Something's wrong, they're not NPCs?

I remember my brother-in-law once said that things are valuable only when they are used by people.

So, things that are not used by people have no value.

1 month 2 day.

noon.

For a whole day and night, An Xiaoxi didn't see Su Ming again.

She barely ate anything and just sat on the sofa waiting.

"Ms. An, No. 72 believes that the owner has probably found something that interests him, so he will stay on the surface longer."

"……Um."

"You should eat right away."

"no appetite."

An Xiaoxi certainly believed that Su Ming was strong enough, whether it was the strange Philosophical Blade or the skills and confidence that he had seen in Haidao City.

But if I treat myself as a vase that needs to be worshipped and nurtured, or an object that needs to be taken care of in return, isn’t it time to come back? It’s been so long.

1 month 3 day.

early.

An Xiaoxi reluctantly ate a little noodles.

I haven't closed my eyes.

"Tell me, how interesting is the thing that my brother-in-law has encountered?"

"..."

"Can't tell? Didn't you say that my brother-in-law's strength is far stronger than the monster data you observed?"

Impossible.

No matter how interested I am, I will never abandon myself for two days and one night without any reason.

Even items that need to be comforted and cared for, or worthless items, will come back.

If there is no value in even being cared for, what is the meaning of existing here?

"Until No. 72 obtains the master's permission, No. 72 cannot provide energy for you to go to the surface. And the temperature today is -31 degrees, which is not suitable for you to travel."

"..."

"What if your master dies? What if he never comes back? Do you still want to carry out your brother-in-law's orders even if he dies in front of you?"

"..."

No. 72 remained silent.

"So what if it's -37 degrees? I was able to get through it before I found this."

"..."

"Do you intend to pry open the elevator door and climb up? No. 72 does not think you have the physical strength to do so."

"Then I will fall to my death."

"……drink!"

Although this was her plan, the fact before An Xiaoxi was that she couldn't even open the elevator door.

Even if I try my best.

Sitting slumped in front of the elevator door, An Xiaoxi felt cold all over.

"Based on your behavior, it is necessary for No. 72 to continue to restrict your movements."

Is this a cozy little house or a cage that imprisons oneself?

"Do you understand or not? My brother-in-law can't just abandon me for two days and one night!"

"I don't need care!"

"..."

"terribly sorry."

"Why would I do such a thing if you hadn't been saying sorry all the time?!"

"Keep me safe? Take care of me... Then I..."

"Shh!"

The moment he picked up the knife, No. 72 snatched it away.

"Ms. An, No. 72 will be monitoring your every move from now on. I'm sorry."

"..."

"Asshole!!! Does taking care also include imprisonment? If you don't go out, I can't go out either?!"

Know before you act.

I can't get out by my own strength.

What exactly is going on?

You were clearly pretending to be asleep and pretending not to know anything, so why didn’t you come back?

I've been very well behaved. I didn't do anything extra.

"You are right. The master's order does not require No. 72 to keep you in the laboratory. He only needs to ensure your safety."

"?"

"Miss An, this is what humans call taking advantage of loopholes. No. 72 is not a conventional robot that sticks to the rules. It is a groundbreaking bionic man that can independently input and output. One of the developer's terms is that the safety of the master's life is the highest priority. He is always willing to sacrifice. Therefore, flexible taking advantage of loopholes should be allowed."

"..."

An Xiaoxi was stunned for a long time as she watched No. 72's calm face reveal a smile.

stand up.

"No. 72, I am now willing to regard you as the greatest invention of 2067."

"Miss An, you are too kind."

1 month 3 day.

Night.

On the surface, not too far from the underground laboratory.

Su Ming was hiding in a building that was on the verge of collapse.

I'm tired already.

The scent of the fallen big guy's body was stronger than any of the previous ones, attracting too many things, strong and weak. I killed countless of them.

After much effort, I finally managed to pull the contents out of its body.

It's a human figure.

The whole body was covered with light green vine-like things, and only half of the face could be seen.

The figure is very petite. If you hug her gently, it will feel very familiar.

The face reaches the shoulders.

The dress was almost embedded in the vines. Her hair was only shoulder-length, not too long.

I want to tow it back immediately for No. 72 to check.

But I couldn't move.

Although I know that reality and games are two different things, I also know that games are also reality. Even if it is the future.

Why does this happen?

Looking at that half of the face that looked a little childish, the other half was completely covered by twisted vines that were no different from capillaries.

Maybe there is no need to test No. 72 again, the facts are clear before our eyes.

If he were to drag her back, would An Xiaoxi be uneasy?

I can't put on a bad face because of the cruel year 2067. It will also turn into an inexplicable atmosphere.

"..."

I searched the cigarette box and found only the last cigarette left.

ignite.

Until now, An Shiyao, Xia Ye, Avril, Su You... have all been found, and they are all dead.

Is it really useful to try hard to remember those things and bring them back?

If you accept this world and try to change yourself, you still won't change your future self.

This feels really bad.

It would be nice if I didn't know there was any connection between reality and the game, just like the first time.

How should I face Yao when I get back? It seems that there is no way to wake her up or talk to her. She is also good at observing herself.

What about Xue Er? Maybe she will have problems in 2067.

Talk to her, chat with her...Comparatively speaking, she won't think too much, she will be happy as long as you are willing to play with her.

Can we wait here until the mission is over before going back? Anyway, we have wasted two days and one night, so it doesn't seem to matter if we wait a little longer... An Xiaoxi must be extremely worried anyway. No. 72, who can't disobey her orders, should be watching her, and nothing will happen.

"..."

I stared at the grounding wire sticking out from the top of the load-bearing column for a long time. It was not until I felt the cigarette butt burning that I realized that the cigarette was burnt out.

"Clap."

I heard footsteps in the snow, getting closer and closer.

"?"

Did those things find their way here?

"Brother-in-law."

No. It's An Xiaoxi.

"..."

"What on earth...are you thinking about?"

Su Ming seemed to have seen the expression on that face before.

"..."

"Brother-in-law! Answer me, what are you thinking about?!"

He rushed over and straddled Su Ming without hesitation, staring straight at him.

"I know my brother-in-law will never love me as much as he loves my sister, so I also said that he should just treat me as an object."

"Can……"

"Even if it's an item of little value, even if it's just a burden to my brother-in-law, it would still be uncomfortable, right?"

"..."

At what point in time is it similar to An Shiyao's original situation?

When I found myself crawling back to the supermarket, I was yelling with anger and force. I was yelling with pain.

"She is the wife my brother-in-law has been trying so hard to find?"

"Didn't you find it? Why didn't you come back?!"

"Are you afraid that I will see my brother-in-law's zombie-like face?!"

"Are you afraid that I'll cause trouble when it's okay to be treated as an object?!"

"I have always regarded my brother-in-law as a hero. But I have never regarded him as a god. Of course I feel sad and upset."

"..."