Ark Simulator, Don't I Have No Physical Form? Chapter 3

Ren Dong listened somewhat helplessly to Su Rui's words in her mind, softly murmured an acknowledgment, then turned her gaze to Midal across from her:

"Hello, Mr. Midal. I'm from the Venice Family. I came here to remind you that you've gone a little too far. This visit is merely a small warning from the Venice Family. Next time, it won't be just this."

As Ren Dong spoke and took a small step toward Midal, the lineage leader who had always been tough toward outsiders immediately backed away in fright until he hit the bars of the birdcage.

But Ren Dong didn't do anything. She merely finished the pastry in her hand and used her grease-stained fingers to stroke the bird's feathers.

"The pastry was excellent. Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Midal. So, can we reconcile?"

"...No problem."

Although Ren Dong acted completely ordinary, as though she were chatting with a friend, Midal was already drenched in sweat.

Calm Departure

"Would you like me to send someone to escort you out, ma'am?"

Midal watched Ren Dong nervously. Clearly, Ren Dong's effortless appearance before him, along with her natural and casual demeanor, had placed immense pressure on him.

"No need. I'll leave on my own. There's no need to trouble you by specially sending someone to see me off."

Ren Dong smiled, selected a route through the scanning vision Su Rui provided, and strolled out of the garden as though taking a leisurely walk.

Through Su Rui's scanning vision, Ren Dong saw Midal hurriedly reach into his pocket after she disappeared from view and shakily pull out a walkie-talkie.

"You idiots! A woman will be leaving the garden later. Don't stop her even if you see her! Damn it, how did she even get in?"

Looks like our entrance was indeed pretty shocking, wasn't it?

Ren Dong couldn't help smiling, though she still avoided the guards who had become tense and tried not to cross paths with them.

At that moment, she also noticed that Su Rui had fallen silent, as though something else had caught his attention.

What's wrong, Su Rui? Ren Dong asked curiously.

"I'm just thinking—which would feel more intimidating? Leaving leisurely under the guards' escort, or leaving without anyone noticing? I feel like acting casual while being escorted out by the guards would better show your fearlessness and strength."

But that really would be dangerous. Besides, leaving unnoticed even after they've become alert is also very intimidating to Midal.

Ren Dong smiled inwardly as she explained, I've already made my choice. All right, it's time to head back. Don't overthink it.

"Got it... I'm a little busy. Just call me directly if you need anything."

Su Rui seemed distracted while speaking to her. Was there something more important than her, his host?

Ren Dong frowned in slight dissatisfaction, but she didn't say anything. She simply pondered it, waiting for Su Rui to bring it up himself.

When she once again avoided the Midal Lineage guards and arrived outside the manor, stepping onto Wolseini's streets, Su Rui's voice sounded again.

"It's already noon. Want to find somewhere to have lunch first?"

I still need to report back on the mission.

"That sort of thing isn't urgent. You might not have finished the mission until evening anyway, so who would know if you were slacking off?"

Su Rui's words made Ren Dong fall silent for a moment. She didn't argue. Instead, she found a pizza place by the roadside, ordered a pizza, then sat beneath the outdoor awning and enjoyed Syracuse's rare bright weather.

So, is there something you want to say?

He had specifically made her stop somewhere. With Su Rui's personality, there was definitely something going on, right? Ren Dong felt that she had already completely figured out her system.

"How did you know? Just wait a moment, I'll be done soon."

Su Rui's voice sounded a little flustered, but it quickly returned to normal, as though he were concentrating on something.

Having guessed correctly, Ren Dong didn't feel impatient. As she'd said before, patience was a killer's virtue.

She took a light sip of the drink provided by the restaurant, then heard Su Rui sigh.

"Ren Dong, your performance is incredible! Better than any character from the games I used to play!"

What are you talking about?

Ren Dong's cheeks immediately flushed at Su Rui's words. Don't casually make such tasteless jokes.

