CHAPTER 440: CHAPTER 440: THIS IS CLEARLY FATE. FATE SAYS, ‘HE’S DYING.’

"Task generated," Bubu’s voice announced, smooth and emotionless as ever. "Save the phoenix male. Reward: +467 points."

Isabella’s jaw dropped. "Nuh-uh."

The system flickered in confusion. "What do you mean, Nuh-uh?"

"I mean Nuh-uh!" she repeated, waving both hands in a big dramatic X in the air. "I’m not saving nobody. I’m done. I’m tired. I’m not doing another stupid quest that ends with me almost dying!"

"Host," Bubu said, in that condescendingly calm tone that made her blood pressure spike. "You can’t reject a task once it has been given."

"Well, guess what?" Isabella threw her hands up. "I just did. Nuh-uh means Nuh-uh. I’m not saving no one. I don’t even know him!"

The man’s body lay still a few feet away, golden light faintly pulsing around his broken form. Isabella pointed at him accusingly. "Look at him! This is clearly fate. Fate says, ’He’s dying.’ And what do you do when fate speaks? You let it cook!"

"That is not how fate works," Bubu replied.

"Yes, it is! I don’t know what this man did, who he fought, or what he owes, and you want me to carry him like a sack of potatoes? Nope. Absolutely not. I am not getting dragged into someone else’s mess again."

Bubu’s screen blinked once. "It builds character."

Isabella froze. Then, slowly, she turned toward the glowing screen, her expression blank. "Excuse me?"

"It builds character," Bubu repeated, cheerfully this time, as though that explained everything.

"Of course," Isabella muttered, rubbing her temples. "Of course, it’s building character. You and your eternal obsession with my character development. Every time I almost die, or cry, or get attacked by literal demon goats, it’s always—’Oh, Host, it builds character.’"

"Because it does," Bubu said matter-of-factly.

"Well, I don’t want my character built anymore!" she snapped. "I love my character the way it is! I’m perfectly fine being lazy, dramatic, and alive!"

Glimora chirped softly from her arm, as if agreeing. Isabella held her closer and nodded firmly. "See? Even Glimora agrees with me. You and your weird obsession with personal growth need therapy, Bubu."

"Host—"

"No, don’t ’Host’ me!" Isabella jabbed a finger at the hovering screen. "You want character growth? Grow your own! You’re always bossing me around, like, maybe you should take a walk for once. See how you like it."

Bubu blinked, long-suffering. "I do not have legs."

"Exactly! That’s why you don’t understand my pain!"

There was a brief, heavy silence. The only sound was the soft rustle of wind through the grass and the faint chirp of distant creatures.

Then Bubu sighed—a robotic sound that still somehow managed to carry the weight of eternal exhaustion. "Host, please refrain from dramatics. You will take the phoenix male to the pond near the waterfall cave."

Isabella blinked, brows furrowing. "Excuse me?"

"You will take him to the pond," Bubu repeated patiently. "That location is optimal for recovery."

Her jaw dropped. "The pond near the waterfall cave? You mean my next destination? Oh, so this was your plan all along!"

Bubu didn’t reply, only hovered silently, screen flickering like an unbothered deity.

"Oh my God." Isabella placed her hands on her hips, glaring at it. "Do you think just because I’m already going there, I’m going to give him a free ride? What am I, a celestial Uber?"

"That would be efficient," Bubu said.

"I was being sarcastic!"

"Still efficient."

Isabella let out a loud, incredulous laugh. "You’re unbelievable. Un-freaking-believable. Do you ever stop and think—’Hey, maybe my host doesn’t want to risk her life again after fighting shadow goats, climbing a cursed mountain, and walking ten thousand steps pregnant!’"

"I did consider that," Bubu said evenly.

"Oh, did you?"

"Yes. And determined that you would still survive."

"Bubu!" she screeched, clutching her head.

Glimora squeaked in alarm, hiding behind her arm like a tiny witness to the meltdown. Isabella took a deep, shaky breath, exhaling through her nose. "Okay. You know what? I’m not arguing with you anymore. You can take your task, your phoenix, your character development, and shove it—"

"Host," Bubu interrupted, voice suddenly sharper, "why do you always complain? You could complete the task quickly and leave this mountain faster."

"Because I don’t want to!" Isabella shot back immediately. "I’m done! I am on my way out. I’m leaving, right now. Goodbye, phoenix. Rest in peace. May your next life be less stressful than mine."

She turned dramatically on her heel, holding Glimora tightly and taking a single step—

Except... she didn’t.

Her foot stayed glued to the ground.

She blinked and tried again. Her leg didn’t move.

"What the..." Isabella frowned, tugging her other foot—and realized that one wasn’t moving either. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no. Bubu."

The system didn’t reply.

"Bubu, I swear, if this is what I think it is..." she began, voice rising as she struggled. Her arms wouldn’t move either. Glimora was frozen mid-blink in her hands. Even her hair had stopped swaying. "Bubu!"

The system’s screen pulsed brightly, now hovering directly before her face.

"You will take him to the water source," Bubu said firmly.

Isabella’s nostrils flared. She stared at the screen, eyes twitching, lips trembling with pure rage. "You—you did not just—"

"I did."

"You froze me?!" she shrieked, her voice echoing across the clearing. "Are you insane?! Who does that? Who freezes a pregnant woman?!"

"You refused to cooperate."

"Because I didn’t want to die again!" she yelled, her voice breaking halfway through. "I’m tired, Bubu! I just wanted to drink water and sleep!"

Bubu’s tone didn’t change. "You will take him to the water source."

Isabella’s entire body trembled—not because of fear, but because she was one second away from combusting. Her eyes darted to Glimora’s frozen face, her heart hammering in her chest. "I swear, you are the worst companion anyone could ever have. The worst! I could have been reincarnated with a talking cat, or a sword, or even a rock. But no! I got you!"

Her voice cracked into a near-scream. "ARGH!"