Infinite Hunter

After passing through the woods, they came upon a deep mud pit, with water flowing down its edge. Across the mud pit, a few rotten, blackened trees clung to orchids, each blooming a dazzling red flower. The stench of decay emanated from the orchids. "It doesn't rely on bees for pollination, but on scavenging insects, right? And it's definitely a parasite," the others visibly excited. "Blood orchid!" But then they fell silent, like chickens with their necks pinched.

A giant snake's head poked out from the side, then gradually slid down into the pit. The snake swam endlessly—even Cheng Yijiu was stunned. The pit was filled with snakes, giant pythons, and as the giant python swam, it collided with a nearby tree, sending a cascade of debris crashing down from the tree, splashing onto the ground and all over Little Black Man, Big Black Man, Sam, and Gale.

Once they smelled, touched, and saw it, they all screamed, seemingly oblivious to the python so close. It was rotting human tissue, and the bodies that fell were human bodies. They had been above the trees, but after being brushed and struck by the python, they slid down. The bodies were naked or their clothes were tattered. Zhou Xianda covered his nose and watched for a few moments. Those men were already frantically wiping the filth off their bodies, and then Big Black Jordan slipped and fell into the pit.

Everyone watched him fall and then rise again, only to find himself in the jaws of a giant python... He screamed, but entangled, he couldn't make a sound. All he could hear was the sound of bones snapping and bodily fluids being squeezed out of the snake's mouth. "It's hopeless," Cheng Yijiu knew immediately. He glanced at the bodies—they were headless and missing some spines. Even their skin seemed to be gone. Perhaps they had been digested?

He raised his rifle and aimed at the pythons. More than one python head was already rising from the edge of the pit. "Get out of here! Don't worry about your body!" he said. Bill led the gang, or rather dragged them, back toward the back. Jack was still trying to pick the orchids, so he ran in another direction, trying to get around them. Cheng Yijiu reached into a bag and pulled out a few balls—his homemade stun grenades. Filling them with ammonium was enough.

Just a little bit can create a huge noise. And if the flash doesn't do anything to the python, the sound will. Cheng Yijiu picked up the rifle, took rough aim, and shot the largest head with one shot, then pulled the bolt and fired a second shot, hitting the same head. Then he put the rifle on his back, pulled the trigger on the stun grenade in his hand and threw it, turning and running as he threw it. The first stun grenade exploded when it fell into the mud pit. Cheng Yijiu didn't know the effect, but the buzzing in his ears was real.

It was estimated that most of the snakes would faint, but Cheng Yijiu still threw the second one.

Bill was indeed quite capable. Even in such a situation, he was able to bring the little black man and the two women to the place where the helicopter crashed. When Cheng Yijiu rushed out, the blonde woman Sam shouted, "Jack! What happened to Jack?" Cheng Yijiu gasped, "We can't take care of him. We have to leave quickly. Who knows how many giant pythons are in that pit - they may be breeding. There may be more than a dozen giant pythons down there."

So they continued moving and soon returned to the village. After washing up by the river, they decided to rest. After all, it was getting late, and maybe Jack could still be found. The two women were almost mentally broken, and the little black guy Cole was actually almost the same. Bill was still normal, but Cheng Yijiu felt something was wrong. "Those bodies... all four bodies were swallowed by the giant python? And then for some reason they were vomited out? I feel like I've overlooked something..."

Chapter 11 Return

This time, they settled into a former outhouse, and after lighting the fire, everyone calmed down. Gail, Sam, and Cole all looked gloomy. Even Bill looked miserable. "Do you think they won't pay? They still owe half," he muttered. Bill expressed no sympathy for the unfortunate person who had been eaten by the python.

Having spent so much time in the wilderness and being a soldier himself, Bill was accustomed to this kind of thing, hardening his heart—it was all part of the natural cycle. He cared about the money, and he believed he had done his best to save these people, so he had no regrets. Cheng Yijiu was even less concerned. To him, this was also a natural cycle. Humanity's ancestors had been part of it, and so was the human race today.

Being eaten by a python, and then being hunted by him, was a perfectly normal thing. It must be said that Cheng Yijiu's mind had shifted somewhat after the punishment. Also, as a former top-tier man-eating tiger, even if this seemed like a dream, it certainly left a deep impression on him. "You should be able to get the money, Bill. But I'm not sure Dr. Jack can escape."

