"Sister Li Pingtian, are you certain you wish to embark on this long pilgrimage solely to spread our Lord’s teachings?"

Li Pingtian stared at the bishop before her, his crimson robes vivid against the stone walls. Her face remained impassive as she gave a slight nod. "I am certain."

"Then, by divine grace, I bestow upon you the Pilgrim’s Medal. May it symbolize your duty to proclaim His urgent gospel. Let the Lord’s radiance blanket the world; let love and mercy shine upon all. His protection shall be with you."

He presented a medal split evenly between red and green—red for love, green for mercy. *So even across worlds, the meaning of colors holds true...* Li Pingtian accepted it reverently.

She turned, her gaze sweeping over the church’s stained-glass walls. Light filtered through the colored panes, painting her face in fractured hues. A quiet loneliness settled over her. At the altar stood the Deity’s statue, its expression eternally compassionate—a hollow facade harvesting faith. Without a backward glance, Li Pingtian walked out.

She was ready to wander.

This world offered no fertile ground for her own faith. Yet her Divine Art Mastery allowed her to wield holy powers effortlessly, shielding her true purpose from suspicion.

Creating a god here was harder than on the x-world. There, at least, existed the uneducated—those easily swayed by simple physics tricks. But in a realm brimming with real magic? Only overwhelming power could make others worship you. Yet power was precisely why she sought followers. A vicious cycle.

Her only path: seek the most chaotic, hopeless places. Offer a single thread of hope, and gain utterly devoted believers.

The risk was terrifying. A beautiful girl like her could be violated, sold, and broken into a lifeless doll—or struck down by random violence. It was a gamble with her life.

But she had no choice.

Someone waited for her on the x-world. Was she declared dead there? Her school might offer compensation—a dormitory incident, after all. Would the unknown buyer of the steamed buns ever repay the Dorm Leader? Even with money, her mother alone faced raising a first-grade daughter and a college-bound son. Her father, who’d left them bankrupt after his late-stage cancer diagnosis... Compensation would help, but could one woman shoulder it all? Her brother, fresh in university, needed guidance lest he stray...

Too many ties bound her heart. She needed to return—fast.

Those who crossed worlds and shed their pasts effortlessly? Either born heartless or truly having nothing to lose. Li Pingtian didn’t understand how Zhang Yemiao and Wang Qi accepted it so calmly. She never could.

So even facing horrors, she would move forward.

Sister Li Pingtian left the Church.

Perhaps soon, she’d be called something else—Deity.

***

"Why are you even here?!"

Rarely did the silent girl’s emotions shatter so completely. Suppressed feelings erupted as she faced her world-mates. "I already refused your help! Why follow me?!" Faith-energy crackled over her fist as she slammed it into Wang Qi’s chest—a blow far deadlier than Zhang Yemiao’s playful taps. Wang Qi braced and took it head-on.

*Thud.*

Pain flashed across his face.

The faith-energy on Li Pingtian’s hand dissolved like stardust, seeping into Wang Qi’s body. His pained expression melted into relief as the wound healed. *Divine Arts are convenient,* Zhang Yemiao observed. They enhanced attacks when channeled through the body, empowered weapons with purifying skills, and could heal or brand others with sacred contracts. Magic required meticulous elemental frameworks—Divine Arts felt like cheating.

...Though something felt off. Hadn’t Li Pingtian’s outburst conveniently ended with her buried in Wang Qi’s arms? That move looked familiar. *I’ve used that tactic before.* Everyone knew how to handle Wang Qi: unleash raw emotion, collapse into his chest, and watch his affection skyrocket. *Darn it. I’ve tried so many approaches, yet she went straight for the ultimate move.*

True to form, Wang Qi gently patted Li Pingtian’s shoulder, murmuring comfort. Zhang Yemiao bit her tongue. She’d pushed Wang Qi to come; she owed them this moment. Leaving Li Pingtian alone wasn’t an option—not after how fiercely they’d fought to stay together. But still—

"How long will you two cling like that?" Zhang Yemiao snapped, scowling.

Li Pingtian lifted her head from Wang Qi’s chest. Her earlier storm had vanished, leaving only faint tear tracks at the corners of her eyes. "Jealous?" she asked softly—a question that pricked sharper than it should.

"Yes. I’m jealous!"

Li Pingtian’s lips parted in rare surprise. She pulled away from Wang Qi, her gaze flicking between him and Zhang Yemiao. No words, no gestures—just that silent, measuring stare that thickened the air.

"When did you two get this close?"

Wang Qi shot Zhang Yemiao a glare. She replied with a smug lift of her chin.

"Nothing happened," Wang Qi insisted, truthfully. "Don’t listen to her nonsense."

Only then did he meet Li Pingtian’s eyes seriously. "Are you truly ready?"

"I must go."

"Then we go with you."

"...It’s dangerous."

Wang Qi sighed. "You know it’s dangerous. Yet you go."

"You know why I must."

They spoke in riddles Zhang Yemiao only half-understood. Jealousy flared—she’d thrown herself at Wang Qi so many times, yet these two’s bond felt deeper. *Is it my fault?*

"We’re coming," Zhang Yemiao declared.

Li Pingtian glanced at her. Zhang Yemiao stubbornly looked away.

"She insisted on helping you," Wang Qi said lightly. "Even threatened me with a knife."

"Dorm Leader..." Li Pingtian took Zhang Yemiao’s hand. "Thank you."

*Ugh, the embarrassment.* That’s why she’d let Wang Qi talk first—this sincerity was unbearable. She shot Wang Qi a death glare. He just shrugged.

Swallowing her shyness, Zhang Yemiao met the silver-haired girl’s eyes. "Look, it’s just us four from the dorm. Wang Qi and I aren’t rushing back. But if you two vanish? Leaving only us two ‘insiders’ behind? I couldn’t bear that."

Li Pingtian nodded. "Mm."

Wang Qi clapped his hands. "Then we only need one last member."

"Zou Moan?" Li Pingtian’s tone held reluctance.

"We ask her choice first. Don’t you agree?" Wang Qi’s certainty was absolute—Mo An would join them.

***

They arrived at the Magic Academy.

Wang Qi bypassed official channels. No identity checks, no formal requests. Instead, he led the girls to a shadowed corner of the academy walls and tossed something over the barrier. Then they settled into a nearby café, ordering snacks while they waited.

Soon, a streak of purple appeared in the doorway.

"Well now? What’s the occasion?" Zou Moan strode in, her oversized mage hat nearly swallowing her face, robes swirling dramatically. She counted on her fingers. "Not a holiday... Why’s everyone here? Dorm Leader! Ping Tian! Long time no see!"

Her cheerful greeting rang hollow. Zhang Yemiao and Li Pingtian both turned identical, accusing stares on Wang Qi.

"*Ahem*," Wang Qi cleared his throat. "Forget formalities. Want in on something thrilling?"

"Oh?" Mo An plucked a pastry from the table with zero manners, plopping into the empty seat. "Do tell."

***

"That intense?" Mo An leaned toward Li Pingtian, patting her shoulder. "Old Li, I’m impressed. You’d dare attempt something this wild? You know what ‘creating a god’ means here, right?"

Li Pingtian nodded.

"Then let’s do it!"

Zhang Yemiao frowned. "What about your studies?"

"Pfft. Skipping class? Old news. Worst they’ll do is expel me. I crave battle! Once my magic level peaks, I’ll be the Almighty Sorceress—unstoppable!" She beamed, utterly confident.

The others exchanged glances, sighing in unison.

And so, the four roommates reunited once more.