Ark Simulator, don't I have no physical form?

Suri's silver hair swayed slightly: [Thinking about the mine.]

"The radiation traces are very recent," Mio suddenly spoke up, "and there has been activity within the last three days."

Mengmengxiang almost choked: "Then aren't we being watched?"

"So someone's livestream..." Hoshiguma glanced sideways with her green eyes, "has likely already alerted the enemy."

Yin Chen gently put down the milk glass: [I've blocked the signal.]

Three pairs of eyes turned to Su Rui simultaneously. His eyelashes cast fine shadows under the light: "All external transmissions were blocked before entering the town."

Mio's snake tattoo slowly slithered back into her sleeve: "...No wonder my communicator kept showing a low signal."

Hoshiguma's green hair suddenly wrapped around Suri's wrist: "When did you do that?"

"When we got off the train," Suri's silver dust drew a map of Hisakawa Town in the air, "the entire town is within the area."

Mengmeng clasped her hands together in admiration: "Mr. Su Rui is so amazing! Then my live stream..."

"Recorded broadcasting is fine," Yin Chen said, gently tapping her camera. "Live transmission is not possible."

Hoshiguma's thumb rubbed against Suri's wrist bone: "...She's alright."

As the moonlight deepened, the food was completely devoured. Momoka, hugging her pillow, drifted off to sleep, while Mio carefully wiped the sauce off the kunai. Hoshiguma's green hair cascaded over Suri's shoulder, his oni horn pressing against his collarbone: "Tired?"

Suri's silver hair brushed against the tip of her nose: "You're more tired."

"Nonsense." Hoshiguma's green eyes were half-closed. "I carried you up three hundred meters through the mine."

Yin Chen gently brushed the dust from her hair: "Want to go to the hot springs?"

"No." Hoshiguma's fingertips hooked around his collar. "Go to sleep."

Mio suddenly stood up: "I'll keep watch."

"No need." Hoshiguma's green hair moved without wind. "This shabby inn only has two floors."

A snake-shaped tattoo slithered across the doorknob: "There's an Originium reaction in the next room."

Suri's silver dust drifted silently down the corridor: [The landlady's jewelry box.]

"..." Hoshiguma's green hair exploded. "Tomorrow, the entire town will be searched for jewelry shops."

The guest room's tatami mats were covered with brand-new bedding. Hoshiguma's green hair was spread out on the pillow, and his demon horns gleamed faintly in the moonlight. Suri's silver hair hung down her neck, and her fingertips unconsciously traced the old scar on her collarbone.

"Are you cold?" Hoshiguma suddenly asked.

Suri's silver hair swayed slightly: "Your body temperature is very high."

"That's how all the Oni are." Her arm wrapped around his waist. "More effective at keeping warm than Originium Arts, right?"

Silver dust gently brushed against her eyelids: [Sleep.]

A faint chime drifted from afar. Hoshiguma's breathing gradually calmed, but as Suri tried to get up, he suddenly tightened his grip on her: "Where are you going?"

[Check the barrier.]

"No." Her green hair wrapped around his wrist. "Mio's next door."

Suri's eyelashes trembled slightly: "What if..."

"There's no 'what if'." Hoshiguma pressed her demon horn against his forehead. "I need you right now."

Yin Chen quietly extinguished the last lamp. Moonlight shone through the shoji paper door, casting their intertwined shadows onto the curtain. When the morning mist of Hisakawa Town once again drifted into the room, Hoshiguma's fingertips were still entwined with Suri's silver hair, as if guarding a treasure solidified by moonlight.

Morning light filtered through the shoji paper door, casting soft dappled patterns on the tatami mats. Hoshiguma's green hair spread across the pillow, its ends intertwining with Suri's silver hair like moonlight and vines in symbiosis. Her demon horns pressed against Suri's neck, unconsciously rubbing against her in her sleep, leaving faint red marks.

Su Rui's eyelashes trembled slightly, his amber eyes clearing in the morning light. The moment his fingertips moved, Yin Chen silently brought over the terminal—the screen displayed a pre-compiled intelligence file, marking the coordinates of all suspicious nodes in the mine.

"Hmm..." Hoshiguma tightened her arms in her sleep, her green hair brushing against his chin. "Don't move..."

