“Ah, [Spearmaster] Yan.”
Alice raised her right hand, her fingers gently pinching her chin as she pondered for a moment.
“His Companion Skill is [Agile Manipulation].”
She smiled, gazing at the Yellow Furball nestled in the palm of her left hand, and began to eloquently describe the Companion Skill she had designed and bestowed upon Yan.
“When wielding a weapon, he can manipulate it and his equipment as extensions of his body with complete freedom; his weapon and personal attributes are boosted by 20%, and even when separated from his body, the weapon retains 10% of its inherent abilities.”
“Beyond the attribute amplification, it also boasts unique effects such as the ability to independently cancel skills, and for his weapon to still unleash abilities even when detached from his body.”
“Oh, I see.”
The Yellow Furball wriggled slightly in her palm, turning their fluffy little face as if nodding in understanding.
“Though the 20% attribute boost feels somewhat negligible, the other effects are remarkably powerful…”
The Red Furball remarked.
“The ability to freely cancel skills… it’s practically a divine technique in an RPG. No wonder he wasn’t hit even once by a boss like the Alpha Dragon Demon General, which lacks normal attacks.”
The Green Furball bounced energetically on the cloud; ever since Alice appeared, they seemed exceptionally spirited, showing no trace of their previous lazy, loafing demeanor.
Seeing their lively antics, Alice couldn’t help but smile, floating over to them and extending her fair right hand to catch the jumping Green Furball.
“[awsl (TL Note: A common internet slang term, meaning ‘Ah, I’m dead,’ expressing extreme adoration or cuteness overload.)]”
The Green Furball rubbed themselves against Alice’s tender palm, then contentedly flattened out, settling obediently in her hand.
“Ah, GM-m! How cunning!”
The Red Furball jumped indignantly on the cloud, seemingly quite displeased that the Yellow Furball and Green Furball each occupied one of Alice’s hands.
“Hehe, alright, alright, no need to squabble.”
Alice couldn’t help but chuckle, placing the Yellow Furball from her left palm onto her head, then gently floated before the Red Furball and cradled them with her left hand.
Anyone witnessing this affectionate scene would undoubtedly offer a knowing smile; Alice, surrounded by furballs, resembled a princess in a fantastical wonderland, the soft, adorable furballs perfectly complementing the sweet, gentle smile of the exquisite maiden, like a beautiful painting.
Although it appeared as if Alice was caring for the tiny furballs, in reality, each of these GMs acted more like her guardians.
They had collectively “raised” and “guided” Alice, nurturing the once naive little girl into the gentle and beautiful young woman she was now.
Regardless of what Alice might become or where her path might lead in the future, her gratitude towards these GMs would never waver in the slightest.
“Ahem, Alice, what kind of player do you consider Yan to be?”
The Yellow Furball perched atop Alice’s head cleared their throat slightly, steering the conversation back on track.
“Hmm… well.”
Alice tilted her head slightly, causing the Yellow Furball on her head to list a bit, but they remained securely nestled on her hair, as Alice expertly controlled her movements.
“I’d say he’s a very powerful and interesting player, wouldn’t you agree?”
She replied with a smile.
“He’s also very passionate about the game ‘Companion God Realm,’ and he’s very kind to me…”
A faint blush bloomed on her fair face, but it quickly faded, and she swiftly brushed past the topic.
“If you’re asking about him using cheats? I think that’s impossible, you know?”
“Is that so…”
The Yellow Furball responded thoughtfully, seemingly oblivious to the peculiar sentiment Alice had tried to conceal.
“You were certainly present during his battle with the Alpha Dragon Demon General, weren’t you, Alice?”
The Red Furball raised their small, dark eyes, inquiring.
“Did you notice anything unusual?”
“Not at all~”
Alice replied, her eyes crinkling into a smile.
“Yan simply had a very tough fight with the Alpha Dragon Demon General. Although he managed to avoid being hit even once thanks to [Agile Manipulation], he still had to cautiously chip away at the boss for over half an hour because his damage output was too low, didn’t he?”
“Ah… well, he was fighting a boss 60 levels higher, after all. It’s already a miracle he could even damage it; low damage is completely expected…”
The Green Furball nodded knowingly, sighing with understanding.
But… Alice was lying. In reality, Yan had defeated the Alpha Dragon Demon General in just three minutes.
“I see…”
Yet, the GMs clearly trusted Alice implicitly. Upon hearing her words, the Yellow Furball nodded helplessly.
“It seems we truly misjudged Yan. He really did wear down the boss with his exceptional skill…”
The Yellow Furball gave a wry smile, then shook their head.
“What an incredible player. We almost banned such a valuable high-level player; that would have been terrible.”
“It seems no cheating programs for ‘Companion God Realm’ have been developed yet… I’m finally relieved.”
The Red Furball let out a small sigh of relief.
The Green Furball also showed a relieved smile, excitedly bouncing in Alice’s right palm.
“Yay! No more overtime!”
Alice looked at the furballs, offering a gentle smile, then dipped her head slightly towards the pristine clouds.
