Ark Simulator, Am I Not Without a Physical Form?

Shining shook her head slightly, but a gentle smile appeared in her eyes. She took a folded map out of her pocket and unfolded it between the three of them.

"To get to Victoria, we need to go to Siesta first, and then take a ship across the Iberia Sea." She traced a route on the map with her finger, "But the seas are not peaceful right now; the Deep Sea Church is very active."

"What about by land?" Su Rui asked.

"From Siesta, head north, through Leithanien, and then into Victoria." Shining's finger moved along the map. "But Leithanien's border checks are very strict, especially against the Sarkaz."

The Nightingale wrinkled her nose. "What a hassle..."

Su Rui pondered for a moment, "Siesta is a neutral city-state. Let's go there first and then decide on our next step."

"Agreed." Shining nodded.

Nightingale blinked. "So, where will we stay in Siesta?"

Su Rui smiled slightly, "I have an old friend there who runs a small hotel."

"An old friend?" Nightingale leaned closer curiously. "Male or female?"

"It's a man." Su Rui sighed and pushed her face away. "Don't overthink it."

Shining cleared his throat. "How's the security situation in Siesta?"

"Not bad, as long as we don't mess with the gangs." Su Rui shrugged. "But the three of us should be fine."

Nightingale grinned and raised her fist. "I'm quite a fighter!"

Shining glanced at her. "Last time you said you could fight, but you ended up getting chased all over the street by a stray cat."

"That... that was an accident!" Nightingale blushed. "And that cat was especially fierce!"

Su Rui couldn't help but laugh out loud; the atmosphere in the carriage was relaxed and warm.

Transportation in Terra is not very convenient; once you leave the border of Kazdel, the only option left is to drive.

At that moment, Shining was driving. Su Rui reached out and pressed her shoulder. "Let me drive? I know this road well."

"Don't even think about it." Nightingale leaned out from the back seat, her long, slender fingers precisely gripping Su Rui's wrist.

"Last time, you said you were going to take the shortcut, but you ended up driving up a vertical cliff."

"Didn't we drive up there?" Su Rui argued.

"They flew up using Originium Arts!" Nightingale raised her voice, "Ordinary vehicles shouldn't be able to fly!"

In the rain, the SUV suddenly made a sharp turn. Nightingale screamed and threw herself into Su Rui's arms, who instinctively opened his arms to catch her. When the car regained its balance, Nightingale found herself sitting on Su Rui's lap, her arms still tightly wrapped around his neck.

"..."

"..."

Shining's calm voice came from the driver's seat. "This position is good, keep him pinned down like this."

At dawn, the downpour turned into a drizzle. The three of them took a short rest at an abandoned gas station.

Nightingale hopped around checking the tire wear, Shining wiped the rain off his sword. Just as Su Rui touched the driver's side door handle, he heard a "click" —Shining had welded the door shut with Originium Arts.

"Hello!"

"Precautions," Shining said without changing his expression.

When they resumed their journey, Nightingale insisted on driving a little further.

"I've got it!" she declared confidently, adjusting the rearview mirror. "Just drive the SUV like a medical vehicle..."

Five minutes later, the car traced an exaggerated "S" shaped trajectory on the road. Shining gripped the handrail tightly, her usually pale face turning slightly bluish. Su Rui in the back seat was thrown around, but unusually maintained an eerie smile.

"Nightingale," Shining spat out through gritted teeth, "There's a pack animal overtaking our car by the roadside."

"That proves I'm driving smoothly!" Nightingale honked her horn excitedly. "Look! It gave way!"

The pack animal did indeed give way—it was startled and jumped into the ditch by the roadside.

When the car finally pulled over to rest, the first thing Shining did after getting out was to lean against a tree trunk and gag. Su Rui, rubbing the red marks left by Nightingale's grip, mused, "Turns out you drive even crazier than me."

Nightingale blushed. "I... I was using tactical evasion! There was a drone in the sky just now!"

