Ark Simulator, Aren't I Intangible?

Volume 17, Chapter 1021: Fallen Angels, Get Out of Here!

The Sankta messenger, always sporting a mysterious smile and acting in an unpredictable manner, appeared beside Su Rui at some point. She tilted her head, scrutinizing Su Rui's delicate yet aloof profile with great interest.

Su Rui keenly sensed her approach, giving her a cold glance with his dark eyes, carrying a clear warning.

Mostima, however, was not afraid at all. Instead, she smiled and moved closer, extending two fingers and gently pinching Su Rui's cheek with lightning speed!

"Hey, Little Su, long time no see~ Still as cold as ever? But your face is quite soft!" Her movements were as fast as lightning, her tone flippant, with the smugness of someone who had successfully pulled off a prank.

Su Rui: "!!!"

He froze instantly! As if struck by lightning! For the first time, a clear expression of shock and disbelief appeared on his icy face! He almost reflexively drew his gun!

But Mostima had already vanished like a gust of wind after landing her blow, leaving only a string of silvery, mocking laughter echoing in the air.

This scene was witnessed by Lemuen, who had just comforted Fiammetta and was looking up at the corridor, and Fiammetta beside her.

Lemuen was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, her eyes full of helplessness and amusement. She had known Mostima had this "quirk" for a long time, but she hadn't expected her to be so bold as to provoke Su Rui.

Fiammetta stared wide-eyed, her crimson eyes filled with disbelief. She looked at Su Rui, who was radiating coldness with rage and seemed ready to destroy the world at any moment, and then at Lemuen, who was smirking beside her. Her mind was filled with questions.

That... that arrogant, smug, ridiculously strong Su Rui... actually... actually got her cheek pinched by Mostima? And she didn't even react on the spot? (Although she looked like she was about to explode with anger).

This shocked her even more than seeing Andoain return! A strong curiosity grew wildly within her, like weeds. This Su Rui... didn't seem... entirely as untouchable as she appeared on the surface?

Su Rui stood frozen in place, the spot on his cheek where Mostima had pinched him still tingled with the damned touch of her fingers, a bizarre sensation, a mixture of ice and fire, shooting straight to the top of his head. His chest heaved violently, his dark eyes blazing with a storm powerful enough to freeze magma, his gaze fixed on the direction Mostima had disappeared in, his teeth grinding together. He had never suffered such humiliation in his life! That madwoman! He would definitely...

Just as he was on the verge of exploding, considering whether to immediately chase after Mostima and tear her apart, or destroy something on the spot to vent his anger, two pairs of eyes, clearly filled with mockery and curiosity, focused on him like searchlights.

He whirled around, glaring fiercely at the area below the corridor—where Lemuen and Fiammetta were standing. Lemuen was alright, merely covering her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly, her lake-blue eyes brimming with barely suppressed laughter; Fiammetta, however, was far more exaggerated. Her crimson eyes were wide open, her mouth slightly agape, her face etched with shock and... an increasingly intense, eager curiosity!

Su Rui instantly understood the meaning in their eyes, and a surge of anger mixed with an indescribable sense of shame rushed to his head. He was so angry that he almost couldn't breathe. Without thinking, he rolled his eyes at the two women who were watching the show with great interest, giving them a perfectly standard, extremely forceful eye roll that was full of the threat of "I'll gouge your eyes out if you keep looking."

However, his reaction had no deterrent effect; instead, it was like pouring oil on a burning flame of curiosity.

Fiammetta, who had been seething with anger over Andoain's matter, was completely distracted by this sudden "major discovery" about Su Rui. Looking at Su Rui's frustrated expression—so angry he was practically jumping up and down, yet restrained by the occasion (or some other reason)—and recalling Mostima's audacious actions and Lemuen's nonchalant smile, a bold, absurd thought formed in her mind: Could it be... that Su Rui's face... can actually be pinched? And... he doesn't seem to actually kill people he knows?

Once the idea took hold, she couldn't stop it. She was an action-oriented person with a fiery and direct personality; once her curiosity was piqued, she had to verify it.

