Villain Simulator, Ch 22

After about ten minutes of fiddling with the camera, Ganyu was already sweating, flustered, and frustrated. "How strange… why can't I figure out how this works?"

After all, Ganyu was an "old" Adeptus, over 3,000 years old. Watching her struggle with the Kamera reminded Lucas of elderly people first learning how to use smartphones.

Of course, she was a very beautiful and cute "elderly lady."

"Let me handle it," Lucas offered. He quickly adjusted the settings with a few swift moves and said, "This model is quite advanced; it even has a timer function."

"Wow… that's impressive!" Ganyu's eyes filled with curiosity. "But, Mr. Li, didn't you say you're from a remote area? How do you know how to operate such modern devices?"

Uh-oh…

He couldn't possibly tell her that he learned how to use it through the life simulator, could he?

"Um… Miss Keqing taught me," Lucas quickly came up with an excuse, smiling. "You know how girls are—they love taking pictures."

"I see," Ganyu nodded thoughtfully. "So… can we start now?"

"Yes, everything is ready," Lucas replied, sitting beside Ganyu. "Is this pose okay?"

"I'm not really sure," Ganyu frowned slightly and asked, "How do couples usually pose for photos?"

"Well…" Lucas suddenly pointed out the window and said, "Maybe like that?"

Following his gaze, Ganyu saw a young couple sitting on a bench in Yujing Terrace's garden, acting affectionately with each other—clearly a pair of lovers.

"Do… do we have to go that far?" Ganyu blushed even more but then nodded resolutely. "Cloud Retainer is very experienced and hard to fool. If we want her to believe it, we'll have to do this properly."

Taking a deep breath, Ganyu shuffled closer to Lucas. In a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "P-please… put your arm around my shoulder… I'm counting on you…"

Seeing Ganyu's shy, vulnerable expression, Lucas felt his heart melt.

Besides, helping people was always a good thing, right? Nodding, he carefully placed his hand on her shoulder.

Her skin was smooth and cold like snow, soft and delicate. The faint fragrance in the air made Lucas's throat go dry.

And it wasn't just him—Ganyu was also extremely tense. Despite her thousands of years of life, this was the first time she had been so close to a man, and her body stiffened with nerves.

"Look at the camera… smile… click!"

The shutter clicked, and the first photo appeared in Ganyu's hand. Although the two looked close, the picture seemed a bit off—especially their awkward expressions.

"Maybe… we should take a few more," Ganyu suggested, unsatisfied. She pulled Lucas for several more shots, changing poses each time.

Finally, Ganyu picked one that looked a bit more natural.

"This one is perfect," Ganyu nodded in approval. "Even Cloud Retainer shouldn't be able to spot anything suspicious."

"That's good," Lucas said, glancing at the remaining photos on the table. "So, what do you plan to do with the other photos?"

"This is a secret between us," Ganyu frowned, "so aside from the one for Cloud Retainer, the rest must be destroyed."

"I see…" Lucas couldn't help but show a hint of regret on his face.

Noticing his expression, Ganyu hesitated for a moment before picking up one photo and handing it to him with a small smile. "It would be a shame to burn them all. You can keep this one as a memento."

"Really? Thank you!" Lucas hesitated for a moment and asked, "But aren't you worried someone else might find it?"

"I chose you because I trust you," Ganyu shook her head. "I'm certain you'll keep your promise."

"Of course!" Lucas solemnly placed the photo in his pocket. "Lady Ganyu, until we meet again."

As she watched Lucas walk away, a strange feeling of emptiness welled up in Ganyu's heart.

"Until we meet again?"

But with almost no connection between them, it's likely they'll never meet again, right?

After quickly writing a reply, Ganyu tucked the selected photo into a paper crane and sent it out the window. The crane flew off swiftly, disappearing from her sight in no time.

Ganyu then picked up the remaining photos, sighed softly, and prepared to feed them into the shredder. However, seeing their slightly awkward smiles in the pictures made the corners of her lips curl into a barely noticeable smile.

---

"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"

As the shredder whirred, the photos quickly turned into snowflake-like pieces of paper.

