From Robinson Crusoe

As darkness gradually engulfed the earth, the firelight became increasingly conspicuous in the twilight, and the wind in the fields gradually intensified.

The predators lurking near the rock face could no longer suppress their thirst for flesh and blood and began to move.

……

The dire wolves were the first to set off.

This is a type of giant wolf similar in size to the Alaskan wolf, with an average weight of over 60 kilograms. However, unlike gray wolves, they have stronger jaws, larger teeth, and more developed head muscles.

This body structure evolved for hunting megafauna, and their powerful bite force enabled them to take on mastodons, bison, and camels.

Like gray wolves, dire wolves also hunt in packs.

The dire wolf pack that arrived at the mound was quite large, numbering more than thirty.

They resembled two groups of dire wolves that had come together to form a makeshift team, one group consisting of about twenty individuals and the other of only a dozen or so, running in two separate groups.

There weren't many clouds in the sky, only a crescent moon and a few scattered stars.

Through the withered grass tinged with a dark blue hue, one could see the gleaming eyes of the dire wolves. Their steps were nimble and light, their ranks swift and orderly, as they approached the camels resting by the riverbank.

Those are "familiar faces" on their menus.

……

The camel-like creature resembled a dromedary camel, but its hump was much flatter than that of a modern dromedary camel, forming only a slight bulge on its back.

Compared to modern camels, they had longer legs and thicker hair—

This is because during the late Pliocene to the end of the Pleistocene, when they lived, the climate in North America was declining, and they disappeared along with other megafauna from the same period when the Ice Age arrived.

In North America, dire wolves are the natural enemies of camels, so when a wolf pack approaches, the camels on guard immediately begin to howl.

The loud calls roused the other camels, who spontaneously formed a defensive formation. The strong adult camels stood on the outermost edge, while the sub-adult and juvenile camels were well protected by their elders, and they ran away as fast as they could.

In a cooperative hunt, one group of dire wolves lays an ambush ahead, while another group chases after them.

They showed a sprinting attitude from the very beginning, which frightened the camels so much that they only cared about running away. The defensive formation gradually loosened, leaving a camel with an injured leg and two baby camels behind.

Taking advantage of the prey's formation being broken up, the dire wolves lying in ambush ahead left the bushes and opened their blood-red mouths to intercept the fleeing camels.

Since arriving here, this was the first time that the camel had seen such a large pack of dire wolves. It was so frightened that it lost its composure, and the already loose group split into several groups and fled in different directions.

……

Like water dripping into hot oil, once the dire wolf launches its attack, the other predators can no longer suppress their killing instincts.

The blood flowing from the little camel, pinned down by the wolves and with its arteries ripped open, deeply stirred the wild beasts' thirst for food.

They couldn't wait any longer, so they roared and howled as they charged toward their chosen target.

Dust billowed up, and the sounds of herbivores running around were like a torrential downpour on the grassland, while the roars of predators were even louder than the sounds of them fleeing for their lives.

The sounds of broken grass blades, splattered blood, screams and threats from predators, warning cries from herbivores, and even careless predators being kicked, bumped, or bitten by fierce herbivores were incessant.

……

The prehistoric animal exhibition "run" by the Time and Space Administration has become a chaotic mess due to a bare rock wall with exposed natural rock salt and the animals gathered there.

Whether carnivores or herbivores, everyone was caught up in the frenzy, their blood boiling, and they joined the revelry.

Even the three serrated tiger cubs by the campfire were no exception. They seemed to have heard the voices of their kind, and each of them craned their necks to look at the other side of the mound, trying to find the source of the familiar voice.

Chen Zhou quietly observed these little guys, then wrapped another layer of leather tightly around the gun barrel.

Unlike the spears he had made from random pieces of wood, the wood used for the shaft of his spear was carefully selected; it was hard yet resilient, and with his strength, he could easily shake the spearhead.

Although Chen Zhou had never learned marksmanship, he could still rely on the brute force between his waist and arms to make the spearhead bloom with a deadly spear flower that pierced through the skin and hit the vital point, ending the life of the wild beast.

As for Paul, he still used the same saber as his rifle, but his long gun had a longer shaft, which he designed specifically for safety.

Paul knew he was not as agile as wild beasts, so he found a tree trunk more than four meters long and made this spear.

It is said that an inch longer is an inch stronger, and his spear has maximized the attack range. As long as he is not surrounded by wild beasts and has to deal with the dangers of wild beasts from all directions, he can rely on this super long spear to strike from outside the enemy's attack range.

In terms of offensive capabilities, they are naturally somewhat lacking, but they are more than capable of defending by the campfire.

……

Gripping his rifle tightly, Paul had already unloaded his cooking pot and other items onto the ground to conserve his energy.

Because he needed to carry too many tools, he didn't wear the armor made of carved beast bone plates. Instead, he tied some rattan around his hands, feet, and chest to enhance his defense.

Seeing Chen Zhou wrap a short piece of pine bark around the bottom of the spearhead, making the originally uniform curve of his spear appear noticeably bulging, Paul couldn't help but ask.

"When shall we do it?"

"We'll move in after the predators have finished their hunt."

At that time, the herd of giant deer guarding the cliffs would be scared away. The carnivores would be busy fighting for their spoils and wouldn't have time to bother with us, making it a good opportunity to harvest salt.

We'd better collect enough salt tonight, otherwise by tomorrow morning the great deer herd might return, and perhaps other groups of animals will also come here, putting us in a difficult position again.

After saying that, Chen Zhou stood up, carrying his spear.

Just as Paul was about to reply, the little saw-toothed tigers beside him suddenly lowered their heads, bristled the fur on their backs, and kept making low growling noises, looking threatened.

Knowing that his perception was the worst here, Paul quickly turned his gaze to Chen Zhou.

Sure enough, Chen Zhou's gaze drifted to the direction the sawtooth tiger cubs were facing.

Noticing Paul's slightly questioning gaze, he calmly replied, "It's a giant hyena."

"A giant hyena?"

Since Chen Zhou did not know the proper Russian term for "giant hyena," he referred to it as "huge cave hyena" in his reply.

Paul was wondering what the word meant when a group of unusually large hyenas emerged from the hazy night in the distance from the mound.

If the cave hyena is a behemoth compared to the spotted hyena, then the giant hyena is the giant among cave hyenas.

During the Middle Pleistocene, due to the overlap in ecological status between the giant hyena and the cave hyena, the giant hyena would generally not appear in the same area as the common cave hyena.

They stand 110cm tall at the shoulder and weigh an average of 120kg, making them more robust than lionesses.

Compared to cave hyenas, giant hyenas have less stamina, but they are capable of directly hunting giant deer or snatching food from cave lions and cave bears.

Their herd-like habits, remarkable intelligence, and fierce nature made them the brown reapers that once dominated the ancient mammoth plains.

Because their diet includes large-horned deer, the hyena's activity area often coincides with that of deer herds.

When Chen Zhou first arrived here with the deer herd, he wondered why he couldn't see any hyenas. He never expected that these cunning creatures would wait until now to appear, and treat them as an appetizer.

Like all cave hyenas, the giant hyena also developed a feud with early humans during its long evolutionary process. After being "exiled" to the challenge area, the giant hyena had not seen the hateful humans for a long time. Now, unexpectedly encountering Chen Zhou and his companion, they could be described as enemies meeting again with intense hatred.

No wonder these guys ignored the other animals fighting and wanted to kill these two humans who were in their territory first.

……

There are seven heads in total, four males and three females.

"Same old method, I'll raid the leader, you guard the campfire, don't be too reckless, just don't get hurt."

After giving his instructions, Chen Zhou picked up his spear and took a step forward. He had only gone a meter when he suddenly turned around and looked at the three menacing little saw-toothed tigers.

For a fleeting moment, he remembered Lai Fu, who had fearlessly rushed to warn the giant python on the deserted island.

"Try to take good care of them as long as I don't get hurt myself."

"If you can really raise them to adulthood, you won't have to be afraid of cave hyenas anymore."

After saying that, Chen Zhou left the area illuminated by the campfire and ventured alone into the darkness.

……

This night was not as dark as the day the challenge began; from a distance, Paul could vaguely make out Chen Zhou's figure.

Seeing Chen Zhou leave the campfire, the three little serrated tiger cubs instinctively tried to follow him, but Paul stopped them in time.

They've been taking care of the little ones for over a month, but they still haven't named the tiger cubs. They usually just give them cute nicknames, like Tiger Cub 1, Tiger Cub 2, and Tiger Cub 3.

As for who is the eldest and who is the second eldest, they are distinguished by their size.

The one with the biggest head, the smartest appearance, and the best ability to read the room is the leader.

The second son is reckless and prone to fighting with rotten tree stumps in the woods.

The third one is the most timid and hesitant, and only has the strength to fight when its two older brothers or Chen Zhou and Paul are by its side. It is also the smallest in size and has the worst appetite.

