After winning the fight, it was time to collect the spoils of war…

Sad Zhuang Xiao: …

This world really, really was too… too kind to her—it had given her a chunk of meat too heavy to carry away…

Back in the distant forest, Huo Xiao, Feng Ziyang, and the others were naturally unaware of Zhuang Xiao’s sorrow.

In a chase-and-search game, the two parties finally reunited.

As the light in the forest dimmed, Huo Xiao’s heart grew heavier.

With nightfall, it felt like plunging into an ice cave.

The world of danger had reopened.

Feng Ziyang grabbed the still-searching Huo Xiao. “It’s getting dark—we need to quickly find a safe place to camp… We’ll search again at first light tomorrow…”

Reason told Huo Xiao that Feng Ziyang was right; emotionally, however…

“Yes, Boss Huo,” said Sima Yan. “Your cousin might’ve already found a place to hide by now!”

And in fact, Sima Yan wasn’t wrong.

As night fell, Zhuang Xiao was a little scared at first.

But—being scared didn’t solve anything.

Last time in the wild, she had Huo Xiao with her. This time, Huo Xiao was gone… but she gained a noisy troop of mutated squirrels.

Naturally, she abandoned the meat of that mutated serpent. Before she left, just in case, she even dug around its belly—afraid she might miss something important—like an energy stone.

Unfortunately, her sharp eyes confirmed that the serpent’s stomach didn’t contain a single energy stone.

All she got was a body covered in foul, fishy stench…

Unsure where to go, she ended up wandering the forest with the mutated squirrels. After all, they were old acquaintances by now.

Keeping each other company wasn’t too much to ask, right?

To win their favor, she even painfully sacrificed a few of the nuts she had taken from their nest, giving them back to the bushy-tailed gang up in the trees.

Maybe, just maybe… the bribe worked a little.

As the last light faded from the forest, Zhuang Xiao “rented” one of the squirrels’ tree nests and crawled inside.

After some noisy “chirp-squeak” negotiations, Zhuang Xiao reluctantly paid a few golden cherry fruits, and the two parties finally settled on terms for her short stay.

She glanced at her watch—all messages failed to send!

Today, she’d lost her team and had no idea how Huo Xiao and the others were doing.

Yesterday was pure misfortune, but today? Today was like stepping into a fantasy novel.

So fantastical, she almost thought she was about to awaken some amazing superpower!

After all, her stamina, her running speed… were far from ordinary.

Whatever script fate had given her, it was full of hidden plotlines—she couldn’t help but wonder what other traps might be waiting.

The next morning, she woke up naturally—refreshed and full of energy.

The first thing she saw, though, was a fluffy squirrel tail sweeping across her face.

The mutated squirrel had completely blocked off the tree hole with its body.

Zhuang Xiao pushed its pudgy body aside and crawled out. She hadn’t realized how tall the tree was when she climbed up the night before.

Now, looking down—whoa. Dizzying.

She quickly clung to a nearby branch. Safety first!

After confirming all her gear was still on her, she waved goodbye to the squirrel and shimmied down the tree.

Sitting at the base, she ate a golden cherry fruit and fed her green chubby companion some leaves, then set off.

After wandering back and forth through the forest, Zhuang Xiao couldn’t remember where she and Huo Xiao had gotten separated.

She pressed on, guided purely by instinct.

“Singing in the wind and rain, little duck goes quack quack quack… Bare feet patter, waddling down the river path…” Her off-key tune echoed through the trees.

Honestly, aside from that unlucky serpent and those nosy squirrels, she hadn’t encountered any particularly dangerous mutated animals so far.

She’d gotten used to the occasional giant moths, mutated beetles, and strange green caterpillars fluttering through the forest.

Oh, today she also spotted a big black-legged spider squatting on its web enjoying a meal—Zhuang Xiao gave it a wide berth. Who knew if it was venomous?

As she continued walking, she suddenly heard a crisp, melodious bird call.

“Chirp chirp… chirp chirp…”

Beautiful and enchanting.

But what caught Zhuang Xiao’s attention wasn’t the sound—it was the bird nest on the tree.

She snuck closer and saw a male bird on the ground, dancing and singing.

Its feathers were vibrant, and it held itself with regal poise—like a peacock putting on a grand display.

So it was a mating dance…

She glanced at the bird’s nest not far away, which sparkled with a dazzling white light. No way—did this bird decorate its nest with energy stones?

While the male bird was busy promoting its… assets, Zhuang Xiao stealthily climbed the tree.

More bird calls came from afar—likely females drawn by the performance.

The male bird started flapping harder, trying to show off its nonexistent six-pack to impress the newcomers—demonstrating he had the strength to produce strong offspring.

Who knew how long this courtship would take?

Zhuang Xiao finally reached the nest. With greedy eyes and sinful hands, she reached into it.

As expected, this bird had taste.

Inside the nest were more than ten energy stones of various sizes, irregular in shape yet beautifully nestled in the twigs.

Below, the male bird sang louder and louder, now joined by the female’s soft chirps.

Zhuang Xiao’s hands moved even faster.

Sounded like the date was going well?

They’d be “visiting the house” soon—oops, she meant the nest.

With a few quick scrapes, she pried all the stones from the branches.

Sliding down the tree, she bolted.

She wondered if, after realizing some of his “home decor” was missing, the female bird might reject the male and fly away flapping her wings…

After all, energy stones weren’t just loved by humans in the wasteland—even mutated animals adored them.

After running a good distance, Zhuang Xiao could still hear the male bird calling—but now the sound wasn’t melodic at all. It was a furious screech, as if cursing a certain nest-thieving scoundrel… and using some very colorful language at that.

Zhuang Xiao pulled out the energy stones from her bag and counted them. Eleven in total.

“Beep—Energy Stone, Grade F, Energy Value: 124.”

“Beep—Energy Stone, Grade F, Energy Value: 231.”

…