Lu Luo seemed to sense something happening behind him. He lifted his gaze to the little girl, who smiled sweetly at him.

"Come sit over here, Daddy," she said.

"Hmm."

Lu Luo sat next to the little girl and picked up the storybook.

In his blind spot, the patch-covered teddy bear's eyes emitted a faint glow once more.

Its somewhat shriveled body slowly turned, and its smiling lips split open a little further.

There was something inside its mouth, but at this angle, it was impossible to see.

However, if one were close enough, they might feel an inner chill and a sense of menace emanating from it.

Even though Lu Luo had lost his powers and had become a mere mortal, his vigilance was still incredibly sharp. He didn't see the teddy bear's movements, but he had a vague premonition.

Thus, Lu Luo turned his gaze back to the teddy bear.

However, when Lu Luo looked at the teddy bear, everything seemed to return to normal once again.

Smiling face, patches, worn yet clean.

It truly was a nice toy, quite likable in appearance.

"HEH HEH, HEH HEH HEH," Lu Luo chuckled foolishly, not knowing what he was laughing about.

"Daddy, what are you laughing at? Do you like my teddy bear?"

"Yeah, it's pretty cute."

Lu Luo withdrew his gaze and refocused on the book in his hands.

"Shall we start then?"

"Sure."

Seeing the little girl's agreement, Lu Luo began reading from the book titled 'The Thirty Thousand Watermelons That Ran Away'.

"Surrounded by mountains, there was a vast expanse of land where thirty thousand watermelons lived a carefree life.

The sun shone upon the earth, and the watermelons basked in sunlight, each one growing large and round.

One day, two crows flew over.

One crow said, 'Look, these watermelons seem delicious. By tomorrow they will be taken to the market to be sold.'"

As Lu Luo read this, it felt like a straightforward story about selling watermelons, perhaps? Or maybe a story about a child eating something?

However, the symbolism of crows in the Wasteland Alliance... Well, maybe this place didn't have any particular notions about crows.

The narrative style of the story remained normal up to this point, so Lu Luo continued to read. But soon, he sensed something was amiss.

"The other crow said, 'How pitiful. These watermelons will soon be eaten by humans, yet they don't even realize they're on the brink of death. Still chatting away here—truly a bunch of poor things. CAW... CAW...'

Upon hearing these words, the watermelons began angrily discussing among themselves.

'Did you all hear that? We will all be eaten, devoured by those cruel humans.'

'We heard it! Before we get eaten, let's escape quickly!'

'Yes, to stay here is to await death, to be at the mercy of humans.'

'Quick, inform everyone! After dark, we escape!'"

While reading this section, the education he'd received and his instincts told Lu Luo that something was odd about this book.

Phrases like 'on the brink of death' and 'cruel humans'... How could those belong in a children's book?

As he read this part, the little girl sitting next to Lu Luo leaned her head against his arm, her voice taking on a crying tone.

"The watermelons are so pitiable, they're about to be eaten! Daddy, don't you think so too?"

The girl's eyes shone brightly, a glimmer that made Lu Luo swallow his true thoughts.

Watermelons... aren't they supposed to be eaten by others?

His mouth twitched. "Hmm, the watermelons do seem quite pitiable. Let's continue reading."

By this time, Lu Luo had grown somewhat interested in what would come next in the book.

He had a feeling about this place, this world, this room, this book. It seemed... none of it was very simple.

As Lu Luo turned his attention back to the book, the little girl beside him had an inscrutable expression.

Her teddy bear's mouth split open again, revealing something hidden within.

Lu Luo paused for a moment, and in a spot beyond the little girl's view, his eyes shifted stealthily.

He glanced around the room.

The simple dwelling, a bed, blankets, a crayon drawing, and a family photo of three hanging on the wall.

Finally, Lu Luo's gaze settled in the direction of the teddy bear.

But he did not let anyone notice his action and just stopped there, continuing to read.

"GURGLE GURGLE, SPLAT, SPLAT!

The thirty thousand watermelons snapped their own vines, enduring pain like that of tearing flesh as they broke free from their cages and bonds.

They all escaped; they were free at last."

"YAY!" The little girl was excited, but Lu Luo could hardly smile.

He quietly repeated to himself the line he had just read.

"Enduring pain like that of tearing flesh, breaking free from cages and bonds, huh..." It felt like the innermost voice of some person, or some creature.

"Daddy, why did you stop reading?"

"It's nothing. Daddy is happy for the watermelons too!"

