Chapter Thirteen: Firefly

Chapter 13: Firefly

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Charles lay on the ground, his body rendered numb by the brutal blows. He had lost all sensation, even the pain itself had faded. His senses began to slip away, leaving only the faint echo of his own heartbeat.

“Am I going to die...?”

With each slowing beat, his blood struggled to circulate, making his consciousness ever more fragile, as if he were suspended above cotton, nowhere to land.

Scenes from his past flashed through his mind—memories from his previous life as a child, then as an adult at work. Finally, among the torrent of images, appeared a casual game he once played, each frame freezing and converging into an overwhelming barrage.

Countless pieces of information crashed over him like waves, instantly drowning him. Charles watched these images, his heart suddenly jolted.

“This is... the database...”

As his consciousness was battered and swept by these memories, a faint spark reignited within him. He struggled to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt as heavy as iron gates, impossible to lift.

“I don’t want to die!”

“I just crossed over; I haven’t seen enough of this dazzling world!”

“Mom, Dad, I miss you so much. This world is too dangerous. I want to go back!”

“Wait, I still have the modulator—White Spirit!”

Ding!

The familiar translucent interface appeared before him. With a thought, Charles locked onto his constitution stat.

The evolution points began to plummet rapidly, dropping three points in an instant, while his constitution only increased by 0.1.

At the same time, a warm current coursed through his body, giving him the illusion of soaking in a hot spring.

The constitution stat represented his overall immunity to viruses and bacteria, adaptability to harsh environments, recovery from injury, and more.

Three evolution points were mostly spent repairing his body, allowing his wounds to heal at a miraculous rate. Even his broken bones were drawn together and mended by some unseen force.

“Does this mean that, as long as I have enough evolution points, even severed limbs or being cut in half could be restored?!”

Charles was shaken. If it worked as he imagined, he might one day possess an immortal body!

Unfortunately, after spending three points, his body barely regained the ability to move. There was no flash of golden light and instant full recovery—rather, it felt like the weakness following a serious illness.

By this reckoning, regenerating a limb would require an unknown, possibly triple-digit number of points!

As his nerve senses returned, he felt something furry pressed tightly against his cheek, tickling him. He hurriedly opened his eyes.

“Meow...”

The creature made a soft, whimpering sound, rubbing its face against his, and then licked him gently with a tiny, pink tongue.

“A little fox?”

Charles sat up, astonished, the vague image from before overlapping with this one. He couldn’t help but blurt out, “Little fox, was it you who saved me just now?”

Looking closely, he found the little white fox pure as snow, without a single blemish. Bathed in moonlight, a gentle halo seemed to flow across its fur. Its sapphire-like eyes gleamed bright.

The fox didn’t run away after he awoke. Instead, it sat upright, its narrow eyes fixed on him, giving him an oddly enchanting impression.

Yet, the monster from earlier was so terrifying, he had no idea how he’d survived. This fox was tiny and adorable, far smaller than any lapdog, looking utterly incapable of fighting such a foe.

When he asked, the fox tilted its head in a very human way, clearly not understanding his words.

Charles reached out and gently stroked its head. The fox didn’t shy away, instead rubbing against his hand.

It felt like touching the finest silk. Rising, Charles looked around—the monster had vanished, leaving only chaos in its wake.

Who saved me?

His doubt deepened. He had struck the monster in the eye with an arrow, but there was no poison—it couldn’t have been fatal. When he was near death, he seemed to witness something extraordinary, but now he simply couldn’t recall it, his head throbbing painfully. Helpless, he let it go.

This crisis made him realize just how dangerous this world was. Not even three powerful warriors could guarantee his safety, strengthening his resolve to obtain a totem and grow stronger quickly.

Sadly, the dead could not return.

Charles felt deep guilt, sighed, and waved goodbye to the little fox. “Thank you for guarding me, little fox. I’m heading back now. Be careful, okay?”

He suspected this little creature had indeed saved him. Yet, without becoming a totem, it shouldn’t possess any supernatural abilities—what had actually happened?

“Meow!”

Suddenly, the fox jumped to his side, rubbing its head against his leg. Charles pointed at himself, puzzled, “Do you... want to come home with me?”

The fox didn’t respond, but when he picked it up, it burrowed into his arms, found a comfortable spot, and promptly fell asleep.

Charles couldn’t help but smile, unsure when he’d become so charming that even a strange fox would cling to him—wait, wasn’t this the same injured fox?!

A memory flashed in his mind: half a year ago, “he” had wandered at the forest’s edge with guards. On the way, they encountered a fox chased by wolves. Because it was beautiful, he ordered the guards to shoot the wolves. Before he could catch it, the fox escaped into the woods.

Ahem, if it knew his earlier intention had been to catch it and make a scarf...

Charles looked up at the sky, burying that memory deep within.

Who says animals don’t repay kindness? This little white fox, like a spirit from legends, had braved danger to protect him. Strictly speaking, he owed it a debt.

“Then come with me. From now on, your name is—Firefly.” Charles’ gaze softened, gently stroking its silky back. Using the moon’s position as a guide, he set off towards the manor.

When he arrived, Marcus was already waiting at the gate.

“Young master, you are the family’s sole heir. I will never allow you to act so recklessly again!” Marcus’s face was stern, his presence imposing. Seeing Charles with his head bowed, he forced a smile. “You look terribly frightened. I’ll have Old Bull prepare some medicine for you. Go wash up and rest.”

“Uncle Marcus, those men...” Charles hesitated.

“The guard who abandoned you and fled alone has already been dealt with. A guard who deserts his master deserves death!”

Marcus spoke with ruthless certainty, unmoved by the loss of a living soul. “As for the two hunters... dying for you is their honor. I’ll send a reward to their families tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell the master this time—but there must not be a next!”

“Thank you, Uncle Marcus. I’m exhausted. I’ll go to bed now.”

Charles said no more, bowing his head again, realizing once more how little a life was worth in this world.

To survive, to thrive, one must become stronger. Unbeknownst to him, his temperament had begun a subtle transformation...