"I'm very sorry. I've already used up all my abilities today. I won't recover until after midnight. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let them take Nfirea." After the red-robed mage left, the white bone prison that had confined Chu Lian lost its magical support. With a few strikes, she broke open a gap large enough to step out. Standing upright, she spoke to the three members of Swords of Darkness before her.
"It's... it's fine... If Miss Liliana hadn't suddenly appeared, we might have all died here." Peter let out a breath of relief and leaned weakly against the counter as he spoke in a low voice.
"Liliana, where did Ninya go?" Chu Lian's appearance had been accompanied by Ninya's disappearance. Dyne Woodwonder felt uneasy about her whereabouts.
"She's with big brother right now. She's safe. I merely switched places with her. There won't be any danger." Chu Lian waved her hand, indicating that Ninya was fine.
"Miss Liliana, are you tired?" As a ranger, Lukrut Volve observed most carefully. Though Chu Lian seemed unchanged, the strength she had displayed just now was worlds apart from what she had shown yesterday.
"Yes. I encountered a group of undying enemies in the forest today, along with an opponent stronger than four giant dragons combined. I was entangled with them for a long time and nearly exhausted all my magic power before finally eliminating them. After that, I used up the rest of my magic power to build momentum for Rania and Enri. I haven't recovered yet. Being able to perform like this is already quite good." Chu Lian did not deny it and nodded. No matter what, she would never admit she had done it deliberately.
"So that's how it is. I was wondering why the forest seemed so restless today. With enemies like that, it's no wonder even Miss Liliana found it taxing." Though Lukrut still had some doubts after hearing her explanation, he did not press further.
He did not know the extent of Chu Lian's true strength, nor how fierce the battle in the forest had been. From her appearance, she did not look fatigued, but that did not mean she wasn't tired.
I must be overthinking it.
"Lian'er, if you do this, it'll be very dangerous once the truth is exposed. Why not wait until that little ranger gets killed before teleporting over? Wouldn't your appearance then make them even more grateful? Without the ranger, the remaining two wouldn't be able to suspect too deeply. I think you might end up tripping over this little fellow one day."
Inside the space, Ayase crossed her long legs and sipped red wine as she spoke faintly.
As Chu Lian walked toward the back of the potion shop, she replied in her mind, "I know he might grow suspicious. But I couldn't just let him die either. Personally, I don't like glib men like him. He reminds me of that extremely unpleasant Wang Tingsi. But we've spent two days together. Even if I don't like him, I can't just watch him die."
"Of course, the more someone knows, the more dangerous their position becomes. If he dares to talk recklessly, I won't spare him."
By the end of that sentence, Chu Lian's expression had already turned cold.
"There's also another reason. It's related to a possible hidden reward. I want to know what kind of gains I'll receive after changing the fate of characters in the original storyline. It's closely tied to my next actions."
"There will definitely be a reward, but it'll only be calculated after you leave the dungeon. Still, as I said before, it won't be much. Since it wasn't a task issued by the system, whether you do it or not doesn't change much."
"Oh, right. Remember this. Changing a character's fate isn't limited to matters of life and death. From something as major as survival to something as small as emotions, as long as you alter it, you'll receive a bit of reward. It might be wish power, or perhaps some inexplicable item. In any case, it'll be related to the person whose fate you changed."
"They're weak, after all. Compared to you, you're a super powerhouse before the enemy. Changing their fate isn't difficult, which is why the reward is so small." Ayase's words enlightened Chu Lian. She paused slightly before continuing, "You mean, if I change the fate of someone beyond my own ability, I'll gain unimaginable benefits?"
"Yes, exactly. The reason the system has this hidden reward is to encourage you to complete those seemingly impossible tasks. It's like the Fantasy-tier quest at the highest difficulty. It gives you a direction. The reward is there. Whether you complete it or not depends on you." Ayase had made it very clear. Chu Lian nodded and committed this crucial point to memory.
"By the way, Ayase, why are you telling me this? Weren't you not allowed to say it before?" Chu Lian asked why Ayase was revealing such key information.
"There's no need to hide it anymore. Since you've already begun to change things, I can tell you the system's reward rules. The core function of the system is to help the host grow. Once you achieve that, the restrictions become motivation that pushes you forward."
"Then the task in the Trial Space—to change a world's decline—is also part of this reward system, right?" Once a key point was unlocked, Chu Lian could immediately connect it to her own experiences. This had always been one of the reasons she improved so quickly.
"Yes. The Trial Space is essentially a place where hidden tasks are laid out openly for you to complete. If you fail the task and the Trial Space doesn't activate, then these rewards won't exist."
