Ark Simulator: Wasn't I Supposed to Have No Physical Form?

"Just leave it to Su Rui."

Ren Dong merely smiled. Then, game icons appeared directly on the screens of the three powered-on computers, along with Su Rui's voice:

"Alright, the game's ready. We can start now."

"How amazing." Even though she had expected Su Rui's abilities, Texas was still astonished by the sight.

While the game was loading, they still had to wait due to the machines' limited performance. Ren Dong casually asked:

"Come to think of it, Su Rui's status as a divine child... could it make the entire Eastern Kingdom..."

"That's impossible. I think that even if the so-called royal family and those major powers acknowledged it, they'd still have their own agendas."

Su Rui said casually, "But the clues the Upper System gave said there wouldn't be any of that."

49: Not Enough Money, No Actors Chosen, No Script Yet

"Did the Upper System say anything else?" Ren Dong asked curiously.

"It also said this time was so simple because of special circumstances. After all, that was how her script was written... Things like this probably won't happen again in the future..."

Before Ren Dong and Texas could say anything after Su Rui finished speaking, they heard his disgruntled complaint:

"What do you mean, probably won't happen again? Aren't you the one writing the script? Since you're writing it, don't let this kind of absurd situation happen! Give me more scenes where blood flows like rivers!"

Ren Dong's mouth twitched. She hoped Su Rui would not send those words to the Upper System, but Su Rui had already displayed his chat history. He really had sent them, but the Upper System ignored him:

"Answer me already, you blockhead!"

The Upper System still ignored him.

Texas could not see the chat interface, but she could tell Ren Dong did not seem to want Su Rui to continue. She silently took note of this and reminded them:

"The game can start now. Shall we play?"

"...Alright. Forget about her."

Su Rui nodded and started the game.

Although it appeared to be a game for three people, after modifying the game rules, Su Rui found that he could have plenty of fun playing by himself. After all, when he could not beat an opponent, he could directly alter the data in the backend, even changing the enemy's movements.

If their movements were too fast, he slowed them down. If their stats were too high, he lowered them. As a result, the entire run was actually quite easy.

Texas and Ren Dong, on the other hand, found the difficulty Su Rui had chosen somewhat hard to accept.

"Opponents like this are a little too easy. There's no challenge at all."

A smile curled Ren Dong's lips as she deliberately said it in front of Su Rui and Texas.

"...Texas thinks so too?"

Both Ren Dong and Texas noticed that Su Rui's computer, placed between them, paused for a moment. Then, the character in the game stopped moving.

Realizing Su Rui's attention was on her, Texas nodded and tried not to provoke him.

"These monsters are indeed a bit slow for me."

"...Fine, I'll set your game speeds back. That works out—I can play by myself. Oh, if there's any game you like, just tell me. I can install it for you. It won't even take a second."

Afterward, Su Rui focused on controlling his own character. He did not join in the small talk between Ren Dong and Texas, even when he kept dying.

However, Ren Dong was not satisfied with the warm atmosphere around her.

Getting along with Su Rui truly was a wonderful thing... but that was not all she wanted.

Glancing at the materialization progress, which was already nearing ninety percent, Ren Dong quietly stopped operating the computer. Then, she silently rose to her feet.

Texas was somewhat surprised, but after noticing Ren Dong's look that said there was no need to worry, she nodded and continued playing.

Ren Dong went outside. The corridor was empty, but after only a few steps, she encountered the Fox Shrine Maiden, who seemed to be waiting for something. The Fox Shrine Maiden sat properly in the hallway with a scripture in her hands, apparently reading intently. Noticing Ren Dong's gaze, she looked up and smiled at her.

"The divine child's vessel? Is there anything you need help with?"

"Is there anything here that still needs to be dealt with?"

Ren Dong did not mind the title that made her uncomfortable and asked the shrine maiden before her as coldly as she could.

"Hm? There are no difficult matters at the shrine that need handling for now... Do you have some special request?"

The Fox Shrine Maiden was stunned at first, then looked at Ren Dong in confusion. When she noticed the regret in Ren Dong's eyes, she became even more baffled.

Even if there might be some minor friction between her and Ren Dong because of the divine child, Ren Dong should not be displaying hostility so directly, should she?

With that thought, the Fox Shrine Maiden unconsciously leaned closer to Ren Dong. "Is it about the divine child?"

"...If not, then forget it."

Ren Dong glanced at the Fox Shrine Maiden. She did not directly mention Su Rui's situation, but her gaze already said enough. The Fox Shrine Maiden immediately reached out and blocked her path.

"If you have any request, you can tell me directly. For the divine child, even creating difficulties would not be a problem!"

"I understand. Let me think about it first."

She had only intended to try her luck. Ren Dong looked at the Fox Shrine Maiden. If she could not help, perhaps the Upper System could?

With that thought, Ren Dong asked the Upper System:

"Is there any way to increase Su Rui's materialization progress a little more? He's already almost able to materialize."

Moreover, judging from the images provided by the Upper System, Su Rui's appearance in Ren Dong's eyes had become extremely distinct.

A white-haired, red-eyed Nine-Tailed Fox boy. Just one look at him made her heart seem to stop from the sheer pull of his charm.

[...None for now.]

Alright, it seemed the Upper System would not help with this matter... But it had actually answered her question. Ren Dong could not quite understand the relationship between the Upper System and Su Rui.

Certain details clearly suggested that the Upper System cared deeply about Su Rui, yet at other times, it behaved as though it did not understand him at all.

However, just as Ren Dong thought this, the Upper System reacted:

[Twenty-three kilometers east of the shrine, a brutal murder is about to take place. It is suitable for you to put on a performance. It might make Su Rui happy.]

