Return of the Runebound Professor - Chapter 423: Wise choices

A side story series featuring the girls of Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon.

“Chief, it’s bad; our people are injured! Hurry, take them to the Divine Tree!”“Chief, it’s bad; our people are on the brink of death, about to perish! Quick, to the Divine Tree!”“Chief, it’s bad; our people have just passed away! Quickly, to the Divine Tree, and do not let the body grow cold on the way!”Reincarnated as a frail locust tree, Ji Yang merely wished to bask in the sun each day, gaze upon the moon, and live a leisurely life.Yet, years later, as Ji Yang looked down upon all beings, he suddenly realized that this world lay upon his roots and within his shade.And that initial small clan, unbeknownst to him, had its name resound through the heavens!

In a world ravaged by radiation and the remnants of war, Dylan is far from a classic hero. A lieutenant with a tainted past, he's just trying to survive the ruins of a dying world... until the day he wakes up bound and surrounded by the mutilated corpses of his comrades.Captured by monstrous creatures, he soon realizes he’s been transported to another world. A world far more dangerous, far more brutal—where only the strong survive, and even monsters are hunted. Saved in extremis by Maggie, his commanding officer, he begins a desperate escape. Their only hope may lie in their encounter with Élisa, an elf abandoned by her kin, and their discovery of a mysterious power: anima gems—stones imbued with spiritual essence that can enhance body and soul, and unlock the path to awakening.No One under 18 admitted

I don’t need companions. I don’t do party play. But… the game forces party play?