Suri's silver hair swayed gently as Yin Chen tucked the terminal deep into the blankets. When Hoshiguma's lips unconsciously brushed against his collarbone, he deliberately let out a soft gasp.

Hoshiguma's green eyes snapped open: "Did you hurt yourself?" Her thumb traced the non-existent mark. "You were still half asleep..."

Suri's silver hair fell down, obscuring her eyes: "...It will take a day to analyze the data."

Hoshiguma's demon horns glowed faintly: "Very complicated?"

"The encryption method is unique." Suri's eyelashes cast a shadow. "We need to crack the firewall generated by Originium Arts."

This was complete nonsense—his Silver Dust had analyzed all that data three hours ago, even detailing the breeding cycle of the mine rats. But Hoshiguma's green eyes immediately turned serious: "Is it dangerous?"

"Absolute focus is required." Su Rui's silver dust traced a complex algorithm model in the air. "There can be no distractions."

Hoshiguma immediately sat up, bits of pillowcase still clinging to her green hair: "I'll stay by your side."

"It's best to stay in an inn." Suri tapped her fingertip lightly on the floor. "The Originium interference will be minimal here."

Actually, it was because the hotel had installed the latest model of game console, and Mengmengxiang secretly gave him a complete set of limited edition game discs.

The atmosphere at breakfast was subtly tense. Mengmengxiang, munching on a rice ball, glanced back and forth between Suri and Hoshiguma: "So... we're not going out today?"

"Technical breakthrough." Hoshiguma solemnly placed a piece of tamagoyaki on Su Rui's plate. "No one is allowed to disturb us."

Mio's snake-shaped tattoo probed into the coffee cup: "Need any extra equipment?"

Suri's silver hair swayed slightly: [Just remain quiet.]

Volume 16, Chapter 931: His face was a little pale.

Mengmengxiang suddenly choked on her rice ball—she saw the Bluetooth receiver of a game controller sticking out of Su Rui's sleeve. Mio's phone silently pressed against her lower back, making her swallow her gasp. Was it a silent and harmless warning?

"I'll go prepare the protective runes," Mio suddenly stood up. "The inn's barrier is too weak."

Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed slightly: "Go quickly and return quickly."

After Mio pulled Momoka away, Su Rui immediately locked the door with her silver dust. Hoshiguma stroked his demon horn worriedly: "If you feel unwell, say so. Don't force yourself."

Suri snuggled closer to her: "...I want to work while leaning on you."

That's true—no gaming chair is as comfortable as Hoshiguma's embrace.

The morning sunlight streamed through the paper door, warming the room. Hoshiguma sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, Suri's silver hair cascading over her knees. The terminal screen flickered with complex data streams—actually, it was the equipment interface for the game Monster Hunter.

"How's the progress?" Hoshiguma's fingertips ran through his hair. "You look a little pale."

Su Rui manipulated Silver Dust to generate false energy readings: [The firewall is retaliating.]

Actually, it was his katana-wielding character who was knocked away by the fire dragon. Hoshiguma immediately tensed up: "Should we pause?"

"At this critical moment," Su Rui said, drawing a virtual defense matrix in the air with his silver dust, "we must press on with this momentum."

Hoshiguma's green hair moved without wind, and the Hannya Shield quietly appeared beside her: "I'll guard you."

Suri took the opportunity to take a sip of cola—Silver Dust perfectly masked the sound of the carbonated bubbles. As Hoshiguma's demon horns glowed faintly with worry, he was using Silver Dust to simultaneously control four game characters while running a dungeon.

The afternoon passed in a mock battle of wits. Hoshiguma carefully polished her Hannya Shield, her gaze occasionally sweeping over Suri's "solemn" profile. Her green hair fell across the screen: "Is this red waveform dangerous?"

That was a notification indicating the game boss was in a berserk state. Suri's silver hair swayed slightly: [Requires a special algorithm to neutralize.]

He was actually frantically pressing buttons to unleash his ultimate attack. Silver Dust, at the opportune moment, simulated a light effect of energy collision, illuminating the entire room. Hoshiguma's thumb unconsciously rubbed the shield: "Even more intense than Chernobog's Originium reaction..."

Suri almost burst out laughing—it was just particle rendering for game effects.

