Chapter 5: The Choice
Chapter 5: The Choice
“It’s too dangerous. I must go back, right now, immediately!”
“Giving up like that? Are you even a real man? Where’s your guts and determination? How shameful!”
“A living person can be a real man. A dead one is just a body.”
“A huge opportunity lands right in your lap. If you don’t seize it, you’ll regret it forever!”
“But you need to be alive to seize it! The Bronze Anchor is safe with me. I can always come back later, better prepared.”
“Better prepared? Poor people mutate, rich people buy tech. Can you mutate? Can you buy power-ups?”
“Staying alive beats everything else.”
“Oh yeah? Then just give the Bronze Anchor to the country! Hahaha!”
“Shut up!”
Two little voices argued inside Gao Jing’s head. One desperately urged him to return, the other mocked him for being a coward.
Their chattering made his head hurt.
“Shut up!”
Annoyed beyond endurance, Gao Jing growled under his breath.
All the noise vanished instantly.
But he still faced the choice: explore further or return to Blue Star.
Gao Jing sat resting against a giant tree. He needed to recover his strength, and he needed a calm state of mind to think carefully. His choice would decide his future, even life or death!
After resting for about ten minutes, Gao Jing stood up again.
Right now, his eyes showed no hesitation or confusion. Only determination and resolve shone in them. He had made his choice.
He would continue exploring this new world, even if his life was at risk!
Many saw Gao Jing as easy-going and mild-tempered, someone who disliked arguments and petty disagreements. People often thought he was weak.
But deep down, hidden in his bones and blood, lay fierce pride. It didn’t show often, only bursting forth when under immense pressure.
With little to his name and standing alone, he felt no attachments left in his world since his grandfather passed away. Now, he hadn’t even got his old job anymore.
Since he had nothing left to lose, why not go all out?
Resolved, Gao Jing adjusted his backpack and moved forward.
As he explored deeper, a magnificent and strange, vast Great World lifted a corner of its veil for him.
The primeval forest stretched endlessly. Besides countless towering giant trees, exotic flowers and strange plants grew everywhere. He regularly spotted clusters of mushrooms in dark corners and blossoms emerging from thick vines.
Most were shockingly large. Some mushrooms stood as tall as a one-floor building; some wildflowers spread over two meters wide.
Gao Jing carefully avoided the big, brightly colored, pretty-looking things.
He had no idea how dangerous they might be.
The visible dangers were the insects hiding in the grass and bushes, plus arthropods like centipedes.
Mosquitoes were everywhere. Swarms of blue-purple and black-and-white striped mosquitoes hung in the forest air, buzzing constantly.
Numerous insects hid beneath wide leaves and roots. Gao Jing’s footsteps disturbed them, sending them rustling off to new spots.
The journey truly opened Gao Jing’s eyes.
Beetles big as millstones. Ants long as an arm. Caterpillars thick as a thigh.
He even saw a huge grey moth, large as a hawk, fluttering noisily right over his head!
Back in his world, Gao Jing could crush dozens of ants under one foot, smash a swarm of mosquitoes into paste with a clap, or drown a caterpillar with spit.
But here…
Facing bugs ten times bigger, he kept a low profile and avoided them whenever possible. Even armed with his Machete, he never picked a fight easily.
It was this caution, mixed with luck, that got him through several close calls without disaster.
The insect repellent sprayed on him played a vital role. Its strong smell kept mosquitoes at bay, and bugs and moths he encountered would actively avoid him.
After struggling through the great forest for two or three hours, Gao Jing was drenched in sweat, his strength more than half gone. The constant alertness took the heaviest toll – his mind was tense, his brain and body utterly exhausted.
He stopped beside another giant tree. He set his backpack down, pulled out food and drink, and sat resting against the huge trunk, recovering.
Chewing a ham sandwich, Gao Jing scanned the surroundings. This forest was truly immense. He had no idea how long it would take to find a way out.
So far, he hadn’t encountered any animals. Only the distant roar of some beast drifted faintly to his ears.
