"In the days of falling leaves, I hope you remain as bright as the summer sun, and as gentle as the spring breeze."
"My longing will transform into transparent snowflakes, quietly landing on your cheek and melting into a warm kiss."
"In the place closest to you, my yearning lies buried. Do not forget me; please walk past the end of time, and I shall be there waiting for you."
*Splash!*
A heavy mountaineering boot stepped ruthlessly into a puddle, kicking up a spray of dark brown mud. A few seconds after the boot lifted, the rippling water settled back into a calm surface. Aside from the stains on the leather, it was as if nothing had happened.
Tang Ping remained indifferent to this. He simply shifted his gaze from his phone screen to the drone flying ahead of him... or rather, to Monica.
"An app I've never seen before. Which company's new product is this?"
After observing the content of the post and the overall design style of the app, Tang Ping was almost certain that this program was not on the market. It was likely a prototype from some internet giant.
On a side note, today marked the fourth day of the "cold war" between Tang Ping and Monica. At breakfast, Monica had finally broken the ice by sending him a message, telling him to put on hiking gear and meet at the hotel's back door. Upon meeting, she had tossed him a brand-new phone and flown ahead to lead the way in silence.
Thus, the current scene unfolded.
"This is our nation's exclusive social media platform, called **Linko**."
"Like other software, Linko features the ability to upload text, photos, and videos. As I've said, information security must be controlled by our own country."
Monica spoke in a frigid tone, exactly like the first time they had met. No emotion, only the most concise communication. This deliberate distancing made Tang Ping feel uneasy.
"I see. Let me look... Recommended Users... only four?!"
Tang Ping was astonished as he looked at the empty columns. Only four users were displayed:
1. **The Great Evil God—Tanosi**
2. **Patriarch of the Frostland Magic Wolves—Brenno**
3. **The Solar Falcon—Helios**
4. **Love Diary**
The love poem he had just read was written by the user named [Love Diary]. Aside from their profile pictures, the other three hadn't uploaded any text or photos.
Tang Ping guessed that Monica had established these accounts on their behalf without permission. Among those three, only Tanosi had even a slight interest in human technology; the others maintained a strictly professional attitude. Essentially: *If you teach, I learn. If you don't, I won't.* They weren't like humans—lonely, vainglorious creatures.
"Who is this? Do I know them?"
Could it be someone from the Magic Wolf Clan? It didn't seem likely. This person was not only skilled at operating a phone but clearly well-educated; otherwise, they couldn't have written such elegant literature. Tang Ping tried to filter through the island's residents using the process of elimination, but he still couldn't think of anyone capable of such graceful prose.
"Wait, did you write this?"
AI applications are widespread in modern society; even elementary students use them for homework. If Monica had generated these sentences by referencing human literature, it would be logical.
"She is a new friend I've made. You likely do not know her, but... you should thank her."
"Eh?"
"It was she who counseled me and improved my mood. Otherwise, I would not have forgiven you so quickly."
"...Sorry about that." Tang Ping rubbed the back of his head, looking guilty.
"She is an excellent person—efficient in her work and generous in spirit. However, she has recently encountered some trouble in her romantic life. You should be quite familiar with the type: a scumbag who acts only on desire but refuses to take responsibility!"
"..."
*Is she talking about me?* Tang Ping felt incredibly awkward. Monica was currently staring at him as if he were a piece of trash.
"I consulted my database and concluded that humans can alter their moods through artistic works. Consequently, I recommended Byron's *When We Two Parted* to her. She was deeply moved after reading it and wrote that post."
Monica extended a sharp blade from her chassis, effortlessly slicing through the vines blocking their path, and beckoned Tang Ping to follow. Tang Ping knew she hadn't truly forgiven him; she had simply set those emotions aside. Simultaneously, he felt a sense of gratitude toward this "Miss Love Diary."
"Regrettably, I am merely a machine. It is difficult for me to empathize with her plight. Therefore, I wish to ask for a human perspective. What do you... think?" Monica suddenly turned, looking Tang Ping in the eye.
