[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-arrival-in-1994":3,"chapter-arrival-in-1994-arrival-in-1994-chapter-68":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Arrival in 1994",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2352549,4601,"Chapter 68","arrival-in-1994-chapter-68",68,"\u003Cp>After Rael and Bruce parted ways, a ferocious python suddenly burst from the forest, lunging at Rael in an instant, opening its massive jaws and swallowing him whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Giant python.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…, get away, python, get away!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t come closer, don’t come near!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explorers who had come with Ye Nan turned pale with fear; they made no move to rescue him, instead scrambling to flee, desperate to put distance between themselves and the giant python.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bold move.” Ed strode forward, seized the giant python with one hand, his arm surging with immense force—he tore open the serpent’s clenched jaws and forcibly dragged Rael out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssss! The prey had slipped away—the python was furious, enraged. It flung its head open and spat a corrosive saliva straight into the man’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick yellow fluid coated Ed’s body; wave after wave of corrosive saliva ate into his flesh, causing sharp stinging pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssss! The giant python stared triumphantly at the man—its saliva was its innate ability, far more corrosive than its own stomach acid, stronger by a notch; once struck, the victim would melt within moments, just like this unlucky fool beside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Rael had been pulled from the python’s mouth, he was in terrible shape—his body was drenched in yellow fluid; his once sleek black tactical suit had become a ragged rag, riddled with holes that continued to dissolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His exposed skin had swollen and reddened; patches of flesh had already dissolved, revealing pink muscle beneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ed clenched his right fist; explosive power surged within, and faintly, flames began to rise from his right arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Like a bomb detonating, Ed’s punch shattered the air, sparking friction as it struck the giant python with overwhelming force—the smug serpent let out a sudden shriek and collapsed to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The giant python now lay in pitiful ruin—a massive wound tore clean through its body, from right to left; crimson blood poured out, staining the ground everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssss! The giant python struggled to rise, staring at Ed as he advanced step by step—it instantly trembled with fear. Its simple mind couldn’t comprehend how prey could possess such strength, but its instincts knew one thing: how to submit to a superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssss! The giant python coiled itself, ignoring its wounds, flicking its tongue, lowering its head so low it nearly touched the ground, in a gesture of submission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait.” Ellie called out to Ed, walking over excitedly, “Such powerful vitality—what a terrifying giant python.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She eagerly touched the python’s wound, unconcerned that her delicate fingers were now smeared with snake blood, her small hands exploring the wound, “Hmm, reptile life force is indeed formidable—and no surprise it’s a mutated species. I must record this immediately; once I publish it in BioHome Magazine, it’ll cause a sensation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ellie, heedless of everything, pulled out paper and pen and began writing; the tip of her nose brushed the paper, producing a soft rustling sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You…” Ed had been about to stop Ellie, but seeing the python show no movement, he let it go—his eyes, sharp and piercing, locked onto the giant python; if it so much as twitched, he would strike and kill it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Nan walked over, studying the intelligent python, thinking: Pythons have always been clever creatures; though their brains are small, they understand how to seek safety and avoid danger—submit to the strong, yet remain treacherous by nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a python this intelligent? He’d never seen one before—this must be another mutated variant…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it have eaten Blood Orchid? If it did, mutation is certain—have Ma Xiu study it.” Ye Nan made his decision and said at once: “Someone, bind it and take it to my ship—I’m taking it with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not wise,” Kenneth stepped forward, concerned: “There’s no one guarding the ship—if it escapes, it’ll cause serious trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be fooled by its current obedience—it’ll reveal its true nature the moment it’s alone. A beast is still a beast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry—take it to the ship, it won’t get away.” Ye Nan chuckled. The ship carried Xiao Godzilla, a formidable creature—if it misbehaved, Ye Nan had no qualms about letting Xiao Godzilla teach it a lesson. Injected with massive dinosaur cells, Xiao Godzilla had already undergone transformation, entering a new growth phase; in potential, he had left his mother far behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not for fear of exposing Xiao Godzilla to other nations, I’d have let him show off long ago. Damn it—being unable to use a secret weapon is unbearable.” Ye Nan fumed inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, in the future, I’ll need many more expeditions—and without bodyguards, it’s a serious problem.” Ye Nan looked at Ed, thinking: “If I could recruit Ed, my safety would be guaranteed. Such a fighter would be perfect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes—take the entire Satan Mercenary Team along too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Nan made up his mind and turned to the two: “Ed, would you and your entire mercenary team be willing to join me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you scheming?” Ed tensed instantly at Ye Nan’s offer, staring at him as if he were a demon that devoured men and left only bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no wonder he was so tense—in the mercenary world, many successful teams were seized by the wealthy, who used every tactic imaginable: threatening families, bribing with money, manipulating reputations—each pulling out all the stops. If persuasion failed, the better ones simply abandoned the effort; the worse ones attacked directly, crushing and blacklisting them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Ye Nan’s offer, two wealthy men had already tried to recruit his team—but Ed had refused both. This time, however, Ye Nan’s approach seemed unusually ruthless: he’d first poached their members before even making the recruitment offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be so tense—I mean no harm.” Ye Nan spoke, then immediately sensed something wrong—wasn’t that exactly what villains always said? He quickly corrected himself: “Think about it—if you serve me, I’ll pour massive funds into upgrading your gear. How’s that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much?” Ed asked. He’d intended to refuse, but remembering his brothers and the mad woman before him, he realized he needed to consider it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Kenneth said, once you have a family, you’re no longer suited for mercenary work—you have attachments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten billion U.S. dollars per year,” Ye Nan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ed’s heart pounded. Ten billion U.S. dollars didn’t sound like much—they’d earned that much on a single mission. But the math wasn’t that simple: missions consumed ammunition and lives. Ye Nan offered pure investment—ten billion in cash, no risk, no casualties. The two were incomparable. Most importantly, such a job was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—this was the first time the Satan Mercenary Team had ever received such an offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Ye Nan was confident offering ten billion—he knew the earning power of his two games. World of Warcraft needed no explanation; it was one of the world’s most popular online games, with unmatched revenue potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>DNF, despite its criticisms, was also an extraordinary money-maker—annual revenue of five billion U.S. dollars was no problem. Ye Nan never underestimated Asian consumers’ spending power—who else loved gaming so much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ed glanced at Kenneth, saw the hope in his eyes, then looked at Ellie, frantically recording data—he hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me think.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1189,"2026-06-21T03:32:50.781Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","16b6e87024d5ad45f096e3000b072c4106e736b3172037607f99fe73b548451f","arrival-in-1994-chapter-69","arrival-in-1994-chapter-67",643,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Farrival-in-1994-cover.jpg"]