"Hiss!"
"Bang!"
Tanya felt a sharp pain at the back of her head. She instinctively reached back and touched it. Her fingers came away sticky.
It was blood.
She suddenly opened her eyes. How did she end up here?
Wasn't she already dead in the apocalypse?
The place around her was strange. Tall, thick trees blocked the sky, very different from the barren wasteland filled with mutant plants and constant danger she remembered.
Then, all at once, her mind was flooded with memories.
They weren't hers.
They belonged to this body.
So, she had crossed over from the apocalypse into a wild and primitive society?
Heaven must have taken pity on her, knowing she had died too early, and gave her a second chance at life in this strange world.
Just as she was about to feel a little grateful, she was struck by the harsh reality.
The original owner of this body died after getting scared by a python, falling from a tall tree, and hitting her head.
And now, the snake that had scared the original Tanya was still here.
Maybe the blood had triggered its instincts. The python raised its head, its body coiled tightly, preparing to strike.
The strong stench of blood made Tanya's nose sting.
She quickly reached into her space to grab a weapon. Good. Her space had come with her.
With a swift motion, she flipped over and drew out a pistol. She aimed directly at the python's head.
Bang.
The snake's head exploded. The massive body fell with a heavy thud.
But that wasn't the end.
There was another python. It was bigger and more aggressive, and it had wrapped itself around a man.
The man was clearly losing.
Tanya recognized him from the memories in her head.
He was Miles, the tribe's strongest warrior.
But right now, he was badly wounded, and it looked like he'd been fighting the snake for a while.
The moment she pulled the trigger, Miles froze. His eyes widened at the sound.
He lost focus.
The python took that chance. Its giant mouth opened wide, aiming to swallow him whole.
Tanya didn't hesitate.
Another gunshot rang out.
The snake's head burst open.
Blood sprayed.
Miles collapsed to his knees, weak and breathing heavily. His spear fell from his hand, and he barely managed to keep himself upright.
Then came the sound of people approaching.
Tanya turned quickly. Several primitive-looking men stood nearby.
They had seen what she did.
Fear filled their faces. They looked at her like she was something terrifying, and one by one, they backed away and ran into the forest.
Tanya said nothing.
Did she look that scary?
She casually tucked the gun away. The weapon, which could kill in a blink, disappeared into thin air.
Old habit. She always stored her weapons after use. But now, she realized she might've made a mistake.
This world wasn't like the apocalypse.
There were no special abilities or space users here.
She turned her gaze back to Miles. He was staring at her, eyes cold and full of warning.
"You're not Tanya."
His voice was low and firm.
Tanya's heart skipped.
Right. According to the memories, he knew Tanya.
He had once been saved by her father and brought into the tribe.
The original Tanya was timid and weak.
How could she have killed two giant snakes without blinking?
She said calmly, "I'm not. I'm someone else. Tanya is dead."
She didn't want to lie. There was no point pretending. She wasn't the same person, and she couldn't act like it.
If this new life turned out well, good. If not, she would do what she had to do.
She pulled out her pistol again and aimed it at his chest.
"This saved you. But it can also kill you."
Miles looked at her, eyes narrowing slightly.
"What are you here for?"
"To live. Isn't that enough?"
She stood tall and looked him in the eye.
"Don't look at me like that. Even if you were at your best, you couldn't kill me."
"If you're smart—"
"Thank you."
His words cut her off. Then he fainted.
Tanya stared.
Seriously?
He fainted in the middle of her speech?
She tapped his chin with the gun barrel and leaned down to take a closer look.
His face was handsome. Sharp brows, high nose, long lashes, and full lips.
Even with blood and injuries all over, he still looked better than most men she'd seen.
His body was even better. Broad shoulders, defined muscles, long legs.
Tanya appreciated the view for a moment, then turned away and went to the two dead snakes.
She stored them both into her space.
Meat was meat.
During the apocalypse, she'd eaten bugs, bark, dirt, and whatever scraps she could find. She was never going to waste good meat.
After gathering some nearby fruit, she got ready to leave.
She passed by Miles again and paused.
He had good looks, strength, and brains. He'd reacted fast, stayed calm, and didn't panic under pressure.
That kind of man was her type.
Also, he had power in the tribe.
If things got complicated later, having someone like him could help her a lot.
So, he couldn't die.
She bent down and lifted him. He was heavy, but she didn't care.
She'd carried heavier things before.
Whether he helped her or not later didn't matter. If he caused trouble, she'd shoot him. Simple as that.
She followed the memory of the original Tanya and found the river.
The water was clean and clear.
She leaned over and looked at her reflection.
Her face looked like the original Tanya's.
But the back of her head was covered in blood.
There was a dent.
She needed to treat it.
Fast.
She didn't want to die from an infected wound after being given a second chance.
She tried to call on her powers. Wood-type healing, her strongest ability in the apocalypse.
Nothing happened.
No wind, no water, no lightning, no fire.
Nothing.
She had lost all her powers.
Her heart sank.
She searched through her space. Maybe she had some medicine.
Nothing.
All her weapons and gear had been used up before she died.
She'd never needed healing pills because she had powers.
Now, she regretted that.
Then, a golden light appeared in her space.
A book.
She opened it.
It was a plant guide.
One plant glowed on the page.
Pear. Rosaceae family. Rare. Two stars.
Reward: one anti-inflammatory pill.
Tanya grabbed the pill and swallowed it immediately.
So, her new mission was to collect plants?
She flipped through the book.
Time passed.
The sun started to set.
Suddenly, she sensed someone watching her.
She turned.
Miles had woken up. He was staring at her, his eyes unreadable.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have something to say?"
Her tone was calm. But her words held warning.
Say something useful. Or stay quiet.