Feeling a salty taste in my mouth, I vaguely wiped my face and brought my hand before my eyes. Damn it all, it was blood! How could this be possible! My body is supposed to be impervious to cuts, damage, or decay; how could blood be leaking out? Could that cursed wormhole have restored my body to its original state?

A jolt of panic shot through me, and forgetting everything else, I scrambled out of the cockpit. Sure enough, there was a gash on my head, and blood was seeping out steadily. Seeing myself bleed for the first time in ages left me so stunned I couldn't speak for a long while. I had really messed up this time. Not only were my eight wives missing, but I’d been flung by a meteor to this unknown planet, and I had no idea if the air was even breathable for humans. If not, given my current state, I might not last long enough for the ship to be repaired.

I cautiously cracked the hatch open a tiny sliver—the pressure was the same. Then, I took a gentle breath. Holy cow, the air was fresher than anything in Earth’s manufactured oxygen bars. At least for now, I didn't have to worry about losing my life.

My whole body felt numb, and it took every ounce of strength I had to finally climb out of the wreckage. Near the landing site, a small fire was burning, likely started by the impact when the ship crashed. Since this planet’s temperature was already suitable, I didn’t need to rush over to warm up. I scanned the surroundings but found no sign of life, only vast stretches of forest. Some of the trees were peculiar, with leaves so broad and large they resembled lotus pads on a pond.

After sitting on the ground for a while to let my body regain some strength, I began considering how to handle the situation. The first thing I could confirm was that wormholes definitely shortened interstellar travel distances. Take this unknown planet, for instance; it doesn't even exist within the range Earth can currently observe.

However, wormholes must have side effects. As for myself, the mysterious energy inside the wormhole completely drained me of all my superpowers. Now, I felt even more ordinary than a regular person. Whether my abilities would gradually recover, as they had after previous evolutions, remained unknown.

I had searched the area around the wormhole exit thoroughly, but there was no sign of the transport ship. Since my own vessel managed to pass through the wormhole intact, the transport ship should be fine, at worst, the ladies might have been injured by the mysterious power or, like me, left completely weakened. As long as their lives weren't in danger, there was no need to fret, but where had they ended up now?

The transport ship’s safety measures were quite thorough, and it was equipped with plenty of escape pods. Earlier, while in space, I noted that this was the only planet visible with any green on it. Even if the transport ship ran into trouble, I trusted the eight women would use the escape pods to seek refuge on this planet first and wait for rescue from home. It seemed I would have to thoroughly search this planet, but right now, repairing the ship was the priority. Otherwise, with my current mobility, traversing the landmass of this entire planet would likely take more than a year.

The small ship was fully equipped with maintenance gear—a precaution Xiaoyu-drip had specially installed in case the transport ship got damaged. Unexpectedly, I was the first one to use it. However, after a thorough inspection, my heart sank completely: the impact from that final massive meteor had actually snapped the main drive shaft! No wonder my adjustments failed and I crashed.

This main shaft wasn't a precious component, unlike the outer hull, which was made of Adamantium alloy. It was just a piece of ordinary alloy with sufficient hardness. But the fact that the shaft snapped was something we had never encountered before. Even more so, we hadn't packed a spare shaft on board. Now, even if I could move mountains and traverse the heavens, I'd be helpless against this.

I looked up; the star I'd named 'Sun' was directly overhead. Waiting here to dry up was pointless. I might as well scout the area. Perhaps there was a more advanced civilization here. If all else failed, I could strike a deal with them—either to weld it for me or forge a new one. The price? Negotiable; I could always put it on credit.

I knew an alien world couldn't compare to Earth, and I had no idea what dangers lurked here, so I had to be prepared. I rummaged through the ship's tools, but besides a pile of maintenance equipment, I only found a multi-tool military knife. This was our fault for being too careless; if I had brought a couple of laser rifles or submachine guns, I wouldn't fear anything. But thinking back to my former powers, such things were always a burden, so it was natural for the ladies not to pack them for me.

I slipped the knife into my pocket and found some gauze in the first-aid kit to wrap my head. The first-aid kit was surprisingly well-stocked: it included ten specialized 'divine needles' capable of reviving the dead, intended in case the eight women had already met danger (two were spares), and some ordinary medical supplies that were standard issue for the ship. I figured I’d better carry some with me; after all, if my body could break open now, who knew what other illnesses I might catch?