Sam grabbed Cheng Yijiu's arm and said, "What happened to him? What did you see happen to him? Please tell me!" Cheng Yijiu looked into the eyes of the blonde woman in front of him. He blinked and organized his words, "I saw him run in another direction. He must have wanted to go around the pit and climb up the trees to collect blood orchids. I don't think he thought about how to come back... As for Mr. Jordan, he is beyond saving."

Cheng Yijiu told Bill about what he had noticed. "Those corpses, do you remember?" Bill looked up at him and said, "I remember. What's wrong?"

"Could they be the helicopter pilot and passengers?" Cheng Yijiu casually threw a piece of wood into the fire, and the fire immediately burst into a ball of sparks. Bill thought for a moment, "It's very likely. Then what? I think they were swallowed by the python, and then for some reason the python vomited them out - you and I both know that snakes will spit out swallowed food when they are frightened."

Cheng Yijiu subconsciously scratched the wood with his knife. "I just feel something is wrong. Where are these people's clothes? And their skin—could it have corroded so quickly? And I can't see their heads..." Bill shrugged his shoulders and didn't answer. After a while, he said, "Let's get some rest early. We'll go back tomorrow as soon as we get to the boat. I want to have a good drink."

Cheng Yijiu also smiled, "Forget it, let's not think about it. If nothing unexpected happens on our way back, we'll still have to worry about the python."

"Miss Sam, although we saw the blood orchid and the python that likely gained its long lifespan and grew so large due to the blood orchid, you didn't retrieve any samples. This expedition is still a failure, right? Gail, I'm afraid your fund won't invest anymore." Cheng Yijiu also tried to find a topic to talk to the two women. As for the little black guy? Ah, he's still scared and probably doesn't want to talk at the moment.

Sam gave a bitter smile after hearing that. She didn't want to say anything more. Gail also fell to the floor and didn't want to say anything more. But the little black guy Cole shook his head and grabbed Bill, "Python! Where is the python? It will attack me at night! Help! Help! Can't someone come here to save the black guy!" Cheng Yijiu laughed, and Bill also laughed with the back of his hand against his forehead. Cheng Yijiu rummaged in his backpack for a long time and took out a silver flat wine flask and threw it to Bill.

"Give him some, Bill, or we won't sleep tonight," Cheng Yijiu said. Bill unscrewed the bottle and took a long swig himself, then patted Cole and forced him to down half the bottle. "It won't kill you. Good bourbon. Forget-me-not." Sure enough, Cole began to ramble happily, then collapsed to the floor, snoring loudly. Bill simply watched the boy's drunken madness with amusement, and in the process, he finished off Cheng Yijiu's entire stockpile.

That night, without the python, Dr. Jack, or the blood orchid, there was no business. At Sam and Gail's insistence, Cheng Yijiu finally found a second hidden flat wine flask, and the vodka inside, which was originally used for disinfection and thirst quenching, was swept away by the two women. Then, forgetting all their worries, they fell to the ground and fell into a deep sleep. Bill also drank a lot, so poor Cheng Yijiu, who hadn't drunk, stayed half asleep and half awake to watch over them all night.

The pythons really didn't come. Not to mention the pythons, there weren't any other animals, not even mice. The next day, after chewing on degradable anhydrous toothpaste, everyone set off - breakfast was still replaced by simple dry food. Gail and the others were anxious to go back. This jungle was really like a nightmare. Cheng Yijiu led them quickly through the jungle and came to the swamp. Cheng Yijiu took a long breath, "There's a big guy here..."

Just as he said this, Bill patted him and said, "What's that?" Cheng Yijiu saw the direction Bill was pointing - a black body floating on the water. It was the body of a python, but it was motionless. He raised his rifle and fired at the snake. The snake didn't move. "The blood has coagulated and won't flow out. This is a dead snake." Cheng Yijiu and the others quickly passed by the dead python.

The python was probably fourteen or fifteen meters long. Cheng Yijiu hadn't seen its head; it had been severed... Although he couldn't recall anything particularly unusual, a cold sensation, like a razor against his throat, made the hairs stand on end. Driven by this fear, Cheng Yijiu led Gale and the others through the jungle almost frantically. His fear infected the others, preventing them from asking him what had happened.

The boat remained stationary. Cheng Yijiu quickly jumped aboard, and the others quickly followed. Cheng Yijiu cut the mooring with a single stroke, and while pulling up the anchor, he started the boat and fled. "I have a very bad feeling!" Cheng Yijiu said to Bill, "You should also be careful. I don't know what it is..." Was this hunt over? Cheng Yijiu didn't know. Was he supposed to kill the giant python in the river?

