Middle-aged Love Patch

The greatest advantage of the capsule aircraft is its compact size, making it particularly suitable for crowded countries located in seismic zones that still need to build skyscrapers.

Its small volume allows it to be installed on every floor—just reserve a takeoff and landing channel, and it essentially becomes the lifeboat of a cruise ship.

In the event of an earthquake, whether it's a 60-story building or a 600-story super skyscraper, escape is immediate.

Having already given up resisting, Xu Youyuan allowed Shi Yue to hold her steadily. After overcoming the initial mental hurdle—"As a spiritual entity, certain parts of my devilish figure seem to have gained a few extra ounces of flesh. Am I too heavy? Will she find me burdensome?"—her attention was quickly captured by the incredibly convenient and futuristic capsule aircraft.

If you asked how she got past that mental hurdle, the answer was simple.

Forget about weight—their spiritual forms had already bared themselves to each other to the point of absolute transparency. Being fussy about a few extra pounds would just be petty.

Besides, the real embarrassment was more about their physical bodies, wasn't it? What did it matter for spiritual forms? It wasn’t like they were confronting each other in reality.

From the outside, the capsule aircraft appeared as a pitch-black sphere, completely concealing its internal structure. But once inside, Xu Youyuan discovered it offered a panoramic view, with an incredibly wide field of vision. As they soared through the sky, the entirety of Tokyo stretched out beneath them.

The ascent was a bit sluggish, with turbulence comparable to the legendary tractor ride. However, once energy loading was complete, not only did it handle air currents flawlessly, eliminating all bumps, but it also flew almost silently.

Thanks to its small size, its flight mechanics were entirely different from traditional airplanes, allowing for much greater freedom in the air.

Xu Youyuan couldn’t believe such aircraft actually existed in real life. If she had the money, she’d definitely invest in them.

"Where are you two planning to go?" Morita watched as skyscrapers collapsed one after another, the bustling city of Tokyo reduced to ruins under the relentless tremors. His face was etched with worry:

"I can’t take you any further. I need to find my wife… my ex-wife."

Shi Yue asked curiously, "You’re already divorced. Why go looking for her now?"

Morita gripped the two semicircular control sticks, thought for a moment, and then chuckled as if realizing the absurdity himself. "Yeah, I shouldn’t go after her. She probably wouldn’t be happy to see me. But the thought of her being in danger—I just can’t stand by. Even if she hates me, I don’t want her to die. After all, she has to stay alive to keep hating me, right?"

This usually timid Morita suddenly seemed a lot taller in that moment.

Shi Yue silently observed Xu Youyuan from behind at an angle, unable to see her expression clearly—a slight regret.

Xu Youyuan also had an ex-wife, something Shi Yue knew.

Shi Yue had never met this ex-wife in person, but years ago, she had seen a group photo of them in her sister’s social media feed.

Back then, Shi Yue had just started university, while Xu Youyuan, in her early thirties and full of vigor, was at the peak of her life. Never one to seek the spotlight, she sat at the edge of the group photo, squeezed in next to her ex-wife.

They weren’t holding hands, but the matching rings on their fingers were impossible to miss.

Those rings had been etched into Shi Yue’s heart, becoming a key reason she could focus wholeheartedly on her studies and entrepreneurial ventures during her college years.

She couldn’t help but wonder—did the shadow of that ex-wife still linger in Xu Youyuan’s heart?

If her ex-wife were in danger, would Xu Youyuan, like Morita, risk everything to save her?

Xu Youyuan, a seasoned gamer, was familiar with the layouts of several major cities frequently featured in games. She directed Morita to take them to Mount Takao, where the higher elevation and open surroundings made it an ideal refuge.

Morita dropped them off near the train station and quickly departed.

They were about to discuss their next move when a task notification popped up.

[System Notification: Enter the Mount Takao train station and board the train to Platform 3 to complete the level.]

Xu Youyuan: "Reaching Platform 3 completes the level? That means something’s definitely going to happen inside the station. How do movies usually handle this?"

Shi Yue replied, "The Tokyo earthquake scenario didn’t include Mount Takao at all. This must be unrelated to the film—it’s a different setting now."

"Did you import this setting? Mount Takao, I mean."

Shi Yue shook her head seriously. "No. None of the films I imported featured this mountain, and Mount Takao was your random choice. Could your selection have altered the subsequent scenario?"

Xu Youyuan disagreed. "If my random choice changed the setting, then Mount Takao wouldn’t be the correct destination, and the system wouldn’t have prompted us to enter the Mount Takao train station. I think there’s a task engine following us. The tasks are randomly assigned—no matter where we go, there’s always a main storyline waiting for us."

