CH 76

Thank you to BABS for the ko-fi~

Shu Shuishui slept for a long time this time, and with the intention of hibernation, the little dormouse relaxed. The snowman plush pillow in his arms became Shu Shuishui’s new favorite, to the point that he didn’t even hug his tail while sleeping.

It was the first time Gu Langu had witnessed Shu Shuishui’s hibernation. He felt that even the sleeping little mouse was incredibly adorable. After Shu Shuishui had slept for three consecutive days, Gu Langu couldn’t resist the temptation and playfully tugged at the snowman plush pillow in the little dormouse’s embrace.

Without even opening his eyes, the chubby-faced dormouse managed to convey a sense of grievance. “Hugging the pillow… Shu Shuishui’s… Gu Gu, be good…”

Gu Langu leaned close to Shu Shuishui’s ear and whispered, “If the pillow is Shu Shuishui’s, can Shu Shuishui also be Gu Gu’s?”

In his sleep, Shu Shuishui’s response seemed a bit delayed. After a while, he murmured in reply, “Pillow… Shu Shuishui’s… Gu Gu’s… also Shu Shuishui’s…”

Gu Langu couldn’t help but think, “Well, I guess that’s not so different, after all.”

On the fifth day, Shu Shuishui woke up. When the little dormouse opened his eyes while still hugging the snowman plush pillow, he felt a bit disoriented. He blinked and asked Gu Langu, who was by his side, “Gu Gu, is it already summer? I woke up.”

Gu Langu reached out and gently rubbed the mouse’s cheek, and Shu Shuishui subconsciously nuzzled against his touch.

“Not yet, but it’s been five days,” Gu Langu replied.

Shu Shuishui’s nuzzling paused. “Five days? Are you sure it’s not fifty days?”

Gu Langu nodded. “Five days.”

Shu Shuishui was a bit shocked. He had woken up before winter had even passed! And he didn’t feel sleepy at all. However, unlike the previous bout of insomnia, Shu Shuishui felt that he could still fall asleep if he lay down again, although it wasn’t necessary anymore.

The little dormouse rolled off the snow bed and stood up. He still held the snowman plush pillow in his arms. He strolled around the snow bed a few times before patting his paw. “I understand now. This simulation pod is activated using psychic energy. If a mouse hibernates in here, it’s twice as effective. The spirit becomes especially invigorated, right?”

Gu Langu had already deduced the reason from Shu Shuishui’s behavior and nodded naturally at his words. “Shui Shui guessed correctly.” Of course, what Gu Langu didn’t mention was that the simulation pod was currently consuming his mental energy, and Shu Shuishui’s energy was untouched, which led to this situation.

Shu Shuishui poked his cheek with his paw. “In that case, Gu Gu, let’s go have a snowball fight!”

Gu Langu readily agreed, completely ignoring the blinking communication device.

On the spacious ground floor, the two of them engaged in a playful snowball fight, with Shu Shuishui’s agile body sometimes hiding under tables and other times climbing onto tables to ambush Gu Langu. He aimed tiny snowballs at Gu Langu’s nose.

Shu Shuishui giggled, dodging Gu Langu’s snowballs, and the game continued.

After numerous snowball fights, Gu Langu also found the right way to play the game: making snowballs the size of soybeans. Sometimes when he hit Shu Shuishui, the little dormouse would become even happier. He might even praise Gu Langu for his improved skills.

When the dormouse grew tired from running around, he sat on the table and held a cup made of snow to drink water. Of course, the water here was also made of snow, and what Shu Shuishui drank was just an illusion created by Gu Lang’s mental energy.

Shu Shuishui wasn’t actually thirsty. In hibernation mode, dormice could easily go for several months without eating or drinking, so there was no need to worry about Shu Shuishui’s eating habits.

As the dormouse examined the snow cup, Gu Langu finally reluctantly opened the communication device. There were a few friend requests, aside from the members of their base, there were two additional ones, presumably from Liu Po and Liu Du.

Gu Langu accepted each request one by one and then opened the message sent by Yu Jin.

At this point, the dormouse’s attention shifted to the screen. On the screen was a video that Yu Jin had recorded himself. The general idea was that they had gone to the central plaza and were preparing to participate in a dungeon. He briefly introduced the situation of the dungeon. Of course, because no one had cleared the dungeon to date, the clues were quite scarce.