Shining rinsed his mouth with mineral water and said decisively, "I'll drive the whole way from now on."

Volume 12, Chapter 703: Just Friends?

After nightfall, the three set up camp in an open space beside the highway.

Su Rui was made to sit on a tree stump away from the vehicles, his lap piled high with snacks and novels that Nightingale had forced upon him. Shining would look up every ten minutes to check his location, and once even used Originium Arts to draw a glowing warning circle around him.

"Isn't this a bit too much?" Su Rui poked at the blue-glowing barrier.

Nightingale was setting up the tent and said without turning her head, "Remember when you said you were going to collect firewood last time we went camping, but you stole the car?"

"But I drove it back."

Shining silently added another layer of binding magic to the barrier.

Under the starry sky, Su Rui watched the two busy figures and suddenly chuckled. Nightingale turned around warily. "What are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing," Su Rui looked up at the Milky Way, "I just feel..."

The searchlight-like headlights suddenly pierced the darkness, and the roar of an engine came from afar. Shining instantly drew his sword, Nightingale rushed to Su Rui's side in one stride.

"Not pursuers," Su Rui squinted, "It's a highway patrol."

Nightingale breathed a sigh of relief, then realized that she was standing protectively in front of Su Rui. Her face flushed, she tried to back away, but Su Rui gently grabbed her wrist.

"Thank you," he said softly, the warmth from his fingertips making Nightingale forget to pull away.

Shining coughed lightly, and the light from the barrier suddenly brightened by three degrees.

The Siesta carries the salty dampness of the sea breeze, and golden sunlight spills onto the streets, bathing the entire city in a lazy, warm hue.

The SUV slowly came to a stop in front of the "Tide's Breath" hotel. The moment the engine shut off, Nightingale breathed a sigh of relief. She turned her head and looked at the back seat— Su Rui was asleep, her head tilted to the side, breathing evenly.

His eyelashes cast a small shadow beneath his eyes, and his usually sharp features were now completely relaxed, making him appear exceptionally serene. Nightingale couldn't help but reach out and gently brush away the stray hairs from his forehead with her fingertips.

"Asleep?" Shining asked softly.

Nightingale nodded. "Yes, he hasn't rested much along the way."

Shining's gaze fell on Su Rui, her grey-purple eyes softening slightly. She unbuckled her seatbelt and said softly, "I'll go check him in. You take care of him."

Nightingale hummed in agreement, her fingers still lingering on Su Rui's cheek, as if reluctant to move away.

The crystal chandelier in the hotel lobby illuminated the floor. Shining stood at the front desk and handed over the three people's identification documents.

"A suite, two bedrooms." Her voice was calm and indifferent.

The receptionist took the documents, but her gaze paused slightly when she saw Su Rui's name. She looked up, her eyes passing over Shining and landing on Su Rui in Nightingale's arms, a subtle, unusual glint in her eyes.

"Sir..." the receptionist hesitated, then stopped herself in her tracks.

Shining's eyes suddenly turned cold. "Is there a problem?"

The receptionist flinched at her gaze and quickly shook her head. "No, no... just checking."

Nightingale stood to the side, holding Su Rui, feeling the gazes around her—curious, inquisitive, and even somewhat disdainful. Her arms tightened unconsciously, pulling Su Rui closer to her.

"What are you looking at?" She suddenly looked up and glared at a few whispering passengers not far away.

Those people immediately looked away, pretending nothing had happened.

Shining took the room key, turned and walked towards the elevator, with Nightingale close behind. Nightingale's shoulders relaxed slightly the moment the elevator doors closed.

"Why do they look at Su Rui like that..." she muttered under her breath, her tone filled with dissatisfaction.

Shining didn't answer, but the fingers gripping the sword hilt tightened slightly.

The night breeze in Siesta, carrying the scent of sea salt, gently lifted a corner of the curtains.

The doorbell for the suite rang abruptly.

