Ark Simulator: Don't I Have No Physical Form?

The patrolling guards were frequent, and guards at different positions could monitor one another to prevent anyone from disappearing without a trace.

But even such tight security was merely a somewhat troublesome math problem for Su Rui and Ren Dong.

As long as they found a suitable point of breakthrough, the entire defensive system would gradually crumble.

For example, after casually strangling a guard unconscious with a rope, Ren Dong directly snapped his neck.

"Wow, it's started. Hide him in the cabinet, right beside you."

Ren Dong glanced at the cabinet, casually stuffed the man inside, then looked at the guards Su Rui had marked.

You're not seriously planning to make me stuff every one of them into cabinets, are you?

This was not a game. One cabinet could not hold that many people.

"Don't worry, I considered that long ago."

Su Rui spoke casually as he marked several cabinets that could hide people. "I've already mapped it out. These are all the fastest routes, but is there an even faster way? Strangling people with a rope still feels a little too slow."

If you can accurately mark the arteries at the backs of their necks, it can indeed be faster.

"No problem."

Such a request was practically effortless for Su Rui.

So, he casually marked the spots where a single strike could kill.

And just like that, the guards within the estate began disappearing one by one, yet none of the men monitoring each other noticed a thing.

"Come to think of it, don't these guards check in regularly? I haven't detected any communication signals."

Ren Dong paused, realizing the issue. If they communicate, do you have a way to handle it?

"Of course. I can directly spoof communication signals, voices, and every other trait. When it comes to networks, communications, and electronic devices, I'm omnipotent."

Su Rui sounded extremely smug, but after speaking, he seemed to feel underappreciated.

"But the people here aren't using this technology. You built Mobile Cities this huge, and you even have things like phones. Why is the security still so primitive?"

Because we don't need those things.

Ren Dong smiled. Everything here suited Syracuse's current state. Not changing was good for preserving the status quo, and the greatest beneficiaries of that status quo were the Families.

"Fine, I get it. Let's get rid of them quickly. Oh, I saw they're carrying daggers. The timing's perfect, so I'll teach you a throwing technique."

Are you sure? If you make a mistake, we'll be discovered. Though she questioned Su Rui aloud, Ren Dong still casually picked up a knife and held it in her hand.

"Trust me, there won't be a problem. It's right ahead. I'll mark the movements, direction, and force for you. Just follow the feeling."

Su Rui marked the angle and guided Ren Dong's body as she threw the blade in her hand.

With the sound of the dagger slicing through the air, a patrol guard who happened to be passing by was struck by the thrown blade and fell stiffly to the ground.

"Wow, that's too horrible to look at. I'm a kindhearted person; I can't bear such bloody scenes."

Su Rui spoke in an exaggerated tone within Ren Dong's mind, then urged her on.

"Quick, toss him into the cabinet. The blood hasn't reached the floor yet. It'll be hard to clean up later."

I know.

Positioning the body so the blood would not drip onto the ground as she tried to hide it, Ren Dong looked at the unlucky man whose eye had been pierced by the dagger into his brain, somewhat curious.

Did you calculate that too?

"Of course. After studying your movement habits, as long as you use the right angle and proper force, no target can escape your attack range."

So that was it. Ren Dong nodded. Unfortunately, this kind of assassination demanded silence, so with patrols around, it was not suitable for indiscriminate use.

"All right, let's go. Grab a few more knives on the way, then keep moving."

As she advanced, Ren Dong cleaned up the scene along the way, causing the inside of the Family estate to gradually grow quieter.

The patrolling men gradually vanished, yet no one knew where they had gone, and no one came out to ask.

Because Ren Dong had already dealt with every last one of them.

"Come to think of it, I thought you'd worry about people like the chefs."

Those people can't enter the Family's inner areas. Anyone who can move around here is a mafia member involved in the Family's business.

"What about cleaners and the like?"

They work under the supervision of Family members, and they must leave immediately once they're done.

"Normally, that kind of supervision wouldn't be too strict, right?"

If the hired worker has long-term work experience with the Family, then it indeed won't be overly harsh.

Ren Dong chatted with Su Rui in her mind as they made their way to the Family's most central location.

It was the rooftop of the Family mansion. At that moment, the Family head sat there with a glass of red wine in hand, overlooking the venue below.

"There are a lot of people up there, and it's an open area. Looks like we can't avoid their line of sight."

Even you have no solution?

"I really don't. This isn't a game where tossing a coin only draws one person over. In reality, the slightest disturbance puts everyone on alert."

Su Rui said it casually, but Ren Dong still felt he had a way. What if we silently deal with all the assassins, then appear behind the Family head?

"There's a ring of assassins standing around him and watching him. What do you think?"

Really no way?

"Just start slaughtering them already." Su Rui grew somewhat impatient with Ren Dong's repeated questions and directly urged her onward.

But Ren Dong merely smiled. At times like this, isn't quietly appearing and taking a life the coolest thing?

"...Damn it, you convinced me. But after killing him, you still have to deal with those bodyguards. They're important members of the Family too, so we can't let them go."

No problem. So, what's your plan?

"Camouflage, obviously. Move slowly, slower than a stroll. Take only one foot's worth of distance with each step, and walk over at a strolling pace."

Ren Dong nodded and lightly stepped onto the rooftop, but no one noticed her.

Volume One: Blood Flows Like a River

I didn't expect your camouflage to be this incredible. So you hid this function before just to watch me run around, didn't you?

"First of all, I hadn't really looked through the manual before. I only just discovered this function."

