Ark Simulator: Didn't I Have No Physical Form?

[Now?]

"After we deal with the Mifune," Hoshiguma put the key back and gently closed the door, "Use the finest Star Iron to engrave a new crest."

She stepped out of the warehouse; the morning mist was dissipating. The outline of the Smithing Town gradually became clear, and the sounds of the morning market opening could be heard in the distance. Hoshiguma stood at the alley entrance, watching the first rays of sunlight climb onto the roof of the Metalstone Society.

"Let's go," she adjusted the straps of her Hannya Shield, "It's time to meet our 'old friend'."

Su Rui's consciousness vibrated gently in her mind, like the sound of a sword before it is drawn. Hoshiguma's green hair fluttered in the morning breeze, like a flag finally returning to its place.

There's a ghost in chapter 894 of volume 16!

When Hoshiguma pushed open the back door of the warehouse, the moonlight was just being obscured by clouds.

She tiptoed through the overgrown backyard, her fingertips brushing against the wildly growing vines—the grapevines she had planted ten years ago, now covering half the yard wall. The night breeze carried the scent of grass and trees, a familiar feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.

[There are people at the main entrance.]

Su Rui's voice suddenly echoed in her mind. Hoshiguma paused, her right hand silently resting on the longsword at her waist. Her demon horns trembled slightly as she caught a subtle movement ahead—the rustling of fabric, rapid breathing, and... the crisp sound of beans colliding?

"What's going on..." she muttered to herself, using the shadows as cover to approach the ruins of the main house.

Under the dilapidated eaves, a petite figure crouched, shivering. Her pink twin ponytails stood out vividly in the moonlight, and she clutched a paper bag full of beans in her hand—it was Moe Moe Xiang.

The young idol, wearing an oversized hoodie and with stage makeup glitter on his face, was closing his eyes and chanting, "Namo Amitabha Buddha... Evil spirits, begone..."

Hoshiguma's lips twitched. Just as she was about to speak, Moe Moe Xiang suddenly grabbed a handful of beans and scattered them in all directions. "Back! Back! Back!"

A few soybeans landed with a "plop" on the tip of Hoshiguma's boot.

"..."

Moe Moe Xiang seemed to sense something and opened her eyes with a tremor. When she saw the tall figure in the darkness, her pupils dilated instantly. "It's... it's appeared!"

She frantically grabbed a twig from the ground—no, Hoshiguma squinted, it was a decorative plastic staff with glittering star stickers stuck to the top.

"Evil spirits, begone!" Moe Moe Xiang waved her staff with her eyes closed. "I have a blessed magical artifact!"

The plastic star hit Hoshiguma's forehead with a "smack" and bounced off softly.

"Hey," Hoshiguma said helplessly.

Moe Moe Xiang's body stiffened abruptly. She slowly opened her eyes and, by the moonlight, saw Hoshiguma's face clearly—long green hair, sharp demon horns, and a real sword at his waist.

"The props team's older sister?" Her voice trembled with tears. "Or... is it the ghost of your older sister?"

Hoshiguma sighed. "I'm alive."

"Show me the proof, the proof!" Moe Moe Xiang suddenly pulled a small packet of salt from her pocket. "Ghosts aren't afraid of salt!"

Before Hoshiguma could react, a handful of salt was thrown at her head. The fine white granules clung to her hair and shoulders, glistening in the moonlight.

"..."

"Do you need any help?" Su Rui's voice was clearly tinged with amusement.

Hoshiguma brushed the salt off her shoulder, then suddenly had a brilliant idea. She pulled out her phone, quickly typed a few words, and pressed the voice play button.

Hello, little idol~

A synthesized female voice rang out in the darkness, startling Moe Moe Xiang. But that wasn't all; Hoshiguma deliberately let the blue light from the phone screen reflect on her face, making her green hair and demon horns look particularly eerie in the cold light.

"I heard you were looking for me?" the phone continued in a sinister tone, "Come on over..."

Moe Moe Xiang burst into tears, dropping her staff and salt bag to the ground. She turned to run, but tripped over weeds and fell into a mud puddle.

Hoshiguma finally couldn't help but laugh out loud and quickly went to help her up, "Just kidding, don't be afraid."