Yet Su Rui sounded puzzled by her response. "What are you talking about? Look, my masterpiece!"

Then Su Rui displayed an image before Ren Dong. It was a simulation of her climbing over the wall into Midal's manor, then choosing to kill everyone she encountered and drag them into the bushes.

In the end, after stuffing everyone in the entire manor into the bushes, "Ren Dong" approached Midal, who was alone and still utterly confused, knocked him out with a banana, then snapped his neck.

Su Rui's smug voice immediately rang out in Ren Dong's mind.

"How about that? I simulated this scene using your data! I really want to see the real Midal's face when he realizes he's the only person left in the entire manor!

"And, and, if we get the chance, I think we could pile all the corpses together and wait for Midal to discover them himself. When he turns around in terror, we can smile and execute him!"

...You're a little too extreme.

Ren Dong drained the juice in her hand and took a deep breath.

A killer can't slaughter people so casually. We kill to achieve our goals. Senseless killing like this can easily disrupt the current balance and bring even more chaos. That chaos isn't good for the Lineage's stable development.

"You really do think a lot. At the end of the day, you're just a killer. What if your Lineage abandons you someday?"

Mr. Venice wouldn't do that. Besides, there will always come a day when I retire. Maybe someday I'll retire and find a husband I like to live with?

As Ren Dong spoke, she glanced at the system's materialization progress, visible only to her: 3%.

Though it was only three percent, Ren Dong could already make out some of Su Rui's silhouette. He seemed to be a nine-tailed Wolper. That trait seemed to belong to the godlike people of the Eastern Kingdom?

It seemed Su Rui had some connection to that place... It would be nice to raise him as a child husband.

As Ren Dong thought that, Su Rui in her mind became unhappy. "No, you're not allowed to get married, and you're not allowed to retire either. You're going to be a killer with me for the rest of your life, and we're going to take over the whole world—"

All right, all right, I was just joking. How could I possibly be considering those things? The person I'd be interested in doesn't even have a physical form yet.

"It's best if he never gets one."

Su Rui snorted coldly in Ren Dong's mind.

"All right, I'm done showing you. Don't you really think that's fun?"

Reality isn't a game. Imagine this: what if someone you cared about worked as an ordinary employee in a similar Lineage, and then a killer casually murdered them?

Ren Dong patiently tried to guide Su Rui. Just that simple sentence made him fall silent.

Su Rui was thinking, and Ren Dong was happy to enjoy some peace and start savoring the pizza before her.

Only after a while did Su Rui slowly speak. "Anyway, you definitely wouldn't be an employee in a place like that."

Still talking tough. Ren Dong couldn't help laughing at Su Rui's amusing reaction. But did that mean she was the only person he cared about now? Or did he truly have no one to worry about as a system?

Either way, hearing the concern hidden in Su Rui's words made Ren Dong smile.

Chatting

Ren Dong savored her pizza. The fragrant cheese and sausage, paired with a crust baked to perfection, tasted wonderful.

She even felt like teasing Su Rui, who had no physical form.

Syracuse pizza is a unique delicacy. Don't you want to try some?

"I've had pizza before. I've even had pineapple pizza!"

Su Rui snorted in Ren Dong's mind. He clearly cared about her provocation. Ren Dong stiffened at his words, then only after a moment took another bite of pizza and replied in her mind.

Was pineapple pizza the work of some terrible chef? That's utterly awful. I can't imagine a worse idea than that.

"Really? I've never tried it, but there's also a dish called chocolate foie gras spaghetti. I suggest you try it if you ever get the chance."

Ren Dong finally couldn't take it anymore. Even the juice cup in her hand creaked under the unbearable pressure.

What kind of chef could possibly come up with such a terrible recipe?!

"But those dishes are quite popular in some places."

Su Rui said casually, "And isn't it just a cooking method? I don't really understand why you're so angry."

Did you ever live somewhere before?

