162. The Simulation Continues
Not long after, Kiana woke up as well.
The moment she saw Yuna, she immediately looked at her warily.
She was the only one of the three who knew about 'Herrschers,' and of course, she was well aware that Yuna had become one.
Herrschers were extremely dangerous. For example, the Herrscher of the Void residing within her constantly sought to seize her body and resurrect, returning to the mortal realm.
"Kiana-san, I'm sorry!" Yuna bowed loudly in apology.
"Huh?" Kiana was somewhat confused, seemingly not yet understanding.
After some explanation, Kiana finally believed that Yuna had returned to her original self.
Kiana then told the others everything she knew.
"A Herrscher, an Apostle of Honkai... but I didn't sense anyone trying to control my consciousness," Mei asked, voicing her doubts.
"Could it be because I'm too charming, even a Herrscher has fallen for me?" Yun Ling scratched his face.
Mei, blushing, kicked him.
"Shameless!" Kiana rolled her eyes at him.
"I have my reasons!" Yun Ling said confidently, hands on his hips.
"Look, Yuna likes me, doesn't she?" Yun Ling pulled Yuna aside and gently pinched her cheek.
"Eh... Ugh~" Yuna nodded shyly.
"That's different. Although I don't know the specifics, it seems Yuna has overcome her Herrscher personality. Yuna is still Yuna, even if she is a Herrscher; she is still Yuna."
Kiana refuted Yun Ling's flawed viewpoint.
"Most Herrscher personalities are irrational, only bewitching their hosts into darkness and then controlling their bodies."
"Once controlled, the original personality is erased, and the Herrscher descends upon the world."
Kiana explained with a serious expression how terrifying the Herrscher personality is.
"Kiana, how do you know so much?" Mei asked.
"This..." Kiana hesitated, realizing she couldn't very well say she also had a Herrscher within her.
"Ahem, actually, my stinky dad told me all this. I used to wander around with him, fighting against the Honkai."
"But one day, he suddenly left me, and I came here from Europe to find him."
Kiana's expression was downcast; she still had no news of Siegfried.
Mei, hearing this, put her arm around Kiana's shoulder, comforting her.
"Don't worry, Kiana, we'll find him. Your father will be alright."
Mei deeply sympathized with Kiana's plight.
Her father, Raiden Ryoma, was also missing; she didn't even know where he was imprisoned.
Yuna and Yun Ling were even further behind.
(Here's a cruel joke: the four of them couldn't even form a pair of parents...)
After some time, seeing that the three of them had recovered, Yun Ling breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ruoshui, I'll leave the rest of the time to you. I might need to go into a deep sleep for a while," Yun Ling called out to Ruoshui.
Ruoshui responded with a sword's cry.
"Yun Ling, are you injured too?"
"No, I just need to rest for a while to recover my strength," Yun Ling shook his head.
"Don't worry, Yun Ling, I'll protect this place!" Yuna said earnestly.
Yun Ling rubbed her head and returned to his room to continue the simulation.
『Do you want to continue the simulation? You still have 6 hours and 11 minutes to prepare.』
"Continue."
『Due to the simulation interruption, unforeseen changes may occur. Please be mentally prepared.』
『Simulation continues.』
...
"Where...am I?"
Yun Ling touched his head, feeling as if strange things had appeared in his mind.
He glanced at his surroundings, then felt completely bewildered.
What the heck is this otherworldly style?!
Looking at the bustling crowds of demi-humans and the vendors selling things called "Monster Materials" on the street,
Yun Ling felt like he'd accidentally transmigrated!
"Looks like a newbie. Probably never played this kind of game before. That's terrible. Want to join us? It'll be good to have someone to look after you."
A voice suddenly sounded behind Yun Ling.
"A game?" Yun Ling was completely bewildered. He gently touched the dirt on the ground; the dust clinging to his hands was almost indistinguishable from reality.
"Hey, hey, hey, you know nothing about this?" One person's voice clearly carried a hint of disbelief.
"Sorry, I really have no idea what happened. I woke up here." Yun Ling described.
"Could he be a boy who got framed? Forced to wear the helmet while he was sleeping?"
"He certainly looks like it."
At this moment, the person who seemed to be their team leader spoke up.
"This is a new game developed by 'Anti-Entropy' in 2042, a surreal game, almost indistinguishable from reality. It was supposed to be like this..."
"Wait, you said 2042?!" Yun Ling was even more confused. He came from 2032; how did he end up in 2042 after just one night's sleep?
"What's wrong?" The leader looked at Yun Ling, a hint of bewilderment in his eyes.
"Sorry, nothing." Yun Ling shook his head.
This matter was too shocking; probably no one would believe it if he told them.
The leader gave Yun Ling a suspicious look, then continued.
"On the day of the game's public beta, it was hacked. The logout button is gone, so we can only live in this game for now."
"And... if you die in the game, you really die!" the leader said solemnly.
Yun Ling was utterly shocked.
"To leave, the only way is to complete this world." The leader pointed to a tall tower connecting heaven and earth not far away.
There were a hundred floors in total.
Yun Ling froze, his body involuntarily trembling.
It wasn't fear, but excitement, an indescribable thrill!
A game of life...it really was a game of life!
He, who already had a deep love for games, had entered such a game world. Was it a surprise?
The others in the team, seeing Yun Ling, assumed he was trembling with fear and shook their heads.
"We're a team helping newbies, specifically assisting those who can't survive on the first floor. Would you like to join us?" The leader didn't look down on him but invited him.
Yun Ling's behavior seemed perfectly normal to him, nothing to laugh at.
"No, thank you. I'll conquer that tower." Yun Ling's lips curled into a confident smile.
The leader paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, patting Yun Ling on the shoulder.
"That's ambitious."
After briefly understanding the game's rules, Yun Ling took out the beginner's wooden sword from his backpack.
The moment he grasped the hilt, Yun Ling suddenly felt a warm current flow through his body.
"Taixu... Sword Qi?"
...