It is said that on the Xianzhou [Luofu], the Xuan'ye Avenue of Starskiff Haven is the most prosperous street, with an endless array of neighboring shops and lights that burn from dusk till dawn.
But only the locals know that while Starskiff Haven is lively, it is mostly filled with offworlders from beyond the Xianzhou. The understanding most tourists have of the [Luofu] comes from artistic works and pamphlets handed out by tour groups; they wouldn't know that the hustle and bustle of Starskiff Haven is merely an illusion created by commuter traffic.
On the Xianzhou [Luofu], the only place truly recognized by the local populace as the most prosperous is the Exalting Sanctum.
And right now, at the lively hour just after nightfall, the entire Exalting Sanctum was brightly lit. Walking past the Leisurely Pavillion and into the Exalting Sanctum Plaza, one would see a sea of people. Countless Xianzhou natives, who had lived on the Luofu for hundreds of years, were strolling about, enjoying the lazy evening that had just begun, savoring their peaceful and tranquil daily lives.
...But now, at this very moment, in a bustling market alley, mara-struck monsters, their bodies festering with endless malevolence, burst forth from a dark side lane. A violent explosion echoed from the alley as crimson flames erupted, setting the two monsters ablaze and immolating them in the inferno.
Screams filled the entire Exalting Sanctum. The surging crowd fell into a state of chaos. The people near the mouth of the alley scrambled to get away, and in a flash, a large, empty circle was cleared around it.
Ron watched the chaotic scene in the Exalting Sanctum, and the slightly lazy, peaceful feeling he had about life on the Xianzhou [Luofu] was instantly shattered.
He looked at the mara-struck monsters burning in the distance, at them brandishing weapons entangled with wooden strips and branches that also burned with crimson embers, and he couldn't help but hesitate slightly.
Should he intervene?
Although Ron still hadn't figured out what the Xianzhou [Luofu]'s intentions were, he was, after all, currently on the Luofu. No one had targeted him, nor had he been harmed in any way. He had just arrived, been taken on a tour of the Luofu by the reasonably competent tour guide Qingque, almost like a private trip.
Besides, even if the Xianzhou [Luofu] did have plans for him, the ordinary people here, who were now just enjoying the night market, had absolutely nothing to do with it. They were simply the most common, ordinary people on the [Luofu], and they were, of course, innocent.
After a moment of hesitation, Ron watched the chaos in the plaza, finally let out a sigh, and prepared to step towards the dark alley.
Although his power in reality was not that high, as many of his entries were too powerful to be loaded, during the last simulation, Ron had successfully touched the will of IX of [The Nihility]. He had received its glance of endless, chaotic emptiness and, by affirming "existence" and refuting "nothingness," had successfully embarked on the Path of [The Nihility].
While he hadn't traveled far on the Path of [The Nihility], as a Pathstrider, dealing with one or two mindless monsters that had suddenly fallen to mara should be a simple task.
But just as he took one step forward, before his other foot could follow, Qingque reached out a small hand and tugged on his sleeve.
"Hey, hey, hey, what do you think you're doing?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Ron shrugged, pointing toward the source of the commotion. "There are only two monsters, and they don't look that strong. I'll go take care of them to prevent anyone from getting hurt."
As he spoke, he prepared to take Qingque with him. "Don't the diviners of your Divination Commission have any combat skills? Why don't you come with me and we'll completely resolve these two monsters…"
Before Ron could finish his sentence, Qingque cut him off, her tone stern:
"What do you mean, your Divination Commission? You've already joined the Divination Commission! Even though you haven't officially reported for duty, you're one of us now!"
As she spoke, her train of thought drifted off somewhere else.
"No one from our Divination Commission can be missing if we're to be a big, happy family. Ron, even though you haven't reported in yet, you're already one of our own. We can't live without you—"
"Alright, alright," Ron sighed, a bit exasperated. "I know you're being threatened by Master Diviner Fu to write a report with double the word count. A happy family, really? Is that what's important right now?"
"Of course it's important! That's a work report with double the word count... If I really have to write that thing, it'll take me at least three days!"
Qingque grumbled with some dissatisfaction. Seeing that Ron was still about to charge into the encirclement formed by the panicked crowd, she sighed again and tugged his sleeve once more.
"Okay, okay, I know you want to save people... but don't be so hasty. This matter doesn't require your help."
"Doesn't require my help? But everything is in chaos…"
Ron frowned slightly, but before he could finish, he paused, suddenly noticing the expressions of everyone in the chaotic scene.
Panic, fear, helplessness—these were all classic expressions people have when facing a crisis. But if one looked closer at their situation, one would find that even in this chaos, everyone still maintained the same choice.
They were all fleeing in the opposite direction of the mara-struck monsters, and amidst the chaos, they maintained a sliver of order. Although everyone was panicked, their movements to escape were incredibly practiced, as if this was a common occurrence.
Then, in the next moment, countless Cloud Knights rushed out from a nearby alley, charging into the circle with their Cloud-Piercers raised, full of killing intent.
The crowd parted like water, instantly clearing a path for them.
The mara-struck soldiers, wreathed in flames, shrieked and lunged at the Cloud Knights, abandoning their original civilian targets and charging madly towards them.
But the outcome was obvious—
The Cloud Knights of the Luofu cleaved through the flames with their blades, hacking away at the branches on the monsters' bodies. Although the monsters' bodies were constantly regenerating under the power of [The Abundance], they were still systematically dismembered and then decisively beheaded by the Luofu's Cloud Knights. All fell into silence.
"See? I told you this didn't need your help, right?"
