Chapter 3: This Game Even Has a Dedicated Voice Actor?
Li Qingran had never encountered anything like this.
For a cultivator, building a house was simple, but turning a ramshackle hut into a stone house in an instant? That was no ordinary feat.
And conjuring food and clothes out of thin air?
The difference between transforming something into something else and creating something from nothing was vast.
At first, she thought a powerful cultivator might be playing tricks on her, using a storage ring to summon items while remaining hidden. However, she sensed no spatial fluctuations. Everything truly appeared out of thin air.
To create something from nothing with such exquisite detail, down to the aroma and appearance of food, this had to be the work of at least a Nascent Soul cultivator. Or perhaps even Fusion Realm?
Li Qingran wasnât sure.
What she did know was that her master, Daoist Qingxuan, an old monster at the Nascent Soul stage, couldnât achieve such a feat. He could transform ingredients into a finished dish but couldnât make food appear out of nowhere. Then again, maybe her master had never bothered with such techniques. After all, cultivators could sustain themselves through meditation starting at the Foundation Establishment stage.
The tantalizing smell of food awakened her hunger. With her cultivation abolished, she could no longer meditate to suppress hunger. The meat of most demonic beasts was poisonous, and she couldnât tell the safe ones apart. Thus, she had survived on wild fruits and roots.
But staying under the bed wasnât a solution.
Cautiously, Li Qingran peeked out from under the bed, gathering her courage. âWhich senior is casting such powerful spells? This junior, Li Qingran, humbly requests the honor of meeting you in person.â
The room remained silent except for the rain pattering against the bamboo windows.
After a momentâs pause, Li Qingran decided to crawl out from under the bed.
Saying she wasnât afraid would be a lie. But if the other party was so powerful, could she resist anyway? Besides, they had already touched her foot earlierâwarm and gentle, as if mocking her futile hiding.
The thought made her bite her lip, her face flushing with embarrassment.
âWhatever happens, so be it.â
Standing up, she surveyed the room but found no suspicious figures. Her gaze inevitably drifted to the table laden with a feast.
Gulp.
The sound of her swallowing echoed alongside the rumbling of her stomach.
Awkwardly, she sat at the table, staring at the dishes but refraining from eating. Instead, she clasped her hands together, bowed her head, and sincerely said, âIf the senior is unwilling to show yourself, may I ask if these dishes are for me? If you remain silent, I would rather starve than touch something that belongs to you.â
After her words, she shut her eyes and sat cross-legged in meditation.
Chen Huaiâan had settled for a simple lunch of scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
Returning to the game, he saw that Li Qingran had emerged from under the bed and was now seated at the table, meditating. Her delicate face was flushed, dotted with sweat, and her body wavered unsteadily. The way her little nose twitched as if resisting the foodâs aroma was almost comical.
âWhat kind of scene is this?â Chen Huaiâan laughed.
Meditating in front of food? Testing her willpower? Her chin was practically hovering over the roast chicken!
[Li Qingran requests permission to eat the meal. Do you approve?]
A dialogue box popped up.
âI have to approve it? What kind of strict system is this?â Chen Huaiâan shook his head, amused, and selected âYes.â
On-screen, Li Qingran seemed to hear something. Her eyes snapped open, her face lighting up with joy.
âThank you, Senior!â
âWhat theâ! Thereâs voice acting?!â
Startled by the crisp, sweet voice, Chen Huaiâan nearly dropped his phone. He hadnât turned on the sound earlier, assuming the game lacked background music. But after turning up the volume, he realized the game had incredibly realistic environmental audio, like the crackling of the stove fire and the torrential rain outside.
However, he never expected Li Qingran to have her own voice actor!
âSmall studios really go all out!â
Chen Huaiâan watched in fascination as Li Qingran began eating.
At first, she took small, delicate bites. But soon, her chopsticks moved faster, and she descended into a frenzied devouring of the meal, finishing at a speed that left Chen Huaiâan dumbfounded.
Only in games could characters eat this fast.
After finishing her meal, Li Qingran picked up a small napkin, dabbed her mouth, and blushed deeply as she bowed again.
âThis junior hasnât had such a delicious meal in ages. Seniorâs kindness is something I will never forget!â
When she meditated earlier, she suddenly heard a single word: âYes.â
The sound was like the resonance of the Dao itself, reverberating through her soul. When she opened her eyes, the food glowed faintly with a golden character made of Spiritual Qi: ćŻ (Yes).
The voice had used a transmission technique, but what struck her was that the spiritual character wasnât formed by manipulating surrounding Qiâit had been generated out of thin air, just like the food.
Li Qingran shivered slightly. Whoever this senior was, they were far beyond her comprehension. But they didnât seem hostile, at least for now.
âSenior, I will clean the dishes.â
Carrying the plates, she stepped outside.
The rain was heavier now, the dense downpour reducing visibility to just a few meters. The only sounds were the rain hitting the ground and faint rumbles of distant thunder.
âThe rainâs even heavier than beforeâŠâ
Looking up at the sky, Li Qingran felt a surge of gratitude.
If it werenât for the seniorâs house, her old hut would have collapsed by now.
Outside, a small corridor shielded her from the rain. Following the eaves, she found a wooden bucket she had left out yesterday to collect rainwater. Now full, it was perfect for washing the dishes.
[Li Qingran is cleaning the dishes.]
[Li Qingranâs favorability +5. Current: 10.]
âWell, well, she even washes dishes? A favorability system isnât surprising, though.â
Chen Huaiâan chuckled, increasingly impressed by the gameâs depth.
Not only were the characters incredibly lifelike, but the amount of interactive content was astonishing.
How had he never heard of this game before?
Glancing at the time, he saw the identity and health report would be ready in a few minutes.
While waiting, he decided to explore the game further.
To his surprise, the game had a large map. When fully expanded, Li Qingranâs small house was just a tiny dot amidst a vast, unexplored expanse covered in dark fog. Only the area around her house was visible.
Interestingly, another visible location stood out: a grand sect marked by golden charactersâQingyun Sect.
âOh? Thatâs where she used to live.â
Chen Huaiâan frowned. Why wasnât Li Qingran still in Qingyun Sect? And why was she in such a miserable state? The sect seemed close, just at the mountainâs peak, while her current location was at the base. For cultivators, that was hardly a long journey.
There had to be a story behind this.
Zooming back into the map, his expression changed.
Around the small house, five red dots appeared.
They were moving quickly toward Li Qingranâs location!