Escape from the Amazon

He hurried home, only to find that the items in his rented apartment had clearly been disturbed.

An Yang collapsed onto the sofa in relief. Remembering the notification his phone had given him on the street, he quickly took it out for another look. That was also why he had rushed back in such a hurry.

Prelude 2: Escape from the Amazon

Mission World: Escape from the Amazon (Origin World)

Mission Time: 71 hours and 12 minutes from now

Mission Objective: Complete hunter training (three months)

Initial Skill: Military Literacy Mastery (Beginner)

Mission Success: Item Ability *1, Skill Points *1, Physical Attribute Points *1

Mission Failure: Repeat execution

"Escape from the Amazon!"

An Yang repeated the words. Few people had probably never seen this domestic movie, especially students. Whether it was military training in high school or college, this film promoting patriotism was practically unavoidable.

He did not remember much about the movie. One thing he did remember was the inhumane training endured by the special forces soldiers from various countries, as though they challenged the limits of the human body every day.

"System, do you really think an ordinary office worker like me—someone who has never even served as a conscript—can handle the inhuman training meant for elite special forces? Aren't you afraid you'll get your only Chosen One killed?"

The phone fell silent for a moment. Then a line of text appeared, accompanied by a cold voice.

"Chosen One, Beginner Combat Mastery grants professional-level combat ability, Beginner Firearms Mastery grants professional-level firearm control, and Beginner Military Literacy Mastery grants special-forces-level military literacy. You also have two unassigned Skill Points, three Physical Attribute Points, and one cubic meter of Portable Space. According to the system's assessment, Prelude 2 is likewise a simple mission. Please allocate your points appropriately."

"Uh... alright."

An Yang put down his phone, but less than a moment later, picked it back up.

"System, what exactly does Prelude mean? Does it mean an introduction?"

"Yes."

"Well... aren't you going to explain it?"

"Prelude consists of three simple missions. Its primary purpose is to give the Chosen One abilities and adaptability beyond those of ordinary humans, laying the foundation for the Chosen One's future travel through time and space."

Only then did An Yang nod. He put down his phone, went into the study, turned on his computer and browser, quickly typed in "Escape from the Amazon," and began watching attentively.

The plot of Escape from the Amazon was actually very simple. It could be said that there was nothing particularly outstanding about it. Its main focus was patriotism and military honor, with every plot point serving to build up those two themes.

After watching Escape from the Amazon, An Yang thought for a while and decided how to allocate his points. Taking out his phone, he said:

"Split the Skill Points evenly between Combat Mastery and Firearms Mastery. Don't draw any new skills. Split the Physical Attribute Points evenly among Constitution, Speed, and Strength."

"Allocation complete."

"Ah—"

An Yang felt an unprecedented surge of strength well up within his body. At the same time, he felt as light as a swallow, while his body became as sturdy as a bull. The improvements in all three areas brought an exhilarating sensation that seeped into his bones.

Immediately afterward, countless fragments of knowledge flooded into his mind again. His Combat Mastery and Firearms Mastery were enhanced, and the intense pain left him unable to recover for a long time.

After a long while, An Yang was drenched in sweat. He took off his clothes, revealing sharply defined muscles, as though forged from steel and iron, yet possessing an aesthetic beauty. The slight excess fat around his waist had vanished without a trace.

His muscles were not intimidating. He had no huge biceps, nor sharply sculpted abs and pecs. They were almost invisible beneath clothing, but no one could underestimate their explosive power.

Strength and speed complemented each other. Strength could bring speed, while speed could magnify strength. Strength and speed twice that of an ordinary person resulted in astonishing physical capabilities.

Intermediate Combat Mastery contained far more formidable knowledge than the beginner level, most of it focused on killing with a single blow. It also integrated the essence of many known and unknown fighting techniques. In that regard, he had already surpassed a large portion of elite special forces soldiers and could contend with professional fighters on equal footing. Intermediate Firearms Mastery, meanwhile, emphasized gun sense and instinct, making him seem like a battle-hardened veteran marksman. Often, he could blow an enemy's head apart without even aiming.

Combined with strength, speed, and constitution equivalent to twice that of an ordinary person, he could now utterly crush elite special forces soldiers in firearms and combat alone. But in other areas, he still fell far short. After all, special forces developed in every aspect. Unlike professional shooters or fighters, they did not pursue only a single ability; everything was centered on battlefield requirements.

An Yang let out a soft breath, and the muscles tensed throughout his body immediately relaxed. He picked up his phone again, and a set of data appeared on it at just the right moment. It was so intelligent that it seemed connected directly to his thoughts.

Chosen One: An Yang

Physical Attributes:

Constitution: 2

Strength: 2

Speed: 2

Mental Capacity: 1

Unassigned Attribute Points: 0

Mastered Skills:

Combat Mastery (Intermediate)

Firearms Mastery (Intermediate)

English Mastery (Beginner)

Military Literacy Mastery (Beginner)

Unassigned Skill Points: 0

Item Abilities:

Portable Space (1 cubic meter)

After watching the movie again, An Yang withdrew twenty thousand dollars and exchanged them for RMB at the Bank of China, totaling a little over 120,000 yuan.