"If changing a world's decline earns the reward of a world, then what if, at Earth rank, I change the fate of a Heaven-rank individual? Or at Spirit rank, I prevent the death of someone at Earth rank? What would the reward be?" Chu Lian understood her own limits clearly. She wanted to know whether accomplishing something like that would grant a better reward.
"It's simple. For example, if you only had Earth-rank strength and, in the world of Fate/UBW, you saved the fated-to-die Illya from the Heaven-rank Gilgamesh, you would gain a Heaven-rank powerhouse Berserker, complete with the Twelve Labors, and a white-haired little girl. Because you saved her from certain death, she would belong to you."
"If you attempted to save her at Heaven rank, you'd have to face Gilgamesh wielding [Ea, the Sword of Rupture], and you wouldn't just need to rescue Illya—you'd also have to defeat him." Ayase explained thoroughly, making it very clear how rewards were obtained.
"Then, Ayase, is my strength evaluated solely based on my spiritual power and realm? Passive abilities, blessings, medals, auras, weapons, and subordinates aren't included, right?" Chu Lian's eyes lit up. She urgently needed to know this point.
"Smart. The system evaluates others' strength based on their foundation, not their actual combat power. It's the same standard used for determining the source of the aberration. The premise is that you don't use something like the Seraph-Type IS Armor." Ayase smiled and drained the red wine in her glass. The girl had finally figured it out.
"I've decided. I'm definitely going to the Fate world in the future. The Holy Grail War there—whether Servants or Masters—most of them end up dead or crippled. If I save them—no, even if I only save the Servants—it'll be an incredibly profitable deal."
Since Ayase had used Fate as an example, if Chu Lian still failed to grasp the hint, she would truly be an idiot.
"But I'll wait before going to the Fate world. It's far more dangerous than this place. And I won't have big brother taking care of me there. I'd be facing someone with a protagonist's halo, a cheat even more outrageous than mine. If I go without sufficient strength, I'm worried Gaia and Alaya will turn me into some red Archer's harem member."
"We'll talk about that later. Your big brother is here. Very soon, the next battle will begin, and Shalltear will fall into danger. You need to prepare in advance." Ayase nodded. After refilling her glass, she expelled Chu Lian's consciousness from the system space.
Looking at the members of Swords of Darkness seated around the table, each wearing a troubled expression, Chu Lian let out a sigh.
"This is my fault. If my strength had recovered, Nfirea wouldn't have been taken."
"Liliana, this isn't your fault. You've been fighting nonstop and never had proper rest. Temporary weakness is normal. Who could have known we'd run into danger?" Peter immediately spoke up in her defense.
"The item I gave Ninya was originally just a precaution, in case of an emergency, so that I could switch places with her and come protect you. But that wooden carving has to be gripped before it can be used. I didn't expect Ninya to remember it only at the final moment. In the end, it's my responsibility." Though she was speaking utter nonsense with a straight face, Chu Lian's attitude was impeccable.
It had clearly been a precious treasure she gifted for Ninya's sake, yet it had been used almost immediately. She had dragged her exhausted body here, driven away two enemies they had no hope of defeating, and was now blaming herself for failing to save Nfirea.
The girl who had once seemed lofty and untouchable appeared, in this moment, just as she had when they first met her—languid yet gentle. Without her own strength to rely on, she seemed unexpectedly fragile.
At that moment, a commotion arose at the doorway. Ainz strode in, his tall figure accompanied by a short elderly woman, along with Narberal and Ninya. Seeing that everyone was safe, he quietly let out a breath of relief.
"Peter, Lukrut, Dyne, are you all alright?" Ninya hurried over, anxiously examining her four companions. Only after confirming they were unharmed did she finally relax.
Then she looked at Chu Lian, whose eyes carried visible fatigue. Without hesitation, she knelt down in gratitude.
"Miss Liliana, thank you very much for saving us. If not for you, we would have all died at their hands."
"Ninya, get up. Although I saved you, I..."
Before she could finish, the elderly woman suddenly asked, "Where is Nfirea? My dear grandson, Nfirea—where is he?"
At her words, the members of Swords of Darkness fell into silence. Just as Chu Lian was about to explain, Peter spoke first.
"For various reasons, Nfirea was abducted by the enemy. We're very sorry..."
"Nfirea..."
The old woman trembled slightly upon hearing this, murmuring under her breath, "Nfirea... please don't let anything happen to you..."
Then she lifted her head and looked at the members of Swords of Darkness.
"No matter what, thank you for protecting Nfirea while gathering herbs. And thank you as well, Miss Liliana, for your rescue. This old woman has an unreasonable request..."
"You want us to rescue Nfirea, correct? That's our responsibility. After all, we haven't received the reward yet. The commission isn't complete. We'll help you. But this time, you don't need to participate. Nabe, Liliana, and I are enough..."