Ark Simulator, Aren't I Supposed to Be Intangible?

"Don't go..."

Ash paused for a moment, then finally sat down on the edge of the bed, gently brushing aside the stray hairs on his forehead with his fingers.

"Go to sleep," she whispered.

Su Rui mumbled a sleepy "hmm," snuggled closer to her, and soon her breathing became even and long.

Ash gazed at him silently for a long time before softly saying:

"... Don't drink so much next time."

Ash's fingertips were still resting on Su Rui's hair when she suddenly felt the weight in her arms lighten. She opened her eyes slightly and found that the remaining sausages and black bread on the table had disappeared without a trace, leaving only a light oil stain on the wooden plate. Su Rui's System Space was always like this, silently swallowing up items without even a ripple.

"Hidden again?" Ash asked in a low voice, her fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of Su Rui's black hair. The hair still carried the scent of vodka, reminding her of how this person had drunkenly sang while standing on a chair.

Su Rui snuggled against her neck, his eyes closed, and a smile played on his lips, "Save it for a midnight snack..." His voice trailed off, tinged with sleepiness. His breath brushed evenly against Ash's collarbone, carrying a reassuring rhythm.

The firewood in the fireplace crackled softly. Ash gazed at the flickering light on the ceiling, recalling the first time he saw Su Rui use the System Space.

Su Rui always had many little secrets that were inconvenient to talk about, but he was also so honest.

Now this "little secret" is curled up in her arms, sleeping soundly without any guard.

Ash gently pulled his arms together. Su Rui's body heat seeped through the fabric, more alluring than the firelight of the fireplace. She glanced down at his reddened earlobes—the afterglow of revelry still lingered there, like the sunset reflected on snow.

Outside the window, the cold wind of Ursus whipped snowflakes against the glass. But in this room warmed by the fireplace, even the howling wind seemed distant. Ash listened to the even breathing of the person in his arms and suddenly felt that the System Space and such things were no longer important.

She rested her chin on Su Rui's head and slowly closed her eyes. In the last moments before drifting off to sleep, she vaguely thought: Remember to make him heat up the food tomorrow... and don't drink any more vodka...

Su Rui was awakened by the sound of hushed conversation.

He groggily opened his eyes. Morning light streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a warm golden line on the wooden floor. A faint aroma of tea mingled with the sweetness of honey filled the room, instantly putting him at ease.

He propped himself up and rubbed his throbbing temples—the vodka from last night had quite a kick. Focusing his gaze, he saw Ash and Talulah sitting at a small round table by the window, teacups in hand, talking quietly.

Ash remained calm and composed, but a faint smile played at the corners of his lips. Talulah, the Queen of Ursus, was dressed in simple casual clothes, her long SilverAsh hair draped over her shoulders. She held a sugar cube in her hand and gently stirred it into her tea.

The two seemed to notice his gaze and turned to look at him at the same time.

Talulah raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Awake? You sang the Ursus folk song quite well last night."

Ash calmly sipped his tea and added, "Especially the part where he's standing on the table."

Su Rui's face flushed instantly. He scratched his messy black hair, muttering somewhat embarrassedly, "... What are you all doing here?"

Talulah chuckled, "I heard that a certain 'Prince' got completely drunk on my turf, leading the entire tavern in singing and dancing. Of course, I had to come and see for myself."

Ash put down his teacup, stood up, walked to the bedside, and gently pressed his hand on Su Rui's forehead. "Headache?"

Su Rui subconsciously rubbed her palm against hers, complaining softly, "... a little."

Ash took a bottle of hangover medicine he had prepared beforehand from his pocket and handed it to him. "Drink this."

Talulah watched their interaction with interest, her fingertips lightly tapping the rim of her teacup. "Looks like I don't need to worry about you anymore."

Volume 10, Chapter 611: Searching for Evidence

Su Rui took the potion, drank it all in one gulp, and immediately winced at the bitterness. "... Ash, this tastes even worse than vodka."

Ash said expressionlessly, "Serves you right."

Talulah couldn't help but laugh out loud, standing up and straightening her clothes. "Alright, since you're alright, I won't bother you any longer." She walked to the door, glancing back at Su Rui. "Next time you come to Saint Petersburg, let me know in advance, don't let you scare my people again."

Ash looked at the sausages and Borscht that Su Rui had taken out of the System Space —they were still steaming hot, the oil sizzling on the surface of the sausages, as if they had just been brought out of the kitchen. She raised an eyebrow slightly, reached out and touched the bowl; it was scalding hot to the touch.

"... No time passes?" she asked.

Su Rui nodded, stirred the Borscht with a spoon, and a rich aroma immediately filled the air. He scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and held it to Ash's lips. "Try it? It tastes exactly the same as last night."

