Seeing the labyrinthine terrain again, I was just speechless. Perhaps all ancient ruins and tombs are intentionally built this way.

But this time, it was neither an ancient ruin nor a tomb; it was the Ice City.

When I saw the scale of this Ice City from a distance before, I knew it was certainly not small.

For such a massive structure, even if it wasn't intentionally made into a maze, even a slightly complex layout would make it incredibly easy to get lost.

So, when I saw the incredibly intricate terrain here, my head almost spun off.

But thankfully, this wasn't like fighting a BOSS in a game where you had to climb to the top floor to meet the Toad King.

Imagining the Toad King as a toad-like creature, it would surely favor burrowing, meaning the possibility of it being on the lowest level, closest to the earth, was extremely high.

With that thought, I finally relaxed. I pulled out the glow-in-the-dark marker pen from my box and drew an arrow on the nearest ice pillar.

This mark served two purposes: first, to prevent me from getting lost in this complex terrain; second, if Unit 2 and the others arrived here, they would know I was still alive and that my direction of travel was clear.

Xiao Bai watched me marking the ice pillar, looking quite interested.

After I finished drawing, it tried to jump up and lick it. I pointed at it and said, "No licking, or my partners won't be able to find me later."

Xiao Bai seemed to understand my words, reluctantly moving its body away from the ice pillar with a slight whine.

I smiled and said, "Thanks, I'll treat you to a cookie next time."

Xiao Bai seemed delighted, smacked its tongue a few times, and then lay down on the ground.

Seeing it more and more like a puppy, I felt a pang of affection, but then I noticed its many pairs of legs and refrained from scratching its neck.

I sighed and said, "Alright, let's keep moving. We're running out of time."

Saying that, I lifted my foot and continued forward, tightly gripping the strange, horn-like weapon in my hand, feeling like a soldier from another planet.

After walking a few steps, I noticed that Xiao Bai was still following me, and keeping very close.

I didn't pay it any mind and kept moving forward.

Just as I had imagined, the vegetation ahead, while not exactly lush, was winding and twisting; soon one patch of plants obscured another, forming a massive maze.

I kept marking my path as I walked, not daring to linger anywhere for too long, as time was indeed short.

At the same time, I was searching for any traces the Toad King might have left behind, hoping for a clue.

Xiao Bai seemed to know I was searching for something. In front of every thicket, it would stick its head in to rummage around, then bring me a leaf, a root, or some unknown fruit.

Although these things were useless to me, I finally understood why Xiao Bai kept following me.

Because apart from it, although I had seen some plants with animal-like characteristics, there wasn't a single other creature that could truly be called an animal.

This meant that Xiao Bai here could only interact with plants day in and day out, making it very lonely. Upon seeing an animal like me, it developed an inexplicable sense of kinship.

I felt no aversion to this kinship. Who hasn't felt lonely and isolated? Who doesn't want a companion?

I don't know how long Xiao Bai lives, but it doesn't look like an immature specimen, meaning it has been alone here for at least several years.

Having a small monster that knows this terrain and environment follow me was not a bad thing, especially since this monster was friendly towards me.

So, as I walked, I said to Xiao Bai, "What do you think of the name Xiao Bai?"

Xiao Bai followed behind me, neither meowing like a cat nor barking like a dog, just licking its lips.

I knew that licking its lips actually meant happiness, so I nodded and said, "Do you know my name?"

Xiao Bai looked at me, its eyes showing a flicker of curiosity.

Knowing it wanted to know, I said, "My name is Nie Chuan. Oh wait, maybe I shouldn't be called Nie Chuan. Perhaps I should be called Nie Chuan Number One, because there is another Nie Chuan."

Xiao Bai tilted its head, looking as if it didn't quite understand, probably thinking about something else.

I gave a wry smile and continued, "I know you don't get it, and frankly, I don't quite get it either. But the other Nie Chuan is the real Nie Chuan. Because I am too kind-hearted, I couldn't strip him of his identity, so I gave up the name Nie Chuan."

Xiao Bai seemed to grasp it and licked its lips again.

Talking to an animal was incredibly relaxing, and there was absolutely no risk of secrets being leaked. So, I decided to tell Xiao Bai all my hidden secrets.

I continued, "I was originally an intern student at the Academy of Sciences, studying biology. Creatures like you—strange beings—are what we loved to study most. For dissection, making specimens, and achieving academic results."

I pointed at Xiao Bai, and it seemed to detect the negative connotation in my words, baring its teeth at me.

