The moon was bright and the sky was clear. It was a perfect day for something big, like howling at the moon.
Four figures slipped out of Kevin's back door like thieves in the moonlight, carrying large and small bags and heading straight for the wilderness. "Why do I feel like we're going to do something bad?" Vivian, in her vampire form, floated in front, a little over half a meter off the ground, soaring at a leisurely pace. She was the most graceful and relaxed of the four. She glanced back at the dim lights now far in the distance, her tone slightly lamenting, "Humans are truly a wondrous race. They're so weak, yet they've managed to build cities and homes like this... As a vampire, I actually feel a bit attached to these worldly lights."
"So I was right when I said you're poor and pretentious," Lily strode beside Kevin, bouncing around like a little rabbit, not forgetting to take the opportunity to tease Vivian. "Even as a seasoned artsy young woman, I'm not as sentimental as you." "You two can't hold back at this crucial moment," Kevin said, the only one present who seemed a bit nervous. He explained to Vivian while keeping an eye on Lily. "We need to keep a low profile. Although this area is remote, places like this are always full of brave and bored old men and women. Mr. Zhao from the east side of the street has a hobby of taking his dogs out to catch rabbits at night, and sometimes he doesn't come home until midnight. We have to be careful not to run into him. Just wait until we're a little further away."
Lily's merrier expression grew as she ventured further into the wilderness, practically skipping and hopping. She circled Kevin cheerfully, exclaiming, "Ah, so that's what you're worried about, landlord? It's okay. I've talked to Ah Huang. He's feigning illness tonight and definitely won't be out catching rabbits. And I've told all the other dogs on the street that no one is allowed outside tonight. If their owners are about to go out, they're to feign illness. We can't let anyone in the wasteland out back..." Kevin stumbled, and he and Vivian stared at Lily in astonishment: "Could racial talents be used this way? It seems Lily hadn't been roaming the streets greeting the neighbors these past few days, but rather mingling with the local bastards!"
None of them were ordinary people; even Kevin could now confidently call himself a semi-superhuman. Therefore, they moved at a brisk pace, quickly leaving the last ray of light in the southern suburbs and arriving at a vast expanse of wasteland. As the last artificial light faded behind them, the starlight and moonlight dominated, giving everyone the illusion of being far removed from human civilization. However, this place still lacked the pristine natural beauty of the prairie in the dream plane. Kevin was deeply impressed by the brilliant starry sky and the two bright moons there. He felt he would never see a sky as pure and clear as that on Earth. "Here, huh?" Y'zaks, carrying the two largest bags, walked at the end of the group. The honest and hardworking Great Demon volunteered to be their porter. He put the load on his shoulders on the ground, then ran to a nearby large rock to survey the surroundings. "Well, this place is pretty good. The view is great, and the terrain is flat. Even if Lily loses control later, Vivian and I can still maneuver."
"Why are you all so eager for me to lose control?" Lily blinked, her voice slightly unhappy. "Ever since we left, you've been talking about what to do if I lose control. Don't you trust me?"
"It's not that I don't trust you, it's that psychopathic woman." Kevin bent down to dig out the plastic sheeting he'd prepared from his large travel bag, spreading it on the ground with a sigh and a shake of his head. "You don't know, that woman is a mechanical idiot. She even pressed a single button on the adjustment panel incorrectly. Can you believe it? It's rare for anything she handles to not malfunction..." "BOOM!" Kevin was barely halfway through his words when a sudden thunderclap erupted overhead. Despite the cloudless sky, a blinding bolt of lightning streaked diagonally from the southeast, practically spanning the entire sky. Kevin's next words were instantly cut short. Vivian and the others were also startled, unsure of the source of this sudden outburst, until the data terminal said slowly, "Take it easy. She's a goddess after all. The fundamental laws of this world revolve around her. If you criticize her behind her back, you'll be struck by lightning."
"So petty?" Kevin muttered stubbornly, sweat pouring down his neck. "Can't you even talk about her behind her back?"
"She's not petty at all. You could call her a psycho to her face, and Officer 12345 wouldn't bother with you," the data terminal said, its voice tinged with gloating. "But this world is petty. 'Divine Punishment' is an automated program, and it's perfect for monitoring employee behavior."
Kevin: "...Ahem, let's get back to business."
Lily had already unloaded the two large bags, piling them up on the floor. The several large pieces of plastic sheeting and blankets Kevin had bought earlier were put to good use. Spread across the floor, they became a playful area for Lily to roll around in. Vivian fixed a few disposable brackets to the ground nearby and hung cold-light lamps on them for illumination. Y'zaks was sorting snacks and drinks. Lily had already eaten a third of them at home, so there were still quite a few left. Lily happily dove into the pile of snacks. After a few ripping sounds, she grabbed several bags of junk food and began to dig in. Kevin was a little confused by the scene before him: "How come this is like a picnic..."
Vivian looked up at the moon rising higher and couldn't help but poke Lily's arm: "Stop eating and get down to business."
Lily's mouth was full of spicy noodles and her voice was slurred: "Huh?"
"You idiot, transform!" Vivian's voice was off-key. "All of us stayed up late to accompany you, not to watch you chomp down on a bag of spicy noodles! There are only a few hours of prime time on a full moon night, so transform!"
Lily finally realized what was happening and quickly swallowed the snacks in her mouth. Then, holding her breath, she let out a loud "Huh!"
Then Kevin saw a pair of pointed wolf ears sprout from her head, a tail appeared behind her, and her hair turned into waist-length silver hair. Other than that, nothing else changed. "And then?" Kevin looked at Lily expectantly. "Didn't you say you were going to transform into a beast?"
Lily, curiously watching her tail whipping back and forth, touched her ears to confirm their position and size, and then revealed a puzzled expression. "Nothing else seems to be going on. I don't feel any urge to transform."
"Maybe it's not the right time yet," Vivian offered, offering a plausible excuse. "I feel like the moonlight's power hasn't reached its peak yet. Lily probably won't begin evolving until the full moon."
So all they could do was wait. Y'zaks immediately distributed drinks and snacks to everyone, then summoned a glowing demon rock from thin air and placed it on a nearby open space. "Bring anything you want to heat up. I'll give it a roast."
Kevin waved his hand quickly, "Keep your rock away! It might catch fire on your blanket."
Using demon fire for picnics, and still having people complain about it, this was probably a unique case. The four of them ate and drank under the full moon's radiance. Time ticked by, and soon the full moon rose above them. Kevin sensed something was amiss: "Why is there no movement?"
Vivian frowned: "The moonlight's power has indeed reached its peak. I can feel it... Why isn't the big dog reacting?"
Lily was enjoying her meal, oblivious to the conversation. Snack bags piled around her, even her forehead was greasy. This idiot had completely indulged tonight, but Kevin was growing increasingly worried. He feared the five-digit goddess had pressed the wrong button while "treating" Lily. After a few minutes of hesitation, he finally picked up the data terminal: "Connect me to Raven 12345."
Raven 12345's voice came half a minute later, sounding a bit lazy: "Hello? Kevin... What's going on?" Kevin recounted the situation, then asked anxiously, "Lily hasn't reacted yet, and the moon is about to set. Do you think... something's wrong?"
Raven 12345 fell uncharacteristically silent, a silence that made Kevin's heart tighten. Then he heard a low, deep voice say, "Have you ever heard of the saying 'The moon is fullest on the 16th of the lunar month'?"
That was the moment Kevin wanted to punch someone the most in his life, bar none.