As evening fell, Mio returned with Momoka. The snake tattoo circled the door lock three times before confirming it was safe: "There were suspicious individuals outside; they've been dealt with."

Hoshiguma's green eyes suddenly sharpened: "How many?"

"Three scouts." Water droplets dripped from Mio's kunai. "Equipped with professional-grade listening equipment."

Su Rui's Silver Dust quietly pulled up the real surveillance footage—it was actually a deliveryman from the town's electronics store delivering the game merchandise that Mengmengxiang had ordered.

"The intelligence has been leaked?" Hoshiguma's green hair exploded. "Should we relocate?"

"No need," Su Rui said, displaying a fake energy distribution map. "It's the final stage."

In reality, he had reached the final boss battle. The energy fluctuations simulated by Yin Chen were so realistic that even Mio subconsciously adopted a defensive stance.

As night completely fell, Suri "weakly" collapsed into Hoshiguma's arms: "...It's finished."

The terminal displayed a beautifully designed intelligence map—actually, it was the credits of the game's developers after completion. Hoshiguma's green hair gently entwined around his fingers: "Thank you for your hard work."

Mengmengxiang's shoulders trembled as she tried to suppress her laughter, and Mio tapped her on the back of the head with a kunai handle. The snake-shaped tattoo quietly snatched the game disc hidden under the cushion, while Yin Chen quickly erased all game data.

"So the real entrance to the mine is..." Hoshiguma carefully reviewed the intelligence, "...the basement of the hot spring pump station?"

Suri's silver hair swayed gently: [Tomorrow night is the best time to act.]

Actually, he had arranged to run a dungeon with his online game teammates the next day. Hoshiguma kissed his forehead without suspicion: "Get some rest tonight."

While Hoshiguma went to prepare a late-night snack, Momoka finally couldn't help but whisper, "Mr. Suri... you've already taken care of everything, haven't you?"

Yin Chen secretly drew a smiley face in her palm: [Don't tell her.]

Mio's snake tattoo suddenly wrapped around Su Rui's wrist: "Payment."

A game voucher slipped from her sleeve—it was the limited edition "Link's Legend" that Su Rui had been longing for.

As moonlight streamed through the window, Hoshiguma returned with a late-night snack. She watched as a "tired" Suri dozed off, her head resting on Momoko's lap, while Mio peeled an apple with a kunai and charged a game controller with her snake tattoo wrapped around it.

"It seems..." Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed slightly, "today was indeed very mentally taxing."

Yin Chen quietly extinguished the last glimmer of guilt in his eyes.

Dusk, like oil-soaked Xuan paper, slowly seeped into the eaves and alleys of Hisakawa-cho. Paper lanterns from the hot spring inns lit up one after another, casting warm yellow halos on the bluestone pavement. The moment Hoshiguma pushed open the shoji door, she brought in a wisp of mountain mist; the tips of her green hair were still damp with the steam from the hot spring, and her horns gleamed with a gentle sheen from the heat.

Su Rui was kneeling in the center of the tatami mat, the blue light from the terminal illuminating his focused profile—in reality, he had just exited the Monster Hunter results screen, and Yin Chen was silently clearing his game history. A few strands of silver hair fell across his forehead, swaying gently with his breath, like ripples on a moonlit stream.

"How's it going?" Hoshiguma retied the loose sash of her yukata, the dark green belt forming a neat knot between her fingers. "I noticed you haven't left your room all afternoon." Her gaze swept over the empty milk tea cup on the low table. "Drinking cold drinks again?"

Su Rui's silver hair shimmered softly under the light: "Cracked." He tapped the terminal with his fingertip, and a holographic diagram of the mine's structure was projected from the silver dust. "The core stronghold is here—the third basement level of the hot spring pump station, directly beneath the eastern ventilation shaft."

Hoshiguma's green eyes suddenly sharpened, and her demon horns gleamed with a warning light: "How many people?"

"Twenty-seven armed personnel, equipped with standard Thor Industries gear." Su Rui's silver dust precisely marked each sentry post. "Four Originium Arts users, skilled in ley line interference and barrier generation." His fingertip traced an energy path. "The monitoring system changes its password every three minutes and seventeen seconds, synchronized with ley line fluctuations."

