February 27th, midday.

At dawn, after a brief workout with a tungsten steel ball in the old factory, Zoe Carter hurried back home early.

It wasn’t for any particular reason—just a simple plan to write more words in preparation in the 10th day from now on, when she intended to surprise her readers with an intense burst of updates.

As time passed, at precisely eleven o’clock, Zoe made her way to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

Today, as before, she planned to make fried snake meat.

The fragrant, crispy snake meat she had cooked a few days prior had left a lingering taste, and she found herself wanting more.

Since the snake meat segments had already been marinated in advance, all that was left was to coat them in batter and heat up the oil.

She gathered the eggs and flour in the kitchen, preparing to mix the batter.

As she worked, her ears were filled with the familiar sound of radio broadcasts—broadcasts that only she could hear—providing an unexpected yet welcome backdrop to her cooking.

"Today, we recommend a simple yet delicious dish. The fish mentioned is rich in high-quality protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, which promote heart health. Be sure to add a few slices of ginger to remove any fishy odour, sprinkle some spring onions for fragrance, and keep the seasoning light to preserve the fish’s natural flavour..."

"Traffic on the Silver Ring Expressway is generally smooth today. However, near the western section at Morse Interchange, congestion has developed due to an ongoing accident. Drivers are advised to take alternative routes or exercise patience..."

Thanks to yesterday afternoon’s efforts, she had successfully deciphered yet another radio frequency. Her ability had grown to the point where she could now decode these broadcasts almost without pause.

Compared to Sun Traffic Radio, which mostly cycled through music, traffic updates, and weather reports, Tulips Voice had a far richer array of content.

As an important radio station in the Sun city, Tulips Voice (FM93.5) featured diverse programming aimed at a broad audience.

Since it was lunchtime, the station had begun airing health-conscious recipes, blending seamlessly with the traffic updates in her ears. The lively mix of broadcasts added a sense of vibrancy to her otherwise quiet kitchen.

This kind of life—unexpectedly—felt rather enjoyable.

Rather than being a distraction, the overlapping broadcasts had the opposite effect, making her movements in the kitchen even more fluid and natural.

"For those with sensitive stomachs, it’s best to avoid overly spicy or greasy foods. Hearty meals like spicy chicken may not be the best choice for lunch. Instead, opt for something lighter, such as fruits and soup dishes—both nutritious and gentle on the digestive system..."

"Attention, listeners. This is an emergency bulletin from Tulips Voice. We have just received a police notice regarding an ongoing manhunt. Authorities are actively searching for a suspect involved in a major criminal case. The suspect is described as being of the following height and build... The police urge the public not to engage with the individual directly. If you spot someone matching the description, please call 922 immediately and provide as many details as possible. For your safety and that of others, do not attempt to take action on your own."

"All entrances to the Silver Ring Expressway are currently clear, but certain sections have become slippery due to weather conditions. Please drive carefully and control your speed..."

With the steady stream of radio chatter in her ears, Zoe quickly finished coating all the snake meat pieces in batter.

She then moved on to heating the oil, switching on the extractor fan as well.

As she watched the oil gradually heat up in the pan, a thought surfaced in her mind.

At this point, she had already developed an acute sensitivity to electromagnetic waves, capable of perceiving numerous frequencies floating through the air. Her abilities were bringing her ever closer to becoming a human radio receiver.

Yet, despite this, she still lacked infrared perception.

Was it possible that she did possess infrared sensitivity, but it had been blocked along with the overwhelming number of electromagnetic waves her body had been unable to handle before?

Her interest in infrared perception wasn’t random. If she could sense infrared, she’d be able to measure temperature with precision, making the task of frying snake meat—and cooking in general—far easier.

Cooking, after all, was something she took seriously.

But, as things stood... she was still nothing more than a low-end radio receiver.

With a resigned smirk, she sighed.

Focusing her mind, she sifted through the countless electromagnetic waves flowing through the Transparent World, isolating the frequencies corresponding to Tulips Voice and Sun Traffic Radio, subtly increasing their prominence.

This had the effect of amplifying their volume in her head, drowning out other background noise.

With the layered broadcasts now filling her mind, she continued her culinary preparations while letting her thoughts drift elsewhere.

The first thing that came to mind was the tungsten steel ball she had been toying with at dawn.

The memory of her own sheer, overwhelming strength during that early-morning session sent her imagination spiralling towards even more distant possibilities.

Just how powerful would her body eventually become?

This reverie is not to suggest that the goals she once set for herself were limited to merely reaching the point of causing storms with a single punch.

Now that she was already envisioning the future, Zoe couldn’t help but entertain even more extravagant possibilities.

What if she could grow so powerful that a single punch could destroy a planet the size of Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons? At that point, surely, she would be justified in calling herself a deity of the human world.

At this thought, Zoe couldn't suppress a light chuckle.

Her hand paused briefly as she placed pieces of snake meat into the hot oil.

To reach that level—yes, it would certainly make her a deity of the human world.

After all, the mass of Earth is only about forty times that of Europa.

If she could shatter Europa with a single blow, gradually destroying Earth with successive punches wouldn’t be much of a challenge.

At that point, one punch would cause tectonic plates to crack, continents to drift apart.

No, actually—she should say they would race across the planet!

The word drift just doesn’t do it justice.

By then, if she hadn’t imposed a breath tax on humanity, she would have shown mercy.

When Zoe was younger, watching Dragon Ball, she used to imagine that, if she ever became a deity of the human world, she would declare that she had scattered seven glass orbs across the world, and anyone who collected them could make a wish to her.

She would then only create six hard-to-replicate glass orbs to amuse the world.

But now, as she thought about those fantasies, she couldn’t help but shake her head with a smile.

To be honest, she was now truly on the path towards becoming a figure akin to a deity of the human world.

She was becoming someone who could one day ascend to such a position.

Yet, the Zoe of today wasn’t obsessed with any fanciful notions.

Instead, she simply wished to see how high the sky really was.

Along the way, she hoped to travel the world, to explore the diverse landscapes she had always wanted to experience but had once found out of reach.

And, perhaps, to put in just a little more effort to fulfil the promise she had made to her mother of becoming a writer.

Just as she had once imagined.

Perhaps the end of her evolution would involve carrying mountains and chasing the sun, plucking stars and taking the moon. Perhaps one day she would spread her arms wide and float beyond Earth's atmosphere, striking a divine pose, encircling the sun.

But in the midst of this evolution...

She longed to try out all sorts of professions in the mortal world, to experience a life she had never known before. She wanted to push her limits and engage in ever more extreme sports. She envisioned riding a blue whale across the vast oceans, walking beside a fierce tiger through the jungle, and conquering the grasslands atop the heads of lions…

And, of course, she wished to conquer nature with her own physical body!

For these goals, she would continue to evolve, relentlessly and persistently.

As she thought this, Zoe, who was about to double-fry the pieces of snake meat, had a spark of brilliance in her eyes.

However, it soon faded.

Or rather, it wasn’t so much a fading as it was hidden.

The light in her eyes hadn’t vanished; it was simply that she was not dwelling on it at the moment.

Talking about it now was pointless.

That future was still too far away.

Europa’s mass starts at a staggering 60 quadrillion tonnes, while she currently possesses only a modest 6 tonnes of strength.

There was a difference of 10 quadrillion times in between.

Thinking about it now seemed too distant.

What mattered to her at this moment was something more immediate.

She cared more about having the ability to measure temperature with infrared, as that would make cooking much easier.

After all, a writer who doesn’t aspire to be the Sovereign of the World is no good chef!