Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 3: This Game Even Has a Dedicated Voice Actor?
Previously on Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal?...
Chapter 3: This Game Even Has a Dedicated Voice Actor?
Li Qingran had never come across a situation quite like this one.
For someone immersed in cultivation, constructing a dwelling was straightforward enough, yet transforming a dilapidated shack into a sturdy stone dwelling in mere moments? Such an accomplishment went far beyond the ordinary.
And manifesting provisions and garments directly from emptiness?
The gap between altering existing matter into new forms and generating substances from absolute nothingness was immense.
Initially, she suspected some mighty cultivator was toying with her, pulling out objects from a storage ring while staying concealed. Yet, no ripples in space could be detected. The items had genuinely materialized from thin air.
To produce things from nothing with such intricate precision, including the tempting scents and visuals of the meals, this demanded the prowess of a Nascent Soul expert at minimum. Or could it even reach the Fusion Realm?
Li Qingran couldn't say for certain.
One thing she recognized was that her mentor, Daoist Qingxuan—a veteran Nascent Soul powerhouse—lacked the ability to perform such a miracle. He might convert raw materials into a completed meal, but conjuring sustenance from nowhere was beyond him. Of course, perhaps her master simply never pursued such skills. After all, from the Foundation Establishment phase onward, cultivators could nourish themselves via meditation alone.
The alluring fragrance of the dishes stirred her long-dormant appetite. Having lost her cultivation, she no longer had the means to meditate away her hunger. The flesh from most demonic beasts proved toxic, and distinguishing the harmless varieties eluded her. Consequently, she had endured on foraged berries and tubers.
However, cowering beneath the bed offered no lasting refuge.
With careful hesitation, Li Qingran glanced out from her hiding spot, mustering her resolve. “Which esteemed senior is weaving such formidable spells? This humble junior, Li Qingran, respectfully seeks the privilege of a direct audience with you.”
Silence filled the chamber, broken only by the steady drum of rain on the bamboo panes.
After a brief hesitation, Li Qingran chose to emerge from under the bed.
To claim she felt no fear would ring false. Yet, against such overwhelming might, what resistance could she muster? Moreover, they had already brushed her foot moments ago— a touch both warm and tender, almost as if ridiculing her pointless attempt to conceal herself.
The memory caused her to nibble her lower lip, a flush of shame coloring her cheeks.
“Whatever fate awaits, let it come.”
Rising to her feet, she scanned the space for any dubious presences, finding none. Her eyes, unable to resist, settled on the table overflowing with a lavish spread.
The audible gulp she made mingled with the insistent growls from her belly.
With some unease, she took a seat at the table, eyeing the delicacies without partaking. Instead, she pressed her palms together, lowered her head, and offered a heartfelt declaration: “If the senior prefers to remain unseen, might I inquire whether these delicacies are intended for me? Should you offer no reply, I would sooner endure starvation than partake of what is yours.”
With those words spoken, she closed her eyes and assumed a cross-legged meditative posture.
Chen Huai’an had opted for a modest midday repast of tomato-egg stir-fry.
Back in the game, he observed Li Qingran climb out from beneath the bed and position herself at the table in meditation. Her refined features bore a rosy tint, beads of perspiration gracing her skin, and her form quivered faintly. The subtle flare of her petite nostrils, battling the savory scents, bordered on the humorous.
“What an odd spectacle is this?” Chen Huai’an chuckled.
Meditating right before a feast? Challenging her self-control? Her jaw was nearly brushing the roasted fowl!
[Li Qingran seeks approval to consume the meal. Do you grant it?]
A prompt appeared on the interface.
“Approval is required? What a rigid mechanism this game employs!” Chen Huai’an shook his head in amusement and clicked “Yes.”
In the display, Li Qingran appeared to catch an unseen cue. Her eyelids flew open, her expression blooming with delight.
“Many thanks, Senior!”
“Hold on—what?! Voice acting too?!”
The clear, melodic tone caught Chen Huai’an off guard, almost causing him to fumble his device. He had muted the audio before, figuring the game skipped on soundtracks. But upon raising the volume, he discovered lifelike ambient effects, such as the snap of flames in the hearth and the relentless downpour beyond.
Still, he hadn’t anticipated a dedicated voice for Li Qingran!
“Indie developers truly spare no effort!”
Chen Huai’an observed with growing interest as Li Qingran started to dine.
She began with dainty, measured nibbles. Before long, her utensils flew with greater speed, and she dove into a voracious consumption of the spread, clearing it at a pace that stunned Chen Huai’an.
Only in virtual realms could figures devour so swiftly.
Having polished off the meal, Li Qingran grasped a delicate cloth, gently wiped her lips, and bowed once more, her cheeks burning with a deep crimson.
“It’s been ages since this junior savored such exquisite fare. The senior’s benevolence shall remain etched in my memory forever!”
During her earlier meditation, a solitary word had echoed in her mind: “Yes.”
It resonated like the profound hum of the Dao, vibrating deep within her spirit. Upon opening her eyes, the dishes shimmered with a soft golden script forged from Spiritual Qi: 可 (Yes).
The utterance had employed a voice transmission method, but what truly astonished her was that the spiritual glyph hadn’t drawn from ambient Qi—it had sprung into existence from nothingness, mirroring the meal itself.
A faint tremor ran through Li Qingran. This senior, whoever they might be, operated on a level utterly beyond her grasp. Yet, no malice seemed present, at least not yet.
“Senior, allow me to tend to the dishes.”
Gathering the platters, she ventured outdoors.
The downpour had intensified, the thick curtain of rain limiting sight to mere arm’s lengths. Nothing but the splash of droplets on earth and the muffled growls of far-off thunder pierced the air.
“The storm rages fiercer now…”
Gazing skyward, Li Qingran swelled with appreciation.
Without the senior’s shelter, her former hovel would surely lie in ruins by this point.
A narrow veranda outside kept the rain at bay for her. Trailing along the overhang, she spotted the wooden pail she’d set out the previous day for gathering water. Brimming full now, it served ideally for scrubbing the plates.
[Li Qingran is washing the dishes.]
[Li Qingran’s favorability +5. Current: 10.]
“Look at that—she handles the cleanup too? A favorability mechanic comes as no shock, I suppose.”
Chen Huai’an grinned, finding himself more and more captivated by the game’s richness.
The characters moved with uncanny realism, and the wealth of engaging elements proved staggering.
How could a title this impressive have escaped his notice until now?
Checking the clock, he noted the identity and vitality analysis would finish shortly.
In the interim, he resolved to delve deeper into the game.
To his amazement, the interface boasted an expansive world map. When opened wide, Li Qingran’s modest abode appeared as a minuscule speck amid an immense, fog-shrouded wilderness awaiting discovery. Merely the vicinity of her dwelling stood revealed.
Curiously, another spot gleamed into view: a majestic sect inscribed with gleaming golden script—Qingyun Sect.
“Ah? So that’s her former home.”
Chen Huai’an’s brow furrowed. Why had Li Qingran left the Qingyun Sect? And under what circumstances had she fallen into such dire straits? The sect loomed nearby, atop the very mountain, while her spot nestled at its foot. To cultivators, such a trek posed no true obstacle.
Some tale surely lay concealed here.
Returning his focus to the map, his face shifted in alarm.
Encircling the humble dwelling, five crimson markers had emerged.
They advanced with haste straight toward Li Qingran’s position!