The Beginning of Life on a Lonely Island

Crackle!

The firewood burned, and roaring flames began to drive away the cold around him!

"Phew!"

Er Dongsheng sighed, added more brushwood, and began to think about his situation.

A roaring fire could always give people strength in their darkest moments and dispel the gloom in their hearts. Er Dongsheng edged closer to the fire, letting its warmth reach his weakened body.

"I didn't expect things to get even worse!"

It was a lonely island, surrounded on all sides by an endless expanse of water. Nearly a hundred meters overhead stretched an unbroken ceiling of rock. The hole Er Dongsheng had fallen through was up there.

The island was small, only a mile or two across. Bamboo and other unfamiliar plants grew densely over it. Many bore fruit, and plenty more fruit lay scattered on the ground, though little of it had rotted in the cold.

Of course, Er Dongsheng had only seen the area around him. He was in no condition to explore the rest. With injuries like his, making it this far had already been difficult enough.

He could not understand why such a vast cavern existed beneath the Abyss, much less why it was filled with water. Could it be an ancient underground sea? No, a lake. The water was fresh and drinkable; Er Dongsheng had tried it.

The Abyss held so many strange places. Even wounded, Er Dongsheng felt a fierce urge to explore.

This place seemed safe, without much danger. His instincts, too, seemed to tell him it was a good place to recover. After surviving Death Rain and his life-or-death encounter with the Giant-Eyed Monster, all he wanted was to rest in peace. He did not want another upheaval—not now, at least. Another attack from a beast like that would finish him.

He