Or is he going to have to endure another punishment mission?

The two women immediately rushed into the room to wash themselves, and so did the little black man. When the boat reached the middle of the river, Cheng Yijiu relaxed. The riverbank on either side was three to five hundred meters away from the boat, and nothing could cross the river without being discovered. Cheng Yijiu decided to wash himself as well. He sighed deeply as he pushed open the door. The hall appeared before him.

Chapter 12 Optional Tasks

If he appeared in the lobby without warning, it meant he'd succeeded—those two shots seemed to have truly killed the giant python. Fortunately, the mission required killing the giant python, not the largest one, otherwise Cheng Yijiu would be in trouble. Female pythons are larger than males, and the largest ones might still be deep in the mire. Unless Cheng Yijiu had an RPG, he definitely wouldn't have killed those pythons before he died.

He walked in, placed his gun on the table, and sighed wearily. Cheng Yijiu stripped off his clothes in the hall, wrapped them up, along with his shoes, and prepared to toss them into the incinerator—the specially designed incinerator's temperatures, exceeding 2,500 degrees Celsius, were sufficient to dispose of all of his belongings without causing any pollution. He was too lazy to wash himself, so after cleaning himself, Cheng Yijiu collapsed onto the bed on the second floor and fell into a deep, dead sleep.

In his dream, he thought he heard a hissing sound, but it was the sight of something invisible in the jungle that finally woke him. When he awoke, it was daylight. Cheng Yijiu walked to the exhibition hall and, unsurprisingly, saw a giant python specimen coiled in its place. "It doesn't have diamond-shaped markings. Could this be a reticulated python?" The python specimen was a glossy black with faint yellow markings running through its body. He glanced at the plaque on the specimen. "Is it seventeen meters long..." He looked at the python specimen, which was one meter in diameter at its thickest point.

This guy's head was not small, as big as a backpack. Cheng Yijiu found two repair marks on the head of this giant python, and the traces of resin repair on one side of the skull specimen showed that the two shots he fired were quite accurate, one shot piercing the cranial cavity and the other through the upper jaw. "This guy must have struggled for a while, and finally the blood loss and infection took its life..." Cheng Yijiu thought.

This time it was okay, but Cheng Yijiu felt that something must have happened in the jungle during the latter part. Those headless corpses, that dead python. "Now that I think about it, the incision on the python's cross section was very smooth. The blade was sharp, and the force used was amazing. It was completely effortless..." He closed his eyes and tried to recall the incision. All he could remember was that the blade didn't cut into the spine, but rather disintegrated it.

Just thinking about this kind of swordsmanship is enough to make one shudder, but thankfully, this is a mission world. Cheng Yijiu glanced at the computer and discovered that it had an optional mission: "Return to the jungle and search for the blood orchid. Successfully complete the mission to obtain blood orchid extract. Note: This is actually a gene repair drug that extends the limit of cell division." Cheng Yijiu shuddered, seeing that the completion time for this mission was actually infinite.

"Should we go?" Cheng Yijiu shuddered, deciding it would be best to wait. Or perhaps go during the dry season? He'd looked up the mission, and it seemed the only requirement was to obtain orchid plants. If he didn't need to rush during blooming time, he probably wouldn't encounter so many pythons. The gathering of pythons might attract something, so going during the dry season wasn't likely to yield a single python.

"If there really were pythons that big and in such large numbers, people in Borneo would have witnessed them long ago." Cheng Yijiu also thought of the Borneo in this world today - Kalimantan Island... The largest reticulated python currently on record is only about seven meters long, more than half the length of the specimen upstairs, and their weight is completely incomparable - so it is very likely that these are not the same species of python at all.

Could it really be a Titanoboa? It's unlikely this creature could live for more than 58 million years, so it's likely just a common anaconda, perhaps only 200 years old. There's definitely no such thing on Kalimantan in real life, but whether there are blood orchids is hard to say—the depths of this island are practically uninhabited, and 80% to 90% of the new species discovered by scientists each year come from expeditions to Kalimantan and Papua New Guinea.

This is especially true for higher chordates and plants.

If there really were a giant python, it would have been discovered by the scientific expedition team long ago—it's generally accepted that the largest pythons are still found in the Amazon basin. Cheng Yijiu pushed open the door, shouldering his backpack, and once again deposited part of the bounty into the bank. This kind of thing can't be done too often, otherwise the police will come to your door in a matter of minutes. So he left a lot of cash in the rental house. Now that he could buy things with cash, Cheng Yijiu had accumulated a lot of supplies for his house.