Shi Yue smiled. "True. Choosing to unlock achievements with you was a smart move. Xu Youyuan, playing games with you gives me a real sense of security."

Xu Youyuan frowned, then laughed. "Why do I feel like you’ve gotten even ruder lately? You used to call me ‘sister,’ but now it’s just my full name?"

"We’re close now—no need for formalities. Besides, your name sounds nice. I like saying it." Shi Yue tilted her head. "What, does it bother you?"

"Whatever. You’ve always been irreverent. I’m used to it."

Following the task instructions, they headed east and, after fifteen minutes, arrived at a small, dilapidated train station.

The station seemed long abandoned, devoid of human traces. From a distance, its rusted surface was overgrown with vegetation, resembling the empty shell left behind by some ancient insect after molting.

Xu Youyuan had no weapons on her, and approaching this eerily quiet, dangerously decrepit station felt unsettling.

Based on her experience, train stations usually presented two possibilities: either an operational challenge or a monster battle.

Since the system had notified them upon entry that all weapons had to be obtained within the scenario, they’d need weapons—meaning monsters to fight.

If it were an operational challenge, they’d just have to safely drive the train to Platform 3 to clear the level.

A monster battle would be tougher, as they only had cosmetic enhancements and no proper weapons.

The worst-case scenario? Both an operational challenge and a monster battle.

Staying hyper-vigilant wouldn’t help much. Even if they reacted the moment danger appeared, they might still lack the means to defend themselves.

"Right, because Dark Box is a dating app, Xu Youyuan—don’t forget that." Shi Yue explained after hearing her concerns. "It’s different from traditional full-immersion games like Reshaping the Universe. Dark Box is scenario-based, meaning all weapons and vehicles must be obtained within the scenario. Outfits provide minor buffs, but their main purpose is aesthetic, catering to players’ tastes. Especially now that Dark Box is pivoting toward gaming—with the new season starting—fair competition means outfits are just outfits. They shouldn’t heavily influence match outcomes. Things aren’t too professional yet, but I’m sure Dark Box will keep refining the system."

"VR games have only been around for a few years, and yet you’re already calling them 'traditional games.'"

"The world changes so fast. In the blink of an eye, a bunch of kids are calling me 'auntie.' Xu Youyuan, I’m officially in the same generation as you now."

Xu Youyuan let out a disgusted "Ew" and looked her up and down. "Aren’t you Gen-Z brats supposed to hate being called 'auntie'? You’re a special one."

"Of course. I’m more mature."

Xu Youyuan didn’t call her out on it. The two of them walked to the entrance of the tram station, where a pair of rusted iron gates, originally locked with a chain, now lay twisted and broken. A massive boulder rested beside them, its impact having scraped off chunks of rust and warped the metal.

Xu Youyuan glanced around, puzzled. The station wasn’t situated near any cliffs or structures that could’ve sent a boulder flying. Where had it come from?

Just as she was pondering this, Shi Yue suddenly yanked her arm. The abrupt pull startled Xu Youyuan—she thought there was danger—but Shi Yue’s gaze was fixed on something beneath the boulder.

"What is it?" Xu Youyuan followed her line of sight. When her eyes met the bulging, distorted face of a corpse crushed beneath the rock, her heart lurched.

"Fck! What the hell is that?!"

Shi Yue had been unnerved by the sight of the crushed NPC, but Xu Youyuan’s terrified reaction—complete with swearing—eased her tension. She chuckled.

"I didn’t know you scared so easily."

"Who wouldn’t freak out seeing something like that pop up? Back during the beta test for 'Reshaping the Universe,' I used to play alone late at night and scream my head off. My experience tells me that shouting when you’re scared helps a lot."

"Is that so? Noted."

"But…" Xu Youyuan crouched beside the corpse and asked Shi Yue, "Any guesses why this NPC died here?"

That casual question instantly put Shi Yue on edge.

Xu Youyuan’s sharp eyes scanned their surroundings, a creeping sense of danger tightening their scalps.

Getting into the tram station wouldn’t be so simple. Something was lying in wait, ready to crush any player who dared approach.

The scenario felt familiar—like something out of a movie.

Xu Youyuan wasn’t wrong.

A massive shadow spread across the sky. Both women looked up just as a gorilla-like monster, silhouetted against the blinding light, roared and dove toward them. Its grotesquely elongated arms swung a boulder, using the momentum of its descent to smash it down on them.

