Ark Simulator: Aren't I Non-Corporeal?

As his fingers traced the gun's shaft, Yin Chen simulated subtle Originium fluctuations. The rapid-fire gun spun between his fingers like a living thing, the actions of unloading the magazine, loading, and aiming flowing smoothly, finally the muzzle lightly touching the fox hair clip in Moe Moe Xiang's hair—of course, without actually firing. Throughout the entire process, Yin Chen maintained a silencing field, absorbing even the sound of the firing pin completely.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Moe Moe Xiang exclaimed, cupping her face in her hands. "It's even cooler than the Lungmen Guard Department's tactical demonstration! How did they do that turn?"

Mio's snake tattoo suddenly wrapped around Su Rui's wrist. "The third combination movement has a 0.3-second delay." The tip of her kunai adjusted Su Rui's grip, "Lower your wrist by five degrees, shift your center of gravity forward by three percent."

Hoshiguma's green hair moved without wind. "When did you two become so in sync?"

"Silence had me test him." Mio continued adjusting her posture expressionlessly. "His reflexes are 1.7 times faster than mine, but his muscle memory still needs training." Her kunai suddenly tapped Su Rui's elbow. "Here, the way you're applying force is wrong."

Su Rui's ears turned slightly red. "... It's just a data simulation."

The hotel corridor was completely silent in the dead of night, with only the faint sound of the hot spring flowing in the distance. Hoshiguma's green hair was spread on the pillow, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the cooling groove of the rapid-fire gun. Su Rui's silver hair hung down her neck as she performed a final check on the weapon, silver dust flowing between the parts as if it were alive.

"We could have easily solved this with Silver Dust," Hoshiguma suddenly spoke, his voice unusually deep in the night, "Why did we have to resort to this?"

Su Rui's eyelashes trembled in the darkness, the silver dust reflecting the shadows in his eyes. "That time in the Chernobog underground tunnels... if I had reliable long-range firepower back then..." His fingertips traced the engravings on the gun, "You wouldn't have had to withstand that explosion."

Hoshiguma's demon horns keenly caught the subtle tremor in his voice. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close. "Fool." Her lips brushed against the silver hair on his forehead, "It was my own choice."

Yin Chen gently placed the rapid-fire gun on the knife rack, its metal parts gleaming coldly in the moonlight. Su Rui's forehead rested against her collarbone, his breath carrying a faint scent of gun oil. "Tomorrow, let me be in charge of the high ground on the second floor."

"No risks allowed." Hoshiguma's teeth lightly grazed his demon horn. "Dare to get even a little bit hurt..." Her threat was interrupted by a kiss on her lips.

As moonlight streamed through the paper door, the shadows of the two figures overlapped on the tatami mat. The rapid-fire gun, named "Snowy Owl," lay quietly on its sword rack, surrounded by silver dust like a guardian spirit, undergoing its final precision calibration. When the morning mist once again drifted into the room, the gun had been completely disassembled and maintained, each part gleaming with a cold luster, as if no one had ever touched its trigger.

Su Rui's silver hair intertwined with Hoshiguma's green hair on the pillow, like a manifestation of some eternal vow. In the last darkness before dawn, Hoshiguma's fingers gently traced the old wounds on Su Rui's back, those scars recording every battle they had fought together. Meanwhile, Su Rui's silver dust gently wrapped around her demon horns, like moonlight guarding the dark forest.

The bluish-gray light of dawn filtered through the cracks in the shoji paper door, cutting thin strips of light across the tatami mat. Hoshiguma's green hair was spread out on the pillow, the ends intertwining with Su Rui's silver hair, like moonlight blending with the forest. Her demon horns gleamed warmly in the morning light, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the longest scar on Su Rui's back—a souvenir left three years ago in the Lungmen sewers.

Volume 16, page 933: Final Inspection

Su Rui's eyelashes trembled in the morning light, and silver dust swirled in the air like fireflies awakening. His gaze swept over the "Snowy Owl" on the shelf; the silver-white gun barrel looked like a ferocious beast with its fangs retracted in the dim light.

