Chapter 35: Naya’s Appearance

After a string of choice expletives from Su He, the creature that had ambushed him emerged from the thickets deep ahead.

"Well, well, aren't you one of those giant beetles from the fantasy realm?" Su He noted. Unlike the female he had seen in the film, this beetle was far more robust, its eyes filled with a fiercer intent, and its body covered in healed scars that suggested a long history of combat.

Su He realized the male beetle had pegged him as prey, attempting a sneak attack from the brush only to be evaded.

"Heh, perfect. I haven't tested the abilities Tuanzi enhanced for me yet. Since you delivered yourself to my doorstep, I'll start with you." As he spoke, an intense cold radiated from Su He’s body, freezing the surrounding flowers, grass, and trees.

"Ice Arrows!" He conjured dozens of sharp projectiles. Where his previous arrows had only been capable of freezing enemies, these were meant to pierce and kill instantly.

The beetle, however, was no pushover. Decades of combat experience had granted it a keen sense of danger; before the arrows could reach it, it unfurled its wings and took flight. It then charged, aiming its massive, blade-like mandibles at Su He, intent on skewering him.

"Heh, predictable AI behavior."

Seeing through the beetle’s intent, Su He leaped into the air, side-stepped, and as the beetle surged past, he struck its abdomen with a freezing blizzard blast.

The beetle felt a sharp, icy pain surge through its internal organs, as if they were being shattered by frost. It collapsed to the ground in agony and fell silent.

"Heh, learned your lesson, didn't you?" Su He felt a sense of accomplishment. Since he had transmigrated, he had been nothing but a punching bag; he had never had the chance to pin someone down and dominate them like this. He walked over to the beetle, intending to inspect the "camper" at close range.

Just as Su He leaned in, the beetle—true to its nature as a dirty player—suddenly opened its eyes and struck Su He with a final, desperate blow, sending him flying. Seeing his target defeated before his own end, the beetle finally closed its eyes in peace.

Poor Su He, after experiencing a brief flight through the air, plummeted toward a patch of extreme heat, eventually crashing into the dirt. His expression was a mix of frustration and misery.

"I’m such a damn idiot. Why did I have to go and lean in? That beetle was a top-tier camper, still trying to pull a fast one even at death's door."

It took a long time for Su He to crawl out of the dirt, bruised and battered. He wanted to lie down and wail about his misfortune, but an image flashed in his mind: a person in overalls with a center-part hairstyle, encouraging him.

"Su He, remember: a real man, a true man, does not shed tears easily."

Hearing the encouragement of his idol, Su He forcibly held back his tears.

"Right, I am a real man. How could I cry so easily? What would people think? I still have to find my Naya."

Su He prepared to stand and continue his journey, but after only a few steps, he felt the surrounding temperature rising steadily. He attempted to manifest his white scales to resist the heat and clear his head, but he found that no matter how hard he pushed his spiritual energy, the scales would not form. It was as if something in the environment was suppressing him. Su He scanned his surroundings, searching for the source of the suppression.

Finally, about a dozen meters ahead, he spotted a dark red crystal. The closer he moved toward it, the more intense the suppression and exhaustion became. He collapsed to his knees, his consciousness beginning to blur.

"Damn it, am I really going to fall here? I haven't even seen Naya yet."

"Alas, this is the end of me." All right, the protagonist is dead, show's over! Just kidding. The moment Su He closed his eyes, he saw a slender figure walking toward him.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he awoke on a warm, small bed, feeling the touch of soft fur against his hand. He opened his eyes to see a simple, clean room, and immediately felt a parched dryness in his throat.

"Cough, cough... water, where is the water?"

"Click!" A beautiful young woman opened the door and walked in. Seeing Su He looking like a fish gasping for air, she understood what he needed and hurried over with a cup of water, handing it to him.

"Here, have some water." Her melodic voice reached his ears, but he didn't have time to listen; he just wanted to drink.

"Damn, that’s refreshing." After downing the water, Su He felt as if he had been brought back to life, his energy surging. He looked at the girl and started acting like an idiot again, thinking:

"Holy crap! It’s my Naya! I searched high and low, and here she is, found without any effort at all." Su He became lost in his fantasies, even starting to think of names for their future children.

"Hello, are you feeling better now?" Her melodic voice sounded again, like a slap of reality that snapped him out of it.

"Oh, oh, I’m fine now. May I ask what your name is? Where is this?"

"My name is Naya. This is my home. I found you passed out while I was gathering embers at the small volcano, so I brought you back."

"Oh, I see. My name is Su He. Thank you, Naya." Su He thought for a moment and then continued.

"Naya, I saw a dark red crystal near the small volcano earlier. That’s what caused me to pass out. I was wondering, what exactly is that crystal?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Naya said, pulling the crystal from her pocket and moving it toward Su He.

At the sight of the stone, Su He scrambled toward the corner of the bed, as if he had seen something truly terrifying.

"Naya, you... you don't need to bring it over! Just tell me what it is."

"Su He, what’s wrong? It’s just an ordinary crystal." She explained, "This is called a Lava Crystal. My grandfather and the others say that a long time ago, a fire dragon wreathed in crimson flames circled the small volcano. After the dragon left, these stones were created."

"But they don't have any special properties. They’re just a bit warmer than other stones, and if you rub them gently, they produce sparks, so we usually use them to start fires."

As she spoke, Naya playfully moved the Lava Crystal closer to Su He. He felt that same suffocating suppression wash over him and collapsed weakly to the floor.