"Hey!" Fiammetta suddenly shouted at Su Rui, and before Su Rui could react, she grabbed Lemuen, who was still chuckling, and rushed up the corridor steps in three quick steps, directly in front of Su Rui.

Startled by their sudden confrontation, Su Rui instinctively took a half-step back, glaring at them warily. "What do you want?" he asked, his tone harsh, but for some reason, beneath his overwhelming rage, there seemed to be a hint of... panic that even he himself didn't realize.

Fiammetta didn't answer, but instead used her crimson eyes, burning with a spirit of inquiry, to scrutinize Su Rui from head to toe. Her gaze finally settled on his face, which was slightly flushed with anger but still impeccably handsome. She licked her lips, much like a cat discovering a new toy.

Lemuen, being pulled along by Fiammetta, was somewhat amused and exasperated. Seeing Su Rui's expression—clearly angry yet seemingly at a loss (in her view)—a mischievous thought popped into her head. She gently tugged at Fiammetta's sleeve and whispered, "Fiammetta, stop it..."

But Fiammetta was clearly not listening. She suddenly reached out, her movements as swift as lightning, aiming directly at Su Rui's cheek!

Su Rui's pupils contracted, his body instinctively threatening to retaliate, but at the last moment, he forcibly restrained himself. He saw that Lemuen, standing next to Fiammetta, though saying "Stop fooling around," had bright, sparkling eyes filled with... expectation? Perhaps... even a hint of encouragement?

In that brief moment of hesitation, Fiammetta's fingers had already touched his cheek.

Unlike Mostima's playful, fleeting touch, Fiammetta's movements were somewhat clumsy and tentative, with slightly more force, almost as if she were... assessing the texture of the "material"?

Su Rui froze completely. He could clearly feel the warmth and slightly rough texture of Fiammetta's fingertips (probably from years of handling a gun). An unprecedented feeling of being "offended" and "at a loss" overwhelmed him like a tsunami. He should immediately push her hand away, should use the coldest gaze to make her back down, should...

Book 17, Chapter 1022, Passion

But Su Rui did nothing. He just stood there stiffly, letting Fiammetta's fingers linger on his face for a full two seconds. His face flushed red and then turned pale, a spectacle as colorful as a palette.

Fiammetta squeezed it, seemingly confirming the "feel," then quickly withdrew her hand, a mixture of surprise and satisfaction on her face. She turned to Lemuen and said, "It really is! It's soft!" Her tone was as if she had discovered a new continent.

Seeing Su Rui's almost petrified expression, Lemuen finally couldn't help but burst out laughing. As she laughed, she also reached out her hand, with a hint of compensation and comfort, and gently pinched Su Rui's other cheek that hadn't been touched.

Her touch was gentle and brief, carrying the unique coolness and delicacy of her fingertips.

Su Rui: "..." He had completely given up thinking. His mind was Blank. If Fiammetta's touch was a provocation, then Lemuen's gentle touch was practically... a finishing blow? Or... some kind of strange, incomprehensible ritual of comfort?

He now strongly suspects that the old fox may have put some strange drug in the dessert he ate yesterday, causing him to hallucinate today, or that the behavior patterns of the Sankta women around him have all undergone a collective mutation?

After Fiammetta and Lemuen accomplished this unprecedented "feat," they exchanged a glance, both seeing an irrepressible smile and a peculiar, secret-sharing intimacy in each other's eyes. It was as if this small, unconventional act had broken a small rift in the invisible, cold distance between them and Su Rui.

After the initial shock, anger, and bewilderment, looking at the two women laughing together, especially Lemuen's smiling, crescent-shaped eyes, the destructive rage in Su Rui's heart strangely, little by little... dissipated? In its place came an extremely complex and indescribable emotion. A little frustrated, a little helpless, and a little... well, never mind, he didn't want to analyze it.

The two distinctly different touches on her cheek seemed to still retain a strange warmth, and Su Rui forcibly suppressed the turbulent emotions surging within her.

His face was dark, and he stared intently at the two women in front of him with an icy gaze that seemed to scrutinize alien creatures. They had just completed their "feat" and were now exchanging glances, barely suppressing smiles on their lips.

He wanted to see what other trouble they could cause.

