Chapter 18: A New Life in the Great World
Chapter 18: A New Life in the Great World
Though separated by three to four hundred meters, Gao Jing could still clearly see the several gray shadows that suddenly appeared.
There were five Giant Rats in total: two big ones and three smaller ones.
They looked much like beavers, with fat bodies, blunt heads, small eyes, and thick fur covering them entirely.
However, these Giant Rats moved more like kangaroos. Standing over two meters tall, they hopped forward on two powerful hind legs, moving with surprising speed.
The Giant Rats had short, stout front legs with sharp claws, plus pointed teeth sticking out from the corners of their mouths, making them look dangerous.
Behind them, a small hill covered in bushes stood, likely the location of their den.
Squeak!
The two big gray rats took the lead, with the three smaller ones following close behind.
The five rats sped through the grass but halted not far from Gao Jing, only about a hundred meters away.
One big gray rat twitched its nose suspiciously, as if catching a scent that alarmed it.
Fear and hesitation showed in the rat’s eyes.
When they charged, Gao Jing had already taken the Hunting Crossbow from his Storage Space.
He held it ready, aiming it at one large gray rat.
Yet, Gao Jing had little confidence in the crossbow’s power now. He didn’t know the giant rats’ weak points. So, while adopting a fighting stance, he mentally prepared to return to the other world.
The big gray rat’s nervous behavior caught his attention.
This thing was clearly afraid.
Of what?
Gao Jing immediately put away the Hunting Crossbow.
Staring straight at the big rat, he strode purposefully towards it.
Bare-handed.
But full of fierce spirit!
Seeing Gao Jing walking quickly toward them, the group of gray rats immediately became restless.
The two big gray rats in particular grew very tense and jittery. They both let out sharp shrieks of warning.
And slowly began backing away.
To be honest, Gao Jing was pretty tense himself, his fists clenched tight.
But noticing the rats’ reaction, he picked up his pace instead.
“Scram!”
When Gao Jing was barely twenty or thirty meters from the big gray rat, he suddenly shouted loudly!
His pupils instantly turned vertical, taking on a bloody-red color.
Squeaaaaak!
The big gray rat locked in by his gaze screamed in terror. It whipped around and fled.
Its long tail whipped through the air, leaving a trail of droplets behind.
It had actually peed itself in fright!
The other four rats weren’t any better. Like they faced the end of days, they fled after it.
They scrambled over the hill and vanished from Gao Jing’s sight in moments.
“Ha!”
Watching this, Gao Jing laughed and unclenched his fists.
He’d actually scared them off.
Thinking about it, the big rats must have been afraid of the Crimson Snake Aura clinging to him.
Snakes were natural enemies of rats, after all!
After chasing away the local ‘residents’ near the riverbank, Gao Jing had a look around.
He decided to make his camp here right now.
He didn’t immediately cross the Mountain Stream into the plains beyond purely for safety reasons.
The open land ahead looked beautiful and serene, but Gao Jing had no idea what dangers might be lurking nearby.
The grasslands were different from the forest. The flat terrain offered few hiding places. If he was attacked by a large group of beasts, there’d be nowhere to run.
His only escape would be returning to the Primary World.
But the problem was, time was relatively still between the two worlds. Whatever time he left the Primary World, he’d return at the exact same moment.
Meaning he couldn’t use returning to simply make danger vanish.
If Gao Jing encountered something he just couldn’t fight, like that Crimson Serpent that bullets couldn’t pierce, then the Great World would bid him a permanent farewell.
Therefore, before setting off on his next adventure, Gao Jing needed to scout the surroundings.
Take it step by step, tread carefully. Steady progress will win the battle.
He was prepared. His high-powered binoculars, infrared night-vision goggles, and two Mavic 2 drones were all with him.
For his campsite, Gao Jing chose a spot up in a tree.
He selected the thickest, tallest giant tree nearby, climbed many vines to reach a sturdy branch nearly a hundred meters high.
Then he found a suitable hollow in a tree limb. After gathering leaves to make a soft base, he pitched his tent and secured it with ropes to create a little barrier.
A simple tree house was ready.