Ren Dong asked, suppressing the irritation that had begun to rise within her.

"Of course... Simply put, I grew up in a country with a culture almost corresponding to Yan's. Anyway, it wasn't on Terra."

Is that so? Ren Dong nodded, then thought for a moment. Then what if I made Yan dumplings with strawberry filling?

"I wouldn't eat them anyway!"

That's about how I feel.

Ren Dong smiled. After finishing the pizza, she took out her wallet to pay, then returned to her own car.

"Are we heading back already? That felt a little too short."

Su Rui sounded as though he still wanted more, as if he hadn't yet recovered from the pleasant game earlier.

We stayed there for an entire morning. Wasn't that long enough?

"But the actual operation only took a little time. If I'd known, I would've made your route longer. We could've watched a movie with them in the screening room before taking action."

Don't add unnecessary plans during an assassin mission, all right? You need to promise me that. It's important.

Regarding this matter, Ren Dong negotiated with Su Rui both helplessly and firmly. Fortunately, Su Rui was merely complaining. After hearing Ren Dong speak, he reluctantly agreed.

"All right, all right, I get it. I definitely won't really joke around with your safety."

That was good. Ren Dong breathed a sigh of relief. If you're bored, we could visit the opera house. There are plenty of interesting plays there.

"No, it's different. Let me put it this way: what I actually like is messing around in games even under urgent circumstances. Put simply, playing games in class before an exam is exciting, even if the game is trash."

Su Rui's words left Ren Dong helpless. You definitely wouldn't be a good father in the future. I can't let you raise children.

"What are you even saying? I don't even have a physical form."

Su Rui didn't care about Ren Dong's assessment at all. "Besides, I'm very reliable when I'm serious."

Ren Dong merely smiled and offered no opinion on that.

"All right, all right, you're going back now, right?"

Yes, to report the mission. Generally speaking, I should report immediately after completing it. I was delayed today because of you.

"You're even more of a workhorse than a corporate slave."

What's a workhorse? Are you insulting me?

Ren Dong was somewhat confused, but she continued driving steadily toward the Venice Family.

"Of course not. I pity you."

I don't need pity. My life is good.

"Whatever. After you get back, that little Venice guy will definitely mock you again. Do you really not want to use my method to deal with him?"

Su Rui, we're part of the same Lineage, after all. We only have some conflicts right now. There's no need to kill him.

Ren Dong was somewhat helpless about Su Rui's persistence. While she was happy that Su Rui cared about her, she also hoped he would say fewer things that forced her into difficult choices.

"Whatever you say. If you change your mind, you can call me anytime."

Su Rui didn't speak again. Instead, he seemed to become engrossed in something else. Ren Dong focused on driving as well. Without Su Rui's voice along the way, she had even begun to feel unaccustomed to it.

After returning to the Venice Family manor and passing the guards' inspection, Ren Dong parked her car and hurried straight to Mr. Venice's study. Usually, old Venice would be there.

"You Syracuse Lineages really have no imagination. Why are all your manors built so similarly? Aside from the internal passages being a little different, this place isn't much different from Midal's manor."

Of course it is. The Venice Family is stronger and wealthier than the Midal Lineage.

Ren Dong retorted as though she were proud of that, only to receive Su Rui's scornful snort.

"It's just money. I can't use money anyway, so I don't care."

Maybe you'll need it in the future.

Ren Dong glanced at the system's materialization progress. It was still three percent, but one mission had already added three percent. In Syracuse, Su Rui would probably materialize soon.

"All right, I noticed little Venice. He seems to have arranged for someone to keep an eye on you. He came to block you as soon as you returned. Looks like the Venice Family isn't exactly united either."

Ren Dong ignored Su Rui's sarcastic tone. Once a Household gets large enough, things like this are unavoidable. At least everyone understands that the Lineage's overall interests must be protected first. Only then will their own interests remain unharmed. That's enough.