Infinite Hunter

Chapter Six

The big cat moved at a lightning speed through the forest, completely unconcerned about being exposed. The most important thing was to escape the monster's territory as soon as possible; nothing else mattered. Today, it was incredibly lucky; the monster wasn't home. The scent on the wind told it that the monster had gone far away.

The helicopter landed at the airport. The fate of the men had been reported. Next up was the forensic work, which would also involve university professors and the Forestry Bureau. This was a beast devouring a man, and this beast was unprecedented. Aside from dinosaurs, and sauropods at that, there hadn't been any land mammals that large.

Judging by its length alone, it's longer than the Paraceratherium, but a significant portion of that is likely the tail, so it's probably smaller and certainly weighs less. But it's a carnivore, the largest terrestrial carnivore, and surprisingly, it's still alive, not from the Pleistocene—the Anthropocene. Most of the beasts of this era are smaller than their ancestors.

The professors from Sun Yat-sen University and Sichuan University were overjoyed with the footprint photos, plaster models and samples they brought back, and immediately began analyzing them with scientific instruments. However, the conclusion was similar to that from the on-site analysis. This was an animal that was more canine-like, very large in size. Its weight was calculated to be around eight tons, and its length was between eight and twelve meters based on its stride. It all depended on whether the sample was cat-like or dog-like.

It's not that the footprints resemble those of a canine, nor does the overall appearance necessarily resemble that of a dog, but it is true that the shape is closer to that of a dog. There are large, dog-like beasts, but they are all very ancient. Both Hyaenodon and Lycosauropteryx had quite large forms, especially Hyaenodon. Of course, there are also Mesotherians that are very similar, such as Andrews' Mesotherium.

We haven't seen the beast yet, and no one knows what it looks like. We just hope that the installed infrared cameras can be lucky enough to capture the target - this is a big deal. Not only are the installed cameras high-definition, but there are also solar panels extending upwards to provide long-term power for the cameras and signal amplifiers.

This wasn't originally intended for this location. It was originally intended to be installed in an uninhabited area deep in the mountains, but unexpectedly, it was completely used up here. As for the deeper parts of the mountains, we'll consider it later—after all, knowing such a carnivore roams this area, safety is paramount. Don't venture into this mountainous area lightly. Even if you spot this beast, it's best to track it with a drone.

This was no secret; news spread quickly, especially in specialized fields. How many years had it been since humans discovered a large land mammal? The news that China had discovered the largest land carnivore in history instantly captured the attention of professionals worldwide. The news media also flocked to the scene, but were dissuaded by the relevant authorities.

In particular, unauthorized entry into the mountains was strictly prohibited. Only licensed forestry patrols and other personnel were allowed to observe the area—according to Situ Jiong, this was the outermost area of ​​the monster's territory identified by the big cat. A stern warning was also issued: anyone entering the mountains without permission would receive no assistance and face criminal prosecution upon exiting.

The purpose is to restrict people like journalists and internet celebrities from wandering into the forest. Now, even the scientific expedition team themselves are reluctant to enter this forest because it is too dangerous - before they find and figure out the situation of the giant beast... the journalists are somewhat rational, so they mainly try to interview professors and people from the Forestry Bureau. Only the internet celebrities are not afraid of death and some of them are really prepared to sneak in to take pictures of the giant carnivorous beast.

The forensic doctor examined the broken bones and easily found tooth marks. "Extra-large hyena? Look at the broken surfaces of the bones. It's obvious that there are three sharp pressure surfaces that shattered them. These long bones were bitten to pieces. Let's measure the size of the teeth..."

The size and length of an animal's skull can be calculated based on its teeth. Zoologists have a conversion formula - taking into account the different proportions of cats, dogs, bears, etc., if the footprints are similar to those of a dog, then the length of the skull is probably more than two meters... This is very exaggerated among carnivorous dinosaurs and their relatives.

Cheng Yijiu had no idea he'd been discovered. He'd just eaten two captured deer and was about to drink from the imperial pond before returning to his lair to rest. "Hmm, are the scavengers here so efficient? I vaguely remember a pile of poacher carcasses here?" The ample brain capacity afforded by his enormous body allowed Cheng Yijiu to think more clearly.

His nostrils expanded and contracted a few times, "Hmm? There's the smell of other humans... and leopards and dogs? There seems to be the smell of aviation kerosene here? Damn it!" Cheng Yijiu's mind immediately thought of the infrared camera, "Exposed!" Although he hadn't seen the camera yet, it was very reasonable to think of the worst.

