(Double chapter updated at once)

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In the game “Dawn Realm,” Dongdong is a very special NPC.

This game’s NPCs are categorized into three types — blue names, white names, and red names.

Blue name NPCs are generally indispensable important plot characters, players cannot attack them, and they won’t die outside of “plot kills.”

Red name NPCs are naturally adversarial enemies to players, who will actively attack players that get close, with a certain range of detection; players can choose to avoid them or kill them.

White name NPCs are the most widespread neutral characters, seen everywhere, potentially insignificant passersby or some side-line characters.

Dongdong is a white name NPC in the game, having no plot interaction with players and no side quests, seemingly the most ordinary passerby.

If you hit Dongdong once, she would change from a white name to a red name.

That’s nothing special, other white name NPCs are like this, which is also the approach of most games.

However, this white name NPC Dongdong has an extremely bizarre setting.

After she turns red name, players can’t eliminate the adversarial relationship by praying at the church, she remains a red name throughout this playthrough.

It’s not just that she remains red name, but she will chase after you to attack.

Chasing after is one thing; this creature’s detection range is actually “unlimited!”

Which means, you hit her once, and no matter if you drive out of several districts afterward, escape to the wilderness, or flee to the ends of the earth, she will unrelentingly chase after you to beat you up.

Su Mo suffered severely at Dongdong’s hands during his first playthrough.

At that time, he had just started playing the game and inadvertently kicked Dongdong, who was squatting by the roadside eating. He didn’t pay much attention afterward and walked away.

Later on, despite high-intensity quest running, the two did not encounter each other.

Until the final battle, Su Mo was fighting the boss fiercely, the super high difficulty made him die 38 times.

On the 39th retry, Su Mo relied on his memorization of the moves and muscle memory to hold on till the end, both the boss and he were left with only a tiny bit of health.

Just as Su Mo was about to deliver the final blow and complete his playthrough…

Dongdong suddenly rushed out from a corner and clubbed him, sending him back to the save point.

Su Mo’s mental state exploded at that moment, and the first thing he did after loading was to find Dongdong and hammer her to death, looting her coins before returning to fight the final boss.

In subsequent playthroughs, when Su Mo encountered Dongdong again, he would either kill her on the spot or avoid her, never provoking this crazy girl.

However, Su Mo’s years of gaming intuition told him that Dongdong’s peculiar setting must have some deeper meaning; it couldn’t just be the creators’ prank on players.

He tried searching for clues about Dongdong in the vast Dawn Realm, hoping to find some texts or related side quests, but found nothing.

Until once, after exhausting Dongdong, he casually threw a few moon coins on the ground, and Dongdong surprisingly picked them up and fled.

This odd AI behavior caught Su Mo’s attention.

Afterward, Dongdong kept chasing him with clubs, and he patiently played along, each time only beating her to low health before tossing her some money, medicine, food, and drinks, even actively bandaging and treating her before letting her go.

After this repeated dozens of times.

Suddenly one day, Dongdong’s name changed from red to blue.

System notified that she has become a companion who can assist in battles.

The screen’s lower right corner popped up an achievement named [Taming the Pink-haired Tsundere].

Only then did Su Mo realize — turns out this girl is a total tsundere!

Dongdong is like a fiercely independent and strong-willed stray cat, not liking to get too close to people, yet deep down slightly lacks security.

If you bully her, she’ll fly into a rage, hold a grudge, and chase you.

If you’re kind to her, she’ll still chase you but will also remember your kindness quietly in her heart.

Once you’re kind enough to her and she has caused enough ruckus, reaching a subtle balance in her heart, this stray cat’s tsundere nature will be fully displayed.

She will curse and grumble at you while sticking closely around.

If you suffer a little, she’ll be happier than anyone, teasing you mischievously.

If you suffer a big loss, she’ll be more anxious than anyone, grabbing a baseball bat to fight for you.

Moreover, she possesses the rare “Cyborg Unlimited Resilience” trait. When money’s saved up in the later stages to equip her with top-tier implants, it’s like the War God’s descent, fists beating razors, feet kicking the Anti-Violence Fourth Section.

In the “Most Reliable Combat Companion Rankings” of the “Dawn Realm” game, Dongdong ranks among the top three.

Such a distinctive, amiable, brutally effective pink-haired tsundere, who wouldn’t like her?

Su Mo certainly liked her.

Now, he also began the real-world [Taming the Pink-haired Tsundere] saga.

…

At a home furnishings market on Rosen Street in the Rust Wall District, Su Mo was leisurely browsing.

He was admiring the variety of decor while calling KK: “K, I’ve got some matters these days, won’t be home for now.”

“Our place has four rooms. In the coming days, there’ll be new furniture delivered; find some time to arrange and decorate the empty room.”

“Yes, it’s for the new companion… timing? Uh, I’m not sure either, play it by ear, just get it set up for now. Alright, hanging up.”

Su Mo walked through the bed linens section, selecting sheets and covers for Dongdong.

As he rounded a corner, he suddenly felt an intense pressure from the side, instinctively rolled to dodge.

“Thud!”

A baseball bat hit where he had been standing.

Dongdong ran out from the shadows, stomping her feet angrily: “Whoa! You managed to dodge this?!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep