"This Work Is Suspected of Using A..."

Over the past few days, Ning Yu had been feeling rather miserable.

She did not know if it was just her imagination, but her best friend and roommate, Fang Yishu, seemed to have suddenly come down with some kind of "illness."

In the past, most of the time, as repayment for mooching food and drinks, Fang Yishu would attend roll call and deal with assignments for Ning Yu whenever Ning Yu had classes.

This was also why, at the start of every semester, the two of them deliberately tried to choose as many overlapping courses as possible.

But over the past few days, for some reason, the once lively and energetic "Fang Tangsu" seemed to have wilted completely.

How strange. Ning Yu clearly remembered that Fang Yishu's inconvenient days had not arrived yet, had they?

She did not want to attend class anymore, had stopped taking outside part-time jobs, and when Ning Yu asked whether something was troubling her, she would only brush it off with, "You're overthinking it. I'm fine." If pressed further, she would say something like, "Oh no, I haven't farmed my mobile game today! Abyssal Beast! Activate!"—an obviously perfunctory joke...

Watching her roommate actually crawl into bed and grunt like a little pig, "Don't bother me, I'm going to sleep! Remember to check in for me too, Yu..."

...then promptly pull out her phone right in front of her.

Ning Yu was both annoyed and amused.

But considering that Fang Yishu had very "loyally" handed over the contact information she wanted just two days ago, Sister Ning Yu decided to be magnanimous and forgive her this once.

—Tuesday. That stupid Su actually kept brushing me off. I'll remember this grudge...

She silently added another mark to the little notebook in her heart.

Still, whenever she thought of the contact information Fang Yishu had given her, Ning Yu felt as though a faint shadow had settled over her heart, leaving her unable to feel at ease.

She did not know what was going on. She had clearly found the WeChat account using that phone number, yet the several friend requests she had sent before and after had vanished like stones sinking into the sea. Days had passed without any response.

The account lay quietly on her "Awaiting Verification" list, looking as though it were saying, "Ah, I'm dead, please do not disturb," radiating a wordless sense of awkwardness.

Even during that time, she had gathered her courage several times and come up with the excuse of "apologizing for what happened last time," wanting to call and test the waters.

Yet all that came from the phone was a long, monotonous series of beeps. They echoed until the call disconnected automatically, and no one answered on the other end.

Whenever Ning Yu thought of this over the past two days, a troubled blush would rise on her otherwise elegant and tranquil face, and even her cheeks would puff up in indignation.

—Of course, that did not stop her from sending a new verification message every day, whether intentionally or not.

Sigh...

Those eyes really were beautiful.

What the girl lost in her memories did not know was that her "best friend" was currently feeling far more conflicted than she was.

It went without saying that Fang Yishu logged into the Main God Platform punctually during her sleeping hours every day.

Whenever she had some free time, she would browse the internet on her phone for the latest news, while also catching up on all sorts of strange settings and information.

Although everything within the country still appeared peaceful and calm, Fang Yishu had unsurprisingly discovered some "strange" signs on places like YouTube and Twitter.

Recently, the internet had quietly seen the emergence of some highly eye-catching content that, for some reason, had failed to stir up much of a sensation.

Strange uploaded videos, people claiming to have developed bizarre illnesses, or even suddenly gained supernatural abilities—

In one video, an African-American immigrant in America kept changing poses as he walked through wilderness terrain, demonstrating that there were no hidden "mechanisms" on his body.

Then, toward the tangled bushes in the wilderness, he suddenly opened his mouth and spewed a stream of flame that lasted more than ten seconds!

It was hard to imagine.

The flames that had clearly erupted from a human mouth were obviously propelled by a certain amount of pressure.

...They shot out at least one or two meters!

Under the camera, the scorching airwaves visibly distorted the surrounding air!

The trees were almost instantly burned black, their rapidly carbonizing branches crackling as they broke, while thick gray-black smoke mixed with clouds of ash spread through the air!

