Ever since transmigrating into the body of a Fairy cub, Shu Li had been pondering one serious question.
Adult Fairies were only the size of a palm. No matter how powerful they became, they were still tiny. How was he supposed to become a hero who defeated the Demon King in the future?
It was like comparing an ant to an elephant. The difference in size was obvious, and the gap in strength was so vast that resisting would be like an ant trying to shake a tree.
Now, after seeing Chris suddenly transform from a "little man" into a "giant," Shu Li was stunned beyond words.
The enlarged Chris looked exactly the same. Everything had simply increased in proportion, including the butterfly wings on his back, his flowing white robe, his cape patterned with sunflowers, and all his exquisite jewelry. Every item had transformed to match the size of his body.
What kind of miraculous magic was this? It could change the size of matter at will!
However, Shu Li had no time to think further. The moment Chris grew larger, he swiftly attacked the gigantic bird.
He took a golden longbow from his belt pouch, condensed his magic into a golden arrow, aimed at the gigantic bird, and released it with practiced ease.
The golden arrow became a streak of golden light and tore through the air. It instantly dispersed the tornado and shot directly toward the gigantic bird’s forehead.
The Sekern bird had become wary the moment the Little Fairy grew larger. When the golden arrow came hurtling toward it, it immediately dodged.
Despite its enormous body, its title as the Gale was no empty boast. With a beat of its wings, it nimbly avoided the arrow.
The golden arrow grazed its head and sent several feathers drifting into the air.
The Sekern bird let out a piercing cry. When a second golden arrow followed closely behind the first, it realized that it had underestimated this newly matured Little Fairy.
A Fairy capable of growing larger was just as troublesome as an Elf. If it fought head-on, it would be the one to suffer in the end.
Rather than letting itself be beaten black and blue, it was better to grab something and flee.
Ignoring the second golden arrow, the Sekern bird pushed off with its thick legs and lunged toward a nearby fruit tree. Its claws seized a branch laden with clusters of fruit and tore it off by force. Immediately afterward, it spread its wings and soared upward, vanishing into the sky with a sharp whoosh.
Chris raised his bow and aimed at the Sekern bird, which had already become a black speck in the distance. After trying several times, he eventually gave up.
Forget it. There was no point wasting magic.
After this lesson, it probably would not dare steal fruit again for a long time.
Chris put away his bow and prepared to repair the breach in the magical wall. Suddenly, he felt something tugging at the hem of his robe. When he looked down, he saw three tiny Fairy cubs.
The cubs pulled at his robe while crying out.
Chris was startled and hurriedly scooped all three of them into his hands.
Light God above!
This was the outer edge of the orchard, where danger lurked everywhere. Why were three cubs who should have been in the center of the protected area here?
Sitting in his palm, the three cubs sobbed so hard they could barely breathe.
"Sperien... Sperien... Waaah..."
Chris’s heart lurched. He asked urgently, "What happened to Sperien?"
"He was... taken by the giant bird... Waaah!" Red-haired Disio clung to Chris’s thumb and wailed.
Chris’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"Ch-Chris, hurry and save Sperien!" Angel begged through his tears.
"Waaah, it’s all my fault for being greedy..." Budno cried as though his heart were breaking. "I don’t want Sperien to... to get eaten by the big bird!"
Listening to the cubs’ cries, Chris roughly pieced together what had happened. His face abruptly turned pale.
"Chris!" Dorsia flew over in a rush and asked anxiously, "Was that the cry of a Sekern bird? Did you fight it? Have you seen four cubs—"
Her voice stopped abruptly.
She stared blankly at Chris’s palm. Three cubs were crying their hearts out, but Sperien was nowhere to be seen.
At that moment, Shu Li felt certain he was about to die.
He clung tightly to the stem of a leaf as it whipped through the air. The powerful wind created by their speed nearly tore him away, but he could not let go. The moment he released his grip, he would fall from an altitude of several thousand meters, and then—
Then it would be GAME OVER!
