“Good morning, Yan.”
Alice stood at the entrance of the guild hall, her gaze fixed on the blue login light that flickered before her, and offered Yan a bright, smiling greeting.
“Ah… it’s Alice… morning…” Yan managed to force a smile, offering her a tired wave.
“What’s the matter, Yan? You seem quite listless.”
Alice’s eyes met his, filled with concern.
“Are you alright?”
“N-nothing, really, it’s just that school’s about to start again…” Yan’s face twisted into a pained grimace, as though the very thought caused him immense suffering.
“Oh, the mere thought of classes resuming leaves me utterly drained, body and soul. I can’t bear it…”
“Pfft~” Alice couldn’t suppress a giggle, her hand flying to her mouth as she let out a delicate laugh.
“Here I was, worried something serious had happened. Turns out, it’s just Yan facing the return to school.”
“Who would have thought that the renowned [Spearmaster] Yan would be so vexed by something as mundane as the start of a new semester?”
“Alice, please don’t tease me…” Yan offered a helpless smile, then slowly settled into a chair at the guild hall’s long table, slumping onto its surface with a distinct lack of energy.
“My head already aches just thinking about the final research project my advisor assigned last semester—it’s still undone.”
“So, Yan is in university. What major are you pursuing?” Alice, her curiosity piqued, leaned in closer, positioning herself beside him.
“Hmm, well… it’s something you’re quite familiar with yourself, Alice.” Yan propped his head with his left hand, a faint smile gracing his lips as he looked at her.
“Hmm?” Alice regarded him with a puzzled expression, evidently failing to grasp his implication.
“It’s the Department of Applied Digital Technology. Broadly speaking, it covers emerging technologies, full-dive virtual reality, the practical applications of intelligent AI, and the like…”
“Oh, really?” Alice tilted her head, a flicker of genuine interest in her eyes.
“That sounds quite impressive.”
“Well, even though I’m merely a sophomore rookie, if I truly master this field, perhaps I could become an extraordinary figure, much like your ‘father,’ Alice.” Yan spoke with a wry smile, spreading his hands in a gesture of humility.
The ‘father’ Alice referred to was, of course, Bai Shiqing, the chairman of the company operating *Companion God World*. Indeed, Bai Shiqing was truly remarkable; he had not only developed an intelligent AI as charming and endearing as Alice but had also seamlessly integrated her into a full-dive game, transforming her into the game’s iconic mascot and generating immeasurable profits. Such an accomplishment certainly warranted the highest praise.
“Oh, is that so?” Upon hearing Yan speak of her ‘father,’ Alice’s earlier interest abruptly waned. A fleeting shadow crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by a subtle, mischievous smirk.
“Then perhaps it would be best if Yan didn’t learn *too* well.
‘Such an ‘extraordinary’ person and Yan… somehow, they just don’t seem to quite fit together, do they?’
“Alice… even *you’re* making fun of me now.” Yan dramatically collapsed onto the table, feigning a look of utter despair, as if playing dead.
He dismissed it entirely as Alice’s rather clumsy ‘joke,’ completely oblivious to the subtle shift in her demeanor.
“Ah, I’m dead.” He stretched out his arms across the length of the table, collapsing onto it in a show of utter exhaustion.
A moment later, he turned his head, his gaze falling upon Alice, who stood beside him, a faint smile playing on her lips.
“Alice, why aren’t you sitting? There are so many chairs available.”
It struck him that Alice had been quietly standing in the guild hall this entire time, despite the numerous unoccupied chairs lining the long tables. ‘While an AI certainly wouldn’t tire from standing, it still felt peculiar.’
“Well, the seating in the guild hall is meant for players.” Alice tilted her head, a wry, self-deprecating smile gracing her features.
“There’s hardly any necessity for an AI like myself to occupy them, is there?”
“But in my eyes, Alice, as you exist in this world, is a truly real and charming person.” Yan offered a gentle smile, speaking with genuine sincerity.
“Within this world, Alice is the tangible reality, while we are merely ephemeral illusions. By that logic, it is *we* who ought not to be occupying the facilities of this world.” He allowed a faint smile to play on his lips, straightened his posture, and slowly rose to his feet.
“How could…?” Alice stared at Yan, her eyes wide with astonishment. For such a quick-witted and astute individual, she was uncharacteristically speechless, her mouth slightly agape as she looked at the now-standing Yan, unsure how to respond. ‘Perhaps her linguistic processing system was struggling to fully comprehend the depth of Yan’s words. Still, it hardly mattered now.’
“Since you’d prefer not to sit, Alice, then let’s simply go out for a walk instead.” With these words, Yan turned and headed towards the exit of the guild hall.
“Come on, join me for some fieldwork.”