"....She sounds like a very gentle person. Is she doing okay?" Tang Ping replied cautiously.
"She seems fine. She can eat her meals, work for three days straight without closing her eyes, and her physical function data is very stable. She might even be in her peak condition right now."
"No... that sounds terrible!"
Hearing Monica's description, Tang Ping gave a bitter smile. As a former corporate slave, he immediately sensed the inner pain of [Love Diary]. Only those who are extremely unstable internally seek solace in overworking. It wasn't out of passion; it was a way to use a high frequency of tasks to suppress and numb one's emotions.
*This person... must be suffering a lot.*
Monica noticed the nuance in Tang Ping's words. She said, "Give her a 'Like' once in a while. She would surely be happy."
"Okay."
Seeing Tang Ping nod in agreement, Monica continued forward.
---
According to Monica, today's mission was not work, but hunting.
Before long, a large number of outsiders would arrive on the island. Among them would not only be Tanosi's subordinates but also high-level magical beasts seeking to migrate here, much like Brenno's clan. They might submit to Tanosi, but they would never respect Tang Ping.
The reason was simple: he was human, and he was weak.
To avoid shaming Tanosi and to temper his own strength, Tang Ping had to follow Monica to hunt. Only by defeating a powerful enemy would he be qualified to call himself Tanosi's fiancé.
Though... Tang Ping had no intention of actually securing that position. But with things as they were, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and press on.
---
After twenty minutes of trekking through the rugged terrain, Tang Ping finally scaled a sizable slope and reached a high vantage point with a sprawling view.
"We've arrived."
"!"
Stretched out before him was a flourishing expanse of emerald green. Three-meter-tall arbor trees stood scattered throughout the landscape, interspersed with waist-high thickets and countless wild grasses carpeting the earth.
A rustling sound came from near Tang Ping's feet. He leaned over and discovered a wild rabbit about the size of a sneaker. Its fur was as black as ink, with a gold lightning-bolt pattern etched across its forehead. The moment their eyes met, the rabbit let out a sharp *whoosh* and vanished into the undergrowth.
In the distance sat a great lake, its surface shimmering like a liquid mirror. Three brown boars with protruding tusks walked in tandem toward the shore to drink. High above, a bird plummeted from the sky; its feathers were as radiant as a rainbow, and its speed was like a bolt of lightning cutting through the azure firmament. It snatched up a plump fish and, with a powerful flap of its wings, disappeared beyond the horizon.
This Eden-like scenery made it hard to imagine that less than a month ago, this place had been nothing but scorched earth.
"Incredible..."
Tang Ping stood frozen, drinking it all in. Although he had seen hundreds of photos and videos during the Magic Wolf Clan's island survey, the impact of seeing it with his own eyes was entirely different.
*What is going on? What happened to this land? Wasn't Tanosi's power only supposed to affect the size of the island and the rise and fall of the terrain? Where did these trees, meadows, and beasts come from?*
"Monica, tell me the truth. Did you all do something to make the island turn out like this?" Tang Ping turned to question Monica, his eyes filled with indecipherable emotions.
If the scene before him was a masterpiece created privately by Tanosi and the others, it would mark the second time they had acted behind his back, following the Novice City supply incident. This feeling of events gradually slipping from his control caused a spark of irritation to flare in his heart.
"If Lady Tanosi did do it, what do you intend to do about it?"
"I..." Tang Ping bit his lower lip, his expression struggling.
...Fine! Thinking it over, there really wasn't much he *could* do. Just as Tang Ping began to weigh whether this situation posed a threat, Monica revealed the truth.
"This is not Lady Tanosi's doing, but it is indeed influenced by her."
"What do you mean?" Tang Ping looked puzzled.
"This was originally a deserted island, home to nothing more than small creatures like pythons or field mice. After the volcanic disaster, it should have been impossible for any living thing to exist here, aside from seabirds flying in from the outside, right?"