Cheng Yijiu hadn't noticed the infrared camera—it had autofocus and high resolution, so it could be mounted high and hidden. Besides, the solar panels were in the treetops, making them hard to spot from below. "The wind's blowing! Run!" With that thought, the guy leaped over quickly and ran towards the nest.

There was jubilation outside, as the infrared cameras had finally captured the most important moment—the ferocious beast suddenly entered the frame. Although it was only briefly visible, several cameras captured its appearance from multiple angles. "How do we classify this?" more than one professor asked.

The monster before him was truly enormous, measuring perhaps seventeen meters from nose to tail, with the tail accounting for one-third of its length. At first glance, it certainly resembled some kind of canine, but it also resembled a crocodile or lizard—its skull and shoulders were covered in structures resembling crocodile scales.

The rest of the animal's hair was clearly short, similar to that of a seal. Its skin, tightly woven into its muscles, made it look incredibly strong—though its skin wasn't loose at all, much like seals and walruses. Few carnivores have such tight skin. Its head was indeed large, but that was also what bothered the professors the most—it looked like a cross between a crocodile and a lizard.

The first is its lack of lips, or rather, its lip profile is atrophied. Its fangs are completely exposed, and its mouth is very deep, more like a lizard or crocodile. Its fangs are also quite exaggerated, comparable to those of saber-toothed animals... This creature is indeed large, approaching the size of a giant rhinoceros, and even longer than it, but unlike the giant rhinoceros, this creature is a complete carnivore.

Chapter VII

Its ears are like daggers, but it lacks the canine-like constriction of a muzzle. Without the ears, its head resembles a crocodile or lizard, albeit taller and with forward-facing stereoscopic vision. This creature certainly resembles a dog, especially its body. Its medium-length neck is longer than any other cat, with only the cheetah having a comparable length.

It's even longer than an average dog, but slightly shorter than a monitor lizard—proportionally speaking. Its body is certainly powerful, measuring twelve meters from nose to rump, not counting the tail. Standing five and a half meters at the shoulder, it's truly the largest land carnivore ever. The proportions of its limbs are comparable to those of a cat or panthera, while its length is distinctly canine. Its shoulders and back have a distinct carapace, likely a modification of the hair cuticle, bearing prominent thorn-like protrusions, some as long as ten centimeters, in pyramidal shapes.

Once it impacted, the opponent's body would be covered in rows of bloody holes. The more lethal weapon was its massive tail, which comprised one-third of its body length, approximately six meters long. It was clearly very thick, comparable to a crocodile's, but it was clear that this was simply due to the mutated cuticle layer forming a layered outer shell, giving it the appearance of a durian mace.

Overall, the roughly ten seconds of footage captured from multiple angles clearly captures the enormous monster's features. "Unexpectedly agile—an animal of its size should move at a slower pace, like an elephant, but surprisingly, its movements are as swift as a cat or dog." What does this mean? Everyone knows it means the monster's bones and muscles are incredibly strong.

"Based on this monster's strength, a standard pistol bullet probably wouldn't be able to penetrate its hide, and small-caliber rifle bullets would also likely struggle to penetrate its muscles," a professor said. "So tranquilizer guns are useless, right?" the Forestry Bureau comrade confirmed. In that case, all strategies for observing this beast would have to be reconsidered.

The professors present also began to discuss Cheng Yijiu's classification, with most leaning towards either placing it in the Canidae family or creating its own family. After all, based on its morphology alone, this creature is actually different from all existing land carnivores. So, what about its evolutionary lineage?

It's impossible for a gigantic, unprecedented beast to suddenly appear out of nowhere. Any species must have a population to survive. Of course, if this is the last one, it's effectively extinct. Professors are currently searching among paleontological fossils, especially those from the Cenozoic era, for creatures that might be the ancestors of this beast. As for Cheng Yijiu's name, they've temporarily ended it with "beast."

The full name is Tyrannosaurus - this is the new name of the Deinoceratops. Considering the place, Yunnan is simply used as the secondary name.

Cheng Yijiu was also roughly aware of one thing: he must have been exposed, so he carefully avoided going to the place where the body was originally discarded, and instead bypassed it to continue observing the farm - this was probably the closest human-made structure to him. Cheng Yijiu planned to find a good day to begin his theft - the first thing he had to do was to find out where the other party's surveillance was.

