The campfire crackled softly, its orange glow dancing against the massive, ancient trunks that surrounded the small clearing. Leaning against the rough bark of a gargantuan tree, the combined group talked in hushed tones. They had been resting for several hours, and though the forest was a place of nightmare, Costa felt a rare surge of confidence. Between his disciplined squadron and Jamila's battle-hardened crew, they possessed a formidable amount of raw power.
Costa really wanted to keep talking to Jamila, he wasn't sure if he would be able to do so after they left the forest, so he wanted to make a good impression. He could only imagine the impact the woman and her squad would have on the armies outside.
She wasn't just a survivor; she was a pioneer of a new era. Establishing a bond now wasn't just about his attraction to her—though he had to admit, her presence was magnetic—it was about survival and strategy.
He scratched the back of his head, trying to shake off the self-conscious thoughts.[ Focus, Costa. You're a Lieutenant, not a teenager.]
"Wait… did you say that every single person inside the city was given a Cultivation book?" Seeing that his commander was acting weird, one soldier asked.
Jamila shrugged, her yellow eyes reflecting the flickers of the fire. She didn't quite understand the stunned silence of the soldiers. "Yes. Everyone. Not all books were different, in fact most people received the same type of book. ."
"Oh! You have been pretty lucky indeed." Costa smiled but had no idea how to explain the situation outside. In fact, he never got a book of his own. "Well, outside people…"
"Only a few selected people won books out there, most had to use those available on the internet." Another one of his soldiers explained.
Jamila's expression softened into a look of pity. "I see. I suppose I treated them too casually then. To be honest, most people in the city were so terrified they threw their books away or used them for kindling. They thought it was a trick or a curse."
She reached for her battered dark green backpack and unzipped it. "I started collecting them. It became a bit of a hobby of mine—finding the most peculiar or rare ones left in abandoned apartments."
"..."
The soldiers leaned forward, their breaths hitching. Inside the bag, tucked between dried meat and water bottles, was a neat row of seven or eight ancient-looking books. To Jamila, they were souvenirs. To the soldiers, they were looking at a fortune that could buy a small country or spark a world war.
They even had to use the books available on the internet!
"See? I told you it was a weird hobby," Kian joked, noticing the soldiers' eyes nearly popping out of their heads. "I keep telling her to dump the extra weight, but she's stubborn."
"N-no! Don't you dare throw those away!" Costa stammered, his heart racing. "But Jamila... please. When we get out, keep that bag closed. If the wrong people see what you're carrying, you'll have an army on your heels before sunset."
Jamila shrugged and put away the books. She was starting to comprehend how the situation was outside. It seemed things were worse than she had first thought.
There's still something bothering me," Costa said, his voice dropping an octave. "Do you truly believe that was the voice of God? That would mean... whatever is happening to Earth, He's the architect."
"I don't buy it," Kian said flatly, whittling a piece of wood with his dagger.
Jamila remained silent for a long moment, staring into the embers. "We aren't like the Truth Seekers. We don't pray to the Voice. But," she looked up at Costa, her gaze piercing, "unless you have a better explanation for how a forest grew overnight and books appeared on our pillows, I'll take 'God' as a working title for now."
"Fair enough," Costa conceded. He took a breath, deciding to push his luck. "So, what's your plan? Why not join us? The Brazilian Army needs people like you. We can offer resources, safety, and a purpose."
"I'm good, thanks," Kian barked with a grin, not even looking up.
Jamila didn't answer immediately. "I need to see the world for myself first. And my parents... could you guarantee the army would prioritize finding them?"
Costa's shoulders slumped. "I... I can't promise that. I don't have the authority. But with your strength, you'd have more leverage than anyone else. We know the jungle better than anyone. It's your best shot."
"Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Costa. But I -"
*Rustle~*
The sound was faint, a mere whisper of leaves against fabric, but everyone was on their feet in an instant. Weapons were drawn, and the lighthearted mood vanished as if it had never existed.
Suddenly, a white rabbit hopped into the clearing just in front of a soldier. It was small, no more than a meter tall. It had smooth white fur, long ears like a common bunny. However, from his forehead, between the red eyes, obsidian-black horn grew.
The animal stayed there, standing quietly with its red eyes looking at the group of humans meters ahead.
"A unicorn rabbit?" one of the soldiers whispered, his grip loosening slightly on his rifle. "This place gets weirder by the day."
