Chapter 2: Central Land
Zhao suddenly found himself in a vast area, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and pine. The landscape stretched endlessly before him, bordered by a dense forest of towering trees, their gnarled branches twisting into the violet-tinged sky.
"Huh, where am I?"
He felt nauseous, his stomach churning as though he'd been spun in circles for hours. His legs wobbled beneath him, and he steadied himself against a nearby rock, its surface rough and cold under his trembling fingers.
"Did I just get teleported?" Zhao muttered, his voice barely audible over the faint rustling of leaves. He could do nothing but sigh, his breath fogging in the chilly pre-dawn air.
The area was vast, unnaturally so, with a small, dilapidated hut standing at its center. A strange, translucent dome shimmered around the entire space, its surface rippling like water under an unseen breeze. Above, the sky was a tapestry of alien beauty—two moons hung low, their pale light casting overlapping shadows across the ground. The horizon glowed faintly, a sign that the sun would soon rise, though its warmth felt like a distant promise in this strange, foreboding place.
Zhao had no idea where he was. The forest loomed ominously, its depths shrouded in shadow, and the dome above felt more like a cage than protection. He glanced at the hut, its wooden walls weathered and splintered as if it had stood here for centuries. With no other options, he trudged toward it, his footsteps muffled by the soft, mossy ground.
Inside, the hut was sparse—a single bed with a threadbare blanket, a rickety wooden table, and a faint, musty smell that clung to the air. But what caught his attention was a timer etched into the wall beside the bed, its glowing digits counting down from 01:02:47. The numbers pulsed faintly, as if alive, and Zhao felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"It seems there's time for whatever is going to happen," he murmured, his voice echoing in the small space. He moved to sit on the bed, its frame creaking under his weight when a sudden voice pierced the silence, sharp and mechanical.
(Ding... Million Times Multiplier System has been activated)
(Assimilation in progress.....)
(10%)