Chapter 58: Please don’t let me die stupidly

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Please don’t let me die stupidly "A hand fan?" she muttered. "Are you joking?" [No.] She narrowed her eyes. "Why do I need a fan?" [No reason.] "Liar." [Incorrect. I am an advanced system. I do not lie.] Oh, please. A fancy fan? For 500 points? What was she supposed to do, flirt the pet into submission? She crossed her arms. "I’m not buying it." [You must buy it.] "No." [Yes.] "NO." [YES.] "BUBU, I HAVE TWENTY POINTS." Silence. Then— [...Then I will put it on credit.] Isabella blinked. "...Credit?" [Yes. The amount will be deducted from your next earnings.] She considered it. It wasn’t like she had a choice. And if the system was this insistent, it probably meant doom awaited her. "...Fine." She sighed. "Put it on credit." [Purchase complete!] The moment the words flashed, something shimmered in the air, and suddenly— POOF. A gorgeous pink-and-white hand fan appeared in her inventory space. She sighed. Why did this feel like a trap? With the fan secured, she turned to Ophelia, who was still staring at her—big, round puppy eyes practically begging for an explanation. "...What?" Isabella asked. "You just fought thin air." Ophelia’s chubby cheeks puffed out. "Are you okay?" "...I’m fine." Isabella patted her shoulder. "I’ll be back soon. Just gonna go get some herbs." And with that, she marched into the unknown. ...What could possibly go wrong? Isabella had been wandering for almost an hour. The jungle was dense, humid, and full of unpleasant surprises—like the giant bugs that kept trying to land on her face. Her feet ached. Her patience was gone. And worst of all? Bubu had been suspiciously silent. Her eye twitched. "Alright, Bubu," she snapped. "Where exactly is this pet?" [Took you long enough.] She froze. "Excuse me?" [Check your map.] ...Map? What map? Isabella paused. Then realization hit her like a brick. Oh. THAT map. The one the system had dumped onto her face when she first arrived. The ancient, unreadable, pirate-movie map. She had completely forgotten it existed. With a deep sigh, she reached into her inventory space and pulled it out. As she unfolded the crinkled parchment... Isabella stared at the map like it had personally offended her. This thing was ancient—crinkled parchment, faded ink, and weird, looping text that may as well be written in alien symbols. She turned it upside down. Nothing. She squinted. Tilted her head. Rotated it again. Maybe if she— Nope. Still unreadable. Her eye twitched. "Bubu," she said slowly. "How am I supposed to use this if it looks like it belongs in a pirate’s grave?" [Figure it out.] "...Excuse me?" [You heard me.] "You’re the worst system ever." [Incorrect. I am an advanced—] "Shut up." She glared at the map. This stupid task had already taken almost an hour, and now she had to decipher hieroglyphics in the middle of a jungle? Unbelievable. With a deep sigh, she studied it again. Maybe... maybe there was a trick? She traced her finger along the parchment, looking for patterns. At first, it was chaos. The symbols blurred, her head hurt, and she was two seconds away from burning it. But then— Her eyes caught something. A faint shimmer in the ink. Huh? She looked closer. As if responding to her focus, the letters... shifted. She gasped. The text transformed into clearer shapes, no longer as chaotic as before. It was still handwritten, but smoother, like someone had cleaned up the messy script. And at the very bottom... A tiny compass. She blinked. The compass needle spun wildly before settling—pointing northwest. Right towards... A mountain. She followed the ink trail. Yep. That was her destination. She let out a breath. "Finally," she muttered. "Something useful." Now, she just had to— Her foot throbbed. She winced, glancing down at her bare, aching feet. Right. She’d been walking for hours on rocks, twigs, and who-knows-what-else. She needed shoes. "Bubu," she said, rubbing her temple. "Let me buy some footwear on credit—nothing more than 10 points." [Denied.] "...What?" [Only one option is available. Slippers. 30 points.] "Slippers?!" [Slippers.] Her eye twitched. She had 20 points left. Buying those would put her 10 points in debt. "Why not boots?" she grumbled. [Insufficient credit. Take it or leave it.] Isabella rolled her eyes. "Fine. Give me the stupid slippers." DING! [Slippers purchased on credit. -30 points.] A pair of simple, woven slippers materialized in her inventory space. She pulled them out. They looked... flimsy. But hey. Better than nothing. She slid them on, sighed in relief, and finally turned toward the mountain ahead. Time to find this stupid pet. Isabella finally reached the mountain, expecting to find the pet waiting somewhere at the base—easy, simple, done. But oh, no, no. That would’ve been too merciful. Instead, the system expected her to climb the stupid thing. She stared at the towering mountain ahead, her jaw clenched so tight it could crack a diamond. No. Absolutely not. She inhaled, exhaled, and then very calmly— "BUBU, BE FOR REAL." DING! [Be for real? I am always real.] She ignored the urge to strangle something. "You want me—ME—to climb a mountain?" She flung a hand at herself. "In this dress? With these nails?!" She held up her hands dramatically, flashing her naturally perfectly shaped nails. There was a beat of silence. Then— [Correct.] "I think the hell not." [I think the hell yes.] She glared at the glowing system screen. This was madness. She didn’t know the first thing about mountain climbing! Was she a goat? A lizard? A trained professional? No. She was a hot, struggling woman in a ridiculous jungle with zero experience and a death wish from her own system. Her slippers barely counted as shoes. Her fur dress? Way too impractical. And climbing?! With these arms?! She flexed her wrist. Yep. Still weak. "Bubu," she tried again, voice calmer. "Be serious. How am I supposed to climb a mountain when I barely survived walking on flat ground?" [Figure it out.] A vein popped in her forehead. [Use your surroundings. Be creative.] Creative. Right. Okay. Think. Fast and smart. Her eyes scanned the area. Tall trees. Large rocks. Thick vines— Wait. Vines. Her mind whirred. Could she... use them? She eyed the thick, winding vines creeping up the trees and rocks. What if she tied them together? Made some kind of rope? It wouldn’t be perfect, but it was better than bare hands and prayer. She cracked her knuckles. "Alright," she muttered. "Time to be resourceful." She ripped at the vines, pulling them down and tying them into a long, thick rope. It took effort—the vines were stubborn, snapping at odd angles, and her arms burned. But after what felt like forever, she had a decent makeshift rope. Now came the actual climbing. She tied the vine around a sturdy rock as an anchor, took a deep breath, and— "Please don’t let me die stupidly," she whispered, then grabbed on. One step. Then another. And another. Her arms shook. Her legs burned. Sweat dripped down her back. But she kept going. Higher. Higher. Her breath was ragged. Her nails? Ruined. But her will? Unbreakable. "I swear," she muttered, gripping the vine tighter, "if this ’pet’ is a freaking hamster, I’m gonna scream."