I Said This Isn't a Life Simulator! Section 45

"Haha~ Who let you provoke so many cute girls, Wang?"

"So this is all my fault?"

"Of course~?"

"Alright, alright, you're right about everything... What should we play next?"

"I want to ride the roller coaster! And the drop tower!"

"Ling! The drop tower is too dangerous."

"Then the roller coaster!"

"Sakura, did Ling trick you again?"

"...This kid just knows how to play smart."

"Ehehe~"

Laughter filled the air as they all clustered together, walking into the amusement park.

Since Eden had booked the entire place, lunch and dinner were naturally at the park's restaurants. Sakura's prepared meals weren't wasted either; they were shared among everyone, and they all praised Sakura's cooking heartily.

Everyone had a joyous time playing. Since there were no queues, they managed to try every attraction in the park. The only regret was that in the late afternoon, the sky had too many clouds, preventing them from enjoying a beautiful sunset on the Ferris wheel. It was a bit of a shame.

At night, after enjoying a few rides exclusive to the evening, and taking in the unique light show and fireworks display, everyone decided to rest for the night at the park's hotel—after all, since Eden, the big star, had booked it, why wouldn't they stay?

On the way to the hotel, Griseo and Ling walked at the very front of the group, playfully bickering with Hen and Blanca. Eden and Elysia followed slowly behind them. Perhaps because of the two children present, Eden was very restrained and hadn't had any alcohol since entering the park. She only occasionally hummed along to the atmosphere, singing songs. Meanwhile, Xi Wang and Sakura walked shoulder-to-shoulder, hand-in-hand, at the very end of the group, looking at everyone ahead with knowing smiles.

However...

Something was missing.

Xi Wang frowned slightly, and his head began to ache involuntarily again.

[Is something missing?]

Right, what was missing?

[Are you not satisfied? With everything now]

No, I'm very satisfied, I like it very much. Nothing could be more satisfying, it's just...

[Then why do you still feel confused?]

Because something is missing...

[Missing... Ah, I know]

"What's wrong, Wang?"

Elysia, who should have been walking ahead, stopped at some point and stood before him, asking with concern.

"Aren't you happy today?"

"No, I'm very happy. It just feels... like something is missing."

Xi Wang shook his head and then voiced his confusion.

"It's like there's a taste missing in my mouth... Ah, it's not that today's food wasn't good, it's just a feeling, like something is missing."

"Missing... what?"

Sakura beside him pondered for a moment, then, as if it were natural, reached into her bag.

"Missing something... I know!"

Elysia seemed to have thought of something and also turned to rummage through her shoulder bag.

"Is it this one! / Is it this one?" x2

Both of them simultaneously took a candy box out of their bags and offered it to Xi Wang.

Elysia spoke with her usual, confidently cheerful tone.

Sakura, however, looked at the candy box in her hand with a slightly confused expression, her tone becoming uncertain.

"..."

Xi Wang froze.

...Was it an illusion? He felt as if the air around him had solidified, the clouds in the sky had thickened, and the moonlight was gradually being obscured.

Xi Wang silently took the candy boxes from their hands and took out a white star-shaped candy from each, popping them into his mouth.

They were familiar tastes, and the sweetness filled the void.

But, was the air getting more humid? Was it going to rain?

"...It really is this... Where did this candy box come from?"

Xi Wang asked softly.

"Hehe~ I knew it, Wang always liked candy~ To think you forgot it today, but it's okay~ Sakura and I both brought some~?"

[Elysia]said this.

"Ah... Mm."

Sakura beside him was a little dazed, but she still nodded in agreement.

"...No, that's not right."

Xi Wang shook his head, denying it.

The cumulus clouds in the sky grew thicker, and the faint sound of thunder could even be heard.

"I said, I won't let them touch this thing."

Xi Wang slowly raised his head, meeting the gaze of the Elysia before him. The golden hue in his pupils shone like a star in the night, mesmerizing yet terrifying.

Drip... drip...

A light rain began to fall from the night sky.

"Absolutely not!"

In an instant, the rain became a torrential downpour.

Chapter 32: He Who Did Not Wake

"Mmm..."

The pungent smell of disinfectant filled Sakura's nostrils, mixed with something else. She sat up, holding her head, and swayed slightly. Her long, slender ears twitched. Thanks to her Fusion Warrior physique, Sakura's vision gradually cleared, and her perception of her surroundings returned.

"Where am I..."

