Section 1: The Man in the Ruins

In a post-apocalyptic world, those who survive must learn to be ruthless, not only towards their prey but also towards themselves

I have never feared death, for I firmly believe that I will continue to live

No one can escape this land of death. Humanity must always pay the price for its arrogance

Gently covering her mouth and nose, the blood-red eyes tried to hide herself even deeper, in order to gain an advantage in the impending hunt

The blood-red eyes hidden in the shadows still concealed their presence. They quietly observed their prey. A satiated sandworm would return along the same path to the sea of sand. This was his opportunity. For this moment, he had buried over thirty sharpened steel rods along the route the sandworm would take. As long as the sandworm passed by, the sharp steel rods would pierce its belly, spilling its innards.

Beneath a slab of concrete in the ruins, a pair of eyes quietly fixates on a nearby open space, and their owner remains utterly still. Even as the fierce wind sweeps through, striking the ground with a crackling sound, he does not blink. In the shadows, he appears as lifeless as a stone, devoid of any hint of vitality.

The blood-eyed creature was not far from the location of the trap, so it clearly saw the sandworm gradually approaching, then slowly crawling over the place where it had set the trap. The sandworm had no eyes, so it was unaware that the originally safe path was now filled with sharp steel bars resembling interlocking fangs.

The sky is overcast with dark clouds, and the deathly winds continue to unleash their violence unabated. However, on the distant horizon, a massive city ruin gradually comes into view. As the perspective draws closer, the outline of the ruins rapidly enlarges. This is a standard pre-civilization level three city ruin. The towering concrete structures stand like a forest of cement. As far as the eye can see, the city is filled with collapsed massive buildings. Despite the raging winds outside, the force of the wind entering the ruins has become less lethal due to the obstruction of these structures. Near the entrance of the ruins, a high-rise building, over thirty stories tall, stands resiliently. Its upper half has already broken off, yet two numbers remain faintly imprinted on the remaining structure.

At this moment, he was already covered in wounds. His back bore large areas of corrosion marks. Yet, he remained expressionless, casually dragging out a large bag of tools from his hiding place and began to disassemble the sandworm

27

Beneath the cement slab, the gaze of the blood-eyed figure was fixed intently on a massive shadow thirty meters away. It was a sandworm. He had waited five hours for this prey. Although in this damned apocalypse, most animals' flesh was inedible, the sandworm was an exception; within its bloated body, one could always find some uninfected meat, which was both rich and juicy

It has been 275 years since the blinding light of nuclear annihilation passed, and this once glorious planet has long since turned into a wasteland. No matter how brilliant a civilization may be, it has its day of reckoning. Most of humanity, once the spirit of all things, has been killed by the very weapons they created. ... The remaining individuals can only struggle in despair and death ...

I am a stone, an inanimate stone

It will neither see me nor feel me

Aww!!!

The sandworm continued to emit that strange sound, and after finishing its meal, it finally began to return. Slowly, like a gigantic maggot, it wriggled, leaving behind a disgusting slime on the path it crawled. Gradually, it drew closer to the blood-eyed trap.

In a matter of just a few dozen meters, he swiftly passed by under the sprint of the Blood Eye. He had already arrived near the back of the sandworm. Due to his excellent concealment, the sandworm had not detected his presence. However, out of instinct, the sandworm still sensed the impending danger and let out a piercing roar

These are all changes made for the sake of survival. Blood Eye is more adaptable than most, which is why he is still alive today

The sky is filled with rolling dark clouds, and a fierce wind sweeps across the land, carrying sand and gravel as if they were sharp blades. It mercilessly slaughters any creature that dares to appear before it. This is a desolate land. As far as the eye can see, there are sharp rocks and large clumps of gravel everywhere. Occasionally, one can see dark steel bars protruding from the ground, resembling the fangs of a devil. Occasionally, one can see dark steel bars protruding from the ground, resembling the fangs of a devil

However, the sandworms during this period are also the most dangerous. The few hunters were devoured simply because they did not pay attention to this fact. The sandworms in their ovulation period exhibit extreme aggression, launching attacks on all creatures that attempt to approach. Their unique mouthparts can expand to a diameter of three meters. The sharp teeth inside are capable of grinding metal plates to dust in an instant. Bloodshot eyes watched helplessly as the three hunters were consumed by the sandworms. From this distance, one could even hear the crunching of bones and the hunters' screams. Yet, he remained motionless, his gaze cold and merciless.