Sure enough, after the initial surprise and excitement, Fiammetta's attention quickly shifted from Su Rui's "unexpectedly soft" cheeks. As if she had finally found someone to confide in, she grabbed Lemuen's hand and began to pour out her troubles, her bloodshot eyes burning with genuine frustration:

"Lemuen! You have no idea! That crazy woman Mostima has gone completely mad lately!" Fiammetta's voice suddenly rose, filled with resentment. "She's taken on a bunch of bizarre messenger jobs from who-knows-where, running all over Terra! One day she's admiring the scenery in Yan, the next she's eating sand in the Sargon desert! Her routes are completely unpredictable, entirely based on her whims!"

She became more and more agitated as she spoke, gesturing wildly. "I'm practically falling apart from following her! I'm either losing her or on my way to losing her! But she, relying on her Originium Arts, appears and disappears like a ghost, and always deliberately shakes me off, leaving me with a bunch of meaningless clues to guess! Am I a bodyguard or a treasure hunter?!"

Lemuen couldn't help but smile as she listened to Fiammetta's barrage of complaints. She knew Mostima's personality all too well; she was a true "free spirit," with a wildly imaginative style, completely unrestrained by worldly rules. Having the straightforward and outspoken Fiammetta as her "guardian" was indeed an extremely agonizing task.

"You've really had a tough time," Lemuen said with a smile, patting Fiammetta's hand to show understanding and sympathy. "Mostima ... she's always been like this. Keeping up with her pace is definitely not easy."

"It's more than just difficult!" Fiammetta was practically going crazy. "It was a disaster! Last time in Victoria, she almost crashed into the dukes' private hunting grounds while chasing a little elf that supposedly could predict the future (who knows if she made that up)! If I hadn't reacted quickly, we would both have spent the night in Victoria's prison!"

She recounted her recent thrilling (or Fiammetta, terrifying) pursuit experiences at length, her tone shifting between anger, helplessness, and a hint of barely perceptible worry about Mostima's reckless adventurous spirit.

Meanwhile, after his initial "death stare" proved ineffective, Su Rui realized that the two women were completely absorbed in their own conversation, leaving him, the one who had just been "molested," aside, and began to enthusiastically discuss the crazy woman's travel anecdotes (or rather, Fiammetta's ordeal).

Su Rui: "..." He felt like a background prop, the kind of cat-shaped background prop that was casually petted and then abandoned.

A strange feeling, similar to that of a child getting impatient while waiting for their parents to chat, quietly welled up inside him. He pursed his lips, and the last trace of anger on his face was completely replaced by an expression that mixed with boredom and disdain.

Arguing with these women was a complete waste of time. Their topics (chasing after a crazy woman) seemed utterly foolish and pointless to him.

So Su Rui made a decision very much in line with his personality—he ignored them.

He turned around expressionlessly, walked to a thick stone pillar by the corridor, and sat down directly on the ground without caring about his image, leaning his back against the cold stone pillar. Then, as if by magic, he pulled out a thin, portable game console and a small, individually packaged packet of what appeared to be salty and savory dried meat from his seemingly small uniform pocket (heaven knows how much was inside).

He skillfully unlocked the game console screen, put on the wireless headphones, and instantly shut himself out of the two women's chatter outside. His fingers moved quickly across the virtual buttons, the screen began to flicker, and the intense battle sound effects (which only he could hear) seemed to dispel all boredom. Then, he tore open the package of dried meat, took out a piece, and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it with relish, his cheeks puffing out.

His movements were fluid and natural, as if he were born to sit there, playing games and eating snacks, rather than participating in any form of social activity that he considered meaningless.

Volume 17, Chapter 1023: Don't Bother Me

Although Lemuen was listening to Fiammetta's complaints, her eyes never left Su Rui. When she saw Su Rui's series of "self-isolating" actions, she was stunned for a moment, and then her eyes filled with a deep smile and tenderness.

She watched as Su Rui, like a sulking child, curled up in a corner, building a fortress of games and snacks. Her awkward "you guys chat, don't bother me" expression was just... incredibly cute.

