Inhale, exhale.

Think about it.

No, priorities come first.

After motioning for Brian to stay, I walked over to the security door where Selina had taken us and tested the handle. It didn't have a lock, so I took a deep breath and slowly opened it and raised the gun.

The interior of the room was similar to the one we stayed in before, only the furniture was different. I moved in and made sure to check the corners first because it felt good...... I've heard it shouting in video games before. After sweeping the lounge, attached camera room, and bathroom, I brought Brian in. Closing the door behind me, I sighed.

"Why stopped?" Brian asked, looking up at me.

"I ...... "I'm on my own." I was just...... It takes a little time to plan the next step. You can...... Take a break, okay? ”

He nodded to me and sat down on the couch. I leaned against the wall by the door and closed my eyes. After a while, I turned my mind to Selene.

"You said there were fourteen cursed. For example, there are fourteen near the entrance to the Vault? ”

[Right.] Because of the open space, I am afraid that if I shoot it, I will be discovered. ]

"I don't ...... I don't know what we should do

Congratulations, you've killed two cursed ones, almost killed one, and now you're facing fourteen! It feels more like a disgusting joke.

You can buy things to heal yourself. You have a gun and a booster that allows you to kill three or four cursers at the low end without having to reload. You also have a stealth scout and advisor. Hurt the beauty!

If you leave Brian here for the time being, you just need to protect yourself in the conflict. So I want to ask you, as a magical girl, what exactly is holding you back? ]

I mean, the possibility of injury is always there, but the pain ...... It's really not a problem. The pain didn't scare me, it had been for a long time. But it did worry me and immediately think about how to avoid it.

In fact, I'm probably going to have to take the plunge, I'm already a magical girl......

But many magical girls tend to see their new lives as playing video games in response to new characters. Considering your talents, maybe this would be a better way to look at things? ]

Video game? It's ridiculous, that's the reality -

Oh.

It also makes sense. I now have a status menu. Stats, abilities, enhancements, and even special items with rare value...... My life is now more like a game than reality. Of course, I won't be reborn if I die, but ...... When did I make my life as sacrificial in the game?

"Okay...... I could try, but to be honest, I don't think I have enough experience with the game......"

Selene tilted his head at me with a confused expression.

[Within two weeks of playing Magical Girl Sunset Rebellion, your progress has reached the top 6% of players.] You've never died. At that point, you enter the fifth dungeon without spending any currency. Even after defeating the Dungeon Bosses, you'll often go back and fight them completely alone, as if you were training them. ]

I moved uncomfortably.

"I ...... I want to get better as soon as possible

Whenever I first encountered an enemy, I would engage it and then dodge at the edge of their range while observing what kind of attack they would make. Once I memorized them, it was fairly easy to fight around them. If the monsters that are now doing the same......

All right. If I play it as a game, what will be my next step?

I have an escort mission that basically has the enemy guard the target point. I can't confront them directly, because they have a huge numerical advantage. To make matters worse, the longer I wait to process them, the better the chances of more arrivals. Unable to take a slow and steady approach, I had to make the most of the tools I could use.

Use systems and doors. My system will be a passive help, albeit a rather small help considering that I only get a fraction of the stat bonus outside of the transition state. To be honest, I haven't felt any difference so far, but I'm also only level one. This leaves the gates of my magical shopping mall. The problem is that I only have ten points to spend......

If you have fourteen enemies, you'll have a lot of points to spend after you get rid of them. By using the First Aid Library, I can also get instant first aid if something goes wrong.

So healing is not a problem. All that remains is the battle. If it was a game, I would ...... More information is needed. Enemies, terrain, possible escape routes. These will be the main elements of the plan. This means......

I slowly turned to Brian and took a deep breath to calm myself. He sat on the couch and played with his statue. The expression on his face is very relaxed when he plays, and when he makes the toy in a different pose, it creates a quiet sound effect. A smile twitched at the corner of my mouth.

"Brian?" I asked, and he turned to me. "I ...... I need to get out, um, scout the rest of the road to the shelter. This...... It may take a while, but you'll be safe here. I promise I won't be away for too long, but you have to lock the door, okay? ”

"All right," he replied with a simple nod.

