I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

"The interface is gone too?" Shen Xi looked bewildered.

Before the girl's eyes, all the familiar data, such as health, stamina, battery, ammo, and even inventory, disappeared, leaving an empty perspective no different from the real world.

"That's right, the user interface became completely unusable after the smuggling."

"Not even an exit option?" Shen Xi swiped her hand and found that no options popped up.

"You can break out of stealth mode and remove your helmet, but your character will remain in place and will automatically die after a while."

"So that's how it is, everything makes sense now..."

"Regretful now?" Cheng Fei gloated.

“On the contrary.” Shen Xi shook her head. “I discovered that smuggling is the key piece of the puzzle that proves everything.”

Cheng Fei raised an eyebrow, then shook his head, thinking of her wildly imaginative ideas. "Besides the graphics, what else in this game looks real?"

"The truth is right in front of you, you just haven't noticed it."

"It's chuunibyou (middle school syndrome)."

Shen Xi glanced at him, raised her chin, and said, "The corridor is the real world in disguise. One day you will believe me."

"Yes, Miss Columbus, the day you prove the existence of the New World, the whole world will marvel at your wisdom."

"So now take me to fight the BOSS, and then we'll explore a new continent together, First Mate." Looking at Cheng Fei, who had a headache, Shen Xi seemed to be in a good mood, a cold smile appearing on her beautiful and delicate face.

……

17. My Online Romance Turns Out to Be a Dictator

“Look closely, those runaway machines with oil tanks attached to their backs are called herbivorous dragons. It’s said that herbivorous dragons systematically harvest plants, convert them into oil, and send it to the foundry to produce new runaway machines,” Cheng Fei said in a low voice, hiding behind a dense bush.

Shen Xi, standing beside her, seemed thoughtful. "Really? I haven't paid attention to this before..."

Cheng Fei rolled his eyes at her. "That's fake. People are farming the Foundry instance all day long. If that's the case, the runaway machines would have been extinct by now."

"By the way, the Corridor Scholar who proposed this idea—a game enthusiast like you—believed that the foundries beyond the fourth floor were the real foundries. He even formed a guild called the Outer Wall Investigation Team, but because they were so bad, they were wiped out at lightning speed every time they went on an outer wall investigation, and eventually it all fizzled out," Cheng Fei said.

Shen Xi pondered earnestly, "I understand. Their weakness is that they're too weak, and they don't have someone like you to guide them in their investigation—"

"Why are you staring at me? I would never risk coming to the fourth floor to do something so pointless."

"Can't you even stay with me?"

You can choose any of the three floors.

"Starting today, we will add a fourth layer of external wall survey as a permanent project, which will be conducted at least once a week."

"you!"

Just as Cheng Fei was about to swear, he heard the hum of a motor running behind him.

Before they knew it, a long, thin, out-of-control machine, about half the height of a person, was crawling behind them.

The head, covered in sensors, resembled a non-emitting searchlight, scanning the two individuals.

Cheng Fei drew his black longsword and swiftly pierced its neck, severing the colorful, vine-like cables and sending out blinding sparks.

The out-of-control machine lay on the ground, its head emitting a blinding red light and simultaneously bursting with a low-frequency noise that echoed through the silent forest.

"Run! Red-Eye will summon nearby monsters!" Cheng Fei immediately grabbed Shen Xi, who was still in a daze, and moved to a different location.

As the two fled, the herbivorous dragons that had been munching on plants started running, not chasing after them, but scattering in all directions.

As Shen Xi was being pulled along, she observed the scene.

……

“Let me tell you my thoughts. At some point in the past, out-of-control machines destroyed the Corridor civilization and occupied thirteen floating continents, leaving only the rooftop Sky Garden unscathed. So the survivors found the players through some means, intending to save the Corridor,” Shen Xi said, stroking his chin.

Cheng Fei focused on vigilance, saying, "It's a third-rate novel setting, but it's alright as a game background."

"I'm deducing the truth. Although there are many suspicious points in the process, the direction is correct."

"I just don't understand how you got first place in the grade."

"If you really can't understand it, you might as well treat my words as divine revelation and try to believe them."

"You think you're a god?"

“You’re right, I’m probably the incarnation of the goddess of wisdom.”

"I think you're crazy. Let me ask you the most obvious question: if this were the real world, why could someone who died be resurrected?"

"It's very simple. Players control their bodies here through the game system. When they die, they immediately switch to a clone backup and simultaneously teleport to retrieve the old body. The Corridor Civilization has clearly mastered advanced biotechnology and space technology."

"Why don't you just talk about necromancy and spatial magic?"

“Magic is fiction, but science is real,” Shen Xi corrected. “I haven’t finished yet.”

The girl held up one finger. "The reason why equipment drops when you die on the fourth floor is because the fourth floor is completely occupied by out-of-control machinery, and the devices that support the operation of the game system cannot be extended here."

"A brilliant idea! It also conveniently explains why the system interface is invisible after smuggling, because these functions are offline as well." Cheng Fei clapped softly.

"His ability to draw inferences from one instance is commendable."

"So, if I die now, I can still see my corpse and equipment when I come back next time. But some people have tried and found that they can't get them back at all. They were all swallowed by the game system."

"It wasn't the game system that swallowed it, but some out-of-control machines that took it away. After all, corpses and equipment have some value."

"Nobody has ever seen anything like this before."