My self-administered bandaging made my head look like a mummy's. Luckily, the wives weren't here. I wondered what they would think if they saw me like this. Now that my superpowers were gone, could I still enjoy our nightly revelries? Would they still love this version of me?

The more I thought about it, the more fearful I became, until I slumped back into the pilot’s seat. While repairing the ship and searching for the eight women, I had completely forgotten this crucial matter. My superpowers were gone—or perhaps only temporarily absent. Would my wives still desire me?

It wasn't until the sun began to dip in the west and my stomach rumbled loudly that I snapped back to reality. This wasn't the time to dwell on that. I needed to survive first—at the very least, find a way to repair the main drive shaft; otherwise, how would I ever find the ladies?

"Xi a bu na huli huli..." I poked my head out of the hatch and was startled by a loud roar. Instinctively, I reached into my pocket for the multi-tool knife, ready to defend myself. Once I confirmed the approaching figure didn't dare attack, I focused my sight.

What the—! This was clearly an Earth human, with eyes, a nose, a mouth, a face, hands, and legs—no different from a normal person. He was wearing voluminous robes that looked like something from a stage opera, and his dark face resembled two large potatoes.

However, this individual had long hair, making it impossible for me to determine their gender. Judging by Earth human standards of beauty and ugliness, this attire and appearance strongly suggested a male.

The newcomer didn't seem afraid of the knife in my hand; in fact, I was slightly intimidated by him. Seeing his physique, which was as sturdy as a young bull, just standing at the doorway made me hesitate. I was not the powerful being I used to be; I needed to be courteous when necessary.

I subtly tucked the knife up my sleeve and offered a slight bow to the person blocking the doorway—I would call him a 'man' for now. If they had a different term for themselves, I could adjust later. "My dear brother, my mount suffered a mechanical issue while soaring through the sky, so I am temporarily borrowing this sacred ground to repair some equipment. Could you perhaps direct me to the nearest repair or forging shop? I thank you in advance."

I dredged up a few somewhat flowery phrases, but the burly man probably didn't understand a word. Yet, I detected no malice in his eyes, though I dared not relax my vigilance. I knew nothing about this planet; any danger here could mean eternal damnation. But if I were fortunate enough to meet a helpful soul or two, there might be hope for fixing the ship.

The man roared something again, unintelligible gibberish, and then violently ripped his own robe open, revealing a set of solid muscles. At first, I thought the fellow had developed carnal intentions upon seeing my delicate skin, but the way he pounded his chest and stamped his feet made him look more like a street vendor selling muscle-building elixirs. A small smile touched my lips, and I slowly let go of the knife clutched in my hand.

This 'Elixir Man' spoke a string of words I couldn't comprehend. He then spat a 'Pah!' into his palm—a gesture quite common among Earthlings—and reached out to heave the spaceship!

Damn it! What was this 'Elixir Man' trying to do? I scrambled out of the ship in a panic. If he truly managed to overturn the multi-ton vessel, I wouldn't have the strength to crawl out from underneath.

Boom! The several-ton ship was bodily shoved aside by the strongman. I suddenly saw a strange animal crushed beneath the wreckage! It must have been terribly unlucky, right where the ship landed. It was tall and large, resembling a pig from Earth.

The strongman completely ignored me. After panting heavily for a moment, he chuckled, pulled a bone knife from his waist, and approached the strange pig on the ground. I couldn't tell what bone this knife was made from; it looked blunt, but under the strongman’s handling, he expertly gutted the creature lying beneath. Parts of the flesh were already smashed by the ship, but after the strongman’s meticulous handling, the organs, meat, hide, and bones were neatly separated into four piles.

Curiously, I squatted nearby, watching the strongman work on this long-legged pig. He hummed something under his breath, sounding exactly like the little tunes Earthlings sing while working. Taking advantage of the distraction, I took a closer look at the strongman. He was ordinary, quite ordinary—except for his dark skin, robust build, and strange clothing. If placed among Earthlings, no one would notice any difference from a normal human.

Given my extensive past experience, I wasn't overly astonished by this alien creature. After all, I had seen and killed clone humans, clone beasts, and half-human beasts six thousand years ago. A creature that looked exactly like a real person was nothing to fear. The only issue was that today I didn't have the Dragon Girl around who was fluent in Draconic. I had no idea what language this strongman was speaking. If the eight women were indeed sheltering on this planet, I would have no choice but to learn it.