"Awake?" Hoshiguma's voice was hoarse from the early morning, her green hair brushing against his nose. "Your fingers are moving. Trying to touch the gun?"

Su Rui's silver hair swayed slightly. "One last check." His fingertips tapped lightly, and Silver Dust lifted the rapid-fire gun. "The Etching Rounds needs preheating."

Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed slightly. "Hemo didn't mention that." Her thumb pressed against the magazine. "You modified it?"

"Originium resonance layer has been added." Yin Chen opened the magazine, revealing its intricate internal crystalline structure. "It's more effective against barriers."

A soft Bell sound suddenly came from outside the window. Moe Moe Xiang, wearing a pink yukata, stood on tiptoe and hung from the wind chimes under the eaves. "Good morning! Mio-nee made rice balls!"

Her gaze fell on the rapid-fire gun in the room, and she immediately lowered her voice. "Um... do you need help disguising it? I bought a super-sized gift box!"

Mio's snake-shaped tattoo silently wrapped around the door frame. "There are three black vans parked at the mine exit." She traced a simple diagram on the tatami mat with the tip of her kunai. "Each van has two guards; the changing of the guard is at seven o'clock sharp."

Hoshiguma's green hair exploded. "How did you know?"

"I'm doing some reconnaissance while I'm jogging." A miniature camera popped out from Mio's fingertip. "They're moving boxes of goods labeled 'hot spring minerals.'"

Su Rui's Silver Dust quickly analyzed the image: [The container shows Originium radiation; the shielding measures are inadequate.]

"So, let's move now?" Moe Moe Xiang gripped the camera excitedly. "Want to livestream? I promise it'll be on an encrypted channel!"

"No." Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield stood blocking the doorway. "You stay at the inn and are in charge of communications monitoring."

Yin Chen suddenly grabbed Moe Moe Xiang's phone and automatically installed an encryption program: [Frequency adjusted.]

Silence

The hot spring pump station was eerily quiet in the morning mist. Hoshiguma had a miniature communicator clipped to her green hair, and the edge of her Hannya Shield gleamed coldly. Su Rui's silver hair was tied into a neat high ponytail, and the "Snowy Owl" gun was slung across her back, secured with a special suction device.

"Remember," Hoshiguma's demon horn brushed against his earlobe, "Only fire when absolutely necessary."

Su Rui's fingertips lightly touched the butt of the gun: [Understood.]

Mio's serpentine tattoo moved through the mist, surveying her surroundings like a living creature. "Two heat sources in the southeast corner, someone's smoking." Her kunai tip pointed towards the pump room. "There are surveillance cables at the ventilation ducts."

Silver dust drifted silently towards the vent, tiny particles of light seeping into the cables: [Password rotation interval: 3 minutes and 17 seconds. Begin cracking now.]

Hoshiguma's green eyes swept over Su Rui's focused profile. "How long will it take?"

[Two minutes and forty-three seconds.] Yin Chen forms a countdown, "Enough time for you to take care of the smoking guard."

The Hannya Shield traced a ghostly blue arc in the mist. Hoshiguma's figure swept across the courtyard like a phantom, two muffled thuds echoing in the distance. When she returned, her fingertips smelled faintly of gunpowder. "It's over."

The vent grille slid open silently. A glint of silver dust shimmered in the darkness: [Monitoring taken over, displaying looping footage.]

The pump station was filled with a strong smell of Originium. Su Rui's silver hair moved without wind; [radiation intensity exceeded the standard by three times.] He lightly pressed his temples with his fingertips, "The interference is very strong."

Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield emitted a faint, protective glow. "Stay close to me."

A heavy chain hung on the iron door to the second basement level. Mio's serpentine tattoo probed into the keyhole: [Electronic lock, password required.]

Su Rui's silver dust seeped into the control panel: [The password is ' White Fox '.] His eyelashes trembled slightly. "They used my codename."

Hoshiguma's green hair exploded. "These bastards..."

The moment the iron gate opened, a blinding light of Originium burst forth. The warehouse was filled with glittering Originium crystals, and more than twenty armed personnel were packing them into boxes. On the platform in the very center, four Originium Arts users were maintaining a massive energy barrier.