Moe Moe Xiang looked up with teary eyes and suddenly reached out to pinch Hoshiguma's arm. "It's warm! It really is a living person!"

"Otherwise what?" Hoshiguma brushed the dirt off her hoodie. "Do you think a ghost would help you pick up a plastic wand?"

She bent down to pick up the ridiculous star-shaped staff, and deliberately shook it as she handed it to Moe Moe Xiang: "Is it blessed?"

Moe Moe Xiang's face flushed red instantly. "It's a project arranged by the company... 'Idols exploring haunted houses' or something..." she whispered in defense, "They said this place is haunted, perfect for filming a supernatural special..."

Hoshiguma raised an eyebrow. "So you came all by yourself to scatter beans?"

"The manager went to buy late-night snacks..." Moe Moe Xiang said, fiddling with the stickers on her wand. "I... I was just thinking of scouting the place first..."

The night wind rustled the wild grass among the ruins. Moe Moe Xiang suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling. "Sister, is this your home?"

Hoshiguma didn't answer immediately. Her gaze swept across the ruins and landed on a half-charred beam—where her first wooden sword had once hung.

"It used to be," she finally said.

Moe Moe Xiang followed her gaze and suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!"

She scurried to the corner of the wall and pulled a small wooden box out of the weeds. The box was mostly rotten, but you could still vaguely see childish doodles on it—crooked, whimsical horn patterns with the word "star" written next to them.

"This!" Moe Moe Xiang presented it like a treasure, "I did some research before filming! This is the 'treasure box' of the Oni Clan children, right? They bury important things in a corner of the house and dig them up when they grow up..."

Hoshiguma froze. She took the nearly broken wooden box, her fingertips touching the faded carvings on the edge—carves she'd made with a dagger when she was ten; it should contain...

The moment the lid was lifted, a musty, stale smell wafted out. Inside lay a rusty copper coin, a strangely shaped stone, and half a piece of paper riddled with wormholes. Hoshiguma carefully unfolded the scrap of paper; on it, written in childish handwriting:

"When I grow up, I want to become a blacksmith even more skilled than Master Tetsusai!"

Next to the writing was a stick figure with exaggerated horns on its head, holding a sword bigger than its body.

"Wow!" Moe Moe Xiang came over to look, "My sister's childhood dream was to be a blacksmith!"

Hoshiguma's fingertips gently traced the crooked lines. She had long forgotten that she had buried this box, and even less that she had ever had such a dream.

"And now?" Moe Moe Xiang suddenly asked, "Has it been achieved?"

A night breeze swirled fallen leaves between them. Hoshiguma closed the wooden box and placed it back in Moe Moe Xiang's hands. "It's for you."

"Huh? Is that okay?"

"Hmm." Hoshiguma turned and walked towards the warehouse. "Anyway..."

Before she could finish speaking, hurried footsteps and shouts suddenly came from afar, "Moe Moe Xiang! Where are you?"

"Manager!" Moe Moe Xiang hurriedly stuffed the wooden box into her hoodie pocket. "Sister, hide quickly!"

Hoshiguma raised an eyebrow. "Why should I hide?"

"Because..." Moe Moe Xiang stamped her feet anxiously, "If we get photographed alone with a strange woman in the ruins late at night, the gossip magazines will write all sorts of nonsense tomorrow!"

Hoshiguma couldn't help but laugh again. She pointed to the warehouse. "I'm going over there. You go home as soon as you're done with your manager."

Moe Moe Xiang nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "Sister!" she whispered, "You have to come to my concert next week! I've saved seats in the front row!"

Hoshiguma waved her hand, her figure disappearing into the shadows of the warehouse. She heard Moe Moe Xiang's footsteps running towards her manager, and that flimsy excuse—"I was practicing the dance moves for the new song with a tree branch? That's a magic artifact!"

"She's very interesting," Su Rui commented.

Volume 16, Chapter 895: The Troublesome Little Devil

"Troublesome brat." Hoshiguma said this, but put the rusty copper coin into her pocket—which she had just secretly taken from the wooden box.

Inside the warehouse, moonlight streamed through the high windows, illuminating the long-awaited suit of armor. Hoshiguma's fingers traced the cloud patterns on the breastplate, and he suddenly asked, "Su Rui, what were your dreams when you were little?"

