Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 185

Chapter 185: A Path of No Return and a Positive Attitude

The rest area was spacious, with walls and ceiling shaped like a cave, remodeled to resemble a comfortable hotel room.

It was about the size of a living room in a house for six people.

Since there is no excretion function due to the game’s specifications, toilets and the like are not included.

It did have a kitchen for cooking, and in a separate room, six beds were set up to accommodate the full party of six.

There was also a bath for fatigue recovery, and when Kuro went to check it out, she excitedly reported that it was like a hot spring.

When Arisa, who had been watching their backs, cautiously entered the area, the door automatically closed behind her and locked.

Right after that, the ground shook slightly, and following a light tremor, there was a loud noise on the other side of the door, as if something had collapsed.

Arisa and Sora exchanged looks. Sora touched the door to check, and a warning message appeared: ?A problem has occurred beyond this point. For safety reasons, the door cannot be opened.?

“Oh, could this be…?”

“This is a typical game scenario, isn’t it? Does this mean we can’t go back the way we came?”

Sora, drawing from past gaming experiences, guessed what might come next.

In this type of game setup, the only possible outcome that came to mind was one: they likely needed to conquer the “Undersea Temple” at the final location to find a way to return to the surface.

Whether this would be through a teleportation gate in the central square of each nation or through a magical circle was something they wouldn’t know until they reached the end.

Still, Sora felt grateful that they wouldn’t have to retrace their steps on foot.

“With the path blocked, it also means we don’t need to worry about attacks from behind anymore.”

“Thinking positively, that’s true, Arisa-san. But in a less ideal sense, it also means that if we run into trouble ahead, we won’t have an escape route.”

“If you’re concerned about an escape route, you’re still green as an adventurer. We’re always one step from danger. We need the resolve to overcome whatever comes with strength and power.”

Ah, that’s right. She’s the type who solves everything by force.

Sora clearly remembered how she’d defeated the gray angel Iblis with a “just hit it” approach.

She must have handled all previous difficulties with sheer power.

Her face was dead serious, radiating an intensity that Sora couldn’t ignore.

“…Well, I think there’s some truth to that way of thinking. But in a game with limited lives, losing just one could impact everything later, so I can’t help but be a little cautious, you know?”

“Hehe, let me share something good with you, Sora-chan.”

“Something good?”

“Don’t worry about what’s ahead. Just enjoy the present to the fullest. Nothing good ever comes from looking back in life. In fact, ever since I started playing this game with that mindset, I’ve only died a total of five times.”

“F-Five times…!?”

Only five deaths at level 150? That’s just monstrous.

Seeing Sora’s stunned expression, Arisa smiled in satisfaction and moved away to join Kuro.

Watching the mother and daughter explore the rest area together, Sora silently repeated Arisa’s words to herself.

“Enjoy the present to the fullest…”

Coming from someone at level 150 and stuck in this world, it sounded incredibly persuasive.

Looking back, Sora realized that, unlike at the beginning, there was now a sense of obligation creeping into her gaming.

If asked whether she was genuinely having fun, she couldn’t answer with a confident “Yes.”

But Arisa understood her circumstances and still found enjoyment in the game.

“I’ve got to take a page out of her book,” Sora thought, chuckling to herself as she lightly slapped her cheeks to focus.

“Alright, let’s at least check out the next stage.”

She tapped the empty space in front of her to display the room’s layout map. The area marked “NEXT” was blinking as if beckoning her.

There were two exits: one where she currently stood, marked with an “X,” and another pathway leading outside on the opposite side.

Sora quickly grasped the overall layout and walked directly toward the location with the door.

There, she found a large door labeled ?Trial of Strength?.

With a theme of “Strength,” she figured it would likely be a dungeon where they had to fight their way through enemies.

Unfortunately, her Insight Skill couldn’t reveal what lay ahead.

When she touched the door, a window popped up with a warning: ?Opening this door will disable the safe zone.? It prompted her to choose between opening or leaving it closed.

“So that’s how it works, huh.”

“Hmm, judging by this message, it’s probably a midpoint or final rest area, right?”

Having finished her exploration, Inori peeked over Sora’s screen and shared her thoughts.

Nodding at her insight, Sora chose to keep the door closed, watching as the window disappeared before turning back to her.

“Looks like we won’t be able to log out once we open it, so maybe we should wrap it up for today.”

“Indeed, it’s already past 10 p.m. in the real world, and we’ve got school tomorrow, so I agree with that plan.”

If they went further, it was impossible to predict how much time it might take.

In a full-dive VR game, playing for extended periods without breaks could lead to a trip to the hospital, so it was good to have a reason to pause.

Once they had decided on this plan, Sora and Inori moved away from the door to inform Kuro and the others, heading back to the room with the living area.

There, they found Kuro and the others, now inexplicably dressed in swimsuits.

“I… I can’t keep up with what’s happening here…”

Only a few minutes had passed since Sora left to check the door.

But in that short time, the three of them had changed from combat gear into swimsuits, leaving Sora bewildered and her brain struggling to process.

Noticing them, Kuro, in an adorable white one-piece swimsuit, approached with a cheerful smile and said:

“Sora, let’s all go to the hot spring together!”

“Uh… what?”

“Hehe, it’s a genuine stone-built hot spring!”

“I checked as well, and it seems that while we’re in this dungeon, we’ll have a buff that reduces fatigue buildup,” Inori added.

“Sora-kun, it would be a shame to miss this!” chimed in Laura, wearing a refreshing blue one-piece swimsuit.

Arisa, in a daring triangular bikini that exuded mature charm, and Inori, who was now changing her armor to a cute frilly swimsuit right beside Sora without hesitation, each encouraged her.

Sensing danger, Sora quickly tapped at the empty space, bringing up the interface to log out. But logging out required two seconds, and in that split second, Arisa, a seasoned warrior, swiftly caught her hand.

“Hehehe, I’m not letting you escape so easily.”

“Ugh, I was one second away from logging out!”

Using the feature where the screen closes automatically if the player’s hand moves far enough away, Arisa prevented Sora’s escape by holding her hand tightly. Then, positioning herself behind her, she locked her in a playful hold and grinned mischievously.

“This buff that reduces fatigue buildup is essential if we’re moving forward. If you don’t quietly join us, Kuro and I will have to sandwich you and scrub you ourselves!”

Her threat was extreme.

Next to her, Kuro blushed with determination in her eyes, while Inori and Laura looked at her with expectant gazes, as if waiting for permission to join in as well.

With a deep sigh and a reluctant expression, Sora glanced around, realized there was no escape, and reluctantly nodded.

“Fine… I get it…”