272, Keep Me Company and Talk for a While

Three hours later, with the help of Li Aoz, Caramel Snail used the authority granted by the president to requisition an assault boat, broke away from the fleet, and flew towards a planet called 'Violet' in the Red Eye System.

Fleet Commander Darian quickly noticed the unusual movement of the ships, but seeing that it was a special dispatch under presidential authority, he assumed it was some kind of secret mission and said nothing. However, for security reasons, he sent two reconnaissance ships to follow and escort them for a distance.

[Spaceship switches to autopilot mode]

"So, what are we going to do here?"

Caramel Snail turned its head and looked curiously at Li Aoz, who looked like a teenager.

"Ordinary methods don't make money; I need some special techniques."

Li Aoz sat with his hands clasped together, legs crossed, eyes closed, as if he were resting.

"I always feel like you know everything..." Caramel Snail scratched his head.

"Just consider me a prophet." Li Aoz opened one eye and smiled at Caramel Snail, "You can even think of me as an all-knowing god."

"It may sound like I'm undermining you... but even a god needs to rely on others, right?"

Caramel Snail complained, "Since you came from Azure Planet, you've often acted alone. We, the players—uh, the Adventors, all feel like you've abandoned us."

"It's just that you're too weak right now and can't keep up with me," Li Aoz replied.

"I just feel like, Li Aoz, aren't you too lonely?"

Caramel Snail scratched his cheek. "You could try to rely on others more, but you always face everything alone. You silently rose from an immigrant to the local president, and we are still benefiting from your success... You don't have to be so lonely."

"In the ocean called the starry sky, no one is an island. Even the gods are closely united under the call of the Star Abyss. Even the complex [society] is composed of thousands of atomized citizens. Every narrative is inseparable from the individual power at the micro level."

Li Aoz said calmly:

"If I have someone I can rely on, I hope it's you."

After saying that, he closed his eyes and continued to rest, seemingly also getting used to the body in the suit.

"... What kind of talk is that?"

Caramel Snail shrugs:

"I've just been following in your footsteps... If you trust me too much, I'll feel a lot of pressure."

[Hint: Spaceship has entered orbit and is switching to intrusion mode]

"We've arrived," Li Aoz said calmly. "(2346, 5674), land at this coordinate."

"Understood." Caramel Snail entered the coordinates provided by Li Aoz without any doubt. The assault boat slowly adjusted its angle, its exterior unfolding camouflage and magical shields to counteract the red-hot heat from friction with the atmosphere.

[Descending in altitude...]

[Brake activation...]

[Have landed safely at the target location]

laugh...

The spaceship activated its teleportation array, and Li Aoz and Caramel Snail stepped out and landed on the alien planet.

Caramel Snail Fully Armed, wearing a tight protective helmet. He looked around and saw that he had landed in a forest.

This place looks like an ordinary terrestrial planet, with green trees and red flowers, birds flying and grass growing, and streams flowing gently, swirling around the rocks and occasionally making a melodious tinkling sound.

"Huh, why do I feel like the natural environment here is even better than on White Candle Star?" Caramel Snail wondered.

Li Aoz replied calmly:

"Because that's true, there's very little industrial pollution, and the level of technology won't surpass the atomic age."

"I see..."

Caramel Snail nodded and activated a concealment spell, hiding the spaceship.

"The air here is non-toxic and the concentration is sufficient. Take off your helmet and conceal your weapons."

After changing into ordinary casual clothes Li Aoz immediately said, "We don't need to fight much."

Caramel Snail, unsuspecting, put away her armor and, like Li Aoz, wore ordinary casual clothes, looking like a tall, slender young man.

Where do we go next?

"Come with me."

Despite it being his first visit to an alien planet, Li Aoz navigated the land of Violet Star with ease.

He picked up a pebble and knocked a colorful bird down from a tree, telling Caramel Snail: "This is called Falcon Dove. It's a plump and delicious forest bird that can't fly, but it reproduces in large numbers, so you can hunt and eat it without worry."

As Li Aoz walked, he collected some berries and deliberately gave Caramel Snail some herbs to make healing items.

He then hiked through the mountains with Caramel Snail, climbed a mountain peak, and 'coincidentally' found an abandoned campsite at the top. There, he found many useful cooking utensils, salt, and animal fat. Perfect for living, cooking, and resting in his sleeping bag.

"Hmm, your cooking skills are pretty good."

Li Aoz, holding the Caramel Snail soup, gulped down a large mouthful, his eyes lighting up. In his still-childish voice, he said:

"Who taught you to cook? You can handle just salt so well!"

"Garryton taught me," Caramel Snail said, cracking a bird egg with one hand and frying it in a pan. "Although his food often had problems, I tried making a few dishes, and they tasted pretty good."

"Maybe he was just unlucky."

Li Aoz chuckled, his black hair hanging down obediently, the firelight turning his face orange, and his gray eyes shining brightly like zircon.

Even though she knew the other person was male, Caramel Snail still stared blankly for a moment, not daring to meet his gaze.

"... Li Aoz, why did you choose to be with me?"

"I need a strong bodyguard."

Li Aoz rested his cheek on his hand. Unlike his mature and rugged handsome appearance as a young man, his face in his teenage years was more androgynous, highlighting a beauty that blurred gender lines. His skin was as delicate and tender as silk, and his features were exquisite and refined. He truly looked like a doll, as if a gust of wind might blow him away and crush him.

Come to think of it, for some reason, Caramel Snail felt that the other person's face... seemed to have the shadow of another person.

"Due to special requirements, this body cannot have any extraordinary genes. I did not even assign this body the [Dominator] path."

Li Aoz noticed that Caramel Snail's gaze was fixed on his face, as if it could read his mind. He smiled and said:

"You noticed? This face looks a lot like someone, doesn't it?"

"Hmm... I noticed it before. Although you have a boyish physique, you don't have an androgynous appearance." Caramel Snail nodded and asked directly, "I always felt that you seemed to have some feminine genes mixed in..."