HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

Upon finding a pond that appeared clean and devoid of any demonic presence, the adorable Theresa finally began to set up barriers around its edge.

Yes, you read that right—barriers.

Four years with Kikyō hadn't been entirely wasted; she'd mastered most basic barrier techniques by now.

Compared to Kaede, the little shrine maiden, her talent was undoubtedly superior.

After casting an invisibility barrier, Theresa approached the pond's shoreline and slowly stripped off her clothes.

Having lived as a girl for four years, Theresa no longer felt self-conscious about such actions. Moreover, compared to Yae Sakura, her youthful figure undoubtedly lacked much interest or allure.

Of course, for those who were fans of Tericula, Theresa at this moment is nothing short of a perfect creation.

It seemed as if heaven itself had blessed her with such grace.

Though, it must be acknowledged that this perfection was Otto's handiwork.

And likely, even our esteemed Lord Otto had grown weary of gazing upon Theresa's body by now. The thought struck her... A sudden urge surged through the adorable Theresa—a desire to take an axe and end the life of this so-called "grandfather," Otto himself.

"System, is there any chance I could visit the Honkai Impact world?" Theresa inquired curiously.

There might be.

"But seriously, how would that help? Even if I went over there, I wouldn't stand a chance against him!" Realization dawned on Theresa, leaving her feeling utterly helpless—unless... she somehow transformed into Kallen or someone like her.

Then, perhaps she'd have a shot at teaching Lord Otto a lesson. For instance, she could embarrass him right before his eyes by becoming intimate with another woman...

No wait! That idea was far too inappropriate and unethical. Better not to dwell on such thoughts.

-

Pushing aside those chaotic thoughts, Theresa—now completely naked—stepped into the pond to wash herself.

Her discarded clothes instantly refreshed clean on their own.

In this game, clothing wasn't ordinary attire; each piece came with built-in repair and cleaning capabilities.

Even if they were reduced to fragments, these items could be regenerated anew—a special feature that made them unique pieces of equipment. Though admittedly, they didn't contribute much to one's combat strength.

-

As I washed my body, Tericula put her hand on her chest...

"Flat as a pancake..." she murmured wistfully. "The principle sure is wealthy! To have such an impressive 'airfield' at such a young age."

There was absolutely no sensation beneath her touch.

I really don't understand what's so good about little girls. Is it just to satisfy those people's twisted desires?

There was absolutely no sensation beneath her touch.

-

After rinsing off thoroughly, I stepped ashore and donned my freshly cleaned Gothic attire once more.

Feeling this dress... it's amazing.

I slipped on black gloves, then strapped the Blood Embrace to my back again, concealing it within the imaginary space.

Time to continue searching!

"Is this an apple?"

After wandering for some time, Theresa found herself lost once more—though not surprising, as there were no proper paths here, only vast stretches of dense forests.

To her unexpected delight, she stumbled upon a tree bearing what appeared to be apples. However, Theresa couldn't be certain if they indeed were apples or not.

She hesitated briefly. As a vampire princess, should she fear an unknown fruit? After all, within Luna Kindred lay the power of miniature Gene Honkai Beasts—

Gathering courage, she plucked one of these fruits and took a bite.

It was incredibly sour, hardly resembling the taste of an apple, yet it seemed free from toxicity.

Picking several more that looked slightly more appealing, Theresa continued walking in a single direction until she heard sounds of battle in the distance.

"Ellen, you go first," said one of them calmly. "Leave these demonic beasts to me."

"No way! If we leave, it'll be together or not at all!"

In a forest where a barely discernible path was already overtaken by grass, three adventurers found themselves locked in combat with a horde of monstrous creatures.

These were no ordinary intelligent demons; instead, they resembled massive spiders—each two or three meters wide—and had begun encircling the trio of adventurers, now numbering only ten individuals. The group consisted of two men and a woman, with the latter protected between her male companions.

"It's coming down to this," announced their leader, the heavy warrior. "Ellen, ready your magic. I'll draw their attention while Gido harasses them from the flank." With that, he raised his weapon, preparing to attract the monsters' focus.

However, the spider-like abominations suddenly spat out webs en masse.

The heavy warrior was instantly entrapped within the sticky confines. Gido, the thief who moved to rescue him, met the same fate as he too became ensnared.