Fiammetta noticed Su Rui's actions as well. She stopped complaining, looked with some surprise at Su Rui was sitting not far away, completely absorbed in her own world, and then at Lemuen beside her, who was trying not to laugh. A hint of confusion and... even stronger curiosity flashed in her crimson eyes.

This Su Rui... how come he's completely different from what she imagined? Shouldn't he be cold, powerful, and unapproachable? How come... he's sitting on the floor playing games and eating snacks like a child? And Lemuen seems completely unfazed, even finding it perfectly normal?

Lemuen noticed Fiammetta's gaze, smiled at her, and explained softly, "That's just how he is; he doesn't like crowds or noise. Just let him be alone."

Fiammetta nodded, seemingly understanding, a subtle shift beginning in her impression of Su Rui, a shift she herself hadn't even noticed. Perhaps this seemingly cold person wasn't as unapproachable as she appeared?

Thus, a peculiar scene unfolded in the corridor: on one side, Lemuen and Fiammetta continued their hushed conversation, their topic gradually shifting from their adventures in Mostima to the current situation in Laterano and some amusing anecdotes among the Enforcers; on the other side, Su Rui, like a fine sculpture, leaned against a stone pillar, intently playing a game, occasionally reaching into her snack bag to pull out a piece of jerky, eating it with complete absorption.

Sunlight streamed through the carved dome of the corridor, casting dappled shadows. A gentle breeze carried the lingering scent of smoke from the distant square. These two contrasting atmospheres achieved a strange, undisturbed harmony within this small space.

Lemuen would occasionally pause their conversation, her gaze softening as she looked at Su Rui in the corner to make sure he was safe and sound (and had plenty of snacks). Su Rui, though seemingly completely shielded from the outside world, would always have his fingers, which were operating the game, pause almost imperceptibly whenever Lemuen's gaze swept over him, as if some invisible bond was always connecting them.

This unexpected encounter, sparked by a "face-pinching" moment, ultimately ended in such an unforeseen way that things calmed down. For Fiammetta, the amount of information she gained today was probably greater than what she had gained from chasing Mostima for a month.

In the shadows beneath the corridor, time seemed to be divided into two separate, uninterrupted flows. On one side was the soothing rhythm of Lemuen and Fiammetta's hushed conversation, carrying the unique sharing and resonance between women; on the other side was the isolated island world constructed by Su Rui, filled only with game sound effects and the sounds of chewing snacks, brimming with the fierce battles of the virtual world and the solitary, salty aroma of food.

Su Rui was completely immersed in his own little world. On the game screen, the character he controlled was dodging bullets with superb skills and accurately eliminating enemies. The corners of his mouth even curled up almost imperceptibly due to a beautiful combo. The salty aroma of dried meat filled his mouth, and this simple and direct taste sensation was far more satisfying to him than the sweet and cloying things from Sankta.

Just as he was about to clear a difficult level, his finger flashing across the screen—

A familiar breeze, carrying a hint of dust and the scent of distant lands, brushed silently past his ear. Then, like a ghost, a figure appeared without warning on the open ground beside him, mimicking his mannerisms, casually sitting down on the ground, and even very familiarly squeezing closer to him.

Su Rui's movements suddenly froze, the smooth operation on the screen was interrupted instantly, and the character was overwhelmed by enemy fire due to a basic mistake, and the words "GAME OVER" popped up on the screen.

He slowly and stiffly turned his head, his dark eyes instantly freezing with an icy coldness capable of shattering steel, fixing on the uninvited guest beside him—who else could it be but Mostima?!

Mostima seemed completely oblivious to the almost tangible killing intent. Her face still wore that enigmatic smile, as if she were always plotting some mischief, and her short, SilverAsh hair shimmered softly in the sunlight. She even tilted her head, winked at Su Rui, and said in an infuriatingly nonchalant tone, "Oh dear, almost beat it! What a pity~ Little Su's skills have deteriorated, haven't they?"

Su Rui's fist clenched instantly, his knuckles cracking. He desperately wanted to throw this elusive woman, who had repeatedly provoked him, off the corridor! But his remaining rationality (and a glimpse of Lemuen chatting in the distance) prevented him from resorting to violence.

He took a deep breath and forced out three words through gritted teeth, each word like an icicle. "Get... away... away."