This spot was high enough off the ground to be safe from sneak attacks by beasts. The dense tree canopy shielded him from wind and rain.
Plus, the view was excellent.
If he was unlucky enough to be trapped in this tree by something dangerous, Gao Jing could return to the Primary World, buy a personal flying machine, learn how to fly it, and then return here to escape. He wouldn’t be helpless.
The only downside was that climbing up and down was a bit of a chore.
But that inconvenience was nothing compared to the risks of camping on the ground.
By the time Gao Jing finished setting things up, the sky was beginning to darken.
He watched as the moon rose in the east.
Beyond the staggering size of its creatures, the Great World shared many similarities with the Primary World.
It felt much like a wilder, untouched Primary World. Forests and grasslands dominated the landscape, with no sign of human habitation anywhere. Naturally, there was no pollution; the air was incredibly pure.
The gravity, air pressure, radiation levels, and such in the Great World didn’t feel much different from the Primary World. His compass worked correctly.
Day and night still cycled roughly every 24 hours.
The sun and moon both rose in the east and set in the west.
The difference was… there were two moons now.
One moon was exceptionally bright, pure white, and enormous. Its silvery light overshadowed the stars rendering them faint.
The other moon rising alongside it was much smaller and glowed with a dark red color.
Gao Jing took out a self-heating hot pot and some beef jerky for dinner. He ate, enjoying the night view of the Great World.
A cool evening breeze brushed against his face. The grasslands bathed in moonlight seemed peaceful and quiet.
He stayed awake very late before finally sleeping.
The next morning, Gao Jing woke up to crisp birdsong.
Yawning, he crawled out of his tent.
He spotted many birds playing on another big tree nearby.
Most were “small” birds.
By now, Gao Jing had learned basic standards for creature sizes in the Great World.
His own tree was rather quiet.
Last night when setting camp, he’d carefully checked—this chosen tree had no nests.
Before bed, he’d sprinkled snake-repelling powder all around the branches.
Birds clearly disliked its smell.
Gao Jing climbed down from the treehouse.
Back on the ground, he headed to the stream to wash up.
The Copper Anchor Storage Space was incredibly convenient—items like toothpaste and toothbrushes were ready whenever needed, with no need to save every bit of cargo space.
Gao Jing brushed his teeth using stream water.
Though he carried plenty of drinking water in the Storage Space, he wanted to test this world’s water.
The stream was clear and cold, with a faint sweetness when he sipped it.
Excellent natural water.
Splash!
Suddenly, a ruler-length fish leaped up just meters ahead!
Its belly’s Silver Scales sparkled under dawn light.
Absolutely stunning.
What a blatant provocation!
Gao Jing spat out toothpaste water and licked his teeth.
After finishing his routine, he retrieved a fishing rod and bait from the Storage Space.
A sea rod with thick line, big hook, and bait soaked in blood!
He’d packed hunting gear for emergencies.
Now it proved useful.
This Mountain Stream from northern mountains spread over ten meters wide, its deepest parts only four or five meters.
At a calmer spot, Gao Jing cast his line.
The bait had barely sunk when the float plunged down!
The line tightened fiercely, bending the rod like a bow!
Startled by the instant, violent bite, he gripped the handle hard.
He yanked back!
Gao Jing’s unusual strength prevailed—despite fierce fighting, the hooked fish burst from the water, crystalline droplets flying as it slammed ashore, thrashing wildly!!
This half-meter catch had dark back and silver belly, much like some types of salmon.
Gao Jing set down the rod, drawing his combat knife.
One clean strike ended it.
After removing the hook, he washed and scaled it in the stream.
Cutting off the head and peeling skin revealed gorgeous orange-red flesh.
Nearly identical to prime sashimi-grade salmon!
Gao Jing impulsively sliced a sliver of raw fish and tasted it—a risky choice, since wild river fish carried parasites, and this creature was unknown here.
Yet he felt even swallowing it whole would cause no harm.
The flesh melted on his tongue.
No fishy taste—just explosive freshness and sweetness bursting across his taste buds!
Spectacular flavor!
Suddenly, Gao Jing found himself… liking this life a little more.