He knew that the sandworm was about to initiate its instinctive counterattack, spewing forth a highly corrosive acid from its mouth. This spouting was all-encompassing. If one were to be splashed by the acid, they would likely be dissolved in an instant

There was a prominent sarcoma-like protrusion.

The breathing of the blood-eyed individual began to quicken. The hand covering the mouth and nose gradually exerted more force. In the other hand, a sharpened steel rebar was firmly gripped. Veins bulged prominently on the back of the hand.

The continuously crawling sandworm suddenly let out a roar. It curled up violently. In that instant, Blood Eye clearly saw a long wound appear on its abdomen, from which green mucus flowed out incessantly

Shelter at Ruins No. 27

This is the end of the world, where moral sentiments have long ceased to exist. All life strives to survive.

three meters

This is a world of death... Once, the living spoke thus. At that time, they could still scavenge a little sustenance to survive under the threat of the deathly winds. Each morning, they could catch a glimpse of sunlight and collect a bit of dew from the rebar of abandoned buildings. Although this dew was far from sufficient to sustain the lives of all the book owners, it was enough to instill hope in people. Back then, the ground was not nearly as populated with mutated creatures as it is today. People could occasionally venture out from their hiding places, seeking hope for survival on a land filled with radiation and death.

Due to tightly clinging to the sandworm, Blood Eye managed to avoid most of the acidic liquid, but still accidentally got splashed with a bit when the sandworm rolled. Instantly, his clothes were corroded away, and he felt a burning sensation on his skin. The pain caused his body to involuntarily convulse. However, he was firmly attached to the sandworm and refused to let go, no matter what.

On the current planet X35, only the massive ruins of ancient civilizations stubbornly stand tall. They appear like dark, wounded giants, lamenting their anger and helplessness to the sky

It is time! Blood Eye suddenly surged forward. The power accumulated over five hours erupted completely at this moment, propelling him like a ground-hugging cannonball. His sprinting motion was peculiar; it was not the typical two-legged run of an ordinary person, but rather a four-limbed stance akin to that of a cheetah. This posture not only enhanced the explosiveness of his movements but also increased his agility, allowing him to change direction at any moment by leveraging the strength of his hands against the ground. This posture not only enhanced the explosiveness of his movements but also increased his agility, allowing him to change direction at any moment by leveraging the strength of his hands against the ground.

Every morsel of food in the apocalypse is worth fighting for. Blood Eye does not wish to become the prey from being the hunter

Be quiet, I do not need to breathe. That would expose my position

I have never tasted the flavor of being alive, for since the moment I opened my eyes... I have already been dead...

A strange sound came from ahead, as the sandworm finally consumed a piece of discarded rebar and let out a satisfied belch. Its appearance resembled that of a plump, white maggot, with only a slit at the head. Typically, it would conceal itself within the sand. However, today it had to expose its body above ground as it ventured into the ruins of the city

The sandworm struggled desperately, roaring as its massive body rolled on the ground, stirring up large clouds of dust. At the same time, it expelled a significant amount of green liquid from its mouth. As this liquid splashed onto the ground, it released a large amount of white mist, corroding the surface and creating numerous deep pits.

The ground of the ruins is made of cement and steel. Even sandworms find it difficult to burrow through.

