Chapter 462.2: This Is Actually A Sim Game

Survivors who had fled south to the River Valley Province often donated money or goods to the royal family.

Though most items weren’t worth much, Acting King Somer had instructed the staff to accept them all. After all, they were gestures of goodwill.

And more importantly, when living under someone else’s roof, it meant a lot to still have people thinking of you. Those were the truly loyal comrades.

At the knock on the window, the old gatekeeper in the guard booth yawned, lifting his drowsy face from his elbow. Seeing the book cradled in the visitor’s arms, he assumed it was another donation, probably not worth anything, either.

Still, remembering Lord Somer’s instructions, he muttered a question as a dutiful royal servant.

“Name?”

“Commander Lu Bei of the New Alliance’s Guard Corps.”

Though Lu Bei had spoken in a low voice, his title and his origin were still clearly heard.

The sleep vanished instantly from the old man’s face. It was like he had regained 20 years of youth, shooting up from his chair with his eyes wide. “You... You’re from the Guard Corps?”

Alarmed by the sudden volume, Lu Bei quickly hushed him. “Shh! Why are you shouting? Keep your voice down!”

Realizing his blunder, the old servant apologized with a sheepish smile. “Yes, yes, my apologies. I was confused. What brings you here today, sir?”

The Guard Corps was known across the New Alliance as the administrator’s personal troops. They were his shadow.

If the commander himself had come, it surely wasn’t for something trivial.

“This isn’t just about courtesy. The administrator specifically instructed me to keep my visit confidential. Why else would I change out of uniform just to come here?” Tugging the hood lower over his eyes, Lu Bei corrected him sternly, then held out the book.

“Also, the administrator entrusted me to deliver this to Miss Afrni personally.”

Something seemed to click in the old servant’s mind. His expression shifted to one of barely contained excitement, and he reached out to take it, only for Lu Bei to step back.

“Where’s Miss Afrni?” he asked seriously. “The administrator said I must hand this to her directly. She should come down and receive it.”

The servant quickly replied, “She’s still at the Merchant Guild, completing the assignment the administrator gave her. But rest assured, as soon as she returns, I’ll deliver this to her immediately!”

Lu Bei hesitated, but realized waiting there indefinitely wasn’t practical. If he went to the Merchant Guild, he might miss her altogether, so he gave a firm nod. “Fine. But make sure she gets it, no one else.”

Just as he finished, he seemed to remember something and quickly added, “And don’t tell anyone I came here today.”

“Yes! You have my word! If I say even a word to anyone, the lord himself wouldn’t forgive me, let alone you!”

Seeing Lu Bei’s serious expression, the old servant became even more certain of his suspicions. He nodded repeatedly, grinning so wide it almost split his face.

If this was official business, why the secrecy?

Clearly, it wasn’t.

He didn’t even dare open the book, let alone glance at the cover. Carefully, he placed it in a drawer for safekeeping, planning to hand it over as soon as Afrni returned.

Watching Lu Bei leave, he clenched his fist with excitement, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

The kingdom...

Had hope!

...

Back on the medical bay in level B3 of Shelter 404.

After being sedated, Little Feather was carefully laid on the scanner. Falling Feather stood beside it, anxiety written all over his face as he looked to Chu Guang.

“Little Feather is going to be okay, right?”

The chatter on the forum about nerfing Little Feather had scared him half to death. He hadn’t dared speak up in days.

Though he often complained about being stuck to the little creature like glue, the truth was, if the devs actually balanced it out, he would be heartbroken.

“Don’t worry,” Chu Guang reassured him, giving his shoulder a pat. “The inhibitor only sedates her. It won’t harm her health. The exam will take a little while. You should head back.”

Falling Feather asked quietly, “Can I wait outside?”

Chu Guang thought for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.”

The alloy door opened. Falling Feather left, and it closed slowly behind him.

Lying on the scanner, Little Feather let out a soft cry, like a cat purring in its sleep.

It sounded like a whimper.

But Chu Guang could sense the emotion carried in the soundwave, it was anxious.

It didn’t like the feeling.

Chu Guang turned to Hyrja, who was busy at the console. “Can the scan be done without sedation?”

Without taking her eyes off the screen, Hyrja replied casually, “Of course it can. But can you guarantee it won’t suddenly freak out and attack us both?”

“I’ll protect you.” Chu Guang stated seriously.

Hyrja smirked playfully and teased, “Oh? That sounds very reassuring. But why gamble on the odds?”

Chu Guang shrugged. “Alright. So, what’s the analysis?”

“You asked at the perfect time. The data just came through.” She tapped a few spots on the holographic screen, folded her arms, and stared thoughtfully at the chart for a long while before speaking with certainty, “Current development is at 51%. At this rate, it shouldn’t take long to reach the next stage.”

