The Cold War refers to the period between 1946 and 1991, a competition in politics, economy, technology, and armaments between two major camps led by the GCP and the Soviet Union. The reason was simple: they wanted that annoying jerk across the ocean to know whose "manhood" was bigger. Because neither side would back down and neither had the guts to strike first, this childish squabble—reminiscent of primary schoolers—was dubbed the "Cold War" by historians.
And now, somewhere in the Pacific, on an eerie, ever-expanding island, a similar bit of stupidity was unfolding...
*Clack... clack-clack...*
On the fourth floor of the Temple of Tanosi, in a room converted into an office, a faint sound echoed. It was the rhythm of a keyboard. On a desk made of imported Nordic log, stacks of documents rose like skyscrapers, surrounding a black-haired man in the center.
"Phew—finally finished!"
Tang Ping navigated his mouse and clicked the save button on a PowerPoint file titled **[Republic of Tanosi Pastures - Gamification]**. After sending the file to Monica, he stretched his limbs and slumped into his ergonomic chair. Silence filled the air; in this massive room, there was no one else. The silver-haired loli with tentacles growing from her back was nowhere to be found.
After resting for a moment, Tang Ping picked up his phone.
**April 28, 2040. 9:11 PM.**
"Is she... still angry?"
Tang Ping gazed at the night sky outside the window, his eyes losing focus as memories flooded back. It had been over a month since they arrived on this island. Once a mere NEET, he had unexpectedly signed an indelible contract with an Evil God and even became her fiancé. They had accompanied each other from Novice City to this deserted island tens of thousands of miles away. They had grown from a duo into a team of over thirty people. There had been laughter and arguments, but the deepening of their bond remained constant.
Tanosi once said: *"Our brainwaves are on the same frequency!"*
That wasn't a lie. During their time together, Tang Ping had felt it deeply. Despite the differences in race, gender, age, upbringing, and values... miraculously, Tang Ping felt comfortable with Tanosi. The concepts of "kindred spirits" or "friends at first sight" probably referred to this. Tanosi likely felt the same.
However, no matter how perfectly synchronized their wavelengths were, once a "red line" was crossed, even the closest of companions would draw swords.
Five days ago, Tang Ping went to the underground dock to retrieve a forgotten phone. He accidentally saw Brode and the others carrying a large, blood-stained wooden crate into a metal door he couldn't open. At that moment, Tang Ping understood many things.
He had rushed to find Monica, demanding to know what was happening. Monica merely spared him a glance and said coldly, "This is Lady Tanosi's command."
Tang Ping nearly lost his mind with rage. He lunged forward to grab Monica's collar, only to be grabbed by the throat and pinned against the wall.
"You knew what happened in Novice City that night, didn't you? Isn't it a bit late to throw a tantrum now?"
"..." Tang Ping was speechless, able only to grip Monica's metallic arm tightly to vent his inner turmoil.
"Look on the bright side," Monica continued. "Those people aren't all dead. At least they weren't eaten by Lady Tanosi or tortured to death. If the experiment succeeds, they can return to this world in a brand-new form, and we won't have to bother recruiting citizens from the outside. If you're willing to accept this and cooperate with me, everything can head in a positive direction. So... stop being angry, okay?"
"..."
Since that day, Tang Ping had moved out of the hotel. He no longer lived with Tanosi, choosing instead to sleep in a study within the temple. He continued to work and occasionally attended meetings with Monica in the docks, but he stopped seeing Tanosi entirely.
It wasn't that he hated Tanosi. He knew she was an Evil God with her own set of values—a logic she had lived by for over a thousand years. He was just an ordinary human; what right did he have to judge or demand change from her? Thus, Tang Ping chose his old habit: **Escapism**.
Avoid the painful things, and with the washing of time, everything will eventually get better.
So, for the past few days, Tang Ping hadn't just ignored Tanosi's messages; he actively avoided anywhere she might appear. Tanosi seemed to have noticed his intent. She didn't confront him about the sudden "silent treatment." She simply faded away like morning mist, as if she had never existed. Neither was willing to speak first.
Until two days ago. Tang Ping returned from the restroom to find a pudding on his desk. He froze for a moment and immediately prepared to message her. Honestly, this period had been agonizing for him too. He felt childish playing the Cold War game in his twenties. Fortunately, the situation seemed salvageable.
He opened the **Linko** app, clicked on Tanosi's profile, and typed into the dialogue box: *"Let's make up!"*
Before he could hit send, a red exclamation mark popped up.
**[Warning: You are no longer friends with this user!]**
"..."
