This event felt different from the previous ones. He didn't lose consciousness or jump through time. The sequence of events was very strong; almost in the blink of an eye, the characters "came to life."
Luo Cheng always distinguished the two worlds as the real world and the game world, but in reality, they might not be two separate worlds but rather two different modes of the same world: reality with human consciousness and a system that controlled humans.
With this thought, Luo Cheng found Agness Tachyon and told her his idea, and while he was at it, asked what his recent behavior looked like from her perspective. The result was pretty much the same as before.
"So now, the research question should be how I can prove that I'm not the game character you claim me to be," Agness Tachyon said.
How could a game character prove they weren't a game character? Perhaps the very act of proving it was also part of their character settings, just like how a person's rebellion against fate is also part of their predetermined fate. This kind of philosophical question wasn't something they could solve.
"But these things cannot be a reason to give up. The world always operates around 'rules' and 'methods.' No matter where you are, these two things are always valid."
Luo Cheng nodded, then asked, "Tachyon, is there anything you like?"
"Something I like? Is that the key to you coming back?" she quickly reacted.
"That's right."
Luo Cheng suspected that the condition for him triggering a random event was talking about something a horse girl liked or something related to them. For example, fishing was Seiun Sky's favorite activity. If he talked about things other horse girls liked, he might be able to trigger another event.
Agness Tachyon thought for a moment. "Tea and sugar. I pretty much only like those two things. But I don't think it's that simple. If the trigger condition was just talking, you wouldn't have just discovered it now. There must be some kind of catalyst, like what they're doing, or what they want to do. Since you're invisible in that world, you might as well observe them carefully, Piggy-kun."
In Agness Tachyon's memory, Luo Cheng had also come to her room yesterday. Agness Tachyon had even told him about her research findings, and then the next day, Luo Cheng said he was back. From an outsider's perspective, Luo Cheng seemed to have a condition where he couldn't distinguish where he was or what he was doing. Medically, this was called depersonalization, where a person believes they are a game character. Agness Tachyon felt this was the case, but she didn't fully agree. She liked to grab onto that impossible option and begin her research.
Besides her unique brain, there was another reason.
After thanking her, Luo Cheng left the room. After he was gone, Agness Tachyon drank some tea. She put down her cup and stood up, walking to her desk. The curve of the desk corner was perfect.
Why am I like this?
Agness Tachyon covered her chest. Her heart was beating fiercely. After a long moment, the subtle sound of "shhhh... shhhh..." gradually stopped.
Agness Tachyon returned to her seat and let out a long sigh. The blush on her face was gone. She was surprised by her own longing for Piggy-kun.
After resting for a few minutes, Agness Tachyon prepared to continue her experiment. However, before that, she had one more important thing to do: go back to the dorm and change her clothes.
Meanwhile, Luo Cheng was looking up information about fishing online. If the event triggers were related to things the horse girls liked, it would be best to learn about what they liked. If he could find the pattern, Luo Cheng could return to the real world at any time.
First it was Seiun Sky, and next it would be Tokai Teio. He didn't know if special events could only be triggered with his own horse girls. If so, he needed to actively sign contracts. Since the horse girls all raced one by one, and their stats didn't increase much until he entered their events, signing multiple contracts at the same time wouldn't hinder their growth.
He decided to act immediately. Luo Cheng took out his phone and contacted Manhattan Cafe. While in the "special event" timeframe, he wanted to sign a contract with a few more horse girls.
Soon, a dark figure arrived at the room. She took off her shoes. Her jade-white thighs were faintly visible between her long socks and skirt. She walked up to Luo Cheng, her hands clasped obediently behind her back.
"Trainer... you called for me?"
"Cafe, I'm okay again."
"I see. I just ran here from the dorm. Please allow me to take a quick shower in the bathroom, or I might have an odor."
"Wait, I didn't call you here for that."
Cafe blinked, looking a little confused.
"You like to watch the stars, right, Cafe?"
"Mmm... actually, I like to watch the night. I love that tranquil atmosphere."
"Cafe, you always call me 'Trainer,' but I'm not your trainer yet. So, if you're okay with it, could you sign a contract with me and become my horse girl?"
When Luo Cheng said this, Cafe's eyes widened. A gentle smile then appeared on her porcelain-white face.
"Trainer, I, too, want to be your horse girl. No... not just a horse girl. I want to be your only and most important person." Cafe approached Luo Cheng with a compelling aura. The man's face was reflected in her golden pupils. "Please, Trainer, let's make a soul contract and stay... by each other's side forever."
"Okay..." Luo Cheng swallowed. He felt that the signing process with Cafe was a bit heavy. He wrote his name on the form as solemnly as if he were signing a marriage license. Cafe then handed the form to Luo Cheng.
"When can I start training under you?"
"You can start as soon as it's handed in. By the way, Cafe, my experience isn't that great, so the training might have some issues. Especially your bonus, which is a 30% increase in stamina. You don't really need stamina. If you feel the training isn't right, please let me know right away."
"Stamina... 30%?" Cafe nodded, a little confused. "I understand. Let me make up for the Trainer's shortcomings. I'll grow with the Trainer."
With that, Cafe took his hand and placed it on her face, gently rubbing it.
"Trainer's scent... it's wonderful."
She lightly bit his fingertip.
"Now... I'm yours."
Moments later, the rich aroma of coffee filled the room.