He was determined to go to Blood Orchid, but this time he planned to make the Thompson's pistol first. It was sometimes more useful than a revolver, since it only fired once in battle. It accepted the .30-06 rounds used in his rifles, and the gun's construction was indeed very simple; the intricate work lay in the carving of the barrel, handguard, and grip. He used black walnut, as was customary, cut on a lathe, then meticulously sanded, soaked in oil to prevent moisture rot, then varnished and polished, and finally given a protective coat of lacquer.

Wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant, and also reinforced with epoxy resin, Cheng Yijiu spent considerable time crafting the handguard and grip. He was enjoying a rare moment of leisure—he'd already had an editor sign a contract for the book he'd been working on, considering it was a hunting diary. "How could this thing even be signed?" He'd deliberately filled his account with flaws, fearing a visit from the forest police to check on him for poaching, or a police station to question him about illegal gun possession...

Cheng Yijiu naturally went out for exercise every day, and he also wanted to make himself familiar with the surroundings. The more normal he acted, the better; blending in with the crowd was the only way to survive. The mandatory mission wasn't due for another three months, and Cheng Yijiu decided to prepare himself before embarking on this optional mission. The blood orchid's longevity potion was quite powerful, and perhaps he could gain some benefit from it.

Cheng Yijiu went to burn the first incense, relying on his skills that were now superior to others, and as expected, he squeezed and rushed him all the way. So after returning, he showered and cleaned himself, took three long breaths, grabbed a rifle and a pistol, clicked to accept the mission, pushed open the door and went out.

This was not a good thing. Cheng Yijiu felt dizzy and passed out. When he woke up again, he found that something was wrong with him. He felt a little strange. "Hey? Where are my hands? Where are my feet? Oh, my feet seem to have a little feeling... but..." He saw himself sticking out a long forked tongue.

Cheng Yijiu, who had experienced a punishment plot, immediately understood his situation. "So this mission... is from the perspective of a python?" His eyes blurred and he fainted again.

Chapter 13 Tracking

When Cheng Yijiu regained consciousness, his thoughts paused, his movements slowing considerably. The transformation of a python's brain into a human's meant a near-certain loss of performance, even greater than when he transformed into a tiger. Fortunately, he could still think, his instincts intact, though his thinking was slower. For a snake, this was acceptable.

This is Borneo. Otherwise, if he were thrown into the Amazon, he wouldn't even find a blood orchid. Cheng Yijiu stuck out his tongue, collecting the scents around him. His vision wasn't very good, even snakes had poor vision. He couldn't see anything more than ten meters away from a stationary object, and the only thing he could see clearly was within three meters. However, he could see moving objects about forty to fifty meters away.

Cheng Yijiu possesses infrared vision, which is far superior to his eyes and allows for stereoscopic positioning. He can discern objects with constant temperature from hundreds of meters away. Of course, he's also very sensitive to vibrations, but his hearing is less acute. He meandered through the woods, with the river on one side. Cheng Yijiu also swam into the water and quickly entangled a crocodile... Python hunting requires far less skill than tiger hunting; it simply involves a firm grip and a strangulation.

The crocodile was quickly killed, and Cheng Yijiu realized that his swallowing movements were just like those of the man-eating tiger; both were detached from his consciousness. It didn't really matter, since snakes don't have much of a sense of taste anyway. After swallowing the crocodile, Cheng Yijiu felt a little drowsy. He still wanted to know where the orchid was, so he definitely couldn't just stay here. Another question was, how old was he now?

He had a good idea of ​​the surrounding vegetation. Comparing his own body to the plants, he knew the thickest part of his body was over a meter in diameter, which meant it was longer than the python he'd shot. The python swam in the water, its lower body temperature making it drowsy. After swimming through the swamp, Cheng Yijiu curled up on a patch of grassy plateau and fell into a deep sleep under the sunlight.

The increase in body temperature caused by sunlight also helped Cheng Yijiu's digestion. After the giant python coiled up, its height exceeded that of a human and a half...

At that very moment, three flat-bottomed cargo boats were sailing upstream, heading deeper into Borneo. Borneo's climate and terrain weren't suitable for helicopter transport. The easiest way to reach the depths of the jungle was still to follow the current. A total of twenty people and a considerable amount of equipment were aboard the three boats. They sailed upstream, dropped anchor, and began transferring their equipment using inflatable boats.

