Ark Simulator: Aren't I Intangible?

Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed sharply. "Those mad dogs got involved too?"

Su Rui unfolded an electronic document: [A remittance record was found in the ledger; the recipient was a former employee of the Rhine Lab Defense Division.] His fingertips trembled slightly. "The Chernobog accident three years ago... also had a similar signature."

The air suddenly froze. Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield hummed in the corner, and her green hair brushed against Su Rui's neck. "You found out last night?"

"Only handwriting similarity has been confirmed." Su Rui's Silver Dust retrieved the comparison data. "Rhodes Island's archives are needed for final verification..."

His words were interrupted by a fingertip suddenly pressed against his upper lip. Hoshiguma's green eyes were unfathomable in the morning light. "Leave the rest to me." Her fingertips caressed the corner of his chapped lips. "Now, go see the scene."

The hot spring pumping station in the morning mist resembled a lair trampled by a giant beast. Broken barrier generators lay scattered on the ground, and residual Originium energy hissed in the air. Hoshiguma's boot crushed a deformed bullet casing, her green hair fluttering in the breeze. "The seventh bullet jammed here?"

Su Rui's silver hair fell down. "[Hammer spring overload.]" He tapped the gun barrel with his fingertips. "Hemo said this is the theoretical maximum rate of fire."

"She didn't count that you were crazy enough to fire thirty-eight shots in a row." Hoshiguma's demon horn pressed against his back. "Turn around."

Her fingertips lifted the hem of Su Rui's shirt, revealing a large bruise on her side. The wounds from being thrown against the steel frame by the blast wave last night looked particularly gruesome in the morning light. "Explain."

Stress analysis diagram of Su Rui's silver dust composition: [Impact angle 47 degrees, insufficient buffer distance.]

"I'm asking why you're not using the Silver Dust Shield!" Hoshiguma's roar startled birds into flight, Hannya Shield slammed heavily onto the ground. "Are your Originium Arts just for show?!"

Startled, Moe Moe Xiang hid behind Mio, the bandages from the first-aid kit spilling onto the floor. Mio's snake-shaped tattoo slowly moved towards the wound: [Clear signs of silver dust disruption; he encountered targeted interference.] The tip of her kunai picked up a wisp of residual energy fiber, "A special model from Rhine Lab."

Hoshiguma's green hair suddenly fell down, her forehead pressed against Su Rui's back, her voice muffled by the fabric. "... I'll settle the score with you when we get back."

The stench of blood lingered in the underground warehouse. Silver dust danced among the wreckage of the explosive device, completing the final data transmission. Su Rui's fingertips traced a bullet hole in a load-bearing column. "...

Only three minutes left.

The countdown display froze at 00:03:17, the very moment he breached the last energy core. Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield grazed the pillar, leaving a new mark. "Enough for the Lungmen Guard Department's textbook."

Her gaze suddenly fell on the scattered documents beside a corpse. Yin Chen rolled up the papers first, but she pressed down on his wrist. "Don't move."

The yellowed archival photograph clearly shows the scene of the Chernobog accident three years ago. A figure wearing the Rhine Lab badge is operating Originium device, while fragments of Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield can be vaguely seen in the background.

The answer is right before your eyes. "Su Rui's silver hair moves without wind. Shall we reveal it now?"

Hoshiguma's green eyes swept over the signature in the corner of the photo, then she suddenly tucked the file into her clothes. "Heal your wounds first." Her demonic horn lightly touched his forehead. "Some truths need a better time."

The road back to the hotel was brightly lit by the morning light. Su Rui's silver hair was dripping with saline solution— Moe Moe Xiang insisted on cleaning all his wounds. Hoshiguma's green hair was wrapped in newly changed bandages, the price for being cut by shrapnel during bomb disposal.

"Actually, you didn't need to block that." Su Rui's fingertips lightly touched the gauze behind her ear. "I could have dodged it."

"Shut up." Hoshiguma's thumb traced the scabbed wound between his fingers. "I'm willing."

As the camphor tree door opened, the aroma of breakfast wafted out. Mio was precisely cutting tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet) with kunai, each piece perfectly uniform in size. Moe Moe Xiang, holding a livestreaming stick, quietly commented, "... That concludes the sequel to the mine exploration. Thanks to the 'silver-haired handsome man' for his cameo appearance..."

Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield suddenly appeared in front of the camera. "Turn it off." Her green eyes swept over Su Rui's pale face. "He needs rest."

