I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

"The questions were too easy, and the teacher wouldn't let us hand in our papers." Shen Xi's displeasure was barely perceptible.

The boy stroked his chin and thought for a moment, then looked up. "It's kind of cute to sit in the exam room with nothing to do and think about me. Also, does 'house rat' imply that I'm your family member?"

The girl frowned, looking at him with a puzzled expression, "Just how stubborn can Cheng Feiyu be?"

"Report, actually, Nana was thinking about Cheng Fei just now, but she couldn't think of such an interesting joke?" Nagasaki Asuna suddenly raised her hand.

Shen Xi took a deep breath, her face turning disgusted.

"Okay, seriously, I'll spend time with you two whenever I have free time outside of studying," Cheng Fei said earnestly.

"No one here needs you to keep them company. Go back and log on." Shen Xi raised her chin and turned her face away, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Ms. Shen, is your internet addiction acting up again? Can't we focus on reality during this precious summer vacation? The summer break after the first year of high school is a crucial juncture, bridging the gap between the past and the future. Even if I don't want to study, you can simply ask me out on a date. There's absolutely no need to use games as an excuse..."

"Shut up, we're almost at the roots of the World Tree. Everyone in the Corridor Research Department needs to be online. That's an order." The girl interrupted him without any politeness.

Cheng Fei opened his mouth, but in the end he lowered his head in dejection. "Yes, Your Majesty."

……

Our gaze shifts to another world.

The teardrop-shaped airship sailed above the silent sea of ​​clouds, with the hum of the Light Magic Engine inside the cabin being the only melody.

"Your Highness, we're almost at the roots." The elven guard Eve approached Leia.

“Hmm.” Leia nodded, looking at the scenery ahead of the flight path, her expression becoming hesitant.

After a month of sailing, an incredibly large tree appeared on the horizon at some point.

The giant tree's lush canopy hangs high in the sky, reaching towards the blue sky, making even the drifting clouds seem like mere background. Its flat shape resembles a vast landmass, supported by a straight and thick trunk. The trunk is a woody brown, and even from a distance, one can see the mottled and cracked patterns on the bark, making it hard to imagine how many years and how much wind and rain have eroded it. The lower half of the trunk plunges into the sea of ​​clouds, disappearing into the thick white mist.

"This is the real World Tree? It's huge!" A baby-faced girl in an apron stood by the ship's railing, her mouth agape in astonishment.

The golden-haired half-elf also tried to tiptoe and lean on the ship's railing, his wine-red eyes wide as he watched this scene.

"Teacher Shen, what's the point of us spending so much time adventuring in the crash site?"

"As expected of Cheng Feiyu, who has a terrible memory. Our goal is to investigate the remains of the World Tree's roots, and he's already forgotten that?"

"Of course I remember. What I mean is, what's the point of this investigation?"

"The significance is that if we find the large research station that Isena mentioned, we might be able to figure out what exactly happened to the Protoss."

"The Protoss were destroyed by a strange force; this wasn't a premise that was already established."

"Our goal now is to figure out exactly what happened! What exactly is Cheng Feiyu questioning?"

"It's nothing, don't get agitated, Teacher Shen. I just felt that this goal seemed to lack realistic significance, so I was just confirming it again."

"Ha, here comes Cheng Feiyu again, who calls himself a realist but is actually short-sighted."

"Teacher Shen, you're so strong in your attacks on gender, but I don't mean to object to your spirit of exploration. Whatever you want to do, I will protect you."

"I'll let the polite words go, but I hope it's not that I feel like this is a waste of time and I have to pretend to follow along."

"Hey Cheng Fei, investigating the Celestial Spirits might actually solve the Corridor problem, wouldn't that be great?"

"Ha, see? Even a vixen has more foresight than you."

"Teacher Shen, of course I know about this, I was just asking casually."

Such conversations could be heard coming from inside the cabin.

763. The group that encountered the monster

As the three people who were having their conversation stepped out of the cabin, their eyes were immediately drawn to the towering trees that made a strong impression ahead of them on the course of the ship.

Cheng Fei shaded his eyes with his hand and looked up, "Wow, it's really big! Teacher Shen, do you think it's reasonable for a tree to grow like this?"

"The World Tree isn't an ordinary plant, so shut up if you're going to spout nonsense." Shen Xi said coldly.

"But it looks quite like an ordinary plant, at least it's well disguised," the boy muttered.

Nagasaki Asuna stepped forward and gently rubbed Shadow's childish, dazed face. Looking to the side, she asked curiously, "Rhea, do the elves live up there?"

"Hmm." The elven saintess also gazed at the canopy of the World Tree, her expression complex.

"It really is a paradise on earth." Cheng Fei couldn't help but exclaim.

From the perspective of the airship, one can only look up at the massive base and edges of the tree canopy, unable to glimpse the true landscape of the elven kingdom above.

"Professor Shen, so we've arrived at the World Tree now? Why don't I see your large research station?" The boy turned his head.

