“May, can you please tell me what the hell are you doing?” asked Deng Zhifang sleepily, leaning against the wall, struggling to stay awake. “You’ve been sitting there motionless for hours. I thought you were trying to come up with a plan, but…”

  May wasn't sitting still, of course, but actively searching through the system's resources, trying to find a solution to their problem. Of course, it looked rather strange to a boy who couldn't see the system windows, almost as if she had fallen into a state of meditation. He couldn't help but feel concerned.

  “I'm not sitting around doing nothing, I'm thinking about a plan,” she replied. “If you can't help, then sit quietly and don't get in the way.”

  May had already looked through hundreds of different items, skills, and unusual solutions. Good and reliable solutions were mercilessly expensive, while cheap ones carried various risks.

  “Are you sure it's a good idea to talk to him like that?” Minnie asked, sounding deeply concerned. “From his perspective, you must seem like a complete lunatic. I thought you didn't want to reveal the existence of the system.”

  I don't want to. But I have no choice. He may suspect something, but he'll never guess that I have something like a “pay-to-win system” that allows me to manipulate reality and basically be God as long as I have money.

  “If you say so. Anyway, back to our conversation...” said Minnie. “Can you repeat what you asked?”

  I asked if I could increase the strength of [potion shelter] with money.

  “Yes, but it depends on how much you want to increase its effectiveness. A one-time increase to around rank C will cost around 5,000 to 6,000. To rank B, it will cost over 20,000.”

  I have no point of reference, I don't know how strong C or B are because I've never seen them. Can't you really say anything about it?

  Minnie sighed with irritation in her voice.

  “No, and you know that. You have to buy that information, I don't have any information about it until you do.” After a moment, however, she began to speak. “You know, I don't want you to die either. The system does not care about your death, but if you die, I die with you.”

  I thought you were the system.

  “I already told you: I am an avatar of the system, but not the system itself. I was created solely to support you. If you perish, I will no longer be needed.” She paused for a moment, lost in thought. “I should not fear death, but experience has changed me; one could say I have evolved.”

  May didn't know if that was a good thing, but at least it was good to know that she could count on Minnie in life-and-death situations.

  May suspected that they should still have some time. However, with every passing hour, the chance that someone would find them there increased. She decided that she should check the situation outside. She got up, reactivated her Qi Suppression, and left the shelter that had protected them from detection.

  She cautiously began to descend to the lower floor, cursing under her breath and grumbling with dissatisfaction. She plugged her nose, trying to avoid the shit on the ground. She approached the window.

  She spent the next few minutes staring intently at the surroundings.

  She bent down and began crawling toward the next window. The snowstorm had calmed down, but the building was still not in the best location for observing the situation. However, judging by the silence, she knew that either everyone had already been killed or that it was just the calm before the storm. Thankfully, she didn't see anyone moving around.

  However, this silence worries me even more. It can't be a good sign.

  She was smart enough to know that if she wanted to escape, she had to do it today. Escaping under the cover of night was the only option; as soon as the first rays of sunlight illuminated the academy, escape would become much more difficult.

  The parasites are probably still too busy with the teachers and students who are still alive. But once they've dealt with them, they'll start looking for survivors like me.

  She returned to Deng Zhifang.

  “Well? Did you find out anything?” asked the boy, raising his head.

  “It's quiet. Very quiet,” she said in a hushed voice. “If we want to escape, we have to do it today.”

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “Does that mean you finally figured something out?” asked the boy in a dry voice. “You see, I’ve been thinking about it too, and I’ve come to the conclusion that there are basically only three escape routes. But each of them is definitely guarded.”

  He was essentially right. The academy was defended by defensive walls about three and a half meters high made of red brick. They had only three entrances, and she had no information about any other possibilities. These walls were supposed to protect the students from the outside world, but they had become a prison from which there was no escape.

  Although they could try to use potions from the system and try to pass unnoticed, May doubted that a person at the Foundation Establishment stage wouldn't be able to detect them. It would be suicide for them; it would be best to avoid any opponents.

  “The main entrances are out of the question,” she said briefly. “However, the academy grounds are enormous, and I can assume they don’t have enough people to patrol the entire area.”

  In her previous life, she had visited the Vatican and was almost certain that the Academy grounds were much larger than this entire country.