In that instant, Tang Ping understood. Ah, so the pudding was placed there specifically for *this* moment!
***
Back to the present. 10:00 PM.
At the food court on the first floor of TOSTTO, Tang Ping walked unhurriedly into a fast-food restaurant and found a seat against the wall.
*She used to hang out here, and since it's near midnight, the probability of running into her is higher...* Tang Ping thought. He reached into the Water God's Seal, pulled out a box of clay, and began to knead and sculpt it.
This was a collaborative toy between a famous anime MeTuber and TOSTTO. Designed to let children experience the joy of DIY Nendoroids, it was sold exclusively at TOSTTO. It contained a basic skeleton, a mouse-sized lump of gray clay, a small plastic carving knife, and a set of food-grade pigments.
Though categorized as a children's toy meant to train manual dexterity and expression, a massive marketing campaign involving dozens of MeTubers made it a global sensation—a hit for both kids and adults. Back when Tang Ping was unemployed, he had bought two sets just to save money on expensive official figures. When he made his first one, he realized his artistic skills were nonexistent. That "haunted doll" look-alike went straight into the trash, and the second box of clay was shoved to the back of a cupboard.
Now, he would reclaim his past regrets and offer the most perfect sacrifice to the Great Evil God!
Under the nimble manipulation of Tang Ping's fingers, a basic humanoid figure was completed in less than fifteen seconds. Like a professional baker, he breathed vitality into the soft mass, gifting it a brand-new life.
An hour passed. The Nendoroid of Tanosi—including the body, clothing, pose, expression, and coloring—was finished.
"I feel like it's missing something..."
Tang Ping rubbed his chin, then took the remaining clay and rolled it into a perfect sphere. After a period of meticulous carving and detailing, he created a surface of rising and falling terrain. With a coat of paint, a lifelike Earth was born. Finally, he placed the Nendoroid and the Earth together.
"Hmm... the effect is even better than I expected!"
Tang Ping nodded in satisfaction, rotating the base to admire his masterpiece. On a 15-centimeter white circular disc, Tanosi stood clad in flowing black robes adorned with gold patterns. She stood on the tips of her bare toes, arms raised high, condensing a sun-like orb of green light in her hands. The wide, manic grin on her face bordered on late-stage *yandere*, her expression brimming with pure madness. Standing before her was our unlucky "Earth-kun," toppling over helplessly as if it were about to be smashed through by that "Green Accident" at any second.
Tang Ping smiled at his creation. Then, he found a scrap of wood, carved it into a slender triangular prism, inscribed the words **[Emerald Hydrogen Bomb]**, and glued it to the base as a label.
The moment he finished...
"To spend so much time sculpting my likeness... do you really like me that much?"
Tang Ping looked up to see that little-devil smile across the table. He knew the fish had taken the bait.
***
On the way back to the temple, Tang Ping and Tanosi walked side by side. Because Tanosi was low on divine power and forced to maintain her loli form, Tang Ping holding her hand made them look like a father and daughter. Tanosi toyed with the Nendoroid in her hands; judging by the sparkle in her eyes, she was extremely pleased.
"Is work going smoothly?"
"It's alright. With Monica around, I don't usually have to worry about any blunders—Ow!"
Tang Ping felt a sharp pinch at his waist. Looking down, he saw one of the tentacles from Tanosi's back.
"Hmph! Whether it's in this country or in your heart, there can only be one Goddess! Remember that well, you philandering scumbag!" Tanosi brandished the figurine, her cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish.
"Alright, alright, be good..."
Tang Ping ignored the bruise on his abdomen and instead gave the slowly retracting little tentacle a squeeze, marvelling at its incredible elasticity. This was a privilege reserved for the Goddess's fiancé. It had to be said—sometimes physical intimacy really was the best way to de-escalate a conflict between lovers.
"H!" Tanosi cursed, but she couldn't help but let out a giggle.
***
Back in the office, Tang Ping pulled a proposal from the mountain of documents and placed it before Tanosi. She spun around lazily in the ergonomic chair.
"Hmm, good efficiency!" Tanosi picked up the document and began flipping through it with an air of importance.
Speechless, Tang Ping leaned forward, turned the proposal right-side up, and tucked it back into her hands.
"Oh, no wonder I couldn't understand it! Thank you, Loyal Servant, you're so thoughtful!" Tanosi showed no embarrassment. She simply laughed it off and continued reading the document titled **[Citizen Recruitment Manual - Volume I]**.