The mouse’s ears twitched frequently, clearly showing interest in what Yu Jin was saying. “Gu Gu, what’s a dungeon? Is it a game?” Shu Shuishui had seen Shu Bao play games on a computer before, and though he was curious, even using a mouse1Not the actual mouse was a burden for him, so more complex operations were out of the question.

Every time, the little dormouse could only sit obediently on Shu Bao’s shoulder, watching Shu Bao conquer worlds in the game, feeling envious. Little did he expect that dungeons existed on Cang Zhan Star as well.

Gu Langu hesitated for a moment about whether to tell Shu Shuishui the truth, but in the end, he chose to do so. After all, dungeons were perilous places, populated by all sorts of individuals, and it was always best to be cautious.

“In the vast expanse of the starry sea, there are many unknown and chaotic regions, such as temporal rifts, chaotic dimensional spaces, wormholes, black holes, and other highly dangerous areas. However, these hazardous zones often signify breakthrough points in technology.”

“The Galactic Alliance has never given up on exploring these regions. Under normal circumstances, few people are willing to enter such domains. This is where the simulation cabins come into play. By projecting one’s consciousness into these domains, bodily harm is avoided, survival rates are enhanced, and exploration capabilities are increased.”

Gu Langu paused here and took a serious look at Shu Shuishui, afraid that he might put the little mouse to sleep again. However, this time, the dormouse perked up his small ears and listened attentively.

Shu Shuishui behaved like a diligent student, raising his little paw. “Does using mental energy cause harm?”

Gu Langu gently touched Shu Shuishui’s little head. “Of course it does. That’s why simulation cabins are only deployed on desolate planets. It’s not suitable for widespread use. Simulation cabins are also different from holographic gaming cabins; they are entirely distinct concepts. Simulation cabins deal with real space-time, while gaming cabins deal with virtual space-time. The former is incredibly dangerous, while the latter is for entertainment.”

Shu Shuishui nodded his little head. So, holographic online games exist. He had only heard about the concept from Shu Bao but had never seen it.

Although Gu Langu hadn’t entered a simulation space himself, it didn’t mean he was unfamiliar with the concept. After all, his past identity was unique, and he knew various fields.

The simulation space was extremely complex, and Gu Langu didn’t rush to forcefully convey all the knowledge to Shu Shuishui at once. Instead, he intended to personally guide Shu Shuishui into it and explain things as they encountered them to prevent the little mouse from falling asleep.

Shu Shuishui also got a general understanding. The so-called dungeons weren’t games; they were genuine uncharted territories. These areas might exist within fractured spacetime, within black holes, or even as connections to another dimension. They held infinite possibilities but also boundless dangers.

For desolate planets, the Galactic Alliance hasn’t set a safety threshold. According to Gu Langu’s speculation, there are many regions that the Galactic Alliance cannot explore. The simulated spacetime is a mysterious, unknown, and boundless world, where one might discover entirely new phenomena. You could witness the past or glimpse into the future.

Shu Shuishui’s excitement was evident as he rubbed his paws together. Being a dormouse that had accompanied a treasure-hunting mouse for years, he had been influenced and developed a keen interest in treasure-hunting skills. Most importantly, if the simulated spacetime held limitless possibilities, was it possible to connect to a cultivation realm?

Seeing Shu Shuishui so excited that he was rubbing his paws together, Gu Langu didn’t delay any further. He connected to the system and officially entered the simulated spacetime.

Upon entering, everyone else who was already in the simulated spacetime received notifications. Liu Du was almost in tears of joy, anxiously urging Nan Ge to send Gu Langu their location information.

In the first instant upon entering, Shu Shuishui stood up from Gu Langu’s shoulder, supporting his head and trying to stand on his tiptoes to broaden his view. However, this state lasted only a few seconds before he felt embarrassed by the curious gazes of passersby. He obediently sat down, then buried his face in Gu Langu’s neck, pretending not to see anything.

Gu Langu hadn’t expected the usually bold Shu Shuishui to be so shy in this unfamiliar environment. However, the gentle touch of the neck felt so good that Gu Langu didn’t want to disrupt it.