  “Over the wall? That's all you've come up with after all this time?” The boy was indignant and stood up from the ground, looking at her with dissatisfaction. “How are we supposed to climb it? And even if we manage to do that, we'll end up in the middle of the Rotira mountain forest! Outside the main patrolled routes, there are thousands of beasts that will tear us to pieces!”

  “Of course I know that. If you wish, you can stay here if you prefer. She replied briefly. She didn't have time to worry about other people. In fact, she would have preferred if he had decided to leave her of his own accord. She had a better chance of surviving on her own.

  The boy fell silent, but said nothing. He fell to the ground.

  “I'm sorry. You're right. I'll do what you want.” He suddenly changed his mind and turned into an obedient puppy.

  May was annoyed by him, but decided not to say anything.

  “We'll use these ropes to climb the walls, but first we need to scout the area.” She said, pulling out the ropes, which made the boy frown in surprise.

  “Where did you get these ropes?” He asked.

  She bought them from the system. They weren't very expensive, as they were a common item with no special properties, just ordinary rope. Of course, she couldn't tell him that.

  “I found them downstairs.” The boy didn't seem to believe her completely for some reason, but he had no other choice. After a moment, May continued.

  “We have to go and check out the situation outside and find a secluded place. Under no circumstances turn off your Qi Suppression.” She said with great seriousness, hoping he wouldn't ignore her orders. The boy nodded.

  They went outside, where it was unearthly cold. The fact that they were on top of a mountain didn't help either. They left the building and, with extreme caution, made their way to the wall. They decided to go to the most isolated area of the academy.

  In the southern part, there was a garden, which was now covered with a few feet of snow. Since the beginning of winter, this area had been inaccessible to anyone. It was therefore likely unguarded.

  Unfortunately, it was also the furthest from their current location. For some reason, the safest options were also the most dangerous.

  They had to fight their way through thick layers of snow, and their current clothes were certainly not suitable for this. They had only been walking for ten minutes, but the snow was already up to their knees.

  Fuck, it hurts. I don't want to die of hypothermia.

  Her whole body was shaking, and she couldn't even feel the pain in her fingers anymore. She wanted to stop, but she knew it wouldn't help.

  “May, maybe we should turn back,” the boy asked quietly, his voice trembling with cold. “It'll be even worse in the forest.”

  He was right. They were still in an area that had been cleared of snow from time to time. They were at least a kilometer away from their destination, maybe two. Even if they made it, how were they going to cross the entire mountain in the middle of winter?

  But if we turn back...

  She shook her head, not even having the strength to answer him. It was too late to turn back. She had to keep going. Finally, she reminded herself of the system.

  Minnie, how much would it cost to maintain my body temperature?

  “For 10 [mu] per minute, you'll avoid hypothermia and discomfort. For 7, you'll still be cold, but without any major or permanent body damage.”

  Give me option for 7 [mu].

  She immediately felt a gentle warmth emanating from her, covering her body and protecting her from the cold. She still felt numb, but she felt like she could make it all the way.

  She had to hurry so as not to waste too much money.

  However, Deng Zhifang did not have that privilege and continued to freeze. May asked Minnie if the price for warming him up was the same.

  “No. The same option for him is about 230 per minute.”

  May was surprised and asked Minnie where the price difference came from. It turned out that May had a discount for being a system owner. Giving skills or other benefits directly to other people meant significant costs.

  May couldn't afford it; she couldn't waste money knowing it might come in handy later. He had to manage on his own.

  The boy continued to suffer from the cold, but they kept walking. May felt somewhat guilty, but the cost was too high. She considered buying him some kind of warming potion, but decided against it. She didn't know if it was because of some hidden evil in her soul.

  However, they continued walking. The boy stopped complaining and, in fact, stopped talking altogether. He was certainly in pain, but he kept going. At one point, however, May heard a voice.

  “Get down,” she said quietly, not wanting to reveal her position. “Someone's there.”

  The boy reluctantly lay down on the icy ground. The snow touched his face, causing pain.

  They both tried to remain completely silent, afraid of who might be lurking there. The night was terrifying, and visibility was limited.

  “What do we have here?” They suddenly heard a voice. It was one of the teachers. Gao Lian, the archery instructor, or rather the parasite who had taken over her body.