Shining's fingers instantly pressed against the hilt of her sword, her grey-purple eyes narrowing slightly. Nightingale lifted her head from beside Su Rui's bed, a hint of alertness flashing in her still-sleepy eyes.

"Who?" Shining's voice was as cold as ice.

A languid yet slightly arrogant female voice came from outside the door. "Ceylon. I heard a friend was visiting, so I came to see you."

Nightingale and Shining exchanged a glance—of course they knew the name. Ceylon, the young lady of Siesta, the heiress of Blacksteel Worldwide, and also a former...acquaintance of Su Rui's.

Nightingale pursed her lips and lowered her voice. "How did she know we were here?"

Shining didn't answer, but walked to the door and slowly opened it a crack.

Two girls were standing outside the door.

Ceylon —with long, light pink hair, eyes as blue as the sea, and a finely tailored white dress, she elegantly waved a lace folding fan in her hand. The man beside her was completely different: black hair, red eyes, a sharp black combat suit, arms crossed, and eyes as sharp as a drawn sword.

"Good evening." Ceylon smiled. "I heard Su Rui is with you?"

Shining said expressionlessly, "He's asleep."

Ceylon paused slightly with her fan, her gaze passing over Shining, trying to peer into the room. "Is that so? That's a pity..."

Hei sneered from the side, "Asleep? Or do you not want to see me?"

Nightingale stood up abruptly, walked a few steps to the door, and blocked Shining's path. "I said he's asleep, and he's asleep. Please leave."

Ceylon's gaze fell on Nightingale, a hint of amusement flashing in his azure eyes. "And this young lady is...?"

"Nightingale." Nightingale raised her chin. "Su Rui's..."

She suddenly got stuck.

--Su Rui's what?

Companion? Friend? Or... something more intimate?

Ceylon seemed to see through her hesitation, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, "Oh? So you're just 'friends'."

The Nightingale's ear tips turned red instantly.

The atmosphere in the living room was almost frozen.

Ceylon sat gracefully on the sofa, with Black standing behind her like a shadow, his gaze fixed on the closed bedroom door.

"So," Ceylon slowly sipped his tea, "How has Su Rui been all these years?"

Shining stood by the window, her voice indifferent. "Very good."

"Really?" Ceylon chuckled. "But I heard he almost died three times in Kazdel."

Nightingale's fingers clenched tightly.

Hei Lengleng added, "Some people also say he's wanted in Victoria and being hunted in Ursus."

Shining's eyes suddenly sharpened. "You're investigating him?"

Ceylon waved his fan, his smile unchanged, "Just concerned about an old friend."

Nightingale suddenly stood up. "Su Rui is with us now, she's safe, and doesn't need your 'concern'."

Ceylon paused, his azure eyes narrowing slightly. "'Together with us'? What an intimate way to put it."

A mocking smile curled at the corner of Hei's mouth, "You think you can protect him?"

Nightingale's pupils contracted slightly, and her fingers unconsciously reached for the healing staff at her waist. Shining's sword had already silently been drawn an inch from its sheath.

Volume 12, Chapter 704: Stop arguing, eat first.

Seeing their wary expressions, Ceylon suddenly chuckled, "Relax, we're not here to kidnap you."

She stood up, snapped her folding fan shut, and glanced one last time in the direction of the bedroom.

After Ceylon and Black left, Nightingale let out a long sigh of relief and collapsed onto the sofa.

"What exactly is their relationship with Su Rui?" she asked sullenly.

Shining sheathed his sword, paused for a moment, and said, "Old acquaintances. Perhaps more."

Nightingale buried her face in the cushion, her voice muffled. "That Ceylon, the way he looks at Su Rui is like he's looking at his possession..."

Shining didn't answer, but her fingers tightened slightly around her sword.

They all knew that Ceylon and Black's obsession with Su Rui was far more than just a simple matter of "old acquaintances".

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened softly.