However, Ganyu quietly slipped one remaining photo into the deepest part of her drawer.

She wasn't sure why she did it.

Still, it should be safe there, where no one would find it, right?

---

[You have earned 1,000 Virtue Points!]

Just after leaving the room, Lucas noticed the system's reward notification.

Looks like his decision had been the right one.

Seeing that he had accumulated a fair amount of points, Lucas opened the store and decided to exchange them for something useful.

[Nobita Nobi's Gunmanship], 1,000 points, redeemed.

[Nobita Nobi's Gunmanship]

[Rank]: B

[Effect]: Proficiency in all types of firearms raised to Advanced level; Handgun proficiency raised to Expert level.

[Description]: Don't ask why Nobita's gunmanship is so good—it's just part of the story.

Although [Charging Fist] had decent damage, it required him to take hits first. Now that he had received a firearm-related skill, it would be a waste not to use it.

Though ordinary guns might not be effective against opponents with Visions, they should still be enough to intimidate regular people.

Afterward, Lucas decided to check the simulation's idle progress.

[Age 378: You discovered that you could enter a state of hibernation like certain animals. While in this state, your body's consumption drops to nearly zero.]

[Age 379: You spent a year in hibernation. Even while hibernating, your internal strength continued to grow. Moreover, as the years pass, the rate at which your strength increases seems to be accelerating. Although the growth each year is small, after 200 years, it has reached a significant level (Talent [Old But Vigorous] activated).]

[Age 380: You still often feel like your body is burning. You realize that this sensation may not just be an illusion. Fortunately, the pain subsides while you're hibernating. The longer you hibernate, the longer the burning sensation stays away.]

[Age 381: You feel that with your current power, you could leave the cellar. But each time you attempt it, you find yourself unable to make the decision. You decide to enter a long period of hibernation, waiting for the burning sensation to completely vanish before leaving.]

[Age 382: You are in hibernation.]

[Age 383: You are in hibernation.]

[Age 384: You are in hibernation.]

"Is he hibernating again?"

It seemed that his "self" in the simulator had the strength to leave the cellar now but was still hesitant.

After all, centuries had passed, and he couldn't be sure what the outside world was like. Maybe there was no longer a place for him.

Three hundred years of solitude had made Lucas's simulated self fully accustomed to isolation.

To him, the outside world might just be a "bigger cellar."

"Oh, right…" Lucas suddenly thought of something. "Can I use immersive mode to take control and leave the cellar?"

[In immersive mode, you cannot act against the fundamental will of your simulated self.]

Lucas already knew that.

Basically, immersive mode allowed him to "experience" the events of his simulated life, but he couldn't go against his simulated self's core desires.

For instance, in the previous simulation, he could do whatever he wanted with Shenhe in their "games," but he couldn't order her to kill anyone because his simulated self would never want that.

Similarly, here, since his simulated self didn't want to leave the cellar, even in immersive mode, Lucas could only move around inside the cellar.

Ultimately, the simulator merely replicated another person's life. At key moments, he could make choices, but he couldn't change their entire life to suit his own preferences.

The only concern Lucas had now was that if this continued, the simulator would be stuck in hibernation mode indefinitely.

Ironically, in previous simulations, Lucas had worried about whether he'd live long enough. Now, he worried about whether he'd live too long.

"Grrr…"

Suddenly, Lucas's stomach growled.

"It's lunchtime already, huh?" Lucas patted his stomach and muttered to himself, "Well, since I'm near Chihu Rock, I might as well go to Wanmin Restaurant and try Xiangling's cooking."

...

While Lucas headed to Wanmin Restaurant for lunch,

 Ganyu's paper crane had already crossed the mountains of Liyue and arrived at Cloud Retainer's domain deep within Mt. Aozang.

Sitting at a stone table outside the cave, a silver-haired woman in a loose white robe quietly enjoyed some snacks.

The woman appeared to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven, with a plump figure that her loose robe couldn't completely hide. She wore no makeup, except for the red eyeshadow around her eyes, but even without it, her natural beauty was striking.