Ash lowered her head and took a sip. The broth was rich and flavorful, the beef tender and juicy, and even the sour cream was melted to the exact degree she remembered. She stared at the bowl for two seconds, then suddenly asked, "Can I put live animals in it?"

Su Rui almost choked on his soup. "... Theoretically, it's possible, but I don't recommend trying it." He put down his spoon and explained seriously, "There's no concept of 'time' in the System Space, so food won't spoil and wounds won't worsen, but similarly—living beings inside will fall into a state of 'stagnation,' their consciousness will be completely still, and they won't recover until they are taken out."

Ash said thoughtfully, "Like frozen hibernation."

"Pretty much, but more extreme." Su Rui cut off a piece of sausage. "I once tried putting a flower in there, and when I took it out ten years later, the dew on the petals were still there, without even evaporating."

Ash's gaze fell on Su Rui's wrist—there was a pale golden mark there, the "entrance" to the System Space. She suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist, her thumb tracing the mark. "Have you been inside?"

Su Rui's eyelashes trembled. He grasped Ash's fingers in his own hand and whispered, "... went inside."

The room suddenly fell silent. The firewood in the fireplace crackled, and the cry of a snowy owl came from outside the window.

"How does it feel?" Ash asked.

Su Rui gazed at the snow-covered plains outside the window, his amber pupils reflecting the morning light. "Like an insect trapped in amber." He smiled slightly, "Absolute silence, absolute darkness, I can't even hear my own heartbeat... If Old Deng hadn't forcibly kicked me out, I might have gone mad."

Su Rui usually stays in the System Space when she has no physical form, as she feels much better in that situation.

Ash's fingers tightened slightly.

Su Rui suddenly leaned closer, his forehead against her shoulder, and chuckled softly, "So I learned my lesson—I only stocked up on food inside." He picked up a piece of black bread and stuffed it into Ash's hand, "Eat it quickly, it won't taste good when it gets cold."

Ash stared at the cowlick on his head for a few seconds, then said nothing, simply breaking open a piece of bread and Borscht.

After breakfast, Ash handed the gold-embossed and sealed document to Su Rui, his fingertips leaving subtle creases along the edge of the parchment.

Morning light filtered through the gaps in the lace curtains, casting fine dappled patterns on the document and illuminating the name written in Ursus court script—Viscount Ioan Witte.

"Talulah needs your help investigating this nobleman." Ash's voice was as steady as the way she wiped the barrel of her gun, but Su Rui noticed that her left ring finger was unconsciously rubbing the leather buckle of her tactical dagger.

The moment he took the documents, golden patterns from the System Space flowed across his wrist, and a stack of sheepskin scrolls bound with red ribbons appeared out of thin air on the dining table, the ends of the scrolls still stained with dark brown blood.

"The ledger from last winter, the Originium catalysts purchased on the black market last month, and..." Su Rui's fingertips traced the blood-stained document at the top, "... the list of twelve miners executed three days ago." He suddenly revealed the excited expression of a child showing off a collection, "Want to see his love letter to his mistress? It was written in code, and the third paragraph mentions human experimentation..."

Ash's pupils contracted slightly behind her Tactical Visor. She picked up the thinnest parchment, the date recorded in ciphertext perfectly matching the Chernobog incident. When she turned it over, a familiar signature made her knuckles suddenly turn white—it was a cooperation agreement from a director at Rhine Lab.

When will you...?

"The intelligence I just prepared—I still remember the first time he Talulah."

Su Rui toyed with the knife, the silverware swirling coldly between his fingers. "Slow-acting poison coated the inside of the glass, how cliché." Suddenly, the knife plunged into the center of a cherry pie, jam seeping out like blood. "So I prepared a... more enthusiastic return gift for him in my System Space."

Ash silently organized the documents, the black leather gloves rustling against the parchment. As she stood up, her metal prosthetic leg left fresh scratches on the Oak floor. "The evidence is enough to hang him ten times over, but Talulah needs to confirm the lab's location." She paused. "Those miners... there might be survivors."

The snow outside the window suddenly became denser, and amidst the sound of ice crystals hitting the glass, Su Rui's smile gradually faded. He reached out and brushed the snowflakes off the Ash epaulettes, a gesture so gentle that it startled both of them.

"Should I change into formal attire?" He suddenly pointed to the Ursus court dress that had appeared out of nowhere in the wardrobe. "After all, everyone knows..." His voice trailed off as the silk rustled against the fabric.

Before the mansion's wrought iron gates, the breaths of six guards condensed into white mist in the minus twenty-degree air.

