Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

He looked at himself in the mirror.

The scabs from the penetrating wound on his shoulder had scabbed over, and the claw-torn wound on his arm was also healing.

"Reality is too dangerous..." Cheng Cheng sighed, "Sylvia is still the best; fighting with her is never tiring..."

I miss her a little.

If the game world is real, Sylvia must have her own life... What is she doing now? Is she listening to me and exercising properly?

Mature characters need to improve their own skills, rather than waiting for players to intervene.

…………

Sylvia is having dinner.

Tonight's dinner is to celebrate her brother Julian's return home from the army for vacation. The menu is lavish, with the long table laden with various soups, cheeses, a whole roast suckling pig and spiced roasted swan, all kinds of beef and lamb, imperial-style pies and meat sauces, as well as her favorite fruit tarts and spiced preserves.

At the head of the table, father Villette picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, then looked at his son sitting below: "Julian, how is your training after a year in the army?"

The older brother stood up proudly: "Father, I have reached the mid-stage of Silver Realm!"

"Mid-stage Silver?" Sylvia was slightly taken aback.

"It's a system that the military has recently started using, and it's said to have come from the Elven Empire. After all, the difference between the upper and lower limits of silver and gold is too great. Some can hunt demons alone, while others can be killed by demons with ease. Therefore, it is very important to distinguish the levels in detail."

"For example, the Silver rank is divided into four levels: early stage, mid stage, late stage, and peak," the older brother said proudly. "After breaking through to Silver rank, I reached the mid stage in just three years, which is the fastest among my peers!"

"If we look at it through the combat power glasses, what would a mid-level combat power be?" Sylvia asked curiously.

“By standard, a combat power of 2000 is considered mid-stage.” The older brother thought for a moment, “Sylvia, are you also interested in cultivation? Do you want me to teach you?”

No, no need.

I'm probably even better than you now... I only took three days.

Sylvia buried her face in the bowl, thinking weakly.

Chapter 25, Cheng Cheng is playing "Yuan Shen"

Sylvia lowered her head and gently stirred the cream of mushroom soup in the bowl with a silver spoon.

Julian put down his knife and fork and looked at her seriously: "Sylvia, you've always been physically weak and not suited for cultivation. But now that you're almost an adult, if you really want to learn, I can teach you."

He spoke very sincerely.

Three years have passed. The boy who used to lift her up to watch the military parade now has a sharp jawline, all the childishness has faded from his brows, and his shoulders are broad enough to support an entire suit of armor.

Sylvia smiled at her brother and said from the bottom of her heart, "Brother, you're a real man now."

“No one would say that to a man,” Julian paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. “Only those who haven’t become men yet need to be reminded like that.”

Sylvia did not respond.

She lowered her eyes and looked at her reflection in the bowl—long silver hair, pale red eyes, and a face that had been praised by countless people as "exquisitely beautiful like a doll."

Only those who haven't yet become that person need to be reminded like this.

What about her?

What does she need to be reminded of?

To become the most devout noblewoman? The most dazzling diamond in Silvershine City? The future Countess of the Claire family?

"Sylvia?"

Julian's voice pulled her back from her thoughts.

"You haven't answered me yet," he said gently. "Want to learn? I'll prepare the materials you need for cultivation."

Sylvia's fingers tightened slightly around the spoon handle. She nodded gently and smiled, "Yes, thank you, brother. I'll consider it."

Julian smiled with satisfaction, turned to his father, and began to report on the new policies being implemented in the army, the politics of various countries, and the suspicious movements of the Elven Empire.

"Sylvia".

Until her father's voice rang out again, the topic once again fell on her.

She looked up and saw her father—Villette de Claire—put down his glass. His blue eyes, which had been feared by countless criminals and seemed to see through all pretenses, were now calmly looking at her: "Did Paul accompany you to the dungeon today?"

Sylvia's heart skipped a beat.

She turned her head and looked at the bodyguard standing at the edge of the dining table.

Paul stood ramrod straight, his face expressionless. From the start of the banquet until now, he had been like a silent statue, almost making people forget his existence.

“Yes,” Sylvia said. “I went to check out the first floor.”

How are you feeling?

"...It's very dirty."

This is the truth.

"anything else?"

Sylvia paused.

She remembered the figures huddled in the tents, the bodies convulsing on the ground, and Mr. Mambo's words—

“It’s nothing.” She lowered her eyelashes. “I just feel that I was indeed too well protected before.”