Clearly, the Upper System had directly read Ren Dong's mind. This was something even Su Rui could not do. Ren Dong could choose which thoughts Su Rui heard, but the Upper System could apparently detect every one of her thoughts.

The Upper System did not respond to these thoughts of Ren Dong's. Yet, as if to refute Ren Dong's belief that it did not understand Su Rui, it provided even more information.

For example, Su Rui's preferences, certain small habits, and even which forms of address would catch his attention.

Thank you for your help.

Ren Dong formed a new idea about the relationship between the Upper System and Su Rui.

Then, the Upper System ignored her again, leaving behind only a navigation route to guide Ren Dong into action.

"I've thought of a way. We'll leave shortly."

Ren Dong glanced at the Fox Shrine Maiden beside her and nodded. Then, she contacted Su Rui in her mind.

Su Rui, are you free? There's something we need to take care of.

50: Materialization

"Sure. What are we going to do?"

Su Rui's puzzled voice sounded. "I've already paused the game. Let's head out right away."

Wasn't this game impossible to pause? Even if they opened the inventory, the game would keep running.

Ren Dong froze for a moment, then remembered Su Rui's abilities and understood.

Su Rui explained at the same time, "I directly paused the game's operation. In other words, I made the process inside stop by making it seem like the game had frozen."

"I understand. Let's go. Time is tight."

Ren Dong lowered her head, touched the weapon at her waist, then charged out in her kimono.

"Are you really okay wearing sandals?"

Su Rui looked at the Japanese-style wooden geta on Ren Dong's feet in confusion. No matter how he thought about it, those shoes were inconvenient for moving around, and they were especially loud.

[They will not affect your movement. Your opponents are beneath notice.]

The Upper System's message made Ren Dong pause. Then she realized Su Rui could not see the Upper System's messages and explained:

"This target is easy to deal with. It's something I can resolve with a casual gesture."

"Oh, come to think of it, how did you suddenly find something like this? Weren't we playing a game? Did that Fox Shrine Maiden tell you?"

[Agreeing with him will arouse suspicion. Just say you went outside to rest, saw someone livestreaming on your phone, and noticed that the location was nearby.]

Ren Dong froze for a moment, but she still followed the Upper System's suggestion and said:

"I went outside to get some rest, then saw it on a livestream. The location was nearby, so I thought I'd take a look. They're just a few street thugs. They shouldn't be much of a threat."

"I see... In the Eastern Kingdom, people like them should be called street ronin, right? That should be the term?"

"Does it matter what they're called?"

"No, those terms affect immersion." Su Rui said something completely unrelated, but Ren Dong felt relieved instead.

The Upper System's advice had been correct. It seemed the explanation she had instinctively come up with earlier really would have made Su Rui suspicious.

He would get suspicious over something like that. Su Rui really was a little strange.

Casting those scattered thoughts aside, Ren Dong had already arrived at the location marked by the Upper System.

The conflict had already begun.

A group of disheveled Oni Clan thugs were surrounding two Oni Clan children who looked no older than their teens, yelling at them with particularly vulgar threats.

"The way they roll their R's sounds so disgusting. They're exactly the kind of standard cannon fodder you hate just from hearing them."

Su Rui instinctively felt disgusted. Just looking at people like this made him physically uncomfortable.

Ren Dong also frowned as she looked at the two children surrounded by the crowd. However, she was not very familiar with the Eastern Kingdom's language and could not understand the strange things those people were saying, so she jumped straight down from the wall.

As she drew the ronin's attention, Ren Dong openly asked:

"What are they saying?"

"Basically, they're forcing children whose parents are already dead to pay protection money."

Su Rui said casually, "That's not important. I just asked that Fox Shrine Maiden directly. The shrine seems to have a special organization that takes in children. Let's take care of these trash mobs first."

"I understand."

Ren Dong watched a ronin approach with his head cocked and a cocky expression. She casually drew her blade, but did not use it. Instead, she drove a fierce punch straight into the Oni Clan man's face.

"What a beautiful punch! You knocked out all his teeth!"

Su Rui directly replayed in Ren Dong's mind the miserable sight of the Oni Clan ronin's face warping from her punch and his teeth flying out.

"Can you use only your fists? I have a way to make sure none of them get away."

"...I can."

Ren Dong glanced at the rapidly rising System Materialization Progress in her vision, then at the Upper System's prompt:

[The Fox Shrine Maiden has already brought people to ensure those ronin cannot escape. Just do as Su Rui asks.]

Why had even the Upper System started calling her the Fox Shrine Maiden like Su Rui did?

Though confused, Ren Dong could not help smiling. She sheathed her blade, clenched both hands into fists, and began brutally pounding the ronin in the face.

With Su Rui's Scanning Vision and predictions, Ren Dong did not suffer any damage. She simply punched round after round, knocking down every ronin causing trouble.

Su Rui was still cheering in Ren Dong's mind. "That was incredible, boxing champion! You knocked them all down by yourself with just your fists!"

"Mhm." Ren Dong merely took a deep breath and replied to Su Rui with a smile.

Because her attention had already shifted to the System Materialization Progress. One hundred and twenty-one percent? Why was there overflow?

[Overflow System Materialization Progress can grant Su Rui new functions, such as High-Speed Holographic Projection: a flawless holographic projection even while moving at high speed.]

So that was how it worked. Ren Dong nodded, then saw what the Upper System said next:

[These new functions will remain permanently effective, including during Su Rui's future simulations.]

Ren Dong froze. Su Rui had other simulation missions?

She had originally thought that once he materialized, Su Rui would stay with her forever.

[The Materialization System will remain for approximately several years. The exact duration is uncertain. Afterward, new missions will be carried out.]