As Su Rui's boots touched the icy steps, the lead guard's pupils suddenly dilated—he recognized the legendary figure who could make the Empress lay down her scepter. The invitation slipped from between his trembling gloves, swallowed by the black mist before it even touched the ground.

"Good day." Su Rui lightly tapped the family crest on the guard's chest with his index finger adorned with a silver ring, and ice crystals instantly covered the gilded emblem. "Tell the Viscount that his cherry orchard needs pruning."

As the guard staggered backward, Ash noticed fine golden lines appearing on the back of his neck—the tracking marks of the System Space marker.

In the shadows of the corridor, the Inner Guard ' swords and armor clattered rhythmically, as if keeping time with their footsteps.

The portraits of past family heads on both walls suddenly turned, and black Originium crystals seeped from the cracks in the oil paint. Su Rui stopped before a portrait of a young girl; the lower right corner of the frame was labeled "Experiment No. 7" in Ursus.

"What a pity." He stroked the blonde hair of the woman in the painting, the golden flames from his fingertips not damaging the canvas in the slightest. "She should have been dancing in a cherry orchard in spring."

Volume 10, Chapter 612: You Think You're a Hunter?

The drawing room door suddenly flung open, and Witte's perfume wafted out before he even appeared. His amethyst cufflinks refracted eerie light as he moved, and as he took Su Rui's hand, his lips paused three centimeters from her skin—a blade formed of black mist was pressed against his Adam's apple.

"His Majesty's Nightingale has actually graced my humble abode with her presence." The Viscount's gaze swept over the gun at Ash's waist, "And with such a dangerous toy."

Ash's Tactical Visor flashed a set of data—the incision on his missing left little finger was too clean, the result of professional surgery. As the Viscount turned to lead the way, she suddenly asked, "Is the ventilation system in Mine 1097 repaired?"

A crystal glass tumbled off the waiter's tray. The viscount's shoes crunched over the broken glass, the heels scraping against the floor tiles with a harsh sound. "Go straight to the lab," he said, loosening his tie as if untying a noose. "You'll like those... improved Herd."

The alloy door on the third basement level required iris authentication. As the Viscount approached the scanner, Su Rui suddenly hummed an Ursus lullaby. The identification system suddenly malfunctioned, and the hydraulic door slowly opened amidst a sharp alarm. Ash saw cold sweat beading on the back of the Viscount's neck—a golden feather was stuck there, a feather from Talulah's messenger bird.

The blue light emanating from the incubation chambers bathed everyone in the glow of deep-sea creatures. Ash's eyes scanned the area and spotted a figure curled up inside one of the chambers—an Infected girl no more than fourteen years old, the Originium onto her back pulsating with her breath.

"According to Article 3 of Chapter 7 of the Empress's Code..." The Inner Guard ' voices rang out simultaneously from every shadowy corner.

The Viscount suddenly lunged at the control panel, the metal spikes protruding from his severed finger piercing the red button. The bullet from Ash pierced his wrist bone, while Su Rui caught the splattering drop of blood—which congealed into a glistening red crystal in his palm.

"Perfect timing," Su Rui whispered to the crystal. The next second, all the Originium devices in the entire laboratory overloaded and exploded simultaneously. The blast wave blew off the Viscount's wig, revealing the dense array of implanted electrodes on his scalp.

Ash locked onto the last incubation chamber amidst the thick smoke; the explosive bomb shattered the glass precisely without harming the unconscious miner inside.

As the Royal Guard stormed in, Su Rui was wiping his fingers with the Viscount's tie. The blood-stained silk was carelessly tossed into the burning culture medium, the firelight illuminating his unusually calm profile.

Ash and the guard leader—a stern-faced Ursus female officer—stood by the arched window of the hall, conversing in hushed tones. Outside, the wind and snow continued to rage, shrouding the entire mansion in a vast expanse of white.

"His Majesty wishes for Prince Su Rui to return to Saint Petersburg as soon as possible." The female officer's voice was low and restrained, but Ash could hear the undeniable urgency in it. "The situation at the border has been unstable lately, and she is concerned that someone might harm His Highness."

Ash's gaze swept over the female officer's sword at her waist—a ceremonial sword specially made for the Ursus court, with a double-headed eagle emblem engraved on the scabbard, but the blade was clearly sharpened, ready to be drawn at any moment.

"He's safe here," Ash said calmly. "Besides, this investigation isn't over yet."

The female officer frowned slightly, about to say something more, when suddenly, both of their gazes were drawn to a commotion on the other side of the hall—

Su Rui was curled up in an ornate armchair, almost sinking into the soft velvet cushions. He held a plate of pastries in his hands, his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel stealing nuts. Noticing their gaze, he blinked, his amber eyes full of confusion, a smear of cherry jam still on the corner of his mouth.