Generally speaking, farm surveillance is mostly internal, while external surveillance focuses on entrances and exits. Anything else is sufficient, so blind spots are likely. Hidden cameras are especially unlikely—there's no need for them. So, Cheng Yijiu used the woods to hide, his fur providing excellent camouflage. He circled the farm several times, relying on his keen vision to identify the cameras—another physiological characteristic distinct from that of the Deinonychus: vision.

Cheng Yijiu was a massive beast, and he found it incredibly disappointing that no matter what he did, he couldn't steal his prey without leaving a trace. "So, brute force is the only option?" thought the ferocious beast. His throat had already been used, and he could only roar fiercely, but that was all.

A strong attack would require further consideration. Although there was a high probability of being exposed, Cheng Yijiu felt that he still couldn't just give up. "Let's choose a time. This deal can only be done once." Cheng Yijiu was somewhat frustrated. "This body is too big."

It's difficult for a giant beast to hide. If it weren't for the complex, mountainous terrain and the typical tropical and subtropical rainforest, Cheng Yijiu's current size would have been exposed long ago. By now, he'd become famous—this kind of information didn't need to be hidden; it wasn't a military secret. The world now knew that a new species of giant mammal had been discovered in Dongda, and it was the largest land carnivore ever recorded.

A short ten-second video—one of several videos from multiple angles—had leaked and made the rounds in various news and short videos. In this video, Cheng Yijiu was relatively intact, with most of his body clearly visible. This ferocious and powerful beast immediately topped the list of the most powerful beasts—the name of the Tyrannosaurus Rex was indeed apt. This was the Overlord of Western Chu among beasts, and the only one that could barely compete was the Tyrannosaurus Rex, also a Tyrannosaurus.

However, that one is a fake Tyrannosaurus Rex, whose real name is simply "Tyrannosaurus Rex," which was simply translated as "Tyrannosaurus." Unlike Cheng Yijiu's species name, which is simply the Latin pinyin "Western Chu Tyrannosaurus," this one is the King of Beasts—not Cheng Yijiu himself, but rather experts and professors who, after discussion, decided that it was likely a unique family, genus, and possibly species, hence the name "Tyrannosaurus."

Of course, experts at home and abroad have different opinions. They think that this monster is most likely not a Carnivora, but an orphan of the Creodonta that has survived to this day - then the Creodonta will not be placed in the extinct orders. The reason is that the molar model of this guy is very similar to the three-pointed type of Creodonta, and this large dog-like appearance is exactly the appearance of those animals in the late Creodonta.

However, Cheng Yijiu's current appearance is much more "advanced" than those guys in the late Creodonta, so this reason is not accepted by most experts. To find out what his purpose is, we have to wait until the monster is captured and carefully studied before we can draw a conclusion - not just the morphology and bones, it is likely that molecular biology will have to be used for research.

Cheng Yijiu didn't care what kind of creature he was. He was currently dodging drones...

chapter eight

The expedition team certainly wouldn't venture into the mountains casually—it was far too dangerous to physically explore such a large yet remarkably powerful beast. At the beginning of this century, this might have been impossible, requiring physical entry, but now, a vast array of drones could be used for tracking. Once restrictions were lifted, a long-endurance signal-relaying drone could be flown in the sky. Then, equipped with more electromagnetic multi-rotor drones and long-endurance reconnaissance and strike drones, they could naturally search across these tens of thousands of square kilometers of mountainous terrain.

It's a no-brainer, but the actual cost wasn't significant. Instead, it put several university-developed technologies to the test—for example, a swarm of small drones capable of simultaneously mapping the forest, and a combined inspection and strike machine to test high-precision infrared cameras. The mapping data is enormous, and this method is significantly cheaper than manual surveying, while also offering comparable accuracy. The swarm drones have also discovered numerous animals.

There were many rare animals among them, and Cheng Yijiu knew something was amiss. His keen eyesight allowed him to spot a small black dot in the sky. It was a multi-rotor drone, as long-range drones flew too high to be seen. Cheng Yijiu wasn't a beast, and he knew the capabilities of drones. If visible light wasn't enough to detect his movements due to the dense forest, infrared would certainly be able to.

Even ultraviolet rays are not impossible - his body is different from that of cats and dogs. Similar to humans, his sweat glands are distributed all over the body, and they can quickly evaporate and take away heat through smooth hair. So if he runs too hot and it is difficult for him to breathe to dissipate heat, the sweat will be left on footprints or tree trunks, and will be discovered under ultraviolet rays... Cheng Yijiu knows that he is a big treasure who is very easy to be exposed, so he is trying every means to delay it for a while.