"We'll move out at dawn tomorrow." Hoshiguma's thumb unconsciously rubbed the edge of the Hannya Shield. "Mio and I will lead the attack; you'll be in charge of perimeter security and communications support."

Su Rui's eyelashes trembled slightly, and silver dust formed a complex energy flow diagram in the air: "I want to go inside too."

"No." Hoshiguma pressed her fingertips against the old wound on his collarbone. "Your silver dust fluctuations will trigger their Originium sensors."

Suddenly, a matte black briefcase appeared in the silver dust. The sound of air pressure as the briefcase opened was slight yet clear. Lying on the dark blue velvet lining was a silver-white rapid-fire gun, its streamlined barrel shimmering with the unique glow of Originium Arts, like condensed moonlight.

Volume 16, 932 Prototype

"Dr. Himer's prototype, codenamed 'Snowy Owl'." Su Rui's fingertips traced the heat sink. "Frequency shielding coating, effective range of 200 meters, rate of fire 320 rounds per minute." He skillfully removed the magazine, revealing the intricate Originium conduction structure inside. "Uses specially etched bullets, remarkably effective against barriers. My new toy."

Hoshiguma's green hair stood on end slightly, and the Hannya Shield hummed against the corner of the wall: "When did you get this weapon? I didn't know."

"It's been stored in the Silver Dust Space." Su Rui pushed the magazine back into the gun with a crisp click. "I was originally planning to give it to you as a birthday present."

The gun parts hovered and spun under Silverdust's control, emitting a soft meshing sound. Hoshiguma suddenly grabbed his hand as he adjusted the sights: "Why insist on engaging in direct combat?" Her green eyes were exceptionally deep in the dim light. "Tell the truth."

Suri's silver hair fell down, the ends brushing against the cold barrel of the gun: "Their Originium Arts... can interfere with the particle stability of Silver Dust." He raised his left hand, and the light particles formed from the condensed Silver Dust suddenly trembled slightly, "especially in enclosed spaces."

That's true—the area-of-effect skill of that dungeon boss in the game does indeed cause a delay in gameplay.

Hoshiguma's demon horn gently pressed against his forehead: "Anything else?"

"...The old wound on your right shoulder." Suri's silver dust lightly touched the scar on her shoulder blade. "Last time in Chernobog, if I had long-range fire support..."

The room suddenly became so quiet that the crackling of the candlelight flickering in the lantern could be heard. Hoshiguma's green hair slowly cascaded down, covering their clasped hands: "So you brought this gun on purpose?"

The safety of the rapid-fire gun clicked crisply. Suri's silver hair was almost transparent in the cold gleam of the weapon: "Within seven paces, faster than Silver Dust; beyond a hundred paces, more agile than the Prajna Shield."

Soft footsteps echoed down the corridor. Momoka, clutching a fox-shaped pillow, peeked in, her pink hair still slick with sleep: "Um... Mio-nee said she heard the sound of guns being assembled..."

Her eyes lit up the moment they landed on the rapid-fire gun: "Wow! Mr. Suri is going to use this? It's so cool! Is it a new model from Raytheon Industries?"

Mio's snake tattoo silently coiled around the doorframe. Her gaze swept over the gun's serial number: "Hime's Prototype 'Snowy Owl,' Number 07." She lightly tapped the barrel with the tip of her kunai. "Is the recoil adjusted? Your wrist can't handle full-auto fire."

Su Rui's silver dust lifted a set of precision tools: [Reduced by forty percent, with added cushioning modules.] He took out a strange device from the bottom of the box, "A shoulder brace specially made by Himer, capable of absorbing seventy percent of the recoil."

Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed slightly: "When did you become so familiar with Himer?"

"We talked about it last month during my routine check-up at the medical department," Suri's silver hair swept across the scope. "She said she needed real-world data."

Mengmengxiang excitedly raised her camera: "Can you demonstrate it? Just for a second! I promise I won't use the flash!"

"No way." Hoshiguma held her Hannya Shield across the camera lens. "The hotel's soundproofing is terrible; it'll disturb the neighbors."

Suddenly, Yin Chen whipped up several down cushions to create a makeshift shooting range, and Su Rui elegantly flipped a rapid-fire gun in his hands: "Dry firing demonstration."