Seeing her focus, Tang Ping began his explanation. "I'll say this upfront: this proposal only contains big data analysis—essentially, the method for finding the core user base."
"Mm-hmm." The Goddess nodded, flipping through pages rapidly.
"To verify its reliability, we still need extensive testing. The specific methods and processes are written in this: **[Citizen Recruitment Manual - Volume II]**."
Tang Ping produced another set of documents—this time, not from the desk, but from the Water God's Seal. This was his ultimate report, synthesized from his past life experiences, especially his previous job as an influencer manager. It contained his understanding of the current era and the hardships faced by the lower-class citizens of Elind. It detailed how to find the "entry point" to win over and attract the marginalized people of this nation—and the world—making them join the Republic of Tanosi Pastures of their own free will.
Tang Ping was confident in the feasibility of this plan. After all, he was the super-manager who had plucked "Rain After the Sky" from obscurity and turned her into a mega-influencer.
"Anyway, let me see it! I can't wait!" Tanosi reached out eagerly for Volume II.
But at the critical moment, just before she could grab it, Tang Ping suddenly stopped.
"?"
"Is... is doing this the right thing?"
In this final moment, Tang Ping hesitated. Was this really the best choice? Were there other ways? If this plan were implemented, would it be like the Water God's Seal on his hand—a point of no return? Looking at the Cthulhu mark on the back of his hand, he fell into a state of deep inner conflict.
However, the Goddess wouldn't give him a second chance to hesitate.
"I am always right! In the past, the present, and the future—and that includes you, Loyal Servant!"
Tanosi stood up and grasped his slightly trembling hands, her eyes filled with sincerity. "The man I desire, the man I trust! The choice made by such an excellent man could never be wrong!"
"Then... suppose you really are wrong, what then?"
"Oh, stop it! Then it would just mean my 'first time' (being wrong) was taken by you~"
"....."
Looking at this "grandmother" who was over a thousand years old cupping her reddened cheeks like a blushing maiden, Tang Ping was left utterly speechless.
"It's fine! I promise, really!"
"Is that so... I see..."
Looking into her clear eyes, Tang Ping made his decision. He let go, and the proposal landed in Tanosi's hands with a *thud*. It wasn't a surrender; it was an acceptance—of fate, and of his own heart.
Tanosi tucked the document into the Water God's Seal and said with a giggle, "I haven't held you while I slept in so long! Come! Tonight, you can be as 'presumptuous' with me as you like!"
"Is that really how you see me...?" Tang Ping rolled his eyes, though he didn't refuse. He had become accustomed to physical contact with the opposite sex.
"Hee-hee!" Tanosi headed for the door first, but after a moment, she realized Tang Ping wasn't following.
"Are you coming?"
She looked at him, puzzled. But Tang Ping stood there as if possessed, staring blankly out the window.
"I don't know if my eyes are playing tricks on me, or what... but over there... a castle seems to have suddenly appeared. There are spots of light inside. Is that your doing?"
Following the direction of Tang Ping's finger, Tanosi cast her gaze outward, equally confused. The next instant, her pupils dilated to their limit.
In the darkness of the distance, a strange castle truly existed, and within it, faint flickers of orange light began to appear, one by one.
"!?"
Fireflies? No, no, no—those were far too large! Moreover, they were moving rapidly throughout various parts of the castle...
*Are those... torches? There are actually people in that castle?! And quite a few of them?*
"Lady Tanosi, what on earth is... why do you have an 'I'm shocked' expression on your face?" This was the first time Tang Ping had ever seen Tanosi look so panicked, and he couldn't help but feel the tension rising.
"No... I don't know! This wasn't me! Who could it be? To be able to hide from my senses and do something like this out of thin air?!"
"Then what should we do next—wait? The lights are going out?"
Tang Ping watched in surprise as the torchlight within the castle was extinguished at an incredible speed. Even the silhouette of the entire castle began to fade, as if an eclipse were occurring...
No! The lights hadn't been put out, and the castle hadn't vanished! Something was obscuring the entire castle. It was either something gargantuan, or...
The moment the realization hit, Tang Ping screamed: "Run!"
**BANG!**
The moment the words left Tang Ping's throat, the floor-to-ceiling window in front of them shattered into dust. A massive, pitch-black unknown object lunged straight into the room. Before either of them could react, it snatched Tang Ping's body, performed a sharp, graceful turn, smashed through the opposite wall, and vanished into the darkness.
Left behind and alone, the young girl let out a wail that pierced the heavens.
"LOYAL SERVANT—!!!"
**[Volume 1 • END]**