Chapter 1: The Everglades

Hua Tianxing immediately turned around and reached out toward the female corpse. To his surprise, just as he grasped the hem of the deep blue linen skirt on the corpse, he felt his two fingers gripping the hem suddenly tighten, and then with a "hiss," they slipped away, completely losing their hold.

He ran out for more than two miles in one breath before finally sitting down on the ground, gasping heavily—finally! He had finally escaped this damned swamp area!

Boom! Whoosh!

A fire-breathing bird? A creature the size of a water buffalo, with countless sharp teeth like a giant worm? What on earth is this place?

A massive and unwieldy grayish-white body slowly emerged from the swamp, its gaping maw filled with sharp teeth suddenly lunging towards the female corpse floating on the water's surface. In an instant, the upper half of the woman's body was completely engulfed by that enormous mouth

This small fireball contains quite a significant power! ... Hua Tianxing felt a sudden jolt in his arms, and his body involuntarily swayed, nearly stumbling to the ground. Immediately afterward, he felt a burning pain in his arms, as if he could faintly smell the aroma of roasted meat.

Dragging the bodies out is certainly unrealistic ... After standing up, Hua Tianxing cautiously observed his surroundings for a moment, and only after confirming that there were no issues did he slowly crouch down to examine the three corpses.

Hua Tianxing's lips twitched slightly, and his face turned ashen

The ground beneath is damp, and there seems to be the sound of rippling water all around.

It is truly perplexing

This damned flat-haired beast

Having a deep understanding of the living habits of wild animals, he immediately realized that the giant worm's return was likely not due to its failure to find prey and subsequent abandonment, but rather because that small patch of swamp was its "territory". In other words, there might be far more than just this one giant worm in the vast marsh! Moreover, judging by the moment the previous giant worm entered the water, this creature's speed in the water was probably not as slow as when it surfaced or moved on the mud.

This bizarre giant worm resembles a maggot magnified ten thousand times, with a pupal shape, a bloated and hefty middle, and slightly tapered ends. Its tail remains submerged in the swamp, making it impossible to determine its full length, but the head floating on the surface of the swamp water is extremely grotesque and terrifying, almost like a nightmare—this creature seems to have no eyes, its grayish-white skin slowly writhing, somewhat translucent, allowing a faint glimpse of its internal organs in motion. The entire head features only a massive mouth, resembling a sunken suction cup, filled with countless rows of sharp, backward-facing teeth!

Transcendence—this absurd and void word appeared in Hua Tianxing's mind

Fragmented memories flashed rapidly through his mind like a film reel—wasn't he engaged in intense gunfire with drug traffickers near boundary markers N22-24 on the China-Myanmar border alongside his comrades? ... Fierce battles, guns, grenades, rocket launchers ... ! ... That's right! Wasn't he struck by shrapnel from the enemy's rocket fire?

He glared at the "gorilla man" with resentment, and his mind suddenly recalled the previous fireball-spitting crimson bird and the giant worm with its grotesque maw. A wave of inexplicable nausea and irritation surged within him, and he abruptly lifted a foot to kick the heavy body of the "gorilla man" back to the edge of the swamp: "Damn you, cursed monster!"

Why is no one responding? Where have the brothers gone? Why is there the sound of water rippling and the "- picture - book rustling" around? The area around boundary markers N22 to N24 should be dry land, and there are no streams or ponds at all

The large crimson bird lightly stepped among the green duckweed at the edge of the swamp, seemingly searching for small fish and insects as food. It tilted its head, and its round, glistening eyes occasionally glanced toward Huatianxing across from it, appearing somewhat vigilant yet also curious about him

Approximately one hour later, Hua Tianxing finally emerged from the perilous and unpredictable marshland

"What is happening to me...?" He struggled to open his eyes—an expanse of azure sky, white clouds, and a gentle breeze softly caressed his face, creating a sense of great comfort

Why is it so quiet around? What about the intense sounds of gunfire?

Hmm? I seem to remember seeing four corpses, but why are there only three? Could it be that I miscounted just now? In the midst of the fog, he himself was not too sure.

The sound of bones cracking as a giant worm devoured a corpse jolted him awake from his brief moment of confusion

Despite being a special forces veteran, Hua Tianxing felt a chill run down his spine upon witnessing such a horrifying scene. The key issue was that he had never seen, nor had he ever heard of, this damned bird and the giant worm!

Before he could gather his strength, the fiery red bird suddenly raised its head, let out a sharp "quack," and opened its long, crimson beak towards the astonished Hua Tianxing.

What is going on? The wound has disappeared!