Lu Luo showed a hearty smile, but his feelings toward the little girl in front of him grew more complicated.

"Come on, everyone, follow quickly! Thirty thousand watermelons rolling and rolling, rolling and rolling.

They desperately fled, crowding onto the roads, creating a rush like a river of watermelons.

Even though they made quite a disturbance, the moon hanging in the sky turned a blind eye, pretending it saw nothing.

They rolled and rolled until the sun rose in the morning, and they had reached the foot of the mountain.

1, 2, 3, 4.

The watermelons dared not rest, dared not pause, and dared not even speak anymore; they kept climbing, always climbing.

When they reached the summit, the leading watermelon shouted, "The sea, it's the sea!"

They had found a vast sea.

At the end of the sea, the sun, showing only half of its face, seemed to be calling out to them, "Come quickly, come now!"

The watermelons encouraged each other, nodding and gathering courage.

Right, let's follow the sun together; it is light, it is hope as well.

When Lu Luo finished reading this segment, he fell silent again for a while.

Firstly, there's no sea in the Wasteland Alliance. Then, the sun is rarely seen in the Wasteland Alliance. So, what's the allegorical meaning of this story? What does the watermelon represent? The moon? The sun? And what about the sea?

Lu Luo sank into deep thought.

But this time, the little girl beside him didn't speak; she seemed to be waiting for Lu Luo to continue reading.

However, Lu Luo had the feeling that if he read on, something not so good might happen.

He didn't know where this feeling came from.

A storybook, posing a threat? It seemed quite unlikely.

But as a powerful, battle-hardened Transcendent, he knew that his intuition was often correct.

He was powerless now, so he couldn't sense the Transcendent forces here.

Maybe everything here was not as simple as it appeared to him. Perhaps not reading any further was the best choice. So, should he continue now?

"Daddy, why have you stopped reading? Don't you like the story?"

Looking at the little girl's innocent face, Lu Luo simply couldn't bring himself to say the words of refusal.

"Er, no, Daddy's just a little tired today."

At this moment, Lu Luo couldn't find a better or more sensible reason.

He could only use his own tiredness as an excuse.

But the little girl didn't seem surprised. She looked at Lu Luo with a smiling gaze. "Then okay, rest after finishing the story. Read on, quick!"

It seemed, after all, he was to finish the storybook in front of him. Lu Luo looked at the little girl and finally let out a resigned smile.

It appeared he had no better choice.

"Hmm, I'll rest after finishing this book."

"Okay."

Lu Luo picked up the book again, and when he flipped to the next part, his eyebrows slightly raised.

For the pages of the storybook had turned blood-red!

As someone extremely sensitive to blood, Lu Luo couldn't help having an intense reaction to such a sight, such as sitting up straight and tensing his nerves.

But after Lu Luo turned another page, he understood what those red colors signified.

"Another day passed, and the watermelons had waited on the cliff's edge for a day.

They were hesitant and wavering until the leading watermelon stood out.

'If we're to chase the sun, we must take the plunge.

The sun is at the end of the sea; it will appear tomorrow morning. We only have to roll down the hill to enter the sea. Let's go, this is our last hope.'

Under the leadership of a watermelon leader, all the watermelons rolled down the hill with a rumble.

The watermelons crashed into each other!

BANG, SMASH...

They squeezed against one another, collided, and shattered.

Thirty thousand watermelons burst like fireworks.

Their bodies fragmented, their flesh blurred into a crimson torrent.

This torrent, like scarlet blood, was terrifying.

And at this moment, the moon that hung in the sky pretended as if it saw none of this."

Lu Luo paused again. The outcome for these watermelons... how to put it? Unexpected yet inevitable?

What did the watermelon symbolize, after all?

He turned the page with some curiosity, as the subsequent story of the watermelons had drawn him in.

"Morning.

Everyone, assemble.

None of the watermelons perished; though they lost their shells, their cores gathered together.

They formed a big pool of watermelon juice, resting at the base of the cliff by the sea.

The scent of watermelon spread along the seaside, through the valleys.

This smell was uniquely fragrant and appetizing, holding a fatal attraction for other animals.

Foxes, raccoon dogs, monkeys, deer, and other small animals hurried over joyously.

In the eyes of the small animals, greed flickered.

The pool of watermelon on the ground was an exceptional delicacy to them, readily available and obtainable without any effort.

Just as the small animals swarmed over.

WHOOSH, WHOOSH!

AOOW!

The big pool of watermelon juice suddenly transformed into a giant red mouth with a long tongue extending from its center.

