Liliath

With no humans around for decades, the planet's vegetation had flourished considerably.

Not far from the coastline stood a forest.

"This forest is enormous. Going around it is impossible, so we should pass straight through. It'll definitely be far more dangerous than staying on the beach," Sea Emperor suggested.

Not long after Gu Ding started running, he vaguely sensed that something had fixed its gaze on him. That gaze carried an unmistakably chilling killing intent. Gu Ding had always been exceptionally sensitive to killing intent, so he noticed it immediately.

"A monster has its eyes on you. Be careful!" Sea Emperor noticed it as well, now that the creature had entered his detection range. Limited by that range, his awareness had come a step later than Gu Ding's, but his scan was far more detailed than Gu Ding's simple perception. "It's only at the level of a First Order Gene Body. If you have to fight, finish it as quickly as possible to avoid drawing other virus-infected creatures here. Also, try not to come into contact with its bodily fluids. The research lab records show that this virus initially spreads through bodily fluids."

"Got it!" Gu Ding nodded slightly without slowing down. If he could shake off the thing behind him, there was no need to waste time fighting it.

After following him for a while, the watcher behind Gu Ding finally could not resist attacking.

Only then did Gu Ding see it clearly. It was a massive feline creature with three eyes. It had none of the usual feline grace; its entire body was knotted with muscle, and even its black fur looked somewhat sparse.

Gu Ding pointed backward with one hand and blew apart the giant feline's head. He did not even pause his steps, though he still remarked, "Are all the creatures on this planet this ugly?"

"Don't forget that you're on this planet too," Sea Emperor kindly reminded him.

Gu Ding was left speechless by that remark and did not say another word for quite some time.

After that, Gu Ding encountered quite a few similar creatures. Most of them were hideous, as though they had undergone radiation-induced mutations. He dealt with all of them in a single strike, without losing much time.

However, the sky gradually darkened, and Gu Ding began to feel vaguely uneasy.

Sea Emperor quickly confirmed that his unease was justified. "At night, these creatures' combat strength doubles. Some powerful ones that sleep during the day will also awaken at night and search for food. According to the surviving research records, this virus fears ultraviolet radiation, dislikes high temperatures, and prefers cold, damp environments. My suggestion is to find somewhere safe and hide."

"This forest is their territory, and your detection range is limited. Where are we supposed to find somewhere safe?" Gu Ding felt that Sea Emperor's suggestion was unreliable.

"I have a map of this forest. About five kilometers ahead, there's an active volcano. The ground nearby is extremely hot, so those virus-infected creatures probably won't go there." Knowing the virus-infected creatures' weaknesses, Sea Emperor had already found Gu Ding a safe spot.

A few minutes later, Gu Ding arrived at the foot of the active volcano. Several virus-infected creatures wandered around its base, yet none dared climb upward.

Gu Ding charged straight up and climbed to the crater. The air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur. Looking down, he saw lava bubbling inside the volcano like boiling water.

"This volcano won't erupt, will it?" Gu Ding could not help asking.

"There will be signs before it erupts, so don't worry. I'll definitely get you out in time. It's still better than being hunted by these virus-infected creatures all night..." Sea Emperor's voice suddenly cut off before he could finish.

"There's someone beneath the volcano!" Sea Emperor suddenly shouted. "She doesn't seem to have been infected by the virus."

As he spoke, Sea Emperor projected a video of the person before Gu Ding's eyes.

She was a little girl who looked around thirteen or fourteen. Her features were delicate and sweet, but her clothes were so filthy they were nearly unrecognizable, and her fiery red hair was a complete mess. She was fast asleep at the moment. Seeing her like this reminded Gu Ding of the little beggars who wandered the streets of Deep Sea Star.

"She can sleep in an environment like this? How does she do it?" Gu Ding found it unbelievable. There were plenty of toxic gases around the volcano, such as sulfur dioxide, and the temperature inside was at least several hundred degrees—enough to roast someone alive. Yet judging from her expression, she seemed to be enjoying her sleep.

"Her wristwatch has air purification and temperature regulation functions," Sea Emperor explained. "So she won't be poisoned, nor will she fear the external temperature."

"She probably isn't infected, right?" Gu Ding asked uncertainly.

"Judging by the condition of her wristwatch, she should not be infected. People infected with this virus retain only the instinct to kill, and they do not need sleep at all." Sea Emperor could only make a tentative judgment based on her current state.

"Let's say hello." Gu Ding grinned, picked up a small stone by his foot, and tossed it into the crater.

With a plop, the stone fell into the lava.

The little girl abruptly rolled over and sat up. A long sniper rifle appeared in her hands, and she immediately began firing at Gu Ding.

Caught off guard, Gu Ding hurriedly dodged, but one bullet still grazed his arm, leaving a bloody cut.

After retreating several steps, Gu Ding shouted, "Hey, what are you doing?!"

"You're human?!" There seemed to be a hint of delight in the girl's voice. With a few leaps, she climbed up from the bottom of the volcano.

Only then did Gu Ding realize that although she looked young, her strength was astonishing. He smiled. "If I'm not human, what else did you think I was?"

"Do you have anything to eat?" That was somehow the girl's second question.

"I have some compressed food." As Gu Ding spoke, he took out a tube of compressed food he had eaten earlier and handed it to her.

The girl took it and squeezed the entire tube of compressed food into her mouth in one go. Then she started from the bottom and squeezed it again.

Gu Ding handed her a bottle of water. The little girl gulped down several mouthfuls before speaking for the third time. "Sorry about what happened earlier. I thought you were a monster infected by the virus. I've stayed on alert for so many days that it's become a habit. At the slightest disturbance, I instinctively fire."

"How long have you been on this planet?" Gu Ding was rather curious about that.

"About ten days." The little girl thought it over for a while before giving him an answer.

"You've been hiding here this whole time?" Gu Ding was somewhat surprised. It was not strange for Sea Emperor to know the virus-infected creatures' weaknesses, since he had connected to the planet's network, but this little girl knew them too.

"This forest is endless. There's no way out. A few days ago, I accidentally discovered that those virus-infected creatures wouldn't come near this place, so I had no choice but to stay." The little girl cleared up Gu Ding's doubts.

"My name is Gu Ding. What's yours?" Only then did Gu Ding realize that he did not even know her name.

"Liliath..."