Though the experience wasn't ideal, the four finally settled their hunger after some discussion. They decided their direction using a simple plumb line method with a wooden staff.

Despite lingering confusion and tangled emotions, their journey into this utterly unknown world began.

…

"I can't walk anymore."

The purple-haired girl whined—her newly acquired Magic Proficiency skill offered no stamina boosts among its lowest-tier spells.

Li Pingtian waved a hand, showering Zou Moan with pure white light. Her spirit lifted instantly, but exhaustion still weighed on her limbs.

Zhang Yemiao frowned sternly. "We’ve barely started, and you’re already spent? This won’t work, Mo An. Our road ahead is long."

"Bullshit! You’re riding on Wang Qi’s shoulders and dare say that?!" Revived by Li Pingtian’s Divine Art, Zou Moan snapped back. "My turn now!"

"No way. We agreed—one hour each. I’ve only had ten minutes. Besides, you lost rock-paper-scissors."

Perched comfortably atop Wang Qi’s neck, Zhang Yemiao stayed fresh. Wang Qi’s Physical Enhancement made his stamina far surpass the three girls’.

Zou Moan tugged Wang Qi’s sleeve, batting her eyes. "Umm… Bro Qi~ I want a ride too~" she cooed, forcing a saccharine tone.

The awkward act only drew blank stares.

Wang Qi sighed and held out one arm.

Zou Moan blinked, confused.

"Grab on tight. Don’t fall," Wang Qi told Zhang Yemiao overhead. Then he hoisted Zou Moan up, settling her on his bent arm.

With just one arm, he supported her entire weight. Perched there, she matched Zhang Yemiao’s height.

"W-what?! You can do this?!" Zou Moan gasped. "A-are you sure? Don’t push yourself… I was joking…"

"Physical Enhancement boosts all base stats, including endurance. No problem." Wang Qi walked to the silent Li Pingtian and crouched, offering his other arm.

Li Pingtian stepped back.

Wang Qi smiled. "It’s fine. Just use Divine Art later to clear my mental fatigue."

Hesitating, Li Pingtian finally sat on his arm.

Wang Qi stood, arms raised like a show of strength—three girls now perched on his arms and shoulders. He looked towering beside their petite frames.

Zhang Yemiao peered down, worried. "Seriously, are you okay? You don’t have to do this…" Carrying three must be crushing him. Plus, sharing space with the others felt cramped. *How strong is Physical Enhancement really?* She recalled Wang Qi’s nighttime words: once they reached human settlements, he’d leave them to live as an ordinary person. The thought made her want to climb down.

"Beep beep! Dorm 333, moving out!"

Before she could speak, Wang Qi surged forward. His pace quickened—then broke into a sprint.

He raced across the grassland, three girls clinging to him.

"Don’t grab my hair!" Wang Qi yelled.

"Then slow down!!" came three shrieks.

"Hahahaha!!!"

His booming laughter echoed far across the plains.

Then he collapsed.

Muscles gave out despite the distance covered. He lowered the girls, gasping for air.

Zhang Yemiao hesitated. "Let’s walk slowly next time… We need to discuss details. We never properly compared our skill trees."

"?"

The others exchanged puzzled glances. All were desperate to escape this endless grassland. Modern humans tired quickly of such vistas after the initial novelty. Zhang Yemiao’s suggestion felt odd.

"And this exhausts Wang Qi," she added reasonably. "I can craft a magic-powered vehicle. We’d move faster without straining him."

Li Pingtian, usually silent, cut in sharply. "Impossible. Even if we built it, how long could Mo An’s mana last? We’d move slower than Wang Qi running."

Silence fell. Wang Qi and Zou Moan watched the tension, knowing Li Pingtian was right. She rarely spoke, but when she did, it struck the core.

Zhang Yemiao knew she was right too—but she couldn’t bear the group splitting up. And she couldn’t say that aloud. Wang Qi hadn’t.

"Rest first," Zhang Yemiao forced a laugh, scratching her head. "Wang Qi and I need food. Well, I don’t really… but still!" She turned to the others. "Same as before—you two wait here. Wang Qi and I’ll hunt small game."

She shot Wang Qi a look. He followed her away until Zou Moan and Li Pingtian were out of earshot.

Zhang Yemiao spun around. "Why are you so set on leaving us?"

Wang Qi paused, realizing her earlier suggestion was a plea. "Scared of being alone, Dorm Leader?" He grinned, but his eyes stayed serious.

"Be serious!" Zhang Yemiao snapped. That grin meant he’d already decided. People did that when they refused to listen—acting like your worries were jokes.

"Dorm Leader, let’s be clear: surviving here isn’t simple." Wang Qi’s smile vanished. "We barely dared to kill a rabbit earlier—only letting Mo An blast it with fireballs because none of us could stomach the act. Do you grasp what that means?"

Zhang Yemiao waited.

"It means we’re naive." Wang Qi’s voice turned grim. "I don’t know this world’s laws, but people here hold power to take lives freely. On Earth, you might stab someone with a knife—but fear punishment. Here? No guarantees. Imagine if everyone on Earth had machine guns. What then?"

"Anyone with different ideas might die horribly. Even being ordinary won’t be easy. You understand?"

Zhang Yemiao’s heart pounded. "Then why not tell them?"

"What good would it do?" Wang Qi countered. "You know them, Dorm Leader. They’re the type who’d get stabbed or expelled just to fight for ‘friends’ from their old life. How could I stop them?"

Zhang Yemiao opened her mouth but found no words.

"You three are different. If we have a mission here, you hold power to change this world. I don’t." Wang Qi’s words hit like bullets. "I’m just a stepping stone—useful now because your weak early skills need my strength. Without me, you’d never cross this grassland."

Zhang Yemiao searched her mind for a rebuttal but found none. She could force him to stay… but she wouldn’t.

What was she to them, really? Just a Dorm Leader. Maybe… good friends? But how deep did college roommate bonds truly run?

*Birds scatter when danger strikes.*

The phrase surfaced in her mind. The context wasn’t perfect, but it fit their fragile unity.

A chill crept into her heart as the grassland wind swept past. She’d always been sentimental.

Wang Qi’s back looked solid yet distant.

*If I don’t speak up… how will I ever know what they truly think?*

But she already knew. Those two would never stop.

Like the wind across the plains—aimless, boundless, drifting without origin or end.