"We've been spotted!" Moe Moe Xiang's voice crackled through the communicator. "Thermal sensors show they've all activated their weapons!"

Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield suddenly unfolded. "Su Rui! High ground!"

Yin Chen carried Su Rui onto the shelf, and the muzzle of the "Snowy Owl" gun glowed with a ghostly blue light. When the first Etching Rounds hit the barrier, the dazzling energy ripples were like a shattered rainbow.

"Northwest corner!" Mio's kunai pierced through a spellcaster's hand gesture. "His barrier has a 0.3-second interval!"

Su Rui's silver hair flew as the spent cartridge bounced, and the second bullet pierced precisely through the gap in the barrier. The caster who was hit staggered backward, and a tiny crack appeared in the barrier.

"Beautiful!" Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield sent two charging guards flying. "Keep the pressure on!"

Shell casings rained down. Su Rui's silver dust created a cooling field around the gun. [Seventeen rounds left.] His breathing was rapid. "The recoil is stronger than expected."

Suddenly, a caster raised a strange device, and a powerful Originium interference wave instantly spread. Su Rui's silver hair exploded, and the silver dust became violently disordered. "Interference device!"

Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield slammed heavily onto the ground. "Mio! Three o'clock!"

The kunai and the snake-shaped tattoo attacked the jammer simultaneously, but were blocked by the barrier halfway. At that moment, Su Rui's silver eyes suddenly sharpened—he saw the specific frequency of the barrier's fluctuations.

The last three bullets were fired in a triangular pattern, tearing a gap along the energy lines of the barrier. Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield pierced through the gap like a cannonball and slammed heavily into the jammer.

A piercing cracking sound rang out, and the interference wave vanished abruptly. The silver dust reformed into a sharp edge, [Full Control].

As the last guard was bound by Silver Dust, the morning light shone into the warehouse through the ventilation duct. Hoshiguma, his green hair speckled with crystalline dust, pressed his demon horn against Su Rui's forehead. "Injured?"

Su Rui's silver hair swayed gently as her fingertips traced the scratch on her cheek. "You are."

Moe Moe Xiang's cheers exploded through the communicator. "That was so cool! I recorded the whole thing! Wait... why is Mio-nee touching my camera?"

Mio's snake-shaped tattoo was wrapped around a memory card: [Evidence Preservation.] Her kunai tip pried open a box, "Ledger found."

Hoshiguma's green eyes swept over the ledger, her expression suddenly darkening. "This involves three transnational smuggling routes." Her fingertips brushed against a familiar name, "Even the Lungmen Guard Department has people involved."

Su Rui's silver dust gently enveloped the ledger: [Encrypted backup.] His gaze met Hoshiguma's, "To investigate this thoroughly?"

"Of course." Hoshiguma's green hair fluttered in the morning light, "But first..." Her thumb brushed the ash from Su Rui's cigarette near her nose, "We need to make that guy who misrepresented the weapon's capabilities pay up."

Volume 16, Chapter 934: Deep Sleep

The sound of sirens drifted from afar. The silver dust vanished silently in the morning light, like a phantom that had never existed. Only the faint warmth remaining on the "Snowy Owl" gun testified to the vow of protection made last night.

The midnight bells faded over Hisakawa Town, and the lanterns in the inn's corridor swayed gently in the night breeze. Hoshiguma's breathing was steady and deep, her green hair spread out on the pillow, and her arms were still unconsciously wrapped around Su Rui's waist. Her demon horns gleamed warmly in the moonlight, and a satisfied smile played on her lips—three hours earlier, Su Rui had used her silver dust sleep-inducing technique to put her into a deep sleep.

Su Rui's silver hair flowed like mercury in the darkness. He carefully moved Hoshiguma's arm away and lightly touched the soothing acupoint on the back of her neck with his fingertips. After confirming that Hoshiguma was completely asleep, Yin Chen quietly picked up the "Snowy Owl" rapid-fire gun. The cold touch of the gun made him hold his breath slightly.

"I'm sorry." His lips brushed silently against Hoshiguma's forehead. "This time, we must make sure everything goes perfectly."