The gigantic bird carrying the fruit-tree branch was far too fast. In the blink of an eye, it had flown more than a thousand meters. After only a few breaths, the Fairy orchard disappeared from sight, and Shu Li had no idea where he was being taken.
He folded his wings close, pressed all four limbs together, and wrapped himself tightly around the leaf stem, too miserable even to cry.
A person truly could not become careless. After one lucky streak after another, disaster was bound to strike.
He had only gone to pick fruit with his companions, yet he had somehow become caught in a battle between a Fairy and a magical beast.
When the four cubs saw Chris grow larger, they had all been struck dumb. By the time Shu Li recovered, the battle had already begun.
They were far too close to the center of the fight. The wind created by the gigantic bird’s wings made all the surrounding branches sway violently.
Shu Li had immediately grabbed his companions and tried to flee.
However, everything had happened too quickly for them to react.
The gigantic bird had suddenly lunged in their direction. Its claws, as hard as steel, seized the branch they were standing on. With a loud crack, it tore the branch off by force.
Redhead, Whitehead, and the little fatty were thrown away. Only Shu Li was unlucky enough to be caught. As the gigantic bird’s claws closed around the branch, one of its hooked rear talons snagged his clothes. He had no opportunity to struggle and could only watch helplessly as the bird carried both him and the branch high into the sky.
The gigantic bird flew at incredible speed, covering thousands of meters in an instant. Shu Li screamed in terror, but the moment he opened his mouth, the violent wind rushed inside and made him cough uncontrollably.
Something even more terrifying followed.
The gigantic bird’s claws were razor-sharp and tore through his clothes. After losing his support, Shu Li’s little body immediately began sliding. Just as the wind was about to sweep him away, he unleashed every ounce of strength he possessed and wrapped his arms around the nearest leaf stem, saving himself from falling out of the sky.
He might have wings, but he was afraid of heights!
The bird flew, the wind howled, the leaves shook, and Shu Li prayed.
Jade Emperor! Lord Lao! Guanyin Bodhisattva! Amitabha! God—
He did not care which god answered. As long as one of them appeared and helped him, he would worship them every single day from now on. He swore it!
He prayed for a long time, but no miracle occurred. Panicked and helpless, Shu Li had no idea what to do.
Suddenly, inspiration struck.
This was another world. Praying to the gods and Buddhas of his original world was useless!
Shu Li immediately switched deities.
Great... Fire God Afama Chips!
Great Water God Hildini Dang—was that really the name?
Oh, forget it. He would pray first and worry about accuracy later.
Great Light God Lient Reis, great Wind God Windy Inor, great Wood God Ouroman Pazi, great Earth God Hefeg Lot...
Thank goodness Lia had sung the "Song of Creation" yesterday afternoon and taught him the true names of the gods!
Perhaps his prayers truly worked. The gigantic bird began to slow down. After releasing a clear, resonant cry, it dived toward the ground.
"Aaaaaah—!"
Shu Li could not stop himself from screaming.
The sensation of weightlessness was terrifying. He felt as though his heart was about to stop!
The roaring wind scattered the Fairy cub’s frightened cries. The Sekern bird remained completely unaware of him. Once it confirmed that it had left Fairy territory behind, it carried the stolen fruit-tree branch toward a quiet place where it could feast.
It plunged into the dense forest, spread its enormous wings to slow itself, and landed steadily on a thick branch of a towering tree.
The Sekern bird made a pleased cooing sound in its throat. It released the branch from its claws and lowered its head to inspect the fruit-tree branch it had stolen in such a rush.
A cluster of ripe, pear-shaped fruits hung from it. They were round, fresh, plump, and released an intensely sweet fragrance.
The Sekern bird nearly began drooling.
Fairies truly were an industrious race. The fruits they carefully cultivated were far better than wild fruit—larger, more fragrant, and irresistibly tempting.
That was precisely why it so often took advantage of breaches in the magical wall to sneak inside and steal fruit.