He licked his somewhat cracked lips, his gaze sharp as a blade, coldly fixated on the large bird. With his hands pressed against the muddy ground, he secretly gathered his strength, and suddenly, with a "whoosh," he leaped up, launching himself fiercely at the large bird

Among the three corpses, two are male and one is female. In such a warm and humid environment, human corpses typically begin to decompose within two to three days. However, these three corpses show no signs of decay, indicating that they must have died not long ago

Regardless of what kind of bird this is, its appearance suddenly made Hua Tianxing realize a very serious issue—he was extremely hungry, and it seemed he was starving!

Where exactly is this place? How did I wake up here? Where are my brothers?

Almost simultaneously, the hissing fireball arrived!

Among the two male corpses, the one with the shorter stature is dressed in a purple robe and is wearing a crooked, multicolored purple hat on his head. The hat is peculiar in shape, resembling the pointed wizard's hat often seen in Western films.

Gooーーーーーー

After several attempts, Huatianxing ultimately gave up, softly sighing as he slowly closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling rhythmically, remaining still to recover his strength

Hua Tianxing had encountered swamps before—in the dense, sun-blocking primeval forests along the China-Myanmar border, there were many hidden beneath layers of decaying leaves, extremely perilous swamps. However, he had never seen a vast swamp like this one before, composed of countless interconnected circular ponds, everywhere floating with green duckweed, which exuded a thick, foul odor and was dark and viscous. This expansive area of swamp was a first for him.

In the original jungle, the higher the terrain, the greater the safety factor. Conversely, lower-lying areas are bound to have the most water sources, more humid air, and dimmer light, making them the ideal habitat for many highly elusive ferocious beasts, thus fraught with dangers. Hua Tianxing, who has been navigating the treacherous terrain along the China-Myanmar border for seven years, is well aware of this principle.

In front of me, a giant worm, as thick as a water tank and entirely grayish-white, had appeared in the small pond, though I could not tell when it had come to be

The fog gradually thinned, and after crawling for about half an hour, Hua Tianxing finally arrived at the place where he had vaguely seen the corpse earlier

Damn it! This godforsaken place is definitely not the boundary of boundary markers N22 to N24! Hua Tianxing sat up straight, baring his teeth— the area near boundary markers N22 to N24 is covered year-round by dense, towering primordial jungle, completely blocking out the sunlight! Moreover, such a wetland-type marshland would never appear here!

He no longer shouted loudly for his comrades—this place was clearly wrong, it was not boundary marker N22-24 at all, and within the range of his vision, he did not see a single moving figure.

Hua Tianxing, with a pale complexion, closed his eyes. As a professional soldier, his instinct told him—he must first restore his physical strength! Only with restored strength could he have the capacity to think about other matters

Hua Tianxing stared intently at the large bird—its beak was sharp and long, a fiery red; its feathers were also a brilliant red; it had two slender, thin legs, equally red; even the proud crest on its head was a vibrant red

He only felt a slight twitch in his heart, a vague pain, his mind blank, and he collapsed dejectedly onto the muddy ground

Special reconnaissance soldiers have an extremely arduous job, requiring long periods of fieldwork and stealth. Throughout his seven years of military service, Hua Tianxing, who has been stationed at the China-Myanmar border, has eaten almost everything—rats, earthworms, snakes, underground pupae, and even live, extremely pungent beetles! The large red bird that has suddenly appeared before him is undoubtedly an exceptionally sumptuous meal in his eyes

Upon contemplating the second so-called possibility, he shook his head and spat forcefully on the ground—this is simply too absurd!

Hmm? Why does this cry sound so mournful?

Before he could make any move, he suddenly heard a rush of water, followed by the piercing scream of that large bird "quack---" once again

By the way, what about that female corpse

After a moment, his strength gradually returned, and Hua Tianxing opened his eyes once more. He endured the excruciating pain that tore through his body, struggling to prop himself up, and softly gasped as he looked around—before him lay a vast expanse of light green marshland, shrouded in a faint mist.

He struggled to sit up, but his body felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead

He instinctively looked up in the direction of the sound

A bird that can spit fireballs? A giant worm the size of a water buffalo? A humanoid gorilla over two meters tall?! A woman with a fox tail?!

He breathed softly, conserving some strength, and slowly moved to a spot only three or four meters away from the large bird

He muttered a few curses in frustration, just about to turn his head when he suddenly froze, leaning down to look at the face of the male corpse

Surfing the internet is one of his few forms of entertainment. He cannot chat, can hardly type, let alone use various online tools such as QQ. The only thing he can do is browse well-known domestic websites to stay informed about national affairs. Occasionally, when he is bored, he might read military or fantasy web novels, as these only require a few clicks of the mouse, which is quite simple

What is this thing next door to Mary www.hetushu.com.com?

What kind of bird is this? Flamingo? Scarlet Ibis?

The lingering echoes still faintly resonated, but apart from the gentle sound of rippling water, there was a deathly silence all around, with no response from the comrades he had been eagerly awaiting.

