The undercurrents and hidden forces beneath the river’s surface grew stronger and stronger, unstoppable, dragging us forward against our will, with that colossal monster shadowing our progress from behind.

Most of its body remained submerged, churning up wave after wave of spray; the tunnel of the riverbed was too dark—we could only hear its sound, not see its shape. Judging by the noise alone, it measured at least seven or eight meters in length.

In the final stretch of the dark river, the current became even fiercer. The four of us, terrified of being separated, clung tightly together, tumbling down through an opening in the riverbed while spinning wildly.

Below us opened into a vast underground river. The water here was scalding hot, fed by countless tributaries identical to the channel we had just navigated, blasting out from the rock walls like massive water cannons, all converging into this main river below. Along the banks, numerous stone orifices protruded, constantly venting white, superheated gas, and in some fissures, there were veins of dark red magma—this must be the geothermal belt Luoning had spoken of.

The river water was intolerably hot. We struggled desperately in the torrent and managed to pull ourselves onto a gigantic boulder resting on the riverbank, realizing even the stone was warm to the touch. Since the glow from nearby lava provided adequate illumination, I switched off my flashlight to conserve precious battery life. I asked the others, “Did any of you get a clear look? What exactly was that thing chasing us? It was huge.”

Big Guy and Luoning hadn’t seen clearly and shook their heads simultaneously. GaWa was the worst off; he had swallowed a bellyful of river water, his stomach distended like a drum. When he tried to speak, several mouthfuls of water preceded any sound. He rubbed his belly and gasped, “Oh, saw that ugly thing following us, fell into the middle of the river.”

Just in case, Big Guy gripped his combat knife and stood up to survey the surrounding water: “What water monster? There’s nothing here.” He turned to come back, when suddenly a massive, blood-red tongue shot out of the river, over two meters long, wrapping instantly around Big Guy’s legs, knocking him flat and dragging him toward the water.

Luckily, GaWa was quick, stabbing the great tongue viciously with his bayonet. The monster roared in pain, releasing Big Guy, and then pulled itself out of the river, fixing us with a glare from two eyes that burned like red lamps.

It looked identical to the salamander Big Guy had shot and killed earlier: a head like a frog, a body like a skinned crocodile. Except this salamander was immense, truly enormous, stretching over ten meters long. Its skin shimmered with iridescent scales, and with a flick of its massive tail, it fixed us with an intensely malevolent stare.

I quickly asked Luoning, “Engineer Lu, are you sure it doesn’t attack people? Why is this one so big?”

Luoning’s face was ashen, his voice trembling. “I… I meant the other one… Th-this one is… a Tyrant Salamander, extremely aggressive… thought to be extinct since the Ice Age. I never expected to find one here.”

None of us could have imagined that in this isolated, peculiar environment, a beast long vanished since the Paleozoic Era could still survive.

Salamanders and similar subterranean creatures are cold-blooded. The excessive geothermal heat had turned the Tyrant Salamander before us into a creature of pure frenzy. Furthermore, GaWa had just wounded its tongue; the taste of blood had triggered a violent predatory response. Moreover, who knew if the previous salamander we killed was related to this one? In any case, a feud had been established, and this encounter could only end in mutual destruction.

I exchanged a look with Big Guy and GaWa, who understood. They immediately flanked the Tyrant Salamander on either side, forming a pincer attack with me.

The Tyrant Salamander shrieked, brandishing its claws and teeth at the three of us. Before we could act, it swept its massive tail, knocking GaWa to the ground. It coiled around GaWa and opened its cavernous maw to bite. Salamanders normally lack teeth, but this Tyrant possessed three rows of razor-sharp teeth, top and bottom. If it had managed that bite, GaWa would have been finished.

Seeing the desperate situation, Big Guy and I lunged forward, collaborating to pry apart the creature’s enormous jaws, determined not to let it clamp down and crush GaWa’s head.

Whenever religion wasn't involved, GaWa immediately became immensely brave. Though his lower body was pinned by the salamander’s tail, his hands never stopped moving. Realizing the monster’s hide was thick and impervious to fire or water, he jabbed his bayonet repeatedly deep into its mouth.

Wounded and enraged by the assault inside its mouth, the Tyrant Salamander exerted monstrous strength and gave a massive jerk, flinging all three of us to the ground. Its power was terrifying; I was thrown against a rock, leaving me dizzy, seeing stars, and breathless. Big Guy tumbled back into the river but scrambled immediately back ashore, steam rising from his whole body as the hot water scalded him, making him cry out.

To fight such a gigantic Tyrant Salamander with only three bayonets was like attacking a mountain with an eggshell. With a shout, the four of us broke and fled in panic, the Tyrant Salamander in relentless pursuit.

The ground was a treacherous mixture of volcanic rock and ash, soft and slippery, making running exceedingly difficult. Desperate to shake off the massive beast, we scrambled up the steep slope beside the river valley, climbing using all four limbs. Halfway up, I heard Big Guy shouting frantically, warning me to be careful. I looked down: the Tyrant Salamander was gliding up the rock face like a huge lizard, following closely behind. It was less than three meters away; its long tongue was practically licking my backside. I considered jumping down to escape, but I had climbed too high and wasn't confident I could land safely in the river. A misstep would mean a disastrous smash against the rocks. I cursed loudly, freed one hand, drew my bayonet, and prepared for a desperate final stand—ready to take the monster down with me, even if it meant death.

The other three saw the Tyrant Salamander closing in on me, but the slope of the rock wall was too sheer for them to reach me in time. They stood there, teeth clenched and eyes blazing with helpless anxiety.