Qingque looked at Ron and spread her hands. "Even though a large portion of the Luofu's Cloud Knights were dispatched by the General to your hometown of Jarilo-VI for aid, that doesn't mean we have no one left to protect the Exalting Sanctum."
"The Luofu's Six Commissions and bustling markets have Cloud Knights stationed there. Don't be fooled by the peaceful appearance, as if nothing ever happens. The moment something big that the Realm-Keeping Commission can't handle pops up, the hidden Cloud Knights will show up too."
"The medics from the Alchemy Commission are also stationed in busy markets like this to prevent anyone from having a sudden medical emergency and not making it to the Alchemy Commission in time…"
She glanced at the scattered crowd, where some people had been injured by the blast wave or the monsters. After confirming their injuries weren't serious, her lazy expression returned.
"I hear that Vidyadhara lady from the Alchemy Commission comes here often too. She's a miracle worker. Those unlucky folks' minor injuries can probably be fixed with a simple prescription."
"However…"
As Qingque spoke, she seemed to remember something. She counted on her fingers and frowned slightly.
"One, two, three... Speaking of which, this is already the third mara incident this month—where are all these mara-struck people coming from?"
She scratched her head. The question had just been raised by her, and just as quickly, it was tossed to the back of her mind.
"Forget it, forget it... big matters like this have nothing to do with us—Ron, where do you want to go have fun next?"
As if she was already accustomed to such sporadic chaos, Qingque paid the mara-struck monsters no mind at all, showing absolutely no fear towards these terrifying enemies.
Just like that, her attention enthusiastically shifted back to food and entertainment, completely undistracted by matters that she considered meaningless.
Ron watched as Qingque was drawn to the small stalls on the side of the road from time to time, and for a moment, he wondered which of them was truly visiting the Xianzhou [Luofu] for the first time.
---o---
Silently following behind Qingque, Ron grew somewhat quiet, his thoughts already drifting far away.
What he thought before was not wrong... Today was indeed a peaceful day.
The Xianzhou [Luofu] was different from Belobog. This behemoth of the cosmos could withstand powerful impacts and possessed the ability to resist danger.
If a few Fragmentum creatures were to suddenly appear and wreak havoc in Belobog's Administrative District plaza, they would likely be suppressed quickly by the Silvermane Guards as well, but the outcome would be completely different from what happened here on the [Luofu].
For the people of Belobog, who had long lost hope, such an incident would be the beginning of a catastrophe, the countdown to a complete collapse.
But for the Xianzhou [Luofu], these enemies creating chaos within their home did not affect their lives in the slightest.
In fact, it wasn't just Qingque. Aside from the few unlucky ones who were injured, the rest of the people in the Exalting Sanctum quickly returned to their previous state, calmly continuing their strolls and savoring their peaceful daily lives.
This was the confidence that came with power. Because the Xianzhou soared through the stars, because the Cloud Knights were ever-victorious, because the soldiers of the Luofu carried the burden and cleansed all evil that dared to cause trouble, the people of the Xianzhou could live their peaceful and gentle daily lives.
But Ron couldn't be as nonchalant about these mara-struck monsters as they were. To the people of the Xianzhou, this might just be a minor inconvenience that would be resolved once the Cloud Knights arrived, but to Ron, something felt very wrong.
Although the performance of the Xianzhou [Luofu] now was completely detached from the original game, with a completely different plot direction, that didn't mean the story from the original game couldn't be used as a reference.
Some events might be different, but the core elements would not be missing.
These mara-struck monsters were clearly the work of the "Sanctitas Medicus." To be honest, if it were just their handiwork, Ron wouldn't be concerned.
After all, the Sanctitas Medicus was merely a splinter faction on the Xianzhou [Luofu]. Their strongest members couldn't even touch an Emanator, and they had no Aeon backing them. They were truly just a minor nuisance.
Even though Ron wasn't using the "The Way of Salvation" entry and was just an ordinary Pathstrider, if he were to face an Emanator, as long as it wasn't a direct confrontation, he could find a way to maneuver around and find help to deal with an enemy of that level.
The "Sanctitas Medicus" was truly no trouble at all for Ron.
But... what Ron cared about was obviously not these "Sanctitas Medicus."
It was the dark crimson embers burning on their bodies, which seemed to wail in agony, that concerned him deeply.
The meaning of [The Destruction] lingering within those flames was all too familiar to Ron.
Although, in the original game's plot, it was the Lord Ravager Phantylia who instigated the "Sanctitas Medicus" to rebel openly and attempted to use their power to control the Ambrosial Arbor's branch, there was a small problem with that—
The cooperation between Phantylia and the "Sanctitas Medicus" was never on equal footing, and she never bestowed any power upon them.
But now... these mara-struck monsters could all use the flames of [The Destruction]. There was definitely a new crisis brewing behind the scenes.
This change... did it come from Nanook of [The Destruction], or from Terminus of [The Finality]?
Everything he experienced in the last simulation was enough to determine that Nanook of [The Destruction] was nothing more than a puppet of Terminus of [The Finality]. If there was anything strange happening related to Nanook of [The Destruction], it was absolutely impossible to rule out its connection to Terminus of [The Finality].
Ron mused, thoughtfully stroking his chin. His eyes subconsciously glanced at the glowing screen floating before him.
The simple intelligence gathering was more or less complete... It was time to simulate what would happen in the future.
With this in mind, Ron used the excuse of being too tired today to have Qingque find him a hotel. Amidst Qingque's muttering of "Do Belobogians really go to sleep at seven in the evening?", he walked into his room with a weary face, only to instantly become energized the moment he sat on the bed.
He dragged the game's light screen from his vision to the center and tapped "Start Game" without hesitation.
Life Simulation Game, activating!