The sound of the shoji door sliding open was completely absorbed by the silver dust. At the end of the corridor, Moe Moe Xiang's room was still dimly lit—she was working late into the night editing the day's footage. Su Rui's silver dust gently brushed through the crack in the door, and fine sleep-aiding dust drifted in. In just a moment, the humming in the room turned into even breathing.

Mio's door was the most troublesome. The snake-shaped tattoo was extremely sensitive to the fluctuations of Originium, so Su Rui had to suppress the Silver Dust to the extreme. As he walked barefoot across the corridor, a wisp of tattoo suddenly peeked out from the bottom of the door crack—but quickly withdrew, as if tacitly approving this nighttime outing.

The night fog outside the town was thicker than yesterday. Su Rui's silver hair was tied up under a black tactical hood. The "Snowy Owl" rifle was treated with a special coating so it no longer reflected the moonlight. His fingertips traced the Hannya engraved by Hoshiguma on the stock, and silver dust formed a complex topographical map in the air.

[The thermal imaging shows the base has increased to thirty-five people.] Yin Chen's analysis results made him frown slightly. [Four more people have been added, carrying heavy Originium equipment.]

The outline of the hot spring pump station was faintly visible in the mist. Su Rui's silver dust quietly seeped into the ventilation system, taking over all the surveillance cameras. When he saw the newly added explosive device in the basement, his amber eyes narrowed sharply—the explosives were enough to flatten half a block.

"I see..." His silver hair moved without wind, "Tomorrow's operation is a trap."

The drainage outlet in the northwest corner of the pumping station was the only opening. As Su Rui's silver dust melted the iron fence, the corroded metal made a faint hissing sound. The passage was only wide enough for one person to pass through, and his silver hair swept across the damp pipe wall, bringing down some rust.

[Seventeen meters from the main warehouse] Yin Chen projected a 3D map in front of him, [New motion sensor detected]

The barrel of the rapid-fire gun was slightly angled, and the specially made silencer emitted a faint blue glow. When the first Etching Rounds penetrated the sensor core, there was only the faint sound of a pin dropping to the ground. Silver dust quickly enveloped the falling parts, like a spider catching a dewdrop.

The guards' conversation drifted from the ventilation ducts. "... The boss says there's going to be a good show tomorrow."

"Those idiots on Rhodes Island would never have imagined this..."

Su Rui's silver hair swayed slightly as Yin Chen recorded the entire conversation. When the second guard lit a cigarette, the silenced gun fired again, extinguishing the cigarette instantly.

"Who?!" The guard hurriedly raised his gun, but Yin Chen grabbed his wrist. Su Rui's figure slid out of the shadows, and the butt of his gun accurately struck the guard's temple.

[Thirty-three people remain] Yin Chen's count was cold and precise.

The steel door to the main warehouse was slightly ajar. A few strands of Su Rui's silver hair peeked through the doorway, like silver threads under the moonlight. He saw the newly added heavy Originium equipment charging, its pale blue light illuminating the tired faces of the four casters.

"Just maintain this power level until dawn." The lead sorcerer wiped the sweat from his brow. "Once they break in..."

Su Rui lightly tapped the communicator. "Mio, can you hear me?"

After a brief static crackle, a calm response came through: [We're at high ground. Need backup?]

"The explosive device is remotely triggered," Su Rui analyzed the energy flow, "Prioritize dismantling the detonator."

[Understood.] The tip of Mio's kunai gleamed slightly in the moonlight. [Moe Moe Xiang has woken up and is interfering with their communications.]

As if to confirm her words, the communicator in the warehouse suddenly crackled with static. Taking advantage of the guard's momentary lapse in attention, Su Rui's figure darted into the warehouse like a ghost. The muzzle of "Snowy Owl" spat out a ghostly blue flame, and the first Etching Rounds struck the energy core of the heavy equipment.

"Enemy attack!" The sorcerer's barrier suddenly unfolded, but it was much more vulnerable than during the day. Su Rui's silver hair flew in the rain of bullets, and the second bullet pierced through the gap in the barrier with precision.

