This Game Is Too Real

As the Sleep Cabin closed, countless thoughts flashed through Jiang Xuezhou's mind.

She even considered that once she fell asleep, she might never wake up again.

However, despite a myriad of emotions, she felt not a trace of fear.

She could feel someone holding her hand.

The warmth spreading from the fingertips was not just her blood seeping outside, but something else.

She didn't know the person's name, nor could she recall the face, only remembering a gentle elder sister.

She had been here all along.

And had waited for a full 215 years...

Peacefully falling asleep, she closed her eyes, at the moment the Orion Missile Cruiser jumped into the Hyperspace Passage, the unconscious meeting her first and last encounter.

It was a very long dream.

In the dream, she met many people.

Though in the dream she was asleep, never once waking for even a second, everyone there seemed to recognize her.

Whether it was her face or her name.

Vaguely, she sensed that she was not alone in coming here.

Someone who departed with her—or perhaps a moment later—had already been here first, telling them her name.

In that unseen darkness, she was not alone.

At that moment, a hand gently brushed across her forehead.

And a warm whisper followed.

"...You will survive."

"Your partner is a brave kid... and his courage matches that of any of us."

That voice was like a torch dispersing the darkness, momentarily illuminating her entire world.

And as the light of Dawn arose, all encompassing darkness around her fell away like faded sludge, collapsing under the ever-brightening light.

She faintly heard another voice.

The voice was filled with resentment, stretched long, like a ghost haunting the abyss, unleashing cries of fury and lament.

"...Why..."

"200 years! I waited 200 years!"

"Why oppose me! Why!!"

That guy seemed to have brokedown.

Did someone do something?

At this moment, Jiang Xuezhou was not fully aware of what occurred to her original timeline self during her sleep.

Previously, when she hacked into the Warp engine's cache server, the data packet downloaded into her bionic chip was now being released at an incredible speed and charging towards the Orion Missile Cruiser's onboard server through the data line at its neck.

The raging howl was from the AI called "Navigator."

That specter inhabiting the old circuit board.

It probably never imagined until its death that the people it killed over 200 years ago would wield the sword it once used, to reverse and sever its head...

Everything was over.

In a daze, Jiang Xuezhou seemed to see the Sleep Cabin door close once more.

There was a man in power armor.

Having completed everything he intended to sit and rest for a while, but suddenly remembered something and stood up, walked out of the twisted, deformed cockpit.

Her eyes could not see, yet she could vaguely perceive all that was happening outside.

And at the moment the door closed, the twisted, deformed hatch opened again, a familiar figure rushed in hurriedly from outside.

He frantically searched the room for something.

His clumsy manner made her want to laugh, and cry, but she couldn't cry.

In this bizarre dream, she could do nothing, not even open her eyes.

Fortunately, that fumbling fellow finally found what he was looking for.

It seemed to be a key.

Then he seemed to finally notice her lying there, approaching her ecstatically.

As she tried to open her eyes to make contact with him, her already blurry vision suddenly dimmed with a layer of white frost, and her lost five senses returned to her body.

Feeling the drilling pain in the abdomen, her brow lightly furrowed, she involuntarily let out a moan.

At this time, a hurried voice came from not far away.

"...Don't get up yet, I'm helping you with the wound!"

Blood crust stuck to her eyelids, she couldn't open her eyes.

However, upon hearing that familiar voice, her original taut nerves immediately relaxed.

"Night Ten..."

"I'm right here! Hold on!"

Standing beside the Sleep Cabin, Night Ten, drenched in sweat, applied the thawed hemostatic gel onto her abdominal wound.

The emergency airlock of the landing craft was opened, the cockpit filled with air.

Under the effect of positive pressure, the twisted and deformed door was automatically pressed firmly against the door frame.

Meanwhile, the starship's artificial gravity device has successfully restarted, and the current cabin is experiencing gravity similar to the Moon, gradually recovering to 1G level.