I laughed heartily and said, "I have a kind-hearted grandfather; he's a senior scholar at the Academy. I've looked up to him as my role model since childhood."

Xiao Bai remained expressionless, I couldn't tell if it was envious or thinking of something else.

Then I sighed and said, "But one day my grandfather disappeared, buried in a cave within an ancient ruin. I felt like the sky had fallen, so I rushed people there to rescue him."

Xiao Bai looked at me with a hint of sadness in its eyes, as if waiting for me to continue.

I kept speaking almost automatically, "Luckily my grandfather wasn't dead; I found him. But I discovered he had become a villain, and the reason was very strange."

Xiao Bai's expression grew sadder, glancing at me every now and then.

Ignoring its seemingly mocking expression, I continued, "After countless hardships, I visited many ruins connected to my grandfather and finally found the answer to why he turned bad: it’s because my grandfather and I share an ancestry different from ordinary people."

Xiao Bai's expression smoothed out, but it kept watching me with concern.

I continued speaking as if in a trance, "Our ancestors were the divine race that created this world, known as the Atlanteans. They were a higher order of beings than humans, ruling Earth since before humans even existed."

"But our goal wasn't to monopolize Earth's resources, but out of necessity for continuing our lineage, we sowed the seeds of humanity here as our descendants."

"We not only created humans but also taught them all the skills needed for production and life, enabling them to fight wild beasts, to contend with nature, and eventually establish an excellent civilization."

"However, our existence as god-like beings, reigning supreme over human leadership, was inherently a hidden danger. Our control over the governments of various nations caused resentment among the ruling classes. They planned to overthrow us, to stop being controlled. It must be said, humans are a race with an extremely rebellious nature."

Xiao Bai kept its ears erect, listening to me speak, just following closely without any reaction.

I thought it had grown tired of listening and shifted its attention, so I carried on, "Humanity united and retaliated against Atlantis. Because of our benevolence, we thought humans were just immature and needed tempering, so we didn't mount sufficient defenses, resulting in humans taking advantage of our weakness and defeating us through despicable means. From then on, the Atlantean civilization became a history of tears and blood that continues to this day; we, as gods, have been in exile ever since."

"During our exile, most of my ancestors were wiped out; only a small number survived. The Nie family was one such branch. Because we looked incredibly similar to humans, we survived by going into hiding and obscuring our origins. But when my grandfather learned of all this, coupled with his understanding of human brutality and the torture the Atlanteans suffered throughout years of archaeological experience, he resolved to avenge Atlantis. He decided to use the power left behind by Atlantis in the ancient ruins to eliminate humanity, this inferior race."

"However, Earth is already humanity's home. Even if they made mistakes in the past, that was then. Most humans now are kind, and we have long since stepped down from the divine pedestal; there is no need to instigate such a war. Thus, I stood in opposition to my grandfather, determined to save humanity."

Xiao Bai looked at me, a strange light flashing in its eyes.

I continued, "But the path ahead is not easy. Grandfather has successfully resurrected many weapons from the ancient ruins, including the spell to bring all the dead back to life, and he resurrected four ancient Demon Gods, planning to eliminate me and destroy humanity. Now, these weapons are being prepared and could deliver a devastating blow to humanity at any moment."

"And I, through coincidence, met my ancestors. They still stand on the side of justice and helped me switch identities to escape the pursuit of the Demon Gods. At the same time, they gave me the key to saving the Earth—this glass bead."

I pulled out the glass bead I carried everywhere from my pocket and showed it to Xiao Bai.

Then I sighed and said, "But the secret of this glass bead is too deeply buried; I can't decipher it at all. To find the truth, I came to an ancient ruin in Japan, still finding nothing, but gaining some unexpected superpowers."

As I spoke, I lightly raised my hand, and the glass bead began to hover and spin in my palm.

Xiao Bai was stunned, watching the bead intently.

"I believe none of this is accidental. The superpower I gained must be a key component in cracking the glass bead, and I only mastered telekinesis thanks to my grandfather guiding me in my dreams."

"My grandfather—where is he now? Why is he sending me dreams? Why does he clearly want to kill me on one hand, yet help me on the other? These are questions I truly cannot fathom."

"To find the ultimate answer, I wanted to utilize the power of the Superpower Association, the force known as Nine Guard, to investigate. Then, while carrying out a mission, I came here."

Finishing here, my footsteps stopped, because Xiao Bai had somehow circled ahead of me and crouched down.

I asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"

Xiao Bai made no move, but a voice entered my mind: "Do not panic, human. This is my consciousness entering your brain. We cannot communicate through language, so I can only converse with you this way."