Infinite Hunter

As for the predator's head with its eyes wide open, Cheng Yijiu planned to give the predator a taste of its own medicine - he would peel off the skin completely with a knife to use as material for specimen making, and remove the meat and soft tissue from the head to make a skull pendant to be used as a decoration - whatever the predator did, he could do too.

After everything calmed down, Cheng Yijiu climbed out of the Shanyin cave. Looking back, he saw trees falling in a ring. The terrain beyond the self-destructed body had changed, leaving a vast expanse of empty white space. He could imagine a large number of American aircraft arriving, fearing the explosion might be a nuclear one, rushing to investigate. Of course, to avoid detection, Cheng Yijiu also prepared to hasten his departure.

"Is this mission not over yet?" He was curious. Logically, he'd killed something like the Predator. While it wasn't too dangerous, it was still a dangerous endeavor. Fighting an alien like that was like blasting glass cannons. If he'd been hit by a plasma blast or pierced by a wrist blade, he'd probably be dead. He only had a few scratches on his body, which was a stroke of luck.

If the monster had no injuries, even if Cheng Yijiu could kill it, it would probably cost him a lot more. It can be said that the predator died quite miserably.

A door appeared in front of him, and Cheng Yijiu breathed a sigh of relief, "It's finally over. It was a bit boring." Indeed, this series of events gave Cheng Yijiu a feeling of being hit or miss, and there was no feeling of a thread running through it all - if the special task force does not count... Sure enough, after he stepped through the door, he found that the mission had failed.

"No instructions, no targets, just the most dangerous prey—what's that?" Cheng Yijiu complained loudly, but the mission system was completely silent, offering no explanation. Cheng Yijiu didn't even know where he'd failed. What was the real target he needed to hunt? He could only accept it, though he was certainly dissatisfied. He tossed the head he was holding into the insect nest—this thing was also protein. If it could eat Earth's protein, then Earth's protein could also eat it.

Let the bugs gnaw on it slowly.

He didn't need taxidermy, as creating a specimen directly from silicone was far more convenient and realistic than peeling the skin and then stuffing it. He returned upstairs, trimmed his hair with an electric clipper, took a good shower, and went to bed. After waking up and eating, he prepared for his punishment. "I don't know what kind of beast it will be this time. I hope it's not a bear."

Cheng Yijiu scratched his scalp and pushed open the door helplessly.

This time, his mind was relatively agile. Cheng Yijiu felt he could still think intermittently, primarily sensing changes in the outside world and reacting appropriately. He was a young animal, and his features were unclear because he couldn't see his full form. He was basically certain he was a canine. "That's no fun. It's just a North American gray wolf, that's all. Its combat effectiveness isn't as good as a large cat."

He was covered in fur and had a chubby tail that swung back and forth. His eyes were open, but his baby teeth had only just begun to grow. His entire body was a pink, fleshy mess. "No matter how you look at it, it's still a piece of meat." After a few minutes of figuring this out, Cheng Yijiu decided he had to hide. But where had the mother beast gone? Logically, he looked like he hadn't been fully weaned yet. His limbs weren't strong enough to run, but he could wriggle and crawl, and seemed to be quite fast.

"The worst start ever! Barely any!" Cheng Yijiu was a bit terrified, but luckily he wasn't hungry—because inside the nest he was in, there were plump, juicy bugs everywhere. The nest was dark but comfortable, not cold at all. It was large and not very tall, and the exit was a flat slit. The entire nest was made of rotten wood, moss, and mud, at least from the inside.

Cheng Yijiu currently had no clear idea of ​​his own size. How big could a chubby young beast possibly be? And judging by the size of the longhorn beetle larvae burrowing in the rotten wood, he estimated that his current size was roughly equivalent to that of a three-month-old tiger. Cheng Yijiu didn't feel any nausea at eating insects—if he were still human, he might have felt a little, but now that he had become a beast, he was naturally limited by his animal body and considered these insects a delicacy.

Indeed, these fat bugs were rich in protein and calories, and tasted like beef. They had a sweet, fresh taste to his palate, and two or three would keep him full for the day. The changing light from the small cracks could be used to determine day and night, and Cheng Yijiu, the young beast, slept for long periods of time. He instinctively hid in a small, curved depression on the inside of the nest to sleep, to avoid being robbed by any predators.

