In just a few short days, Mu Ran became unexpectedly popular on the island.
Although Qi Mo soon announced that Mu Ran was not a Soul Manifest, the others didn't seem to care. The novelty of a non-Soul Manifest drew in even those who previously had no interest in newcomers. Over the past few days, Mu Ran had been asked several times to manifest his weapon for display. Occasionally, the shimmering motes of light left behind when the weapon dissipated would draw soft, wide-eyed cheers from the children.
Mu Ran was actually indifferent toward children; in fact, he was particularly afraid of meeting the kind that were rowdy and nonsensical. However, the children on this island were incredibly well-behaved—some to an almost eerie degree. Considering the origins of this island, it was hard not to feel a pang of pity for them.
This gentle indulgence was particularly obvious to the children, whose intuition was as sharp as a small animal's.
As he sat in the courtyard admiring the scenery, several children gradually gathered around him, watching him with expectant eyes.
"Big brother, where is your... little fox?"
"The fox?"
A blonde girl gestured anxiously, using the white cat in her arms as a comparison. "White like Bai-Bai. Small. The fox."
*Oh, she must mean the System.*
"It didn't follow me here."
To his surprise, this answer made the girl extremely distressed. "It’s lost. Can’t find it."
Mu Ran: ?
[Mu Ran: Honey, are you lost?]
The System’s tone was subtle.
[System: ...]
[System: The situation is a bit complicated.]
Mu Ran patted the girl's head to comfort her. "It’s okay, it’ll be found."
"My, how heartless. Aren't you worried about it at all?"
Bai Shan suddenly popped up behind him, resting his hands familiarly on Mu Ran’s shoulders.
"...It was just a stray I picked up." Mu Ran shifted uncomfortably to dodge the touch, adding, "It lives in the wild naturally. There's no need to worry."
"Oh~ if you say so..." Bai Shan sprawled onto a nearby chair. "For some reason, the Mimic used the excuse of being in a bad mood because the fox is missing. Now, every Star Lord with a spare thought is scouring the mountains to catch that fox."
Mu Ran: "..."
No wonder the System’s tone was so strange.
For the sake of the System’s safety, Mu Ran deliberately added, "I don't have much of a relationship with that fox."
His tone was cold, the perfect image of a heartless scumbag who refuses to take responsibility after getting his fill of fluff.
Before Bai Shan could react, the children nearby looked on in disbelief.
"Impossible. You looked at it... so gently."
"But it was always following you..."
"Is that really true? QAQ"
The last child to speak had teary eyes, looking as though their belief in fairy tales had just been shattered. Mu Ran panicked.
"It was just... pleasing to the eye."
"I don't know why it kept following me either."
Mu Ran glanced at Bai Shan, silently pleading for help.
Bai Shan smiled and patted the head of the crying child, his tone light. "What are you crying for? Even if the fox isn't his, he can just catch it and keep it as a pet later."
Mu Ran: *Wait, I don't think that's why he's crying!*
Turning his head, he saw the child actually stop crying.
"O-oh, right!" The child wiped away a tear and grabbed Mu Ran’s hand, instructing him solemnly, "Big brother, remember to catch that fox as soon as you go back! You can't let it run around anymore!"
Mu Ran: ...?
***
**Star Lord Private Forum**
[I feel like pouncing on every white animal I see these days. Who feels me? (Lights cigarette)]
[Waaaah, dammit... Without the little fox, we can't see the person at all. The livestream thread has stopped too. I'm going to faint from lack of cat-petting content, sob.]
[I can't find a white fox anywhere!! Do you think if I dye Yaoyao's fox, I can pass it off as the real thing?]
Yi Meng closed the forum, suddenly feeling that life was bleak.
*Why? I was the one who discovered him first. I was here first...*
*And now, I only found out the fox was missing through the forum...*
She couldn't help but send another angry message to her dedicated customer service rep, Qiandao, to vent.
*No event previews, no leaked info—where are the perks for the money I've spent?! Dammit!!*
Receiving the verbal abuse, Qiandao didn't dare talk back and could only continue her "Tai Chi" evasive maneuvers.
[Central Island · Qiandao: We are sorry for the poor experience, Star Lord QAQ]
[Central Island · Qiandao: Our little island will work hard to improve~]
She also felt this "event" was ridiculous.
This was because they were also judging what was happening in the event based on the forum's activity. In other words, the higher-ups hadn't given them a summary at all; they were just told to monitor the forum and update news in real-time.
It was almost as if—
This new Soul Manifest was completely outside the control of Central Island...
Qiandao shook her head. No, thinking that way was too terrifying.
If a Soul Manifest did not receive a "perspective implantation" upon awakening, and instead acted purely on their own whims based on various legends—combined with their completely irrational abilities—the resulting loss and threat would be horrific.
*Wandering in a fixed time and space... that shouldn't be something a free Soul Manifest would do, right?*
*Sigh, don't overthink it. Better think about how to appease these Star Lords...*
***
The System had spent a miserable few days.
Ever since he was snatched away by the Mimic that day, he had been locked in a small cave. Every morning, a few pieces of meat were tossed at the entrance. Whenever he poked his head out as if to leave, the Mimic would press him back down.
System: *Do you just never sleep?*
Although the System could possess other animals at will to get some fresh air, the Mimic would inevitably check the cave if there was no movement for too long. Then, he would encounter a fox with zero intelligence that only knew how to hiss when in danger.