Yet the man continued standing amid the smoke and fire as though completely unaffected, his movements smooth enough to carry an almost strange ritualistic quality.

There was also a burly man from Russia, whose body hair was so luxuriant it resembled bristles. His excessively huge, broad physique made him look like a brown bear standing upright.

What drew particular attention were his broad, fan-like palms. His nails had also noticeably thickened and curved, with visible pigmentation.

In the video, accompanied by a piercing shriek of deforming metal!

This "big guy" almost casually slapped the row of sturdy metal support rods along the side of the heater in his home, bending them visibly inward. He even left several blurry palm-shaped dents in the solid metal surface.

A family member beside him held a large photograph allegedly taken of the man in the yard several days earlier. On close comparison, one could indeed vaguely make out some similar facial features.

However, honestly speaking, the vast difference in his overall appearance before and after—from the explosive growth of hair to the rapid expansion of his physique and bones—had made him almost unrecognizable.

There was a white girl who could accelerate plant growth. When she placed her palm beside the soil, seeds that had just been buried within it sprouted and broke through the earth at a visible speed, growing stems and leaves...

There was a one-armed disabled person who had deliberately drawn stigmata-like patterns on their palm, only for great swathes of bright light like incandescent bulbs to actually shine "out of nowhere" from beneath their flesh, illuminating an entire section of the street...

Whenever this happened, Fang Yishu would notice that beneath the photos and videos of these seemingly unreasonable people or objects, there would often be labels such as "This work is suspected of using AI-generated technology; please exercise caution when judging," or "AI-assisted creation."

Very good. As the times changed and developed, such an all-purpose "reason" had emerged—one capable of reasonably explaining away any demon, monster, or freak, had it not?

But that clearly could not truly dispel the concern in Fang Yishu's heart.

Especially when she lay in bed and, with a thought, something almost weightless appeared in her hand—

[Name: Phantom Cloak]

[Type: Magical Curio/Protective Gear]

[Quality: Tier Three]

[Description: Originating from a certain "broad Western fantasy" derivative setting, this is one of the standard pieces of equipment for elite elven rangers. During its creation, it received the permanent enchantments "Nature's Protection" and "Phantom Form," making it an excellent aid for jungle combat and concealing one's body.]

[Exchange Requirements: 1,500 Universal Points, one Basic Exchange Card.]

[Additional Notice: Due to the material of this item, it receives a certain additional bonus under moonlight.]

[Remark: "Shh... the trees here can talk..."]

She stared blankly at the treasure she had obtained from the Newcomer Blind Box not long ago, its appearance carrying a faint sense of translucence.

It felt icy cool to the touch, yet seemed to carry an exceptionally refreshing "scent." Fang Yishu simply rubbed it against her cheek like a cat.

It felt quite comfortable.

Just as the information described, this thin object, which clearly had not yet fully unfolded to its full length, really should have been a fantasy-style cloak.

The texture beneath her fingertips lay somewhere between cool, smooth silk and liquid mercury, but its weight was so subtle and light that the girl hiding beneath her mosquito net felt as though she were holding nothing more than a clump of mist.

How wonderful.

And yet... what a headache.

When she thought of the boundless crowd of people she had seen several days ago on that unknown azure platform, surging like mountains and seas.

Though it was clearly a rare treasure, it only made its owner sigh.

On the information-rich modern internet, when one deliberately began observing, many things seemed to be shedding the "disguise" they had worn in the past.

...Leaving one deeply unsettled.

She sat up irritably and noticed that the nearly transparent "gauze," motionless in her hands, was now glimmering with tiny specks of light like flowing water.

Only at what should have been the cloak's collar was there an obviously finely crafted silver clasp, shaped somewhat like a long fern leaf.

It felt especially cold to the touch.

Fang Yishu pressed and fiddled with it in frustration. When nothing happened, she simply lifted the entire piece of "fabric" and draped it over her head...