The mother hadn't appeared in three days, so she probably wouldn't be back. She'd probably been eaten by another beast—that was Cheng Yijiu's thought. And how could this canine mother be so powerful? She only gave birth to one child? This species is likely going extinct, Cheng Yijiu thought with a touch of sadness. With that thought in mind, he dug out another fat worm and ate it...

Volume: Useless Druid

Chapter One

As a young beast, Cheng Yijiu prioritized comfort, so he stayed motionless in the den, relying on insects for survival. His limbs gradually grew stronger, and his long mouth was filled with fully grown teeth. The fur on his body, which served as insulation, grew increasingly fine and thick, achieving such a strong insulation effect that Cheng Yijiu sometimes had to run to the cave entrance to cool down in the breeze to relieve the heat.

If I want to get out, I'll probably have to dig a hole. I definitely can't crawl out through that crack, and I definitely can't get out without enlarging the hole.

The insects in the cave were becoming fewer and fewer, and Cheng Yijiu was growing larger and larger. It might have been a month now, and the smell in the cave was unbearable. Cheng Yijiu was now at least the size of a medium-sized adult dog, and the cave was no longer big enough to accommodate him. The problem was, Cheng Yijiu himself couldn't stand it anymore. He had been pooping and peeing in the same place for a month. He hadn't been this dirty since he was a year old...

So this guy was leaving. Although he still didn't know what kind of beast he was, he figured it wasn't a wolf, right? He was growing quite fast... At that rate, his adult body would be quite large. After digging through a crack at the cave entrance—it was a fairly easy place to dig—Cheng Yijiu emerged from the cave and took a deep breath of fresh air.

The air here is actually not good. It's filled with the stench of rotting vegetation and some kind of gas called "miasma," but it's still a thousand times better than the smell inside the cave. The place is full of huge trees with moss-covered trunks, and the vegetation under the trees is almost impenetrable - countless bushes and climbing plants. Many places are almost "inaccessible" to humans.

Cheng Yijiu lingered beneath the tree. His fur was already filthy, so rubbing it against the moss didn't matter. This was his first hunt as a cub, and it was a large rat. The rodents in this forest were large, as big as the bamboo rats he remembered. They formed the forest's solid understory, providing food for carnivores of all sizes.

Normally, a young animal without its mother's guidance would rarely succeed in hunting, and would likely starve to death or be captured and eaten by other beasts. However, beneath the canine's skin, Cheng Yijiu was actually a human, a cunning and ferocious one. Therefore, he was extremely patient in his hunting—hiding himself in fallen leaves and branches, lying motionless beneath the earth, having previously confirmed the cave entrance by scent. His small eyes, which had excellent vision, stared at the cave entrance.

His ears were very small and close to his head, but his hearing was also very good. The most terrifying thing about him was his sense of smell. Cheng Yijiu discovered that he even had a "smell vision," which allowed him to create a three-dimensional image from scent, almost identical to what he saw with his eyes. He was currently using his sense of smell to sense the movements of the fat rats in the cave. "They're about to come out," Cheng Yijiu said, ready.

There were no other predators nearby, which Cheng Yijiu was also sure of, but he was also sure that there were many predators here - at least he smelled the scent of cats, and several different kinds, and he also smelled a more foul smell similar to that of weasels, and there were also several kinds... It might even be the smell of birds, but he couldn't match them one by one at the moment.

A head poked out of the cave entrance, sniffing the air while its eyes widened as it strained to see—this rat's vision couldn't be relied upon, but its sense of smell was certainly excellent. Cheng Yijiu had chosen a downwind position, not caring about being spotted by predators further downwind. The rat crawled out of the cave, cautiously ready to flee back at any moment, and Cheng Yijiu was equally prepared to pounce.

The dog pounced, its claws pinning the fat rat. Before the rat could scream, its gaping jaws had already clamped down on its head. Its thick, milk teeth crushed its skull, and the fat rat sank into death convulsions... "Sweet flesh and blood," was Cheng Yijiu's comment. "It confirms once again that animals' sense of taste is somewhat different from humans'."

