At dusk, the western sky was a sheet of red; the afterglow of the setting sun poured over the vast prival forest, draping the canopy in a rosy veil. The dense trees rose and fell with the wind like surging green waves. Hobound birds chirped happily as they dove from the Void into this green swell, occasionally streaking out with a whoosh, shooting into the sky to chase and play with their companions. From ti to ti an animal's roar sounded from deep in the woods, adding a touch of terror and mystery to this noisy forest.
But beneath the clamorous, peaceful canopy lurked a chilling killing intent. A bird perched on a riverside shrub, cocking its head to peer at the surface, trying to spot a small fish for a hearty al. Suddenly a bowl-thick venomous snake burst out from the shrub. Startled, the little bird flapped away in a flurry. The snake dropped into the river, and a piece of "rotting driftwood" floating on the water suddenly moved—it was actually a crocodile.
The crocodile, perhaps already full and disdaining the snake, rely slapped at it irritably with its tail, throwing up a spray of water. The venomous snake's spine was smashed on the spot; it fainted and drifted downstream. Before long a huge school of piranha rose from beneath the surface, swarming the snake and tearing at it. In the blink of an eye, only the skeleton was left, which sank out of sight, along with the piranha that had devoured it.
Just then, the crocodile crawled ashore to rest, but suddenly saw a fully ard squad approaching. It didn't know what these creatures were, but it sensed danger, slid quickly back into the river, and vanished. The squad hurried to the riverbank, each man draped in a camouflage suit, 88 sniper rifle in hand, so with two dead comrades slung on their backs. It was Luo Zheng's team, withdrawn from the battlefield. Luo Zheng's cold gaze swept the surroundings as he said, "Figure out a way across. This is the closest route back. We have to make it before dark."
"The lake isn't wide, but the water's deadly below. We can't wade it. Build a bridge," Shadow said in a low voice.
"Okay, I'll trouble you guys." Luo Zheng replied offhandedly, his tiger-like eyes slightly narrowed as he looked around. This prival forest was different from other tropical rainforests—far more dangerous. The miasma, viruses, bacteria, and microorganisms alone could kill, and even more terrifying were the poisonous insects, ants, and toxic plants—impossible to guard against. Predators at the top of the food chain like leopards and wolves were, in comparison, the least of their worries.
"Don't overthink it. We haven't heard any combat reports at this hour, which ans the enemy hasn't moved," Lan Xue whispered reassuringly. Her expression grew more grave as she looked at the river. "Once we cross the river it's the gorge, and past the gorge we'll reach Hook Tribe's valley. Hard to believe there's no defense here. If the enemy discovers this route, we're in trouble."
"Yeah. In this endless forest, you could infiltrate Hook Valley from almost anywhere—it's impossible to guard every inch. They're still short on manpower," Luo Zheng sighed.
"Contact," Shadow's warning suddenly crackled in his earpiece.
Luo Zheng's heart lurched. He imdiately dropped into cover, chambered a round, and asked in a low, tense voice, "What is it? Everyone, stay sharp and get ready to engage."
"Looks like soone's out there. I'm going to check," Shadow said quietly.
Luo Zheng peeked out and saw Shadow darting toward a patch of dense forest to their flank. Worried sothing might go wrong, he hurried after him, speaking softly over the comms as he moved: "Brothers, give us covering fire. I'm going up to take a look."
With a series of whooshing bounds, Luo Zheng rushed forward like a leopard on the attack. He soon spotted Shadow concealed at the base of a large tree and quickly found his own cover nearby. He flipped down the Single Soldier Night Vision Goggles mounted on his helt—captured gear from the pot-helt troops—and, using the thermal imaging, quickly picked out multiple human heat signatures hidden in the forest ahead. Startled, he lowered his voice and said, "We've got sothing. Stay alert."
"Cover . I'm going in for a closer look," Shadow said coldly. He suddenly burst from cover, sprinting forward at lightning speed.
"Whoosh—thunk!" A strange sound cut the air, and sothing struck a tree. Luo Zheng craned his neck for a look and froze—it was an arrow: wooden shaft, bone tip. That made him frown. Sam Country forces would never use such primitive weapons; only local tribes would. He quickly shouted into the comms, "Shadow, fall back!"
"A bow and arrow?" Shadow's voice carried the sa surprise. He pulled back at once. As he ran he sensed more arrows hissing in; he picked up speed, bounding like a hare and swooping like a hawk until he reached Luo Zheng's position and ducked behind a tree trunk. He glanced back in shock and saw three arrows quivering in the bark, humming from the force that had driven them in.
"What's going on?" Shadow asked, a bit ticked off.
"Must be local tribesn. Don't move up, or we'll spook them," Luo Zheng quickly explained. He stared into the forest ahead, then a thought struck him and he called out in the only phrase of the local tongue he knew: "Hook!" He'd picked it up from hearing people from the Hook Tribe say it over and over, morizing it in secret. The word ca out a bit mangled, and he wasn't sure he'd said it right.
Almost at once, the sa word sounded from the forest across from them, followed by a stream of local speech. Luo Zheng couldn't understand a single word, so he just repeated that clumsy phrase. The other side shouted back anxiously a few more tis, then fell silent. Luo Zheng realized this couldn't go on and said in a low voice, "No one fires unless you have to—we don't want a misunderstanding. I'll go talk to them."
"Be careful," Shadow cautioned.
Luo Zheng nodded to show he understood. He glanced back into the forest behind him; the brothers were all in position and ready for a fight. Only then did he take off the camouflage suit hood, exposing his face. Cradling his weapon, he slowly stepped out from cover, eyes wary as he looked ahead, calling out that one phrase of tribal speech again.
The people hidden in the forest ahead saw Luo Zheng erge without showing hostility. After a mont's silence, one man ca out of the trees and cautiously approached. The forest was dim and the light poor, making it hard to see clearly, but Luo Zheng could still make out the features of a local tribesman and secretly let out a breath.
Before long the man drew near, and as if recognizing Luo Zheng, he shouted sothing in surprise and delight. A mont later, many more figures burst from the trees—bare-chested n with bows and arrows, so with feathers stuck in their hair, faces painted with strange pignts, and odd patterns drawn on their bodies. They trotted forward in a group.
Luo Zheng was startled by the sudden appearance of so many people—a dense crowd not far from him, yet he'd had no prior warning. Their concealnt skills were impressive. But seeing that they showed no hostility, he relaxed slightly and murmured into his earpiece, "They're tribesn. No hostile intent. Maintain vigilance."
The man from before ca right up to Luo Zheng, gesturing excitedly and saying sothing. Luo Zheng could only give a wry smile; the language barrier really was a pain. Then he saw the man point to his own heart and utter the word "Hook." That one word Luo Zheng understood, and the realization clicked. He pointed at the man and asked, "Hook?"
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