As the Northern Hemisphere approached winter, the Southern Hemisphere welcomed the scorching heat. Australia, in particular, with more than half of its territory in the tropics, became a land of beaches and beautiful women during summer. The primary reason was that in such an environment, wearing clothes was no longer important; wearing them could lead to heatstroke, while not wearing them posed no other issues besides indecent exposure.
If Australia was considered a suitable tourist destination in winter, then there was no problem. However, after the doomsday arrived, the situation turned for the worse. The ecosystem of this place was extremely fragile. Any introduced species could cause an infestation. Consequently, the Australian wilderness and forests were filled with mutated beasts, especially rabbits. These creatures were no longer purely herbivorous; they would eat meat as well.
A hunter drove into the grasslands, intending to catch some rabbits to fill his stomach. However, he saw countless holes on the grassland, resembling a honeycomb.
"God bless me, let me catch more rabbits. Almighty Lord, please have mercy on your devout servant and grant me abundant prey!" the hunter muttered to himself. He closed the car door and got out, carrying a hunting rifle, ropes, and other tools.
Although the grasslands were riddled with holes dug by rabbits and mice, whether he could actually catch any prey was another matter.
Perhaps God had answered his prayers, as a small head with two drooping long ears emerged from a low hole. A rabbit had indeed appeared!
"Praise God!" The hunter was overjoyed to see the rabbit suddenly appear. It seemed he wouldn't go hungry today. He raised his hunting rifle and aimed at the rabbit's head at the hole's entrance.
"Bang," the hunter pulled the trigger, and the bullet shot out instantly. The poor rabbit, having just poked its head out, was immediately killed. Only the rabbit's head was seen to explode, with blood and brains scattering everywhere, creating a gory scene.
The hunter paid no mind to it. He eagerly walked forward, preparing to retrieve his prey.
However, at that moment, countless long-eared heads suddenly emerged from the honeycomb-like holes. Without exception, they were all rabbits.
Rabbits had a habit of digging holes and also liked to live in groups. Thus, the once clear grassland was now covered with rabbit holes. As rabbit heads emerged from the holes, the hunter was filled with excitement: "My dear God, you are truly looking out for me! With so much prey, I can eat until next year!"
The hunter immediately prepared to continue shooting rabbits, a brilliant smile on his face. He felt as if he had suddenly become rich. He never expected to be so lucky to see so many rabbits, at least tens of thousands. If he caught just one-tenth of them, his food for the year would be secured!
So, the hunter picked up his rifle and began to aim. But the rabbits all emerged from their holes and ran towards the hunter.
Tens of thousands of rabbits began to thunder across the ground, a spectacular sight. Rabbits were naturally fond of running. Besides digging holes, their other skill was running, which led to the saying, "Still as a maiden, swift as a fleeing rabbit." The speed of rabbits was universally acknowledged as very fast.
Patches of dust were kicked up from the ground. The hunter hastily fired a few shots, killing a dozen rabbits. But more rabbits were continuously surrounding him. In just a moment, the hunter was densely surrounded by rabbits. These rabbits all had earthy brown fur, but their eyes were blood-red, the color of bloodlust.
Seeing this, the hunter was stunned and muttered to himself, "Why aren't these rabbits afraid of me? Why aren't they running away?"
The rabbits' subsequent actions provided the hunter with an answer. The rabbits all pounced on the hunter, and countless rabbits instantly knocked him to the ground. They then began to bite and gnaw at him. Although rabbits have small mouths and couldn't cause significant harm to humans, their sheer numbers were overwhelming. The hunter's body was instantly covered in bloody wounds.
"Get away, you stupid things, you ignorant beasts! Stay away from me, ah..." The hunter struggled, never having imagined that these rabbits would not fear humans, would not fear hunting rifles, and would actively attack him.
Previously, when he encountered rabbits, they would almost all flee at the sound of his gun. Even if they didn't flee, they would hide in their holes and dare not show their heads!
But now, these rabbits, upon hearing such a loud gunshot, not only did not hide but charged forward. Such bold behavior was simply unbelievable. Had the rabbits suddenly become braver?
The hunter struggled desperately, peeling off the rabbits from his body one by one. But when he looked up, his hands were no longer functional. Nine of his ten fingers had been gnawed off by the rabbits, and the remaining finger was only connected by a sliver of flesh, liable to fall off at any moment.
"Help, help! Heppmi!" The hunter looked at his gnawed hand and the wounds all over his body, completely panicked, his eyes filled with terror.
The hunter had once thought he might be eaten by a lion or a tiger while hunting, or even kicked to death by a mutated kangaroo. But he never expected to die at the mouths of rabbits!
The hunter made futile calls for help and, in his panic, tried to fire his gun again. However, the gunshots did not scare away these rabbits. In the end, the hunter watched helplessly as his hands and feet were gnawed clean by the rabbits. In just a moment, his limbs became blood-red bones.
Finally, a rabbit bit the hunter's neck, severing his trachea and carotid artery. The hunter's vision went black, and he finally lost consciousness.
The rabbits swarmed forward, continuing to gnaw at the hunter's bones. Rodents habitually grind their teeth, and rabbits were no different. The hunter's bones eventually became tools for the rabbits to sharpen their teeth. In the end, a living person died in the mouths of rabbits.
Under the scorching sun, the rabbits retreated back into their holes. The temperature was too high, and even rabbits were reluctant to move. These rabbits preferred to appear in the early morning or late evening rather than be exposed to the sun at noon. Rabbits could also suffer heatstroke!