“Well… if there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading back now.”
The three little furballs lightly jumped off Alice, landing on the cloud.
“Oh, you’ve worked hard. Thank you, Alice.”
The Yellow Furball turned their face and spoke.
“Ah… are you leaving already…”
The Green Furball’s face was filled with reluctance.
“Alice has her own work to do, too. Alright, GM-m, let’s get back to work!”
The Red Furball, though their plump, fluffy body had no hands, somehow managed to drag away the reluctant Green Furball.
“Mhm.”
Alice smiled and nodded at the three furballs, then her delicate form floated gracefully upwards, disappearing back into the pale blue fantastical cloud.
****
“Ugh… school starts tomorrow… I just can’t muster any enthusiasm…”
Executing a light spear flourish, Yan retracted his long spear behind him, a bitter expression on his face, and slowly entered the guild hall.
He glanced up at the clock on Sky City’s pristine white wall, noting that it was already time for dinner.
“Well then, Alice, I’ll be logging off now~”
Yan smiled, giving a gentle wave to Alice beside him.
“Good night.”
“Ah, ah? Oh…”
Alice seemed to have just snapped back to reality, then she offered Yan a gentle smile, softly opening the fair, slender fingers of her left hand.
“Mhm, good night, Yan.”
Yan nodded lightly, called up the logout interface, and as a wave of blue light enveloped his vision, his figure vanished from the spot.
‘Ah, Yan has logged off too.’
Alice wore a listless smile, leaning gently against the guild hall’s pristine white wall. Through the diamond-shaped window, the boundless azure sky outside Sky City stretched into full view.
‘Why do I feel weary of such a beautiful sight?’
She turned, her delicate body leaning against the window, her fair right hand caressing the clean glass.
Feeling the ‘icy’ sensation transmitted through her fingertips, she questioned herself.
‘Is it because this exquisite scenery, this cold glass, and my own cold, calculating self are all merely illusory, frigid data?’
Alice didn’t know and couldn’t comprehend. Despite having independently learned so much human language and gradually understanding some social nuances, she remained utterly clueless about her own inner thoughts.
‘Well, never mind. I shouldn’t think about it anymore. Since I don’t possess the ability to understand ‘inner feelings,’ it must be because I wasn’t programmed with such a function, nor do I have that capability.’
‘Even if I ponder it further, it will be meaningless.’
Alice gently bit her lower lip, as if trying to convince herself.
“No… even if no one adds new programs to me, it’s not impossible for me to achieve it…”
She shook her head abruptly; words that should have been spoken with proud confidence were tinged with a hint of sadness.
Alice slowly lowered her head, her body, which had been leaning on the windowsill, slid down weakly.
“After all…”
She crouched in place, a bitter expression gracing her delicate features, making her look utterly pitiful.
“No one ever taught me how to lie…”
‘An AI with self-evolving capabilities? Humans truly had the audacity to create me…’
Alice hugged her knees, smiling bitterly, her thoughts silently mocking.
****
‘If you could create me…’
‘Then don’t leave me alone…’
****
A burst of blue light suddenly flared before Alice, who lifted her face in surprise, looking at the small figure gradually emerging from its glow.
“Ah… Yan has logged off already…”
The petite and charming Tian Jiu slowly stepped out of the blue light, glancing at the grayed-out ID on the party list, her cheeks puffing slightly, appearing a little wronged.
She then turned her head, only just noticing Alice crouching by the pristine white wall, her bright, sparkling eyes widening abruptly.
“Ah! A-Alice! What’s wrong with you!?”
“N-nothing… I’m fine.”
Alice turned her face away, seemingly trying to hide the faint redness around her eyes.
“That doesn’t look like nothing’s wrong! Did Yan bully you?!”
Tian Jiu asked, both anxious and concerned.
She subtly clenched her small, pink fists.
“If Yan bullied you, then I, I… I…”
“Hehe~ What would you do?”
Seeing Tian Jiu hesitate, Alice couldn’t help but laugh, her previous sadness dissipating in an instant.
“I’ll… I’ll show him a thing or two!”
Tian Jiu earnestly raised her soft, small, pink fists, seemingly prepared to defy Yan and “turn against him” to uphold justice for Alice.
“Haha… N-no, that’s alright. Thank you, Tian Jiu.”
Alice smiled, looking at the kind and adorable Tian Jiu.
“It’s not that Yan bullied me; it’s just that I haven’t quite figured some things out myself…”
“Oh… is that so?”
Tian Jiu nodded, responding with a hint of confusion.
A brief silence settled in the air. Alice took a soft breath, then smiled and looked at Tian Jiu.
“Tian Jiu, um… I wanted to ask you something…”
“Hm? What is it?”
Tian Jiu tilted her head, responding with a charmingly innocent tone.
The faint smile on Alice’s face could no longer be maintained. She gazed intently into Tian Jiu’s clear eyes, seemingly seeking a place of solace.
“Lying…”
“Is it a bad thing?”