The female adventurer, wielding her magical staff, hastily summoned a volley of ice arrows directed towards the spider beasts. One creature fell under her assault, but against over a dozen foes, her efforts seemed futile.

As the spider beasts rapidly closed in, poised to pounce on the trio at any moment—

"Unclean Twin Blades!"

A flash of blood-red swordlight streaked through the air. In an instant, one of the leaping spider beasts was cleaved apart, its remains plummeting lifeless to the ground.

The spider monsters' corpses disintegrated into several pieces, scattering across the ground.

As the three adventurers gazed upon the scene, they beheld a young maiden with long white hair... or rather, a young maiden who stood before them like a princess of the night.

Her exquisite features were both beautiful and delicate, her stature perfectly proportioned...

She appeared as if straight from a dream—like a royal princess descending from fantasy itself.

An aura of unique charm emanated from her, compelling one to kneel at her feet and kiss even her toes in reverence.

Unclean Thorns!

In that instant, the elegant princess tossed her blood-red twin blades forth without warning.

With breathtaking speed, the swords pierced through every spider monster on either side before automatically returning to her grasp—a feat reminiscent of Draven's spinning axes.

(TL Note: League of Legends character)

No—not quite like Draven; more akin to a legendary sword immortal controlling his weapons with sheer willpower alone.

Every spider creature impaled by those crimson edges instantly turned to desiccated husks. Their very essence had been absorbed by the twin blades, leaving nothing but lifeless remains behind.

"Are you all right?" Theresa asked, her striking red eyes fixed intently on the trio of adventurers before her.

"We're... we're fine, thank you this..." The three stumbled over their words, momentarily speechless as they took in the sight of this girl standing there amidst them—a vision of ethereal beauty, like a dream incarnate. Unsure how to address her, they faltered, caught between awe and gratitude.

"I'm Theresa," she replied.

"Thank you for your help; without you, we might have been in real trouble."

"That's right, thank you so much!" The three adventurers gazed at Theresa with deep gratitude.

"No need to thank me. Even if I hadn't intervened, those spider monsters wouldn't have stood a chance against you." As Theresa observed the trio before her—especially the two male adventurers—she could tell that their true strength far surpassed what they had demonstrated.

If they were to remove the seals on themselves, these spider beasts would be no match for them whatsoever.

"But then... why did you intervene?" one of the men ventured to ask, sensing that there was more to this encounter than met the eye.

"You're too kind," the other echoed, realizing from Theresa's gaze that she knew something about them.

After a moment, Theresa put away her Blood Embrace and spoke up, "Since I've introduced myself already, shouldn't you all do the same?"

"I'm Ellen, a mage and a member of the Freedom Association," the blonde female adventurer quickly introduced herself.

"I'm Kaval, also from the Freedom Association. My class is heavy warrior," the middle-aged man leading the group said next.

Lastly, the younger male adventurer introduced himself, "Gido, scout for our team, and by profession, a thief."

"..."

As Theresa listened to their introductions, her eyes lit up with surprise at this unexpected encounter.

Reincarnated as a Slime—this anime I had watched before my transmigration, she thought to herself.

Though it had been four years since she last saw the show, perhaps as some kind of perk from the System, she still retained knowledge of its plot developments.

These three individuals were none other than the rookie adventurers closely intertwined with the early and even mid-storyline of Reincarnated as a Slime, weren't they?

Naturally, these three were no ordinary rookies.

The girl called Ellen was actually the daughter of Duke Erald of the Sorcerous Dynasty of Sarion.

Kaval, as both leader and heavy warrior at the front, had originally been a member of the royal guard in Sarion. Ellen's father had placed him with Ellen for protection.

Gido, the remaining member of their trio, was also from the royal guard, there solely to protect her.

"What brings you all to the Great Jura Forest?" Theresa asked curiously. "May I join your group?"

"Of course we'd love to have you!" one of the male adventurers replied eagerly. "With such a cute yet formidable little sister like you along, it'd be more than welcome!"

Before either of the two men could respond further, Ellen excitedly took hold of Theresa's hand in agreement.

Seeing they were outvoted, the pair fell silent.

"...Little sister..." The words hung in the air, causing the corners of Theresa's mouth to twitch involuntarily...

Hearing this nickname, the corners of Theresa's mouth twitched uncontrollably...

Am I really younger than you?