Space station 1: Asta's Heavy Friendship

[Stelle: Hey, hello? Is anyone there?]

[Stelle: What's the purpose of this live broadcast room?]

[Black Swan: Welcome to the Dreamscape Live Broadcast Room.]

[Black Swan: Here, we can witness memories from the past.]

[Black Swan: Not only can you view Su Qing's previous simulations, but also observe his interactions with everyone in reality.]

[March 7th: Sounds truly amazing.]

[March 7th: So if we're seeing the past, does that mean we'll encounter lots of embarrassing moments?]

[Black Swan: You can think of it that way.]

[Black Swan: However, while uncovering others' dark histories, you might also see your own.]

[March 7th: Ah? (Feeling uneasy) I-I don't think I have much dark history, right?]

[Stelle: Hard to say.]

[March 7th: Leave me alone! Beautiful girls don't have dark histories!]

[Sparkle: Hee-hee, sounds like fun.]

[Firefly: (Even though it doesn't seem related to me)(still entered out of curiosity)]

[Firefly: Simulation... what was it again? The term feels familiar, but I can't quite remember.]

[Black Swan: Regarding this question:]

[Black Swan: To avoid spoilers, once we enter the live broadcast room, I will temporarily seal certain memories for everyone—including myself—to preserve the viewing experience.]

[Stelle: Which specific memories will be sealed?]

[Black Swan: Primarily those concerning simulations and Su Qing. Details will depend on the situation, with the main focus being not to disrupt the viewing enjoyment.]

[March 7th: That's certainly a convenient setup.]

[Stelle: Indeed.]

Himeko has entered the live broadcast room.

Seele has entered the live broadcast room.

Bronya has entered the live broadcast room.

As more viewers gradually joined, Black Swan felt it was about time.

[Black Swan: In any case, everything will become clear as you watch.]

[Black Swan: (Starting playback) Let's begin by looking back before the first simulation.]

In the vast cosmos.

A massive white vessel navigated through it. Despite its colossal size, amidst the boundless expanse of stars, it appeared as minuscule as a grain of rice.

[March 7th: It's the Herta space station, such nostalgia!]

Inside the elegantly furnished kitchen on the Herta space station, Su Qing weighed the smooth egg in his hand. "You're the most exceptional one from this batch."

He was inspecting the latest shipment of ingredients.

As a transmigrator, Su Qing had fortuitously been born into a wealthy family. His clan, known for their culinary expertise, operated numerous hotels and restaurants throughout the universe.

During their most prosperous times, legend had it that wherever the Interastral Peace Corporation's presence extended, so too would be found the shadow of their family's restaurants.

Unfortunately, the older generations of his family became obsessed with cooking to the point of madness.

Their relentless pursuit of extreme and exotic ingredients led them to invest disproportionately high funds, ultimately resulting in the bankruptcy of the family business.

[Narrative-like text gradually surfaced, providing details not visible in the live stream alone.]

[Topaz: On-site, I can attest, this is true.]

[Topaz: The debt management team colleagues were ecstatic; they acquired a large number of premium hotels at rock-bottom prices.]

"And yet, they still grin foolishly at their ingredients." Recalling the demeanor of his family elders, Su Qing shook his head. "Don't they understand that ingredients are secondary? It's the passion and love for cooking that is truly invaluable."

"Wait!"

Su Qing suddenly put down the egg in his left hand and picked up another with his right. "The highest quality one in this batch might actually be you!?"

The egg in his left hand had a cool exterior and exceptional talent, clearly standing out as the cream of the crop.

However, the egg in his right hand possessed reserved qualities and immense fortune, exhibiting the unmistakable traits of an absolute protagonist!

[March 7th: Hey! That's not much better either!]

[Stelle: Eggs can have destiny? Does it mean those with good fortune will hatch with special talents?]

"Well then, I'll scramble both later."

After examining the two eggs, Su Qing made his decision.

By the way,

The bankruptcy of his family also resulted in Su Qing accumulating a significant debt. Repaying it was impossible, as most of his money had been spent on purchasing ingredients.

What to do when unable to repay debts?

Obviously, he ventured into freelancing (stricken out)—or rather, took up part-time jobs!

Thus, Su Qing now works for Asta, the Station Director of Herta space station and his former childhood friend.

Asta covered his debt, while Su Qing serves as her specially appointed chef, responsible for preparing all her meals, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, late-night snacks, and more—a comprehensive package.

