Chapter 181: Possessed

Ji Henghua abruptly opened his eyes.

He turned toward the neighboring branch and immediately stiffened.

Ye Jun was no longer inside his sleeping bag.

Instead, he was sitting upright on a thick branch, staring at the moon.

His lips were moving continuously, and he seemed to be whispering something under his breath.

However, his expression was completely blank.

His eyes were fixed on the moon, but there was no awareness in them.

For a moment, Ji Henghua felt a chill run down his spine.

The scene was genuinely frightening.

In the middle of a silent forest, a man was sitting motionless beneath the moonlight, murmuring incomprehensible words.

He looked as though his soul had abandoned his body. ’What the hell is he doing?’

Ji Henghua frowned. ’Is he trying to scare me?’

He was about to scold Ye Jun when he suddenly felt a faint vibration beneath him.

The enormous branch trembled. Ji Henghua’s expression immediately changed.

He hurriedly climbed out of his sleeping bag and stood on the branch, using the trunk to steady himself.

Then he looked toward the surrounding forest, and his eyes widened.

A large group of mutated creatures was approaching their location.

Among them were several enormous grasshoppers with strange black-and-white markings resembling those of zebras.

Despite their unusual appearance, the creatures were incredibly fast.

Their powerful hind legs allowed them to leap across considerable distances.

Behind them flew a four-eyed bat with leathery wings.

There was also a colossal cockroach whose enormous body crushed the smaller plants in its path.

Seeing the creatures approaching, Ji Henghua felt his scalp turn numb.

He immediately turned toward Ye Jun. "Ye Jun! We need to leave! Those mutated beasts are heading straight toward us!"

However, Ye Jun didn’t respond.

He remained seated on the branch, staring at the moon and murmuring to himself.

Ji Henghua’s heart skipped a beat.

’What’s wrong with him? Did someone use an ability on him?’

He had heard of certain psychic abilities capable of controlling a person’s mind.

If Ye Jun had fallen under such an influence, he might not even realize that he was in danger.

Unfortunately, there was no time to investigate.

Ji Henghua hurried across to Ye Jun’s branch and grabbed his shoulders. "Ye Jun! Wake up!"

He shook him several times. There was no response.

Ye Jun continued staring at the moon.

His lips kept moving, but the words were too faint to understand.

The sight was so unsettling that Ji Henghua almost wanted to abandon him.

However, he quickly suppressed the thought. ’Maybe he’s sleepwalking.’

Whatever the reason, Ji Henghua couldn’t leave him behind.

He immediately took out a rope from his backpack.

After securing it around Ye Jun’s body, he carefully guided the unresponsive man toward the edge of the branch.

He lowered him using the rope, controlling his descent as much as possible.

Once Ye Jun was safely on the ground, Ji Henghua climbed down after him.

By then, the vibrations were becoming stronger.

The mutated beasts were getting closer.

Ji Henghua hurriedly lifted Ye Jun onto his back and began moving toward a nearby slope.

Earlier that evening, Ye Jun had mentioned a narrow passage leading toward higher ground.

The route was surrounded by dense vegetation, and the gaps between the trees were so narrow that only creatures roughly the size of humans could pass through.

At the time, Ji Henghua hadn’t paid much attention to the information.

Now, however, it might be their only chance of survival.

He gritted his teeth and hurried toward the passage.

Fortunately, the vegetation was dense enough to prevent the enormous mutated creatures from following them directly.

After considerable effort, Ji Henghua finally managed to carry Ye Jun through the narrow route and reach the top of the hill.

The moment they arrived, he nearly collapsed. His entire body was covered in sweat.

Several bruises had appeared on his arms and legs, and his glasses were coated with dust.

His breathing was uneven. He leaned against a nearby rock and began coughing.

A faint trace of blood appeared at the corner of his lips.

Carrying another grown man uphill had been extremely difficult, especially considering his already exhausted condition.

He could barely feel his legs. Just as he was struggling to catch his breath, distant zombie growls echoed through the forest.

Ji Henghua’s expression darkened. ’What terrible luck!’

He was about to say something when Ye Jun suddenly stirred.

The blank expression on his face disappeared. He blinked several times before looking around in confusion.

Then he turned toward Ji Henghua. "What’s going on?"

Ji Henghua almost laughed in anger. He pointed toward him.

"You’re asking me what’s going on?"

Ye Jun looked even more confused.

Ji Henghua continued angrily, "You were sitting on a tree branch like you were possessed by a ghost! You kept staring at the moon and mumbling to yourself. No matter how many times I called you, you wouldn’t respond!"

Ye Jun’s mouth opened and closed like a dying fish.

Ji Henghua pointed toward the forest below.

"And while you were doing that, a group of mutated beasts appeared! If I hadn’t dragged you up this hill, you would have become their next meal!"

He wasn’t exaggerating.

Although the mutated beasts might have passed beneath the enormous tree without noticing them, there was still a high chance that the creatures would attack it.

And if the tree collapsed while they were sleeping on its branches, neither of them would have survived.

Almost as if confirming his fears, a tremendous crashing sound suddenly echoed through the forest.

The ground trembled. A flock of mutated birds scattered from the surrounding trees.

Ji Henghua and Ye Jun immediately looked toward the source of the noise.

The enormous tree they had been resting in was under attack.

Several mutated beasts were repeatedly slamming their bodies against its trunk.

Despite its impressive size, the tree couldn’t withstand their combined strength.

After nearly ten minutes of relentless attacks, the trunk finally gave way.

With a deafening crack, the enormous tree collapsed.