The tongue lashed out at the small animals.

'My God! Help!'

The small animals scattered in panic and terror. The once pool of watermelon juice had now become an abyssal maw.

The small animals had intended to feast on the watermelon juice, but now, they were being consumed by it instead!"

Lu Luo felt a bit creeped out as he read this part.

The watermelon's implied meaning and final outcome, is it an abyssal maw? How is this any sort of children's book? This book is simply...

Suddenly, Lu Luo looked towards the little girl beside him, only to see her still intently staring at the giant mouth in the book.

"Daddy, the watermelon ate them all up!"

Lu Luo's expression became even more complex because the little girl's expression was one of excitement.

It was clear she was pleased to see the watermelon devour the other animals.

Did she put herself in the shoes of the watermelon?

"Yes, the watermelon ate them all up."

"Then let's keep reading!"

Lu Luo could tell that the little girl was very eager at the moment, as if the watermelon eating the other small animals made her especially happy.

"Alright, let's continue reading.

The big mouth wobbled to its feet and started walking slowly, step by step.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

Each of its steps left a huge footprint on the beach.

By now, the sun had already risen.

The scorching sunlight shone down on the earth.

The big mouth sweated profusely as it trudged step by step towards the sea.

This process was extremely painful, and it seemed that the watermelons had already come to understand.

Seeking light might not be a particularly happy thing after all.

When the giant maw reached the seaside, about to touch the seawater, its mouth and legs were so dry they were nearly smoking.

It was not only dizzy but also trembling, as if it had exhausted all its strength.

But, it was all worth it.

Because the watermelons finally reached the ocean.

Once at the ocean, the sun was not far off.

With a SPLASH, the giant maw jumped into the sea and began to swim towards the sun.

But the sun, seemingly within reach, kept getting farther away from them, always out of reach.

The watermelon gradually sank into the sea."

"Daddy, did the watermelon become free?"

Lu Luo paused for a moment. Yes, he too wanted to know, had the watermelon become free? Was it dead, or was it free? He wasn't very clear on that.

Lu Luo turned to the last page of the book.

"The next day, the watermelon field was in an uproar.

Thirty thousand watermelons disappeared overnight, and many, many guards came.

They searched, they investigated, hoping to find some clues about the disappearance of the watermelons.

But no matter how much they looked, they found nothing.

At night, the moon, which had quietly witnessed everything, emerged.

It grinned at the watermelon field, saying nothing.

A day later, the crows whispered secretly.

And the sun rose as usual.

Only, the crows, who were closer to the sun than ordinary people, felt something was off.

'Eh? Today's sun seems a bit strange!'

'Why does it look red and delicious?'

'How could the sun be delicious? You must be seeing things.'

Just as the two crows looked away, the sun in the sky stared at them, sticking out its tongue, and licked its lips."

The story ended there.

Lu Luo savored the story, pondering it for a long time in his heart.

Had the watermelon become the sun in the end? If the final sun was a watermelon, then Lu Luo really seemed to have something in his mind that matched this story. The Dawn Disc! Chase the light, replace the light, become the light. Isn't that the Dawn Disc?

"Daddy? Daddy? What's wrong?"

"Ah, sorry, Daddy was distracted."

"You've been so distracted today. Is it really boring for you to be with me?"

"No, no, sorry, sorry."

Lu Luo's apology was sincere, of course, but in this current environment, he knew he had to be more careful than ever.

"It's okay. Daddy reading to me has made me very happy."

The little girl shifted a bit.

But at this moment, Lu Luo's gaze, despite trying to resist, couldn't help but move towards the position beneath the quilt where her legs should be.

Could this really be his daughter? Not having legs, for such a young child, is indeed cruel.

"Then Daddy will go now, all right? You should go to sleep early."

"MM~ MM!"

The girl pouted and shook her head, clearly displeased.

Honestly, Lu Luo really didn't understand what this gesture meant. Was the little girl throwing a tantrum? Why throw a tantrum? There has to be a reason, right?

Lu Luo felt that at this moment he should fill the role of father well and not be so perfunctory.

"What is it, baby?"

"You haven't kissed me yet!"

"Oh, is that so? Well, alright then."

Lu Luo bent down and gently pressed his lips to the little girl's forehead with a soft "MUAH."

At the same moment, the teddy bear beside the little girl instantly stood up, only to be pressed down by the girl's hand.

Lu Luo felt something and lifted his head; the girl was hugging the teddy bear with no sign of anything unusual.

