His best friends had already met their end in the jaws of the giant python. What was the point of him returning alive?
Regardless of whether Gu Shangse and the others believed his words, even if they did, could he truly live with a clear conscience?
He couldn't. People like them, in this post-apocalyptic world, valued the bonds of friendship above all else.
He, Shang Qi, and Su Ling, it was a trio. Now, only he was returning. How could he possibly just go back like this?
The more Chu Jin thought about it, the more distressed he became. The more distressed he was, the more his nose felt sore.
He was a zombie. By all rights, he shouldn't shed tears, yet his eyes felt hot, and something rolled out from them, tracing a path down his face before dripping away.
He reached out to touch it and realized he was indeed crying.
The difference was, he was crying, but it wasn't tears; it was blood tears.
Looking at the viscous blood tears, Chu Jin cried even more sorrowfully.
He had truly liked Shang Qi and Su Ling so much. But now, both of them were gone, along with the giant python.
No!
Chu Jin wiped away the blood tears and picked up his military knife again to hack at the giant python.
Even if the python was dead, even if Shang Qi and Su Ling showed no response, he had to bring their bodies back to show everyone.
After facing everyone, he would take his own life as atonement.
With this thought, Chu Jin felt a surge of strength throughout his body. The military knife in his hand struck the python's neck with every swing. With each blow, the wound on the python's body widened.
By the end, Chu Jin's hands had gone completely numb. From his hands to his arms, and then his entire upper body, was a mess of blood. It was unclear if the blood splattered everywhere was the python's or his own.
Regardless, once he had made up his mind, he hadn't given up. He had continued to hack away with unwavering determination.
When his military knife was damaged, he directly used his hands to tear and pry open the partially cut wounds on the giant python.
As all his strength was focused on his hands, his face contorted into a ferocious expression as he tore at the python.
With the continuous sound of tearing, a foul odor assailed his nostrils, spraying Chu Jin full in the face.
He couldn't help but inhale a large gulp directly.
This large mouthful of miasma nearly sent Chu Jin to his end. He forcefully suppressed the urge to vomit and continued to tear at the python.
After tearing open a gaping maw, Chu Jin peered inside.
Heat and miasma constantly overflowed, stinging his eyes and causing his blood tears to flow uncontrollably.
Chu Jin turned his head to the side, took a breath of fresh air, then turned back to look inside and called out, "Shang Qi, Su Ling, are you still alive? If you're alive, respond to me. I've already cut open the python's neck..."
Chu Jin couldn't finish his sentence. He couldn't help but start crying again.
The temperature inside the python was terrifyingly high, like a furnace, and the stench was pervasive.
In such a harsh environment, after Shang Qi and Su Ling had been there for so long, they were probably already... The more he thought about it, the more distressed Chu Jin became.
The more distressed he was, the harder he cried, his blood tears pattering into the body of the python, which he had opened with immense effort.
Despite his anguish, Chu Jin knew he still had a mission to complete. He knew the task was unfinished.
He haphazardly wiped away his blood tears and continued to tear at the python. He needed to make the opening larger, as large as possible.
Once it was big enough, he would jump inside, find the bodies of Shang Qi and Su Ling, and carry them back.
The sounds he had heard were coming from the direction he was tearing. Shang Qi and Su Ling must be below.
But because it was too dark inside, he couldn't see anything. Only the heat and miasma responded to him!