[Thirty-one people] Yin Chen's counting was like the whisper of death.

The recoil of the gun made his hands go numb. Su Rui recalled how Hoshiguma had held his hand to adjust his posture, and the corners of his lips unconsciously turned up. The third bullet spun and tore through the second barrier, the sound of the spent cartridge hitting the ground being quietly absorbed by the silver dust.

Suddenly, a sorcerer raised a strange device. "Try this!" A powerful Originium interference wave spread instantly, and Su Rui's silver dust became violently disordered—it was an enhanced version of the jammer they had encountered during the day.

"Now!" The casters simultaneously activated their Originium Arts, and the countdown timer for the explosive device began flashing wildly.

Su Rui's silver eyes suddenly sharpened. He abandoned control of the Silver Dust and relied purely on muscle memory to fire continuously. The "Snowy Owl" gun drew a fiery trajectory in the darkness. The seventh bullet shattered the jammer, and the eighth bullet penetrated the countdown display.

Just as the last caster fell, the red light of the explosive device went out. Su Rui leaned against the cold wall, panting, blood seeping from his hand staining the Hannya pattern on the butt of his gun.

[All Cleared] The silver dust's luster has dimmed slightly; [Minor damage, immediate treatment recommended]

The journey back to the inn felt exceptionally long. Su Rui's silver hair was stained with gunpowder and blood, each step leaving a faint red mark on the bluestone slabs. Just as he pushed open the shoji door, Hoshiguma's figure stood silently under the eaves.

"Her green hair moved without wind, and her demonic horns gleamed with a dangerous light."

Su Rui's silver hair fell down, revealing the new abrasions on the back of her neck. "...

"Explosive device." He struggled to raise the rapid-fire gun. "Tomorrow is a trap."

Hoshiguma's fingertips lightly touched the wound on his hand, then she suddenly pressed him against the pillar. Her kiss carried the sulfurous scent of the hot spring, mixed with a hint of rust. "...

Fool."

The camphor tree gate quietly closed, and the silvery light gradually dissipated into the morning mist. Only the barely visible bullet marks on the pillars recorded the true vow of this night.

The morning light, like shattered glass, shone through the cracks in the shoji paper door onto the messy tatami mats. Hoshiguma's green hair was stained with dried blood, and her demon horns gleamed coldly in the morning light. Her fingertips carefully avoided the congealed scar on Su Rui's hand, gently pulling the silver-white "Snowy Owl" rapid-fire gun from between their clasped fingers.

"If you're awake, stop pretending to be asleep." Her voice was deeper than the morning mist, carrying the lingering scent of gunpowder. "Your breathing pattern changed three minutes ago."

Volume 16, page 935: What time is it now?

Su Rui's silver eyelashes trembled slightly, and her amber eyes reflected Hoshiguma's tense face in the morning light. His silver hair and her green hair were still intertwined, like wild beasts licking their wounds after a fierce battle. "... What time?"

"You have enough time to confess all your lies." Hoshiguma pressed her thumb against the bruise on his collarbone, a mark from a stray bullet the night before. "Let's start with the four new heavy armored vehicles."

Cautious footsteps echoed from outside the corridor. Moe Moe Xiang, crouching by the door with a first-aid kit in hand, her pink hair still slicked back with sleep, said, "Um... Mio-nee said the situation is under control..." Her gaze swept over the rapid-fire pistol in Hoshiguma's hand, her voice trailing off, "Is Mr. Su Rui alright?"

"He won't die." Hoshiguma's green hair moved without wind, and his demon horn brushed against the stray hairs on Su Rui's forehead. "After all, someone has the ability to take on thirty-five armed men single-handedly."

Su Rui's silver hair swayed slightly, and silver dust formed a diagram of the mine structure in the air: [Explosive devices are concentrated on the load-bearing pillars, with a remote control distance of 500 meters.] He lightly tapped a red dot with his fingertip, "They've set up observation points in the watchtowers outside the town."

Mio's snake-shaped tattoo silently coiled around the door frame. "Removed." Her kunai tip held half an antenna. "It used military-grade equipment from Rhine Lab."