Silence spread in the darkness. Just when Hoshiguma thought he wouldn't answer, a gentle ripple came from the depths of her consciousness:

[I want to become... a sword that can protect those I cherish.]

Hoshiguma's lips curled into a slight smile. She picked up the sword beside her armor, its blade reflecting her resolute gaze. "And now?"

Su Rui's response poured out silently like moonlight, gently enveloping her consciousness:

[Achieved.]

The morning mist flowed along the stone-paved streets of the Smithing Town. Hoshiguma's boots rolled over the damp moss, leaving almost imperceptible watermarks in the cracks between the stones. The Hannya Shield swayed gently with each step, its metal edge occasionally brushing against the scabbard at his waist, making a soft, mosquito-like "ding" sound.

[Thirty meters ahead, a fork in the road on the right]

Su Rui's voice flowed through her mind like a clear spring. Hoshiguma's fingertips brushed against the mottled brick wall, her fingertips touching a familiar mark—a crooked horn pattern she had carved with a dagger when she was twelve, with the character "star" carved next to it. Wild grass peeking out from the crack in the wall brushed against her wrist, carrying the coolness of the morning dew.

A metallic clanging sound suddenly came from around the corner.

Hoshiguma stopped, her green hair fluttering slightly in the morning breeze. A young man in Metalstone Society uniform was frantically fastening a training sword to his waist, the scabbard constantly clattering against the wall. His movements were so clumsy that even the "Dark Knight" sticker on the hilt was chipped off.

"Stop... stop!" the young man stammered, deliberately lowering his voice, "Lord Mifune has ordered..."

Hoshiguma's demon horns drew a cold arc in the morning light. She walked straight past the young man, her green hair brushing against his shoulder and stirring up a gust of wind carrying the smell of rust.

"Hey!" The young man caught up and grabbed her wrist. "I haven't finished speaking..."

His words came to an abrupt halt. Hoshiguma slowly turned around, her amber vertical pupils slightly contracting in the shadows. Only then did the young man see the longsword at her waist—its black scabbard was covered with fine battle scars, and the hilt cord was a dark red, soaked in blood.

[He is Tetsusai's son, named Zhe Ye.] Su Rui reminded Hoshiguma in her mind.

"Zhe Ye," Hoshiguma suddenly spoke, "Did your father teach you to block the road like this?"

The young man released his grip as if burned. "You... how did you know about me..."

"Tetsusai's son." Hoshiguma's gaze swept over his trembling fingers, "Even the way you hold the sword is just like when you were ten."

The weeds in the corner suddenly shook violently. Zhe Ye's face turned from red to white, and his training knife slammed into the back of his foot with a "clang." Ignoring the pain, he froze as he bent down to pick up the knife— Hoshiguma's boot tip was stepping on the back of the blade.

"What did Mifune show you?" Hoshiguma's voice was soft. "To make you work so hard?"

Zhe Ye's apple bobbed. "The grand plan to revitalize the Smithing Town... He said Father was too conservative..."

A cherry blossom petal drifted down onto the blade. Hoshiguma bent down to pick up the training sword, his fingertips tracing the ridiculous sticker. "Heroes in manga never tremble before their enemies."

With a flick of her wrist, the hilt of her knife struck Zhe Ye heavily on the forehead. The young man staggered backward, only realizing as his back slammed against the wall—this blow should have severed his throat.

"Tell Mifune," Hoshiguma said, tucking his training knife into the leather buckle at his waist, "That the devil has come to collect a debt from ten years ago."

Zhe Ye stood frozen in place, watching Hoshiguma's figure disappear into the morning mist. His trembling fingers touched his forehead, where there was a clear mark of a sword hilt, but no blood had been drawn.

"Oh, disciplining a child?"

A teasing female voice came from the rooftop. Ji Xing squatted on the eaves, two short knives twirling in the light of her fingers. She was thinner than she had been ten years ago, with a few strands of silver hair mixed in with her high ponytail, but her fox-like eyes were still astonishingly bright.

Hoshiguma didn't even look up. "How long have you been peeking?"

"It all started when some idiot dropped his knife on his foot." Ji Xing leaped down lightly, his wooden clogs shattering the morning dew. "That silly boy has recently become obsessed with Mifune's 'reformists,' Tetsusai was so angry he dismantled three forges."

