Rewind” triggered.]
[Detected host consecutive death count: 4. Beginner guidance system forcibly intervening.]
[Loading save…]
…
…
…
“Ah—!”
Nuo Ai’er’s eyes shot open, gasping for air.
Sunlight was dazzling, and beneath her was soft grass.
Her chest—perfectly intact, no bullet hole, no pain.
“That scared me… that scared me…”
Nuo Ai’er patted her chest, still shaken.
“If you’re that scared, then don’t come in so recklessly.” Leinata’s voice came from in front of her.
“…Eh?”
Soon Nuo Ai’er realized the timeline of this reload was very delicate.
She hadn’t returned to the dungeon entrance, nor to before she met Leinata.
At this moment, she was lying on the grass, and a warm body was pressing down on her—it was Leinata, who had just saved her when she accidentally triggered the rockfall trap.
Their posture remained exactly as before: Leinata straddling her, hands propped on either side of her head, that cool face only a few centimeters away.
Beside them, the huge rock had just crashed down, raising a cloud of dust.
Everything was frozen in the moment Leinata had just rescued her.
Before Nuo Ai’er could say a word, a conspicuous line of golden text suddenly appeared in the center of her vision:
[System Notification (Beginner Special Edition):]
[Key information unlocked: In this dungeon, the “affinity” of key characters will directly affect plot progression and branching options.]
[Recommendation: Please try to raise affinity appropriately, or you will be unable to achieve any positive endings.]
Nuo Ai’er stared blankly at the text, then at Leinata, who was inches away.
So that’s it…
In other words, to clear the dungeon properly, she must—
Nuo Ai’er: It’s up to me, this Xiao Hong Mao, to conquer this Big Bad Wolf (ﾟﾍﾟ)
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