The basic application of divine light that afternoon was, to put it plainly, merely teaching us how to cast it, how to direct it, and how to adjust its brightness.
However, I truly couldn’t discern any practical use for what we learned that day. Thus, after class, I promptly departed the Sixth Campus without lingering.
By the teleportation array in the Fourth Campus, Lavishly Karafar and the others were already waiting. Seeing me emerge, Lavishly smiled and inquired, “How was it?”
“Awful,” I replied truthfully, a profound resignation heavy in my voice. “This ‘Goddess’s Guide to Self-Cultivation’ has utterly shattered my perception of the world.”
Lavishly patted my shoulder, then wrapped an arm around my head. “That’s quite normal. Virtually every ascended deity feels this way. But you must understand, how could such idealized gods possibly exist in this world? Even if we are deities, we are still intelligent beings.”
“If we truly only desired the power of faith, couldn’t we simply use force?” Lavishly ruffled my hair. “It’s because we still regard the lives we create in our worlds as our own children. While we may not be as perfect as humans imagine, our concern for them remains unwavering.”
I nodded in agreement. It was true; no human could achieve such a feat, yet they demanded it of gods. This expectation was indeed excessive, for gods were intelligent beings with their own responsibilities.
Xilinka interrupted our conversation. “Come on, let’s eat. I believe Little Mengmeng has the capacity to understand.” With that, she turned and walked away.
Lavishly chuckled, taking Mifeier’s hand as they followed. After a moment of hesitation, I jogged to catch up. Yes, regardless of what deities might be like, the intention to care for all living beings was present, and the outcome was the same. Why force the impossible?
****
After dinner, upon returning to the dormitory, a familiar face sat on the sofa.
Seeing our return, the God’s Agent, who had been seated there, rose. “Hello, I am Ji, the Moe God’s Agent.”
Lavishly immediately responded, “Hello, I’m Little Mengmeng’s roommate, Lavishly Karafar. This is Mifeier, and this is Xilinka.”
“Little Mengmeng…” The Agent uttered the name softly, then looked at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Not bad at all, Little Mengmeng.”
Awkward. Profoundly awkward. Utterly mortified. The Agent’s expression left me utterly speechless, unsure how to respond.
The Agent chuckled again. “Indeed. It’s much better than that messy, nonsensical Big Dream Lord name you used to have.”
I forced a laugh, yet I still preferred being the Big Dream Lord. In my current form, a sense of guilt plagued me daily, and the stinging gazes from my surroundings made me profoundly uncomfortable.
The Agent nodded. “I’m merely here to tell Ye Menghan a few things. You don’t need to do anything. Please go about your own business; don’t mind me.”
Lavishly and the others nodded, retreating to Lavishly’s room. They understood the unspoken request to leave them alone, and discreetly complied.
Once they had all departed, the Agent settled back onto the sofa. “Very well. What I need to say now is quite simple. From now on, if possible, I hope you can achieve the best possible results. While the request may be a bit excessive, I hope you can strive with all your might.”
Ordinarily, given the Agent’s temperament, she would never utter phrases like ‘if possible’ or ‘try your best’; she would simply issue a demand. However, due to reasons inconvenient to disclose, she had transformed me into an illusory god, and a girl at that. A touch of apology lingered in her heart, softening her demeanor considerably.
I, too, was astonished by the Agent’s uncharacteristic attitude. Yet, fearing to provoke the ever-unpredictable Agent with my inquiries, I didn’t point it out. “I’ll do my best, but my foundations are quite weak, alas…”
“Foundations?” The Agent cast a strange glance my way but didn’t elaborate, merely standing up.
The Agent naturally couldn’t voice the true purpose of her visit—to check on my well-being or if I had any problems. Thus, she said nothing further, simply opened the door, and slowly exited.
‘How peculiar,’ I thought. ‘She only came here to tell me this? She could have easily conveyed this via the terminal…’
Just then, Lavishly and the others emerged, cautiously inquiring, “Has your Agent left?”
I nodded.
She also nodded, exhaling sharply. “Your Agent’s aura is terrifying! It felt like encountering a formidable senior and being unable to breathe! She must be someone incredibly important…”
I remained silent. I had no clue about the Agent’s true identity; my only certainty was her unwavering support and lack of ill intent.
Watching Lavishly, who had just walked out, I suddenly recalled something. “Lavishly, I received a notification for a team competition today.”
Lavishly nodded. “Yes, that’s right. I applied for it.”
Suppressing my rising anger, I asked, “Did you get my permission?”
She chuckled awkwardly. “Xilinka and Mifeier usually just let me do as I please with these things, so this time I forgot to ask for your opinion… Next time, I’ll definitely ask you.”
Xilinka glanced at Lavishly. “It’s no use. It’s not that we don’t care, but we’ve grown accustomed to it. Every time she gets a sudden whim, she signs up.”
Mifeier also nodded in exasperation. “It’s no use. She’ll never ask us next time either. That’s just how Sister Lavishly is.”
My anger vanished instantly. It seemed she was a serial offender. If Xilinka couldn’t do anything about her, what hope did I have?
I nodded again. “It’s fine that you signed up, but why add me, someone who has never even seen your combat coordination, to the team?”
Lavishly declared with righteous conviction, “Actual combat is the best place to build synergy.”
‘Couldn’t you have just signed up for a practice match?’ I thought, exasperated. ‘Why insist on a competitive one? Did you think earning points after a loss was easy?’