Chu Guang asked curiously, “What if it advanced directly to the next stage?”

Hyrja didn’t hesitate to respond. “Little Feather would be devoured by the mother body on level instead. Right now, it’s still just a kid. Even if we gave Little Feather all the resources in the world, it wouldn’t be a match for that old monster that wiped out an entire floor of the shelter. It’s like locking a child with a shotgun in a room with a murderous criminal. What do you think would happen?”

Chu Guang frowned. “What if we disable the mother body on level B6 first? Like...”

“Like pumping it full of inhibitors?” Hyrja saw right through him and sneered, “I’d love to try, but devouring is a long, ongoing process. You can’t be sure the inhibitors would only affect the Slime Mold on level B6. Anyway, Little Feather is waking up. You can call that kid back in now.”

Chu Guang nodded and abandoned the idea. He looked at the camera in the corner and signaled for Little Seven to open the medical bay doors.

Outside the door, Falling Feather was pacing nervously.

Just then, the door opened.

He looked up instantly, but before he could get a clear view, a crimson blur tackled him, slamming him into the corner of the hallway.

With the wind nearly knocked out of him, Falling Feather glared up at the culprit sprawled on top of him.

“What the hell? Are you trying to murder me?!”

“Yiwu!” That increasingly human-like face now wore a pitiful expression.

Falling Feather was about to scold it, but he paused. He remembered that he had sent it into the lab for experimentation just for a mission.

A pang of guilt surfaced in his mind as he patted Little Feather’s head. “Alright, alright. I didn’t want to do it either. But it was part of the mission, and it was for your own good. You’ve been alone in there so long... You did well.”

“Come on, let’s go get you some candy.”

“Yiwu!”

Whether it was the comfort or the mention of candy, Little Feather’s face lit up with joy. Its tendrils rippled like seaweed.

But instead of getting off, Little Feather snuggled in closer, its skirt-like Slime Mold mass rolling over him like a tank tread.

Falling Feather’s face turned blue as it pinned him down. His eyes rolled back, bulging from their sockets.

Good grief!

No one will believe this...

Little Feather must weigh at least 200 kilograms!

Watching Little Feather glued to Falling Feather, Hyrja folded her arms and frowned slightly. “He didn’t actually grow feelings for it... Right?”

Chu Guang gave a wry smile. “It’s hard to say.”

Spending enough time with anything, even a fishing rod, could foster emotional attachment, let alone a living creature.

Hyrja sighed and scratched her silvery hair. “Let’s hope not. These mutant Slime Mold, at least from what I’ve seen, are just as unstable mentally as they are genetically. They don’t have family, friends, or any social concepts. What seems like affection may just be an illusion. You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? It doesn’t even hesitate to prey on its own kind.”

Chu Guang nodded. “Yes. But that blood connection is real. And so far, she’s never shown strong aggression toward humans.”

Hyrja glanced at him. “And after she devours the mother body on level B6? She’ll absorb part of what belonged to it. You know what I mean.”

It wasn’t just genetic fragments being absorbed. Memories, knowledge, experience, instincts, or what some might call a soul, were also passed on.

In truth, Little Feather hadn’t learned to hunt just from Falling Feather teaching it to kill Creepers.

It had learned it through a much more primal, direct method...

Its attack pattern mimicked a rifle’s bullet, causing piercing damage to Creepers. Even its aim was identical to Falling Feather’s shooting habits.

That knowledge came from the devoured, from their dying memories. At the same time, its armor plating also came that way.

These creatures died because they couldn’t defend against penetrating attacks.

I needed armor that can resist bullets.

This was what made the Mutant Slime Mold so terrifying. They learned from the bodies of their prey, absorbing experiences of how to survive.

If needed, they could survive in a vacuum. They could endure metal fragments striking at supersonic speeds.

As long as a part of their body remained, no matter how severe the injury, no matter how they were damaged... They always came back.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say they had mastered evolution, ascending into a realm human civilization had yet to reach.

Chu Guang fell silent for a moment before he asked, “What’s your recommendation?”

Hyrja shook her head. “I don’t know. We have to continue with the level B6 clearing plan. I need the lab equipment there. No matter what, the Slime Mold has to go. But I suggest you abandon any idea of taming them.”

Chu Guang asked immediately, “Is there scientific proof?”

Hyrja shook her head again. “There’s no proof it’s impossible, but the odds of success are extremely low.”

This time, Chu Guang took a little longer to respond.

Staring at the two figures outside in the corridor, he thought for a long time before finally speaking.

“I believe in my shelter residents...”

“... Just as they believe in me.”

Hyrja couldn’t help but ask, “But what if something goes wrong?”

Chu Guang suddenly smiled, as if he’d made peace with it. “Then we fix it.”

“Cleaning up messes is part of a leader’s job, too.”