C1 There Was No Ravine in front of the Fierce Tiger(1)

In the heart of spring, during the season when creatures should be stirring from their winter slumber and plants reaching for the sky, the earth lay still and lifeless. On a bleak street, a sewer cover shifted and was lifted by a hand. Luo Yan cautiously peered out, scanning the desolate surroundings. His gaze fell upon nothing but ruins and rubble, remnants of a once vibrant city now silent and devoid of its former glory. All that remained was the dust, fluttering papers, stains of blood, and scattered bones. The world was shrouded in dust and grime, heavy with the air of decay. This was the third year following the cataclysmic 'Beast Apocalypse'.

When those colossal, unidentified creatures descended upon the world, it took less than six months for civilization to crumble into oblivion. The survivors, like Luo Yan, have since been living in what could only be described as hell on earth. A gust of wind began to stir, tousling Luo Yan's dark hair as he swiftly climbed out of the well, leaving the cover ajar. A rope, knotted for grip, dangled from beneath the lid, swaying in the breeze.

Clad in tattered clothing and coated in filth, Luo Yan wore a sturdy waist pack. His exposed skin was wrapped in waterproof cloth, leaving only his crimson eyes visible. As thunder rumbled ominously overhead, rain began to fall. Luo Yan had a love-hate relationship with the rain; it diluted his scent but also brought with it a surge of 'Red Poison', a deadly toxin introduced by the 'giant beasts'. This poison, released when the beasts' blood mixed with the air, caused irregular red blotches on the skin and turned the eyes a deep red. Once the red consumed the entire eye, death was imminent—as was becoming the case for Luo Yan, whose eyes were nearly overwhelmed by the crimson hue.

The downpour cleansed the earth, raising a muddy, metallic odor. Luo Yan had already pulled down his diving goggles to shield his eyes and donned a waterproof helmet, rendering him impervious to the toxins. He then navigated the streets with practiced ease, passing by the remnants of a dilapidated hot pot restaurant and a collapsed movie theater.

His eyes suddenly burned, prompting him to halt abruptly.

At that moment, Luo Yan's gaze turned vacant, as if he had lost all focus.

Through his eyes, the street scene began to dim.

Ahead, at the crossroads, he noticed several clusters of murky light moving forward, soon to reach the intersection.

This extraordinary 'vision' had emerged following the 'Behemoth Disaster'.

Before the disaster struck, Luo Yan had purchased an ancient tome titled "Elemental Building Spell" online.

The seller claimed it was a treasure unearthed from an ancient tomb, a lost cultivation method, a meditating and thinking skill.

Luo Yan had once been deeply fascinated by these arts, genuinely practicing according to the book's instructions, though to no avail.

But after the 'Behemoth Disaster', Luo Yan distinctly felt the so-called 'meditating and thinking skill' begin to take effect.

With each practice session, he felt warmth trickle into his body, soon followed by a surge of warmth rushing to his head.

Before long, he discovered he could occasionally perceive unusual sights.

He could see the gray aura emitted by humans, Behemoth Parasites, behemoths, and other life forms.

Just like now, this ability allowed him to sense danger in advance.

Luo Yan immediately lightened his steps and stealthily slipped into the trunk of a nearby car, leaving only a sliver of space open.

Shortly after, a creature the size of a large dog passed by.

It resembled a tick with a wolf-like head, a pointed snout, and a protruding nose.

A group of four or five such creatures roamed the nearby streets, pausing now and then to survey their surroundings with great vigilance.

These were wolf ticks, parasites from the behemoths.

Over the past two years, Luo Yan had encountered them numerous times, knowing their keen sense of hearing and their predatory response to the scent of blood.

They were bloodthirsty, vicious, and usually moved in packs of three to five, seldom alone.

Encountering a tick was no surprise to Luo Yan.

For in the heart of the city, in what was once the bustling city center, a living behemoth lay in wait.

