Have you ever imagined that mechanism that made it possible to avoid an important battle in a game? Some players, sometimes, choose to avoid the easy path and opt for a battle against the mini-bosses, to make the game more entertaining and more engaging, especially when it wasn't the first time the quest was done.
Stephan was that kind of player. He avoided the easy scenarios and opted for the difficult ones instead. However, this was his reality now and it was better to avoid battling as much as possible. Not only was he to avoid death but also it was because he was lazy. He didn't want to take the long route unless it made him earn considerable time. With his current level and skills, it would take him a long time to battle one mini-boss… That if he didn't die before.