It was a clear and sunny morning in the Australian Outback when news broke that a gigantic tree had sprouted overnight in the middle of the desert. The tree was said to be as tall as five Mt. Fujis stacked on top of each other, towering over the surrounding landscape like a colossal sentinel.

As word of the mysterious tree spread, so did rumors of the incredible ecosystem that had appeared along with it. The nearby wildlife was said to be evolving at an unprecedented rate, with cockroaches growing to the size of small dogs, snakes developing legs and becoming bipedal, and birds transforming into amphibious creatures that could swim through the rivers and lakes that now dotted the once arid landscape.

The Australian Government, intrigued and alarmed by the sudden appearance of this mega forest, hired a team of scientists to explore and study the phenomenon. And they needed protection, which is where I came in. I was a seasoned wilderness guide with years of experience leading expeditions into the most remote and dangerous corners of the world. I was tasked with ensuring the safety of...