The smooth gray clouds, like a mirrored canopy suspended high in the sky since ancient times, poured heavy rain onto the massive steel and concrete structures of the dead city, quietly eroding away at this already lifeless metropolis.

Skateboards with a metallic sheen skimmed rapidly just about a meter off the ground, carrying the people on top and their gear securely fastened at the back, plunging headfirst into the wreckage ahead.

"Ugh... that's why I hate rainy days, especially when it's pouring like this."

Controlling the skateboard's direction, a young man jumped off and landed on the ground, flipping back the hood of his gray raincoat and shaking off a splash of white mist.

Even wearing raincoats, it was impossible not to get soaked in such heavy rain where even a few meters ahead was barely visible. Clothes, hair, shoes, and socks were all approaching their limits, becoming soaked and bedraggled.

"Fire, fire... Hey! How are you holding up? I don't have anything dry to help you dry off, you won't rust or break, right? I've seen the music box at the village chief's house before, not stored properly during the rain, the machinery in it has rusted beyond recognition."

"Negative. Xiao Lan's body is made of Stannum-Deus alloy for the skeleton, with the rest being made of bionic materials, unaffected by rain."

A second small figure jumped down from the skateboard, revealing indigo-colored long hair and a youthful face after removing the hood.

"Stannum-Deus alloy and bionics... never mind, it doesn't matter. Pretend I didn't ask."

The young man paused for a moment, then shook his head, focusing on scavenging for dry firewood in this ruin of steel skeletons.

"Inquiry. Jilin is seeking fuel? Xiao Lan can help."

The small girl approached the young man who was rummaging around in a pile of debris, questioning in a cold tone of voice.

"Of course, if you can help, that would be great... I can't bear this weather without a fire."

The young man teased, knowing that this child was not ordinary. It was hard to imagine that with a figure between a little girl and an **, with a doll-like face and delicate cuteness, she could rummage through the debris here like he could. And behind him, the small girl's pupils suddenly brightened.

"Guidance. Five meters ahead, seven meters to the right, fourteen meters to the left rear, there are wooden items, the dryness can support combustion."

".... Huh?"

After digging out half of a broken chair, a large piece of table board, and a window frame according to the guidance, Jilin looked at the girl with a newfound respect.

"Is it really worthy of being a creation of the ancient civilization? It still has such hidden functions."

Jilin carved out easily flammable wooden shavings from the wood with a small knife, then ignited a dry tinder and kindled a bonfire. He casually used a large iron cup to collect some rainwater and heated it over the fire.

The girl sitting opposite him tilted her head slightly, remaining silent towards the young man's words.

"Ah, it's really convenient, and it looks quite pleasing too. I'm starting to feel reluctant to sell you to those merchants in Ju Mu Town." Jilin rubbed his chin and sighed heavily due to his stubbles that had been left unattended for a while.

"...."

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Response. Xiao Lan does not know what to say." The girl shook her head.

"Is that so? Well, I shouldn't have mentioned these things to you in the first place." Jilin sighed, "But do you really have no memories at all? Anything related to that ruin or ancient civilization."

Before the girl could speak, the entire building began to tremble amid the roar of the ground, the bonfire in front of them shook, and the iron cup on it with the water inside started to rattle violently.

"Surprise. What's that?"

"Don't you know?" Jilin glanced at her in surprise, then got up to the edge of the steel building and gazed outside.

Even in such heavy rain, he could see in the distance the towering mobile silhouette moving among the dense steel forest, resembling a mountain range.

"Like you, a miraculous creation left by the ancient civilization, even after these long years, it still roams around the city, maintaining the city’s operation—thanks to them, the city remains intact, and scavengers like me can make a living here."

These huge mechanical bodies had the size of hundreds of meters and legs as densely packed as a centipede. Compared to their size, their mechanical legs seemed too slender. It was hard to imagine how they could support such immense weight without the exaggerated number of legs.

Over the long years, dust and dirt filled the gaps in the mechanical bodies, and seeds brought by the wind took root in the soil, ultimately growing into lush vegetation. From a distance, these moving behemoths really looked like actual mountain ridges.

"We call it 'Lianshan.'"

In a world ruined by a Cataclysm, a tale unfolds between the scavenger wandering in the ruins of the ancient civilization and the mechanical girl he awakens within the ruins, embarking on an adventure to uncover the truth behind the collapse of civilization.

"Haha, I didn't expect Aya to write such a novel. Why not try to seriously write and see if you can debut?" Tiran marked the page with a bookmark, closing the book with a smile on his face.

"Chirp wants to keep reading!" The little girl sat on Tiran's lap, moving her ears expectantly.

"I... am also looking forward to the continuation," Little Angel whispered softly.

"Can you please stop talking about it?"

The trio known as the colossal dragon trembled slightly, as if undergoing public execution—had it not been carrying Tiran, Aya, and the three others on its back, it would have already somersaulted in place to ease the intense shame.

Truth be told, initially, he did consider following the unreliable suggestions of the two and write a luv letter, but then thought that Miss Tiran seemed to dislike such corny and troublesome things and considered that the princess enjoyed reading novels. So, he spent half a month writing a not very long story.

Well, even though there was no time for revision or polishing, judging from Miss Tiran's reaction... it was not bad?

Provided there weren't several onlookers.

"What's there to be shy about? Miss Aya really likes your gift~"

Tiran blinked, flipping to the front page of the book. "There are specially drawn illustrations, Aya put a lot of effort into it."

In the illustration, the scavenger was supporting the frail mechanical girl, standing at the edge of the city overlooking the steel forest and the collapsing giant machinery struggling in the sea of flames. Though not colored, the black and white contrast made the impact of the image even more powerful.

"Roger helped with the drawings..."

Aya's voice sounded muffled, but her heart was filled with uncontrollable excitement.

"Yeah, yeah, I know~ But the main creative work was done by you, Aya. I really like this story. And also—"

Tiran suddenly opened his arms and lay his body on Aya's back, whispering softly through the contract:

"No matter where you come from, no matter how the world changes, I will be by your side... I have received this sentiment."