Survival of the Nation: My luck was a tiny bit worse.

Ou Yun still remembers it clearly.

The black eagle and the white fox had quite a chat back then—though it's unclear what they talked about.

But after he finished speaking, Black Hawk gave him a supply box, a silver one at that, which he has kept unopened.

"It really is... but I remember this feather being..."

Leng Ruolan remembered it too. To be honest, that eagle was quite handsome, all black, and it even sparked when it flew.

She thought that if a conflict had actually broken out, it would have been quite troublesome.

Thank goodness there's the white fox—speaking of the white fox, I wonder how that guy is doing now.

The effects of the "love-obsessed" powder should have worn off long ago.

But if the hyena queen likes the white fox so much, that kid must be living a very comfortable life!

Sigh, ever since this forbidden area was upgraded, why has she become so petty?

This won't do! If I don't improve myself soon, my public image will collapse!

Leng Ruolan suddenly shook her head.

Leng Ruolan, you need to straighten up!

But only Ou Yun and Leng Ruolan really looked at this hair seriously; even Chen Hao was completely baffled.

"These don't look like feathers from an ordinary wild animal... Why are you only bringing them out now!"

Chen Hao pushed up his glasses with a serious expression.

Ou Yun pinched a feather that was about the length of his forearm and looked like a small fan, and sighed, "It's because this thing is so casual that we all forgot about it."

So we should reward the mung bean. If it weren't for this little guy causing trouble, they would have forgotten about the hair.

"Since you've already brought it out, let's not waste any more time."

Ou Yun held it in his hand and played with it for a while. When he was done playing with it, he looked at Chen Hao with a smile.

"Refine it?"

"Wrapped."

*

But then again...

The Abyss Forge was the equipment dropped by the monster they encountered for the first time since arriving in this forbidden area—a monster of almost dimensional lower power.

"So, what happens when you use equipment of a dimensional-reducing level to refine materials of the same dimensional-reducing level?"

At this moment, beside the Abyss Furnace.

Ou Yun, Leng Ruolan, Chen Hao.

And a single eagle feather flashed with lightning speed.

"They'll probably release even more game-changing equipment soon!"

"It's hard to say. Have you forgotten that there's an element of randomness involved? Better materials don't necessarily guarantee a better product."

"That's true. But although the probability hasn't increased, the quality of the items has definitely improved."

"As I said before, improved quality doesn't necessarily mean improved probability..."

"What, you guys only care about probability? Am I the only one concerned about what good stuff I can get by crafting it?"

"Isn't good stuff just good equipment?"

Leng Ruolan and Chen Hao both looked at Ou Yun in unison.

Ou Yun hissed and held up one finger, "NO, NO, NO."

"How can we limit ourselves to just equipment?"

This is the Abyss Forge!

Isn't it something that can create all things?

For example, TVs, computers, game consoles, and Wi-Fi—

What? No electricity?

That's easy.

Let the white fox go and negotiate with the eagle again. At worst, we can discuss some terms!

Just let it come and generate electricity once a week, it's that easy!

"..."

However, Chen Hao and Leng Ruolan certainly understood Ou Yun's thoughts.

My older brother said it's not limited to equipment, could it be—

Fighter jets? Aircraft carriers? Surely not Star Destroyers...

Leng Ruolan fell into deep thought.

Is it a fully automatic generator? Or a solar generator? Or maybe some kind of... military fortress?

Chen Hao also fell into deep thought.

Then Europe won't care about this or that.

"I'll throw it in!"

With a flick of its wrist, the dark purple feather flew straight into the furnace wall like a sharp sword.

*

Meanwhile, on the other side...

"Boom!"

Above the towering trees, dark clouds gathered, and lightning flashed and thunder roared.

The Storm Black Hawk has completed its patrol of the day in the clouds and is now on its way back.

The jet-black eagle truly possesses a uniquely advantageous appearance—in the short time it takes to patrol its neighborhood, several young female eagles have already inadvertently passed by, either exclaiming in surprise and pretending not to see where they were going, only to bump right into it, or staying close behind, claiming they were going the same way if they were discovered.

Some are quite straightforward; they fly over, nuzzle its neck, and ask if it wants to date.

Black Hawk rejected all of these offers without exception.

I can't trust him.

I can't trust them at all.

Who knows what these mother eagles are thinking, attacking without any reason or rashness!

Its grandfather said that its great-grandfather died in the talons of a courting eagle in the same way—

Back then, the mother eagle was relentless in her pursuit of him, chasing after him every day, either flying alongside him or catching his favorite pheasants.

Grandpa's grandfather was completely baffled. "There are so many Black Hawks, why did you choose me?"

The little eagle's reply was so heartfelt that it moved the entire black eagle clan to tears:

You ask me how deep my love is, how much I love you, my feelings are true, my love is true, the moon represents my heart.

My great-grandfather agreed to that back then.

But after the offspring were born, the mother eagle suddenly changed her affectionate demeanor and turned her back on the eagle. Kuchi immediately put a choke on the grandfather's grandfather and killed him before eating him.

Grandpa was hiding nearby and witnessed the scene firsthand. He was so frightened that he didn't dare close his eyes to sleep for three days and three nights.

This caused my grandfather great psychological trauma. He was depressed all day long and hid in his room, refusing to go out.

Until one day, a beautiful little female eagle came to its door, saying that she was its childhood sweetheart and had come from afar to comfort it.

Grandpa ignored it.

The little eagle said: My affection remains unchanged, my love endures...

Later, Grandpa's son was born.

Later, his son's son, the eagle itself, was born.

"You were too young to know back then. Your grandpa had just returned from patrol, and before he even landed, your grandma smacked him on the head..."

When Dad recounted this scene, he wiped away tears with his wings.

"Your grandfather died on the spot... and then your grandmother carried your grandfather's body away and flew away without looking back."

"..."

Dad, is it really okay for me to listen to this at such a young age?

Although it was puzzled, it refrained from asking—not wanting to disturb its father's storytelling.

But Dad wiped away his tears and stopped the conversation. "Alright, let's not talk about it anymore. Your mother will be back soon, and I still need to prepare her favorite black-hearted earthworms—"

"..."

It still remembers it to this day.

The image of Dad flying away.

Until now.

It has been a long, long time... I don't even know how many years have passed.

Storm Blackhawk remained steadfastly single, ignoring the temptations of countless beautiful young female eagles.

The mother eagle will only slow down my gun-drawing speed!