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

"Mm," Su Rui's voice was encouraging, "Just like during training."

The sound of the SUV's engine seemed particularly muffled in the vast wilderness. Jessica sat in the passenger seat, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the window. Outside, the boundless wilderness shimmered under the blazing sun, and the distorted air made the distant hills appear to sway in the water.

[Su Rui, this terrain...]

"Perfect for an ambush." Su Rui's voice echoed in her mind, steady like a drill sergeant. "Look at that rock formation on the left; there's a reflection at the top."

Jessica immediately tensed up and squinted. Sure enough, a metallic glint occasionally flashed between the jagged rocks.

[Sniper?] Her finger had already stealthily placed on the safety of the gun.

"No, they're abandoned mining equipment," Su Rui chuckled. "But you're quite alert."

Jessica's ears felt slightly warm, and her tail brushed gently against the seat.

"Hey, Miss~" Franka, with one hand on the steering wheel, suddenly reached out and poked her cheek with the other. "Don't be so tense all of a sudden, relax a bit~"

"I'm keeping watch around!" Jessica blushed and slapped her hand away.

Liskarm's voice came through the car communicator. "Car B reports, dust and smoke at the two o'clock position."

Jessica immediately grabbed her binoculars—a trail of yellowish-brown smoke was moving on the distant horizon.

Is it a racing team?

"Too fast." Su Rui's voice turned serious. "Wilderness caravans don't accelerate in this terrain. Notify Liskarm to be on high alert."

Just as Jessica grabbed the walkie-talkie, Franka suddenly whistled, "Wow, it's Riftbeast!"

Ahead of the smoke and dust, seven or eight rhinoceros-like creatures were fleeing frantically, their thick carapaces gleaming bronze in the sunlight.

"We're being chased by Sandworm!" Franka said gleefully, adjusting the driving route. "Shall we go around them?"

Jessica then noticed the unnatural bulge in the sand, which was rapidly chasing the Riftbeast. Cold sweat broke out on her back: [I hadn't noticed anything under the sand...]

"Pay attention to the direction of the sand's movement," Su Rui explained patiently. "Where the sandworms have raised the Sandworm, the gravel will slide down in a radial pattern."

"You know so much..." Jessica exclaimed sincerely.

"I was stationed in Sargon for six months before," Su Rui said nostalgically. "Back then, I dealt with these things every day."

The convoy continued on its way. Following Su Rui's instructions, Jessica began to observe the details that were easily overlooked:

--The withered grass, blown by the wind, suddenly and unnaturally bends down (possibly a stalking creature);

--Discontinuous tire tracks in the sand (perhaps a convoy was deliberately concealing its tracks);

--Unusual scratches on the rock face (marks of Originium Slug migration)...

"Not bad," Su Rui praised, "You're already better than 90% of the new scouts."

Jessica smiled, a warm feeling rising in her heart. She glanced furtively at the rearview mirror to make sure no one noticed the expression on her face.

The midday sun made the car roof scorching hot. Jessica took small sips of water from her water bladder and suddenly noticed that Su Rui had been silent for quite a while.

[Su Rui?]

"Um?"

[are you tired?]

A soft laugh echoed in the Sea of Consciousness: "The consciousness doesn't tire. It's just thinking... you learn faster than I imagined."

Jessica blushed again. She looked down and fiddled with her tactical belt, pretending to organize her gear. "[Because... I taught her well.]"

Su Rui seemed taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "If Shining heard that, she would definitely be jealous."

[Huh?!] Jessica's tail suddenly bristled. "She... she teaches you these things too?"

"No." Su Rui's voice suddenly softened, "She's a medic. These wilderness survival skills were taught to her by another friend."

Jessica was about to ask more questions when the convoy suddenly braked. Her forehead nearly hit the windshield, but thankfully the seatbelt pulled her firmly back into her seat.

"Abandoned checkpoint 500 meters ahead," Liskarm's voice came through the walkie-talkie. "Traces of recent activity detected. All personnel on alert."

Jessica immediately went into battle mode. As she deftly checked the magazine, loaded it, and disengaged the safety, she heard Su Rui's amused comment:

"Your movements are much more precise now."

"Because I have good teachers," she silently replied to herself.

