Chapter 1

There was a guy named Hawking in England, who was incredibly accomplished. Despite being a quadriplegic, unable to move his limbs, he managed to get married and have children. Could there be anyone more accomplished than that? Indeed, there was—this guy also created a wormhole theory. It claimed that if a person or object entered a wormhole, they would appear in another time and space.

Yun Xiao now hated this theory because he had become a victim of it.

There was no pill for regret in the world. If there were, Yun Xiao would have ordered a bottle, even if it didn't come with free shipping. Why had he been so curious, touching that glowing stone? Curiosity killed the cat, and now it had nearly killed him too.

Standing at 1.85 meters tall, he was now less than 1.58 meters. His once proud biceps now looked like chicken legs.

Where was he? On Earth?

"Roar~~~"

It was a wild wolf. Yun Xiao used to be unafraid of wild wolves; he could handle two of them with his bare hands. But his current frail body was no match. Running away wasn't a wise choice either, whether on the grassland, in the forest, or in the desert, or even in a city created by humans. No one could outrun a wolf, not even Liu Xiang.

Looking at his spindly legs, it was unrealistic to expect them to outpace Liu Xiang or Usain Bolt.

Since he couldn't rely on physical strength, he had to use his wits. Fortunately, the two black dots in his field of vision were still far away, giving Yun Xiao time to search for what he needed.

Thankfully, his backpack was still with him. Yun Xiao remembered there was a sawed-off double-barreled shotgun inside, which he had traded for two cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes and an old Vodka bottle at the border.

It fired shotgun shells, which were hard to come by. He had managed to get nine rounds, and he loaded two of them, trembling hands and all. This was the first time he had fired a live round with this weapon.

The black dots grew larger and gradually became clearer. Soon, he could see their red tongues and sharp teeth. Their gray eyes glinted with a greenish light as they accelerated for a short sprint. Yun Xiao knew this was the signature pre-attack stance of canines. They would leap without hesitation, their sharp teeth piercing your arteries, and their powerful jaws would clamp down on your neck, draining your blood or suffocating you to death.

Five meters, the final sprint distance for an attack. He had to shoot now; it was his last chance. His heart pounded violently, as if it would leap out of his throat. The distinctive howl of the steppe wolf was clearly audible, and Yun Xiao could even see the whiskers and blood-red tongues flapping in the wind.

"Boom," the scorching lead pellets shot out. No matter how fierce the beast, it was no match for modern technology. The force of the blast propelled countless steel pellets out of the barrel, turning a fierce steppe wolf into a sieve, blood gushing from the holes. Its steaming skull flew backward.

The other steppe wolf was initially stunned by the loud noise but quickly made the right decision to flee, driven by its instincts.

By the time Yun Xiao adjusted his aim, the wolf had already run nearly ten meters.

"Boom" The sawed-off barrel was unsuitable for long-range attacks, and only a few iron pellets hit the wolf's hind legs.

The strong desire to survive made the wolf ignore the pain and continue running.

"Roar~~~"

A piercing howl echoed across the grassland, startling Yun Xiao. He immediately realized that these creatures usually hunted in packs. They never fought alone. Seven bullets could kill a few wolves, but Yun Xiao knew he had to run before more arrived.

He stuffed the shotgun back into his backpack and fled in a random direction.

Relying on a compass was unrealistic, as Yun Xiao had no idea where he was—Mongolia, Qinghai-Tibet, or even Hungary. Suddenly transported from a primeval forest to a grassland, he was clearly unaccustomed. The knee-high green grass resembled a vast green carpet, occasionally dotted with wildflowers.

Struggling forward, the jungle and mountain boots he found in his backpack were clearly the wrong size. His feet, which used to be size 44, now felt like they were in boats.

The sun was setting, and the black dots behind him were slowly catching up, now numbering eight. If he didn't act quickly, he would end up in a wolf's belly. The problem was that the grassland stretched as far as the eye could see, a vast expanse of green. The air quality was excellent, with clear blue skies and fresh air, unlike the polluted air he was used to. This was the only thing he found satisfying.

Climbing a hill, he saw a silver ribbon reflecting the sunlight. Yun Xiao was delighted because he saw several large trees by the river, towering giants with trunks as thick as a dinosaur's waist.