Who knows if I can complete this punishment mission if I go to the zoo. It would be too miserable to live with this body for the rest of my life.

It's no surprise that Cheng Yijiu was discovered, and by infrared cameras. While large beasts don't need to maintain a high body temperature—Cheng Yijiu believes his own temperature shouldn't exceed 32 degrees Celsius—it's still slightly higher than the natural background temperature. It's precisely because of this that he was discovered by the drone.

The scientists were in a safe base, about five kilometers away from the area where Cheng Yijiu was active, receiving the drone images through signals. Someone slammed the table happily and said, "We found him! Tyrannosaurus!" In the picture, Cheng Yijiu really was a huge orange figure. The brightness and color indicated that his body temperature was not high, and the hottest place was his mouth.

In the image, Cheng Yijiu's size was exaggerated. Even after the drone zoomed out, it could be seen that the other beasts in the distance might be deer or wild boar. Unlike him, the other beasts were photoelectric, while Cheng Yijiu was almost a ball of light. Switching to visible light, the treetops almost blocked everything, making it impossible to discern what was happening below with the naked eye. Only after repeatedly zooming in could a small glimpse of his body emerge from the gaps.

The tan fur is striped with spots, which is Cheng Yijiu's camouflage color. The black stripes and dots make this guy difficult to be found when moving in the woods, a natural camouflage. If it were red like the original or even blue, it would be too exaggerated.

Cheng Yijiu couldn't keep his eye on the drones in the sky; otherwise, he'd have to live his life in vain. He could only console himself mentally. Of course, he'd considered that, given his size and the ferocity he displayed, no scientific expedition would enter the mountains, tranquilize him, and then lock him up without a thorough evaluation. After all, he was a national treasure, the only one in the world, and his protection level was definitely higher than that of the giant panda.

The cuteness is beyond compare - just a few hours after he was discovered by the infrared camera, the drone tracking him found something a little unusual.

There was a bamboo forest about seven kilometers away, along Cheng Yijiu's route. Thermal imaging had revealed the presence of giant pandas, and more than one. Judging by their size, they were likely a mother panda with a six-month-old cub. This was a serious problem. Given the size of a giant panda, encountering a Tyrannosaurus Rex would only provide a small snack. What could they do?

The Panda People immediately took action to move the panda away before the Tyrannosaurus arrived. Because according to their records, the panda here was likely a wild panda, and the baby should also be registered. Although wild animals should not be interfered with, this is a panda. If it can be saved, it must be saved.

This was a dangerous move. Who knew if the Tyrannosaurus might suddenly accelerate? Once within its attack range, both the human and the panda would be wiped out—and the panda would certainly not escape. Therefore, the panda people had to use all-terrain electric vehicles, equipped with tranquilizer guns—they would tranquilize the panda, load the human into the vehicle's bed, and then flee. As for the Tyrannosaurus, they could just hope it didn't suddenly accelerate.

The tranquilizer gun is definitely useless against this monster, so we can only pray, and just keep an eye on the drones in the sky.

Cheng Yijiu hadn't known there was a small snack called Panda seven kilometers away. He hadn't eaten a panda in all that time. He hadn't eaten any carnivorous beasts—they were fast runners, and the few that didn't run were too meaty for Cheng Yijiu to bother catching. Who would want to eat a Mustelid? They wouldn't even fill a gap in their teeth, and the same goes for some small cats. The energy required to catch them wouldn't make up for it; it would be a loss.

Just like Cheng Yi hasn't caught mice for a long time, unless the mice are as big as pigs, it will be a losing business.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex was moving. The trees were now sparse, and the drone in the sky zoomed in and adjusted the focus, capturing a clear and complete image of the beast. "For such a large beast to move so swiftly is truly unprecedented." Even giant carnivores like brown bears and polar bears couldn't move as fast as this behemoth. Its speed and frequency were comparable to those of much smaller wolves and big cats.

Cheng Yijiu stopped and started, not concentrating on moving forward. This gave the panda people time to race through the mountains in six-wheeled, independent-suspension electric all-terrain vehicles like the Lynx. They headed straight for the bamboo forest where the pandas were. From their base to the bamboo forest, it was about ten kilometers, farther than Cheng Yijiu, but they were faster and had a clear target.

