Volume One, Chapter Eleven: The Pink Moth

At this moment, Zhuang Fan clung desperately to the last lifeline as if drowning, his heart frantically calling out to all the gods, hoping someone would show mercy and help him escape this calamity.

In this life-and-death moment, fear, despair, and the will to survive intertwined within him. All he could do now was place every shred of hope in those intangible deities.

“Gods above, please save me! I vow to burn incense and pray devoutly to repay your kindness,” Zhuang Fan shouted silently in his heart.

Suddenly, a thought struck him.

“Wait, Great Power! Great Power, please save me, Great Power...”

He realized that in his panic, he had called out to various gods but had forgotten to call upon the one Great Power responsible for all this.

Was it too late now?

Surely, such a lofty existence wouldn’t hold a grudge, right?

With haste, he prayed earnestly.

“Oh Great Power, all-powerful one, I beg you...”

Filled with infinite hope and reverence.

“Oh Great Power, if you save me, when I gain strength, I will surely serve as your loyal follower!” Zhuang Fan prayed sincerely once more.

Faintly, he thought he heard a barely audible laugh.

A chill ran through his heart. Could the Great Power really have heard his prayer?

Yet, the giant bear continued to rampage, death narrowly missing him multiple times.

After what felt like an eternity, silence finally fell.

Only then did Zhuang Fan cautiously open his eyes and look down toward the tree.

Had the Red Skull Bear left?

He nearly wept with joy.

“Great Power, thank you!”

Grateful, he hurriedly climbed down the tree.

Around him lay devastation, trees toppled everywhere.

Surviving such a calamity, Zhuang Fan’s heart swelled with emotion.

He gazed at the great tree that had shared his fate and felt deep gratitude.

Unable to restrain himself, he kissed the tree.

Since the urge to urinate hadn’t yet passed, he decided to offer some fertilizer to the tree as thanks.

He would express his gratitude in his own unique way!

Just then, a pleasant voice rang out: “You humans really have no manners!”

Startled, he looked up toward the source of the voice.

“What a huge creature! No, a giant moth!”

He was stunned to see a gigantic pink moth perched on a towering tree.

Zhuang Fan was momentarily mesmerized, primarily because the moth was incredibly beautiful.

Its body was a dreamy shade of pink.

Furry antennae swayed gently; its wings cascaded like a pink waterfall, with elongated tail-like extensions fluttering gracefully in the air, exuding an ethereal elegance.

Such a beautiful moth clearly was no ferocious beast but rather a friendly creature.

“Hey, human, aren’t you going to thank me?” came a clear, melodious girl’s voice again.

Zhuang Fan snapped back to reality.

It had saved him?

And it could speak human language?

Could this be the legendary Great Power?!

Realizing the opportunity, he hastily tidied his clothes, preparing to make a good impression.

He bowed respectfully and said, “Thank you, Great Power, for saving my life. I am deeply grateful and at your service henceforth, ready to do whatever you command...”

Flowing compliments came naturally from his lips.

“Hehe~ I’m Xiao E, not some Great Power. Just this once, though. Next time, you’ll have to rely on yourself,” the pleasant voice replied playfully.

With that, the friendly creature named Xiao E spread her enormous wings like a magnificent painting before Zhuang Fan’s eyes.

Then she took flight, stirring a gentle breeze.

Only then did Zhuang Fan truly see the breadth of her wings, nearly blotting out the forest below.

Shimmering pink hues, dreamy and surreal.

In an instant, she vanished into the distant horizon.

Zhuang Fan stood dumbfounded, deeply moved.

Suddenly, a large bird’s nest dropped from the sky, landing not far from him.

Snapping out of his shock, Zhuang Fan muttered, “What is this? Could it be a gift from Xiao E?”

Delighted, he hurried over to inspect.

[Unknown Bird Egg] [Common Treasure Chest]

A pure black bird egg, half as tall as a man!

And a treasure chest?

Zhuang Fan’s heart leapt as he quickly freed a slot in his backpack to store the egg.

He planned to try hatching it later; if that failed, he would eat it—surely it must be nourishing.

Then, eagerly, he opened the bronze chest.

A dazzling green light flashed, revealing a mysterious set of black clothing inside, its texture clearly no ordinary fabric.

[Excellent Tight Combat Suit: Grants 1.2x bonus to all attributes, with certain defensive capabilities]

Zhuang Fan picked up the combat suit for a close look; it was as thin as cicada wings, less than a millimeter thick.

Yet its material was tough; no matter how he pulled, it wouldn’t deform and quickly returned to its original shape.

“How do you wear this? Like a bodysuit?” he wondered.

Then, at his mental command, a blue light flashed, and the suit vanished from his hands.

Immediately, he felt his body was covered by the mysterious black combat suit, leaving only his head exposed.

A strange and indescribable sensation spread throughout him.

He quickly checked his system for his stats.

Strength: 4.1 (×1.2)

Spirit: 5.8 (×1.2)

Agility: 3.9 (×1.2)

Constitution: 4 (×1.2)

“So it really is 1.2 times!”

“But why have some attributes changed? Constitution and agility improved, but spirit dropped a bit?”

“Maybe it’s because I’ve been exercising lately, so my constitution improved?”

“And what about spirit? Am I just too tired now?”

“Never mind, better run first. Who knows if more monsters are coming.”

Hurriedly, Zhuang Fan packed his things and dashed toward the cave.

His backpack was full, so he needed to return to organize his items.

While running, a sudden realization hit him.

Wearing the black combat suit beneath some green grass clothing made for a bizarre appearance.

He didn’t want Zhong Xiaoniu to tease him.

“System! Can you hide the combat suit?”

No sooner had he spoken than a blue light flashed, and the black suit vanished—though its attribute bonuses remained intact.

Overjoyed, Zhuang Fan exclaimed, “System, I love you! Mwah!”

He marveled at how practical the assistant system was, fulfilling various daily needs.

Just as he basked in his joy, a piercing bird cry echoed through the sky.

The sound brimmed with boundless fury, sending chills down his spine.

The forest trembled under the cry, leaves drifting down.

Zhuang Fan’s heart tightened.

“Could it be the mother of the bird egg in my backpack?!”

“The giant bear left, but now a huge bird appears!”

His face turned pale.

He had disturbed its nest and taken its egg—this was bound to cause trouble!