Dawn light filtered through the makeshift tent, gently warming the sleepers to wakefulness.

The Dorm Leader, usually an early riser, lay frozen. At some point in the night, her sleeping position had shifted.

Perhaps from the chill, she’d ended up sprawled across Wang Qi, clinging tightly to him.

Wait—why was Wang Qi hugging her back?

She felt like a doll cradled in his arms, a strange sensation flooding her. How had this even happened?

The real problem gnawed at her. Zhang Yemiao had been awake for half an hour, but Wang Qi’s steady breathing showed he was still deeply asleep. She felt trapped, yet resigned.

*Fine. Let him hold on.*

She recalled his words from last night—he planned to part ways once they reached human settlements.

After their initial panic post-transportation, they’d assessed their new abilities.

Physical Enhancement was clearly the weakest skill. Magic offered "Wood Armor" or "Stone Armor" spells; Divine Arts had "Divine Body" blessings. With her Mastery of Objects, Zhang Yemiao could forge and wield any armor—far surpassing Wang Qi’s raw strength. He wasn’t essential.

Both she and Wang Qi knew Mo An and Ping Tian—holders of Divine Art Mastery and Magic Mastery—would never settle for ordinary lives here. That simply wasn’t who they were.

Wang Qi was different. He didn’t crave that path.

*What about me?*

Zhang Yemiao frowned. Her resolve paled next to Wang Qi’s quiet pragmatism. For all his usual unreliability, he’d thought this through. Meanwhile, she—the Dorm Leader—had no clue what she truly wanted.

She shifted, trying to escape his arms. The movement jolted Wang Qi awake.

Instinctively, he tightened his grip—like resisting someone stealing your blanket at dawn.

Panic seized Zhang Yemiao. His arm pinned her effortlessly. *What’s he doing?!*

Then she felt it—a hard pressure against her thigh.

*Oh god. Not this. Nothing happened last night! Daylight indecency?*

“Mmmph—” A soft whimper escaped her.

That did it. Wang Qi snapped fully awake, remembering where he was—and who he held.

“D-Dorm Leader…”

Zhang Yemiao glared up, cheeks flushed. “Let go *now*!”

He released her instantly. She scrambled up, smoothing her rumpled clothes. “You were totally taking advantage! I misjudged you!”

Wang Qi avoided her gaze, heart pounding traitorously. This flustered, almost *girlish* side of his usually confident Dorm Leader was… unexpectedly endearing.

Zhang Yemiao suddenly realized her own reaction had been uncharacteristically delicate. *Not how a guy should act.* She recalled the hardness she’d felt—and smirked.

Her eyes flicked downward meaningfully. “So earlier, you were…”

Wang Qi’s face burned. “It’s a normal physiological response! Stop staring!”

Zhang Yemiao extended a slender leg. Even petite, her proportions were striking. Her silk-stockinged foot hovered near his stomach.

“I could lend you this,” she teased, toe tapping his belly. “Can’t do much else, but a leg’s not bad…”

*Damn it. Why’s this tempting?*

Wang Qi shoved her leg away, feigning indifference. “Get lost. I ain’t falling for that.”

“Pity,” she sighed. “I thought since I’m a girl now, I’d keep it in the family. But if you refuse…”

Wang Qi ignored her, staring fixedly at the tent flap. Any reaction would just invite more teasing.

Bored by his silence, Zhang Yemiao retracted her leg and crawled outside. “Are those two still asleep?”

“You know they won’t wake without prodding.”

Soon all four emerged. Zhang Yemiao stowed the tents into her storage space—a perk of Mastery of Objects.

“You two look untouched,” Wang Qi remarked, eyeing the well-rested girls. “I thought you’d have ‘explored each other’s new bodies’ last night.”

Mo An and Ping Tian scowled, fists clenching. *Like having no special ability is a prize?*

Mo An sighed. “I *tried*. She hit me with a Divine Art—‘Tranquil Mind’—and I passed out instantly.”

“And I’d never do something so shameless!” Ping Tian shot back. “Unlike *some* people. Dorm Leader and Wang Qi alone in a tent? Sparks fly, winds howl—it’s suspicious!”

Mo An darted behind Zhang Yemiao, shoving her lightly. “Test her balance.”

“Hey!”

“Get off me!”

After the scuffle settled, Wang Qi cleared his throat. “Uh… food? We haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

Two blank stares met him.

“Do we even need food with magic?” Mo An mused. “I just absorb mana.”

“Same with Divine Power,” Ping Tian added.

Zhang Yemiao and Wang Qi froze. They had no mana or Divine Power. They *needed* food.

Mo An conjured a water orb. “Water’s easy. Food? Not so much.”

The two felt like dead weight.

“Gather materials for traps,” Zhang Yemiao ordered. “Wang Qi, hunt small game.”

Mo An and Ping Tian offered help but proved useless. Hours later, they succeeded.

“At least this grassy plain isn’t like the African savanna,” Wang Qi panted, returning with a rabbit-like creature. “Humans are the best at shedding heat—no animal lasts this long.”

Zhang Yemiao checked her trap: a large sparrow-like bird.

Silence fell as they stared at the prey.

“Wang Qi, put them out of their misery.”

“No knife!”

“You’ve got Physical Enhancement! Strangle it!”

“You do it if you’re so tough!”

Modern hands knew theory but flinched at reality. None had slaughtered anything before.

Mo An stepped forward. A fireball flared.

The animals’ lives ended swiftly.

Ping Tian, with cooking experience, cleaned the carcasses. A low-tier Divine Art purified them. Mo An ignited the fire with another fireball.

The grilled meat was terrible. Mo An and Ping Tian took one bite each and stopped—they weren’t hungry. Only Zhang Yemiao and Wang Qi devoured it ravenously.

No spices. No flavor.

They exchanged a glance mid-bite, then silently finished every charred piece.