Of course, the first step was to level the land, then erect a simple crane. Anything lowered by the ship's small crane was then hoisted ashore using the crane. In about a day, three simple houses were constructed on land using prefabricated steel sheets and steel pipes. These houses featured sloping roofs, raised floors, and even window air conditioners. Barrels of diesel and two diesel generators were also brought ashore and placed under a rain shelter.

Two of the three houses served as dormitories, and one was a workshop. After the construction was complete, the three ships departed, leaving behind fourteen people—ten men and four women—who erected a long communications antenna on the workshop's roof and then set to work. The men assembled equipment and set up the communications network and electronic maps. A week later, the three ships returned, unloading a significant amount of equipment, including more than a dozen barrels of diesel.

The men were fully prepared, having assembled four jungle buggies with large tires and barrel-shaped bodies. Aside from the stamped steel chassis, the remaining structural components were aluminum alloy, making them extremely lightweight. The vehicles could seat four and had a cargo bed. Of course, they were powered by diesel engines, with exhaust pipes directed high upward—this allowed them to operate on water.

The vehicle was equipped with buoyant floats for additional buoyancy. Once in the shallow waters of the swamp, it could also paddle forward using the tread pattern of its tires. The wide tires gave it formidable off-road capabilities, and coupled with the winch on the front, it should be able to reach any place in the jungle. These people were an exploration team from a pharmaceutical company, searching for an orchid. According to some rumors, this orchid contained a special ingredient that could effectively prolong the lifespan of organisms.

This was quite exciting, but it was just a rumor with no definitive proof. They were primarily searching for another orchid that had been proven effective in treating cancer—something that had been proven in several cases. "If possible, we should also collect orchids that supposedly prolong life. Rumor has it they're a blood-red color." Three people remained at the riverside base, primarily responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of the communications system.

This was the configuration a well-equipped expedition team should have: excellent communications, internet access, and electronic map positioning from behind. The eleven individuals setting out had sufficient weapons to protect themselves, and of course, they also had more sophisticated specimen storage boxes to freeze some samples. They also had ample fresh water and food, as well as a medium-sized camping tent on board, providing a comfortable living environment for everyone.

The speed of travel couldn't be matched by human footsteps, thanks to satellite maps and positioning systems. They soon reached a previously unreached area, revealing a dry swamp—water only in the center, surrounded by mud and thatch. During the rainy season, this area would be flooded. The tire pressure on the vehicles was very low, so they wouldn't sink. The four vehicles sped across the swamp, the roar and vibration of the engines startling Cheng Yijiu.

The giant python drowsily awoke from its slumber, slowly stretching its body. Its head, larger than a backpack, poked out from the underbrush, spotting four moving vehicles. The closest of the four vehicles was only twenty meters away, the farthest within forty. The people probably didn't notice the giant python at all; they simply whizzed past. After crossing the swamp, the road would skirt the mountains, requiring at least a detour.

As Cheng Yijiu swam, he constantly collected information from the wheel tracks and the scents in the air. So far, Cheng Yijiu could only think that these people were really kind, taking him to find something—maybe. Anyway, no matter what, he had to follow these people, at least to find out what they were doing here. If they were looking for orchids, that would be great.

Chapter 14 Incident

The giant python slithered through the rainforest, breaking down many of the grass and shrubs along the way. It was difficult for it to climb trees, as only the trunks and main branches could bear its weight; thinner branches would simply cause it to fall. The python, slithering along the ground, quickly crossed the ridge, and the moving targets appeared before its eyes again.

Cheng Yijiu could see the glowing red engine, the faint yellow glow of the transmission and suspension from friction, and then the red and yellow figures on the vehicles. Thermal imaging was far more powerful than his own vision. The vehicles weren't moving very fast; after all, the terrain was complex in the rainforest, with too many plants to hinder their progress.

The lead vehicle was equipped with a crusher for clearing the path. The shrubs and grasses caught in it were completely shredded and scattered to the sides, slowly clearing a path. There was no other way. This place hadn't been visited in years, and the wild vegetation was no match for a boat-shaped chassis and large tires.

Cheng Yijiu carefully used the grass and trees on the ridge to hide his huge body. He tried to get as close as possible to the slowly advancing light vehicles. There was no other way. Snakes actually have very poor hearing. Although they are very sensitive to vibrations, their hearing is not much different from that of a deaf person.