Yin Chen quietly took away all the communication devices, and incidentally extinguished Moe Moe Xiang's disappointed eyes. When the morning mist completely dissipated, Su Rui's silver hair rested on Hoshiguma's lap, letting her fingertips comb through the bloodstains in her hair.

"Next time..." Hoshiguma's demon horn lightly touched his sleeping eyelids, "Wait for me."

The afternoon sun shone through the shoji paper door, making the dust on the tatami mats look like dancing gold dust. Hoshiguma's green hair hung down beside Su Rui's pillow, her demon horn pressing against his slightly rising and falling chest. Her fingertips unconsciously traced the scabbed wound on his hand, where freshly oozing blood looked like tiny rubies in the sunlight.

"It's cracked again." Her voice was even lighter than the afternoon breeze. "Moe Moe Xiang, first-aid kit."

The pink-haired girl tiptoed in, carrying a medical kit twice the size of the previous one. "Mio-nee added Rhine Lab's special clotting agent..." Her gaze fell on the corner of the file under Hoshiguma's collar, and her voice suddenly softened, "Um... do you need my help?"

Su Rui's silver eyelashes trembled, and her amber eyes narrowed slightly in the light. "...

"Do it yourself." He rolled up the gauze with silver dust, but Hoshiguma pressed down on his wrist.

"If you move around," her green hair brushed against his nose, "You'll sleep in the hallway tonight."

Mio's snake-shaped tattoo silently wrapped around the medical kit, and she picked out several vials marked with special symbols: [Serum matching test required.] A clear liquid dripped from the tip of her kunai. "Rhine's serum has a 3% rejection rate."

Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed sharply. "Where did you get this?"

Volume 16, 936 Cold Storage

"Their cold storage." Mio injected the reagent expressionlessly, "And incidentally took care of two guards." She lightly touched the veins that had surfaced on Su Rui's arm with her fingertip, "Normal color, usable."

The stinging sensation from the injection made Su Rui's silver hair stand on end slightly. Hoshiguma pressed her thumb against his pulse, feeling his heartbeat gradually steady. "...

Don't do this again.

"There's something even more exciting." Mio's snake-shaped tattoo unfurled into an electronic file. "They're looking for this."

A three-dimensional structure diagram of the Originium crystal appeared on the screen, its energy fluctuations highly overlapping with Su Rui's Silver Dust. Hoshiguma's Demon Horns gleamed with a dangerous light. "...

Is he the target?

"Silver Dust Project, which began three years ago." A string of experimental numbers flashed across the tip of Mio's kunai. "The Chernobog accident was their first field test."

Su Rui's silver dust formed complex energy flows in the air: [89.7% similarity to my core frequency.] His fingertips trembled slightly. "Those explosive devices... are large resonators."

Moe Moe Xiang suddenly covered her mouth. "So last night's interference wasn't an accident..."

"It's targeted hunting." Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield hummed in the corner. "Those mad dogs..." Her green hair suddenly wrapped around Su Rui's wrist. "Return to Rhodes Island immediately."

As dusk settled Hisakawa Town gradually lit up. Hoshiguma carefully inspected each car window, her green hair fluttering in the evening breeze. "Mio, confirm the route."

"Three backup routes, all encrypted." Mio's snake-shaped tattoo moved across the navigator. "I suggest taking the sea route; their aerial surveillance is very strong."

Su Rui's silver hair gleamed faintly in the darkness of the carriage. "[It needs twelve hours to recharge.]" His fingertips lightly touched his heart. "The damage to the resonator is more severe than expected."

Hoshiguma's thumb traced his pale lips. "...

Can it hold up?

"Hmm." His silver dust billowed as he fired his rapid-fire gun. "As long as I'm by your side."

The sound of the engine starting was quietly absorbed by the silver dust. Moe Moe Xiang, clutching her camera and huddled in the back seat, suddenly whispered, "Those files... are they going to be made public?"

"Keep it safe for now." Hoshiguma's green eyes reflected the night in the rearview mirror. "Some truths require the right moment."

Her fingertips intertwined with Su Rui's, the silvery light flowing between their touching skin. As the car drove onto the coastal highway, the moonlit waves resembled a road paved with silvery dust, leading to an unknown tomorrow.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty scent, rushed into the car, dispelling the lingering smell of blood inside. Hoshiguma's green hair gleamed with a cold, hard sheen in the moonlight, her fingertips constantly pressed on the activation button of the Hannya Shield. Su Rui's silver hair hung down on the back of the seat, swaying gently with the vehicle's bumps, like weary moonlight.

"Forty minutes to the dock," Mio's voice came from the driver's seat, a snake-shaped tattoo slithering across the steering wheel. "But the tides are wrong; the cargo ship will be delayed by two hours."