From that moment on, Cheng Yijiu began his struggle for survival—climbing trees was out of the question, swimming was no problem, and while he wasn't as agile as a cat in running and jumping, he was still fast enough and could leap far. As for the lethality of his bite, Cheng Yijiu felt he might surpass even a cat—his teeth were large and sharp. At least such large teeth could easily crush bone. However, his lips seemed to have degenerated...

His teeth are almost completely exposed, which makes him look more like a crocodile or a skull in a horror movie. "This is not good for protecting the teeth!" Anyway, let's just watch.

What exactly is this place? Cheng Yijiu thought it must be a subtropical region—such dense jungle that almost no sunlight can be seen, and the endless mountain range, it must belong to the subtropics. And if you think about it carefully, this kind of continuous mountain terrain can only be found in Asia. From this, Cheng Yijiu deduced that he was probably in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Guangxi, or even part of Southeast Asia.

Cheng Yijiu had already seen quite a few ferocious beasts here—so far, the largest was a leopard. He hadn't seen a brown bear, but it was possible. He hadn't seen a South China tiger, but it was very likely there. He had seen quite a few golden cats. He hadn't seen a lynx, but it was unlikely to be found in the dense forests, as they were more adapted to grasslands. Smaller civets and weasels were more common, and of course he had seen quite a few herbivores—from cattle and antelope to wild boar and deer, and there were quite a few of them.

Cheng Yijiu's main food source is still fat rats. These creatures are easy to catch and provide a decent amount of meat. Ambush and catch a few of them and you can fill your stomach for the whole day. The most important thing is that these creatures are stupid. They will run out from the main entrance and exit, and they don't learn from their mistakes at all. Spend two hours ambushing them every day, and after eating, you can wander around or sleep. Oh, right? Cheng Yijiu finally confirmed that he should be in Dongda because he found green dumplings - the poop of bamboo-eating bears.

In the past few months, his body has grown very fast. Soon he won't have to worry about golden cats and the like, nor will he have to worry about all the civets and mustelids. The only beasts that can pose a certain threat to him are the leopards, besides the bears - because this guy himself estimated that his shoulder height is already one meter, which is a large beast among beasts. Ordinary dogs don't grow that big.

The key is that the lanugo on his body began to fall off...

Chapter two

The undercoat that had been used as a cub for warmth shed, but new hair hadn't grown—at least not long hair. The hair that had grown back on Cheng Yijiu was very short but dense, even forked and intertwined to form a smooth, felt-like mass. This thin layer of hair was incredibly effective at insulating against both intense heat and freezing temperatures. Even after entering the water, it remained watertight for extended periods—the oil on the surface preventing any moisture from entering.

However, this hair had a consequence: Cheng Yijiu looked as sleek and greasy as a seal. Since he had very little subcutaneous fat, the muscles beneath his skin were even more prominent. "This body fat percentage is probably less than 10%! This is very unhealthy." Cheng Yijiu decided he needed to eat more. He was no longer just hunting mice—they were hardly enough to satisfy him.

Cheng Yijiu's current prey is primarily deer, bison, wild boar, and antelope—he's now nearly as large as a South China tiger. He's undoubtedly a dominant force here, and leopards and the like actively avoid him. He twists his body to look at his tail—it's no dog's tail. It's covered in sharp edges formed by the hardened cuticle. It's not long, but if scratched, it's bound to be bloody.

His baby teeth had already begun to fall out, and the new teeth that had grown were large and sharp. Since he had almost no lips, these teeth were all exposed. From the front, the large fangs that crossed each other gave people a terrifying feeling. Cheng Yijiu's mouth was also very deep, more like a crocodile lizard than a canine. In fact, by this time, he knew that he was not a dog at all.

If you were to call it a Carcharodontosaurus, the second joint of its claws didn't have sharp bone spurs, and it wasn't red-skinned—its fur was a striped brown. Its claws were indeed sharp, but they weren't that long, more like the long-worn length of a normal canine, and not that sharp either. Cheng Yijiu, however, felt that his shoulder and elbow joints were more flexible than those of the big cat he'd once been, almost as flexible as a human's.