The moment he recalled the terrifying scene of being struck by shrapnel, his nerves immediately tensed up, and his right hand instinctively moved to his abdomen—smooth and flat, with no wounds whatsoever.

Hua Tianxing was breathing softly, staring unblinkingly at that detestable large bird—having just recovered his strength, making such a sudden movement caused his whole body to ache as if it were being pricked by needles

It would have been better not to look; upon this glance, his face instantly turned pale, and he nearly fell onto the muddy ground!

What the hell! ... What ...? ... What is going on? This flat-haired beast can actually spit fireballs?!

Upon encountering this giant worm, Hua Tianxing, who was twenty to thirty meters away, not only failed to catch his breath, but instead, his expression suddenly changed, and he inhaled sharply in surprise

Despite the wet and disheveled hair of the male corpse, which was in a state of great disorder, and the numerous green algae on his face, the sharp-eyed Hua Tianxing still noticed some peculiarities—this person's nostrils were extremely large and somewhat turned up, his lips were thick, and his entire mouth appeared unusually prominent, increasingly resembling that of a gorilla rather than a human being

Damn it! Hua Tianxing muttered curses in frustration while hurriedly patting off the sparks that had fallen onto his clothes

Fortunately, the giant worm moved rather slowly and seemed not to have noticed the human who was so close by. Hua Tianxing quickly distanced himself from it. The giant worm crawled around the muddy ground at the edge of the swamp, searching for a while, as if it was unwilling to approach the nearby small ponds. After some time, it sluggishly crawled back to its original circular pond, gradually disappearing among the green duckweed. The giant worm crawled around the muddy ground at the edge of the swamp, searching for a while, as if it was unwilling to approach the nearby small ponds. After some time, it sluggishly crawled back to its original circular pond, gradually disappearing among the green duckweed.

As soon as he stepped onto the edge of the marsh, the still somewhat damp and muddy black earth, he immediately began to run wildly

First, preserve life! Only by safeguarding one's life can one think of anything else! His face turned ashen as he gritted his teeth, staring unblinkingly at the giant worm, slowly and cautiously crawling backward.

Iron Head! Steel Cannon! Old Cat?! He shouted with all his might, feeling a tearing pain in his chest: "Where is everyone?! Damn it... cough! cough!"

Regardless, the best strategy is to escape this perilous swamp first

Indeed! I absolutely did not see it wrong! From that torn deep blue linen skirt, there was indeed a tail exposed—a large, fluffy, orange-red tail resembling that of a fox

The giant worm moved slowly; after swallowing the fiery red bird, it clumsily shook its head, as if it had not yet had its fill. It writhed its massive body, its enormous mouth lightly touching the ground ahead, and surprisingly began to crawl slowly towards Huatianxing.

Thunder! He suddenly felt a chill in his heart, as if sensing something unusual. He struggled to take a few deep breaths and, with all his might, shouted hoarsely for his comrades.

This is truly unbelievable

The moment the fingers slipped away from the hem of the skirt, the petite female corpse suddenly trembled as if being pulled by some immense force, and the entire body instantly plunged into the circular swamp ahead!

In an instant, the vibrant red bird that had previously been so spirited, spewing fireballs at Hua Tianxing, was devoured by the giant worm! Accompanied by the chilling sound of bones shattering, the two slender bird legs that had been exposed finally faded away into the nightmarish maw of the giant worm!

The outcome is evident—the fiery red bird effortlessly evaded his clumsy lunge, gracefully flapping its wings and leaping to a farther distance

Hua Tianxing furrowed his brow as he looked at the items in his hand— the wooden stick was both short and thin, and the characters in the small notebook were completely illegible! The copper coin was of an unknown origin, one he had never seen before, while the crystal pendant was quite exquisite and attractive, resembling a six-pointed star, with a fiery red gemstone the size of a pebble set in the center. ... But the problem was— this thing was of no use to him right now ... ! ... It was utterly useless!

The situation is critical, and there is no time for careful thought. Hua Tianxing vigilantly stares at the giant worm slowly crawling towards him, while his peripheral vision quickly scans the surrounding environment—this appears to be a large swamp located deep within the jungle. Through the faint mist, it seems that lush, primeval forests surround him on all sides in the distance

Hua Tianxing has never seen such a strange and disgusting creature in his life

Hua Tianxing's stomach unexpectedly growled

Hua Tianxing was momentarily stunned! He clearly remembered a steel bullet the size of a bowl deeply embedded in his abdomen, the searing sensation of the hot bullet burning through flesh, an unforgettable feeling that was still deeply imprinted in his mind. What exactly had happened?