The piercing pain was gradually replaced by a chilly sensation. Jiang Xuezhou softly gasped as the blood scabs stuck to her eye cracks slowly melted by warm tears.

"Woo..."

Seeing the tears rolling down Jiang Xuezhou's face, Night Ten became flustered and quickly asked.

"Does it hurt?"

She gently shook her head and quietly said, "It doesn't hurt."

Yet, the tears unwillingly kept falling, one after another, more and more.

If it doesn't hurt, why are you crying?

Seeing her weeping face, Night Ten was completely confounded, utterly at a loss.

Fortunately, his actions didn't stop, and ultimately, using the method Lin Youyou left behind, he managed to help her stop the bleeding and then wrapped it with a bandage.

As an unlicensed medical practitioner, this was the best he could do.

As for repairing radiation damage and such.

He could only wait until they returned to Earth to seek help from the Alliance's Biological Institute, or think about other ways.

Surely there's a way to solve this.

"...The bleeding has stopped. Your previous spacesuit is damaged. I've made a set of external exoskeleton for you to wear instead of the spacesuit."

Jiang Xuezhou, with reddened eyes, softly uttered an "Mm" and then lay there silently.

Never had he seen her so quiet; Night Ten couldn't help but stare for a while.

To his surprise, she, who often showed her teeth and claws, became shy at this moment, retreating slightly with a shrinking neck.

"... Don't look at me..."

Seeing her reflection in those eyes, Jiang Xuezhou embarrassedly turned her head to the side, avoiding his gaze.

"Right now... I look... very ugly."

Objectively speaking, that was true.

Her hair had almost fallen out, with congealed blood scabs all over, or oozing fluid from ruptured skin, like a chick just breaking out of its shell.

If it was before, he might've made a low emotional intelligence joke or two.

But now, he was no longer the clueless person he used to be.

Is there such a big difference between an NPC and a real person?

Actually, not really.

What's truly important is the feeling in his heart at this moment, incredibly genuine.

Gazing deeply into those bright, clear eyes, it was like looking at a gem buried in ashes.

Watching the white-paper-like face flush with red hues, in a voice he had never tried before in his life, he spoke emotionally.

"... I don't mind."

Time covered with frost.

The air seemed frozen, solidifying the gradually burning sunset.

Everything fell silent.

There was no sound between the two for quite some time until a stubborn voice finally escaped from those lightly bitten lips.

"... I don't need your force."

It turns out you can't expect ivory from a dog's mouth.

A moment ago, Jiang Xuezhou was deeply moved by him; the next moment, she was infuriated.

What do you mean you don't mind?

She admitted.

She indeed looked somewhat embarrassing at this moment, but what caused her to become like this?

Ah ah ah!

If she knew this would happen, she might as well have died.

With her remaining strength, she lightly bit her teeth, feeling the negative emotions boiling and ready to explode.

Was this guy intentional?

Definitely, he was!

As she got more and more aggrieved, almost bursting into tears, a gust of wind suddenly blew towards her.

Before she could react to what was happening, the grievance about to overflow from between her lips was blocked by a sudden surge of heated emotion.

The warmth dispelled the cold, melting the ice almost freezing her heartbeat.

Her pupils widened instantly, slowly overshadowed by a water mist, and her eyes closed gently.

All the grievances and pain endured, along with the bewilderment and helplessness facing despair, transformed into a faint salty taste rolling off the corner of her lips at this moment.

Those things were no longer important.

In the face of this unprecedented happiness, everything that had passed became redundant.

She only wished time could stay frozen in this moment.

Let that warm feeling linger a little longer...

...

Their lips parted.

Not only Jiang Xuezhou turned red like an apple, but also the person whose arms were propped on the sleep cabin.

The posture of that person was indescribably awkward, like a ginger cat stuck halfway up the stairs.

Yet at this moment, her heart was filled with immense satisfaction, with no desire to mock or bicker at all.

With her face buried and blushing, she whispered softly.

"Idiot… you… you want to knock my teeth out…?"

Too sly.