So he can probably also do human grappling and fighting?

The thick and long neck gave this creature immense strength in its front half, allowing it to easily knock its prey to the ground and control it. Its flexible neck allowed it to choose the right direction to deliver a fatal blow—much like the saber-toothed tigers of the past. However, its long mouth and thick fangs made Cheng Yijiu a terrifying bone crusher, making his killing efficiency far greater than that of his blade-like saber teeth.

To satisfy his appetite, Cheng Yijiu roamed the mountains, hunting for prey. His territory spanned thousands of square kilometers, making him quite possibly the largest carnivore of all. He grew rapidly, and within two years of his birth, Cheng Yijiu had already grown to over ten meters in length and nearly four meters tall at the shoulder. His immense muscle strength allowed him to leap across the mountains with unstoppable speed. One day, while wandering through the primeval forest, Cheng Yijiu finally discovered a delicious and plentiful source of food.

That was the mountain road, connecting to the plains. In this area, there was a vast livestock farm, raising many pigs, cattle, and sheep. The enormous beast sniffed the air, a smile forming on its ferocious face—its nostrils wrinkled like waves, its mouth opened at an angle, a silent smile. This was a great place. Cheng Yijiu, after so many punishment missions, had become a cunning and ferocious beast.

So, be careful when stealing food, be extremely careful, and try not to reveal anything too outlandish—the easiest way to do that is to dig a hole, or if possible, destroy the surveillance cameras and dig through the wall. Just be mindful of the size; otherwise, if you hollow out half the wall, anyone will know something's wrong. In short, if you get the chance, steal it well and try to bankrupt the farm owner in one fell swoop.

Cheng Yijiu's activities over the years had of course led him to find a management point under the Forestry Bureau in the mountains, which was responsible for monitoring the wild animals in the reserve to prevent poaching and to rescue wild animals. However, the animals there were all old, weak, sick and disabled, and they really did not attract the interest of this beast - Cheng Yijiu had been very gentle over the years, and basically he did not kill other wild animals in the territory.

This time, he returned to his lair—deep in the mountains, where sunlight was obscured by trees. Thick tree trunks lay scattered across the ground, covered in moss. In the center, the moss was several meters thick. This was Cheng Yijiu's chosen lair. The beast would often rest here. The area was clean because Cheng Yijiu wouldn't bring food here.

Huge beasts roam the mountains, and outside... the beast whisperers are already in place. This world possesses extraordinary abilities, such as the ability to communicate with wild beasts and birds—the power of the druids. However, only one person possesses such powers, one in a million. Now, a forest ranger, who quit his 996 work schedule in the big city and landed a government job, has discovered this ability and is excitedly pursuing a successful career in his new profession.

Cheng Yijiu was right in his guess. He was located in the mountains of Sichuan and Yunnan, which included the Ailao Mountains, Yunling Mountains and many other mountain ranges. Some places had never been visited since ancient times. Cheng Yijiu's personal drinking water point was an example. The waterfall flowing out of the mountain formed a small pool more than 30 meters below. The area was only about 100 square meters, but the emerald green water should be very deep because the water flowing down from above flowed away through the underground river inside.

This is the drinking water spot for nearby animals, but after Cheng Yijiu occupied it, fewer animals came to drink water.

Some of the plants here were new to Cheng Yijiu, and some even brought back distant memories—bright red orchids, parasitic on several large, moss-covered trees that had fallen by the pool and were now decaying. "This thing looks so familiar, it reminds me of the time of the giant python—could this really be a blood orchid?" the enormous beast muttered to itself, though to human ears it sounded like a deep roar.

With a smooth forehead, a wide and long mouth, protruding curved canine fangs, and enlarged sharp incisors, Cheng Yijiu felt that if there really was a super-giant python here, it would be nothing more than a spicy strip.

In this area, the clever cats have tried to contact the new rangers - because recently there seems to be a number of bad guys sneaking into the reserve with the intention of poaching.

third chapter

Poachers have always existed, but with the advancement of technology and the improved deployment of unmanned surveillance equipment, these activities are becoming increasingly rare. However, those few poachers can be extremely brutal, poaching a significant number of small and medium-sized cats at a time. In this case, local forest rangers discovered signs of someone entering the mountains elsewhere and reported them to the conservation station.