I blinked.

"You...... Aren't you afraid? I asked, shaking his head vigorously.

"Nope! You're really cool and have beaten two of them! And you have guns! You're like a magical girl in real life, so I'm not worried! ”

I didn't try to say anything, just motioned for him to come over, and as he approached, I opened the door and walked into the hallway with Selena. I closed the door behind me and waited a moment before shaking the handle to make sure it was locked.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't expect Brian to be so useful at such a young age and with a lack of understanding of the situation, but I think it makes sense. I've killed two cursed ones.

[Do you have a plan?] Celine interrupted my thoughts, and I blinked.

"Okay, sorry." I frowned and whispered. "I'm still used to talking to you in my head. I forgot that you didn't just read my mind. ”

[It's completely understandable, there is no need to apologize.] I'll ask us about our next steps, though. ]

"So...... I think let's find out where they are first. I need to see what types of curses and terrain are available before I can plan further. Doesn't that sound ......? ”

[Reasonable choice,] Selina said, her tail wagging together in a ball. [Do you want me to lead the way?] 】

I nodded, and off we went. This time, we moved faster and didn't take the time to take care of Brian. It also makes walking through the mall even more spooky. The dim red light kept changing the dark reflections around me, and I felt myself unconsciously clenching my gun.

Despite this, we managed to reach a corridor that led directly to the central area of the level relatively quickly. There was a large flower pot near the entrance of the cave with a tree on top of it, and I crouched in front of the pot and looked around through the leaves.

It was originally a fairly open, high-ceilinged space dotted with food trucks, stalls, and kiosks selling a variety of goods. Banners and signage of various merchandise crowd the place, complicating the winding path. It reminds me more of a chaotic market.

My stomach clenched. I saw one or two hounds that I had already encountered on the prowl, but my gaze quickly passed over them to see a figure twitching in the darker shadows. It looks a bit humanoid, but squatting on all fours with its back bent. They are covered in smooth black skin that blends in with the darkness and it is difficult to make out any of their other features, it has a pair of large hands and thick bony claws. In contrast to the hound, the creature stands motionless, only occasionally shaking at seemingly random intervals.

"What are those?" I asked Selina mentally while holding the gun.

[Some kind of ghoul.] Belonging to the striker type, they are slower than the hounds, but their paws are not to be underestimated. Higher level ghouls can tear and chew metal like paper. Such a painful experience!

"Are there any other kinds? So where is the entrance to the shelter? ”

[The vault has a large staircase leading to the center of the room, but is not visible from here.] There are two other types of curses here. If you look up, you can see the first one. ]

My eyes were fixed on the ceiling, looking for new enemies. It took me a while to make out a lump in a particularly deep darkness. It was quite far away from me, and I had to squint to see what I was looking at. As I began to make out a faint insect shape, I felt even more nervous.

"That's ...... A giant hornet? ”

[A flying type that fires a stinger at a person from a distance.] Agile and difficult to hit, but otherwise quite weak. ]

I was shivering. But the thought of a cat-sized bee firing giant needles at me makes me a little sick.

"Okay...... And the last one? ”

[I can't see it from here, but I only see one.] Imagine a giant gorilla wearing large armor. Tough guy. It should be slow and inflexible, but it takes considerable damage when put down, and is quite powerful. ]

I nodded. So, in addition to hounds, ghouls, wasps, and gorillas, there are skirmishers, strikers, pilots, and fighters. Sele

e categorizing them actually does help, especially when I see them as video game enemies. Hounds and wasps are my biggest concern because of their speed. Everything else, theoretically I was able to keep a distance and shoot from a relatively safe location.

I thought about the plan until Selina reappeared and glided to a stop next to me.

[One gorilla, three wasps, four ghouls, six hounds.] ]

It's a good collection, but it's not planned......

My gaze rested on a fire extinguisher on a pillar. There was a small photo booth next to it with a ladder on top of it, and my eyes widened as I looked between the two objects.

I nodded, my mind full of possibilities. I thought about the plan a few more times before I nodded. It's definitely gameplay.

"I think I have a plan," I moved slightly. "But it might be a bit ...... Kitschy. ”