A monstrous creature roamed the land, with the face of a goat, the body of a human, and the claws of a tiger. Its cries echoed like those of a wailing infant.

At night, if one heard the sound of a baby's cry, it was likely this behemoth signaling its presence.

More than once, it had used the infantile wail to ensnare its prey.

Luo Yan waited until the ticks had dispersed before he cautiously made his escape from the trunk of a car.

Soon after, he emerged from an air vent.

The other end opened into a supermarket, which had largely collapsed, yet miraculously, the food section remained intact.

This became Luo Yan's 'secret pantry.'

The only accessible route in and out was through the supermarket's exhaust duct, limiting the amount of food Luo Yan could carry out in one trip.

He preferred it that way.

Taking too much would raise suspicions, draw unwanted attention, and could lead to deadly consequences.

In these lawless times, survival depended solely on oneself.

At that moment, Luo Yan's belt pouch was stocked with seven or eight individually wrapped loaves of bread and sausages.

Expired, yet still edible thanks to preservatives, no one worried about potential illness from consumption.

Having any food at all was a blessing.

As he made his way back, the rain had ceased, and Luo Yan's steps quickened with lightness.

The bread and sausages would sustain him for a week.

The thought brought him a surge of contentment and joy.

But as is often the case, joy was fleeting.

Reaching the crossroads where he had previously encountered the tick, Luo Yan's eyes began to sting once more.

He spotted a shadowy, gray figure in the wreckage of a collapsed bus nearby.

Without hesitation, Luo Yan spun on his heel and bolted.

"Damn, the kid's got wits," someone cursed from within the bus, as a burly man emerged.

The man was a towering figure, his face and hands marred by gruesome scars.

He let out a sharp whistle.

From an internet cafe with an unknown destination, two more men appeared, brandishing knives and clubs.

All three were armed.

Luo Yan narrowed his eyes and drew an automatic pistol from behind his back.

He disengaged the safety and chambered a round.

Assuming a proper shooting stance, he began to back away cautiously.

"Let's not be hasty, there's profit in peace."

The burly leader raised his hands, struggling to muster a smile. "I've heard all about Brother Luo's sharp wits. You know exactly where to find food and medicine."

"Don't worry, we know better than to pry about the whereabouts of those places."

"It's just that we three have been starving for days, and seeing Brother Luo's bulging pouch, it's clear you've had quite the haul."

"How about you share a bit of food with us?"

"From now on, we'll follow Brother Luo's lead!"

As the muscular man spoke, the other two men subtly positioned themselves behind him.

One with a long, horse-like face silently drew a pistol.

He planned to use the distraction of the burly man to unexpectedly take down Luo Yan.

But in that moment,

A glint of cold light flashed in Luo Yan's eyes.

Sensing trouble, the muscular man yelled for everyone to get down.

Bang!

The gunshot echoed.

Despite Luo Yan's firm grip on the gun, his arms involuntarily jerked upwards, as if they were about to detach from his body!

The shot left the horse-faced man with a bullet hole in his forehead and the back of his head blown open.

Blood, brain matter, and scalp with hair splattered onto the face of the man behind him.

He lost control of his bladder in shock.

Luo Yan bolted.

He sprinted towards the sewer entrance they'd come from.

The burly man finally got to his feet, grabbed the dropped pistol, and urged his remaining companion, "Come on, attack! Do you still want food or not?"

Snapping out of his daze, the man wiped the blood from his face and chased after the burly man.

The burly man fired his gun.

Sadly, his aim was terrible, and he missed Luo Yan.

Luo Yan had reached the sewer entrance.

He quickly dove in.

And deftly grabbed the rope tied to the manhole cover.

Using his body weight, he yanked it down!

The cover snapped shut.

The burly man, cursing under his breath, ran to the side, tossed his pistol aside, and attempted to open the manhole cover.

Suddenly.

He heard an odd rustling noise.

Rustle, rustle, rustle—

His expression shifted abruptly as he turned to see four or five ticks swooping toward him.