They dispatched personnel to patrol alongside the local police station. This new generation of druid, surnamed Situ and surprisingly named Jiong, wasn't on patrol this time. Of course, as a modern-day druid, he was also busy rescuing injured wildlife, and he did manage to overhear the conversations between the animals. There was no news of poachers, as the injured animals had been brought in for treatment several days prior, but Situ Jiong was intrigued by their interactions.

"Wait, you said there's a giant monster in there? What kind of giant monster?" Since Situ Jiong was a druid, the beasts could understand him. Their intelligence, when confronted by him, almost rose to the level of a child. Then came the description. "A carnivorous beast as big as this den/house? How is that even possible? Are there still undiscovered large carnivores on the continent?"

So Situ Jiong went to get a catalogue, a complete encyclopedia of wild mammals from the University of Tokyo, the kind with photos, and pointed to the pictures to show them the animals. Turns out, none of the animals listed were mountain monsters, and they actually recognized tigers, which delighted Situ Jiong. He had an animal affinity, and if he used it wisely, he could definitely advance his career. Although his major wasn't wildlife, that didn't stop him from writing a thesis on the subject.

If a wild South China tiger—or even a wild Bengal tiger—had been discovered here, publishing about it would have been a truly remarkable paper. But what's happening now is a beast never seen before, which is incredibly interesting—and exciting. This is a brand-new discovery. All the living large terrestrial carnivores should have been discovered by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the subspecies classifications simply being adjusted.

These animals don't lie; the creatures they see are completely different. However, their limited intelligence prevents them from describing things in a coherent way, like humans do, by combining parts of different creatures. They can only say things like, "A very large monster. A wolf, a bear..." Well, Situ Jiong understood one thing: this so-called giant monster likely resembled a wolf or a bear. The question was, what biological entity could such a monster be?

"As big as a house... Such a gigantic creature existed on land only in the Mesozoic Era. The giant rhinoceros of the Cenozoic Era was large, but not this big." Could there be dinosaurs surviving in this mountain? Is this a joke? Not to mention the terrain where giant dinosaurs should have survived, if they could have truly survived 65 million years, they would have been discovered long ago.

After all, it’s not the dinosaur in the Hengduan Mountains in the comic strip.

There are still quite a few people working at this protection station, and there is also a panda protection station nearby - this is also the distribution area of ​​pandas, but they were very rare in the past. But now with the progress of protection, there are enough local records of wild panda sightings to set up a panda observation station.

A few days later, the patrol returned with a batch of injured young animals. Unfortunately, the poachers hadn't been caught—they'd gotten away first. This was definitely collusion, and it's likely that they had collaborators within the local forestry management and research departments. This warrants investigation.

There were four poachers, all equipped with state-of-the-art equipment—drones, infrared scopes, and, of course, maritime satellite phones. They had received a tip from their insider and were able to escape early. They hadn't gained much this time, but as long as they could get back, they could come back next time. Following the electronic map, they planned to circle back out of the mountains and wait for another opportunity.

As they walked, the birdsong in the forest suddenly died down. The four men, considered seasoned veterans, immediately took precautions, ready to climb a tree at any moment. A brush swayed, and out sprang a black bear. The four men nearly opened fire—black bears were cheap these days, and poaching was about to be cost-effective. Just as they were about to relax and exchange a few words, the monster materialized from just five meters away.

The first thing they saw was definitely the thick, long, curved, interlocking fangs, and only then did they notice the enormous size of the beast. The pale brown monster before them was incredibly muscular, its muscles bulging and smooth, its long, wide mouth bared a clump of fangs, and its ferocious yellow eyes glared back at them. The most important thing was its sheer size. Just looking at the exposed bulk of its body, it must have been five or six meters long, and its height was nearly as tall as a two-story building.

These four people must have seen it wrong. Cheng Yijiu is not that tall. His shoulder height is only a little over four meters.

He wasn't being venomous; he was simply curious about encountering another obvious "poacher." His animal instincts would soon take over, and he had no confidence in the fate of these four people. The weight of four people could fill Cheng Yijiu's current body—he was probably fourteen or fifteen meters long by now, of which four or five meters was the length of his tail...