Using this trick…

How could she be angry after this?

Seeing the suddenly shy Jiang Xuezhou, Night Ten blushed and stammered.

"I, I didn't mean that…"

He was already trying very hard to mimic Fang Chang, but for some reason, he still messed up.

Maybe he usually says too many flirty things, this mouth of his was naturally incapable of saying those sentimental words.

But that's indeed what he meant at the time.

No matter what she had become, whether there was still a chance to heal or not, he wouldn't let her down.

"... What I mean is, no matter what you become... I will still… like?"

Jiang Xuezhou's fist, which had finally softened, clenched again, wishing she could knock his head askew.

"Why is 'like' a question? You… like… can't you just say it properly? It's really infuriating!"

Seemingly feeling a bit embarrassed himself, Night Ten awkwardly retorted, his face still red.

"Ah ah ah… okay, fine, I like you! I like you! I like you!"

He said it three times in one breath, making up for all the times he hadn't said it before.

The instant Jiang Xuezhou heard those words, her face turned bright red, her ears seemed to emit steam, and her initially fierce demeanor melted like a snowman about to dissolve.

Having never lost an argument before, Night Ten naturally didn't miss the chance to counterattack. Seeing Jiang Xuezhou looking dazed and almost melting, he blushed and pressed on.

"I've said it, now it's your turn?"

"Me, me?"

Seemingly not expecting the counter-question, Jiang Xuezhou panicked, and her raised voice went off-key.

As she tried to avoid his gaze, Night Ten persistently stared into her eyes, asking her again.

"Yes, I've told you. I like you, so much that even if you feel embarrassed, I have to say it. I don't want to almost miss you like just now."

"..."

The word "like" was like a remote control switch that rebooted her brain with every press.

Her thin lips opened and closed for a long while, red clouds spread out like smoke and sunset glow.

Wait… is this development too fast?

Should she assess it further?

Even though she didn't particularly dislike kids… one or two were fine, three could be acceptable, but she should really ask Yuehan's opinion, right? She didn't know if the kid could accept her suddenly becoming an aunt.

It wasn't until she thought about what her granddaughter's name might be that she suddenly realized she might be thinking too far ahead, wanting to plunge her heated head into ice to calm down.

Night Ten had no idea what strange thoughts she was having, nor did he continue to press her. He just gazed intently into those doe-like, evasive eyes, waiting for her answer.

Finally…

This person, who was even less straightforward than him, ultimately couldn't bear to make him wait any longer.

Those soft lips parted and uttered the answer both of them had long been aware of.

"Like..."

"Like who?"

"Like… you, you silly ba—!"

She hadn't finished speaking when she was silenced once again.

...

When Jiang Xuezhou sat up from the sleep cabin, ten minutes had already passed.

With the help of the hemostatic gel, the wound on her abdomen had scabbed over and was beginning to heal slowly.

"Cyborgs" had much greater adaptability and healing ability than typical Waste Land Wanderers.

This was one of the primary reasons people from the Academy were so appealing to Waste Land Wanderers.

Although Jiang Xuezhou's body was still very weak, under normal gravity conditions, she had no problem getting up and walking around.

According to Lin Youyou's final instructions, Night Ten helped her put on the exoskeleton for external activities.

After the wound scabs over, it's better for blood circulation and metabolism to get out of the "freezer" as soon as possible; staying in the sleep cabin at this point wouldn't be beneficial.

With the help of the exoskeleton, he didn't have to worry about her bumping into anything or falling.

Ensuring safety, Night Ten closed the emergency airlock and opened the hatch of the cockpit.

The air in the cockpit was sucked out in an instant, returning it to a vacuum environment.

With Night Ten's help, Jiang Xuezhou carefully crawled out of the landing craft's hatch.

Watching Jiang Xuezhou bending over in pain, Night Ten immediately released his hand and worriedly supported her.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"

"I'm fine, just the wound tugged a bit... No need to treat me as if I'm fragile."

