Chapter 3: Entering the Simulator

Children like to compete and compare themselves to others; they don’t want to be outdone by Su Ninglong.

They listened intently as Xing Qiren posed his second question.

“At the dining table, there are green vegetables, meat, and porridge. Your mother tells you to eat more vegetables for balanced nutrition. Your father urges you to eat more meat to grow taller. Your grandmother insists you eat porridge because it’s easy to digest. What would you choose?”

The two children answered quickly.

“I... I’d listen to my mother and eat vegetables.”

The other child replied cautiously, “I also listen to my mother, but after eating vegetables, I must eat meat.”

Xing Qiren glanced at the quiet Su Ninglong. “How about you? What would you choose?”

“Adults have to choose; children get to have everything,” Su Ninglong said, propping her chin on her hand. “I don’t pick and choose.”

Could that be right? The two children almost burst into tears, feeling that Su Ninglong’s answer was correct, since every adult said children shouldn’t be picky eaters.

Finding their reactions amusing and not wanting to disrupt the upcoming tests, Su Ninglong added, “Although I can’t really choose because I don’t hold the financial power.”

Though they didn’t understand what “financial power” meant, the children felt oddly reassured.

“Last question,” Xing Qiren said, ticking a box on his form. “Do you know what a shadow figure is?”

This time, Su Ninglong was at a loss.

“I—I know,” one child said fearfully. “My mother told me they are evil spirits that eat people.”

The other child quickly chimed in, “I heard other kids say shadow figures are monsters as tall as three floors, and they can swallow people in one bite.”

Su Ninglong asked, “So, what exactly is a shadow figure?”

Her big eyes brimmed with curiosity. Despite being in the tavern and exposed to many kinds of information, she was still naive about this.

In truth, the adults who came to drink knew well what should or shouldn’t be said. Arguments and fights could happen, but when it came to children, everyone knew their limits.

After all, saying the wrong thing could affect a child’s entire life—and might also earn a beating from the warrior goddess Zou Shuyi.

Zou Shuyi, who ran the bar alone, was no pushover. She was formidable when it came to handling troublemakers.

The brawl the previous night only stopped because Zou Shuyi had knocked out two instigators with a single bench strike.

Xing Qiren was surprised to find that Su Ninglong, who appeared the most mature and composed, knew the least about shadow figures.

Her parents must be good, not instilling the idea that shadow figures were terrifying monsters.

He grew increasingly pleased with Su Ninglong and became more motivated in his work.

Perhaps today, they might truly discover a child worthy of joining the Star Alliance. If he could find one, he could join alongside them as their guide.

That job’s salary would be far better than staying here.

“All right, let’s move on to the next stage.”

“The next stage is a pretend play simulation game. Remember, it’s just a game. Inside the game, you don’t have to listen to anyone. You can move freely or stand still. If you feel scared, you can choose to quit. If you last ten minutes, you pass the second stage. Understood?”

Su Ninglong still couldn’t grasp exactly what the test entailed but stayed silent.

Xing Qiren led them to another room.

The room was large, dominated by a massive machine in the center. Attached beneath it were helmet-shaped simulators.

He gathered the three children. “Remember, if you’re scared, just quit. There will be an exit button on the screen.”

Not knowing what awaited the children, he repeated his warnings.

One child refused to wear the helmet and broke down in tears. “I... I don’t want to go in.”

The older kids told him there were scary monsters inside that would take him away and keep him from seeing his parents. He was frightened.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. No one’s forcing you to go in. If you don’t want to, you can wait here. Ten minutes and you’re done,” Xing Qiren soothed gently, calming the frightened child.

The child’s fear eased somewhat.

Only Su Ninglong and one other child put on the helmets and entered.

“Are you scared?” Xing Qiren asked.

“No,” Su Ninglong answered. The other child also shook his head.

Xing Qiren placed the helmets on them. “Then, good luck.”

Three, two, one.

The helmets darkened, and the scene shifted.

Su Ninglong and the other child found themselves in a dilapidated banquet hall. Above hung a massive chandelier, swaying in the still air, on the verge of collapse.

A long banquet table dominated the room, covered with foul-smelling food.

Flickering candlelight revealed wriggling maggots crawling among the dishes.

From the head of the table came the sounds of chewing and swallowing, enticing them forward.

The setting alone was a terrifying psychological cue, as if warning them that danger awaited.

Xing Qiren had clearly stated that the players could move freely or remain still, and surviving ten minutes would mean passing.

But was this really pretend play? Who played pretend with such a terrifying setup?

“Sister, I’m scared. Can I follow you?” the other child clutched Su Ninglong’s sleeve.

“How old are you?” she asked.

“I just turned four.”

“I’m four and a half.”

“You’re older than me, so don’t act like a little brother. You’d better stay where you are—I won’t take care of you,” Su Ninglong said, shaking off his hand. She tiptoed to the table and picked up a knife and fork.

She weighed them in her hand. They were somewhat heavy, but the metal gleamed brightly, unoxidized, perfect for a child.

Su Ninglong, who was a cultivator with a detached view of relationships, believed that apart from parental love and the bond between master and disciple, nothing else was worth much attention.

She had no desire to take care of a stranger’s child, especially when death wasn’t possible inside the simulator.

The child was not upset by her attitude and followed closely behind, step by step.

Instead, it strengthened his resolve. He imitated Su Ninglong, grabbing something from the table.

His imitation was somewhat comical—he picked up an empty plate and hugged it as he walked.

“Sister, are we supposed to use these utensils to find food? None of this looks edible; it all smells awful.”

She looked around warily.

He thought they were supposed to find something good to eat.

“So you’re the real champion,” she said.

The child blinked, confused.

In the monitoring room, two Star Alliance officers watched the children’s behavior. They found Su Ninglong’s boldness intriguing as she strode ahead.

“This girl is really interesting. She probably doesn’t think a knife and fork can fend off a shadow figure.”

“She doesn’t understand what a shadow figure is.”

“The boy’s even more interesting—he’s enjoying himself in such a terrifying scene.”

“Want to bet?”

“No point. No matter how well they perform at first, curiosity will be their downfall.”

Su Ninglong walked slowly, pausing periodically to touch chairs, tap walls, and occasionally pull out a chair to see if it could be moved.

She even used the knife and fork to carve some crude graffiti on the wall.

The child behind her was stunned, not understanding what she was doing.

What else could Su Ninglong do? She wanted to test the realism of the scene and her own senses.