This is a peculiar face, covered with dense brown hair, thick and abundant, resembling that of a large gorilla. Hua Tianxing had never seen anyone with facial hair so dense; even the Russians or those naturally endowed with beards do not grow it to such an exaggerated extent

The fog must have formed in the morning, as the sun rises in the east—looking at the position of the sun, it should be around nine or ten o'clock. He roughly assessed the direction and cautiously began to retreat towards the area where several corpses lay in the distance—that direction was due south. The height of the treetops in the distance appeared to be significantly higher than those in the east, west, and north, indicating the possibility of hilly terrain or the presence of low slopes or elevated ground.

The large bird seems to have no intention of fleeing, calmly searching for food in the vicinity.

At that moment, his expression suddenly froze— the female corpse was still exposed outside that enormous mouth, and its slightly swaying lower body actually...! ... actually had a furry, large tail!

Hua Tianxing carefully searched through the purple robe and ultimately found a broken black wooden stick, a small notebook with a completely blurred text due to being thoroughly soaked, bound in black leather, as well as two copper coins and a crystal pendant hanging from the person's chest

The male corpse was exceptionally tall, estimated to be around 2.2 to 2.3 meters in height. The upper body was submerged in a puddle at the edge of the swamp, with two sturdy and unusually hairy legs hanging limply in the mud. Hua Tianxing struggled to pull him out of the swamp, and upon seeing him, he spat fiercely, "Damn it! There’s plenty of chest hair, but nothing else, just a tattered grayish-white pair of underpants!"

Mary next door! Teasing me? Alright, try again!

He shook his head with a pale face—impossible! I must be in some secret biochemical base! As for why I woke up here, that remains unknown

He took a deep breath, slightly steadied his mind, and cautiously began to move forward slowly.

When Hu Tianxing woke up, the first feeling was that his whole body was sore, as if he were about to fall apart

Hua Tianxing instinctively clenched his fists, his face pale as he glared at the giant worm before him

I have truly encountered misfortune today! What kind of place is this?! Why is there not a single thing that is normal?! Where are Lei Zi and Tie Tou?

His intuition told him that there could only be two possibilities for such a situation—one is that he is in some secret biological base, and all the strange creatures he sees are products of genetic mutation... The other possibility is... he has traveled through time and space

You must remain calm

He pondered for a moment, then casually tossed the small black stick and notebook into the nearby swamp, immediately pocketing the two copper coins and the crystal pendant, before turning to look at another male corpse beside him

Due to the abundance of green duckweed in the swamp, which closely resembles the lush grass growing on the muddy ground adjacent to various small swamps, Hua Tianxing must remain vigilant about his escape route behind him while avoiding drawing the attention of the giant worm. Although he has never encountered such wetland swamps before, he is absolutely unwilling to have any "intimate contact" with this surface covered in duckweed and of unknown depth unless he has a sturdy long stick in hand.

Damn it, it's that cursed maggot again

It is difficult to describe the shock in Hua Tianxing's heart at this moment—he only saw a small fireball, about the size of an egg, glowing faintly red, trailing a long afterglow as it whistled out from that beak, heading straight for his face

Hua Tianxing scrutinized for a long time with suspicion, feeling increasingly perplexed—was it an ape? A gorilla? Yet this creature was actually wearing shorts like a human! How can this be explained? It is simply too absurd!

Suddenly, a peculiar sound of "gu---gu---gu" abruptly interrupted his train of thought, as a strangely shaped large red bird flapped its wings and gently landed on the muddy ground near the edge of the swamp.

The quiet and pleasant appearance does not necessarily imply safety. Hua Tianxing, who comes from a background in special reconnaissance, naturally understands this principle—he has already caught a glimpse of several bodies vaguely lying in the swamp a hundred meters away. They appear to be human, but their attire suggests they are neither his own people nor part of the drug trafficking group.

Perhaps it was the sudden danger that awakened the potential within him, and he seemed to feel less soreness in his body. He discreetly moved his limbs, slowly bent down, and prepared to seize the opportunity to pounce on that detestable "fire-breathing bird" which had flapped its wings and jumped further away.

This sudden and bizarre situation had clearly exceeded the realm of understanding for Hua Tianxing. Fortunately, his background as a special forces soldier endowed him with remarkable reflexes and adaptability. After a brief moment of shock, he immediately sensed the danger and swiftly raised his arms in a cross formation to shield himself.

The lush greenery ahead is already clearly visible; if we continue south for about two miles, we should be able to exit this cursed swamp.

Hua Tianxing rarely has leisure time. Whenever he does have free time, he is either looking for a Myanmar woman to relieve his stress or going online on those outdated computers in the company’s computer room. The life of a special reconnaissance soldier at the border station is extremely harsh, devoid of love, gourmet food, and the company of loved ones. What he faces are only perilous secret missions, monotonous and grueling training, and long, lonely ambush waits.