Had they not been wearing agility-boosting gear, the impact would’ve flattened them instantly.

Shrapnel and dust sprayed against their backs like a violent storm, nearly knocking them off their feet.

"Into the station! Now!" Xu Youyuan’s instincts kicked in—she barely had time to process what the monster even was before shoving Shi Yue over the mangled gate and sprinting inside.

The beast landed on all fours and immediately lunged after them!

Shi Yue, equipped with cat ears and a vampire-themed appearance, was fast—but the monster closed the distance in an instant. One brutal swipe to her back drained 3,900 HP, leaving her health bar dangerously low.

"Shi Yue!"

The sight of blood gushing from Shi Yue’s back made Xu Youyuan, a seasoned gamer, momentarily forget this was just a game. The hyper-realistic immersion fueled her fury.

But rage aside, she knew blind retreat meant certain death. Curiosity burned in her—what if she fought back?

Even if they died here, she wouldn’t go down without testing the limits.

She yanked a gleaming blade from her backpack and planted herself between the monster and Shi Yue. Ignoring the sheer disparity in size and strength, she drove the weapon into the beast’s calf, slowing its charge.

It worked!

The attack redirected the monster’s focus onto Xu Youyuan, who glared back defiantly.

Now, she finally got a clear look at it.

A gargantuan gorilla, its back strapped with a bamboo basket full of skull-crushing boulders. Thick black fur stood on end, tips flickering with embers. Molten lava seeped from its horizontal eyes, and beneath the fur, patches of scorched red skin pulsed like an active volcano.

Six limbs—two for standing, four sprouting from its shoulders and back, each gripping a massive rock. Above its head floated the name: Basketback Gorilla.

Ah. Xu Youyuan remembered now. This thing was from Return to Earth 3, a 2029 sci-fi flick. Its favorite pastime? Smashing heads open and scooping out brains.

This tram station was a scene straight out of that movie.

Enraged, the Basketback Gorilla hurled two boulders straight at her.

Xu Youyuan dodged with a nimble sidestep, the rocks grazing her shoulder. Seizing the opening, she slashed its leg again—her timing flawless.

The gorilla went berserk, hammering the ground with its fists, cratering the earth in a frenzy. Yet not a single blow landed.

Xu Youyuan weaved through the chaos with effortless grace, her movements so fluid Shi Yue could only stare in awe.

Only ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‍then did Shi Yue realize Xu Youyuan’s weapon of choice was a box cutter—the same one she’d scavenged from the office earlier.

A box cutter couldn’t deal lethal damage, but it was enough to seize control of the fight.

Before Shi Yue could blink, Xu Youyuan scaled the gorilla’s spine in three swift steps, perching at its neck level. With a vicious stab, she buried the blade into its thick hide.

The gorilla shrieked, flailing its arms to dislodge her.

Xu Youyuan clung to its fur, balancing precariously atop the bamboo basket.

"Can’t catch me, huh?" She drove the blade into its neck five, six times in rapid succession, her hand slick with blood.

Shi Yue was stunned. She knew Xu Youyuan was good at games, but this was next-level audacity—charging a boss monster with a damn box cutter.

"Go!" Xu Youyuan barked. Shi Yue’s HP couldn’t take another hit. "Get inside!"

Shi Yue obeyed without hesitation, bolting for the station.

Xu Youyuan landed two more strikes before the box cutter snapped.

The gorilla anchored itself to the ground and thrashed like a deranged washing machine. Xu Youyuan lost her grip and went flying.

Xu Youyuan had incredibly good luck—the direction she was flung happened to be toward the station, landing her right at Shi Yue’s feet.

As she hit the ground, she heard herself let out a pained cry. A haze of blood flashed before her eyes, and her health bar dropped by a third.

Shi Yue quickly helped her up while the rampaging bamboo-basket gorilla hurled large stones from its basket with all four arms, raining down like meteors bombarding the earth!

Their health bars plummeted rapidly!

The station was right in front of them!

With a desperate lunge, Xu Youyuan and Shi Yue tumbled inside.

Stones crashed around the station’s entrance, but fortunately, the station was small, and the narrow opening blocked most of the gorilla’s projectiles.

The bamboo-basket gorilla continued throwing stones from outside, refusing to enter—it seemed they had escaped its attack range.

"I thought we were done for…" Xu Youyuan dragged herself deeper into the station. With only a sliver of health left, her entire body was flushed red, looking a bit terrifying, though the pain wasn’t too bad.

When taking damage, there was only a slight tremor and tingling sensation, not much real pain.

