Chapter 3: The Reborn’s Revelation and the Beast World’s Peril

“A Beast World?” Qin Jinxuan scanned her surroundings once more; aside from the absurdly large mosquito from moments ago, there seemed to be no other trace of strange beasts. There was no human activity either.

“Yes.” Cheng Lan nodded. “In short, it’s a world inhabited only by strange beasts, devoid of human activity.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Qin Jinxuan, who was curiously observing their environment. “There are two possibilities for why you don’t see any strange beasts right now: one, this area is inherently a low-risk zone with minimal beast activity; two… the region we’re in might be some creature’s hunting ground, and it was thoroughly ravaged just a few days ago.”

As he spoke, he began to meticulously search for something in their vicinity.

Qin Jinxuan moved closer, tilting her head as she asked, “It feels like you’re very familiar with this place, Cheng Lan. Isn’t this your first time crossing over?”

“If you’re talking about this lifetime, then yes, it’s my first time,” Cheng Lan stopped his actions, looking up at the colossal trees before them.

“After all, I’m a Reborn individual. In my previous life, I visited this place many times.”

Cheng Lan’s decision to so candidly reveal his secret was, in fact, the result of careful consideration.

Firstly, based on his understanding of Qin Jinxuan from his previous life, she was not only a tight-lipped person but also the type who ‘wouldn’t betray a friend even with a knife to her throat’—discreet and trustworthy.

Secondly…

These days, if someone were to run into the street and shout:

“I’m a Reborn! I have memories of my past life!”

What would be the first reaction of others? To believe they were a Reborn, or to think someone was making an absurd short video for laughs?

In short—

If he didn’t proactively confess, others wouldn’t believe him.

If he did proactively confess, others would believe him even less.

So, it was better to simply tell her directly, at least saving himself the trouble of beating around the bush with Qin Jinxuan.

She would discover, sooner or later, that he was somewhat different from ‘normal people’.

‘Re… Reborn?’

Qin Jinxuan blinked. She understood every single word, yet strung together, they made little sense.

‘No, no! I’m just an ordinary high school student. How is it that my worldview has completely changed since crossing over to this ‘Beast World’?’

“Cheng Lan, I’m not dreaming, am I?”

Without turning his head, Cheng Lan extended a hand, pinched her small face, and squeezed hard.

“Ow!”

“Confirmed?” Cheng Lan released her.

“Confirmed.” Qin Jinxuan’s eyes were slightly red, and she nodded, looking aggrieved.

“If you still have doubts, you can look up,” Cheng Lan pointed to the massive tree trunk before them.

Qin Jinxuan followed his finger with her gaze—

There, etched into the thick trunk, were several gigantic claw marks, seemingly bottomless. The edges of the claw marks were jagged and uneven, with dark red traces still clinging to some areas.

She instinctively swallowed.

“What… what is this?”

“Judging by the depth of the claw marks and the extent of the peeled bark,” Cheng Lan crouched down, then pointed to a colossal footprint at the base of the tree. “And adding this footprint—nearly a meter long and half a meter wide—it must have been left by some kind of large dinosaur.”

“Di… dinosaur?”

“Precisely, the dinosaurs that are extinct on Blue Star,” Cheng Lan nodded, continuing, “And judging by the clarity of the footprint, it hasn’t been gone long.”

“Then what should we do now?” Qin Jinxuan asked, her voice laced with worry.

“What should we do?” Cheng Lan scoffed. “Of course, we run!”

With that, he grabbed Qin Jinxuan’s hand and sprinted in the opposite direction of the footprints.

“Wait—!”

Qin Jinxuan’s words were cut short as he pulled her headfirst into the depths of the dense forest.

“Ha! Ha! I… I can’t go on! Let me rest!” Qin Jinxuan gasped, her hands braced on her knees, large beads of sweat continuously rolling down her cheeks.

“You’re giving up after only half an hour? Qin Jinxuan, you’re truly pathetic.” Cheng Lan gradually slowed his pace, glancing back at the girl trailing behind him, his tone filled with disdain. “Besides, I wasn’t even running that fast. I remember your sports scores were quite good, weren’t they? Why are you so weak now?”

“Ha… ha! You haven’t even looked at what I’m wearing right now…” Qin Jinxuan panted, speaking with great grievance.