Sunlight streamed through the car window, casting dappled shadows on her hand holding the gun. At that moment, Jessica suddenly realized—in this perilous wilderness, Su Rui's company gave her a strange sense of security.

The corrugated iron roof of the abandoned checkpoint rattled under the blazing sun, like an ominous countdown. Jessica, carrying her gun, followed cautiously behind Liskarm. The soles of her boots crunched over broken glass, making a soft cracking sound.

[Su Rui, do Originium Slug really nest here?]

"Look at the ground," Su Rui's voice echoed in her mind, "Those bluish, slimy traces are corrosive fluid secreted by Originium Slug."

Jessica looked down and, sure enough, found several dried, fluorescent blue stains in the corner. Her ears perked up alertly, and her tail involuntarily tightened.

Volume 14, page 759: Clear the area.

"Site B cleared." Franka's voice came through the walkie-talkie, tinged with boredom. "Just a few larvae, not even a warm-up."

Liskarm crouched down and scraped a sample of the slime with his tactical knife. "Very active, must have just left. Jessica, check the storage room."

"[Should I go alone?]" Jessica's fingers trembled slightly.

"I'm here," Su Rui said in a steady and strong voice. "Listen to my voice before opening the door."

Jessica took a deep breath and pressed her ear against the rusty iron door. At first, there was only the sound of wind, but soon—

[There's a rustling sound!]

"Take three steps back and prepare to fire," Su Rui quickly instructed. "Aim at the sound source immediately after the door opens."

Just as she raised her gun, the iron door creaked open. Three fist-sized Originium Slug were huddled in the gap of the filing cabinet, their Originium crystals gleaming dangerously.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three precise bursts of fire. The blue fluid that splattered when the Originium Slug exploded was blocked by her bulletproof mask, but Jessica still felt a lingering fear.

I did it!

"A beautiful triple shot." Su Rui's praise warmed her heart. "But remember to hold your breath next time; inhaling Originium dust is dangerous."

In the open space outside the checkpoint, Lina's assistant was setting up a portable picnic table. As Jessica helped spread out the tarpaulin, she noticed her hands were still trembling slightly.

"Your first real-world experience?" Liskarm handed her a can of self-heating food.

Jessica nodded, the can making a soft "click" in her hand: [Su Rui, did I do a terrible job?]

"Quite the opposite," Su Rui's voice laced with amusement, "You're much better than that guy who screamed and jumped onto my back the first time he saw Originium Slug."

[Huh?! Who is it...?]

"Dinner's ready!" Franka suddenly pounced on Jessica from behind, shoving a bag of snacks into her arms. "Try this! Lungmen extra spicy jerky, guaranteed to make you forget the disgusting taste of Originium Slug!"

Jessica took a small bite and immediately choked, tears streaming down her face. As she frantically searched for water, she heard Su Rui laughing in her Sea of Consciousness: "Quick, chew some bread! The capsaicin will stick to... It's too late."

"Hahaha!" Franka slapped her thigh, "Your face is as red as a tomato!"

Liskarm reluctantly handed her a water bottle, while Lina watched the farce from a distance, frowning. But Jessica suddenly realized that the tension from the battle had somehow dissipated amidst her companions' laughter.

Under the shade of a tree, Jessica nibbled on her sandwich. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on her knees.

[Su Rui, did you picnic like this when you were on missions before?]

"Indeed," Su Rui recalled, "But it's a pity there are outsiders here, otherwise you could have eaten even better."

Jessica couldn't help but laugh out loud, then quickly covered her mouth. She stole a glance at Liskarm, who was checking the map, and quietly broke a hard-boiled egg in half: [If only you could materialize... I could share half with you.]

A few seconds of silence lingered in my Sea of Consciousness.

"Jessica," Su Rui's voice suddenly became very soft, "Look at the sky."

She looked up and saw a lone eagle circling in the azure sky. As the wind ruffled her bangs, she felt as if an invisible hand was gently brushing her hair aside.

"It's time to go," Liskarm's voice came from behind. "Still a long way to go."

Jessica brushed the bits of grass off her uniform and stood up.

The SUV bumped along the cracked, saline-alkali ground, and Jessica's forehead slammed against the car window for the third time.

"Hiss--"

"I suggest you hold on tight to the handrail." Su Rui's voice carried an undisguised amusement. "This geological fault line is still twelve kilometers long."

