Chapter 180: Chapter 170: Rainforest Horror

Tang Mo carefully observed the hand in the swamp.

Though it thrashed about violently, a closer look revealed a very regular frequency to its movements—nothing like the panicked struggles of someone on the brink of death.

After all, if it were really a person trapped in the muck, their hand would have latched onto anything it touched, clinging to it like a lifeline.

The hand’s reaction was not at all what Tang Mo had expected.

And the color of that hand...

Tang Mo’s gaze slowly turned cold.

There was definitely something in that swampy mire—something terrifying.

’If my guess is right,’ she thought, ’then this world is truly terrifying.’

If even mutant beasts had gained intelligence—enough to design traps and use tools for hunting—then humanity’s position was even more precarious, a thousand times more dangerous than it already was.

In the current apocalypse, the positions of humans and mutant beasts were never set in stone.

The weak of either species became prey for the other, liable to lose their Life at any moment.

Tang Mo felt uncertain as she faced the unknown creature in the swamp.

The safest option was to ignore this trap and get away—as far away as possible.

But Tang Mo couldn’t do that. The hand in the swamp was undeniable proof that someone had lost their life here.

And that person was very likely a member of Qin Ling’s team.

Tang Mo had been wandering through this rainforest like a headless chicken, utterly lost. She couldn’t possibly give up on such a good lead.

’Just what is in there...’

At a distance of over ten meters, a physical weapon was out of the question. And there was no way Tang Mo would risk getting closer without knowing what she was dealing with.

But this was where a Spirit Attribute Superpower User had the advantage. Distance didn’t affect their attacks at all, as long as their spiritual power was strong enough.

Tang Mo unleashed an external attack with her spiritual power, condensing several spherical projectiles that shot at high speed and slammed into the waving hand.

The impact was so powerful it sent the hand flying.

As the hand flew through the air, Tang Mo saw its severed edge.

It was a severed hand, and it looked like it had been detached for a long time. There was no one in the swamp.

Or more accurately, no one *living*.

Just after the hand was sent flying, the previously calm surface of the mud began to ripple, as if something was stirring restlessly beneath.

Tang Mo took a few small steps back, her eyes fixed on the swamp, waiting.

Soon, something began to arch up, breaking the surface of the mud.

The first thing Tang Mo saw were scales—a thick, mottled coat of armor.

She immediately knew what it was: a crocodile, mutated by the apocalypse.

A crocodile. Its incredibly powerful bite and the hard armor that encased its entire body, even its head, all screamed that this was a fearsome opponent.

But it was clearly too late for Tang Mo to back down now. Knocking its lure away had obviously enraged the enormous creature.

Its eyes were locked onto Tang Mo as it steadily pulled itself from the mire, preparing to charge.

Tang Mo shivered as its gaze fell upon her. ’Cold-blooded animals really are terrifying,’ she thought. ’Just meeting its eyes feels like being chilled to the bone.’

When the crocodile’s entire body emerged from the swamp, Tang Mo had only one thought.

Run.

The beast was huge—even bigger than she had imagined.

It was over three meters long and at least a meter wide.

’A creature that massive... I wonder how many skeletons lie beneath its swamp,’ she thought grimly.

What was more terrifying was that this crocodile was unlike any she had ever seen on television.

The armor on its body was extremely dark and covered in dense, sharp barbs that were horrifying to even look at.

Tang Mo didn’t need to test it; she could imagine just how tough that hide was from a single glance.

Tang Mo knew how crocodiles hunted. A beast like this could swallow her whole with effortless ease.

Discretion is the better part of valor. If she wasn’t going to run now, when would she?

Tang Mo moved in a flash. The moment the crocodile revealed its full form, she was already a blur of motion, dashing madly deeper into the rainforest.

’It’s full of trees in here. I should be able to use the terrain to my advantage and shake off this behemoth,’ she reasoned.

But while Tang Mo was fast, the crocodile was not slow. Pumping its four short legs, it lumbered after her, swaying from side to side.

Its massive tail whipped against the passing trees, startling countless birds into flight. Their panicked cries filled the air.

If not for this chase, Tang Mo would never have known so many birds were hidden in the rainforest canopy.

But this was clearly not the time for birdwatching.

Tang Mo didn’t dare to slow down in the slightest. As she ran, her eyes constantly scanned for suitable obstacles, hoping to hinder the crocodile’s pursuit even a little.

But to Tang Mo’s surprise, even in a rainforest filled with vines and towering trees, the crocodile’s speed didn’t decrease at all.

It just bulldozed through everything, and the distance between them was shrinking.

’Maybe... I should try climbing a tree?’

The rainforest was full of trees, with towering giants over a dozen meters high everywhere.

Tang Mo was agile. In a few quick movements, she scrambled up the nearest large tree and perched on a branch.

She refused to believe it. It might be an amphibian that could swim and run fast, but surely a crocodile couldn’t climb a tree?

’If crocodiles can climb trees, then pigs can fly.’

But Tang Mo had clearly forgotten that this was the apocalypse. Anything could happen.

The crocodile’s evolution hadn’t just boosted its defenses and intelligence; its physical abilities had clearly undergone an exponential mutation as well.

Seeing its target climb the tree, the crocodile remained perfectly calm, not flustered in the slightest.

It paused for a moment at the base of the tree, then extended its front claws. Its sharp talons dug into the massive trunk like rivets, and it began to climb. Judging by its practiced movements, this was clearly not its first time.

’Are you kidding me???’

Tang Mo was genuinely speechless.

’A crocodile can climb trees? What’s next, is it going to fly?’

At that moment, Tang Mo truly didn’t know if she just hadn’t watched enough nature documentaries, or if the world had simply gone insane.

This was no place to linger. Fortunately, the trees in the rainforest grew very close together.

With little effort, Tang Mo used the outstretched branches and vines to leap to another large tree.

Then, like Tarzan, she began to travel through the rainforest canopy.

The deeper she went, the taller and denser the trees became, and the more unfamiliar plants she encountered.

But there is always a way out. And soon, Tang Mo discovered something.

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