Based on the information sent by Nan Ge, Gu Langu headed straight for the central square.

As Gu Langu moved, Shu Shuishui carefully observed the outside world through the gaps in his hair. If he didn’t know in advance that this was a simulated spacetime, Shu Shuishui might have thought he had arrived at an ancient and magnificent city.

A fusion of classical and futuristic elements, there were flying vehicles soaring through the air, as well as buildings and statues with antique designs. In the distant background, there appeared to be a floating colossal arena. Shu Shuishui had once seen the Roman Colosseum, a structure still awe-inspiring through the ages, but the arena here was even more grand.

The constant battles there never ceased; an ongoing spectacle of life-and-death struggles. Compared to history, reality always brought a more impactful impression.

Gu Langu gradually moved away from the arena, and Shu Shuishui averted his gaze, observing the surroundings. Occasionally, he would lift his little head curiously, but quickly bury it back into Gu Langu’s neck due to the curious glances from strangers.

Gu Langu couldn’t help but feel almost amused. He hadn’t expected the shy Shu Shuishui to have such an adorable reaction. At last, the little mouse exhibited some typical rodent behavior—being timid.

Shu Shuishui’s sensitivity to unfamiliar environments was indeed a rodent’s nature, a wariness towards unfamiliar people and things.

With his head buried in Gu Langu’s neck, Shu Shuishui’s small rear end was sticking out until they reached the central square. Upon hearing the calls from Nan Ge and the others, Shu Shuishui lifted his little head and then sat upright as if nothing had happened.

Gu Langu didn’t expose Shu Shuishui’s previous embarrassment. He simply raised his hand and gave Shu Shuishui a gentle pat, running his hand over the little dormouse’s body several times from head to tail.

Shu Shuishui’s little head emerged from Gu Langu’s palm, and he didn’t forget to say, “Gu Gu, there were so many people just now. They must have wanted to steal mice, so I hid.”

Seizing the moment while the little mouse was distracted, Gu Langu continued to stroke him. “Mhm, Shui Shui is the cleverest.”

Shu Shuishui nodded. “But why are there so many people? Wasn’t it said that there are only a hundred simulators available on Cang Zhan Star this year?”

The simulated spacetime resembled a massive floating city, with wide pathways paved with smooth white stones, leading in all directions. Along these pathways, there were various shops and entertainment venues. Some people hurried by, some strolled leisurely, some had solemn expressions, while others seemed to be relaxed and enjoying themselves.

“This simulated spacetime doesn’t belong solely to Cang Zhan Star. Every ten desolate stars constitute a simulated city. That’s why you’re seeing so many people. These individuals are also divided into different categories. Some strive alone, those who complete challenges as teams, and also those protected by large forces. That’s why this situation exists.”

Shu Shuishui nodded, seeming to understand. He leaned close to Gu Langu’s ear for a moment. “In the future, I’ll take care of Gu Gu, and Gu Gu can also be this relaxed.”

Gu Langu’s lips curled up. “Sure.”

“Shui Shui! I finally see you! If you don’t show up, the instance will start!” A call filled with longing, even slightly cracking, interrupted the interaction between Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu.

Before the two could even approach, Liu Du had already rushed over, extending his hand to pet Shu Shuishui. However, his hand was stopped by Gu Langu’s cold gaze.

Liu Du, somewhat disappointed, was about to retract his hand when Shu Shuishui extended his tiny paw and gripped Liu Du’s index finger pad, shaking it up and down. “Long time no see, Xiao Du.”

Liu Du had grown accustomed to his nickname and even missed it a bit after not hearing it for a few days.

After their paw shake, Liu Du felt a great relief from his longing. “Shui Shui, are you joining us in the instance? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to protect you!”

Shu Shuishui happily patted his paw. “Sure, Xiao Du will protect me, and I’ll protect Gu Gu”

Liu Du: “…” Suddenly, he felt a weight on his shoulders and tried his best to ignore the tiny bit of jealousy in his heart.

