Ark Simulator: Don't I Lack a Physical Body?

"That was amazing!" Moe Moe Xiang suddenly appeared out of nowhere, her pink twin tails covered in wood shavings. "I have to take a picture!"

She had just raised her phone when Ling grabbed her by the back of the collar and dragged her away. "Stay away, or you'll get caught in the crossfire."

The battle on the field intensified. Hoshiguma's shield bash cracked the floor, while Akafuyu's blade flashed like a dense blizzard. Both of them began to breathe rapidly, but the fighting spirit in their eyes burned even brighter.

"Not bad." Hoshiguma's green hair was soaked with sweat and stuck to his forehead. "Better than that old man Tetsusai."

Akafuyu's knife tip dipped slightly. "You flatter me." Her gaze suddenly shifted to the sidelines, "Your people seem to be enjoying this performance."

Hoshiguma turned her head and saw Su Rui stuffing the last bite of daifuku into his mouth, with Ginchen thoughtfully wiping the strawberry jam from the corner of his mouth. Her green eyes narrowed instantly. "... Snacks?"

Su Rui's chewing motion froze, and her silver hair stood on end slightly.

A hint of a smile flashed in Akafuyu's eyes, "Looks like the discipline isn't strict enough?"

Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield suddenly turned, grazing Akafuyu's hair and smashing into a snack bag on the sidelines. With a "bang," the poor packaging bag turned into dust.

"Hey." Hoshiguma's green eyes locked onto Akafuyu, "Continue?"

Akafuyu crossed his twin swords in front of his chest. "I'd be happy to oblige."

Two hours later, the training ground floor was a complete mess. Hoshiguma and Akafuyu sat back to back on the ground, panting heavily. Their weapons were lying to the side, and their uniforms were soaked with sweat.

"A draw?" Akafuyu asked, his voice hoarse with fatigue.

Hoshiguma's green hair stuck to her face. "Hmph." She turned to look at the sidelines, "Su Rui!"

The silver-haired boy was no longer in his place. Moe Moe Xiang cautiously peeked out. "Mr. Su... Mr. Su Rui went to the Medical Department..."

"You're injured?" Hoshiguma suddenly stood up.

"No, no..." Moe Moe Xiang's voice trailed off, "I went to get ice packs... and sports drinks..."

Akafuyu gently shook her head. "You scared him."

Hoshiguma's green eyes swept over the mess on the ground, and she suddenly felt a little guilty. "... I'll go take a look."

In the Medical Department's rest area, Su Rui was holding two ice packs with silver dust. Warfarin was recording data beside her, her red eyes gleaming with excitement. "Similar levels of muscle strain, and roughly the same amount of lactic acid buildup... a perfect comparison sample!"

The door was flung open, Hoshiguma's green hair bristled like a hedgehog. "Su Rui!"

Warfarin's pen clattered to the floor. "Get out! Get out of this medical facility!"

Su Rui's silver dust drifted over and gently wiped the sweat from Hoshiguma's forehead: [Sit down.]

Hoshiguma's momentum instantly halved. She obediently sat on the hospital bed, letting Su Rui apply an ice pack to her reddened elbow.

"Does it hurt?" Su Rui asked softly.

Hoshiguma's green eyes softened slightly. "A minor injury." She suddenly pinched Su Rui's chin, "The snack matter isn't over yet."

Su Rui's silver dust formed a crying emoticon in the air: [Akafuyu provoked first.]

"Come on," Hoshiguma, her thumb brushing against his lips. "You just want to see me jealous."

Su Rui's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her silver hair fell down to cover her reddened ear tips. "... Mmm."

Hoshiguma paused for a second, then suddenly burst into laughter. She pulled Su Rui into her arms, her green hair brushing against his neck. "You've gone bad, huh?"

Warfarin silently left the room and closed the door behind her.

In the corridor, Akafuyu was leaning against the wall, drinking water. Her black hair was still dripping with sweat, but her expression had returned to calm.

"How is it?" Warfarin asked, raising an eyebrow.

A knowing glint flashed in Akafuyu's eyes. "An interesting lover."

"That green hedgehog isn't usually this easily agitated," Warfarin, her red eyes gleaming with cunning. "Want another 'friendly match'? I bet she'll be causing you trouble again within three days."

Akafuyu gently shook her head. "No need." A slight smile played on her lips. "We've already achieved our goal."

In the dormitory at dusk, Hoshiguma was lying on her bed, letting Su Rui massage her sore shoulders and back with silver dust.

"Akafuyu is leaving tomorrow," she said sullenly, "On a business trip to Siesta."

Su Rui's fingertips gently traced the bruises on her back: [Mmm.]

No one is allowed to see them off.

[good.]

Hoshiguma rolled over and pulled him into her arms. "You're not allowed to contact them secretly either."

Su Rui's silver hair was spread out on the sheets, gleaming like honey in the sunset. "... Jealous wretch."

Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Say it again?"

Su Rui suddenly tilted her head back and gently bit her chin. "Mine."