Blood Eye knew that although the acid of the sandworm was terrifying, a slight contamination would not dissolve him. At most, it would only cause pain. However, if he could not hold on and fell, he would be devoured by the sandworm in an instant

However, what he was waiting for was this very moment. In an instant, the muscles in his legs powerfully extended, granting him explosive strength. With this leap, he astonishingly jumped over three meters high, landing directly on the back of the sandworm. Then, he made three consecutive leaps, using both hands and feet to climb up the neck of the sandworm. With a swift motion of his right hand, the sharp steel bar was thrust forcefully towards the area above the sandworm's mouth.

five meters

The deathly gale has ravaged this desolate land for decades. In the face of its terrifying speed, nearly forty meters per second, few creatures dare to hope for survival. The mutated beings once regarded as fierce predators appear as fragile as infants before it. The earth has been utterly torn apart. Everywhere are rocks shredded by the tempest. The entire planet is rapidly turning to gravel. It has become increasingly difficult for people to see even a hint of green.

The heartbeat gradually slows down. I will merge with the environment

I am a stone, an inanimate stone

He is also a hunter. In the apocalypse, this is a profession that most men possess. However, Blood Eye is different from ordinary hunters; he understands how to conceal himself better, observes more keenly, and knows how to utilize his innate weapons more effectively

Strictly speaking, sandworms are not considered particularly dangerous prey. Although they can exceed five meters in length and possess a robust physique, they generally lurk in the sandy seas and do not actively attack travelers. However, this one is an exception. Just an hour ago, Blood Eye witnessed three hunters attempting to approach it being devoured. Sandworms have a hearty appetite, and any food can satisfy their hunger. Therefore, those three hunters have been completely consumed, leaving not a single hair behind. Sandworms have a hearty appetite, and any food can satisfy their hunger. Therefore, those three hunters have been completely consumed, leaving not a single hair behind

His struggle with the sandworm had lasted for more than ten minutes, and Blood Eye was uncertain whether anyone would notice and come over at this moment. However, he still did not want to take the risk

... ...

At that moment, the blood-red eyes suddenly sprang up.

However, now ... ...

With a soft "puff!", the tumor was pierced by the rebar, bursting forth a large mass of viscous fluid. However, Blood Eye was unfazed and lunged forward, beginning to devour it in large mouthfuls. This was the brain fluid of the sandworm. The tumor was essentially the brain of the sandworm, which usually remained hidden and only revealed itself when it was about to expel acid. To obtain this information, Blood Eye had spent two high-quality copper ores in the black market.

The sandworm continued to struggle violently; as a creature of the apocalypse, its vitality was remarkably strong. However, the outcome of this hunt had been predetermined from the very beginning. After struggling for more than ten minutes, the sandworm's movements finally slowed down, and ultimately it ceased to move altogether. When the last trace of life faded from its body, the blood-red eyes fell from it. Then it sat down heavily on the ground. When the last trace of life faded from its body, the blood-red eyes fell from it. Then it sat down heavily on the ground

Thus, he easily discerned that this sandworm was different today. This was a sandworm about to lay eggs. It is only during this period that they emerge from the sandy seas outside the city, entering this ruin. They do so in search of the discarded steel bars that are scattered throughout the ruins. These steel bars provide the metal elements that the sandworm requires, facilitating a smoother egg-laying process and ensuring that the young sandworms are stronger. It is precisely for the discarded steel bars that are found everywhere in the ruins. These steel bars will supply the necessary metal elements for the sandworm, allowing for a more successful egg-laying process and resulting in stronger young sandworms.

The sandworm let out a painful roar, desperately writhing and rolling. However, the fingers of the blood-eyed one sank deep into its body like steel claws, refusing to let go no matter what. While gulping down voraciously, it exerted all its strength to cling to the sandworm, much like an octopus. In this situation, no matter how hard the sandworm struggled, it could not harm him; at most, it would leave some scratches on him due to the thrashing and rolling.

Seventh World, Planet X35, Year 275 of the Apocalypse Calendar