" )%※★( " The strongman then divided the four piles of material evenly into two portions, pushing one half towards me. Was he suggesting we share the fruits of his labor? The social customs on this planet weren't bad, but their civilization seemed too primitive, perhaps even less advanced than Earth six millennia ago.

Realizing I was genuinely hungry, I picked a large slice of meat from the pile and pushed the rest back to the strongman. He politely tried to decline, but I had no use for the offal or bones, so I refused his kind offer again. I found a stick, speared the meat slice, and moved toward the nearly extinguished campfire to roast it.

The strongman laughed happily, found a stick of his own, skewered a piece of the smashed pork, and joined me by the fire. He was a good fellow; when dividing the meat, he kept the parts smashed by the ship for himself, leaving me the better cuts. Seeing the fire wasn't hot enough, the strongman propped his stick on the ground, trotted off happily to find some dry kindling. Soon, under the intense heat, the meat on both sticks began to sizzle.

The strongman carefully pulled a small packet from his chest. I glanced over as he poured some white powder onto his roasting meat. Smelling it, I knew it had to be salt. I hadn't expected this place to be so similar to Earth.

The strongman mumbled a few words and shared a tiny pinch of the salt with me. Roasting meat would be inedible without it. I thanked him, took the salt, and sprinkled it on my slice. Then, I pulled out my knife and sliced several vents into the meat, much like roasting squid, figuring it would cook more evenly. The strongman watched my military knife slice through the meat so easily that it parted in two, and he was utterly amazed, shouting excitedly as if he had never seen such a sharp blade.

Now certain this fellow posed no danger, I handed the knife over, gesturing for him to try it himself. He immediately mangled his own piece of meat, cutting it into shreds, crying out in dismay, acting as if he had never encountered such a sharp tool. I found it amusing and said, "I'll give this knife to you."

Fearing he wouldn't understand, I used gestures to explain my intention. But when he grasped the meaning, he seemed terrified and respectfully handed the knife back to me. Huh, this planet is rather civilized; do they believe in not taking what belongs to others?

Surprisingly, the pork tasted quite good. Filling my stomach, the afternoon passed unnoticed. Thinking it unwise to wander into the forest in the dark where dangers might lurk, I decided to spend the night here and make plans at dawn. Furthermore, the strongman showed no sign of leaving. Although he hadn't been hostile, I worried he might mess with the ship if I left, so it was best to stay and keep an eye on him.

Before dinner, the strongman went into the forest for a while and returned holding a pile of fruit. Seeing him eat with great relish, I tried a few myself; they were delicious, quenching my thirst and satisfying my hunger. The two of us then lay on the ground and began talking, speaking in a jumble of noises.

This time was different from six thousand years ago. Back then, at least I had some divine protection; my skin was invulnerable. But now, I could actually crack my head open, which showed how serious things were. Therefore, I had to remain extremely vigilant. Even if the eight women weren't on this planet, I had to learn their language to repair the ship. Thus, I placed great importance on communicating with the strongman, slowly picking up the pronunciation and meaning of many words. However, I could only interpret the strongman’s references based on Earth concepts. For example, he called that strange pig a 'Pee-Gou' (Skin-Dog), so I understood Pee-Gou to mean pig. If he called his father 'Mother,' I would have to understand 'Mother' as 'Father.'

But the half-night's communication wasn't wasted. The strongman promised to ride his 'Big White Horse' to take me out of the forest tomorrow morning. It was fortunate to run into such a good person here; it seemed the heavens truly favored me. I just wondered if the heaven here and the heavens of the Solar System were governed by the same entity; perhaps that heaven couldn't reach this place.

I didn't notice much difference in the passage of time compared to Earth. The air quality was good, and I was full. Though my head still ached and my body remained weak, I set out with the strongman early in the morning, carrying the game we had found. The strongman claimed his Big White Horse was tied up in a nearby grove.

But when I saw what the strongman referred to as the Big White Horse, I was dumbfounded. This wasn't a Big White Horse at all; it was clearly another Pee-Gou—a pig from my world! This one just happened to have a saddle strapped to it and was slightly larger.

The strongman beamed with pride, clearly thinking owning a pig to ride was a great accomplishment in this world. He strapped the game onto the rear of the pig, then hopped onto the saddle and waved me over. At this moment, I had no choice. What if I had to ride a pig? In this age, a Prince Charming on a white pig was even more fashionable. As long as it led me to a place where I could repair the main drive shaft, I would accept riding a dog if necessary.