38: Lovers fleeing from disaster? I made that up.

The two finally managed to eat some Sand Leopard.

Tu Nan's stomach, which had been cramping from hunger, was finally soothed.

There had been a small accident in the process.

After the Sand Leopard was hunted back, Gaia immediately stabbed its neck open with a knife, urging Tu Nan to drink the blood quickly to quench her thirst.

Tu Nan drank it.

And then... she fainted.

When she woke up again, she felt the world before her swaying gently.

It was Gaia, carrying her on his back as he traveled under the starlight.

Beside her was the leopard's corpse.

This was the food Gaia had stored for Tu Nan.

And Tu Nan finally didn't let him down, waking up before the leopard's blood had completely dried.

The two finally had their first full meal since escaping.

This time, Tu Nan had no reaction.

It seemed the effects of the anesthetic had completely worn off.

Once Tu Nan couldn't drink another drop, Gaia quickly stripped the meat from the leopard's legs, tied them into strings to dry, and prepared two days' worth of rations.

"We can do this again tomorrow, but what about after that?"

For some reason, Gaia, the person who should have had more experience living in the desert, was actually asking for Tu Nan's opinion.

Tu Nan noticed this.

She didn't correct Gaia.

As long as she wasn't dead, then... letting Gaia maintain this current illusion was certainly fine.

She slightly curled the corners of her lips, revealing a faint smile, enjoying this moment of pure trust from Gaia.

This was a very strange thing...

Even though Li was more powerful and took more meticulous care of her, she didn't feel as relaxed by Li's side as she did now.

It was because of the System, she reflected.

Because from the very beginning, Li had been her goal.

She needed Li, and that sense of purpose was too strong.

All her efforts were made with the hope of receiving a response; and Li likewise needed her to give affection and her body.

But Gaia... he actually had no responsibility toward Tu Nan.

That so-called commission from Li that he spoke of couldn't actually withstand any scrutiny; no one had expected to face such a predicament.

The fact that he could protect Tu Nan in such a difficult situation meant every bit of effort he put in was extra.

"As for after that... we'll see."

Tu Nan lay under the starry sky, full and satisfied, even feeling a hint of sleepiness.

The starry sky here was completely different from her original world.

The stars were astonishingly bright and astonishingly large.

Tu Nan speculated that the planets nearby were either very large or very close.

"Are there people living on the planets nearby?"

"...You really aren't anxious at all."

Gaia was speechless; he didn't understand how Tu Nan still had the mood to care about such things.

He was truly afraid of failing tomorrow and wasting the last of the anesthetic.

He was equally afraid of succeeding tomorrow, only to not survive the day after tomorrow.

People on the Sand Star lived one day at a time.

He considered himself open-minded about life, but these past few days, he found it increasingly difficult to accept Tu Nan's passing.

Tu Nan was the companion who had escaped from the same nightmare with him.

And... he had actually figured it out these past few days.

If it weren't for Tu Nan, he would have already died, just like the people currently lying quietly in the River Valley.

He had even slapped Tu Nan...

Damn it, he was furious, but it was only because he couldn't face his own incompetence.

Yet Tu Nan had innocently borne it all.

Gaia followed Tu Nan's gaze toward the starry sky.

"There are people, look."

He pointed to the brightest star.

"That one is the core star of this Star Domain."

"It's incredible, isn't it? Our Border Star Domain's core star is so close to the front line."

He grinned, "This was changed after the White Dragon Emperor ascended the throne."

"He said he wanted to strengthen the border defenses, making those nobles and officials move to the front lines.

He himself would also go to the front lines to oversee the battle during wartime."

"This is probably the reason why planets like ours haven't been lost yet in the war against the Zerg."

"The monarch guards the state... The White Dragon Emperor seems to be a good emperor."

Tu Nan commented nonchalantly.

"Ah! Of course!" Gaia was suddenly excited, as if he had been injected with adrenaline.

"Emperor Haoyuan's beast form is an S-rank Flood Dragon!

