[Ron did not directly refuse your request but instead wants to observe you for a period of time.]
"Phew... That's a relief."
Looking at the text on the screen, Seele couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
As long as Ron's faction wasn't locked and there was a possibility of him switching sides, Seele was confident she could absolutely pull him over from Bronya's camp and make him a member of her team!
As for why... one only needed to look at Bronya's world-shakingly terrible plays.
Seele confidently tapped to continue the simulation, and a new choice popped up on the screen:
[Due to your agreement with Ron, a fixed option has been triggered. Please choose—]
[1. You have long been prepared... To save the Underworld, you must hold all of its power in your hands.
You will do your utmost to act in the Underworld, attempting to unify all its factions and become the leader of this unified force.
Selecting this option will permanently increase your Stress value by 20.]
[2. The responsibility of saving the Underworld has come too quickly, landing squarely before you.
You do not yet wish to bear such great pressure and decide to retreat... The task of saving the Underworld should be left to adults like Natasha.
You decide to spend an ordinary day as a member of Wildfire.]
Seele chose option one without a shred of hesitation.
For her, the word 'retreat' simply wasn't in her vocabulary... It was time to begin her plan.
The options on the screen vanished, replaced by new plot text:
[You went to Natasha's clinic and had an in-depth conversation with a somewhat puzzled Natasha.]
[You confided your ideals to her and hoped for her assistance.]
[Natasha was silent for a moment, then requested that you represent Wildfire to unite with the robot settlement and, with Svarog's help, bring the wanderers' camps into the fold.]
[Once you accomplish this goal, she will immediately announce that she is ceding the position of Wildfire's leader to you, allowing you to exercise your abilities in that role.]
[You agreed without hesitation.]
[You head to the robot settlement, bringing along Ron, who is currently observing you.]
[Outside the robot settlement, you run into Bronya Rand, who was just about to return to the Goethe Grand Hotel to rest—]
The text on the screen faded, and a new scene materialized upon it:
"Why... is Ron with you?"
In the scene, Bronya's brows were tightly furrowed, her tone questioning, yet there was not a hint of worry or urgency, and her expression was somewhat stiff.
Seele stated bluntly, "We had an in-depth discussion and got along very well. I would very much like him to join [Wildfire]."
"But he is my personal guard."
Bronya replied by the book, her tone flat.
"However, if you want Ron, I can relieve him of his post, but you will need to pay a sufficient price."
"I came to the Underworld to break down the barrier between the districts and lead Belobog toward a new future."
"This path is fraught with difficulties. I need the help of [Wildfire]... Can you, on behalf of Wildfire, agree to cooperate with me?"
The image on the screen dimmed, and an option box appeared:
[Please choose—]
[1. Agree to Bronya's request.
Ron will lose his status as Bronya's personal guard. Your Stress value will decrease by 20. Your current Stress is 0/100.]
[2. Refuse Bronya's request.
Ron will remain Bronya's personal guard. If he wishes to join Wildfire, there is a very high probability that Bronya will obstruct him.]
Seele stared at the options, blinking and rubbing her eyes, looking at the screen in disbelief.
For a moment, she wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her, if she hadn't read what was written on the screen correctly.
...Bronya gave up on Ron that easily?
She couldn't comprehend what was happening.
Could Bronya not see how powerful Ron was? To be willing to let Ron go just for the sake of cooperating with [Wildfire]...
It was the most absurd joke in the world, the most preposterous farce!
Does that idiot know what she's doing? She's so stupid...
While she complained about Bronya in her heart, Seele felt that the more things like this happened, the better.
In this respect, it was best if Bronya continued to be an idiot.
She unhesitatingly chose option one. The options on the screen faded, and the scene's colors returned—
The Seele in the scene was visibly stunned, a flicker of confusion crossing her face, before she spoke without hesitation:
"For Ron, [Wildfire] is willing to pay a much higher price than you can imagine."
"So you agree? Very well. Remember your promise."
Bronya turned and left haughtily, not sparing Ron another glance.
Ron, who had been standing to the side watching their exchange, felt the smile on his face fade ever so slightly.
The scene on the screen disappeared, and new text lines emerged:
[Ron is no longer Bronya's personal guard. Your Stress value has decreased by 20 as a result.]
[You use this event to once again extend an invitation to Ron, hoping he will join Wildfire.]