Taking the plot into account, he deliberately bought plenty of canned beef, luncheon meat, and the like from the supermarket, storing it all in his Portable Space. Only after filling the one-cubic-meter space to the brim did he consider himself fully prepared.

Three days later.

After calling Ji Weiwei, An Yang told her he was in a bad mood and wanted to go traveling. He might be back in as little as ten days, or perhaps not for a month. Then, he entered the world of Escape from the Amazon.

August 1999, South America.

An armed helicopter thundered through the air. An Yang slowly opened his eyes and saw several European special forces soldiers chewing gum, each fully armed. A fierce roar filled his ears, while scenery flashed past outside the windows.

Looking down, he found himself dressed in camouflage fatigues and wearing a helmet. He held an M16 Assault Rifle, carried a heavy tactical backpack, and had a pistol and assorted equipment at his waist. A numbered tag was pinned to his chest, bearing the number six.

"Isn't this Lieutenant Michael's trainee number from the Jaguar Airborne Assault Team? Did I replace him?"

An Yang gradually understood. This was the beginning of the plot. He was on an armed helicopter, arriving at Hunter School for training as a member of the Chinese special forces. Seated beside him were his two teammates—the original protagonists of the story—one named Yang Hui, the other Hu Xiaolong.

The Amazon was scorching hot, and fully equipped as they were, all the special forces soldiers were drenched in sweat. An Yang closed his eyes and began recalling the plot.

The movie's plot was terrible. The system had probably sent him into this world mainly to temper his will. With his knowledge of the plot, apart from the painful daily training he had to undergo, he could avoid almost every danger.

A rough voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Time's up."

An Yang opened his eyes and saw a face covered in stubble, its skin bronzed by the sun.

"Prepare to rappel. Grab your gear, get up, move it."

An Yang quickly rose to his feet and headed toward the cabin door with the special forces soldiers from various countries.

"Move it, move it!"

Crocodile Instructor continued urging them on.

An Yang shook hands with Yang Hui and Hu Xiaolong, grabbed the rope, and rappelled down. After dropping into the water, they waded through Amazon River water that submerged their tactical boots and moved forward with the crowd.

The armed helicopter followed them all the way. Crocodile Instructor held a loudspeaker and shouted from the air:

"You must reach the assembly point within two hours! You must reach the assembly point within two hours! Otherwise, it will be considered a withdrawal!"

Two hours later, the trainees made up of special forces soldiers from various countries arrived at Hunter School and began assembling.

A line of soldiers in white ceremonial flag-raising uniforms stood ramrod straight, holding the national flags of various countries. A black sedan drove in, followed by General Rose's inspection.

"Attention!"

"At ease!"

Following Crocodile Instructor's commands, An Yang mechanically carried out each movement. Every gesture carried the unmistakable bearing of a soldier. No one would have guessed that he was an office worker who had never received any military education.

General Rose, dressed in a major general's uniform, stepped out of the car. His military boots struck the ground with dull thuds.

Crocodile Instructor turned to face General Rose and snapped off a salute.

"All personnel assembled!"

"Begin."

"Yes, General!"

Crocodile Instructor turned back, his voice booming like a bell.

"Begin roll call."

An Yang had replaced Lieutenant Michael of the Jaguar Airborne Field Commando, so he stood at the very front and was the first to step forward.

"Second Lieutenant An Yang of the People's Liberation Army Special Forces Unit reporting!"

"Lieutenant Rossini of the Alpine Royal Navy Amphibious Assault Team."

"Lieutenant Josen of the Red Beret Lightning Field Assault Team."

Then the plot's protagonist Wang Hui stepped forward and declared loudly, "Lieutenant Wang Hui of the People's Liberation Army Special Forces Unit."

Next came the second protagonist, Hu Xiaolong, a small man with exceptional fighting skills. "Reporting, General! I am Second Lieutenant Hu Xiaolong of the People's Liberation Army Special Forces Unit!"

Next came General Rose's speech. Only An Yang knew that the big boss of an international drug-trafficking organization had already entered the no-fly zone established by Hunter School. But against a special forces soldier capable of foreseeing the future, he would have no chance to play any role and would be reduced to a complete supporting character.

During the physical examination that followed, An Yang finally got to see the female lead: Medical Officer Lena, who shared the same birthday as China and was also the daughter of General Rose, the founder of Hunter School, known as Hunter Rose.

When he took off his clothes, An Yang's muscles were far more defined than those of special forces soldiers who primarily trained endurance. Medical Officer Lina's eyes gleamed repeatedly at the sight.

After the physical examination, Crocodile Instructor began asserting his authority and assigning groups.

An Yang was No. 6, Hu Xiaolong was No. 5, Yang Hui was No. 7, and together with No. 8 Captain and No. 13 Black Josen, they formed the second group.

The captain had originally looked down on the two Chinese men. But with An Yang joining them, three-fifths of the entire team were Chinese. So now, he looked down on all three Chinese men.

In the original plot, he had requested that Yang Hui and Hu Xiaolong be removed from his team. At this moment, he still asked the instructor to remove the three Chinese men from his team. Naturally, his request was rejected.