While that might be good, it made him feel deeply unsettled.
The unknown was terrifying.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a silvery streak shot into his peripheral vision, aimed right at him!
Before he could react, his right calf suddenly tightened violently, wrapped by something. A powerful yank followed.
Caught completely off guard, Gao Jing was hauled onto the ground and dragged uncontrollably forward.
Terrified, he instinctively grasped at a vine with his left hand while his right desperately snatched for the Machete!
He got it!
No sooner had his fingers closed around the hilt than the strain became too great. The vine in his left hand snapped abruptly!
In the next instant, he was dragged savagely another five or six meters, scraping roughly over the thick blanket of fallen leaves.
At the last possible second, a thick tree root running across the ground saved him. Gao Jing wedged his left foot hard against the root. He strained his right leg backward and used the leverage to arch his upper body upward.
With all his might, he swung the Machete!
Thwack!
The thing binding his calf was chopped clean through.
Freed from restraint, Gao Jing leaped to his feet. Immediately, he saw the culprit – a huge black spider.
It stood nearly a meter tall. Its eight long legs spanned well over three meters side-to-side. Its large, round abdomen gleamed deep black, while its head and thorax were thickly covered in coarse bristles.
Hidden within the bristles, six eyes fixed hungrily on Gao Jing. Greedy, bloodthirsty light glimmered in every one.
A long strand of silvery-white silk hung from its mouth-parts. Arranged around its mouth were two fangs curved like daggers!
Behind it lay an obscured, dark hole hidden by tall grass.
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
Clearly furious about its prey escaping, the spider screeched horribly. It lunged violently at Gao Jing!
From Gao Jing spotting the spider to it attacking again, only two or three seconds passed.
Gao Jing didn’t panic and flee like he used to be. Instead, gritting his teeth, he charged straight towards the monstrous creature. The brave win when enemies meet!
Gao Jing knew running was the stupidest choice. Only fighting for his life offered a chance to survive.
Putting every ounce of strength into the blow, he swung the blade right at the spider’s hideous head!
Squelch!
The Ontario Machete cut a cold streak through the air. It slammed hard into the spider’s head-thorax joint. The blade dug in brutally, cutting four inches deep – almost slicing half the spider’s head clean off!
Juice splattered wildly.
Thump!
Dealt this devastating blow, the big black spider crashed to the ground.
It twitched and thrashed on the floor, eight legs spasming open and shut. Dark green fluid poured steadily from the gaping wound.
Soon, it lay entirely still.
Hah!
Gao Jing hadn’t expected to dispatch his foe with a single blow. His tense nerves instantly relaxed. His choice had clearly been right. This scary-looking spider wasn’t actually very strong or well-protected. That’s why it was so easily defeated.
But Gao Jing didn’t get carried away.
After all – this spider that nearly ended him was, in this world, nothing but a tiny speck. Merely one of countless crawling insects.
And while the spider was dead, the trouble it caused wasn’t over.
Gao Jing’s body, arms, and even his face were smeared with dark spider goo. It reeked of something spoiled and fishy. He didn’t know if it was toxic.
He quickly grabbed his backpack off the ground. Silently, he thought: “Return!”
Instantly, he was back in his Primary World.
Back home, the first thing Gao Jing did was look at his phone on the table. The screen was still on. The time displayed: 8:25:12.
He hadn’t taken the phone to the new world. Before leaving, he’d specifically opened the clock app and left the phone on the table.
Now, Gao Jing was completely sure. Time was relatively still between the two worlds. Whenever he left, he returned at the exact same moment!
This confirmed his earlier guess.
But digging into that mystery had to wait. Hastily shedding his gear, Gao Jing rushed to the bathroom for a shower.
He scrubbed himself thoroughly inside and out. Next, he washed the stained windbreaker several times. After that, he sprayed it with disinfectant. Finally, he hung it outside to dry.
Only when he was certain all the spider goo was gone and any poison neutralized did he finally let himself relax.