Mostima ignored his threats, instead turning her gaze to the game console in Su Rui's hand, its screen now dark, and the open bag of dried meat beside his leg. Her eyes lit up, like a child discovering a new toy.

"Hey? This game looks pretty interesting!" she said, casually reaching out to the game console that Su Rui was still holding. "Can I borrow it? Playing alone is so boring, it's much more fun in doubles!"

Su Rui instinctively tried to dodge, but Mostima's movements were eerily fast; her fingertips had already touched the edge of the game console. Just a second before Su Rui was about to explode, Mostima suddenly lowered her voice and said quickly in a volume only the two of them could hear, "Don't be so stingy~ I'll share my treats with you, okay?"

No one knows where she pulled it from, but in her other hand, as if by magic, she produced a small bag of nuts that looked like some kind of desert specialty, roasted and coated with spices.

Su Rui froze. He stared at Mostima, then at the bag of nuts in her hand that looked delicious and were clearly salty and spicy, and then at the glaring "GAME OVER" on his screen, a fierce internal struggle raging within him.

Should he chase this annoying brat away? But that might alert Lemuen and cause more trouble. Besides... those snacks she's holding look pretty good? Most importantly, he really had a frustrating time on that last level. If they could do it together, maybe...

Between "maintaining dignity" and "continuing to enjoy the game and get new snacks," Su Rui's simple and direct way of thinking ultimately leaned towards the side that interested him more.

Volume 17, Chapter 1024: Don't hold others back.

He snatched the bag of nuts from Mostima's hand with extreme displeasure, almost snatching it away, then, as if bestowing a favor, shoved his game console into Mostima's outstretched hand, and commanded gruffly, "Shut up. Don't hold us back."

Mostima took the game console, her face beaming with joy, as if she had won a major victory. She skillfully exited the failure screen, selected a new level, and then chose the two-player mode, connecting one of the virtual controllers to her portable terminal via Bluetooth.

"Don't worry, don't worry~ my skills are excellent!" she said confidently, her fingers already flying across the virtual buttons.

Su Rui snorted, tore open the bag of nuts, took one out and threw it into his mouth. The spicy and crunchy taste instantly conquered his taste buds, even more so than his own jerky. His displeasure dissipated considerably, and he picked up his terminal to re-enter the game.

And so, in the shadow of this stone pillar, an even stranger scene unfolded: the two who had just been at odds were now sitting side by side, each staring at their own screen, their fingers flying across the keyboard, working in perfect unison to tackle a new game level! Mostima's skills were surprisingly impressive; her movement was fluid, her awareness top-notch, and she occasionally pulled off some unexpected maneuvers that even Su Rui hadn't anticipated. Although the two didn't exchange a single word, the unspoken understanding between these skilled players naturally arose between them.

Even more outrageous, they would casually steal snacks from each other's snack bags from time to time— Su Rui would take Mostima's spice nuts, and Mostima would unceremoniously grab a handful of Su Rui's jerky. It was as if the tense standoff had never happened.

Just a few meters away, Lemuen and Fiammetta were still engrossed in their conversation, completely unaware of the dramatic reversal of their "enemy-ally" relationship in the corner behind them. Fiammetta was still complaining about how Mostima had led her to such a remote and hard-to-find place, while Lemuen offered gentle words of comfort, occasionally chiming in with a few words of agreement.

Until Fiammetta turned around unintentionally, wanting to see if Su Rui was still "shutting herself in," her gaze swept over the corner of the stone pillar, and then she froze as if she had been frozen in place.

What did she see?!

That aloof Su Rui, and that elusive Mostima... are actually... sitting side by side... playing video games?! And... sharing snacks?! The atmosphere seems... quite harmonious?!

Fiammetta blinked hard, wondering if she was hallucinating. She tugged at Lemuen's sleeve, her voice trembling, "Lemuen... look over there..."

Lemuen looked in the direction Fiammetta pointed, puzzled. When she saw the scene in the corner, she froze. Then, a complex smile, a mixture of surprise, amusement, and a hint of understanding, slowly bloomed on her face.