Chapter nine

Pandas weren't uncommon. Cheng Yijiu, now a wild animal, had seen several—mostly from the scent they left behind as they desperately fled. If they hadn't escaped and appeared before him, Cheng Yijiu wouldn't have had much interest in eating them. There were easier wild herbivores to catch, so why bother eating pandas?

To him, all animals were equally edible and could not escape his grasp. In fact, the easiest prey were large animals, like bison and elephants. Cheng Yijiu wasn't particularly hungry, so he naturally didn't move very fast—the drone overhead was already keeping a close eye on him.

A massive beast moved across the mountains, its high-resolution optical lens and advanced system software locking it firmly in the center of the camera. Every muscle twitching in the massive beast was clearly visible. The behemoth moved incredibly quickly, its movements so rapid that one could forget it was a behemoth over ten meters long and five meters tall.

The panda man had driven the tram almost to the point of flying, and rushed to the bamboo forest in the mountains at a very high speed. The two panda men immediately rushed to the panda mother who had not yet figured out the situation. The panda mother and the panda baby were about to escape, but saw the panda man raised his gun and fired, the tranquilizer bullet directly hit the panda mother, while the other panda man covered the panda baby with a cloth.

Another panda man came, and the three of them dragged the two pandas into the car, turned around, turned on the ignition and drove away at high speed - if they were slower, not only would the pandas be in danger, but they themselves would be extremely dangerous, because this was a giant beast with a record of eating people.

Cheng Yijiu was only two kilometers away from the panda at this time, but it was not visible to the naked eye. What worried the observing experts was that the Tyrannosaurus Rex suddenly turned and moved in the direction where the panda people drove away.

Cheng Yijiu didn't have any other reasons, he just wanted to change direction. He just wandered around wherever he wanted...

At this time, Cheng Yijiu was already famous all over the world - the last time humans discovered a large land carnivore was in the 18th century, and it was a strange thing that in the 21st century, the largest land carnivore in history could still be found in a similar secret place in Dongda.

Moreover, a clear video of his appearance and relatively reliable physical data have been leaked. At first glance, he is an extremely ferocious beast. Experts at home and abroad are now in an uproar - they are discussing how to classify him. As for domestic netizens, it is simple and they can just look for him in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

In the Classic of Mountains and Seas, they directly say it's either a fierce beast or a Taowu, either of which is a ferocious beast that can eat people. Tyrannosaurus Rex is generally considered a rubbish name given by idiotic scientists. After much discussion, Cheng Yijiu is considered to be the ancient Taowu, which has become the generally accepted view.

They believe that the ancients had seen this beast, and the area where Cheng Yijiu operated was considered a southern barbarian land in ancient times. You could also say that the Chu State, after seeing this monster, the ancients listed it as one of the Four Evils. It does seem somewhat similar to the description in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. The difference in description is simple, the ancients exaggerated it.

Dongda netizens actually have a strange sense of pride—look, the largest land carnivore ever to exist on Earth is right here in China, and it's alive today. I feel really good that you don't have one… If Cheng Yijiu knew about this, he would definitely say, "That's really a bit weird."

Cheng Yijiu's turn put everyone in a difficult position. Since the electric ATV could navigate, it meant the massive beast could also move quickly, much faster than on the mountain. And since it was a quadruped, it might even be faster than a car. There was another problem: after a few kilometers, they would reach a dirt road, and once the dirt road became a highway, they would pass by a farm.

If this beast suddenly wants to attack the farm, it is likely that people will be injured.

The distance is still far, so should we evacuate the people?

In fact, there was no need to evacuate because some people actually took the initiative to take the risk.

This place should have been closed. Although you can't go into the mountains, the road all the way to the farm is not closed. But now a group of ghost fire youths came here to play in a ghost train that has been modified with colorful headlights.

At first, no one wanted to evacuate the area, as it was clearly outside the beast's territory—otherwise, the farm would have been visited long ago. But as Cheng Yijiu trotted closer and closer to the perimeter, everyone's nerves grew increasingly tense. The panda people, driving their cars, finally spotted the monster following them from a distance.

Nerves were instantly tense. Although the Tyrannosaurus beast lowered its head, anyone who saw it felt as if an ice knife was sliding up and down their spines, their hair standing on end. "Damn it! We must expel it!" The leaders of the Public Security and Forestry Departments immediately issued orders to evacuate the farm and dispatch armed personnel to use non-lethal weapons such as stun grenades to drive away the beast.