If he could climb one of these trees, he could safely spend the night. Nothing was more terrifying than being attacked by a pack of wolves at night.

He ran down the hill and climbed the tree with great effort. He didn't know how old the tree was, but he felt like Forrest Gump, watching the fiery sunset and unsure of his future.

The steppe wolves surrounded the tree, but Yun Xiao wasn't worried about them climbing up. God was fair; He had given them sharp teeth and claws but not the ability to climb trees.

He took out a Zippo windproof lighter, gathered some dry branches, and started a fire on the tree. The nights on the grassland were cold, and Yun Xiao knew this from experience. Wolves were afraid of fire, and the green eyes below quickly retreated, avoiding the flames. He ate some compressed biscuits, took out a sleeping bag, and then a climbing rope to secure the sleeping bag to the tree. He didn't want to fall in the middle of the night, as the outcome would be tragic.

After running all day, Yun Xiao found it hard to sleep on his first day in this world. Lying in the sleeping bag, he recalled his past life. He seemed to be a legend in his own right. A few hours ago, he had been exploring a primeval forest, and just by touching a glowing stone, he ended up here.

His academic performance wasn't great in school, but he had aced his college entrance exam and got into a prestigious tech university. He studied mechanical design for four years but then switched to literature for his master's degree at Peking University. After studying literature for a few years, he became a tour guide and led wilderness expeditions. The transition was too drastic, and perhaps even fate thought so, which is why he ended up here.

He wasn't even sure if he was still on Earth. If an alien appeared, he might not be too surprised. However, based on what he had seen so far, he was likely still on Earth because he hadn't encountered any creatures beyond his knowledge. No big-headed aliens, no jellyfish-like beings floating in the sky, no blue-skinned, long-tailed creatures shooting arrows, and most importantly, no Superman with his underwear on the outside.

His thoughts were a jumbled mess, and he gradually drifted off to sleep.

The chirping of birds woke Yun Xiao. The fire had completely died out, leaving no trace of smoke.

He rubbed his eyes and looked down. Over a hundred steppe wolves surrounded the tree, their green eyes fixed on him. It seemed they had called in reinforcements, as wolves have a strong territorial sense. The area around the tree was likely filled with wolves from a hundred miles around.

Looking at his thin arms and legs, he knew they wouldn't be enough for the over a hundred wolves below.

Ignoring the wolves' feast, his stomach growled. He opened a can of beef and started eating, not knowing what the future held.

The wolves below clearly smelled the beef. Dogs have a keen sense of smell, and wolves even more so. Their nostrils flared as they greedily sniffed the air, making him appreciate military rations.

Yun Xiao cut a large piece of beef and found a fishing hook he had bought in Xishuangbanna from a sleazy middle-aged man who had guaranteed it could catch sharks.

He tied the hook to the climbing rope, attached the beef, and carefully lowered it.

Steppe wolves have excellent jumping ability, and they could jump over two meters from a standing position. Yun Xiao yanked the rope sharply, and he heard the clear sound of teeth clashing below.

After a few more attempts, a particularly agile wolf finally bit the beef. It seemed very hungry and bit down hard, with the hook piercing its nose.

The injured wolf whined, and its foolish companions tried to bite its hind legs to drag it down. The whining grew louder, and Yun Xiao, unable to pull the wolf up, tied the rope to the tree trunk, leaving the wolf to howl helplessly.

He had heard that dogs don't eat dogs, but he had never tested it. Wolves, however, definitely ate each other. In just a few minutes, the high-jumping champion hanging from the tree branch was reduced to a head, its grayish-yellow eyes still open, clearly dying with regret.

Yun Xiao ignored the high-jumping champion. Since it was full and couldn't come down, he decided to rest.

Suddenly, the wolves below stopped fighting and became eerily quiet. A loud noise, like the roar of a lion or tiger, echoed in the distance, shaking the ground.

Animals are more sensitive to nature than humans. Before Yun Xiao could react, over a hundred wolves fled in a frenzy, running as fast as luxury cars.

Standing on a branch, Yun Xiao looked around and saw a wall of water rushing down the river from upstream. The roaring water, mixed with mud and ice, filled him with despair. He finally understood why there were only a few giant trees by the river and no small saplings. He also realized where he was—the peach blossom flood.

"Looks like I'm still on Earth."

Yun Xiao muttered to himself.