[But Ron shakes his head, saying he still needs some time to think and cannot make a choice so quickly.]
[Because Ron did not choose to join your faction, your Stress value has increased by 20. Your current Stress is 20/100.]
[The next day, you once again take Ron with you, rushing between the robot settlement and Boulder Town...]
[Bronya has abandoned you. Your Affection for Bronya has decreased. Your Loyalty to Bronya has decreased.]
[Seele constantly pesters you, trying to make you see her determination.]
[On the second day, she spends the entire day trying to persuade Svarog and the wanderers, ultimately failing. Your Affection for her has increased.]
[On the third day, she continues to the robot settlement... but her persuasion fails.]
[On the fourth day, she is not discouraged and works hard to mediate between the various parties... but she still fails.]
[On the fifth day, due to her efforts, Klara from the robot settlement is swayed, but Svarog remains resolute in his refusal.]
[You feel that Seele is not far from success.]
[You somewhat look forward to the arrival of that day.]
[On the sixth day, she successfully persuades Svarog and Klara. Now, the robot settlement and its surrounding wanderer camps have agreed to cooperate with Wildfire, uniting all the forces of the Underworld to save it.]
[After six days, you have been moved by Seele's effort and determination. Your Affection for her has greatly increased, while your Affection for Bronya has slightly decreased.]
[Currently, your Affection for Seele is—70]
[Your Affection for Bronya is—45]
So the duck didn't really value me much at the start, huh... Ron thought. But it's reasonable. In this simulation, I was just poached by Seele right after becoming her guard. It makes sense that the duck would be willing to let me go for the sake of cooperating with Wildfire.
Ron stroked his chin, finding Seele's performance somewhat special.
I never thought Seele would value me so much... Oh, wait. Breaking down the barrier between the districts is something Seele was going to do anyway, so by agreeing to Bronya's request, she loses nothing either way.
In other words, she got me from Bronya for free—why does that sound so weird?
Ron shrugged, not dwelling on it, and returned his attention to the screen before him.
The text on the screen gradually vanished, and a new scene began to emerge:
"I did it, Ron."
Seele looked at Ron, her face etched with exhaustion, but she couldn't hide the excitement in her eyes.
"Five days... It only took me five days to successfully unite the two major factions of the Underworld."
"The state of the Underworld will begin to change from this moment on!"
The scene faded, and new text lines appeared:
[On the seventh day, due to the cooperation between Wildfire and the robot settlement, the ostracized wanderers surge into Boulder Town.]
[Unfortunately, Boulder Town's capacity is far from sufficient, and fierce conflicts erupt between the wanderers and the original residents—]
[The wanderers cause a massive disturbance, plundering food within Boulder Town.]
[The townspeople of Boulder Town accuse the wanderers of severely disrupting their lives and decide to retaliate with their mining shovels.]
[The conflict escalates, and within a few short hours, it transforms from verbal arguments into a bloody clash.]
[As the current leader of Wildfire and the primary driving force behind the cooperation, Seele rightfully bears the responsibility of handling this matter.]
[You accompany Seele to the site of the conflict—]
The text on the screen faded, and a new scene appeared:
At the crossroads leading from Boulder Town to the Great Mine, two groups of people were facing off menacingly, sharp mining shovels in hand. A clash could erupt at any second.
They were covered in wounds, and some people had already fallen to the ground, blood gushing from their injuries and gradually staining the ground red.
Even though the situation had become so grim, neither side had any intention of stopping. They continued their standoff, as if they wouldn't rest until the other side was completely wiped out.
"All of you, stop!"
Seele's face was ice-cold as she strode forward, a gloomy look on her face.
The crowd turned to see Seele approaching menacingly. Some seemed to loosen their grip on their shovels, instinctively wanting to obey her command, but no one truly put down their weapon and stepped aside.
This conflict was about their very survival.
No one would actually lower their weapon.
"Still not putting them down? Do you really want to kill each other?!"
Seele's brow furrowed tightly, her tone growing fiercer.
"While [Wildfire]'s mission is to improve the lives of us Underworld miners, we are not averse to using a little violence..."
"Do you want me to break your arms?"
But no one obeyed Seele's command, protesting in silence.
After a long silence, an old miner squeezed out from the crowd. His face was gashed open by a shovel, the flesh torn and bloody.
He looked at Seele and said with a note of sorrow:
"But we just want to protect our own homes..."