This was Cloud Retainer in her human form. While most Adepti preferred their beast forms, even they had to admit that being in human form made things like eating snacks much easier.

"The pastries sent by the Yuheng Star last time were quite delicious," Cloud Retainer mused. "It's clear she put thought into them… Unlike Ganyu, who has spent so long in Liyue but still doesn't understand human customs as well as I do."

Indeed, as a member of the Liyue Qixing, Keqing always made sure to send gifts to the Adepti during festivals as a sign of respect.

Ganyu, however, often returned to visit Cloud Retainer empty-handed.

Not that Cloud Retainer minded, of course. After all, Keqing was a guest, while Ganyu was her beloved adopted daughter.

Just then, a delicate paper crane, wrapped in celestial energy, gently descended from the sky and landed before Cloud Retainer.

"A letter from Ganyu? So soon?" Cloud Retainer was surprised. "Oh dear, have I been pushing her too hard? The poor girl probably doesn't want to go on blind dates… Fine, fine, if she really doesn't want to, I won't force her. Hm? What's this?"

A "picture" suddenly slipped from the paper crane, landing neatly in front of Cloud Retainer.

"This is... a photo?"

Although Cloud Retainer had lived in seclusion in the deep mountains for many years, she was well-versed in new gadgets due to her hobby of crafting various mechanical devices.

However, upon seeing the content of the photo, her expression froze.

The photo showed two people. One was her adopted daughter, Ganyu, and the other was a young man with a delicate face, appearing to be in his twenties, with black hair. The man had one hand resting on Ganyu's shoulder, while Ganyu leaned her head against his chest, looking quite intimate.

"Who is this man, and why is he so close to Ganyu?" Cloud Retainer's heart tightened as she quickly unfolded the letter that had been tucked inside the paper crane.

---

Dear Cloud Retainer,

I received your letter. Although I have not met my junior, Shenhe, often, since we share the same master, I will make sure to take good care of her.

Regarding the matter of a partner, please do not worry. I have already found someone to be with. His name is Lucas, and he works under the Liyue Qixing. He is honest, loyal, and capable—someone I can trust with my future.

Please, do not spread the word about this matter.

Sincerely, Ganyu

---

Cloud Retainer read the brief letter several times before a smile of relief slowly appeared on her face. "Ganyu has finally grown up. It's a pity Shenhe just descended from the mountain—otherwise, I could have shared this joy with her."

Of course, what Cloud Retainer didn't know was that if Shenhe saw this photo, she would be utterly shocked, as the man in the picture—her "soon-to-be brother-in-law"—was the same despicable figure from her nightmares.

"Well, since Shenhe has descended, she'll likely meet Ganyu, and perhaps even this man," Cloud Retainer mused. "I'll have her test this man's character and see if he truly is as dependable as Ganyu claims."

At that moment, two beams of light flashed through the sky, and a crane and a deer descended in front of Cloud Retainer. 

These were none other than Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver, fellow "Adepts with Three Eyes and Five Manifestations."

"Mountain Shaper, Moon Carver," Cloud Retainer looked slightly surprised. "What brings the two of you here?"

"It was your own letter saying that with Shenhe gone, the valley feels even more lonely," Mountain Shaper said calmly. "We worried you might be lonely, so we came to visit."

"No need to worry," Cloud Retainer said, her face lighting up with a smug smile. "Before long, I won't be lonely anymore."

"Oh?" Moon Carver asked with curiosity. "Are you, like Madam Ping, planning to transform into human form and live among mortals?"

"No, no," Cloud Retainer shook her head. "I'm about to become a grandmother."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Mountain Shaper nodded thoughtfully. "I've heard that in Liyue, Madam Ping's mortal name is 'Granny Ping.'"

"That's not what I meant," Cloud Retainer chuckled. "What I mean is, I'm about to become an actual grandmother."

"I see," Moon Carver said with a knowing look. "It makes sense. Shenhe is certainly of an age where she could marry and have children."

"What does Shenhe have to do with this?" Cloud Retainer picked up the photo Ganyu had sent and smiled. "I was talking about Ganyu!"

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Author's Note: Powahhhhhh stones