"Sakura? You're awake~"

Elysia's surprised voice came from beside her. In the next moment, she felt Elysia's presence arrive.

"How are you? Did you sleep well? Are you awake~ Can you see my lovely self~"

"...I'm fine, Elysia... What's happening now?"

"...The Herrscher of the Eighth launched a surprise attack on the base. Their special power plunged many people into dreams. Although Dr. Mei and the others developed an antidote for mental attacks, many people still fell into a deep sleep." Elysia said softly.

"You were like that too, Sakura, but thankfully, you've woken up now."

"Is that so... it was... a dream..."

As if not fully recovered, Sakura murmured to herself, still a bit dazed.

So, marrying Xi Wang earlier... was it just her dream?

"...By the way, where are Ling and Xi Wang? How are they?"

Though still somewhat dazed, Sakura quickly regained her senses and grabbed Elysia's arm to ask.

"You don't need to worry about Ling, she's safe. It's just Xi Wang..."

Elysia opened her mouth, then shifted to the side, revealing Xi Wang lying behind her, and Dottore further away.

Unlike the others who had fallen into slumber, most people were experiencing their own pleasant dreams, their faces serene, with smiles on their lips, occasionally muttering unintelligible words. Xi Wang, however, was frowning, his body twitching slightly. Clearly, he was not having a good dream. Wounds even appeared on his body sporadically and inexplicably, as if his body was creating them itself.

As for Dottore, her condition was even worse than Xi Wang's.

The dire situation caused Sakura to instinctively move closer to Xi Wang and gently hold his hand, trying to comfort him through his nightmare.

"He and Dottore were pushed into a nightmare together by the Herrscher of the Eighth."

Mei's voice came from the side. Rubbing her increasingly furrowed brow from prolonged work, Mei, along with a group of researchers, approached Sakura and stopped. She then briefly explained the current situation to Sakura.

When Moth to Fire discovered the base had been invaded by a Herrscher, they immediately sounded the alarm, attempting to gather combat units. However, the Herrscher of the Eighth's unique mental abilities were difficult to guard against, and with targeted surprise attacks, prevention was impossible. In a short while, more than half the base's personnel had fallen into a dream state. If not for the timely distribution of targeted antidotes, the entire base might have been paralyzed.

Once no one else fell into slumber, Dr. Mei and the others began researching how to awaken those affected. With this goal in mind, they urgently developed a batch of antidotes for testing. The first to receive them were Sakura, Xi Wang, and Dottore, all three being Fusion Warriors. Even if the antidote had issues, they could recover due to their strong physiques.

Now, after being injected with the antidote, only Sakura had truly woken up. Xi Wang and Dottore remained unconscious, their once peaceful sleeping faces contorted in pain.

"Sakura, can you tell me how you woke up? This might help us in our research on the antidote."

Mei asked Sakura, now desperately needing to understand the situation within the dream and to do her best to ensure the two Fusion Warriors weren't targeted to death by the Herrscher... As precious combat power for Moth to Fire, they could not die like this.

"...I'm very sorry, I'm not entirely sure either."

Sakura recalled everything from the dream, but her memories of it had become blurred. She opened her mouth, but in the end, could only shake her head in disappointment and say apologetically.

"I just realized I was dreaming, and then I woke up."

"I see... Was it a good dream? At least, what you perceived as a good dream?"

"Yes."

"...That's the same as what others have said."

Mei frowned but didn't doubt her.

While it was difficult to wake oneself up from a Herrscher's dream, it was only "difficult," not impossible. A few people had indeed woken up, but their numbers were extremely few... Mei had naturally questioned those individuals, and their answers were all the same: after realizing they were dreaming, they naturally woke up. And the dreams they had experienced were all good dreams, without exception.

Coupled with the blissful expressions on their faces during sleep, Mei inferred that everyone was experiencing good dreams. When people completely succumbed to these good dreams, they would naturally die... This was the Herrscher of the Eighth's ultimate move.

After all, reality was so cruel, while everything in the dream was so beautiful. Ordinary people would follow their instinct to pursue beauty and choose the dream, thereby falling into the Herrscher of the Eighth's trap. Furthermore, the overly realistic dream made it difficult for those within it to realize they were dreaming. Therefore, once ensnared, it was very difficult to wake up, essentially a death sentence.

But now... looking at the pained expressions on Xi Wang and Dottore's faces, Mei felt they had underestimated the Herrscher of the Eighth.