Strategy game? Then I'll have to control you properly.

"—?!"

Attila, who was anxiously waiting, saw Lillie being pulled out of the nest by Lin Miao's mouse and exclaimed in surprise.

Perhaps there were still lingering poisons; she lay on the ground, panting heavily, barely managing to prop herself up.

The medicine I prepared earlier seems to be working; after drinking it, I can clearly see that she is recovering quickly.

"Can't we come out?"

[Insect Nest Level 1]

After confirming that Lillie was safe and sound, Lin Miao clicked on the crack and rotated the view again.

This time the image can finally rotate normally.

In the dark area that Lillie had explored alone, the eroding creature that had appeared rubbed its body restlessly at the entrance where Lillie had disappeared, before turning and leaving.

Rather than saying they voluntarily gave up the pursuit, it's more likely that they were temporarily unable to leave their lair.

"Still too weak."

Lin Miao bit her lip and turned her gaze to look at Lillie, who was surrounded by worried villagers.

Even Lillie, the strongest among the villagers, was struggling to deal with the LV2 Corruptor, not to mention the completely different environment inside the nest compared to the grassland.

The villagers, who originally relied on mounted charges to maximize their combat effectiveness, now have to adopt a completely different fighting style, so it is only natural that their combat effectiveness has been reduced.

"In the end, can ordinary soldiers really fight against malfunctions? Even if they are wearing fine armor and wielding sharp blades, they would be completely finished if they were poisoned like that just now."

"I guess I'll just have to keep playing the game."

The jumbled thoughts eventually boiled down to one point: to make the most of the system to train the residents, just as they had so far.

Progress through the chapters with Lillie and gradually train the others in increasingly difficult hunting modes based on the results.

Furthermore, if you activate a new game, you might be able to get something from it.

"..."

"..."

While Lin Miao was deep in thought, Attila was looking around with a serious expression and talking about something. It seemed that he had hesitated after hearing about the inside story of the nest from Lillie.

Attila's sudden gaze upwards seemed to misunderstand Lin Miao's act of bringing them here as a necessity to fight and win.

"Now is not the time."

To avoid any misunderstanding, Lin Miao dragged them back to the village again.

Even if we send all the residents rushing into the lair to fight right now, it would only be a pointless death.

"System, recommend some other options. Is the time not right after all?"

Just as they arrived in the village and dispersed to begin their respective tasks.

Lin Miao's mouse unconsciously slid across the icons of the recently popular FPS games, wandering aimlessly.

Maybe activating this game will give the villagers guns—Lin Miao thought to herself.

However, if there are recommendation programs, that's a different story, since he has no idea what effect the activated games or programs will have.

I can't just activate anything when I don't have enough points right now.

[Chapter 2]

The final solution was to quickly complete the second chapter of Dark Souls, which had been interrupted earlier.

After confirming with a screenshot tool, thankfully the poison had subsided, but Lillie, whom we encountered in the game, was still pale.

"..."

She noticed that Lin Miao's expression was slightly stiff.

Although Lin Miao wanted to pretend nothing had happened, what she had just experienced was not something that could be easily concealed.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do about it."

Lin Miao approached her and, using her emotional expression, casually placed her hand on her shoulder. This was a gesture of encouragement.

A few days ago, Lin Miao might have suggested taking a day off.

But now that he had discovered the Zerg nest, even he couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Chapter Two is practically the same as Chapter One."

Of course, there will be some changes, but Lin Miao, who had watched the walkthrough video in advance, already knew the direction of the second chapter.

It's nothing more than going to defeat another Minotaur that's trying to descend, and getting stronger through battle.

The two are currently at the entrance to the village that the Undead Asylum demons once occupied.

The ray of sunlight that pierced through the gaps in the dark clouds was proof that Lin Miao had cleared the first chapter.

"──!"

Lillie suddenly pointed to a certain spot.

A horse-drawn carriage was passing by the village entrance.

That is the mode of transportation that players must take to reach the next chapter.

"I only came to see this place because the endless darkness of despair had dissipated. I never imagined that a savior really existed."

Support character Gabriel.

The coachman, who was sitting in the carriage, struck up a conversation with Lin Miao.

This NPC named Gabriel appears as a helper in the game.

When Lin Miao encountered this NPC who didn't exist in the original game, a strange feeling welled up inside her.

"Would you like a ride? I'll give you a lift."

He naturally invited the two of them into the car.

According to the game's fixed process, the scene will change the moment Lin Miao boards the carriage, teleporting her to the location of the next chapter.

The problem is that Lillie didn't know this setting. When suddenly asked if she wanted to get on the bus, she stared warily at Gabriel, gestured to Lin Miao with her eyes, and then whispered something.

"There is no need to doubt, young girl from afar, for she already knows everything."