And when there were no breaches, it found ways to create them.
The Sekern bird happily admired the cluster of fruit, opened its beak, and leaned toward one.
Suddenly, it snapped its beak shut and stared suspiciously at a certain spot. Its eyes widened like bronze bells, nearly bulging from their sockets.
What was that?
It was tiny, with a pair of thin wings on its back. Its clothes were torn, and all four limbs were wrapped around a leaf. It lay completely still, as though unconscious.
The Sekern bird blinked, suspecting that its eyes were playing tricks on it.
It took a step backward, then leaned closer for a careful inspection.
After a long moment, it nodded gravely.
It had not been mistaken. That truly was a Little Fairy.
Judging by its size, it was a cub who had only recently been born.
Wait—
The Sekern bird took another step backward.
A cub who had only recently been born!
The bird was finished!
It had caused a disaster!
Although it enjoyed stealing fruit, the Fairies had never tried to kill it, and it had never dared truly offend them. Their conflicts had always remained minor squabbles. But now it had stolen a Fairy cub. The entire Fairy Clan would fight it to the death!
No, no. It had taken the cub by accident!
The situation had been urgent. It had only wanted to tear off a branch and flee. How could it have known that a tiny cub came attached to the branch?
It was innocent!
The Sekern bird found itself a reason to escape blame and slowly backed away.
Before the adult Fairies arrived and while the cub was still unconscious, it had to flee.
It would not dare remain in the Faerie Forest for the foreseeable future. It had better head to the Magical Beast Forest in the north of the continent and hide there for a while.
It had wings. Running away could not be easier.
Having made up its mind, the Sekern bird abandoned even its beloved fruit, spread its wings, and fled.
Once the aura of the seventh-rank magical beast disappeared, the small animals in the forest cautiously emerged. They poked their heads out and discovered the fruit hanging from the branch. Every herbivorous animal began salivating.
Several animals [N O V E L I G H T] capable of climbing trees swiftly scrambled upward and slowly approached their target.
Shu Li gradually woke from his faint.
The gigantic bird’s high-speed dive had frightened him so badly that he had finally lost consciousness.
Before fainting, however, he had clung desperately to the leaf stem and refused to release it. Whether he survived afterward had been left entirely to fate.
Fortunately, he could still feel his body.
If he still had sensation, it meant he was not dead.
Thank goodness!
Shu Li slowly opened his eyes and cautiously examined his surroundings.
This was an unfamiliar forest. The foliage was dense and blocked much of the sunlight, leaving everything dim.
He was lying on the branch of a large tree, still clutching the stem of a leaf from the fruit-tree branch. The surroundings were silent, and the gigantic bird was nowhere to be seen.
Was he... safe?
Shu Li moved his stiff limbs, released the leaf stem, and struggled upright. He had remained in the same position for too long, and every muscle in his body ached and trembled.
Kneeling on the branch, he looked around and confirmed that the gigantic bird was truly gone.
He was saved!
He let out a long breath.
Thank you, gods of this other world, for hearing his prayers.
Shu Li wiped his face and looked at the fruit-tree branch in front of him, full of confusion.
The gigantic bird had caused such a commotion just to steal fruit. Why had it abandoned the fruit untouched halfway through its journey?
Shu Li could not understand it, and his frustration grew.
If it had no intention of eating the fruit, why steal it in the first place? Now he had no idea where he was or how to return to the Divine Tree.
During the more than three months since transmigrating to this other world, he had always lived in safe places, like a flower raised in a greenhouse under the careful protection of adult Fairies.
Neither in his previous life nor now did he possess any wilderness survival skills.
Considering the gigantic bird’s flying speed, this place was probably unimaginably far from the Divine Tree.
With his tiny body and little wings, how many years would it take him to fly back?
Anxiety and helplessness filled Shu Li. He hugged himself tightly and wrapped his gauze-like wings around his body.
A gust of wind blew past, and he sneezed.