Jessica rubbed her reddened forehead and looked out through the dusty car window. The cracked earth radiated distorted heat waves under the blazing sun, and a few withered poplar trees in the distance looked like twisted ghostly shadows. The car thermometer showed that the outside temperature had climbed to 48 degrees Celsius, and the air blowing from the air conditioning vents was warm.

Franka suddenly jerked the steering wheel, and the entire car tilted to the right due to inertia. A sand scorpion the size of a tire scurried away from under the wheel in a panic, its stinger gleaming purple in the sunlight.

"Wow~ I almost had extra food!" Franka whistled.

The Liskarm in the back seat silently tightened his seatbelt. "The sixth time."

[Su Rui, did she do it on purpose?] Jessica gripped the handrail above the car door tightly.

"Judging from the steering wheel pressure and her expression," Su Rui analyzed seriously, "She is definitely enjoying the process."

The car radio suddenly crackled to life, Lina's calm voice came through. "Vehicle B reports: A sandstorm front has appeared to the southeast. We recommend changing course to the C7 Pass."

Jessica immediately unfolded the electronic map. The green dot representing the convoy was moving closer to the red sector representing the danger zone, and the C7 Pass required a 30-kilometer detour.

"It'll take two hours," Franka pouted as she adjusted the navigation.

"Better than eating sand." Liskarm inspected the weapons. "Jessica, notify the convoy behind."

A bead of sweat slid down Jessica's temple as she picked up the walkie-talkie. The metal casing of the communicator was scorching hot, feeling like a burning ember against her cheek.

It's so hot...

"Drink some electrolyte water," Su Rui reminded her. "Your lips are starting to turn pale."

She then realized that her water bladder had been empty for almost half an hour. As the cool liquid slid down her throat, she could almost hear her thirsty cells cheering.

The rock walls of the C7 Pass were as steep as if cleaved by a giant axe. As the convoy drove through the shadows, the temperature dropped by more than ten degrees. Jessica's breath condensed into water droplets on the car window, and she unconsciously drew a smiley face on the mist with her fingertips.

"Childish." Franka glanced at it in the rearview mirror, but also drew a heart.

A swarm of nocturnal bats suddenly took flight from the crevice in the rocks, their dark wings flapping and echoing through the canyon. Jessica instinctively reached for her weapon, but Su Rui stopped her:

"Don't fire! The echo will trigger a rockfall."

Her finger froze on the trigger guard. Just then, a fist-sized boulder fell from the cliff top, hitting the hood with a dull thud.

"Full speed ahead!" Liskarm shouted.

As the convoy emerged from the pass, the sun had already sunk below the horizon. In the last rays of golden light, Jessica saw in the rearview mirror the canyon spewing billows of dust.

We were almost buried alive...

"But no," Su Rui's voice enveloped her like the night sky, "You did very well."

The campfire crackled at the campsite. Jessica, holding a steaming hot ration box, watched as Franka and Liskarm argued endlessly about "how long to soak the compressed biscuits."

"Three minutes! Any longer and it'll turn into mush!"

It takes at least five minutes to soften the fibers.

Jessica quietly poured some hot water into her cookies: [Su Rui, how long do you like them soaking?]

Volume 14, Chapter 760: Was the shipment of contraband?

"I prefer..." Su Rui suddenly paused, "Wait, the bushes at two o'clock."

Her fork hung in mid-air. By the firelight, one could vaguely see the branches of the bush trembling unnaturally—even without wind.

[Not an animal?]

"The movements are too rhythmic." Su Rui's voice tightened. "Slowly put the lunchbox down, don't disturb it."

Jessica pretended to stretch, and her elbow "accidentally" knocked over the kettle. The rustling of the bushes stopped abruptly with the sound of the metal container rolling down.

"I'll go pick it up," she said loudly, her right hand already releasing the safety from the gun.

As her shadow fell over the bushes, a metallic object suddenly reflected a cold light—a surveillance camera disguised as a rock.

[Someone is spying on us!]

"Don't dismantle it," Su Rui quickly assessed. "Note the location and tell Liskarm when we get back."

As Jessica bent down to pick up the water bottle, she deliberately let her tactical belt brush against the monitor. Back by the campfire, she lowered her voice. "Monitoring device spotted, 7 meters at 2 o'clock."