"After these wanderers arrived, how are we supposed to live?"
"They occupy our houses and steal our food. We're just picking up weapons to fight back. What have we done wrong?"
But his words were cut off by the even more agitated voices of the wanderers:
"You people look down on us!"
"If it weren't for the Fragmentum and the natural disasters, who among us would actually want to be a wanderer?"
"We finally get a chance to return to the city, but you reject us like this... Are the lives of you miners the only ones that matter? Are the lives of us wanderers not lives at all?"
"In the beginning, all we wanted was to borrow a place to stay and some food to get by... Wildfire promised us they would open new mining areas, that we would all have jobs, and that we could definitely pay it back in the future."
"But you ostracized us! No one agreed to our request... Are wanderers only fit to sleep in filthy corners and dig for food in garbage heaps?"
The lead wanderer was covered in injuries, his clothes tattered. His eyes were red with rage as he ground his teeth.
"We just want to live! What's so wrong with that!"
The scene on the screen faded.
New text lines appeared upon it:
[Due to the city's insufficient capacity, fierce conflicts have erupted between the wanderers and the original residents of Boulder Town.]
[Seele reprimanded both sides with an extremely harsh attitude. Relying on Wildfire's military deterrence, she barely managed to halt the conflict.]
[However, it is clear that before the Underworld and Overworld are reconnected, such conflicts will foreseeably continue to occur due to insufficient resources and the leader's low prestige.]
[You notice that Seele, who acted so fierce in front of the crowd, softened as soon as they left, a trace of melancholy on her face.]
[You can clearly sense that something is weighing heavily on Seele's mind.]
[Late at night, just as you are about to rest, you see ethereal, deep-purple illusory butterflies fluttering in your room, which then coalesce into the form of Seele.]
[With a heavy heart, she asks you if her performance was satisfactory, her tone almost pitiable, and she pleads with you to join Wildfire.]
[Although this is just her routine daily inquiry, you feel that something is off about Seele today. What she seeks an answer for from you is not whether you are willing to join Wildfire.]
[You do not give a direct answer, instead asking if she has another problem.]
[Under your deliberate guidance, Seele opens her heart and confides her confusion to you:]
["These conflicts will happen again in the future, but they are all just trying to survive. You can't say who is right or wrong..."]
["Faced with this situation, what should I do?"]
[A Special Choice has been triggered—Please be aware that the following choice will affect the action logic of the character "Seele" in this simulation.]
[Depending on your choice, Seele will walk a different path.]
[Please choose—]
[1. "The root of all conflict can be attributed to the problem of productivity—Seele, the Underworld is too poor. As long as you work hard to make sure everyone has enough to eat, everything will get better."]
[2. "The conflict is only because they find it difficult to understand each other... As long as you make the people understand one another, all conflict will disappear."]
[As this is a Special Choice, you will automatically receive a free option:]
[3. You personally enter the simulation and act freely.]
What the hell is this bullshit?
Ron was momentarily speechless. Option one was something only a daydreamer would say.
The Underworld was already in this state, and they wanted to feed everyone? As long as they were stuck in these cramped mines, hunger would be their eternal companion.
Option two was even more beautifully naive—the kind of pure thought only a child under ten who had never been to school could have.
Only they would hold such a simple fantasy about the world.
But the tragic reality was that people could never truly understand one another. Humans were just that kind of sorrowful creature.
He had originally thought Seele was quite capable compared to Bronya, but now it seemed she was far from qualified to be a leader.
This was not how you saved the world. Seele had not yet realized just how heavy her dream truly was...
If she truly understood the weight of "salvation," she probably wouldn't be thrown into confusion by such a small matter.
He couldn't choose randomly this time. Ron didn't want to see Seele grow into a useless leader who would drag him down just like the duck had before.
As expected, I have to handle this myself...
Ron chose option three without hesitation.
As a slight dizzy spell washed over him, Ron instantly found himself inside the simulation. Before him was Seele, in extremely low spirits, looking at him pitifully.
She was still waiting for the answer Ron was about to give.
Looking at the Seele before him, Ron gently plucked a fluttering butterfly from the air beside her. He watched as the phantom, condensed from Quantum energy, beat its wings in his hand, then flew toward the sky, trailing an illusory wake.
He smiled and, out of the blue, asked Seele:
"Seele, why do butterflies fly?"