Sure enough, the next moment, Cheng Yijiu felt like he was losing control and lunged forward. His right front paw swung out, pinning the first unfortunate creature beneath it. "How tragic! As the saying goes back home, 'The slurry is being squeezed out...' What a sin!" Cheng Yijiu sighed inwardly, watching the unfortunate creature's mouths spewing fragments of internal organs.

But he didn't flinch. His long neck swung across like lightning, his jaws wide open, catching the unfortunate man in one gulp. The scissor-like jaws closed, and the sharp teeth severed the man—the jagged cuts, the crushed and eroded internal organs a gruesome sight. The other two men, one running, fired at Cheng Yijiu, who of course pounced, spun, and flicked his tail in one seamless motion.

The guy who was hit by the half-lower collision was already flying and breaking apart, and the tail swing hit was like a train hitting a person, sending up a cloud of blood mist. Only half of the person was left, and the other half was shattered in a fan-shaped manner...

Chapter Four

The four poachers were reduced to a pile of corpses. Cheng Yijiu's nostrils twitched as he finally switched to eating meat. Humans are a species with more bones than meat, and their fat is of poor quality. Their bodies are also filled with various antibiotics and other messy drug residues. In short, when eating this thing, Cheng Yijiu must have withdrawn his thoughts and followed his instincts.

Cheng Yijiu's body and mouthful of large teeth clearly define their functions—hence, it's probably difficult for zoologists to classify him. Existing lizards have similar teeth, while Cheng Yijiu's form is completely mammalian, yet it retains many lizard-like features. The canines are long and thick, the incisors are sharp, the carnassials have cutting edges, and the final molars are thick, hard, and have several vertebrae, capable of crushing coarse bones with ease.

The portion for four people should be enough to fill Cheng Yijiu's appetite. "Well, this eating manner is quite unrefined." Cheng Yijiu muttered in his heart. The big muscles of these people were eaten, but the internal organs were not touched at all. The bodies of the four people were shattered and piled together. Soon Cheng Yijiu took the initiative to leave - leaving behind huge footprints.

Cheng Yijiu's feet are digitigrade like cats and dogs, but different from bears, so he also has paw pads, and the footprints he leaves behind are huge plum blossom prints of paw pads.

The second patrol team set out during a period of intense poaching crackdowns. The provincial forestry department, in conjunction with the public security department, had launched a campaign specifically targeting the poaching, trafficking, and use of rare and protected animals. The biggest case to date had been perpetrated by these four individuals, as among the poached animals they had previously seized was a clouded leopard cub, a nationally protected species, which had fortunately survived.

The four individuals' suppliers and their downstream partners have been apprehended in the crackdown—poaching is a network, not a single connection. The official who provided them with the information has also been arrested, and each one has expressed regret and tears.

Currently, only these four individuals have not been apprehended. Their vehicle has been discovered, confirming they are still in the mountains. Therefore, a second patrol is being organized to try to locate them. Some believe they have perished in the forest. This is perfectly normal; poaching is never a safe occupation. Poaching is only slightly less dangerous than poaching because they carry guns.

Situ Jiong was one of several patrol teams heading into the mountains this time. He brought the station's dog with him, and a rescued cat secretly tagged along, muttering along the way: "Don't go too deep into certain areas. You can't go over here, there, and here again. There's a big monster over there." This kind of cat-and-dog talk only piqued Situ Jiong's interest. In fact, the scientific research stations set up by local universities have also recently discovered anomalies.

Recent data from infrared cameras, tracking changes in wildlife species and populations, revealed an anomaly: a significant number of carnivores were appearing where they shouldn't be, and at unusually high densities. Of course, if it weren't for the increased herbivore population and the local government's partial damage compensation for herders' losses, a serious incident would have already occurred.

Ultimately, it's likely that some powerful creature has appeared in the mountains, subconsciously driving away any competitors within its territory. Not only carnivores in the same ecological niche, but even lower-ranking carnivores will voluntarily leave out of fear, and then slowly return when the opportunity arises. The several big cats Situ Jiong rescued had voluntarily fled. Otherwise, given the location of his forestry station, it's unlikely to see big cats, only small ones.