Jiang Xuezhou murmured quietly with a blush, feeling odd about how suddenly this guy became so caring.

Although she said it like that, her heart was sweet like honey.

"I'm just worried about you..." Night Ten scratched the back of his head, holding her hand tighter, "Take it easy, hold onto my hand and don't let go."

Jiang Xuezhou softly murmured an "Hmm", not speaking, but she squeezed his hand tighter.

She was enjoying this moment very much.

Even though their current situation was anything but optimistic, they were a full five light-years away from Earth...

The reactor fuel probably won't last through the next jump; otherwise, that phandroid wouldn't be so anxious.

However, despite the difficulties, she was not afraid at all.

If one asks why...

She always felt as if she had been here before.

Everything here was so familiar, like the living room of her own home.

"By the way... I just had a very long, long dream." Staring at the phandroid wreckage buried in the corner by the ruins, Jiang Xuezhou suddenly spoke quietly.

Night Ten gently squeezed her hand.

"What did you dream about?"

Jiang Xuezhou closed her eyes and pondered deeply for a while, carefully recalling that bizarre dream.

"I saw many people I didn't know... They said many things, but most I couldn't hear clearly. Oh, then there was a sister who patted my head and told me... I would be okay."

Night Ten was silent for a moment and then said.

"Was that sister named Lin Youyou?"

Jiang Xuezhou paused for a moment, holding her forehead with her left hand.

"...The name sounds so familiar, I feel like I've heard it somewhere."

Night Ten took out a voice recorder from his pocket and handed it to her with a puzzled look.

"Maybe... it wasn't a dream, but something that really happened."

He once promised to bring Jiang Xuezhou to meet her, and now it seems they might have already met.

During the time after he left.

After receiving the voice recorder from Night Ten, Jiang Xuezhou stared at it intently, murmuring with a distant look.

"I also feel... it wasn't just a dream."

Watching Jiang Xuezhou in a daze, Night Ten reached out and gently patted her helmet.

"Anyway, it's good that you've woken up... They've given us command of this starship, though it's pretty much a scrap, there might still be some useful functions. You figure it out first, I need to log off and check in with my friends."

No accident, he's now reached South Gate Two.

No one in this game has traveled farther than him, even the tail in the Arctic pales in comparison.

But in contrast, his troubles are not small either.

Later when he visits the official site, he'll have to get their opinions, and also boast a bit for Brother Guang, the world five light-years away is certainly not a big pie.

Even if it was before, now this pie is well-baked.

As for showing off, that's non-existent.

Is he such a superficial person?

Although thinking like this, he could hardly suppress his grin.

Watching Night Ten suddenly speak nonsense, Jiang Xuezhou tilted her head.

"Log off?"

"Uh, it's just... a sort of perception method, I mentioned I have some special abilities, right? Okay, okay, don't worry about it, I'll only need two minutes."

Night Ten hastily stopped the topic after inadvertently slipping up, ignoring those suspicious eyes, he sat against the wall, closed his eyes, and logged off.

However, maybe logging off was too hasty, his handsome posture only lasted two seconds before his head bumped onto the ground.

Watching Night Ten curling up like a shrimp, Jiang Xuezhou couldn't help but express helplessness, sighed and sat beside him, lifting his stubborn head onto her lap.

Speaking of which, similar things seemed to have happened before.

He claimed that closing his eyes allowed him to see residents in other shelters, communicating when physical communication was impossible.

She used to think he was bragging, but now she wonders if he might be serious.

Though it's a five-light-year distance... can special abilities really achieve this?

"By the way, this dummy looks quite cute when sleeping..."

Gazing at his serene sleeping face, Jiang Xuezhou couldn't resist stretching out her index finger to lightly touch his nose.

This guy is just like a little pig, unable to wake up no matter how you move him when sleeping.

But after experiencing so many things.

Perhaps he's tired too.

Gently stroking his sleek, black hair, Jiang Xuezhou assumed a gentle and caring smile, whispering softly.

"You've worked hard."