ACIDEM 01

Chapter – 01

Mayfly.

Biyun Lake.

The water was clear as a mirror, with green moss sprouting along its edges.

Blue sky, white clouds, and the surrounding green trees were reflected in the water, blending seamlessly with the scenery.

Waterweed swayed gently, and beneath its leaves, millet-sized oval eggs gradually transformed. Dense clusters of nymphs were born: brown-striped, with two compound eyes, two antennae, six legs, ten abdominal segments, and three tail filaments.

These nymphs were often born around the same time as water tiger larvae (dragonfly nymphs). The two looked similar, differing only slightly in the abdomen and thorax, but the latter—dragonfly larvae—regularly preyed on the former.

Thus, from the moment they were born, the nymphs and water tigers engaged in a life-or-death struggle—the strong preying on the weak, one fleeing, the other killing.

Fu Shaoguang was born.

Before he could even figure out what was happening, his body went cold, and all his fine hairs bristled. It felt as if one slow step would cost him his life.

Instinctively, he used his six legs to push himself sideways and roll away.

Out of the corner of his compound eye, he caught a glimpse of a water tiger lunging at him with its fierce jaws agape. If not for his timely reaction, he would have died on the spot. Even though he was no longer human in this life and still had no idea what was going on, the danger was very real.

To be given another chance at life made him both overjoyed and deeply grateful—and he was determined not to throw it away.

Seeing the water tiger charging at him ferociously, Fu Shaoguang did his best to dodge and maneuver, circling around the waterweed as he fought his formidable foe.

The water tiger was clearly his natural predator in this life, and he knew that relying solely on evasion would eventually lead to defeat. So he used his wits, moving toward the muddy bottom. With all six legs, he kicked up clouds of sediment to obscure the water tiger’s vision, then seized the chance to open his jaws and strike at vulnerable spots like the abdomen.

After each attack—whether it landed or not—he immediately retreated and repeated the tactic. After several exchanges, he managed to climb onto the water tiger’s back, clinging tightly with all six legs, and viciously bit through its abdomen.

That spot was far more fragile than the eyes.

He had expected to feel disgusted, but instead, he felt no discomfort at all—only a rush of bloodlust. Fu Shaoguang frantically sucked the water tiger’s blood.

The water tiger’s struggles grew weaker and weaker.

Fu Shaoguang, meanwhile, felt his own strength steadily increasing.

After dispatching his enemy, he wasted no time and burrowed deep into the silt. Other members of his kind stopped digging once they reached a certain depth, but Fu Shaoguang kept going. As he dug, he also filled the tunnel behind him, blocking the passage and leaving only a tiny air hole.

Only when he had no strength left did he collapse in the burrow, resting to recover his energy.

He had done everything he could.

From here on, all he could do was play his part as a mayfly and leave the rest to fate. If he survived this trial, good; if not, so be it.

Soon, the sound of frogs croaked. Several frogs appeared, their tongues lashing out to scoop up quite a few nymphs, gulping them down.

A few crucian carp swished their fins and tails, also arriving to join the feast, eager for a full meal.

Hearing the commotion outside, Fu Shaoguang curled up in terror, silently chanting in his heart:

*You can’t see me!*
*None of you can see me!*

Fortunately, the frogs and crucian carp were distracted by the water tigers and turned to hunt them instead, allowing Fu Shaoguang to escape that calamity.

—

Time passed like flowing water; a month went by in a flash.

In the clear, shallow waters, a nymph hid beneath the emerald waterweed, eating with desperate intensity. Even when the other nymphs stopped feeding and lounged about lazily, he kept eating.

If he could, Fu Shaoguang would have liked to take it easy too. But fate gave him no choice—who told him he had been reborn as a mayfly nymph?

The famously short-lived species!!!

Mayflies know neither dawn nor dusk.

Living a full day would be considered good luck.

Some only live for an hour or two.

In his previous life, he had always been frail, and later contracted a terminal illness. While in the hospital, he loved reading about mayflies.

He felt they were a lot like him.

And yet, he couldn’t help but envy them:

*The mayfly’s wings, clad in robes so fine.*
*One day’s glory, a dance of life.*

Their lives were brief but dazzlingly brilliant.

Yet a month ago, when he first saw his fellow nymphs and realized he had been reborn as a mayfly, Fu Shaoguang—who had once loved them from afar—was terrified.

A mayfly’s life has four stages: egg, nymph, subimago, and imago (adult). In the last two stages, the mouthparts degenerate and they can no longer eat. Only during the nymph stage can they store energy.

Of course he had to seize the chance.