The panda observation sites are even deeper, and even they report that the pandas they observe show clear signs of movement, as if avoiding a predator. It's likely that a top-of-the-food-chain animal has appeared here, most likely a tiger. I'm not sure about the South China tiger, but I'm sure the Bengal tiger is a possibility. This could be the northern end of their range.

The dog whimpered, and the big cat's fur stood on end. "Big Cat, you can't go any further!" This was already the outskirts of Cheng Yijiu's activities. From here, he watched the road and the farms on the side of the road. This monster rarely came here, so as not to alarm the future granary. But after all, the scent remained...

Situ Jiong was a man who listened to advice, but his senses were also frantically warning him that things weren't going well here, like being suddenly plunged into ice water. So he signaled to his teammates, "The dogs are giving us the all-clear! There might be large carnivores here," he quickly explained. As for the big cat, he didn't mention it. Others already assumed he was a druid, and he didn't want to completely expose his ability to speak animal language.

The team stopped and waited, checking the records of nearby infrared cameras, hoping to find the information they needed. Another team would also gather together to form a joint search team to explore.

The records only showed small animals; no carnivores larger than the golden cat had been found. After the two teams arrived, the search team consisted of thirty-two people, a "very safe" number. One-third of the men were armed, and all had field experience. They also brought drones and robot dogs—more than one for reconnaissance and load-carrying purposes, and two robot donkeys for pure off-road load-carrying.

The big cat continued to mutter about being doomed, while the dog obeyed orders, diligently sniffing. The group indeed headed deeper into the mountains. Of course, they also conducted scientific research and installed new cameras, especially sampling plants and photographing birds. The dog curled up in a ball, refusing to move forward, while the big cat scurried onto a branch, also looking furious and running away. Everyone saw a clear, large footprint on the ground covered with rotting leaves and moss.

The sound of swallowing saliva was clearly audible. If everyone was not standing at a relatively high position and could have a relatively clear view of the open space, they would not have recognized at first glance that it was actually a footprint - because the pad of this thing was more than one meter long, and the incomplete finger pad was larger than a small washbasin. The owner of this footprint was bigger than an elephant, and it might be a dinosaur.

"A giant cat? But these footprints look more like a giant dog." Most of the people present were animal experts. While they might not be specialized in footprints, they could at least distinguish between cats and dogs. A beast that large was likely the largest on land. The footprint alone was obvious—it wasn't a giant footprint with collapsed edges. The edges of the pads were clear, and the finger impressions were intact. This was the original footprint of this monster.

Situ Jiong finally understood what the big monster meant. He didn't expect that there really was such an extra-large beast.

chapter Five

Seeing the footprints, almost everyone was thrilled. How long had it been since a new species of large mammal had been discovered on Earth? And this one, even more so, was so massive. The owner of these footprints was undoubtedly the largest living species, much larger than either of the two elephants, and only slightly smaller than an ocean whale. Even within the entire Cenozoic Era, it would have been the largest creature, on par with the dinosaurs. It was truly the pride of mammals.

The question is whether Cheng Yijiu recognizes that he is a mammal...

"I'm not a female beast, so who the hell knows if I am?" Cheng Yijiu wasn't in his original position at this time. He had moved several dozen kilometers southwest. To avoid completely destroying the food chain in a certain area, Cheng Yijiu had to expand his range of activity to tens of thousands of square kilometers. If it weren't for his body's high level of energy recovery, especially the short hair on his skin that effectively insulated heat dissipation, and the blood circulation that could also recycle heat, he would probably destroy the local ecology in a short period of time.

Although Cheng Yijiu still didn't know how he recycled calories, he knew that the food he needed to eat each day was roughly the equivalent of a wild boar weighing 100 to 150 kilograms, or similarly sized animal. This amount was actually quite small, but it was enough to sustain his daily activities, allowing him to travel hundreds of kilometers daily and hunt. Of course, he could also consume hundreds of kilograms of meat in one sitting, and then go for more than ten days without needing to eat.

