March 7th gently closed the Party Car door and turned to look at the three people waiting in the corridor—Himeko, Welt, and Danheng, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
Stelle was still sleeping in the room, oblivious to what was about to happen.
March 7th took a deep breath, nodded at Himeko and Welt, her small face showing obvious tension, as if she were the one about to be judged.
Welt pushed up his glasses, his calm gaze sweeping over the closed car door. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Danheng, you stay here. The situation inside is unclear; not everyone needs to go in."
He was considering that if anything unexpected happened, someone would be needed outside for support and vigilance.
Danheng nodded without saying much, just straightened his body and sharply observed the surroundings.
Welt and Himeko exchanged glances, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes.
Himeko lightly adjusted her skirt, while Welt rechecked his cane.
Then, with March 7th leading, followed closely by Welt and Himeko, they pushed open the Party Car door once more.
Inside the car, Long Night Moon was still sitting in her previous spot, as if she hadn't moved at all.
She was playing with the cup in her hand, and her crimson eyes, the moment the door opened, precisely landed on the three people who entered.
Her gaze quickly swept over Welt and Himeko with a hint of scrutiny, and when it finally rested on the nervous March 7th, a trace of softness flickered deep within her eyes.
Himeko was indeed surprised.
Although she had glimpsed Long Night Moon from a distance through the observation window before, seeing her up close made the feeling of high similarity yet stark difference from March 7th even more pronounced.
It was as if all of March 7th's lively and bright colors had been drained away, replaced by a mysterious, even slightly dangerous, black and red palette, yet their facial features and figure seemed to be carved from the same mold.
March 7th, like a child who had done something wrong, lowered her head, wrung her fingers, and silently stood behind Welt and Himeko, not daring to look into Long Night Moon's eyes.
Long Night Moon drank the last bit of liquid from her cup, elegantly placing the empty cup on the bar counter with a crisp clink.
The corners of her mouth slowly curved upwards into a mysterious smile, and she was the first to break the silence:
"Our first formal meeting, both of you."
Her voice carried that unique cadence, "I am Long Night Moon, March 7th's older sister."
Her gaze turned back to March 7th, and that look seemed to say, "See, I told you it would be fine," causing March 7th's tense nerves to relax slightly.
Then, her gaze returned to Welt and Himeko, her crimson eyes holding a calm inquiry, awaiting their response.
Elysian Realm
Fu Hua, while exploring a newly added area of the Elysian Realm, stopped before a simple, faintly glowing door.
On the wall beside the door, clear lettering read:
"Surreal Simulation" - Experience a wondrous world!
(Surreal Simulation?)
A hint of doubt arose in Fu Hua's mind.
(Is it like a training ground, but more... fantastical?)
She had always maintained a pragmatic attitude and instinctively harbored questions about such a seemingly flashy function.
But curiosity, and her importance as a warrior to any opportunity that might enhance her strength or allow her to experience new things, still made her reach out.
The door silently slid open inwards.
Inside, it appeared to be just an empty room with smooth walls on all sides, devoid of any superfluous decoration.
Fu Hua cautiously stepped inside.
The moment both her feet entered the room, a soft blue beam of light swiftly scanned her entire body from top to bottom!
Fu Hua instantly tensed up, instinctively assuming a defensive posture, thinking she had triggered some defense mechanism or was under attack.
However, the anticipated attack did not come. A flat electronic voice echoed in the room:
"Identity verification successful. Target identified: 'Fu Sheng' Fu Hua."
"Special related person identifier confirmed. Environmental parameters adapting..."
(Verification? Special related person?)
Fu Hua became even more confused.
What special connection did she have with this so-called "Surreal Simulation"?
Immediately after, a translucent panel appeared out of thin air before her.
The interface on the panel was simple and clear, with "Scene Selection" at the top, and several options listed below:
Herta Space Station (Status: Available)
Belobog (Status: Available)
Luofu Immortal Boat (Status: Available)
(More scenes under development...)
Each option also had simple icons and descriptions. For example, next to Herta Space Station was a floating celestial body model, with the description: "Experience the crystallization of the Genius Society's wisdom and the cutting edge of research in the sea of stars (be careful not to tamper with experimental equipment)";
Next to Belobog was a silhouette of snow and a mechanical city, with the description: "Experience the resilience and revival of a frozen world, and feel the will of Preservation (remember to stay warm)";
Luofu Immortal Boat featured a giant ship and ginkgo leaves, with the description: "Wander through the thousand-year-old Xianzhou, and savor the culture and conflicts of the long-lived (abide by local laws)."
Fu Hua looked at these completely unfamiliar place names and descriptions, her brow slightly furrowed.
She had never heard of these places; they seemed to be real areas existing in this new universe.
(Simulating environments from other worlds? Is it to help us understand this new universe faster?)
She guessed the purpose of this function.
(Choose one... and experience it firsthand?)
For them, who were unfamiliar with this new place, this was undoubtedly an extremely valuable function.
Fu Hua pondered for a moment, then extended her finger, hesitating between the options.
Should she choose the technologically advanced-sounding "Herta Space Station," or the "Belobog" that stood firm in the snow, or perhaps the "Luofu Immortal Boat"?
Her fingertip slowly moved towards one of the options... perspective shift.
Baiheng and System walked side by side on the brightly lit street, the atmosphere even colder than the cool night breeze of Luofu.
Baiheng was completely uncomfortable, her mind still replaying the incident that almost caused a disaster, and her glances at the "System Landlord" beside her were a little wary.
System, however, maintained her usual flat, "harsh landlord" expression, her steps steady, as if nothing had happened.
(What kind of stroll is this... it's like walking to the execution ground.)
Baiheng sighed internally, trying to find a topic to break the ice, "Um... Sister System, look at that newly opened dessert shop over there, it looks good?"
Upon hearing this, System's gaze swept over the cutely decorated shop, her expression unchanged, but her tone carried the particular pickiness of her persona: "Excessive sugar intake can lead to glycation reactions in the skin, accelerating data... uh, I mean, accelerating aging. Moreover, that shop's logo design lacks aesthetic harmony, and its color saturation is too high, which can easily cause visual fatigue."
Baiheng: "..."
(Alright, I didn't say anything.)
To alleviate the suffocating awkwardness, System seemed to activate some kind of "social assistance program." She began to tell a joke in her flat tone: "Why do starships never get lost in space?"
Baiheng was stunned for a moment, then instinctively replied, "...Why?"
"Because it has'star'nauts."
System finished expressionlessly, then quietly waited for the expected laughter.
"...". Baiheng's mouth twitched, feeling the surrounding temperature drop another three degrees.
This joke was so cold it would make Jingliu feel inferior.
(Help... it's even colder now!)
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