He is also the person in the royal family closest to the Dragon Clan's Bloodline in a thousand years."

"Emperor Haoyuan..."

Tu Nan was confused by the titles.

"You don't know him in the Nursery?" Gaia was a bit surprised.

"White Dragon Emperor is what everyone calls him; we all especially love and respect him, hoping he lives a long life!"

Gaia was the spitting image of a fanboy trying to promote his idol.

"...It's not that I don't know."

Tu Nan didn't dare to continue this topic; if she talked any deeper, she would have to use her brain to make up stories again, and she didn't want to do that now.

If she only had two days left to live, she might as well be herself.

She simply closed her eyes and listened quietly.

Gradually, a perfect image of a Heavenly God took shape in her mind—in short, noble and decisive, a natural-born genius.

There wasn't a single place where he wasn't strong, nor a single place where he wasn't beautiful.

"Wait."

Gaia stopped his passionate speech himself.

His ears perked up again to collect information.

A moment later, he stood up, extinguished the fire, and reached out to Tu Nan.

"There's movement. Come on, let's go to higher ground to take a look."

The two climbed up a sand dune.

Lying on the top of the sand dune, Tu Nan looked in the direction Gaia pointed, not even daring to breathe loudly.

After a full quarter of an hour, black dots gradually appeared within her line of sight...

At first, there was only one, then they gradually increased, winding into a line, and gradually enlarged until Tu Nan could clearly see the appearance of the procession.

She gripped Gaia's hand tightly, her eyes wide open as she watched this procession with such distinct regional style.

Huge beetles the size of African elephants followed one after another, forming a long queue.

On the beetles' backs were things like small fortresses; some carried goods, and some carried tents.

Beside them, people wrapped in cloaks and carrying weapons rode scorpions, guarding the procession.

"It's a caravan..." Gaia was overjoyed, "We're saved."

He excitedly patted Tu Nan, grinning broadly.

"You were right, we always manage to win the bet."

Gaia stood up and shouted loudly in the direction of the caravan.

No... Tu Nan thought, what I once said was: I always manage to win the bet.

And you remembered it as "we."

She had survived.

This also meant: she had the opportunity to choose again.

So, that free, quiet, and lazy time that belonged to "Tu Nan" was over.

She felt a bit melancholy...

The guards from the caravan hovered for a while, then a three-person squad split off and rushed toward Tu Nan and Gaia.

"Will they save us?" Tu Nan asked.

"Yes!"

Gaia answered firmly.

"Caravans are always friendly to people stranded in the desert.

No one is allowed to harm a caravan; this is an iron rule of the desert."

There was actually such a simple rule. Tu Nan felt slightly surprised.

She fished something out of the pocket close to her Soft Armor, clenched it in her palm, and then tugged on Gaia.

Tu Nan lifted the hair tied behind her head, exposing the back of her neck to Gaia, and that line of code appeared before Gaia just like that.

Gaia was stunned.

Tu Nan handed a small object into his palm.

"Here, help me stick this on."

It was the artificial skin Li had left for her; the previous piece had already expired, and she had kept the remaining two pieces hidden close to her body inside her Soft Armor.

"The caravan will save everyone, but that might not include me."

Tu Nan gently requested Gaia, "I don't want to be a commodity anymore; don't tell anyone else, okay?"

"Except for you, I don't want anyone else to know I am a Foster Mother."

Tu Nan's tone became increasingly gentle, and her smile became increasingly pure; the Tu Nan that Gaia used to be familiar with was gradually returning.

Gaia couldn't refuse.

He silently helped Tu Nan apply the piece of skin with the number on it, watching as Tu Nan disguised herself.

"Leave the rest to me to handle."

"Got it!"

"Just say... I am a Female Beast pampered by a small noble family... hmm, not well-evolved. And you... are my guard."

Tu Nan blinked at Gaia.

"We are a pair of ill-fated lovers who aren't blessed."

"Huh?"

Gaia's neck turned bright red.

"Lov... lovers?" Gaia repeated, stumbling over his words.

Could it even be like this?