Hoshiguma's demon horns glowed faintly. "It's been too long." Her green eyes swept across the rearview mirror. "Find the closest safe house."

Su Rui's Silver Dust silently unfolded the map: [There's a Rhodes Island safe zone three kilometers away, but authentication is required.] A faint glow appeared at his fingertips. "My access permissions... have been frozen."

"Kal'tsit did it." Mio's kunai tip swept across the navigation screen. "It happened three hours ago. Looks like headquarters is in trouble too."

Moe Moe Xiang nervously hugged the camera. "Does that mean we're wanted by the police?"

"He's just an 'observation subject' for now." Hoshiguma's green hair swept across Su Rui's pale face. "But with him, the situation changes."

The vehicle turned onto a quiet side street, where a sign read "Private hot spring inn, closed today." Mio's snake-shaped tattoo reached into the scanner, and the iron gate slid open silently.

The air in the safe house reeked of disinfectant. Su Rui's silver hair was almost transparent under the fluorescent lights. He leaned against the medical pod, letting Silverdust monitor the Originium fluctuations within his body. [The resonator's residual effects are still spreading.] His fingertips lightly touched his chest. "It needs at least six hours of purification."

Hoshiguma's green hair cascaded down, sweeping across the detection screen. "The highest priority option."

"There's a problem." Mio's kunai tip flicked out the safe house log. "The last entry was four days ago; people from Rhine Lab came." Her snake-shaped tattoo pointed to a hidden camera. "They installed surveillance cameras; they're quite new."

Suddenly, Moe Moe Xiang pointed out the window. "There's a reflection in the woods over there!"

The Hannya Shield instantly deployed, blocking the window; the muffled thuds of the bullets hitting the glass made the medical equipment hum. "Take him to the basement!" Hoshiguma's green hair exploded. "Mio, left flank cover!"

Su Rui's silver dust suddenly coalesced into a barrier. "[Not from Rhine.]" His amber eyes reflected the attacker's equipment, "It's standard issue weaponry from the Lungmen Guard Department."

"Chen's people?" Hoshiguma's demon horns flashed a dangerous red light. "She dares?!"

More bullets struck the barrier, sending ripples of silver dust through it. Su Rui's fingertips trembled slightly: [The attack pattern is suppression, not annihilation. What are they waiting for?]

The basement door was suddenly kicked open, and a figure in the Lungmen Guard Department tumbled in. A muffled voice came from behind a mask. "... Run... this is a trap..."

Blood suddenly burst from his back, and some kind of black Originium crystal pierced his skin. Mio's snake-shaped tattoo instantly coiled around the wounded man, and a kunai precisely removed the tracking device embedded in his skin. "It's a puppet! It has Originium Bomb inside it!"

Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield slammed heavily onto the ground. "Everyone evacuate! Su Rui, can you still teleport?"

Silver Dust flashed intensely. "[I can only take two people to the dock at most.]" A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his lips, "But then it will completely spiral out of control."

"Take Moe Moe Xiang and Mio with you." Hoshiguma's green hair moved without wind. "I'll cover the rear."

Su Rui's silver hair suddenly exploded, and Yin Chen forcibly wrapped the three of them. "...

"Together." His voice held an unusual stubbornness. "Otherwise, I'll destroy my core right now."

The sea breeze at the dock carried the dampness of the rain. The cargo ship rocked in the waves, its hull bearing the words "Rhodes Island Medical Supplies Transport". Su Rui's silver dust gradually dimmed, and he leaned most of his weight on Hoshiguma's shoulder.

"The captain has been replaced." Mio's snake-shaped tattoo retracted from the ship's side. "It's someone from the Rhine."

Moe Moe Xiang suddenly raised her camera. "But I got a picture of their faces! They're the Rhine executives who were in the news last week!"

Hoshiguma's green eyes suddenly narrowed. "...

Make it public.

"Now?" Moe Moe Xiang's voice trembled, "It will cause an international dispute!"

"They don't care anymore." Hoshiguma's thumb brushed against Su Rui's bleeding lips. "If we're going to cause chaos, let's make it a complete mess."

Silver Dust suddenly fluctuated violently, and Su Rui's fingertips gripped Hoshiguma's collar. "...

"There's sonar underwater; it's Originium Torpedo." His pupils dilated slightly. "The target isn't the ship... it's the entire dock."

Volume 16, Chapter 937: A Small Danger

Mio's serpentine tattoo plunged into the deck: [Three o'clock, submarine periscope.] The tip of her kunai gleamed coldly. "We need to disrupt its guidance system."

Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield slammed heavily against the ship's side. "Give me thirty seconds." Her green hair fluttered in the sea breeze. "Su Rui, remember Chernobog's move?"

The light from the silver dust suddenly coalesced into a sharp edge: [But your arm will...]

"Enough nonsense!" Hoshiguma's demon horns gleamed with a fiery light. "We live together, or we die."

The two Originium Arts converged in the air, and the Hannya Shield and Silver Dust merged into a massive energy vortex. The moment the torpedo broke through the water, the entire dock was illuminated by a dazzling white light.

As dawn broke again, they lay on a lifeboat far from the dock. Hoshiguma's right arm was wrapped in a makeshift splint, and her green hair was stained with congealed blood. Su Rui's silver hair lay on her knees, swaying gently with the waves.

The signal has been restored. "Mio's snake-shaped tattoo is wrapped around the satellite phone," said Kal'tsit herself, issuing the unfreezing order.

Moe Moe Xiang carefully bandaged Hoshiguma's arm. "Um... the live stream video has surpassed 100 million views..." Her voice trailed off, "Rhine Lab just released a statement denying the rumors..."

Hoshiguma's green eyes gazed at the horizon. "...

"This is just the beginning." Her fingertips gently traced Su Rui's sleeping face. "Rest now, this is my battlefield."

The lifeboat rocked gently in the waves, the silvery light of the sand enveloping the four in the morning light and sea breeze like a soft net. In the distance, the Rhodes Island flagship was breaking through the waves, and a familiar figure stood on the deck— Kal'tsit's white coat fluttering in the wind.

The lifeboat rocked gently on the calm lake, the morning mist enveloping the area like a soft veil. Hoshiguma's green hair fell over Su Rui's shoulders, the ends still damp with last night's lake water, shimmering in the morning light. Her right arm was secured with a torn uniform sleeve, the splint hastily made by Mio from a plank of the lifeboat.

"This isn't the sea at all," Hoshiguma's voice held a weary laugh. "It's just a damn lake." Her fingertips lightly brushed against Su Rui's silver hair. "We were fooled by the fog."

Su Rui's eyelashes fluttered, and his amber eyes slowly opened. His silver hair cascaded over Hoshiguma's knees, swaying gently with the ripples of the lake. [3.7 kilometers from the shore] Silver dust formed a blurry map in the air, "There are fishing boats to the northeast."

Moe Moe Xiang curled up at the stern, dozing off while clutching her camera, which had run out of battery. Mio's snake-shaped tattoo dipped into the lake, stirring up ripples. "Water temperature eighteen degrees, perfect for swimming." Her kunai tip held a struggling bass. "Breakfast."

Hoshiguma's green hair stood on end slightly. "You're still in the mood for fishing?" Her demon horns pressed against Su Rui's forehead. "How does it feel?"

[Stable] Su Rui gently lifted the fish with his silver dust, "But it needs to replenish its energy." His fingertips gleamed as he meticulously began to remove the fish scales.

The mist on the lake gradually dissipated, revealing the verdant shoreline in the distance. A flock of waterbirds took flight from the reeds, the sound of their wings flapping clearly echoing across the tranquil lake. Moe Moe Xiang, startled awake, rubbed her eyes and sat up. "Where are we?"

"Some unknown lake." Hoshiguma's thumb brushed against Su Rui's pale lips. "Much cuter than those dilapidated labs at Rhine."

Mio's serpentine tattoo coiled around the cleaned fish body: [fire] Her kunai scraped against the edge of the lifeboat, sparking a few flecks.

Silver Dust quietly gathered the dry reeds, and soon a small campfire was lit. The aroma of fish wafted across the lake, Hoshiguma carefully offered the first piece of grilled fish to Su Rui's lips. "Eat."

Su Rui's silver hair swayed slightly. "You first..." His words were interrupted by the fish meat stuffed into his mouth.

"The wounded have no say," Hoshiguma's green hair brushed against his nose, "Especially that guy who almost blew himself up last night."

Moe Moe Xiang, nibbling on a fish tail, suddenly pointed to the lake. "There are boats over there! Real fishing boats!"

An old wooden fishing boat was slowly approaching, with an elderly man wearing a straw hat standing at the bow. The sound of his oars broke the tranquility of the lake, splashing water everywhere. "Outsider?" the old man's voice was thick with accent. "Need any help?"

Mio's snake tattoo quietly retracted into her sleeve, but the kunai was already in her palm. Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed slightly. "How do I get to the nearest town?"