Volume 2. Game Update in Progress
Was it a limitation of the realm?
Or a conditional limitation?
Or perhaps the so-called permanent soul form didn’t exist at all?
If that were the case, then where did the anomalies in the APP come from?
Ultimately, what was the reason for the APP’s existence?
Logically speaking, the energy consumption of functions like time stop and other APP features should be infinite.
Whether it was switching between surface and inner worlds or restricting an anomaly’s movements, all of it required massive energy.
Even assuming the APP didn’t need energy, didn’t follow the law of conservation of energy, or any physical law at all, what was the reason for its emergence?
If it were simply a natural phenomenon… this precise and intricate reality would be far too coincidental.
Whether it was the bus incident, the hospital incident, or the academy incident, no matter what happened in those events, the real world never showed any cracks.
Everything could be perfectly explained using real-world theories.
The APP was so intelligent and went through so much effort to disguise every supernatural event as an accident or coincidence—why was that?
Functions like ranking, tools, and even automatic recording—why did those exist?
If the APP merely wanted to kill people, it would have been far too easy.
Any anomaly could easily wipe out human society.
Because they didn’t need to follow any of the real world’s physical laws.
So why did the APP go through so much trouble, making people feel overwhelming fear, yet still leaving a sliver of survival?
This seemingly pointless act of "taking off your pants to fart"—what was the reason behind it?
The car drove all the way.
I thought all the way.
And yet… even as the car entered the villa, I was still completely at a loss.
There wasn’t a single clue pointing me in the right direction.
I hadn’t even met any top players, only one beginner player just like me—who I ended up devouring.
Now, I honestly hoped to meet a high-level player, someone who could introduce me to the intel I wanted to know.
But on the other hand, I feared that if this player had no goodwill toward me, they could easily trap me.
That left me even more confused.
The day I’d escaped the APP seemed forever out of reach.
Even if I saved up 5000 points, did that ‘Leave the Game Scroll’ mean I would officially leave the APP?
Or did it mean I would be free of all anomalies?
Or… would it simply kill me, permanently removing me from this world?
With no answers, I could only carry my doubts as I got out of the car—only to see…
Sha Ha, like a dog in water, swimming in the pond.
Liu Wanqian, like a madman possessed, roaring in fury.
‘Splash splash splash splash~’
“You get out of there right now! You can’t bite that! I raised that one for three years! Not that one!! That’s my favorite one!!!”
‘Smack!’
Seeing this scene, I raised my hand and slapped my own forehead.
Sure enough, with a husky at home, even ten thousand in gold would disappear.
Maybe it saw me return—Sha Ha suddenly got excited.
She bit into a half-meter-long, fat, and strong tri-colored carp, climbed out of the pond, dodged past Liu Wanqian who tried to catch her, and ran right up to me.
She placed the big fish proudly at my feet as if offering credit.
“Awoooo~~~”
‘Splat splat splat splat’
“Liu Yunyan!!!!”
Sha Ha’s triumphant howl, the struggling splashes of the fish, and Liu Wanqian’s hysterical scream made me feel…
“My head hurts…”
What a harmonious scene of a loving master and a loyal dog.
Very wrong.
——
The result of the incident was the scene now before me.
Next to Sha Ha stood a professional dog trainer.
Liu Wanqian was wearing a stern expression as he looked at the million-yuan bright red koi lying dead on the table.
I sat helplessly across from him, being forced to sign a ‘training agreement’.
Looking at Sha Ha’s innocent expression, even though I knew this was for her own good, I still felt a little distressed.
But now there was no other choice—I could only let the dog trainer handle her.
At the very least, she had to stop burning money like this.
One million… goddamn it.
The thoughts of rich people were truly beyond comprehension!
I also liked keeping pets—fish, birds—but spending a million?
Are you sick?
Emmm...
Once everything was settled, Sha Ha wouldn’t be able to sleep with me for the next few days.
She’d be under the trainer’s supervision until she understood that the pond’s contents were off-limits, and only then could things return to normal.
I didn’t refuse this arrangement, because I was planning to maintain a good relationship with Liu Wanqian.
Though I liked Sha Ha very much, I understood that humans and dogs were fundamentally different.
Overall, Sha Ha was my companion, but she still had to be obedient, right?
The trainer left with the aggrieved-looking Sha Ha, and Liu Wanqian was still fuming.
Even though I really wanted to leave, there was still something I needed to say to him.
“Dad… look, I already agreed to let Sha Ha go through training. Can you please calm down?”
“You… you, ai!”
At first, Liu Wanqian pointed at me angrily, but as soon as he opened his mouth, his voice softened instantly.
He looked at me twice and simply couldn’t stay angry.
As expected… fathers really were powerless against their daughters.
“Dad… alright, alright, please calm down. I’ll apologize on Sha Ha’s behalf, okay? Don’t be mad anymore.”
To appease this walking gold mine, I had no choice but to lower my stance, acting like a sweet little girl.
I sat beside him coyly, gently patting his chest… wait, was I getting too good at this?
Could it be that I've already been assimilated?
No no no… I’m a man. This is just acting. It’s not real… it’s not real!
I comforted myself like that in my mind, barely suppressing the seed of self-doubt for now.
Maybe Liu Yunyan had never done this before, and since Liu Wanqian was clearly a doting father, just a couple of soft pats—even without much effort—was enough to melt his anger.
His expression no longer showed the slightest hint of rage.
But this guy seemed a bit tsundere.
My attempts at calming him made him visibly uneasy.
He gave me a side-eye and pushed my hand away, then asked with a serious expression, “Just say what you want. No need to flatter me like this.”
“As expected of a big boss, straight to the point! Actually… I really do want something, I just don’t know if you can…”
“Being all sweet for no reason—clearly up to no good. I’m your dad, and I still can’t see through you? Speak. What are you eyeing? Which handbag? Or which car? And don’t even mention motorcycles! You’re too young now, and even when you grow up, I’m never getting you one of those things!”
When Liu Wanqian heard me say that, a trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
It looked like he genuinely wanted to get closer to me, but instead I really just wanted something.
That disappointment quickly passed, though, as he covered it up.
“It’s not a motorcycle. Not a handbag. And definitely not a car.”
“Hm?”
As soon as I said that, Liu Wanqian became alert, turning to size me up from head to toe.
“What are you planning? I’m warning you! Don’t cause any trouble!”
“Aiya… we’re father and daughter, why be so distant… I just want a little something…”
Ugh!! Why the hell was I acting so coy?
Gave myself goosebumps all over!
“Don’t touch me… stay away from me!”
Liu Wanqian immediately backed away the moment he saw my behavior.
In the end, he even stood up, looking at me warily.
“What exactly do you want? Speak!”
Tsk!
“N-nothing big… I just…”
“Just what? Speak clearly! If you don’t, then don’t even think about getting anything!”
Hmm… given Liu Wanqian’s fondness for fish, he probably liked birds too, right?
“Well… Dad, do you have a bird?”
Liu Wanqian’s expression collapsed in an instant.
His eyes went wide, and his jaw looked like it was about to unhinge.
“I’m your damn father! What are you trying to pull!!”