This simple word completely softened Hoshiguma's green hair. She tightened her arms, holding the silver-haired boy tightly in her embrace. "... Remember what you said."

Outside the window, the last rays of sunlight disappeared below the horizon. Akafuyu stood on the deck, gazing at the distant horizon. A small silver bell hung from her scabbard—a "proof of friendship" that Moe Moe Xiang had insisted on giving her before she left.

A night breeze blew by, Bell rang out with a clear, crisp sound, like laughter from afar.

The corridors of Rhodes Island were much quieter at night than during the day, with only the emergency lights casting a pale blue glow. Su Rui's silver hair shimmered faintly in the darkness, like a strand of silk soaked in moonlight. A few strands of silver dust lingered on his fingertips, tracing tiny streaks of light in the air.

"Are you sure this is the route?" Hoshiguma asked in a low voice, the demon horns in her green hair gleaming coldly in the darkness. Her Hannya Shield hung at her waist, its metal edge occasionally scraping against the wall with a soft "ding."

Su Rui nodded, a wisp of silver dust drifting towards the fork in the road ahead: [Monitoring shows that the last three abnormal energy fluctuations all occurred in the C7 Sector.]

Hoshiguma's green eyes swept across the empty corridor. "So that's why someone reported hearing crying at the very end?"

[It could also be just a rumor.] Su Rui's silver dust formed a small, shrugged figure, [but it's worth investigating.]

A soft "click" suddenly came from around the corner. Hoshiguma's green hair instantly exploded, and the Hannya Shield was already held horizontally in front of her chest. Su Rui's silver dust spread like water, forming a dense net of light in the corner.

A gray cat darted out of the shadows and jumped onto the pipe with a meow.

"..." Hoshiguma's green hair slowly fell down. "You did this on purpose?"

Su Rui's lips curled up slightly, and Yin Chen formed a smiley face in the air: [Your reaction is adorable.]

The temperature in C7 Sector was at least five degrees lower than in the main passage. Su Rui's silver dust condensed into tiny ice crystals in the air, like a miniature blizzard. Hoshiguma's breath formed white mist in the low temperature, and a thin layer of frost formed on the tips of her green hair.

"Damn it..." she rubbed her arms. "Why is it so cold here?"

Su Rui's silver dust suddenly coalesced into an arrow, pointing towards the ventilation duct's interface: [Residual Originium Energy].

Hoshiguma crouched down and pried open the ventilation cover with the edge of the Hannya Shield. The rusted metal made a grating "creaking" sound, and a cold wind carrying a musty smell rushed out.

What's in Volume 16, Chapter 916?

Something was reflecting light deep inside the pipe.

Su Rui's silver dust probed into the darkness like tentacles, gently lifting a small metal object—an old-fashioned pocket watch. The cover was rusted, but the movement was still stubbornly ticking. The second hand made an unusually clear "click" sound, particularly jarring in the silent corridor.

"That's it?" Hoshiguma frowned. "The 'Ghost' that scared half of Rhodes Island so much that they couldn't sleep was a piece of junk?"

Su Rui's fingertips brushed across the watch dial, silver dust seeping into the mechanical structure: [A modified resonator.] His silver hair swayed slightly, [Amplifying sound waves of specific frequencies.]

Hoshiguma narrowed her green eyes. "Man-made?"

[Uncertain.] Su Rui's silver dust condensed into the shape of a magnifying glass on the dial, [but there's a photograph inside.]

Embedded in the pocket watch's inner compartment was a yellowed old photograph showing a group of operators in early Rhodes Island uniforms. The young woman in the center had striking red hair and was holding a little girl in a protective suit.

Hoshiguma's green hair suddenly moved on its own without any wind. "This is..."

What are you doing?

A deep female voice came from behind. The two turned around at the same time and saw Kal'tsit standing at the end of the corridor, her white coat gleaming coldly in the dim blue light. Her gaze fell on the pocket watch in Su Rui's hand, and her pupils contracted slightly.

"Ghost hunting." Hoshiguma grinned. "Caught a little thing."

Kal'tsit strode over and took the pocket watch. Her fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly when they touched the photograph. "This is the equipment of the reconnaissance team that went missing fifteen years ago."

Su Rui's silver dust gently brushed across the watch face: [Still sending signals.]

"Impossible." Kal'tsit's voice was colder than the corridor's temperature. "Their signal transmitters have long since..."

The pocket watch suddenly emitted a piercing Buzz, and the hands on the dial spun wildly. The lights throughout the corridor began to flicker, and a metallic creaking sound came from the distant pipes.

Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield instantly deployed. "Back off!"

The cover of the ventilation duct suddenly burst open, and a blurry black shadow darted out. It wasn't a solid object, but rather some kind of distorted light and shadow, projecting a human-shaped outline onto the wall. It emitted a sharp, metallic "cry," the very same ghostly sound that had been rumored for so long.

Su Rui's silver hair danced wildly in the turbulent energy flow, and silver dust was scattered towards the shadows like a fishing net. But those light particles passed right through the phantoms, as if capturing air.