“How would I know? Besides, this is just the outer airspace of the World Tree. The research station might be hidden inside the roots.” Shen Xi frowned slightly.

“But I didn’t see any roots, though I did see a bit of land,” the boy continued to observe.

Above the sea of ​​clouds, in the airspace near the World Tree, one can vaguely see a ring of irregular black dots floating around the tree trunk, like the rings of a broken planet.

"That's the Misty Islands, its roots extend deep into the sea of ​​clouds. You're usually offline and don't care, but now you're asking all sorts of questions. Trash." The girl gritted her teeth and kicked him, a little annoyed.

"I'm busy working to earn money, I don't have time to stay at home playing games all day like you, my little cutie." The young man shook his head and sighed, giving off the feeling of a husband who had taken on the heavy burden of the family.

"Fine, I'll let them glorify themselves. Anyway, whether it's Real Technology or the Lin family, they all rely on Isena to swindle and deceive people outside. We need to figure out whose correct decision led to all this trouble." The girl kicked him even harder.

"Sigh, Teacher Shen, there's no need to be so clear about things between husband and wife. It's all for our shared home."

"First he tries to take credit for himself, then he gets exposed and tries to smooth things over. That's just how shameless Cheng Feiyu is." The girl sneered and kicked him again.

Vino stood by, her arms folded, witnessing this scene. The baby-faced girl looked confused, then turned her head, covered her mouth with her hand, and whispered, "I want to ask, so they got married?"

"As far as I know, not yet, but it'll probably be soon?" Nagasaki Asuna thought seriously for a moment, then rubbed the shadowy face in front of her more vigorously, causing the half-elf to look up blankly.

Shen Xi, with a cold face, glanced sideways at the two whispering lovers, then looked away as if she hadn't heard them.

"It's kind of cute that she doesn't deny anything when she secretly listens to other people's wedding gossip over there," Cheng Fei said with a smile as he observed her.

"I just didn't want to waste any more time on such a boring topic that I've already refuted a trillion times. Cheng Feiyu, stop gloating over there." The girl glared at him fiercely.

Next, in a conversation that occasionally veered off-topic, the people on deck had a brief exchange.

"Alright, full speed ahead now. Our goal is to reach the Roots before nightfall to find the ruins!" Cheng Fei waved his hand in the driver's seat.

"We have to get there before dark?" Leia, holding the joystick, turned around, hesitant to speak.

“We’ve only seen the World Tree so far. How could we possibly get there in a day? Besides, entering the Cloud Sea is dangerous, and the supplies on the ship aren’t enough. If Cheng Feiyu doesn’t understand the situation, then shut up.” Shen Xi said coldly and bluntly, then looked at Leia and softened her tone, “Let’s find a foothold in the Misty Islands first before considering our next move.”

"Understood." The elven saintess nodded earnestly and pushed the control lever.

"Teacher Shen, you're making me lose face." The boy said calmly.

"I told you to shut up." Shen Xi narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The boy bowed his head obediently.

The teardrop-shaped airship then changed course, its tail spewing out streams of green particles as it headed toward the black dot surrounding the World Tree.

Some time later, the Misty Islands arrived at the so-called Misty Islands, which were not shrouded in mist, but rather consisted of large areas of broken land.

Compared to floating continents like Yongquan Town or Rift City in the upper airspace, the land in front of us is much smaller overall, and varies in size. Some are quite spacious, while others can only be called floating islands. These lands are neither too close nor too far apart, and are distributed in patches at a height close to the sea of ​​clouds.

"Teacher Shen, it feels like an entire continent has shattered here. What do you think?" Cheng Fei stood on the ship's side observing this scene.

"It's obvious that the concentration of light magic particles near the sea of ​​clouds is too high, so much so that the large amount of light magic crystals that condensed supported these landmasses and prevented them from falling." Shen Xi pondered, rubbing his chin.

"I see, that makes sense." The boy nodded.

"So the clouds below are actually light magic particles?" Nagasaki Asuna asked curiously.

As their altitude continued to decrease over the past month, they had come to a point very close to the sea of ​​clouds. Looking down, they could see the calm white mist, which gradually thickened to a tangible density from a certain altitude.

"Possibly." Shen Xi thought for a moment.

At that moment, Vino jogged out of the wheelhouse and shouted, "There's trouble on the port side!"

The three people chatting looked in the direction of the sound and noticed a relatively open area of ​​airspace nearby. A small floating island was suspended there, and a solitary three-story house stood on the floating island, which seemed to be inhabited.

If you look closely, you'll notice that the sea of ​​clouds below the floating island is churning violently for some reason, completely different from the calm scene elsewhere.

"Cheng Fei, it looks like something is climbing up." Nagasaki Asuna seemed to sense something, her clear eyes reflecting the scene on the island.

“I saw it, and there are people up there.” The boy nodded intently.

Magical flashes could be faintly seen on the island, suggesting a battle was taking place.

"Teacher Shen, what should we do?" Cheng Fei turned his head.