As long as he didn’t die, he would keep eating until he dropped.

Mayfly nymphs take one to three years to mature, going through ten, twenty, or even forty molts.

The more molts, the longer the adult’s death-throes would last. In his first month, Fu Shaoguang had molted twice—already ahead of his generational peers, who had only molted once.

But it still wasn’t enough. Keep eating.

While eating, he kept his eyes and ears open on all sides. Mayflies have many natural enemies and sit near the bottom of the food chain.

Birds were a concern for the subimago stage; for now, he only had to worry about aquatic predators like tadpoles and frogs.

After eating his fill, Fu Shaoguang used his six legs to push back to his shelter, brushed aside fine sand, dug a small hole, and crawled inside.

This was a temporary nest he had carefully chosen.

Not only was it deep enough, with tunnels in all directions and multiple exits, but it was also secluded, with excellent surroundings. Nearby waterweed was toxic and pungent, so as long as he resisted eating it and could stand the smell, it offered relative safety.

And it wasn’t far from his kin—if anything happened, he could dash over and seek safety in numbers.

Inside the sandy burrow, Fu Shaoguang closed his eyes and fell asleep.

—

Waterweed, stonefly larvae, midge larvae…

Every day, Fu Shaoguang did only two things:

Eat and sleep.

He kept track of time by observing how often his fellow nymphs molted. They were very regular, averaging one molt per month.

Three months after his birth, Fu Shaoguang had molted six times, and he was already larger and stronger than the other nymphs. That was both a blessing and a curse.

The good: he had greater vitality.
The bad: he was a bigger target.

So every time he moved, he coated himself in mud and rolled around in the non-toxic but pungent waterweed.

As the weather cooled and the water grew cold, Fu Shaoguang followed the general migration of his kind, seeking a suitable place to overwinter.

During the journey, he stayed on high alert, hiding at the slightest sign of danger. Perhaps thanks to his transmigration and his robust physique, his senses were sharper than those of his kin. He could detect threats earlier, dodging, hiding, and fleeing in time.

He also made frequent stops to replenish his mud coating.

Crawling and creeping, they advanced for half a month until the water temperature gradually warmed. The group finally stopped in a bend downstream.

The water here was deeper and more temperate; even if the surface froze in winter, it would be easier to survive.

After finding a stable and concealed spot to settle, Fu Shaoguang dug hard, creating a burrow with tunnels running in every direction—thick, deep, and very much like a cunning rabbit’s three exits.

He carefully observed the surroundings. Seeing his kin feeding peacefully without any sign of danger, he finally dared to poke his head out and eat with all his might.

The colder the weather, the chillier the water.

Fu Shaoguang dug his burrow deeper and deeper to fend off the cold.

But his appetite kept growing, while food grew scarcer—often, he could only eat until half-full.

Nutrition equaled lifespan.

Eating equaled extending life.

The nymph stage had only one mission: EAT!

Fu Shaoguang took risks and expanded his foraging range.

He ate more algae, aquatic plants, and detritus, hunted more mosquito larvae and other invertebrates. When hunger made his eyes turn green, he would even bite off sharp spines from waterweed, using them like blades as he buried himself in the mud and took the risk of hunting lone water tigers.

Of course, he wasn’t reckless.

At the first sign of trouble, he would flee—zipping away, hiding in rock crevices, or frantically digging deeper into the silt.

Several times, he narrowly escaped death.

He nearly became food for crucian carp or loaches.

Or was nearly counter-killed by reinforcements rushing to the water tiger’s aid.

If not for his quick wits, he would have long since become part of the cycle of reincarnation.

—

Eat, sleep, sleep, eat.

In a daze, another three months passed.

Two or three peach blossoms bloomed; warmer waters announced the arrival of spring.

At six months old, Fu Shaoguang had molted twelve times. Including his tail filaments, he was now the size of a grain of rice.

But instead of showing off, he hid even deeper.

As the ice melted and snow thawed, aquatic life grew active—surfacing, breathing, foraging—and the number of predators increased.

Still, he was happy too: food was becoming more abundant and varied, so he no longer had to worry about going hungry.

With a splash, a school of crucian carp swam by.

Fu Shaoguang immediately ducked into a new hiding spot he had found earlier—a patch of *Zuiyucao* (fish-intoxicating weed).

Many fish disliked the smell of this plant, which contained mild neurotoxins. After eating it, fish would briefly lose consciousness and sensation, floating to the surface as if drunk or anesthetized.

Only after the commotion died down and he had waited a while longer did he resume his foraging.

A month later, Fu Shaoguang was in for a surprise.