There's even a possibility: could the beast be immobilized and eventually tranquilized using stun grenades and specialized wire mesh? Then, wouldn't it be possible to examine and take samples? This could also determine the monster's true classification: a remnant of the Creodontidae or an entirely new family within the Carnivora order.

Molecular biology is still very useful.

Then make arrangements quickly. Cheng Yijiu also noticed the ATV ahead, and out of pure curiosity, he said, "I've probably been discovered, but what are these guys doing breaking in? Do they think I'm not that dangerous?" He quickened his pace and prepared to catch up to take a look.

This movement startled all the experts, scholars, and officials watching the drone footage. No one could have imagined that a beast larger than an elephant could leap into the air, leaping and moving like a leopard or snow leopard. What kind of tough and strong bones must these be? Could these joints also be made of metal? How could they withstand such impact?

Speaking of toughness and strength, Cheng Yijiu's current body's bones and cartilage ligaments are inherently "unscientific," light yet strong. His bones are hollow, and he also has air sacs within his body. His muscle strength is also completely "abnormal," allowing him to leap so fast despite weighing eight tons. He deserves to be called "excellent Qinggong."

Everyone quickly used computers to analyze the impact of Cheng Yijiu's actions, once again revising his danger level. "Use whatever you have. Small-caliber weapons probably can't hurt a monster like this," the experts told the government officials, urging them to relax a bit.

chapter Ten

With a brisk pace, a gradually emptying stomach, and a surge of appetite... Cheng Yijiu decided to go all out. "Since there's a 99% chance they've already been discovered, I might as well just go for it and have a greasy meal!" With this thought, his pace quickened, truly like a flash of brown lightning.

The drone could still keep up—Cheng Yijiu was just a saurus, not a wolf, so his movement speed couldn't be as exaggerated as teleportation. Therefore, Cheng Yijiu's running speed was only about 60 kilometers per hour, which was very fast for a person of his size—even tigers, lions, and leopards couldn't move that fast.

Due to the existence of an air sac breathing system—something that experts and scholars were completely unaware of, and if it were known, it would cause a sensation, raising the question of whether this creature was a main dragon. Thanks to this highly efficient breathing system, Cheng Yijiu's physical strength has greatly increased, his breathing efficiency has also increased, and the efficiency of heat dissipation has naturally increased as well.

Heat was exhaled from his mouth and snout, and if anything flammable was added, it would become fire. This was because he didn't have a dragon power bag in his body, otherwise he would have just exhaled dragon power. Cheng Yijiu quickly reached the location, smashed through the wall, and began to attack the pigs inside. The poor pigs couldn't escape, and their desperate attempts to jump out of the pig pen were useless.

With a body that size, only three pigs could be eaten. Cheng Yijiu left the pig pen, swung his body, and washed himself in the nearby sink, drinking some water. Given his immune system and the amount of heat in his body, it would be strange if bacteria could thrive. A drone broadcast the entire scene. Fortunately, the people here had been evacuated, otherwise there might have been a real murder.

A beast that size could cause casualties if touched. Furthermore, it's a ferocious beast, and it could eat people if not handled properly. Eating some pigs is the best option now...

Elsewhere, someone had entered the mountain. Even though it was closed, some still took it for granted and sneaked in. It was a group of twenty or so women—the all-female mountaineering group. This time, they'd organized it as a so-called "into no-man's land." It was a big deal, but in reality, it was just a stroll along the edge.

The problem was that this marginal area happened to be close to Cheng Yijiu's activity area. The beast had already fled to the breeding farm, so the so-called territory was nothing. This beast could appear anywhere in this area - the strange thing was this, why had such a monster never appeared before?

There is no record of any sighting of this kind of monster in history - it can explain that everyone who saw it was eaten, but even so it doesn't make sense. This place has not been an uninhabited area since ancient times. At certain times in ancient times, there were mountain roads here.

So far, drone reconnaissance of the area has not revealed a second similar creature, so this Tyrannosaurus is the only one left. Fortunately, based on the size-lifespan relationship of mammals, this behemoth is likely to have a long lifespan. But it's only a possibility. Cheng Yijiu himself knows that the lifespan of a Deinonychus is measured in hundreds of years.

But it is impossible for him to survive in this world for a hundred years.