"Is it just standing there? Maybe it's not hostile," another suggested.
"Actually... it's kind of cute," Jamila murmured, though she didn't lower her spear.
"Rabbits are prey animals," Sakeem added, observing the creature. "Maybe the mutations didn't change its nature."
The nearest soldier, a young man who missed his life back in the city, smiled softly. He extended a hand, palm up. "Hey there, little fella. Come here... it's okay..."
*Gwiiir!*
The sound that erupted from the rabbit was a high-pitched, metallic chirp that set everyone's teeth on edge. In a blur of white, the animal launched itself. Its powerful hind legs shattered the dirt beneath it, propelling it like a furry bullet.
Before the soldier could even blink, the black horn—sharp as a diamond-tipped drill—plunged into his stomach. The force was so great that the tip of the horn erupted from the man's back in a spray of blood and acid.
"SHIT! Kill it!" Exclaimed Costa as he saw the tip of the black horn stick out from the soldier's back.
It was at that time however…
*Hustle~*
*Hustle~*
Dozens of red eyes ignited in the darkness surrounding the camp. One by one, then in a flood, the horned rabbits poured out of the shadows. They weren't just animals; they were a coordinated swarm.
"It 's an ambush! Form a circle, now!" Shouted Jamila.
Even the soldiers weren't there to disobey. They ignored their fallen comrade and quickly formed a circle. The mutated animals, however, did not wait for them to complete it.
*FLASH!*
The rabbits attacked in waves. They were First Stage Body Cultivators, meaning each one possessed the strength and speed of a world-class athlete packed into a small, agile frame.
Jamila was the first to react. Her spear was a blur, its tip finding the skull of a leaping rabbit and splitting it mid-air. As the beasts were only at the First Stage of Body Tempering, it was quite easy for her to do so. But the same could not be said about the soldiers.
Their small size and fast speed made the rabbits a really hard target to hit. Considering the similar strength, the soldiers were barely able to keep themselves alive.
*PLUCK!*
Sakeem's shield rang out with a heavy THUD as he blocked a horn aimed at a soldier's throat. He countered with a brutal downward arc of his sword, cleaving a rabbit in two.
"HA!" Shouted the blond man from Jamila's group as he quickly slashed his two big daggers and dealt with another rabbit.
"Keep this pace and we can win, help Jamila and her group!" Ordered Lieutenant Costa just after deflecting a horned rabbit with his machete. His right arm trembled with the force behind that hit.
He rolled to the side as a second rabbit lunged, swinging his machete in a desperate upward arc. He felt the blade sink into soft belly meat, and a moment later, his face was sprayed with hot, foul-smelling blood.
""Nice move!" Jamila called out, appearing at his side to impale a rabbit that was about to leap onto his back.
The fight was a blur of fur, blood, and desperate shouting. It lasted fifteen grueling minutes. The clearing was littered with small white carcasses and the bodies of four soldiers. Only four rabbits remained, standing at the edge of the light, their red eyes fixed on the survivors.
Costa took the opportunity to look around and realized that three of his men had died, in addition to the first one taken by surprise. Jamila's group, on the other hand, was intact.
"Let's finish them and get out of this cursed place," Costa spat, wipeing blood from his eyes.
But as if sensing his intent, the remaining rabbits turned in perfect unison and vanished into the undergrowth.
"They're... retreating?" a soldier gasped, leaning on his knees to catch his breath.
The silence that followed was even more terrifying than the fight.
*GRRIIIIIWWW!*
A sound tore through the forest from deep within the trees. It was the same high-pitched chirp as the small rabbits, but amplified a hundred times, vibrating with a raw, predatory power that made the very air feel heavy.
Jamila's face went pale. Her hands, usually steady, began to shake. Her instincts—the ones that had kept her alive in a city of monsters—were screaming at her. Run. Run or die.
"We have to move. NOW!" she shouted, her voice trembling. "Something much bigger is coming!" Jamila shouted alarmed.
"Let's get out of here right now!" Costa trusted her and won't bet his life to see what that thing was.
"What about our men? We can't leave the bodies!" a soldier cried out.
"Stay if you want to become another corpse!" Costa shouted. "SQUAD! MOVE OUT! FULL SPEED!"
The group didn't waste another second and immediately ran out of that place.