"Achoo—"
Why was it a little cold?
He sniffled and looked down, only to discover in surprise that his clothes were torn. Half of one shoulder was exposed to the air. No wonder he felt cold.
Shu Li hurriedly tried to rescue his clothes. After struggling for quite a while, he tied the torn section into a knot and barely managed to cover his shoulder.
The gigantic bird’s claws had been far too sharp.
He had bought this robe only the day before yesterday. It had been completely new, and he had not even worn it for two full days before a bird’s claw tore it open.
At the time, the owner of the armor shop had specifically explained that the robe was embroidered with defensive magical formations capable of withstanding an attack from a fourth-rank magical beast.
Shu Li had thought that he would always live in the Divine Tree and could never encounter a fourth-rank magical beast, so he had paid little attention to the defensive formations.
He had never imagined that accidents always happened when least expected.
He had merely gone to pick fruit, only to encounter a high-ranking magical beast.
Shu Li did not know the gigantic bird’s rank, but it dared sneak into the Fairy orchard to steal fruit and had fought Chris on equal footing. It was definitely no lower than fourth rank.
Therefore, it was only natural that the robe could not withstand the claws of a magical beast above fourth rank.
At the thought of Chris, Shu Li’s dejection vanished, and hope lit his eyes.
Fairies could actually grow larger!
They could become the same size as Elves, only with an additional pair of enormous glowing wings on their backs.
It was sacred, beautiful, and deeply inspiring.
Shu Li wiped his face and forced himself to pull himself together.
He was going to become a hero someday. How could he simply sit here and wait for death?
He had to rely on himself and find every possible way to return to the Divine Tree. No matter how much time it took or how difficult the journey became, he had to go back.
Only by returning to the Divine Tree and rejoining the Fairy Clan could he continue learning and growing.
Shu Li clenched his little fists and encouraged himself.
First, he had to replenish his strength.
After everything he had been through and the terrible fright he had suffered, his little stomach had long since become empty.
Since the stupid bird did not want the fruit, he would gladly take it.
The fruit belonged to the Fairies in the first place.
Shu Li stood, wrapped his arms around a round pear-shaped fruit, and leaned closer to smell it. A rich, sweet fragrance filled his nose.
No wonder the little fatty had refused to let go. It smelled so good that Shu Li nearly began drooling.
He did not care that the fruit had not been washed and opened his mouth to take a bite.
Mmm—
Delicious!!!
The skin was thin, the flesh soft, tender, and juicy. The sweetness carried a hint of tartness, making it unbelievably delicious!
Shu Li took a huge bite, his cheeks bulging as he ate. After swallowing, he opened his mouth wide and took another fierce bite.
Chew, chew, chew—
"Nibble, nibble—nibble, nibble, nibble—"
Shu Li’s pointed ears stood upright, and confusion appeared in his large pale green eyes.
Strange. Was he really chewing that loudly?
"Nibble, nibble—nibble, nibble—"
He closed his mouth, yet the chewing continued echoing beside him.
Shu Li immediately became alert. He released the fruit, spread his wings, and flew ten centimeters upward.
A furry animal came into view.
His pupils contracted in fright.
Half a meter away, a small squirrel was crouching on the branch, holding a fruit and eating it with great enjoyment.
There was no doubt that the loud chewing came from it.
Shu Li instantly grew tense.
He did not know whether the squirrel was aggressive or whether it might hurt him.
The squirrel noticed him as well. Still holding its half-eaten fruit, it stared blankly.
Huh?
What was that?
An insect?
Oh. It seemed to be a Fairy cub.
The little squirrel put down its fruit and approached Shu Li in a friendly manner. It extended one paw, intending to greet the Fairy cub.
Shu Li had no way of knowing what the squirrel was thinking. The moment he saw it reaching toward him, every hair on his body stood on end.
He abruptly drew the dagger from his waist, pointed it at the little squirrel, and shouted in terror, "B-Back, back, back, back—!"