The moment I touched that crevice in the rock, I knew I was no longer going to die!

I immediately threw the fire stick I was carrying on the ground and scrambled into the large crack using both hands and feet.

When I climbed in, I realized it was a large, naturally formed crack, very sturdy, and just big enough for one person to fit through.

Once I went inside, I immediately hid and didn't dare to breathe.

There was a lot of moisture inside the crack, and my clothes were soaked almost instantly.

The giant snake outside the crack chased after me the instant I crawled in.

All I could hear was the constant snapping and breaking of trees around me; the python was clearly looking for me.

When I was running just now, it must have become familiar with my scent, so if I hadn't found this crack, I'd probably have been eaten by it.

I was both relieved and extremely nervous, because I wasn't sure if the giant python could actually fit through the crack.

If he gets in, it'll be like catching a turtle in a jar...

However, judging from the enormous head I just saw, it would probably be quite difficult for him to come in, open his mouth, and swallow me whole.

I was terrified, my legs were weak and my feet were trembling, so I squeezed into the crack and didn't dare to move. The python was crackling and writhing outside for a while, then it turned its triangular head toward me.

By the dim moonlight, I saw its yellowish eye, filled with resentment as it peered through the crack.

Its head rammed into the crack several times with great force, but it failed each time. After all, no matter how powerful its head was, the rock crack was too hard for its snake head to break.

My heart pounded with each impact, but after about ten minutes, the python finally gave up.

I thought it would leave because I could hear the sound of its belly sliding against the surrounding trees, but to my surprise, the python opened its mouth and flicked its tongue into the crack.

The filthy snake tongue almost hit my face, carrying a fishy stench and sticky saliva.

I felt utterly disgusted, but I dared not make a sound. I could only desperately cover my mouth and quietly wait for him to give up.

And so, we remained locked in this stalemate for about half an hour. After realizing that there was really no way to get in, the python went berserk and began violently whipping the surrounding trees with its tail.

Although I couldn't see clearly what was happening outside, I could tell from the crackling and snapping sounds of the trees breaking that the python was very angry, and the consequences would be severe!

I don't know how long I stayed in that crack, because I was too afraid to come out.

After all, who knows if this python might be hiding at the crack, waiting for me to walk right into its trap?

So I stayed there until it was already broad daylight. I could even see what was happening outside through the cracks, so I cautiously poked my head out to look around.

No python was seen, but the surrounding grove of trees was in complete disarray. Many trees were smashed to pieces, their trunks broken off cleanly. Several towering trees nearby were also uprooted.

That tells you how strong this python is.

If I hadn't been lucky enough to encounter this mountain yesterday, I'm afraid I would have already digested most of it by now.

There was indeed no trace of the python around, and I breathed a sigh of relief, but I definitely couldn't stay in this place any longer.

I need to get out of here quickly and meet up with Wang Ping and the others. Besides, I still don't know what's going on with the male colleague who ran away yesterday. I hope he's still alive...

When I staggered out of the rock crevice, I realized that my shoulder was in excruciating pain.

I turned my head and saw that the clothes on my shoulder were torn at some point, with the skin and flesh peeling off.

The skin around the wound has started to turn white. It must be because the water that kept dripping down from the crack last night washed over the wound on my shoulder, which is why it looks like this. I don't know if it will get infected.

But in this situation, I must find fresh water to clean the wound properly as soon as possible, and then find some herbs that Xiao Qiang told me about to treat it simply.

Otherwise, with such hot weather, no one can guarantee whether it will become infected and fester.

I stood on the ground and scanned the area, picked up some cool leaves from the ground, took a couple of sips of the dew from the leaves to dry my throat, and finally, with my gun in hand, quickly turned and went into the woods.

Because I didn't know if the python had really left, I was extra careful with every step I took.

Fortunately, I walked for about half an hour this time and did not see any wild animals attacking me, which put my mind at ease.

However, this forest was still very difficult to walk through because the trees were very dense, and one could easily backtrack.

That's why I got lost here with that male colleague yesterday.

I wandered around like that, not knowing how long I walked, until the sun was already high in the sky when I finally came out.

It looks like it's around 12 o'clock now, but I still can't see any trace of Wang Ping and the others around me, and I have no way of knowing which direction I'm in right now, east, west, north, or south.

I ran to the beach and stood on a big rock, shouting Wang Ping and the others' names, but after shouting for a long time, no one answered.

I think I must have gone the wrong way. Wang Ping and the others should be on the other side of the woods, but I ran out from this side.

We should now be about ten kilometers away from our current location.

I just don't know if Wang Ping and the others will be coming from this side.

But guessing is useless now. I have to meet up with them as soon as possible, otherwise I'm all alone and don't even have a weapon to defend myself. It's dangerous no matter how you look at it.

I drank some more dew from the woods, suppressed my hunger, and mustered my courage once again to enter the woods.

This time, I walked for who knows how long, until finally my legs started to ache and feel weak.

When I emerged from the woods again, I finally saw the ashes from the campfires we had built the night before.

But Wang Ping and the others were no longer there; there were no footprints on the beach, as if his dream had vanished into thin air.

I shouted Wang Ping's name again, but this time no one answered, and I felt increasingly devastated.

Because I'm so thirsty and hungry, and I vaguely feel like I have a high fever, if I don't see Wang Ping and the others soon, and I faint here, even a lynx could tear me apart, and I wouldn't even have the ability to resist.

In this situation, I increasingly miss the communication devices I had in the city.

If I had a cell phone right now, I could call Wang Ping and the others to confirm their location, wouldn't I no longer have to endure this agonizing search?