"There are already few illegal immigrants, and most of them will be wiped out. The survivors don't dare to stay and observe, so it's normal that no one notices them."

"You're such a good writer, game companies should hire you as a planner," Cheng Fei said casually, seemingly unconcerned.

"It's not fabrication, but proper logical reasoning."

"Say what you will, it can't be proven anyway."

"I have a way. I'll show you the proof in the next project."

"What are you planning to do now?"

"If you can't even think of this, then stop talking nonsense. Your task is to obey without question and without objection."

Have you ever read a light novel?

"what?"

"It's called 'My Online Romance is Actually a Dictator'."

"It is your honor to follow me, after all, I am the embodiment of the goddess of wisdom."

That's enough.

The two talked as they walked through the dim forest. There were almost no animals on the fourth level, so the air was unusually quiet.

Cheng Fei sighed, "Don't you think what you're saying is all conspiracy theory? Although it's hard for others to disprove it, you can't prove it either. Just like if I said the Earth was created by a ball of spaghetti flying in the sky, you couldn't refute it either."

“I will prove everything with my actions, which is why I need you to accompany me on my weekly investigations outside the walls,” the girl said stubbornly.

"You might as well just kill me." Cheng Fei slapped his forehead.

……

Propelled by the shockwave of the explosion, the boy landed easily on the ground and sheathed his black longsword.

Behind them, the colossal creature, as large as a small mountain, emitted a piercing buzzing sound, like the dying roar of a giant beast, before crashing to the ground.

The underground cavity has returned to silence.

Cheng Fei arrived at the head of the giant, out-of-control machine, pried open the carbon fiber armor plates and plastic shell, and disassembled the important components inside, just like a hunter dismembering his prey.

The silver-haired girl, who had been watching from the sidelines, stepped forward and looked up at the wreckage of the mechanical monster.

“Teacher Shen, I have a question,” Cheng Fei said.

"ask."

"We're both physical bodies, so why am I so weak in reality but so strong in the corridor? Even though my attribute points are about the same."

"The player's body is likely a fully enhanced cyborg, which is why you were able to be thrown more than ten meters high and fall without getting hurt."

"I see. Then, Professor Shen, I have another question."

"Why are you suddenly calling me teacher?" Shen Xi frowned.

"Because I'm blown away by your wild imagination." After dismantling the BOSS's control center, Cheng Fei went to dismantle the weapons. "Teacher Shen, do you think it's possible to have a baby in the corridor?"

“…” Shen Xi glanced at him. “What are you trying to say?”

"I'm thinking, assuming the corridor is real, then the player's body might also have various physiological functions, don't you think?"

Shen Xi nodded, "That's good. You've finally started to think meaningfully, which is why I gave you the topic of player self-release earlier."

"Let's forget about that topic. What I'm thinking about now is that normally, if players interact too closely, the game system will block it. But since the fourth layer of the game system is gone, why don't we give it a try..."

18. One of the topics

Shen Xi crossed her arms and frowned in disgust. "Don't even think about it. Given our relationship, I would never do anything with you other than holding hands, even online."

"So holding hands is okay? Then I want to hold your hand right now," Cheng Fei said without moving.

Shen Xi took a step back. "That was only done under the premise of having no other choice. You are making me more and more disgusted. If I could, I would not want to have any physical contact with you right now."

"You're too traditional. You know, these days some girls will hug you the very next day after they start a relationship, no matter who's around."

"I'm not that shameless."

"Perhaps it's a bit shameless, but Professor Shen, I'm very disappointed in you for your complete lack of dedication to our research endeavors."

"No matter how much you say, it can't hide your filthy true thoughts."

"If liking you is called filthy, then I admit I'm filthy and disgusting," Cheng Fei said casually, while stuffing his haul into his bag. "Alright, that's a wrap."

Shen Xi glanced at the bag he was carrying on his shoulder. "Is this all you're taking?"

The BOSS also left behind a large number of useful materials.

"If you take any more, you won't be able to run anymore. Smuggling is all about knowing when to stop. You carry this bag."

"Understood." The girl took the heavy bag and recalled the way they came. "Then how do we get back?"

"Of course, we'll teleport you back."

"How do I teleport? There are no teleportation points, and the return crystal is no longer valid."

"Some terrains on the edge of the continent can be accessed using a Town Portal Crystal."

"What kind of terrain?"

"Usually it's high ground, just like how cell phone signals are better when you stand at a high place in the wild." Cheng Fei paused, then muttered, "Damn, now that you mention it, it actually sounds a bit like reality."

Shen Xi glanced at the frowning boy, a smug look on her lips.

……

The two successfully returned to the main city sky garden located on the first floor.

Cheng Fei used the loot to exchange for a limited-edition collectible item from defeating the BOSS: a white electric fan that could be carried with one hand.

"The electric fan is yours, and everything else is mine, is that alright?" Of course, Cheng Fei wasn't going to make a wasted trip.

"Shouldn't I get half?" Shen Xi asked.

"You have no idea how much effort you put in. Do you think this is a divorce and a division of property?"

"I'm not interested either." Shen Xi glanced at him coldly and began to examine her electric fan.

"How about it? Can the speed be adjusted?" Cheng Fei was also very curious.

"Okay," Shen Xi said with satisfaction.

The electric fan has a knob and a small screen. Rotating the knob will display the corresponding speed on the screen.