At that time, the little girl seemed really happy about Lu Luo's kiss, sweetly breaking into a smile.

"HEEHEE, goodnight, Daddy, remember to check under the bed for little monsters, okay?"

"Alright, sleep tight, sweetheart."

Lu Luo was unclear about the little monster under the bed the girl mentioned, and after hearing her words, he couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of crisis.

Could there be something under the bed?

Lu Luo was about to turn off the lamp, but the little girl stopped him.

"Daddy, don't turn off the light. If you do, the darkness will come."

The darkness will come... Does darkness bring about something bad?

When on someone else's turf, it's best to listen to the host, even if the little girl calls him Daddy.

But Lu Luo knew very well that the little girl was the true master here, especially of this room.

"Okay, I won't turn off the light."

After nodding with a smile, Lu Luo bent down and lay on the floor to check under the bed.

At that glance, Lu Luo's pupils slightly constricted.

"Shh, Daddy, there's someone on my bed!"

A little girl, identical to the one on the bed, was curled up underneath it, her posture cramped and uneasy.

It seemed like the environment under the bed was causing her distress.

Lu Luo swallowed hard, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead with his fingers.

Then he slowly raised his head to look at the other "daughter" on the bed!

"How is it, Daddy? Is there a little monster under my bed?"

Lu Luo glanced at the little girl, then at the family photo of three on the wall and the family's crayon drawing.

Finally, his gaze returned to the teddy bear the little girl continuously clutched to her chest.

After a long while, as if he had made some important decision, Lu Luo suddenly spoke up, "Baby, would you like Daddy to carry you out?"

"Eh?" The little girl blinked in confusion.

Not just her, even the teddy bear in her hands seemed to be momentarily startled.

If Lu Luo had shown fear, disbelief, madness, or anger at that moment, they would have understood.

But Lu Luo's suggestion to carry the little girl out made it all seem strangely odd!

"Daddy..." The little girl hesitated.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to go out?"

There seemed to be something different in Lu Luo's eyes, something like light, real light, the light of brightness.

This light seemed to illuminate the girl's eyes and her heart.

She nodded her head.

"Okay, then I want Daddy to hold me! Daddy, hold me."

"Alright!"

The little girl held onto her teddy bear, and Lu Luo stepped forward to pick her up.

With this embrace, Lu Luo felt resistance!

Extremely strong, profoundly deep resistance.

The little girl in his arms became exceptionally heavy, and in a short time, his back was completely drenched with sweat.

This crushing pressure seemed to tell Lu Luo that if only he set the little girl down, he would find ease.

But Lu Luo did not let go. He had a special feeling. This pressure was not solely physical but seemed to be testing his spirit as well.

His body, which had long been dry and desolate, seemed to reignite at this moment.

Lu Luo continued to half-lift the little girl. He didn't let go and couldn't even straighten his back!

He could only persist like this.

His legs and waist burned as if engulfed in flames, threatening to consume his decaying body utterly.

"UGH!"

"Daddy, am I very heavy?"

"It's okay."

Lu Luo didn't give up due to the resistance from the little girl. When he held her in his arms, he could feel his power returning!

This sensation overjoyed Lu Luo, but regaining his strength didn't seem so simple.

CRACK!

A bone in Lu Luo's leg had already broken.

His nosebleed was already dripping past his lips onto the little girl's blanket.

"Daddy, am I really heavy? Maybe you should put me down."

"No, you're not heavy, and Daddy is okay. I'll lift you up right away."

RIP!

The thing hidden beneath the covers let out a snapping sound, and finally, Lu Luo succeeded in lifting the little girl from the bed.

He gasped heavily, the sheer act of lifting the little girl seeming to drain all his strength.

While Lu Luo stood in silence, the little girl hugged her teddy bear and buried her head in his neck.

"Daddy, I'm sorry, it's all my fault!"

The little girl apologized, and at this moment, Lu Luo seemed to understand the reason for her apology.

"It's alright, this was never your fault. If there's fault to be found, it lies with Daddy.

Once I get you out of here, I'll read you new storybooks."

"Okay."

Although Lu Luo had lifted the little girl, having lost all his strength, at the same time, he also gained something at this moment.

"You good-for-nothing, aren't you going to help?"

"Who the hell are you calling? Don't you know how to speak? If you can't talk, then shut it. I'm almost suffocating over here... blah blah!"

"Can you help, bro?"

Lu Luo was startled, but then relief washed over him. The Observer's return felt like a rebirth.

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