After a satisfying meal, Cheng Yijiu began to head due north. At this moment, the drone that had arrived ahead finally spotted the group of female hikers... They had taken the wrong path, turning in the wrong direction and heading directly towards Cheng Yijiu. This was a serious matter, and another drone had to be deployed immediately to warn them to evacuate quickly.

The problem was, I couldn't deploy them. Multi-rotor drones have a limited flight speed, and these women moved slower than turtles. The ones who fell behind would take at least nine minutes out of ten. It was a complete waste. Calling a maritime satellite phone? First, I didn't know the number. Secondly, the drone taking a picture of the face would be searched in the public security database, and then matching it would take at least half an hour.

At the running speed Cheng Yijiu had demonstrated earlier, if he continued at that speed, he would be within visual range in half an hour. One could imagine the tragedy that would ensue. Should he be rescued? Of course he should be. How should he be rescued? The only thing he could think of was to dispatch a helicopter immediately.

Would it work? Actually, it didn't. Because the terrain here is hilly and complex, a helicopter couldn't land. A rope ladder had to be lowered, and the rescued people had to strap themselves in and climb up. If all these women were to climb onto the helicopters—even if there were three or four helicopters, with only three or four or five people climbing onto each helicopter—how long would it take these women? I don't know, but it certainly wouldn't take half an hour...

So we can only try to drive away this monster before considering the rescue issue.

Helicopters couldn't take off that fast. The emergency department did have helicopters, but they couldn't take off immediately. They could only ask the garrison for help, but their base was far away, so they could only try to race against time. Bring stun grenades and live ammunition and take off quickly in the helicopter. The fact that Cheng Yijiu wasn't moving that fast was good news. They could only hope that the monster would change direction before they encountered it.

Cheng Yijiu hadn't really thought much of it; he was just digesting his food. The women hadn't considered that they'd taken the wrong road; they were just complaining about how tiring it was and how it was less fun than they'd imagined. The helicopter took off, carrying two shooters and two experts, filling the cabin to the brim.

The experts wanted a firsthand, up-close encounter, while the gunman was armed with a shotgun, stun grenades, and, of course, tranquilizer bullets—all knowing they were likely useless. The helicopter would take at least twenty-five minutes to reach its destination, and they had already spent twenty minutes there before takeoff. Cheng Yijiu was still about twenty kilometers away from the women, and he was running slower than expected, which was a relief for everyone.

Judging from his current walking speed, it would take more than half an hour for the two sides to come into visual range, or even forty to an hour, which was relatively relaxed.

It would take about ten minutes for the drones to warn the women—primarily communication drones that would hover so that the relevant authorities could call their cell phones directly.

Sure enough, these women's phones started ringing one after another. "Hey? Got a signal? Who's calling?" When they picked up the phone, some were immediately terrified while others cursed, "You're trying to scam me?!"

Chapter 11

Situ Jiong was also in the mountains—he had a big cat and a dog with him, and he could even ask birds and animals for directions and get information along the way. He was completely at home in the mountains. "Ah, has that monster turned around and gone that way?" Situ Jiong wanted to follow, but the big cat and the dog both bit at the corner of his clothes, absolutely not allowing him to go that way.

"He'll die," the dog said. "A miserable death!" This was said by the big cat, the leopard. The monster was terrifying. If it targeted someone within ten kilometers, there was no escape. Even a large two-legged cat wouldn't be able to escape if it targeted them within twenty kilometers.

Cheng Yijiu was fast and had a keen sense of smell, truly a stalker of death. On flat ground, a human could still escape by car, but in the mountains, escape was impossible. Even if the women had believed the warning and turned back in the correct direction, they would have already entered the no-escape zone and could not escape.

Cheng Yijiu finally caught a whiff of something in the shifting wind—a mix of human sweat and cosmetics. "Hmm, is anyone there?" Cheng Yijiu wasn't hungry, so he wasn't interested in eating anyone, but a quick look was essential. He didn't speed up; he didn't believe any creature in the mountains could escape his pursuit.

Unless he jumps off a cliff and dives into the water, surviving and then swimming away, Cheng Yijiu must not be hungry. Otherwise, if he jumps down and swims to chase him, he will not be able to escape.

He didn't speed up, still running at a leisurely pace in the direction of the smell. His scent was naturally carried by the wind, and the fur of the big cat, leopard, and dog stood on end, their tails tucked under their bellies. "Big, big, big monster!" the big cat muttered, and the dog had already peed. "Let's run before it finds us."