“Eh? Fieldwork? What kind of fieldwork?” Alice paused, momentarily stunned, before belatedly following behind Yan, her voice laced with confusion.
“It’s our department’s research assignment.” Yan turned his head slightly, offering Alice a faint smile.
“What? A research assignment? Are you doing it *in* the game?!”
“Precisely.”
Unsure what scheme Yan was concocting, Alice merely watched him with a bewildered expression, silently trailing behind him.
****
“Excuse me, Archer Player, might I trouble you for a brief moment of your time?”
“Eh? Me?” A lone Archer Player, who had been heading out of Windstar City to grind for experience, pointed to himself, casting a bewildered glance at Yan.
“Indeed, it’s you, young man. Could you possibly lend me a hand?” Yan approached with a smile, and as he drew nearer, the Archer finally recognized the true identity of the one who had hailed him.
“You! Aren’t you [Spearmaster] Yan, one of the five champions from the first event!?” The young Archer’s expression shifted to one of startled disbelief, and then, as if realizing something, he frantically waved his hands.
“No, no, no! If there’s a problem in this game that even the [Spearmaster] himself can’t resolve, then asking for *my* help surely can’t bode well…”
“Pfft.” Yan couldn’t help but let out a burst of laughter, waving his hand dismissively.
“It’s not about anything in the game, I promise… Could you just hear me out for a moment?”
“Ah? Oh.” The young Archer nodded, his expression a mixture of belief and skepticism.
“Actually, I’m conducting a survey—a questionnaire, really—about the influence of full-dive technology on your daily life, and similar questions. Would you be able to assist me with this?”
“Oh, so it’s just a small matter like that? No problem at all, feel free to ask away.” Upon hearing Yan’s explanation, the young Archer visibly relaxed, responding with cheerful willingness.
“I truly appreciate your help.” ‘What a genuinely friendly person,’ Yan thought, a faint smile touching his lips.
“Well then, without further ado, let’s begin. To start, would you say that the application of full-dive technology is quite common in your everyday life?”
“Of course! Just like this game we’re playing, most popular games nowadays are full-dive experiences. Beyond that, there are immersive TV shows, immersive movies, and things of that nature that my entire family watches every single week…”
****
“Well then, our survey concludes here. Thank you immensely for your assistance.” Yan smiled, offering a slight bow to the young Archer who had so readily answered all his questions, expressing his gratitude.
“You’re the renowned [Spearmaster]! I can hardly accept such a gesture.” The young Archer joked, gently helping Yan back to his feet.
“I’ll be off then; I was just about to go grind some monsters for experience.” He waved to Yan, preparing to turn and depart.
“Mm! Enjoy your game.” Yan, too, smiled and waved in farewell.
Once the young Archer’s figure had receded into the distance, Yan turned his head, his gaze falling upon Alice, who stood beside him.
“Well, what do you think? This is our department’s research assignment.”
“Eh~ I always imagined these kinds of surveys involved heading out onto real-world streets, stopping random passersby, and having them fill out forms and questionnaires… Yet, Yan, you simply conducted it directly within the game. It certainly saves both time and effort…”
“After all, our research topic *is* full-dive technology.”
“There’s no particular need to insist on random sampling. Our objective is to investigate the current market applications of full-dive technology and the public’s expectations regarding it.”
Yan chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.
“Pedestrians encountered on the street certainly wouldn’t be able to discuss the topic as thoroughly as players who genuinely love full-dive games. Moreover, conducting surveys within the game allows for recording, making tabulation much easier later. There’s no need to even fill out physical questionnaires, which surely makes things more convenient for everyone, wouldn’t you agree?”
“The recording function isn’t exactly intended for *that* purpose, you know…” Alice grumbled, a hint of helplessness in her voice.
“I made sure to obtain proper consent from the interviewed player, so don’t worry…” Yan chuckled, waving a dismissive hand.
“Right, then, let’s go find our next player.”
Observing Yan’s enthusiastic back, Alice, trailing behind him, couldn’t help but break into a faint smile.
‘Well, look at that. He actually quite enjoys his major, and seems to genuinely like studying after all,’ she murmured under her breath, unheard by Yan, who was at that moment eagerly rushing towards another player emerging from Windstar City, intent on diligently carrying out his research assignment.
It seemed Yan’s internal scales were, after all, capable of balancing the significant matters of reality with his beloved games.
‘He’s not entirely a ‘game addict’ then,’ Alice mused, recalling the nickname Qing Bai had given him, and a small smile touched her lips. She then slowly drew nearer to Yan, observing his survey process with keen interest.
Only Yan, it seemed, would ever undertake such a mundane, real-world task within a game.
But then, it *was* Yan—the kind of person who treated an in-game AI as if they were a living, breathing individual.
‘Hmm.’ A thought struck her, and the smile on Alice’s face deepened.
“What a peculiar person.”