She knew it... as long as Mostima was around, things would always turn out unexpectedly. And Su Rui's seemingly solid defenses seemed to crumble... in the face of "interesting things" and "delicious snacks"?

This chance encounter in the Holy City's corridor was so dramatic that even the most skilled playwrights could hardly have imagined it. And how long can this bizarre "game alliance" between Su Rui and Mostima last? Only they themselves know.

In the shadowy corner beneath the stone pillar, Su Rui and Mostima's "temporary gaming alliance" was in full swing. Both were intently focused on their respective screens, their fingertips dancing across the virtual buttons, their perfect coordination clearing out enemies in the level. Su Rui even let out a barely perceptible "hmm" in recognition of a particularly clever assist from Mostima. The bag of spices, nuts, and dried meat passed between them at an alarming rate.

Mostima skillfully controlled her character while keeping a keen eye on everything around her. She possessed an extraordinary sensitivity to subtle changes in her surroundings. Soon, she noticed two gazes, like searchlights, focused on their small corner.

She didn't even need to look up to know who it was—who else could it be but the two chatting over there? A sly smile played on her lips. Instead of alerting Su Rui, who was engrossed in his game, she deliberately moved closer to him, almost touching his shoulder, and exclaimed in an exaggerated tone (but with perfectly controlled volume), "Wow! Little Su, that was so cool! How did you do that?"

Su Rui was at a crucial moment in the game when he heard this. He just frowned impatiently, subconsciously moved to the side to avoid her getting close, and replied in a stiff tone, "Stop talking nonsense and focus on fighting monsters." He was completely unaware that he had become the object of everyone's attention, and only felt that Mostima was quite talkative while playing games, which was a bit annoying.

However, their gazes didn't waver despite their indifference; instead, they grew even more intense and... inquisitive. Fiammetta, in particular, stared wide-eyed, her mouth slightly agape, her expression shifting from initial shock to disbelief and intense curiosity. She even forgot to continue her conversation with Lemuen, staring intently at the two in the corner as if watching a documentary of rare prehistoric animal interactions.

Although Lemuen was more reserved than Fiammetta, her eyes were still filled with interest. She looked at Su Rui's focused profile, completely oblivious and absorbed in the game, and then at Mostima beside her, grinning and clearly up to mischief. She found it both amusing and intriguing. This combination, this scene, was something no one would believe if told otherwise.

Time ticked by. Although Su Rui was oblivious, he wasn't completely wooden. The feeling of being watched grew stronger, especially when he completed a skillful maneuver and subconsciously wanted to check if Mostima was holding him back (or had stolen too much of his jerky). Out of the corner of his eye, he finally caught sight of two fixed, unwavering gazes from below the corridor.

His movements suddenly stopped.

On the screen, the character he was controlling stood there dumbfounded because the command was interrupted, and was instantly surrounded and attacked by a group of monsters, and the health bar dropped rapidly.

Su Rui slowly and stiffly raised her head, her dark eyes meeting precisely the gazes of Lemuen and Fiammetta.

Their eyes met (actually, it was six eyes; both Fiammetta and Lemuen were looking at him).

The air seemed to freeze.

What happened in Volume 17, Chapter 1025?

Su Rui's mind went Blank for a moment. He didn't understand. Weren't they chatting happily? Why were they suddenly staring at him? And with such strange looks? As if they'd seen something unbelievable?

He subconsciously glanced down at himself—his clothes were perfectly intact, without a trace of snack crumbs. He then looked at Mostima beside him—the woman was still engrossed in her game, seemingly unaffected. He looked at himself and Mostima again—aside from shared snacks and games, there was nothing special between them, was there?

He frowned, his face revealing undisguised confusion and... a hint of annoyance at being disturbed. He disliked being watched like a monkey.

"What are you looking at?" he finally couldn't help but ask, his voice slightly hoarse from the intense game and annoyed at being interrupted.

His words were like a play button. Fiammetta snapped back to reality, as if burned, and quickly looked away, her face instantly turning bright red. She looked around awkwardly, pretending to study the reliefs on the corridor. Lemuen, on the other hand, couldn't help but burst out laughing. Her clear, melodious laughter was particularly distinct in the quiet corridor.