"Let's go take a look," Shen Xi said without hesitation.

The Miriam changed course and soon approached the strange floating island, where the view above could be seen more clearly.

"Those are... tree people? They look so strange." Nagasaki Asuna covered her mouth and frowned, as if she had seen something disgusting.

Emerging from the sea of ​​clouds was a monster resembling a plant, like a living bush with twisted and intertwined branches forming its limbs. It emerged from the clouds, gripping the edge of the floating island and wriggling upwards.

Two humans on the island were wielding enchanted swords to slay monsters, but they couldn't stop the endless stream of monsters from emerging from the sea of ​​clouds and surrounding the hut.

The crew of the Miriam watched this scene unfold.

"What are those things?" Shen Xi frowned and turned her head.

Leia and Eve looked at each other blankly. "We've never seen it before either."

"There are such creatures near the World Tree? I've never seen them mentioned in any books." Vino, a light magic craftsman, looked on with curiosity.

"Teacher Shen, do you need any help?" Cheng Fei asked, hands in his pockets, observing as if it were none of his business.

Shen Xi pondered for a second, then raised her staff.

A crimson beam of light, as thick as an arm, shot out and swept across the edge of the island. The monsters hit by it were engulfed in flames, losing their vitality and falling into the sea of ​​clouds.

Upon seeing this, the people on the island immediately raised their arms and waved at them.

Once the Miriam successfully docked at the edge of the floating island, the two elves, Leia and Eve, were the first to jump down. They chanted in hushed tones, and the runic longswords in their hands glowed with blue light, extending into translucent blades of light as they charged into the monster horde.

"I'm going too, you guys be careful." Cheng Fei casually said, then jumped off the ship's side, drew his black longsword and activated Zero, transforming into a blurry afterimage as he weaved through the monster horde, each strike easily slicing through the monsters.

"So powerful." Vino covered her mouth and exclaimed in amazement.

Shadow strained to stand on tiptoe and peer over the ship's railing, his eyes wide with astonishment.

When Cheng Fei faced these monsters up close, he felt a chill run down his spine. If everything they had seen and heard in the crash site had a sense of everyday harmony, except for the light magic particle art style, the monsters in front of them could only be described as bizarre, and they did not look like normal creatures at all.

Lacking features like eyes, nose, and mouth, it appears as a strangely shaped shrub about half a person's height when still. Yet, this very thing comes to life, standing and crawling on its limbs made of branches to attack humans. Just watching these monsters move evokes a sense of absurdity and wonder.

These monsters neither speak nor roar, and when they move, there is no extra sound except for the rustling of branches and leaves rubbing together; the silence is eerie.

It's also worth mentioning that although these monsters are slow-moving and don't possess magic, making them relatively weak in combat, Cheng Fei dealt with them as easily as chopping wood. However, Leia and Eve, who were fighting alongside him, seemed to be struggling. Their exaggeratedly powerful light-bladed greatswords didn't have the expected devastating effect when they struck the monsters' branches; instead, they seemed to be sinking into a quagmire with minimal results.

The people in distress on the island were a man and a woman. The woman had blue hair and pointed ears, and was clearly an elf. The man had a little girl with blue hair and pointed ears on his back, and looked like a demon knight.

Their situation was similar to that of Leia and Eve; they struggled to fight the monsters. Before the Miriam arrived, they had already retreated to the vicinity of the house, and only after reinforcements arrived did they desperately launch a counterattack.

The two sides quickly reunited.

"Thank you! Who are you?" The man with the headscarf was covered in sweat, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon.

"Let's deal with these things first." Cheng Fei looked around warily.

“Magic doesn’t seem to work on these monsters.” Leia gripped the hilt of her sword, looking bewildered.

“I see. Let’s get back to the ship first and follow me.” The young man frowned slightly and took the lead, clearing a path ahead.

Seeing this, Leia and Eve followed on the left and right flanks, while the man and woman blocked the monster chasing from behind.

More monsters surged out from the churning sea of ​​clouds, swarming around the group like a dense tide, making them feel as if they were trapped in a lush tropical rainforest, unable to move an inch.

There were so many monsters that even though Cheng Fei could easily deal with each one, he was still slowed down.

Suddenly, gunshots rang out like popping beans, and the monsters fell down in swathes like wheat being swept by a scythe.

The boy turned his head and saw a petite girl in combat uniform appear on the side of the Miriam, holding a pink assault rifle with a girlish charm and firing at the enemy.

"Cheng Fei, we're here!" Zhou Han waved to the boy with great enthusiasm.

Ruan Jingyi, carrying a sniper rifle, also appeared beside them.

"Junior, don't be afraid!" Wearing a heavy bomb suit, Miriam leaped off the ship's side with her explosive gun in hand. She landed unsteadily, falling face down hard, and was then surrounded by monsters from all sides, her body bound by branches.

"Wait, what the hell is this? A tree-man?! Don't touch that... Help, junior, help!" It seemed to have been subjected to inhumane treatment, and let out a shrill scream.