Volume One, Chapter Three: The Odds of Opening the Treasure Chest!

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Li Chuan’s true goal was never the treasure chest. As the giant wolf lunged at him, he quickly dropped to the ground and rolled hard to the left twice. The wolf missed, yet its movements were incredibly agile; it twisted and lunged at Li Chuan again. Too close! Li Chuan could even smell the stench from the wolf’s mouth. Roll again. Like a mudfish wriggling in the desert sand, Li Chuan rolled and crawled desperately, barely dodging the wolf’s second strike.

A roar! After several failed attempts to land a hit, the giant wolf’s anger visibly intensified. Just then, Li Chuan rolled up to a large tree and hurriedly grabbed it, pulling himself up in panic. When he turned to face the wolf, it was already right before him. Li Chuan swiftly ducked behind the tree. Crack! The large tree, wide enough for a person to encircle with both arms, groaned loudly, a sound that made one’s teeth ache, then slowly snapped to one side.

“What the hell! This is ridiculous! There’s no way this wolf has that much strength!” Li Chuan wildly swung his weapon at the shadow emerging beside the tree, then dashed toward the next big tree. Clang!

“Damn, still no break in its defense.” Roar! Crack! Another tree was snapped, forcing Li Chuan to break into a wild sprint. “Oh no!” Plop. Misfortune compounded, and Li Chuan stumbled over a hard object on the ground. The fall left him seeing stars. Just as he tried to get up, a gust of bloodied wind rushed past. A sharp pain shot through his calf. Gritting his teeth and closing his eyes, he thrust his wooden sword forward.

Smack! A howl echoed—his wooden sword was slammed away by a tremendous force, but the intense pain he expected did not come. Could it be?

[Your symbiotic tree species has been successfully planted. Current maturity: ‘Juvenile Stage.’]
[Newbie Task 1: Plant the symbiotic seed! Completed.]
[Task Rating: Excellent!]
[Reward: 10 copper coins, 10 experience points, 1 Player’s Handbook, regional chat channel unlocked.]
[Ding! Player ‘Li Chuan’ has reached full experience. Level up! Gained 5 free attribute points.]

Li Chuan opened his eyes in surprise. Before him, the terrifying giant wolf, which had seemed hopeless, was now strangled by a vine bearing a flower bud at its tip, suspended in midair, its limbs thrashing frantically. Following the vine downward, Li Chuan saw a young, vibrant green tree about two meters tall, with dense elliptical leaves, seven or eight branches, and three vines—one notably thick—that had extended outward to save him.

Overwhelmed by gratitude, joy, and the bliss of survival, Li Chuan said, “Well done! Truly worthy of being my symbiotic tree. I risked everything to save you.” He patted the smooth green trunk excitedly, then a virtual screen appeared before his eyes.

[Miracle Tree: Orange (Juvenile) (Growth Type)]

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[Level: 1/100]
[Experience: 0/100]
[A powerful being extinct in the Titan Realm, slow in movement but possessing exceptional intelligence and terrifying destructive power.]
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