Initially, with one covering debts and the other working diligently, their arrangement was harmonious...

But fate is unpredictable.

As time went on, Asta's friendship began to transform, perhaps due to her growing addiction to Su Qing's cooking. Astonishingly, she proposed prepaying him for several decades' worth of wages upfront, insisting he sign a lifetime contract.

[Stelle: Rich Lady, hungry, feed me.]

Su Qing could never forget that scene.

With the vast cosmos behind her, the pink-haired space station director held up a gleaming gold company credit card, smiling adorably as she said:

"Accept this card, and you'll cook for me for a lifetime. Not even a second less will count as 'forever.'"

[Seele:...That's somewhat terrifying, isn't it?]

[Himeko: This kind of friendship seems too burdensome.]

Burdensome! Too heavy indeed!

If not for his outstanding debt, Su Qing would have immediately fled the space station right then and there.

Don't be fooled by the ample funds in Asta's account.

By accepting it, he'd truly get caught in her gravitational vortex, unable to escape for the rest of his life!

After inspecting the ingredients and confirming everything was in order, Su Qing returned to his room.

He glanced at the system notification: [The Simulation System has finished loading and can now commence the beginner simulation anytime.]

Only then did Su Qing let out a sigh of relief.

Without the system, relying solely on work, it might take another year or two to clear his debt, during which unforeseen complications could arise.

Whenever he recalled Asta's sinister yet sweet smile, chills involuntarily ran down his spine.

Fortunately, the recent benefits for being a transmigrator finally arrived.

Su Qing had already studied it thoroughly; although the system named "Joyful Simulation" sounded cliché, its functionality was quite impressive.

In essence, it resembled the roguelike games he played in his previous life:

Randomly acquiring talents, entering various worlds with corresponding identities, and experiencing simulated lifetimes.

The rewards upon completing simulations were diverse and could easily help clear debts.

As implied by its name, the beginner simulation should have relatively low difficulty.

With this thought, Su Qing examined the available talents for the novice simulation.

[Choose two Talents from the following list.]

[Photographer (Blue): You are an exceptional photographer, able to effortlessly capture outstanding compositions with just a glance.]

[Teleportation (Blue): You possess one-time teleportation per simulation, allowing short-range instantaneous movement. After teleporting, your physical abilities temporarily enhance.]

[Keen Senses (Blue): Your vision and hearing are sharper than average.]

[Optimist (White): By nature, you are optimistic and maintain a positive mindset.]

[Left-Handed (White): Your dominant hand is your left hand.]

[Round Face (White): Your face has a more rounded shape.]

[Bronya sends a message: @Pela]

[Pela: ?]

Su Qing examined these talents briefly.

The white ones seemed of little use, while the blue ones indicated positive enhancements.

After considering, he selected the Photographer and Instant Teleportation talents.

Given the clear inclination of the Photographer talent, it likely would be useful within the simulation. Additionally, Su Qing was eager to experience various professions himself.

For the second choice, compared to Enhanced Senses, he valued the Instant Teleportation as a lifesaving skill more highly.

Subsequently, Su Qing closed his eyes and began the simulation.

In the darkness, several lines of text emerged:

[Aha Card (Text Flashing) (Vanishes at Light Speed) (Seems Illusory)]

[Welcome to the Preservation Card Simulation System.]

[Warm Reminder: This simulation is purely fictional.]

[Moderate simulation can be beneficial; excessive simulation may harm. Please manage your time wisely and enjoy the simulation responsibly.]

Su Qing nodded, acknowledging the understanding.

As expected from the Preservation Card System, it remained reliable, even providing helpful reminders.

[Sparkle: (Initially feeling somewhat bored)(Upon sensing something intriguing)(Suddenly becomes animated)]

[Sparkle: A joyful simulation, you say? Let's see just how joyful it will be.]

Then, countless scenes flashed before Su Qing's eyes, eventually coming to a halt at a specific location.

[Simulation Location for this Session: Penacony.]

[Overview: Land of Dreams, Star of Festivals. In dreams, Penacony is a resplendent city of joy, carrying countless people's aspirations and hopes.]

[Main Quest: Regardless of using text or images, depict your understanding of Penacony as accurately as possible.]

[Simulation begins.]

[Day 1: As you enter the dream, you arrive in the true Penacony during the Golden Hour.]

[As a photographer, you eagerly begin exploring this city of dreams, intending to document it.]