The Mimic: ?
*What happened? Did it go stupid just from being locked up for a bit?*
He had never seen this fox hiss before.
The Mimic set down the flailing white fox, and the little white ball immediately scurried into the grass. By the time the System returned to his body, he found himself shivering in the pile of straw once again.
He instinctively licked his fur to comfort himself when his ears suddenly twitched. A massive shadow fell over him.
The Mimic grabbed the small animal by the scruff of its neck again, lifting it high. The white fox allowed itself to be caught obediently, its tail drooping relaxedly.
The System was actually mentally prepared this time, so his fur didn't even bristle. This contrast was noticed by the Mimic. His eyes flickered, as if he had discovered something exciting.
"Good fox..." He feigned tenderness, bringing the fox level with his eyes.
The mimicked green pupils reflected the fox’s bright, watery blue eyes. He paused in his teasing.
While he had seen spiritual pets with great intelligence accompanying his comrades before... the look in this fox’s eyes wasn't just that of an intelligent animal. It was more like a profound, deep soul was briefly residing in this body.
The Mimic originated from a legendary thief in wuxia tales. He deceived people with a thousand faces, never showing sincerity, and no one had ever glimpsed his true self. Yet, he eventually died at the hands of one man—a heartless swordsman who, no matter how the thief changed, could see his true face beneath the exquisite masks.
And when that swordsman pierced his chest, he had looked at him with that same cold, indifferent gaze. It was as if the thief’s shock, resentment, and disbelief were all insignificant trifles in the eyes of the other.
He couldn't distinguish what he felt for that man, but he knew one thing... once he saw that kind of gaze, he wanted to destroy it.
System: !
The System sensed the subtle shift in his eyes. Before the Mimic could strike, the fox twisted mid-air, landed, and vanished into the forest.
The Mimic’s violent impulses tangled with his reason. He stood there for a long time before his body arched in pain and he collapsed into a crouch.
All disguises faded.
His appearance became dull and forgettable—the true Mimic knelt on the ground, his pupils contracting violently. The resentment of his past life was gradually replaced by the experiences of this life, and the words he had heard in this world buzzed in his ears.
*"Disgusting," "Ugly," "Fake," "False," "Vanity"...*
When he was first born into this world, he had clearly come in response to the earnest expectations of others! He had been promised! This life, he would follow a kind and great Highness... who would accept everything about him... who would...
His vacant pupils were gradually eroded.
*I was lied to...*
His consciousness began to fade. He regretted being born.
Before his fallen body could be swallowed by the black mist, the white fox reappeared from another direction, carrying a branch with small blue flowers in its mouth. Seeing the Mimic’s obviously wrong state, the System hurried to his side and waved the branch.
The glow of the blue flowers was consumed as it touched the black mist, slowly pushing back the corruption eroding the Mimic’s body.
The System waited patiently, only dropping the branch when the situation stabilized.
Earlier, when he ran away, he accidentally discovered a wisp of black mist clinging to his tail that wouldn't go away. Combined with the information Mu Ran had shared, this was likely a symptom of a Soul Manifest’s corruption leaking out of control. Although he didn't know why the previously stable Mimic had been triggered, the System decided to come back and check.
His return had been blocked by a vine. The System didn't want to tangle with it, but he found that the vine kept rubbing against him with its small blue flowers. He quickly discovered the flowers' ability to absorb the black mist. Thus, the System decisively snatched a branch from the vine and rushed back to the Mimic, leaving the vine behind as it tried to keep cuddling him.
The Vine: QAQ
By the time the vine caught up, the System was already debating whether to switch to a tiger’s body to carry the Mimic away.
Looking at the disheveled Mimic on the ground, the vine suddenly felt an urge to take him away.
*So dirty...*
*Must... wash...*
In the depths of the cave, eyes slowly opened. A colorless figure leaned against the back of the cave and suddenly wept. Her tears were blue. They dripped onto the flowers, emitting a strange light.
The System froze, noticing a faint blue reflection on the side of the Mimic’s face.
The vine, flowing with blue blood, roughly coiled around the Mimic and lifted him into the air. Under the gaze of the white fox’s blue eyes, it struggled to grow a new branch. Then, that branch slowly transformed, forming a tiny, exquisite chair—far more luxurious than the treatment the Mimic was receiving.
The chair was placed low in front of the System.
System: ?
He tentatively stepped his front paws into the chair. The vine immediately hoisted it up, snatching the white fox away with swift precision.
The Vine: *Going home!!*
The System had just righted his head when he realized he was moving at an extraordinary speed.
System: ...
He calmly reported to Mu Ran.
[System: Wait for me. I think I’m about to make a major discovery.]
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 拟者 | The Mimic | A Soul Manifest based on a legendary thief; can change appearances. |
| 星君 | Star Lord | The title for the high-level observers/players in the forum. |
| 魂者 | Soul Manifest | Beings awakened from legends or myths. |
| 千岛 | Qiandao | A customer service representative for Central Island. |
| 无色人 | The Colorless One | A mysterious figure appearing in the cave with blue tears. |
| 污染 | Corruption / Contamination | The negative energy/instability affecting Soul Manifests. |
| 中央岛 | Central Island | The administrative body or "game" management. |