But the exhaustion was unmistakable. Even with the cosmetic enhancements that allowed her to run so fast and jump so high, she was now gasping for breath, her hands trembling from wielding the paper cutter against the gorilla, her heart pounding wildly.

She turned back to look at the bamboo-basket gorilla, her heart surging with excitement.

This game was far more fun than she had expected.

Even if Shi Yue hadn’t offered her fifty grand, she would’ve gladly paid five grand herself just to play—to push through to the competition stage, crush the other teams, unlock all achievements, and take first place!

Just as Xu Youyuan was about to thank Shi Yue properly for opening the door to this new world, she turned and saw Shi Yue lying on the ground, her health bar reduced to a mere 1.

Drenched in sweat, Shi Yue couldn’t move at all.

It suddenly dawned on Xu Youyuan—when they had lunged into the station, Shi Yue had pushed her forward, taking the brunt of the gorilla’s attacks for her.

It was hard to say whether this was misfortune or luck. Shi Yue was left with the tiniest sliver of health—not dead, so not a failure, but completely immobilized.

But they had given their medkits to Morita, leaving them empty-handed.

Xu Youyuan knelt beside Shi Yue, scanning the station. The place was filled with worn-out plastic chairs, nowhere to hide any useful items. She would’ve loved to rummage through everything, but there was no chance.

Seeing Shi Yue lying there, only her eyes able to move, looking utterly pitiful—yet with no way to help her—twisted Xu Youyuan’s heart.

"So," Xu Youyuan said, "do you want to stay here alone while I go look for a medkit, or should we just restart? If we restart, will we have to replay from the last checkpoint…?" She paused. "Blink once if you want to wait here for me, twice if you’d rather restart."

Shi Yue didn’t blink. Instead, her eyes widened, fixed intently on Xu Youyuan’s shoulder.

Xu Youyuan had already set her backpack down—what was Shi Yue looking at?

Confused, Xu Youyuan reached back, then suddenly remembered—before entering the game, Shi Yue had given her a baby bottle! But in-game, all cosmetics were hidden, and she’d completely forgotten about it!

Could the baby bottle restore health? A quick sip in a crisis?!

She swiftly "used" the bottle, and it materialized in her hand.

The bottle was enormous—even with her long fingers, Xu Youyuan could only wrap her hand halfway around it. The semi-transparent pink body paired with a beige nipple looked unexpectedly adorable when pressed to Shi Yue’s lips.

Shi Yue, unable to speak, move, or refuse, radiated the resigned frustration of someone who’d finally been outplayed.

This bottle was meant for Xu Youyuan—she’d never expected the tables to turn so drastically. Instead of teasing Xu Youyuan, she’d dug her own grave and fallen right in, breaking both legs on the way down.

"Come on, open up," Xu Youyuan said, suppressing a laugh as she pinched Shi Yue’s chin and squeezed her cheeks to part her lips.

Shi Yue’s eyes blazed with protest, but Xu Youyuan ignored her, shoving the bottle into her soft pink mouth and glug-glug-glugging the milk down her throat.

All while recording the scene.

Hadn’t this little troublemaker recorded her snoring in that "Pigsy" costume? Xu Youyuan wasn’t about to lose this battle—next time Shi Yue pulled out the footage to mock her, she’d have her own ammunition.

But feeding her like this wasn’t as satisfying as she’d imagined. With every sip, Xu Youyuan felt a year older, like some doting old nanny…

And Shi Yue’s expression was downright terrifying, her eyes wide enough to devour someone whole.

Xu Youyuan frowned. "What’s with the glare? You’ve bullied me so many times—can’t I get back at you just once? Why so fierce?"

The baby bottle could fully restore health, but it had one flaw: the recovery was painfully slow.

Shi Yue’s health bar inched upward, but she remained immobile, her features twisted in exaggerated distress.

What she was actually staring at wasn’t Xu Youyuan’s face—but the woman clinging to the ceiling directly above her.

The woman wore her hair in two delicate buns, adorned with exquisite emerald hairpins that glinted brilliantly.

She appeared no older than sixteen, yet her makeup was sultry and mature, strikingly beautiful. A flowing cyan dress draped over her curvaceous figure, its silken sash fluttering gracefully.

Her palms suctioned to the ceiling in an eerie posture, but below the hem of her dress wasn’t legs—but a long, scaly green serpent’s tail.

Xu Youyuan, completely unaware, stood with her back to the woman, her silhouette reflected in those pitch-black eyes.

Shi Yue watched as the pupils within those eyes narrowed—thin as needles.