The one who rushed to follow Chen Zhou just now was Hu Da Wa; that cunning little thing had already realized the danger.

As a member who spent every day with Chen Zhou, it knew very well who the true leader of this group was and who possessed the strongest fighting power. Therefore, it subconsciously wanted to move closer to Chen Zhou to gain more security, but unfortunately, Paul's words of dissuasion prevented it from succeeding.

……

Of all the ferocious beasts of the entire Pleistocene period, the spotted hyena subspecies is undoubtedly the most knowledgeable about humans.

At this time, primitive people already knew how to use fire, stones, and spears to hunt animals and wear their fur for warmth.

Although giant hyenas dare to hunt humans, nearly 10,000 years of interaction have instilled in them an instinctive fear of humans.

Seeing Chen Zhou walk out alone, the seven large hyenas did not make any rash moves.

They crouched low, revealing their jagged teeth, and growled softly, their mouths reeking of carrion. After spreading out, two females and one male, three large hyenas, surrounded Chen Zhou.

The remaining four large hyenas gazed at the roaring campfire, not attacking Paul, but quietly observing Chen Zhou's actions—

This human was much larger than any primitive human they had ever encountered, and he also carried a scent very different from that of primitive humans. The wild instincts of the hyenas made them instinctively feel that this man was somewhat dangerous.

At this moment, the Queen Hyena was already having second thoughts.

As the leader of the tribe, it knew very well whether it was more important to fight for food or to kill humans.

Today, the grasslands are teeming with ferocious beasts, including top predators like the saw-toothed tiger and saber-toothed tiger, which they cannot afford to offend, as well as some unfamiliar but extremely large giants that inspire awe in them.

Although winter hadn't arrived yet, the Queen Hyena already had a premonition—

This winter will be far more brutal than in previous years, and if anything goes wrong, their entire population may be wiped out this winter.

At this juncture, engaging in a life-or-death struggle with two seemingly formidable humans is clearly not a wise choice.

……

"Woo~"

Chen Zhou pressed forward relentlessly, and the giant hyenas retreated in unison at the Queen's command.

They maintained the integrity of the encirclement, coordinating their movements from both sides, and retreated without giving humans any opportunity to attack.

Chen Zhou had no intention of clashing with these unpleasant-smelling beasts, and seeing that the hyenas wisely avoided him, he didn't plan to pursue them relentlessly.

Facing the hyenas, he slowly withdrew from their encirclement.

A fierce battle seemed about to dissipate with the tacit cooperation of the two leaders, but unexpectedly, at that moment, a colossal beast from the mixed forest emerged from the depths of the dark grassland—

The giant bear with fine teeth.

The hyena was already quite large, but compared to this giant bear, it looked like a few small dogs.

This behemoth stands nearly 2 meters tall at the shoulder when it is on all fours. Its tank-like body and the shrugging of its shoulders as it walks make every step it takes carry an extremely strong sense of oppression.

The seven giant hyenas noticed its presence and gathered together without the queen's summons, maintaining a safe distance from the slender-toothed giant bear.

The giant bear with fine teeth has a shorter snout and a more honest-looking face than the brown bear, with its small eyes hidden deep in the black fur on its face.

It glanced disdainfully at the large hyenas, knowing it had no chance of catching up with the agile creatures, and continued on its way.

Its direction of travel was towards the campfire beneath the mound, or rather, towards Paul and the three-headed little saw-toothed tiger guarding the campfire.

According to Chen Zhou's observation, it did not seem to have any intention of changing direction.

……

Chen Zhou hadn't strayed too far from the campfire; at that distance, even if Paul didn't have much night vision, he could clearly see the giant beast—

After all, it is really too big. Conservatively estimated, its weight is over 1500 kilograms.

Even if it were pitch black, Paul could see such a big goal.

Without Chen Zhou needing to warn him, seeing the giant beast heading straight for the campfire, Paul immediately grabbed his spear and prepared to make way for the three little serrated tiger cubs.

Even if he was very confident in Chen Zhou's fighting ability, he didn't think Chen Zhou could handle this giant bear.

The campfire is dead, but people are alive.

Since this bear insists on leaving from here, let's just make room for it. If we can't afford to mess with it, can't we at least avoid it?

Paul had high hopes, but when he stepped into the dark field beside the firelight, spear in hand, treading on the half-withered grass, he found that the giant bear had turned around with him, its eyes, reflecting the firelight, fixed on him.

My heart started racing instantly.

Paul could feel his heavy breathing. Before he could make his next move, the giant bear began to accelerate, pressing down on him like a small mountain. (End of Chapter)