Liu Po stepped forward and pulled Liu Du, who was about to talk endlessly, back. “Time is short. To put it briefly, the instance will start in five minutes. It’s a large-scale survival instance. This dungeon was discovered a year ago. From last year to now, it has been opened fourteen times, but no one has cleared it. The corresponding space, culture, and clearance methods, in reality, are unknown, and it’s extremely dangerous…”

Shu Shuishui raised his paw. “Are there any cats?”

Liu Po: “…” After a moment of contemplation, he replied, “Whether there are cats is unknown, whether random teleportation is involved is unknown, and the size of the dungeon is unknown…”

Shu Shuishui was completely puzzled. After all, he had never participated in an instance and couldn’t relate. He only knew that this dungeon seemed difficult, as no one had cleared it. Being a curious dormouse that asks questions when in doubt, Shu Shuishui raised his paw. “What happens if the dungeon is cleared?”

“If the dungeon is cleared, it will disappear and become inaccessible. Some speculate that cleared dungeons return to normal spacetime, without any abnormal fluctuations to trigger the simulator’s detection. Others speculate that the dungeon truly disappears. Up to now, there’s no definitive conclusion.”

After Liu Po finished explaining, a huge halo suddenly lit up on the ground of the central square. The interior of the halo shimmered with colorful patterns like reflections on a soap bubble, swaying and floating, exuding an air of mystery.

Around the square, people who were ready had already begun to act, stepping directly into the interior of the halo. Their bodies seemed to transform into beams of light and were absorbed into the halo. For the first time, Shu Shuishui realized that the people around him were actually spiritual beings, free from physical constraints.

More and more bursts of light disappeared as people entered the halo, but some lingered around it or observed carefully. Shu Shuishui’s sensitive ears caught the hushed murmurs around him.

“Looks like some persistent ones are going in.”

“I wonder how many will come out alive this time?”

“This dungeon is practically unsolvable. Despite the increasing rewards, you need to have the skills and the luck to survive.”

“And there’s someone with a pet too, a hamster? But why does that person seem somewhat familiar?”

“These days, only big shots can afford to have pets. Maybe we’ve seen them in previous instances.”

“…”

The discussions continued, and one by one, Nan Ge and the others entered the halo. However, Gu Langu hadn’t moved yet. Shu Shuishui leaned forward and peeked, waiting for Gu Langu to take action. After a moment of waiting and seeing no movement from Gu Langu, Shu Shuishui spoke, “Are you afraid, Gu Gu? I can go by myself and bring back treasures for you.”

Hearing this, Gu Langu no longer hesitated and stepped into the halo. Gu Langu, of course, wasn’t afraid, but he wasn’t sure if it was right to bring the little mouse into the instance world. However, judging by the way Shu Shuishui looked, it seemed he had already made up his mind about going to this dungeon.

The sensation of weightlessness hit them, and Shu Shuishui instinctively tried to grab Gu Langu’s collar, but his small body floated up instead. Shu Shuishui experienced weightlessness for the first time, and his tiny hind legs flailed, attempting to scramble back onto Gu Langu’s shoulder.

The sensation of weightlessness didn’t last long. When Gu Langu’s palm reached out, the weightlessness vanished along with the surrounding people.

As Gu Langu’s hand reached out, he didn’t grasp the floating bundle. Frowning, he spread his palm, finding it empty. Shu Shuishui was gone! Or rather, Shu Shuishui hadn’t been transported to the same location as Gu Langu. In game instances, teleportations were always random.

Gu Langu immediately attempted to contact Shu Shuishui through the simulator, but within this isolated instance, the signal of the simulator failed. After standing still for a few seconds, Gu Langu quickly took action, unable to contact Shu Shuishui, and left with no choice but to search for him himself.

Meanwhile, Shu Shuishui had desperately tried to use his small paws to find a point of leverage the moment the weightlessness disappeared. However, he ended up landing with a thud.

Thankfully, the fall wasn’t from a great height. Shu Shuishui quickly stood up, patted the dust off his chest with his tiny paw, and then fluffed his fur to shake off any remnants.

The dormouse with fluffed fur quickly realized that Gu Langu was gone, along with everyone else. Shu Shuishui soon understood what had happened. Although he had never participated in an instance before, he was familiar with random teleportation arrays.

