[Player Herta has joined the game]
Less than a minute after leaving, Herta re-entered the Simulated Universe, a hint of excitement on her face the moment she appeared.
"Screwllum, guess what I discovered?"
Screwllum turned to look at Herta, who had reappeared behind him. While he didn't know what she had found, just seeing the excited expression on her face suggested she had uncovered a clue related to the dark, empty space that existed before Fu Zhu's arrival.
"Well then, what did you discover, Herta?"
It wasn't just Screwllum; Fu Zhu was also very curious. He wanted to understand the situation with this Simulated MC. Judging from the notifications that popped up when Herta entered and left, this Simulated MC had become something akin to a save file or a server.
And he was, it seemed, the server owner.
Herta chuckled, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow at Fu Zhu, her eyes filled with amazement. "Just now, when I left the Simulated Universe, I found that Fu Zhu wasn't outside. Screwllum, you should understand what I mean."
"Understood."
Screwllum was sharp. With just that one statement from Herta, he immediately understood what she was implying and looked at Fu Zhu with equal astonishment.
"In other words, the core of this Simulated Universe is Mr. Fu Zhu himself. That would also explain why the Simulated Universe cannot properly simulate this world when Mr. Fu Zhu is absent."
Fu Zhu finally understood as well. He stroked his chin and asked them both in confusion, "So what you mean is, I entered the Simulated Universe with my actual body?"
Herta and Screwllum nodded in unison. Herta raised her index finger and swiped through the air, summoning a virtual screen and keyboard before her.
"Let me see if I can control the Simulated Universe now."
Herta typed for a moment, entering several commands, but the world before them didn't change as she had intended.
"As I thought. Not only is Fu Zhu the core for running the Simulated Universe, but the operational permissions for this world are probably on his side as well." Herta couldn't help but sigh. She had been the one to gather several geniuses and expend great effort and resources to build this Simulated Universe, only for Fu Zhu to come along and pluck the peach!
How vexing!
"On my side?"
Fu Zhu immediately called up his system's control interface. After a moment's thought, he typed in a string of commands.
/weather rain
The moment Fu Zhu issued the command, a torrential downpour began to fall, instantly drenching Herta and Screwllum.
Herta whipped her head around to stare at Fu Zhu. "Did you do that?"
"Yes. You said the control was on my side, so I gave it a try," Fu Zhu said, extending a hand to catch the falling raindrops. The sensation was incredibly real. It was clearly a simulated MC, yet it felt like a fusion of reality and MC.
"How does it feel?"
Screwllum walked over, asking as he watched Fu Zhu catch the rain.
Fu Zhu thought for a moment before describing his sensation.
"It's real. This is different from what I imagined."
Screwllum nodded and copied Fu Zhu's action, catching some rainwater in his own hand before staring at it and beginning his analysis.
"From a compositional standpoint, it is no different from ordinary water. Fu Zhu, what else can you do?"
Fu Zhu thought for a moment and entered another command.
/summon minecraft:zombie ~~~ (Spawn a normal zombie at the player's location)
In the next second, a green-skinned zombie materialized out of thin air right beside Fu Zhu. The moment it appeared, it turned its head and slowly shuffled toward Screwllum.
"Summoning a lifeform? And one that has never been seen before."
Screwllum was surprised by the zombie's sudden appearance, but he didn't retreat as it approached him. Instead, he drew closer with great interest and began to observe this unprecedented creature.
Herta also moved closer out of curiosity. It was Fu Zhu who took a step back. Although a normal zombie's attack couldn't kill him, he had no desire to let it take a pointless swing at him and wear down his armor's durability.
"Just a warning, it hits pretty hard."
Herta glanced at the slowly approaching zombie and scoffed.
"Tch, this thing walks slower than me in a wheelchair."
---o---
It wasn't just her who looked down on the zombie. Neither she nor Screwllum were ordinary people. She was an Emanator of Erudition, and Screwllum was the Lord of Planet Screwllum. His body alone was not something a common Pathstrider could damage, let alone this zombie before them that didn't seem to possess even a sliver of a Path's power.
Although Screwllum didn't voice his disdain like Herta, he spoke to Fu Zhu with utmost seriousness. "Mr. Fu Zhu, understanding this creature's method of attack is part of the research. Please, rest assured."
With that, Screwllum proactively approached the zombie. After a moment's thought, he decided against using any protective measures and simply let the zombie come at him.
The zombie raised its hand and threw a punch at Screwllum. The impact caused Screwllum to stumble back a step. He clutched his chest, a look of surprise on his face as he stared at the zombie.
Seeing Screwllum actually get knocked back by this weak-looking zombie, Herta was a bit surprised. Her eyes scanned the part of Screwllum's body that was hit, but she saw no damage. And the zombie's punch just now hadn't looked very powerful.
"Screwllum, are you hurt?"
Screwllum put some distance between himself and the zombie, raising a hand to touch his chest as he said in confusion, "From external observation, I am not damaged. However, my system has detected that some components have sustained minor damage."
"That's normal."
Fu Zhu walked over from the side, took out a wooden boat to trap the zombie, and then explained to the puzzled Screwllum and Herta.
"Their attacks will wear down the durability of your equipment. Screwllum, your body's components are probably considered a piece of equipment, so they registered damage. This is one of the settings of this world."
"A setting..."
Screwllum repeated the word, falling into deep thought.
A setting. Interpreted from another angle, it could be considered a rule.
If that was the case, then Fu Zhu's "homeland" was likely even more incredible than he and Herta had imagined.
Herta couldn't help but pull down the brim of her hat, letting out a soft chuckle. "I think I'm starting to understand why that mechanical brain is so fond of you. This world is probably an unknown that lies outside the sphere of Erudition."
With that, she looked up, her eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at Fu Zhu, her tone growing excited.
"Quick, Fu Zhu, is there anything more interesting?"
She had never encountered a world like this before. Every inch of its soil sparked curiosity in her heart!
---o---