At this moment, Gabriel suddenly looked at Lin Miao, revealed a faint smile, and said the line "outside the script".

Lin Miao wanted to question him, "What are you muttering about?"

But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

After all, to that world, the knight controlled by Lin Miao was just a game character.

All he could do was give a thumbs-up with his facial expressions to soothe Lillie, who seemed shocked by Gabriel's words.

"So, shall we get on the bus?"

Gabriel urged him to answer.

Refusing would prevent the game from continuing; in reality, there was no choice at all.

Although she didn't understand the operating mechanism, Lin Miao still pressed the confirmation button.

An option to ride in the carriage immediately popped up on the screen, and Lin Miao used the interaction key to log on. Lillie, sensing the situation, also slowly climbed into the carriage.

What will happen next?

In the game, a loading screen should have popped up and the map switched instantly, but the NPC actually said something that seemed to reveal the player's identity, which was beyond the scope of the game, at least in this scenario.

The destination is in another region that is quite far away. Surely we won't actually travel there? It would probably take several days and nights to get there by horse-drawn carriage.

"ah."

However, this worry was completely unnecessary. The moment the carriage started moving, the familiar loading screen appeared on the screen.

The loading process was short, less than thirty seconds of real time, and the screen lit up again in a completely different place.

Lin Miao's character and Lillie have already disembarked from the carriage.

For Lin Miao, this was just something in the game, so it didn't matter. But for Lillie, who was present, it probably felt like a spatial displacement.

As Lin Miao thought this, she turned to look at her and found Lily Abby, as calm as she had imagined, smiling awkwardly.

That's true. Considering her experiences so far, spatial teleportation might not be a big deal at all.

"Evil people are trying to devour this world in their own ways: the blinded nobles, the foolish masses unable to overcome their desires, the fallen clergy... To save this world filled with idiots, we need knights like you to step forward. I am but a humble merchant, but I hope to meet you again someday."

Still seated in his carriage, Gabriel uttered these meaningful words and drove off.

"Anyway, the goal is the same."

The Gabriel face that Lin Miao saw seemed different, something that could not be explained by a simple accumulation of graphics.

Of course, even the Undead Asylum Demon, who was a boss monster, has become a real entity, and it was only defeated after talking nonsense. There's no need to be surprised now.

Ultimately, as an assistant, his goal is the same as the player's—to defeat the BOSS and complete the game.

"First, we need to gather all the equipment."

Lin Miao banished her chaotic thoughts and turned her character around to look at her surroundings.

The setting for the second chapter is not a defunct rural territory, but a rather bustling city.

After finishing the first chapter, which serves as an extension of the tutorial, the real game begins here.

Here, you can not only advance the storyline, but also evolve and combine skill trees, collect special equipment, and officially begin character development.

Lin Miao plans to use these resources to strengthen Lillie and other residents.

Since it's uncertain when we'll be able to defeat the boss in Chapter 2, we plan to strengthen them before venturing into the unconquered lair.

"Okay, let's go."

Having consulted strategy videos, Lin Miao had already devised a plan. He led Lillie toward the sprawling city outside the city walls, habitually jumping and rolling forward as he went.

From a player's perspective, jumping upon entering the arena is a basic maneuver, but to onlookers it looks like something a lunatic would do, drawing piercing stares from NPCs who should have remained indifferent.

◆◆◆

"He is a special person, someone who can be trusted."

"...Were you saying that to me?"

"And we believe in you too."

The carriage started moving at the very moment the loading screen popped up on Lin Miao's monitor.

Lillie, who was riding in a carriage for the first time in her life, was carefully climbing into the seat when she was startled by Gabriel's sudden words as he pulled on the reins.

"It's true."

Seeing her reaction, Gabriel chuckled, and at the same time, the carriage, which had been moving smoothly, suddenly began to jolt.

Lillie was looking at the back of Gabriel's head as he turned away and at the scenery outside the window when she was startled.

In a single instant, the place completely changed; she was sitting in the carriage and was now standing outside without even realizing it.

Gabriel said goodbye as if nothing had happened, while Lin Miao, who witnessed it all, had no reaction and acted as if it were perfectly normal.

"Are you alright?"

Seeing Lin Miao's calm demeanor, Lillie calmed her frightened heart.

Lin Miao thought Lillie was not so surprised because she was a veteran of many battles, but in reality she was very shocked.

She suppressed her emotions simply because she trusted Lin Miao so much that she thought it was normal.

This trust is not just a simple sense of closeness, but a deep reliance that arises from fighting together and protecting each other's lives.

"What are they doing?"

"Looks like a guy with too much energy. And who's that woman next to him?"

"..."

Even though Lin Miao was doing her usual somersaults and jumping around to attract attention, Lillie tried her best to pretend to ignore her.

