Despite the expeditionary rescue team's courage, they had yet to face the test of battle. Faced with the relentless onslaught of powerful giant ants, their weaknesses gradually became apparent.
Exhaustion began to show on the faces of the group as if a cloud of failure loomed over them. Han Tiao, leading the locust forces, instinctively began to scatter chaotically, somewhat uncontrollable. They hopped around the sandy terrain, inadvertently drawing a significant portion of the ants' attention. Some ants started to split off and encircle the locusts, isolating Han Tiao's teammates.
From a high vantage point, Old Wei furrowed his brow, a faint sigh escaping him. This group had courage, patience, equipment, and technique, but they lacked combat prowess.
All eyes were fixed on the ant swarm, and no one paid attention to what was happening in the distance until an arrow, blazing with fire, struck the back of one giant ant.
The arrow seemed small on the giant ant's back, but fire was the ants' natural enemy. The giant ant immediately started thrashing about, shaking its head and body in pain. The crowd was astonished, and only now did they unconsciously search for the direction from which the arrow had come. They looked up at the sky, where several enormous, semi-transparent ellipses were suspended in midair, leaving everyone stunned.
Several massive, semi-transparent ovals floated in the distance, their leaf veins visible in the sunlight. Beneath each oval, flames burned on suspended baskets, enormous crossbows mounted and ready, a constant reminder that these were products of human civilization—airships.
The airships in the sky noticeably lowered their altitude, hurtling toward this side. Over a dozen airships came with great momentum, accompanied by the swishing sounds of rockets. The ants, which had just gained the upper hand, were thrown into chaos. They quickly retreated into their nests. Meanwhile, the ground expedition team didn't miss the golden opportunity. Many of the girls shouted loudly and fired rows of arrows and crossbow bolts. The ants that could run started scurrying back into their caves.
The airships grew nearer and lower until the faces of both sides were distinguishable. Su Pei, riding atop her bean-sized mount in the air, looked at her father on one of the airships, tears streaming down her face. The people on the ground were equally excited. The men on the airships seemed to possess boundless energy, relentlessly firing arrows down at the fleeing ants. They shouted loudly at the people on the ground,
"I see you!" "I'm back!" "Ahh, we're all alive!" "Hahaha, we're all alive!"
Excited shouts echoed back and forth, intermingled with battle cries. The people on the ground and the team in the sky coordinated seamlessly. Even if they caught just a glimpse of their loved ones, they'd dance with excitement, even before their loved ones spotted them. Shouting back and forth, the rhythm of jubilation permeated everyone's hearts.
The battle raged on, but amidst the fight, the reunited souls had already found their way back together.
Far, far away, waves crashed against a tiny island. Perhaps for ordinary humans, it would seem like nothing more than a few square meters of a rocky reef. It was damp and slippery, covered in seashells. Many of these shells had deeply embedded into the rock, scars left by the relentless force of the waves.
Ordinary humans wouldn't pay much attention to these holes, but for the diminutive inhabitants, each hole was magnified countless times. Inside, the depths were shadowy, damp, and home to fierce monsters as well as gentle, giant oysters.
But in the natural world, gentleness was only relative, assuming you didn't pose a threat to the other's survival. Currently, a crab was circling in place with an oyster in tow. The cause was unknown, but it was likely the crab's impulsive action. While the oyster's shell was open to "breathe," the crab poked at it, only to be bitten and held on tightly. At least, that was Xiao Guang's initial assumption.
In that moment, Xiao Guang charged toward the cursed alligator with a determination to risk it all. Afterwards, he only remembered being dragged into the water by the alligator. The immense water pressure, coupled with the force of the current, immobilized him within the folds of the alligator's scales. Perhaps it was only a brief moment, or maybe it was an extended period, but he lost all sense of time and sensation. He went with the flow, following his instincts.
Maybe it was the alligator's threat that kept the fish away from him, preventing him from becoming a fish's feast. Or perhaps there was another reason. However, luck was always the most crucial factor.
When Xiao Guang regained consciousness, he found himself on this damp reef island.
He had evaded being inside the fish's belly, escaped being crushed by the waves against the rocks, avoided drowning, and survived. But when he opened his eyes, the surroundings were blurry. It wasn't pitch black, but he couldn't make out the environment around him.
Initially, Xiao Guang thought it was due to the lighting within the rocky crevice, so he rested and gradually familiarized himself with his surroundings. Listening to the sound of the waves, he felt his way outside.
The outside was slightly better, the sky was a grayish-black, the sea surface indiscernible, and his surroundings were equally unclear.
"Perhaps it's nighttime," Xiao Guang consoled himself, even though he felt that something was off.
He scraped off a bit of small seashells to stave off his hunger, then wearily fell asleep early. He woke and slept, checking the sky outside every time he woke up. Finally, Xiao Guang had to admit to himself that there was something wrong with his eyes. He might be blind. All he could perceive was a faint, dim light, as if he had put on sunglasses at night. He could sense the feeble light but couldn't see brightness. This hero who had saved many humans was now blind. Perhaps this cold, damp reef would be his final resting place.
"Or maybe I'm already dead, and now I'm waiting to see the world after death."
Xiao Guang sat on the reef, spending a considerable amount of time digesting and pondering. He figured there was time to spare. Now, he didn't need to worry about anyone else, only himself. He recalled a scene on the beach. If Old Su and the others were still alive, they would undoubtedly search for him. But finding him was impossible. Amidst the vast, boundless expanse of azure, how could the primitive and minuscule humans conquer such a vastness?
Tired, so tired. He needed rest. Xiao Guang found a relatively dry spot and lay down. Having experienced more than a year of life and death, he had already foreseen this kind of ending, but he never thought he'd become blind before dying.
Even the optimistic Xiao Guang needed time to truly confront his own death. As he lay there, he suddenly remembered something. He sat up, groping around, and found a large oyster to place by his side.
"I can eat it later when I'm hungry," Xiao Guang thought. "At least starving to death isn't an option. Let's just try to survive. Leaving the island is out of the question, but who knows, maybe I'll regain my sight in a couple of days."
"Maybe I hit my head, affecting my optic nerve, or there's bleeding in my eye, which is affecting my vision."
"It could get better with time."
"It's better to regain my sight before dying than to be blind."
"At least let me see what's in this cave."
"It's bound to be scary. Usually, enlarged caves are very intimidating."
Xiao Guang entered a meditative mode, returning to the time when he was full of scattered thoughts. He had arrived in this world, carried by a giant eagle, and had met Jun Ya and Old Jin.
Jun Ya was really beautiful, the kind of beauty that carried grace. She would often make fun of herself, thinking she was foolish, but she never belittled herself. Her self-deprecating humor was built on a foundation of respect. He liked her but didn't dare to tell her. When he found out she was already engaged, he was devastated. From then on, he didn't dare to look at her again. He only remembered her appearance when they first met, knew that she had helped him, and felt grateful. Yet, he never allowed himself to actively think of her or indulge in his feelings for her. Every girl he met after her, he held little hope for. This was his shadow and his lesson. She was wealthy and beautiful, while he was neither tall, rich, nor handsome. He had nothing to offer her.
A sudden cacophony of noises startled Xiao Guang, breaking his reverie. After such a long time, his fond memories were abruptly shattered, and he felt a bit uncomfortable. Groping his way up, he headed toward the source of the sound. In the dim light, he stumbled his way to the origin of the noise, crouched behind a rock, and listened and observed intently. In the faint perception, he painstakingly discerned the struggle between a crab and a shell.