She suddenly leaned closer, her nose almost touching Hoshiguma's demon horn. "But you... after ten years, you still remember Tetsusai's son so clearly?"

Ji Xing burst into laughter, startling the sparrows under the eaves. As if by magic, she pulled a wine flask from her sleeve; the amber liquid shimmered in the morning light. "Same as always," she said, "Catch it and I'll tell you a secret."

The moment the sake jug was tossed, Hoshiguma lightly flicked her sword sheath. The jug traced an arc in the air before landing steadily in her palm. A crisp, clear aroma of sake wafted through the air— Tetsusai's privately treasured "Ghost Cry" sake, kept for twenty years.

"Mifune is holding Elder Council tonight," Ji Xing said in a low voice. "The seals for all six branch families are ready." She traced a circle on the scabbard of Hoshiguma with her fingertip. "The only thing missing is... the land deed for the Smithing Town."

Hoshiguma's pupils contracted slightly. She tilted her head back and gulped down a mouthful of sake, the scalding liquid burning down her throat and into her stomach. "Where's Tetsusai?"

"The dungeon." Ji Xing's smile faded slightly. "Nominally, it's 'closed-door forging.'" She took a copper key from her pocket. "The motorcycle in the backyard is full of gas."

The moment the key landed in his palm, the sound of a morning bell rang out in the distance. Ji Xing took two steps back, his figure gradually disappearing into the morning mist. "By the way... that silly boy had Mifune Faction secret mark hidden under the sticker."

Her voice drifted away in the wind, leaving only a cherry blossom stuck to Hoshiguma's sword tassel.

Zhe Ye stumbled and ran for three blocks before stopping. His trembling fingers reached for the training knife and peeled off the "Night Warrior" sticker—beneath which was clearly the three-scale crest of the San Chuan Family.

Cold sweat soaked his back. He recalled what Mifune had said to him late Mifune nights ago when he handed him the knife, "When you see a green-haired woman with demon horns, just peel off the sticker."

At the time, he didn't understand why such a thing would be hidden on the hilt of a knife. Even now, that brand is burning hot in his palm, as if it's about to burn through his skin.

The cawing of crows echoed from the depths of the alley. Zhe Ye suddenly realized that he might be caught up in a plot a thousand times more complex than any manga. He looked in the direction where Hoshiguma had disappeared, and in the morning mist, a pair of amber eyes seemed to be coldly watching his every move.

A night breeze, carrying the salty scent of the sea, swept across the eaves of the Smithing Town. Hoshiguma stood in the shadows of an abandoned warehouse, her fingertips tracing the cracks on the edge of her Hannya Shield. Suddenly, a scene unfolded in Su Rui's mind—

Moe Moe Xiang huddled in a corner of a dark alley, her pink twin tails covered in dust, clutching a broken piece of a sword tightly in her arms. A dark red cord was wrapped around the hilt, and the blade pattern shimmered with a unique wave pattern under the moonlight—it was the first real sword Hoshiguma was fifteen, which should have been melted into molten iron in the fire ten years ago.

Volume 16, Chapter 896: They've caught up.

[A forgery by Mifune.] Su Rui's voice analyzed calmly, [but it used your forging techniques from back then.]

The scene shifts, Mifune is whispering to a woman in black, "That girl touched something she shouldn't have... clean her up." The woman nods slightly, and the snake tattoo on her wrist flashes by in the candlelight.

Hoshiguma's pupils suddenly contracted. "Ryo?"

[Predicted Route.] Su Rui's consciousness quickly sketched out a 3D map of the Smithing Town. [Moe Moe Xiang is moving towards the old town, with a 67% probability of passing by the Naniwa House -ya oden stall.]

The Hannya Shield gleamed with a ghostly blue light under the moonlight. Hoshiguma's green hair billowed in the night breeze, a few strands of silver dust materialized by Su Rui entwined among them. She suddenly reached out and grabbed a strand of dust, letting it coil around her fingertip as if it were alive. "You noticed all along?"

[Three hours ago, when Moe Moe Xiang touched the broken sword, the residual Originium on the blade fluctuated abnormally.] Su Rui's light dust condensed into a miniature map in her palm. [But Ling's behavior doesn't fit the logic of silencing witnesses—she deliberately left an escape route.]