"... What's wrong?" He swallowed the pastry in his mouth and asked innocently.

The female officer's expression softened subtly for a moment, seemingly surprised that the rumored "Queen of Talulah" would be like this. She coughed lightly and said seriously, "Your Highness, His Majesty wishes you to return to the palace as soon as possible."

Su Rui tilted her head, picked up a sugar cookie with her fingertips, and slowly took a bite. "But I want to eat some more snacks."

Ash's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, while the female officer looked somewhat helpless. "Your Highness, these pastries... you can take them directly back to Saint Petersburg."

"That's different," Su Rui said earnestly. "The pastries here are what that nobleman prepared to please his guests; they're definitely better than those in the palace."

Ash:"..."

Female officer. "..."

The two fell silent for a moment.

Finally, Ash sighed, walked to Su Rui's side, and wiped the jam from the corner of his mouth. "Leave after you're done eating."

Su Rui's eyes lit up, and she immediately stuffed another piece of honey cake into her mouth, mumbling, "Okay!"

The female officer watched this scene in silence for a moment, then bowed slightly and said, "Then, I will arrange for a car to wait outside."

As she turned to leave, Ash heard her sigh very softly, as if she were lamenting something.

Su Rui smiled and picked up another almond cookie, offering it to Ash: "Try it? It's really good."

Ash stared at him for two seconds, then finally took it and took a bite.

--It really is sweet.

As Ash bent down and scooped Su Rui up from the velvet chair, the boy snuggled against her arm like a lazy cat. His lips were still smeared with icing sugar, and his breath released a sweet, honeyed scent.

"Your teeth will rot if you keep eating like this." Ash rubbed his lips with his thumb, and when the metal fingertip grazed his soft flesh, Su Rui deliberately bit her fingertip lightly.

"Anyway, you'll supervise me brushing my teeth." Besides, this body was going to disappear soon anyway. Su Rui smiled, her hair ruffling the Ash on her scarf.

The sound of the guards' boots pacing back and forth outside the window grew more and more urgent, but the overlapping breaths of the two men drowned out all the urging.

It wasn't until the female officer knocked on the doorframe for the third time that Ash finally tied Su Rui's loosened bow tie. The boy reluctantly stood up, not forgetting to take the gilded candy box from the coffee table before leaving. In the halo of the crystal chandelier, he stuffed a liqueur-filled chocolate into Ash's coat pocket, the trace his fingertips made under the fabric forcing Ash to hold down his wrist.

The black limousine sent by the palace had been waiting in the blizzard for some time. Talulah's usual scented cushions were placed on the leather seats. As soon as Su Rui sat down, she sneezed. The moment Ash gestured for the window to be rolled down, the female officer immediately stopped her. "His Majesty ordered..."

"Either ventilate the car, or I'll take him back to the hotel now." Ash's fingers were already gripping the car door handle, his eyes gleaming coldly in the shadows.

In the end, it was the guards who compromised. Su Rui curled up in Ash's arms triumphantly, winking at the female officer outside the bulletproof glass. As the wheels rolled over the snow, he unwrapped the hidden chocolate, the sound of biting through the outer sugar shell particularly clear in the confined space.

"Open your mouth." He suddenly sat up, his breath, carrying the scent of sweet wine, brushing against Ash's ear. Before she could respond, his chocolate-covered fingertips were already at her lips. Just as Ash frowned and took his mouth in, the limousine drove over an icy speed bump, the jolt causing Su Rui to fall into her arms.

In the rearview mirror, the female officer stiffly turned her face away. Su Rui's laughter, buried in the crook of Ash's shoulder, was completely muffled by the turned-up collar of her coat. As the palace's spires came into view ahead, the boy licked the chocolate residue from his fingertips and murmured, "Do you think... Talulah might have prepared some sweets too?"

Ash stared at the flashing monitoring indicator lights on the dashboard, silently pulling Su Rui's coat, which had slipped down to her waist, back over her shoulder. "More than this..." she lowered her voice, "How many tea sets did you stuff into the System Space?"

Su Rui's silent smile made even the snowflakes falling outside the car window seem exceptionally innocent.

Volume 10, Chapter 613: The Side Gate of the Imperial Palace

The side gate of the palace was narrower than I had imagined.

Ash walked ahead, her boots crunching softly over the snow. Su Rui followed half a step behind, her fingertips lightly tugging at the hem of Ash's dress, as if afraid Ash might suddenly disappear into the deep corridor.

"Nervous?" Ash didn't turn around, his voice very low.

Su Rui ran her fingertip lightly across her fabric. "Guess."