He weighed nearly eight tons, and Cheng Yijiu's length from nose to tail had grown to nearly seventeen or eighteen meters. Of course, his tail accounted for a third of his body length. Fortunately, his thick tail was mostly hollow, consisting of hollow spines made of keratin, and not particularly muscled. His shoulder height was the height of a two-story building, over four meters, approaching five meters. He was truly the largest land carnivore ever.

Such a massive creature moves swiftly and agilely through the forests, and in most cases, is remarkably silent—a slight difference compared to a velociraptor, whose fur is inherently sound-absorbing, but quite impressive for a creature of its size. Cheng Yijiu's hunting style is less ambush-oriented—his size makes ambush difficult, even with his decent camouflage, so he's more of a pursuit hunter.

His huge body also allows him to move at a very fast speed, and most of the wild beasts in the mountains and forests cannot outrun him.

This time, Cheng Yijiu headed southwest, allowing the patrol to enter his heartland unscathed. The big cat's fur was flaring the entire time. This was a South China leopard, one of the largest predators in southern China. If it hadn't loved the big cat's scent, it wouldn't have wanted to lead the way. As for the dog, it didn't even dare to mark its territory or route with urine. If it hadn't been loyal to its master and prepared to die, it certainly wouldn't have made this trip either.

There's a smell of a giant monster everywhere...

The team members, including Situ Jiong, were happily taking photos, measuring with a tape measure, and sampling the footprint for possible epithelial cells. Finally, they were preparing to cast a plaster mold. As they worked, they engaged in a heated discussion about what kind of animal it might be—unfortunately, no trace of animal hair had been found on the bushes and branches. Was it a feline or a canine? After analyzing the entire footprint, they confirmed it was likely a canine.

This animal was probably not an oversized cat, as evidenced by the symmetrical footprints and claw marks.

Can canines be that big? There are canine-like carnivores that are much larger than cats, but no true canine is larger than a big cat. Even large domestic mastiffs are not big enough, as their skeleton and muscle dimensions are far inferior to those of a panther.

The second footprint was incomplete, likely the animal's hind leg. Measuring the stride length suggested the creature was at least ten meters long and weighed over six tons. Given its length, it was noticeably underweight—which was understandable, considering Cheng Yijiu possessed Dragon Breath and internal air sacs. This efficient breathing allowed him to run swiftly, maintaining abundant stamina and dissipating heat effectively when necessary.

Led by Situ Jiong's big cat, the patrol finally located their target—the remains of a human. The skull was nearly intact, with a portion of the spine, ribs, pelvis, and long leg bones still intact. While there were obvious signs of bite marks, at least they were recognizable. The team members were all heavy-hearted, and they felt the situation was dangerous. "This monster, it eats people." A beast that can prey on and has eaten humans is extremely dangerous.

Because they know humans are easy prey, tasty, and rich in salt, many beasts will turn to humans as their prey. If such large beasts really became accustomed to eating humans, it would be an absolute disaster. The only good thing is that this area is largely uninhabited, a protected area, and many of the original mountain dwellers have already migrated out. If humans and beasts coexisted like in Indian protected areas, that would be a nightmare.

The remains were photographed, quickly collected and packed, and then placed on the eDonkey. Everyone worked together to quickly install infrared wireless transmission cameras and signal amplifiers, and then they ran away. The leopard even bit Situ Jiong's clothes to pull him out. The dog was already whimpering, and Situ Jiong heard the hidden meaning in his words, "Run quickly, it's too dangerous here."

Cheng Yijiu is still dozens of kilometers away, how can he come back so quickly? Besides, this is not his nest. Even if he comes here specially, it will take more than two hours to get there.

In short, after a quick check to make sure nothing was left behind, everyone quickly retreated. The relevant personnel even called in the local garrison's helicopters for assistance. As long as they reached the designated open area, the helicopters would take everyone away at once, making it a quick evacuation. This time, four helicopters arrived at once, enough to take away everyone and their equipment, including Big Cat and Dog, but Big Cat refused to board and preferred to run away.

In short, after arriving at the evacuation point within two hours, everyone boarded the plane and ran away - the garrison's helicopter regiment was supposed to be training, and they also carried out patrols and search and rescue missions on a daily basis. This time they were state civil servants, so of course the funding was public to public.