Hearing this, Cheng Lan lowered his gaze, scanning her current attire—

Damp white stockings clung to her legs, revealing glimpses of the girl’s delicate pink skin; the brown leather shoes on her feet were already stained dark with mud.

“It’s just a school uniform, as if I’m not wearing the same thing,” he continued to mock her from the side.

Qin Jinxuan was too exhausted to even retort. She looked up at the gently flowing river not far away, subconsciously dragging her weary body towards it, wanting to get some water to moisten her parched throat.

“Hey! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” Cheng Lan gripped her shoulder, pulling her back to his side.

Immediately after, he bent down, picked up a dry branch from the ground, and forcefully hurled it into the river.

Crunch!

A crocodile suddenly burst out of the water, snapping the branch in two with one bite, then quickly submerged itself again, leaving only ripples spreading across the surface.

Seeing this, Qin Jinxuan’s face turned several shades paler with fright.

“How many times have I told you not to leave my side beyond three meters?” Cheng Lan said, pulling a bottle of water from his bag and handing it over. “Don’t be foolish!”

“Th-thank you…” Qin Jinxuan took the water bottle, twisted open the cap, and gulped down several mouthfuls. The cool water flowed down her throat, and she recovered a little strength. Some droplets trailed down her fair neck, dampening her collar.

“Once you’ve rested enough, we’ll keep going,” he said plainly. “This place isn’t safe; we need to leave quickly.”

Qin Jinxuan nodded, tightening her grip on the water bottle, a peculiar emotion stirring within her.

This deskmate of hers, though a bit foul-mouthed, seemed unexpectedly good to her?

Recalling their journey so far—

Terrifyingly large spider webs, carnivorous plants and grasses disguised as ordinary vegetation, and the occasional small dinosaur harassing them; Cheng Lan alone had almost single-handedly dealt with all these troubles.

“Cheng Lan, can we still go back?” Out of nowhere, she suddenly posed this question.

The string of near-death experiences had left her somewhat despairing. However, with an expert like Cheng Lan constantly leading her, perhaps not being able to return wasn’t entirely unacceptable?

After all, going back would only mean tedious studying; life here was much more thrilling.

“Of course we can,” Cheng Lan continued to lead the way, speaking without turning his head. “After all, I specifically came to this godforsaken place just to pull you out.”

“Eh? Cheng Lan, you came in voluntarily?” Qin Jinxuan asked in surprise.

“Yes, just like you, I came in through your front door.”

“Ha!” Cheng Lan suddenly laughed as something occurred to him. “It’s quite unlucky for a low-probability event like a World Rift to appear right at your doorstep.”

Hearing Cheng Lan’s words, Qin Jinxuan pouted in dissatisfaction. Then, she realized something. “My front door? Cheng Lan… how did you know where I live?”

“Oh, this afternoon, when I ‘accidentally’ knocked over your books? I did that on purpose. I took the opportunity to plant a tracker.” He said nonchalantly.

“Eh?” Qin Jinxuan’s gaze immediately sharpened.

“Don’t look at me like that. If I really wanted to do something to you, I would have already done it by now,” he shrugged.

The two continued forward, the atmosphere momentarily subtle.

As they walked, the previously clear sky suddenly became overcast with dark clouds.

Soon, Cheng Lan found a cave, and he gestured for Qin Jinxuan to hide inside first.

“That big one seems to have found us,” Cheng Lan said, quickly unwrapping and swallowing several pieces of chocolate himself. “I need to ditch those things in my bag so it doesn’t find us so quickly.”

Hearing him, Qin Jinxuan no longer hesitated, taking the chocolate and eating it all in one go, then unscrewing her water bottle and gulping down several mouthfuls.

“Stay inside and don’t move. I’ll be right back,” he instructed again before leaving.

“Mm.” She nodded obediently.

The next second, Cheng Lan vanished into the cave’s shadows.

When he reappeared, his backpack was gone.

“Cheng Lan, how did you disappear into the shadows?” Qin Jinxuan blinked, asking with full curiosity.

“That’s my ability.”

“Ability?” She was slightly stunned, then her eyes lit up. “Do… do I have one too?”

Cheng Lan glanced at her, a slight curve forming on his lips. “Heh, what do you think?”