Despite everything that had happened—despite the utterly absurd encounters—their journey never stopped. They were finally drawing near their destination.

The grasslands gradually vanished, replaced by increasingly varied terrain. Hills and lakes began to appear one after another.

This didn’t mean they were safer. Quite the opposite—they’d grown far more dangerous.

Unlike the open grasslands where nothing could hide, the diverse landscape now offered shelter to countless wild beasts.

Fights… started multiplying.

…

"Huff… huff…"

Wang Qi collapsed onto the ground. Though walking after intense exercise was wise, he was utterly spent. The girls beside him fared no better. Li Pingtian and Zou Moan looked completely drained.

Zhang Yemiao, however, was in better shape. After confirming their surroundings were secure, she pulled out a compact shelter. One by one, she carried them inside and tucked them into beds to rest.

Just recalling what they’d faced sent chills down her spine—a tiger-like beast… no, calling it a mere beast felt wrong. It was absurdly strong. Wang Qi’s punch hadn’t even made it flinch.

If their tier-three magic and Divine Arts hadn’t granted Wang Qi powerful buffs, they’d never have escaped.

Wang Qi had carried all three girls back like sacks of grain.

Along the way, Zou Moan bombarded the tiger with distracting spells while Li Pingtian healed Wang Qi. Zhang Yemiao exhausted every flying gadget she owned to shake it off…

Or maybe they hadn’t shaken it off at all. Perhaps the tiger simply grew disgusted with them and gave up.

Either way, it had been terrifying.

Facing a beast of that caliber made wisdom feel meaningless. Was it even a beast? Yet calling it a "powerful creature" didn’t fit either—it never cast spells. At best, it was just… unnaturally robust.

No time for such thoughts. Zhang Yemiao pulled supplies from her spatial storage.

Soup? They had no stamina potions… and medicine wasn’t healthy long-term.

She’d cooked for Wang Qi once before, but he’d insisted on taking over kitchen duties afterward. Truth was, Zhang Yemiao *could* cook well—her Mastery of Objects ability ensured most people found her dishes delicious.

So why hadn’t she cooked last time?

She’d simply wanted to cook for him *normally*, without relying on her power. Using it felt like cheating.

But now, with no recovery potions, food was their only option.

She synthesized a shovel, then a pot. A dizzying flood of culinary knowledge surged into her mind. Zhang Yemiao gripped her forehead, swaying for a moment before pushing through the headache to start cooking.

Recipes compatible with this world’s seasonings came clear. She had ample ingredients: wild beast meat, aromatic herbs…

Though she’d forget most details without her ability, fragments would slowly become her own.

Mastery of Objects had two aspects: synthesis and usage. Lately, Zhang Yemiao avoided the "usage" part—her head throbbed whenever she accessed new knowledge.

First the Great Longsword, then throwing blades, weaving machines… even cooking. Her skull felt crammed full. New knowledge meant fresh pain.

*Is my brain too small?* she wondered. *They say human brains have limited capacity. If I keep mastering random things…*

But for now, a headache was manageable.

This journey, though… it was proving far harder than imagined. And Li Pingtian aimed to create a Deity. What kind of god could steal faith from this world?

Zhang Yemiao already had a guess.

After letting the others rest, she roused them to a full table of steaming dishes.

"Mmm! Dorm Leader! This is amazing! Way better than the Magic Academy cafeteria!" Though mages and clerics seemed to need no food, they still drew energy from meals. With their magic and Divine Power nearly depleted, hunger had hit hard. Li Pingtian and Zou Moan ate heartily.

Only Wang Qi looked conflicted. He glanced at Zhang Yemiao.

*Didn’t she start cooking because her food was terrible? Was she faking it back then?* he thought bitterly. *Typical. The prettier the woman, the more she loves to deceive. I actually fell for it.*

"Don’t look at me like that!" Zhang Yemiao snapped, reading his expression. "I’ll cook for you from now on!"

"No need. My cooking’s decent too. We’ll take turns—keeps the menu interesting. Besides, you’d skip certain things… like tomatoes." He smirked. "This world has no tomatoes, but picky eating’s not allowed."

Zhang Yemiao hated tomatoes. While others loved their sweet-sour taste, they made her gag—some genetic quirk, perhaps.

Scowling, she dumped a huge bowl of rice before him. "Finish it before you leave the table!"

Wang Qi devoured it in three bites.

"Mm…" He ruffled Zhang Yemiao’s hair. "Trying to scheme against Dad? You’re still too green."

"I’m full!" Li Pingtian set down her bowl and vanished into her room without a word. The others exchanged glances. Zou Moan jabbed a finger at Wang Qi and Zhang Yemiao. "Seriously? I get you two have… *tension*, but must you be so obvious? Dorm Leader, why spoil this dog with kindness?"

Zhang Yemiao flushed crimson. "You—! Have no sense of timing! Pingtian already fled! Why are you still here ruining my moment? Can’t you see I’m trying to flirt?" She puffed out her chest defiantly.

"W-what?!" Zou Moan recoiled as if hit by a fireball. "You two—!" She fled in disarray.

With the spectators gone, Zhang Yemiao turned back to Wang Qi. Her eyes spoke volumes—soft, shimmering glances he couldn’t meet.

"Ahem. All that food needs digesting…"

Zhang Yemiao grabbed his wrist, pinning him to his seat. (He *could* resist… but didn’t.)

She settled onto his lap, using him as a chair. From this angle, Wang Qi glimpsed shadows through the gap in her collar…

Zhang Yemiao tilted her head back to look at him. She nuzzled his chest, sighing contentedly. "Aren’t you going to hold me?"

Hesitantly, Wang Qi raised his hands. She seized them and wrapped them around her waist.

*So slender.*

Her narrow waist fit perfectly between his palms. He’d lifted her before—under her arms—but never held her like this.

From the side, her innocent face held a hint of allure.

"If I pushed you down right now… would you resist?"

Wang Qi swallowed. A wry smile tugged his lips. "Honestly? I probably wouldn’t."

Seated on his lap, Zhang Yemiao shifted slightly—and felt something press against her. A blush crept up her neck, but she pressed on. "So? After nearly dying, some things don’t seem so impossible anymore?"

"Maybe a little…"

She reached up, tracing his jawline. "Funny. I’ve been thinking the same. Want to… try?"

A pink mist seemed to wrap the table. Their breaths stilled, listening to each other’s heartbeats.

Until their eyes locked.

Wang Qi’s hands slid down Zhang Yemiao’s waist, slipping under her shirt, then slowly rising…

Their faces drew closer, lips seeking lips—

A pure white light engulfed them. The heat in their chests cooled instantly. Wang Qi fumbled to set Zhang Yemiao down, straightening her rumpled clothes.

She scowled toward a doorway. "Pingtian! What was that for?"

Li Pingtian stood frozen, as if surprised by her own action. Then her usual blank mask returned.

"Daytime indecency is unacceptable. Save such matters for nighttime." She retreated into her room, closing the door firmly.

Zhang Yemiao glared at Wang Qi. "See?! You claim nothing’s between you! She *deliberately* interrupted! You’ve definitely done other things with her! I knew moving slowly would backfire—look what happened!"

"But… she *did* say ‘save it for nighttime’?"

"She’ll find excuses tonight too! ‘Too loud, disturbs my sleep’—ugh!"

Inside her room, Li Pingtian paused. *When did the Dorm Leader get so sharp?*