Villette paused for a few seconds, then turned to Paul: "How did she do today?"

“Reporting to my lord,” Paul stepped forward, placing his right hand on his chest, “the young lady is very opinionated and has her own judgment. As her retainer, I am delighted with her and will do my utmost to assist her.”

"very good."

Villette picked up his glass, took a small sip, and seemed satisfied with the answer. Then he said, "But Sylvia, your main profession is not fighting."

Sylvia looked up.

“You are Claire’s daughter.” The father’s voice was low and calm, devoid of any emotion, simply stating a fact. “The doors of the courtroom are always open to you. Law, precedents, case files, witness questioning—these are what a judge should learn. I don’t expect you to become a legend. But you should at least know how to maintain order.”

order.

Sylvia chewed on the word.

She thought of the displaced people on the first level of the underground city; they too had once lived within "order," and then they were spat out by it.

“Villet.”

The mother's voice broke in, and the Countess put down her napkin, displeased, "Your daughter isn't even eighteen yet, and you've already planned her whole life?"

Villette put down her glass: "This is for her own good."

"For her own good?" The mother raised an eyebrow. "Letting her spend all day surrounded by files, smelling parchment and ink, and not even having time for social events—is that for her own good?"

"Claire's daughters don't need to rely on social connections—"

“Yes, no,” his mother interrupted him. “Unlike me, your daughter doesn’t need to please anyone or sacrifice herself for a family marriage. But Violet, she needs the right to choose.”

The restaurant fell silent.

Julian bent down to cut the meat, and the subtle scraping sound of the knife and fork against the porcelain plate could be clearly heard.

Villette did not refute, but remained silent, picked up her wine glass, and finished the last sip of red wine.

The mother turned to Sylvia, her gaze softening: "Sylvia, I'm not asking you to get married right away. It's just... you'll be eighteen soon. After your coming-of-age ceremony, many noble young men will come to visit. You don't need to rush into marriage, but at least go and see them, get to know them, go—"

She paused, seemingly considering her words.

"—Go and find out what kind of person you like."

Sylvia lowered her eyelashes.

“I understand, Mom,” she said softly. “I’ll think about it.”

The mother smiled with satisfaction.

The dinner ended peacefully.

…………

Late at night.

Sylvia lay in bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Moonlight streamed through the lace curtains, casting a patch of silvery-gray light on the carpet.

Mr. Mambo... will you come tomorrow?

She pulled the blanket up to cover half her face.

Am I... too dependent on you?

When we first met, I was so afraid of you. You are the "demon" who barged into my body. You did so many bad things with my body, and you never hesitated to kill people...

But why do I feel so bored when you're not around?

She closed her eyes, and the only sounds that answered her were the night wind outside the window and the bright moonlight.

The night was still young, and the girl tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Cheng Cheng did not come the next day.

…………

Because Cheng Cheng was playing "Yuan Shen".

Today is the day of the "Yuanshen" version update, which is like a monthly birthday. How could he miss it?

He first needs to quickly go through the main storyline, then clear out his daily tasks, then go to the forums to argue with the KGs (virtual YouTubers), then follow the virtual YouTuber through the story again, eat, and then browse various plot analyses, fake drugs, and leaks online, and he'll have to argue with the KGs again when he encounters them...

In addition to that, he also has to complete a bunch of daily tasks in second-generation games such as Honkai Impact 3rd, Tomorrow's Weekly, and Onmyoji, as well as play a couple of games like League of Legends, Mizukage, Triangle Ark, and Valorant. Can he manage all that?

We're too busy!

As for Fate/stay night: Immortal Crown?

Since I won't uninstall it, I haven't paid for a monthly pass, and there are no sign-in rewards, missing a few days won't matter at all, right?

Besides, I just fought the demon of injustice yesterday, and I'm covered in wounds and exhausted. How could I possibly be in the mood to continue fighting demons in Fate: Immortal Crown today?

Let's rest for a day first!

"Even 'Yuanshen' knows what kind of parents we want. Do you even have parents? Why are you blindly opposing us? Are you KG? KG, get out!"

"You say you're tired of 'Ghost God' and want to switch games? You can switch games, but can you switch your parents too?"

"You insatiable wolf, the 'Primordial Spirit' owes you nothing. Do you still remember the meaning of travel?"