"Yes," Tang Ping nodded.
"However, that is only under normal circumstances! With Lady Tanosi's intervention, everything changed," Monica explained slowly. "Since Lady Tanosi arrived on this island, she has overextended her mana several times, leading to certain 'accidents.'"
"...Like Chernobyl?" Tang Ping recalled the image of Tanosi pouring divine power into the ground and suddenly had a theory.
"Close enough! Lady Tanosi is no ordinary deity. Not only is she a God of the Sea, but she is also an Evil God carrying a forbidden bloodline. Her mana possesses a certain 'polluting' quality..."
"Isn't it divine power?" Tang Ping interrupted. He remembered Tanosi always using the term "divine power" to refer to her strength.
"Mana is divine power. The term only changes based on the user. Much like commoners and nobles—they are all human, yet you address them with different titles." Monica continued, "Only high-ranking races with the bloodline of a god are entitled to call their mana 'divine power.' It is a symbol of status."
"In any case, Lady Tanosi's divine power has a polluting effect. When normal organisms encounter Lady Tanosi without protection, there are usually only two outcomes: they go mad, or the immense pressure causes cardiac arrest. There are almost no exceptions."
"...But I'm alive and well? And my body feels perfectly normal."
"Do you still not understand? You are that exception! And so is the prey we are about to hunt." Seeing Tang Ping's dazed expression, Monica elaborated. "A normal human shouldn't even be able to see a god with the naked eye, let alone touch an Evil God without dropping dead on the spot."
"I'll speak plainly: Tang Ping, you are special! Strictly speaking, you are different from other humans. Lady Tanosi didn't just pick someone off the street as her fiancé on a whim. Do you understand now?"
Hearing this, Tang Ping recalled his first meeting with Tanosi. They... they had kissed?! And lately, they had frequently held each other while unclothed. Meaning... he was supposed to have dropped dead instantly?!
Tang Ping's skin crawled, and a cold sweat broke out. The color visibly drained from his face, leaving him deathly pale.
"Then what exactly am I...?"
"Quiet! Get down!" Monica suddenly cut him off. She signaled for him to crouch so "It" wouldn't see them.
"I've found our prey. If you defeat it, you will undoubtedly make a great impression on everyone. Good luck, Tang Ping! If anything happens, I'll support you."
"???"
The monster that appeared left Tang Ping stunned. This wasn't a beast on the level of a tiger or a black bear—this was a Magic Beast! *Wait... is this thing even something a human can take down?!*
"There are currently three theories as to why these creatures appeared on the island," Monica noted. "First, Lady Tanosi's power caused mutations in the planet's organisms—like the seabirds and fish you ate recently. Second, the spatial structure around this island is extremely unstable; intense energy fluctuations can cause spatial rifts, allowing creatures from the other side to cross over. Third—and the least likely—is that Lady Tanosi's power went out of control, causing things sealed within the Water God's Seal to accidentally leak out. Our target here is likely the second possibility."
The monster lumbered past the thicket where Tang Ping was hiding, making the earth tremble. Its massive frame blocked the sun, casting a thin shadow over a three-meter radius. Tang Ping covered his mouth and nose tightly, not daring to let out a sound.
Just then... Tang Ping felt a chill on his neck. He looked back to find a white snake, as thick as a man's arm, draped over his shoulder. It was shivering violently, seemingly just as terrified as he was.
In the moment Tang Ping's eyes met the white snake's, he let out the loudest scream of his life.
"ARGHHHHHH—!"
Tang Ping flung the white snake off his neck and scrambled out of the bushes in a panic. For a moment, the world went silent. The earth stopped shaking.
Tang Ping realized the gravity of his mistake. He stiffly looked up, his heart pounding frantically, and finally saw the monster's true form clearly...
A strawberry-shaped monster, at least two stories tall with a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, was looking down at Tang Ping with curiosity. A massive amount of drool was leaking from its maw...