After all, Lin Miao has never made a mistake so far, and Lillie, who had just been expelled from the insect hive after feeling the limits of her power, was anxiously thinking that she had to become stronger.

Are you still conscious?

Perhaps because she overheard the whispers around her, Lin Miao toned down her impulsive behavior somewhat after entering the city.

"Do we have a destination in mind?" Under these circumstances, Lillie mustered up her courage and spoke first.

Lin Miao turned around and looked at her after hearing the call.

Although it was uncertain whether he could truly understand, Lin Miao would always respond whenever Lillie called out to him or spoke to him.

"Yes, you must know something. Let's not delve into how you know it."

Although Lin Miao did not answer as usual, she seemed to have roughly understood Lillie's words, nodded in acknowledgment, and pointed in a certain direction.

He was clearly heading in with a purpose; this was a side quest before advancing the main storyline, a commission to obtain special equipment.

"What special guests you are."

"blacksmith?"

Lin Miao led Lillie across the street without hesitation and finally arrived at a shop in the city center, which was larger the closer it got to the city walls.

Lillie, who was just relaxing and taking in the typical medieval fantasy city and pedestrians she was seeing for the first time in her life, instantly guessed the other person's profession from their reaction when they saw them in the shop.

In reality, after completing the relevant tasks, this blacksmith will play the role of a merchant in the game, either manufacturing equipment for sale or buying materials.

The short, stocky, rough-skinned man with dark circles under his eyes and a thick beard was scrutinizing Lin Miao and Lillie with a critical gaze, muttering to himself.

"Tracing the traces of the devil? Saying such ominous things on our first meeting, and judging by your attire, you don't seem to be from the church."

Although Lillie couldn't hear, Lin Miao spoke to the blacksmith through the options menu.

The blacksmith, oblivious to Lillie's startled reaction, chuckled dismissively and waved his hand.

"There is work available, but I have no interest in doing business with mercenaries of unknown origin."

The blacksmith, true to his personality, rejected his suggestion to fight the demon; this is actually a standard part of the game system.

You need to talk to the blacksmith several times and accept the qualification certificate quest to convince him.

"We really did capture the castle and caught the monster that was feeding on the villagers' souls."

At this moment, Lillie suddenly spoke up. To her, the fact that her companion was being looked down upon by a mere blacksmith was unpleasant in itself.

Anyone can talk a good game.

An unexpected turn of events occurred. The blacksmith turned his gaze to Lillie, a playful smile on his face.

"If you really want to know, you'll have to pay a price. You don't think you can get information for free, do you?"

Lillie shrank back, stealing a glance at the man beside her, and asked the grinning blacksmith, "What's the price?"

Lin Miao simply observed quietly and did not stop her actions.

"A monster has appeared in the western forest, and all the fur hunters I hired have been killed. That thing is almost ruining my business. If you can kill it and bring it back, I'll give you anything you want."

"Magic...monsters?"

Following the conversation, the blacksmith naturally assigned her a task.

Lillie, who had spent just over a decade in the grassland tribe, was communicating with outsiders like this for the first time, and her pupils trembled slightly.

Does this mean there's no problem?

Lillie observed his expression, and only nodded in relief when she saw Lin Miao give her a thumbs up.

Although I was worried that I might mess things up, the process was full of twists and turns, but I finally got the job.

"Okay, I'll go catch that monster."

Ultimately, Lillie led the way in reaching a mission agreement, and Lin Miao immediately turned around and led her toward the west of the city.

"I have more stories to tell everyone now."

As she walked through the street, Lillie smiled faintly, her hand pressed against her pounding chest. She wasn't the only one who was like a frog in a well; the villagers of the small grassland tribe were all like that.

For her and her people, everything they experienced in this unfamiliar world was a fresh and exciting topic of conversation.

Lillie, who has been gaining more and more knowledge through her adventures in the game, is currently most happy to tell her stories to the children in the village.

Just as Attila accepted druidic magic without resistance, these children were as pure as blank slates. They accepted everything they saw and heard as it was.

This is an advantage that other tribes, and even those civilized peoples outside the high walls who despise them as barbarians, cannot match.

"ah."

The portals scattered across the city on the map were no longer a novelty to her, as she had already experienced spatial teleportation before.

The moment she stepped through the blue portal in the city center, even though she was teleported to a forest path outside the city, Lillie remained expressionless, just like the local residents.

"It's over there, isn't it?"

Moreover, Lin Miao, who guided her, already knew everything about this world.

Without hesitation, Lillie followed Lin Miao, who had set off immediately, and ran lightly.

"I heard it, it's not far away."

Soon, the howls of wild beasts reached Lillie through her keen hearing from the depths of the forest.