[However, amidst the dazzling world's allure, half the morning has swiftly passed, and you find yourself lost in its prosperity.]

[Fortunately, after making inquiries, you finally reach the main thoroughfare of the Golden Hour—Glaxus Avenue.]

In the square at Glaxus Avenue stands a statue of Clockie.

Clockie is modeled after the founder of this Dreamscape world—the one who transformed dreams into reality, The Watchmaker.

Thus, this statue is also regarded as a symbol of aspirations.

On one side of the square, a silver-haired girl gazes absently at Clockie, mesmerized.

[Firefly: Is this Penacony?]

[Firefly: And the person staring blankly over there... is myself?!]

[Stelle: ? "Although feeling it doesn't concern me"]

[T/N: In this novel you will often encounter question marks like here. These question marks were originally emojis used by the author. However, the raw site doesn't show them, so please use your imagination whenever you see question marks in the "stream chat".]

[Stelle: Well, that sets up quite a flag right from the start.]

[Firefly: I-I didn't know the first simulation would be mine...]

[Black Swan (with a soft laugh): Heh heh.]

[Black Swan: How does it feel? Seeing your own appearance within the simulation, isn't it quite novel?]

[Firefly: It's definitely intriguing, and I look... quite silly.]

[Sparkle: Haha.]

[March 7th: +1, Haha.]

[March 7th: Don't worry about it. Seeing yourself from a third-person perspective can feel strange at times!]

Su Qing paused on the square as the system presented him with options.

[ You notice a girl gazing at the statue. You decide to:

Ask her to step aside, not obstructing your view of Penacony's scenic beauty. Throw a Poké Ball...]

Click.

Before all the options appeared, Su Qing swiftly raised his camera and captured the moment. As a photographer, he knew certain moments were fleeting and needed to be recorded promptly.

[Sparkle: He gets into character quickly.]

[Static noise.]

[The photo slowly prints from the camera. This instant-print camera also retains high-quality negatives, making it one of your favorites.]

[You hand over the photo, apologizing for any intrusion.]

Taken aback, the silver-haired girl hesitantly accepts the photograph.

[Using this photo as a conversation starter, you engage in dialogue.]

[She learns that you are a photographer, while you discover her name is Firefly, an artist from the Iris Clan who occasionally works part-time as a guide.]

Firefly gazed at the photo in her hand.

On the left side, there stood the statue of Clockie.

Originally a comical cartoon character, it now seemed tinged with a dreamlike aura under the theater's lighting behind it.

To the right, Firefly herself was captured, staring intently at the statue.

Her profile appeared deeply focused, yet a hint of sorrow lingered at the corners of her brows, as if she had some lingering concerns.

In reality, Firefly was quite far from the statue.

However, within this photograph's composition, their distance appeared significantly closer.

[March 7th: Got it, this is like the "Why Is This Pigeon So Huge" effect.]

[Seele: Huh?]

Su Qing held the camera in his left hand. "For the first photo taken in Penacony, I initially thought to name it 'Land of Dreams.' But since I'm giving it to you, naturally, the decision lies with you."

With both hands, Firefly cradled the photo and examined it carefully. "It's a fantastic shot, and the title fits perfectly..."

Then she looked up, smiling warmly. "Thank you, this photo truly inspires me."

"My pleasure," Su Qing responded with a smile as well.

[After putting away the photo, Firefly learns about your current predicament.]

[She then suggests that since she has the morning off, she can serve as your guide, taking you on a proper tour of the Golden Hour.]

[You gladly accept her offer.]

[Initially planning to visit several places, you barely take a few steps before arriving at a restaurant.]

[The enticing aroma of food wafts over, particularly alluring.]

Firefly begins introducing the place, "Here, you can find most of Penacony's signature dishes..."

After running around all morning, Su Qing's stomach felt as empty as a football field devoid of players.

He reaches into his pocket but realizes he didn't bring his wallet. With a light cough, he pretends to admire the surroundings instead.

"Choose whatever you want; I'll treat you. Feel free to order anything, consider it payment for the photo."

Firefly, being quick-witted, immediately understands the situation. Smiling subtly, she takes out her thin wallet.

[As you peruse the restaurant menu with Firefly's generous offer in mind, you decide:]

[A. Order everything, indulge fully.]

[B. Choose just one dish, tasting sparingly.]

[C. Politely decline, not ordering anything.]

[D. "This place is too low-tier. Do you know any upscale restaurants?"]