The mountain breeze temporarily scattered the confusion of graduation season as Gu Liang focused on the steep path beneath his feet. As a soon-to-graduate senior in science and engineering, he had merely sought to escape the pressures of job hunting and uncertainty about the future through climbing. Little did he know fate would play such a cruel joke on him.
The rock beneath his feet suddenly gave way—a sudden loss of gravity seized his heart. But the expected fall had no end. Space twisted and tore before his eyes, hurling him into a bizarre, surreal passage. Within it, there was no up, down, left, or right—only swirling, distorted patches of color and a piercing ringing in his ears.Gu Liang felt his body infinitely stretched and compressed, time itself warping into something strange—both an instant and an eternity. Most eerily, he clearly "saw" fragments of his memories swirling like snowflakes around him: the tension of his graduation defense, the lab lights, his parents' farewell glances... These images were torn apart, reassembled, then dissolved into the multicolored void.
Immediately, a violent force crushed down upon him—a brutal compression that felt as though every inch of his flesh was being torn apart and reassembled.
As he tumbled through the warped passageway, Gu Liang's remaining rationality still struggled—this defied all physical laws. The acceleration changed without pattern, as if space itself were being restructured. It completely overturned the scientific understanding he had built over twenty years.
After an unknown duration, the impact struck.
Gu Liang coughed up choked-in dust and a mouthful of bloody foam, every inch of his body throbbing with pain. He forced his eyes open, his blurred vision gradually sharpening.
Towering ancient trees pierced the clouds, ferns stood as tall as trees, and the air was stiflingly hot and humid, thick with the scent of decaying leaves and earth, and the heavy musk of wild beasts. This was nowhere he recognized.
Heavy footsteps echoed from afar, drawing nearer, accompanied by the scraping sound of dragged prey. Gu Liang struggled to lift his head and saw a hunting party returning.Five or six nearly naked bronze-skinned figures dragged a massive boar-like creature. They were tall and muscular, averaging nearly two meters in height, their waists bound in coarse animal hides. Their bodies were covered in scars and dark totem markings, muscles bulging with primal strength.
The male at the front stood out most prominently. He towered half a head above his companions, his black hair disheveled, his features deeply carved and stern. His rare golden pupils glinted like a predator in the forest's shifting light. His hands were empty, clearly having let the other beastmen handle the task of dragging the prey. When his gaze fell upon Gu Liang, a startling flash erupted from those sharp golden eyes.
Gu Liang instinctively wanted to retreat, but his injuries left him immobilized. His modern-day windbreaker stood out like a sore thumb in this place.
The hunters murmured lowly, eyeing Gu Liang warily as an uninvited guest, yet all instinctively held their ground half a step behind the golden-eyed male.
The golden-eyed male—A Lei—stepped forward, crouched down, and roughly grabbed Gu Liang's chin with his calloused fingers, forcing him to look up.
A Lie murmured something in a low voice, his tone hoarse and full of interest.
Gu Liang jerked his head away, breaking free from the uncomfortable restraint.
A Lie seemed amused, his fingers gliding over Gu Liang's smooth neck. The hand continued downward, exploring the peculiar fabric of his clothing and the delicate curves of his body.
Gu Liang forcefully slapped the hand away, scrambling backward on all fours.
A Lie's eyes flashed with surprise, but he easily seized Gu Liang's ankle, dragging him back before him. Leaning in close, his warm breath—mingled with the scent of blood and dust—was sprayed across Gu Liang's face.
He stared into Gu Liang's terrified eyes, using a single finger to jab forcefully at Gu Liang's chest, then jabbed even harder at his own solid chest, uttering a low, unquestioning syllable.
Seemingly satisfied with the instant pallor that washed over Gu Liang's face, A Lie grunted lowly. He roughly hoisted the man onto his shoulder, ignoring his futile struggles, and strode toward the camp. The other beastmen followed at a distance, uttering indistinct shouts.
Suspended upside down behind A Lie, Gu Liang watched the unfamiliar, primitive landscape rush backward.
A Lie's stride was exceptionally swift, carrying a man with apparent ease. Soon, a camp in an open river valley came into view. Dozens of animal-skin tents of varying sizes were scattered about, a massive bonfire blazing at the center. Several females were processing hides while young orcs chased and played between the tents.Several sentry males stood at the camp's edge. Spotting the returning hunting party—especially Gu Liang on A Lie's shoulders—they shot curious yet cautious glances.
Their gazes toward Alei carried both wariness and reverence, prompting them to bow their heads slightly or step aside to make way. A particularly tall male emerged from the largest tent, bearing old claw scars on his face and an air of steady composure. He exchanged a brief glance with Alei, his eyes lingering momentarily on Gu Liang before nodding.
A Lie strode directly toward a large, relatively isolated tent made of thick, dark animal hides, its entrance adorned with several strings of sharp teeth and bone fragments. He bent down and tossed Gu Liang onto the thick fur-lined interior of the tent.
Before Gu Liang could scramble to his feet, A Lie had already lunged forward and pinned him down.
In terror, Gu Liang's hand brushed against a hard object in his jacket pocket—the Swiss Army knife he always carried.
A Lie tore at his clothes, his scorching lips and teeth closing in on his neck. Gu Liang yanked the knife free, extended the longest blade, and pressed it hard against A Lie's Adam's apple.
A Lie's movements froze abruptly. His golden pupils narrowed slightly as he stared in astonishment at the strange metallic blade pressed against his throat and at Gu Liang's pale yet resolute face.
Suddenly, he chuckled low, his voice hoarse and dangerous.
Instead of retreating, he pressed closer, the blade leaving a crimson trail across his bronze skin.
Gu Liang's hand trembled violently, yet he gripped the hilt tightly, driving the blade in another fraction of an inch. A crimson bead of blood slid down the neck.
A Lie stared at him for a long moment before abruptly rising and stepping back.
Standing straight, his golden pupils flashed as he uttered a few short syllables. But he bent down again, his fingers tapping firmly below Gu Liang's collarbone. His voice was low and threatening as he spoke a longer sentence.
With that, he turned, lifted the fur curtain, and stepped out of the tent. He gave brief orders to the two burly beastmen guards outside. The guards nodded respectfully, positioning themselves on either side of the entrance. The heavy fur curtain fell back into place, sealing off the interior from the outside.
As the footsteps faded, Gu Liang finally collapsed onto the animal hide as if drained of all strength. The military knife slipped from his trembling hand. He curled up, the tent filled with an unfamiliar, dangerous masculine scent. The only sound left in the air was the rapid beat of his own heart.