If the hunter had not fired his gun and disturbed the large group of rabbits seeking refuge, these rabbits would not have emerged from their holes at all.
The situation in Australia was dire. Historically, this place was a penal colony for criminals. Now, the situation continued to deteriorate. Wealthy individuals were preparing to flee, their destination being North America. As long as they could reach North America, they could live a happy life because they possessed vast amounts of gold.
At a port in northeastern Australia, a massive ship was ready. It was a ship with a displacement of tens of thousands of tons, capable of carrying thousands of people. Of course, such a fine vessel was not accessible to ordinary people. Only the wealthy could board it, as they had the means. For commoners to board, it was a pipe dream.
Boarding the ship meant the chance to go to North America. In this era, the Southern Hemisphere was almost entirely lost, with mutated beasts and zombies everywhere. People could only hide in secluded places to escape the disaster. Only the major powers in the Northern Hemisphere had a relative degree of self-preservation. Although order was chaotic, at least they could survive. Especially in North America, the lives of the wealthy remained comfortable. Before, the rich could live in mansions, enjoy the service of servants daily, and have intimate moments with beautiful women at night. Now, they could still do so. Their wealth was enough to ensure a life of comfort and security.
Thus, countless people in Australia scrambled for a chance to board the ship. As long as they could get on board, they could escape this hellish world. Foreigners' thinking was simple: go where it's good. In their minds, there was no concept of honor or disgrace, nor any thought of patriotism.
However, the wealthy had anticipated this. To prevent others from competing for spots and to maintain fresh air on the ship, they did not want these poor wretches to board. So, they hired a large group of bodyguards, giving them and their families the opportunity to go to North America. Their mission was to protect their safety and to drive away anyone approaching the ship.
The poor people pleaded continuously at the dock, hoping that these esteemed gentlemen would take them to a better place and not leave them in this desolate land. However, the presence of the bodyguards prevented the commoners from getting close. As the ship gradually moved away from the dock, the poor people fell into complete despair. They were like children abandoned by God, watching their fellow humans depart. Perhaps these people were no longer considered human.
A few wealthy young men were discussing on the ship's deck. They were wearing impeccably tailored suits, clean and free of any dust, embodying the success that others spoke of. They wore gentle smiles, appearing to be gentlemen. However, the words that came from their mouths were vulgar:
"These lowly peasants want to go to North America? They're dreaming. These good-for-nothings should stay in this exile land!"
"Naturally. We rented the ship; why should these people get to ride on it? Where in the world is there such a good deal?"
"That's not necessarily true. If they could pay the corresponding price, that would be even better!"
"Speaking of which, Lucas, didn't you bring a few pretty girls on board earlier?"
Lucas said proudly, "What's this? As long as you say you're willing to take them to North America, those women would give up their dignity and flock to you, waiting for your favor. I'm just trying something new; I haven't tried these common women yet."
The men grew more boastful, and even the way they looked at the dock changed, becoming condescending, as if they were the masters of everything.
Just then, someone suddenly asked, "By the way, I heard there are mutated beasts in the sea, even mutated beasts a kilometer long. What if we encounter a marine mutated beast during our voyage? Even the ship can't withstand the attack of these sea monsters!"
To this question, one young man replied, "Don't worry. This ship has a third-tier ability user. He will protect us. Even sea monsters won't be able to harm us."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding people were shocked. They had all heard that ability users were notoriously aloof, as becoming one was a one-in-a-million chance. Yet, this ship had hired a third-tier ability user. How was that possible?
"Would an ability user willingly escort us to North America? Are you joking?" a blond man asked first.
"Why would I lie to you? It's true! Ability users aren't without their needs. As long as they have desires, they can be bought. See? What is this I have in my hand?" The person took out a red, semi-transparent jelly from his pocket and waved it before everyone's eyes.
The others were all confused. They had never seen such a thing before and had no idea what it was.
"We don't know!" everyone shook their heads, unsure of what it was.
The young rich man who hired the ability user said confidently, "I bought this from the north at a great cost, and I paid for it with gold. It is said that this thing can help ability users evolve, but only China can produce it on a large scale; there isn't much of it elsewhere in the world. And as long as I have this red jelly, ability users will have to be my bodyguards!"
The group of rich men finally understood and couldn't help but sigh. They never imagined that ability users weren't as high and mighty as the legends said; they too had desires.
These rich men were not the wealthiest people in Australia. The richest people had private jets and had already left by plane, not needing to take a ship and face the dangers of the sea. As long as there were no accidents in the air, planes would always be the most convenient mode of transportation.
These rich men left the Australian docks, chatting and laughing, embarking on their long voyage towards North America.
However, during the voyage, a storm appeared at sea, and the ship's power system suddenly malfunctioned. Under the force of the strong winds, the ship was blown into uncharted waters. A day later, the ship completely lost contact. Not many people cared about this incident. What was the big deal if a few thousand people were lost? This number was less than the population of a single base, so there was no need to worry.
In peaceful times, if a ship met with an accident, countless people would be closely monitoring it. This would be a disaster. For example, the Titanic incident was even made into a movie and was admired by countless people. The reason was simple: genuine emotions displayed at the brink of life and death were always the most moving.
But now, things were different. The world was in chaos, and everyone was preoccupied with their own survival. Who had the time to care about a ship full of rich people? Instead of worrying about a ship that had nothing to do with them, it was better to think about what to eat the next day.
The ship drifted at sea for a long time, eventually being blown by the storm into the meteorite impact zone. This was a legendary divine realm, a place from which no one could emerge alive.