Chu Ran woke up to the smell of damp rotting leaves, not knowing how much time had passed.
He struggled to sit up, his head throbbing with pain, his entire body aching as if it had fallen apart. Around him was no longer the desolation of the Gobi, but a dense primeval forest so thick that barely any sunlight penetrated. Towering ancient trees reached straight into the sky, their trunks so thick that it would take a dozen people to encircle them. Where the branches intertwined, only scattered rays of sunlight managed to filter through, illuminating the thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground.
The air was filled with the scent of unfamiliar plants and trees, mixed with a faint fishy odor. Chu Ran tightened his grip on the I Ching—it was his only thought now. He stood up and looked around, his lone figure in the empty forest.
"Zhao Lei? Zhou Kai? Is anyone there?" he called out loudly, his voice echoing through the woods, but there was no response.
Fear wrapped around his heart like vines. He didn't know where he was, nor the fate of his other companions. That sudden earthquake, that bizarre black hole, had actually brought him to such an unfamiliar place.
Chu Ran forced himself to calm down. He remembered the teachings in the Tao Te Ching: "Attain utmost emptiness, uphold utter tranquility." He took several deep breaths, suppressing the panic in his heart. He checked his backpack—his water and compressed biscuits were still there, and his geological hammer and flashlight were intact. Fortunately, he hadn't lost his basic survival supplies.
He turned on the flashlight and carefully walked along the layer of fallen leaves. The forest was eerily quiet, with only his footsteps and the occasional calls of unknown birds and beasts breaking the silence. From time to time, he saw huge footprints on the ground—each as big as a millstone, with sharp edges, unlike the tracks of any known animal.
After walking for about an hour, he suddenly heard a burst of arguing ahead. Overjoyed, Chu Ran quickly quickened his pace and ran toward the sound.
Through a dense thicket of bushes, he saw several familiar figures—Zhao Lei, Zhou Kai, Li Ming, and five other companions. They were sitting under a big tree, their faces all looking grim, with several empty water bottles scattered on the ground.
"It's great that you're all okay!" Chu Ran hurried over.
Seeing Chu Ran, Zhao Lei and the others looked surprised, then their expressions were replaced by anxiety. Zhou Kai frowned and said: "We've been here for almost a day. We can't find a way out, and the water is almost gone. We counted just now—there are only eight of us. The others... I'm afraid the worst has happened."
Chu Ran's heart sank. Of the fifteen-person team, only half remained. Looking at his companions in front of him, fear and unease were written on each of their faces. The camaraderie they had shared—joking around in college dorms, supporting each other during outdoor adventures—seemed to be growing fragile in this unfamiliar and dangerous forest.
"We can't just wait for death," Chu Ran said solemnly. "Although this forest is dangerous, there must be a way out. Let's first consolidate our supplies, then find water and a way to leave together."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Ming suddenly screamed: "Look! What's that!"
Everyone followed his pointing finger and saw a pair of eerie green eyes staring at them intently from the depths of the dense forest not far away. The owner of the eyes was huge, covered in black scales, with thick limbs and claws glinting with cold light—it was a terrifying alien beast they had never seen before.
"A Barbarian Beast!" Zhou Kai's face turned pale, his voice trembling. "We've encountered a legendary Barbarian Beast!"
Before anyone could react, the Barbarian Beast let out a deafening roar and pounced fiercely toward them.