Su Rui cleared his throat. Ren Dong felt he was making excuses, then heard his follow-up.

"And yes, even if I had noticed this function before, I still wouldn't have enabled it for you. I want to see blood flow like a river. Unless it's necessary, I won't let you use it."

You really are... willful.

"I'll definitely keep you safe."

There was some displeasure in Su Rui's tone at being seen through. "All these guards combined are no match for you and me. They're a bunch of trash. As long as I'm here, you won't get hurt at all."

But for a cooler performance, you still decided to let me do this, right?

"Yes. To some extent, camouflage is even a cheat. Using cheats is shameful; it makes the game lose all challenge."

In some games, if you don't use cheats, what you spend might be your lifespan.

Ren Dong could not help smiling, but then she saw Su Rui mark the bodyguards standing around them.

Won't killing them expose me?

"I can use camouflage, so what do you think? Naturally, I can also use holograms to disguise their deaths. Forget it, just do things your way. I'll watch."

Su Rui said nothing further, merely watching as Ren Dong approached the final target step by step.

"Oh, and camouflage can be maintained while moving quickly, but the resolution won't be as high. In other words, you'll be vaguely visible, and someone with sharp eyes might notice you."

You can't maintain Holographic Camouflage while moving at high speed?

The corner of Ren Dong's mouth curved upward as she used provocation to test Su Rui's abilities.

"Not yet. Let me see... The manual says it needs ten percent progress to unlock. What progress? I don't have a progress bar here."

Ren Dong was immediately startled. She looked at the System Materialization Progress that only she could see, and sure enough, a prompt from the Upper System had appeared beside it.

[Materialization Progress can be consumed to unlock advanced functions of the simulation system. Once unlocked, they can be used permanently.]

... She had no need for such advanced functions right now, and Ren Dong did not want to use System Materialization Progress to unlock anything.

Su Rui's current abilities were already more than enough. If she unlocked those advanced functions, would all their previous efforts not require even more time again?

Thinking this, Ren Dong soothed him internally. Maybe the manual simply forgot to mention it? Don't worry about it. The current functions are already enough.

Then, while soothing Su Rui, Ren Dong slipped a dose of poison into the Family head's wineglass and watched him drink it.

After all, they needed to remain silent, and they still had to deal with the guards afterward.

After glancing at the Family head, who was already a dead man, Ren Dong began walking toward the guards around him.

Hearing Saint Guanyin choking and gasping behind them, the nearby guards approached the Family head in alarm and concern. They fell into confusion.

Ren Dong kicked a bodyguard running past her straight off the rooftop, watching him crash onto the floor below and startle the banquet guests.

Screams rose one after another, but even as the alarms sounded, no additional Family guards appeared.

"There's an assassin here! Careful, the enemy can turn invisible!"

The bodyguards began to grow wary, standing back-to-back and staring intently into the air before them. Behind them, the Family head had already died with a twisted expression.

"What kind of poison was that? It works so well?"

Su Rui was curious, but he also did not understand Ren Dong's approach. "They've noticed you now. I thought you wanted to silently take everyone out. Don't tell me you didn't know how they'd react after taking that poison."

"Of course I knew."

This time, Ren Dong spoke aloud, immediately drawing the bodyguards' attention. At her request, Su Rui also dispelled the camouflage.

The Wolper assassin holding a blade emerged from the shadows.

Excitement flashed through Ren Dong's eyes, as though crimson light had lit within them. Her fingers brushed over her blade before she walked toward the bodyguards standing ready for battle.

"When I'm with you normally, I'm suppressing my impulses too. Assassins of Syracuse know more than just assassination."

With that, Ren Dong charged like a sharp blade toward the bodyguards who were still asking through their communicators why reinforcements had not arrived.

"This is pretty good too."

Facing Ren Dong now, Su Rui was not as excited. Instead, he rationally and promptly warned her of attacks from nearby, telling her how to defeat her opponents while avoiding every injury.

Their flawless coordination quickly ended the battle.

When Ren Dong effortlessly cut down the last bodyguard still standing beside her, she took a deep breath, as though exhaling the pent-up gloom she had suppressed for far too long.

How was that? Did you like this performance?

"Of course... There's a coward over there trying to sneak away."

Without even looking, Ren Dong drew one of the knives she had collected earlier from her clothes and threw it along the trajectory Su Rui provided, directly taking down the bodyguard attempting to flee from behind.

As the sound of the body rolling down the stairs still echoed in his ears, Su Rui could not help complaining, "You hit him with so many daggers in one throw. By the time he rolls all the way down, he'll probably turn into a honeycomb."

What's wrong? You don't like it, Su Rui?

"It's fine. It just feels a little different from what I imagined."

Mm, the mission is complete. Let's get ready to go back.

After getting a good workout and venting her violence, Ren Dong stretched lazily, then openly walked downstairs.

No one would come bother her for a while. None of the outer Family members outside could make sense of the situation, while inside the Family... there was no one left to stop her.

As Ren Dong passed through the banquet, she casually picked up a glass of red wine that Su Rui had scanned and confirmed was safe, taking a sip as she watched the estate gradually empty while everyone fled. Somewhat surprised, she asked,

Why do you seem a little quiet? You should like this, shouldn't you?

"I just didn't expect you to take the initiative to do something like this. It surprised me a little."

Don't worry, I'm usually very gentle. I only do things like this at times when blood must be spilled.

A smile flickered in Ren Dong's eyes. She felt that she now completely understood Su Rui.

"Let's go back. To celebrate, I won't go out at all tomorrow. I'll stay with you and play games."

"Yay!"