It seemed that the massive halo functioned like a large-scale teleportation array. Shu Shuishui looked around and surveyed the environment, realizing he was in a small forest. It was indeed a “small” forest because the surrounding trees were still saplings, only as thick as a thumb. They had tender little green leaves, and due to not having fully opened yet, the leaves glowed with a glossy sheen.

Shu Shuishui picked a sapling, then agilely climbed up. The saplings were less than two meters tall, and Shu Shuishui climbed to the top, hooking one paw around the sapling while the other acted as a lookout, hoping to see further.

From his perch, Shu Shuishui spotted a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, a bird’s nest with several pristine white eggs inside—though oddly, the nest was on the ground. In the distance, there was a tranquil, azure lake.

Descending the sapling, Shu Shuishui set off for the lake without a specific goal in mind.

Along the way, as he passed the butterfly breaking free from its cocoon, Shu Shuishui looked up at it from beneath the sapling. He noticed that the butterfly seemed to be struggling in its emergence, taking quite a long time. Shu Shuishui couldn’t resist asking, “Hey, buddy, are you okay? Having a tough time breaking free?”

Clearly, the butterfly wasn’t going to respond to Shu Shuishui. He lifted a paw to pat his small head, then turned toward the bird’s nest ahead.

Circling the nest placed on the ground, Shu Shuishui refrained from reaching out his paw hastily. He knew that the senses of some bird species were extremely sharp. If they detected an unfamiliar scent, they might abandon the chick or eggs.

After listening carefully for a moment, Shu Shuishui could faintly hear the sounds of chicks moving inside the eggshells. He didn’t linger for long and soon continued on his way.

Heading towards the distant azure lake, he attentively observed his surroundings the whole time. His small head seemed insufficient as it turned this way and that.

During his journey, Shu Shuishui spotted buds waiting to bloom, young grass sprouting, and even small beetles scuttling through loose soil.

Based on what he had seen so far, Shu Shuishui surmised that this dungeon was likely set during early spring when all things were regaining life. Furthermore, there should be other people here; after all, these young saplings couldn’t have grown naturally. They seemed to have been deliberately planted.

The only thing that slightly unsettled Shu Shuishui was the silence around him. Even though he occasionally heard some rustling, he still felt that something was missing. The further he walked, the more erect his little ears became, and the lighter his paw steps.

Shu Shuishui felt his small heart beating faster and faster, realizing that this couldn’t continue. He thought he needed to boost his courage. Remembering the saplings from earlier, Shu Shuishui took a deep breath and began to sing, “A bamboo pole, yeah~~ Hoo hey hoo~~ Crossing a vast ocean~~ Hoo hey hoo~~ Everyone’s paddling, yo~~ Hoo hey hoo~~ Hoo hey hoo~~ Hoo hey hoo~~…”

Singing the rhythmic hoo hey hoo, Shu Shuishui felt his steps become much more vigorous, and his confidence seemed to have increased significantly.

When Shu Shuishui reached the lakeside, the repetitive hoo hey hoo still filled the air. Luckily, Gu Langu couldn’t hear it; otherwise, he might have thought the little mouse had developed a new hobby and would be puzzled over what exactly “hoo hey hoo” was.

Shu Shuishui’s courage-boosting song temporarily came to a halt as the small dormouse earnestly observed the lake before him. It was very serene, but not stagnant water. Near the right bank of the lake, lotus leaves with pointed tips had just emerged. The leaves were a fresh shade of green. Close to the lake’s edge, Shu Shuishui could even see a couple of small fish swimming.

Apart from the fish, Shu Shuishui also noticed a group of tadpoles that had grown two legs. Waving his paw, he greeted them, “Hello, tadpoles with legs! Before long, you’ll turn into crows… I mean, you’ll become little frogs! Happy little frogs~~”

In his singing mode, Shu Shuishui overcame his fear. He walked around the lake with small steps, occasionally encountering a small deer drinking water at the lakeside. Finally seeing a larger mammal, Shu Shuishui relaxed a bit more.

After circling the lake once, Shu Shuishui sighed, “It’s a pity I didn’t see any seagrass! Can’t even sing about seagrass.”

Although he still remembered Liu Po’s words about the dungeon being extremely difficult and dangerous, Shu Shuishui hadn’t encountered any danger after circling the lake. There wasn’t even a cat around. How dangerous could it be?