"Originium Arts projection!" Hoshiguma's green eyes locked onto the shadowy figure's movement. "No physical form!"

Kal'tsit's fingertip was already on the communicator. "Closure! Activate the Originium Suppressor in Sector C!"

A dark figure darted rapidly down the corridor, causing the security screens in its path to display static. It suddenly stopped in front of the emergency door, the distorted light and shadow gradually solidifying into the silhouette of a red-haired woman in a photograph.

"... Doctor?" Kal'tsit's voice wavered for a moment, a rare occurrence.

The phantom's "lips" moved, as if trying to say something, but only produced a piercing electronic noise. Su Rui's silver dust suddenly changed frequency, forming a resonant network in the air. The noise gradually became clearer, and a few words could be barely discerned:

[Don't... open... the underground...]

The blue light from the suppressor poured down from the ceiling, and the afterimage vanished like smoke blown away by the wind. The pocket watch fell to the ground with a "thud," its second hand forever frozen at 11:47.

The lights in the Medical Department were brighter than usual. Kal'tsit locked her pocket watch inside the isolation box, her expression returning to its usual coldness. "This matter ends here."

Hoshiguma's green hair was still covered in ice crystals. "That projection called you ' Doctor '."

"An older recording." Kal'tsit closed the case. "Fifteen years ago, there was indeed a red-haired Doctor on Rhodes Island who disappeared during the Chernobog incident." Her gaze swept over Su Rui. "As for why he's reappearing now..."

[Someone activated the signal.] Su Rui's silver dust hovered above the isolation chamber, [possibly unintentionally.]

Kal'tsit's white lab coat was almost transparent under the lights. "I'll have Closure thoroughly investigate all the old equipment." She suddenly looked at Hoshiguma, "You didn't see anything tonight."

Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed slightly. "So mysterious?"

"For safety's sake," Kal'tsit tapped her fingertips on the casing, "Especially you, Su Rui. Don't use Silver Dust to probe any old equipment."

Su Rui's eyelashes trembled slightly: [Understood.]

The chill in the corridor had dissipated, as if the strange occurrence had never happened. Hoshiguma's boots crunched over the lingering frost on the floor. "So this is Rhodes Island's 'Ghost'? A recording?"

Su Rui's silver hair appeared exceptionally soft in the restored sunlight: [More than that.] His silver dust formed a tiny, thoughtful figure, [a warning about something.]

Hoshiguma's green eyes swept over the safety sign on the wall. "'Do not open the underground'?" She suddenly remembered something, "Rhodes Island has underground levels?"

[Theoretically not.] Su Rui's Silver Dust unfolded the Rhodes Island structural diagrams in the air, [but early design drawings showed...]

"Stop." Hoshiguma shoved a hand over his mouth. "Kal'tsit just said not to check." Her green hair gleamed metallically under the light. "I don't want to be sent to Siberia to dig potatoes."

Su Rui's eyelashes trembled slightly in her palm, and Yin Chen obediently shrank back into his sleeve.

The dormitory lights were warmer than usual. Hoshiguma hung the Hannya Shield behind the door, and the ice crystals in her green hair had melted into water droplets. Su Rui sat on the edge of the bed, her silver hair hanging on the white sheets like a melting Milky Way.

"Still thinking about that ghost?" Hoshiguma walked over, drying her hair.

Su Rui's fingertips traced a blurry outline in the air: [It recognizes Kal'tsit.]

"What happened fifteen years ago..." Hoshiguma's green eyes darkened slightly. "Rhodes Island holds more secrets than we imagined."

Su Rui suddenly reached out, and silver dust materialized into a small pocket watch model on the bedside table: [Should I check?]

Hoshiguma flicked his forehead with her thumb. "No." She threw back the covers and crawled in, "Go to sleep."

Su Rui's silver hair gleamed like honey under the lamp. He hesitated for a moment, then turned off the light and snuggled into Hoshiguma's outstretched arms.

In the darkness, Hoshiguma's green hair exuded a faint minty scent. Her fingertips unconsciously twirled a strand of Su Rui's silver hair. "Before catching ghosts next time..."

[Um?]

"Remember to bring a hot drink." Hoshiguma's nose brushed against his icy earlobe. "I'm freezing."

Su Rui's silver dust quietly wrapped around her wrist: [to warm it.]

Outside the window, the Rhodes Island lighthouse blinked rhythmically. In an unrecorded blind spot of the surveillance cameras, the metal mesh of the ventilation duct vibrated slightly, emitting an almost inaudible "click."

Like the second hand of an old-fashioned pocket watch, it started moving again.

At three in the morning, the Rhodes Island corridor was so quiet you could hear the hum of the ventilation system. Hoshiguma's boots clicked softly against the metal seams. Her green hair gleamed with a bluish glow under the emergency lights, and the tips of her demon horns occasionally brushed against the pipes hanging from the ceiling, sending up a few sparks.

Volume 16, Chapter 917: Hoshiguma is a professional.

"So," she suddenly stopped and turned to look at the silver-haired boy behind her, "Why did you have to drag me along?"