He couldn't tell their race right now, but he figured they spoke English. Borneo's people were relatively poor, and no one in Indonesia or Malaysia would have the money or the leisure to venture so deep into the jungle—even the governments wouldn't likely do so. They could use the money elsewhere.

Although Cheng Yijiu's thinking was slow, he realized that these vehicles, along with the money and manpower required to transport them here, were probably more than these two impoverished countries were willing to spend. Therefore, most of these people came from large Western companies, and there was a 90% chance that they spoke English.

After a day, Cheng Yijiu discovered they had found a village. The giant python, using a ditch to conceal itself, crept within ten meters of the human figure visible to infrared vision before spotting thatched houses. He could only clearly see static objects from a distance of three meters, and this full-color vision wasn't something snakes should possess.

Cheng Yijiu felt a bit of a pity. Why not give him human vision? But that would be a breeze; he could truly become a jungle monster. With human intelligence, that was already a massive flaw. Back then, a healthy male Bengal tiger, combined with human intelligence, became the most terrifying man-eating beast in history. Now, with an oversized python and human intelligence, perhaps it could also become a legend.

But Cheng Yijiu had no desire to eat humans, and he had no interest in attacking them—he only wanted orchids. The good thing about pythons is that they consume less. Eating a crocodile would keep him from eating for a week or even two weeks, unlike a tiger that would often go hungry.

When he was a man-eating tiger, because he was large in size among Bengal tigers and unlike other tigers, he did not rest for more than ten hours a day but ran all day long, after killing a person and eating about ten to fifteen kilograms of meat, he would be hungry for up to three days and had to hunt.

So this tiger ate more than 1,900 people over a period of more than ten years - of course, the records don't show that many, thanks to the backward demographics at the time.

This time, Cheng Yijiu felt that he didn't need to attack alone. He just wanted to hear clearly what these people were here for. If they were looking for orchids, he would follow them. If necessary, he only needed to swallow an orchid to complete the task.

Sure enough, the people stopped and rested, and while they were eating and resting, they naturally started chatting. Little did they know that just behind them, separated by a thatched hut, a giant python was lurking there, quietly listening to their conversation. "Can we find that orchid? Well, for the million-dollar prize, I want to find it too."

"It's just a small amount of money. If there really is such a thing, the profit would be hundreds of billions!" Someone must have turned to the side to urinate, because Cheng Yijiu saw a column of hot water. The guy was muttering while urinating, and Cheng Yijiu's head was right above him, so he could hear it clearly.

Before the man looked up, Cheng Yijiu retracted his head. The giant python supported its body to prevent its weight from falling on the roof, which would have collapsed. Having heard it, it gradually began to retreat, finally tucking its body aside and swimming into the jungle beside the village, waiting for the men to set out again.

"They... must have... a more accurate map." He thought, the python wrapping itself around the thick trunk and main branches, thinking slowly.

It was already dark, and the fire in the middle of the village was still blazing. Cheng Yijiu could only see a patch of white light, making it difficult to discern the human figures beside it. He stuck out his tongue and detected a peculiar smell in the air. At first, he couldn't place it, but then a humanoid figure suddenly vanished, then vanished again. It was only after the figure twisted and struggled that Cheng Yijiu figured out what it was.

"Another python?" He hid himself even better, the entire snake coiled high up in the tree trunk. The crowd was in an uproar. Even Cheng Yijiu, with his extremely poor hearing, could hear the sharp gunshots, and the red humanoid figures running around were even more obvious. Cheng Yijiu could smell the smoke from his tongue.

As expected, those men were shooting, killing another python. Cheng Yijiu didn't move at all until dawn, when the men started their car and set off again, but it seemed one of them was missing. After they left, Cheng Yijiu swam to the village and, not surprisingly, saw a dead, battered python. It wasn't as big as him, but it was still over ten meters long.

Cheng Yijiu followed the tire tracks and soon came to a dense forest area with floating plants on the ground. He couldn't tell whether it was a pool of water or a swamp under his feet. Those people stopped the car while talking. Cheng Yijiu didn't dare to get too close. He just watched these people with infrared vision from a distance of more than 100 meters.

Until suddenly, another battle broke out... Cheng Yijiu was now on the ground, feeling the vibrations. His infrared vision revealed a splattering liquid, which, judging by the temperature, must be blood. His sense of smell also told him that someone had opened fire again. What he saw through his infrared vision was probably a person being torn apart, his body tilted and hot liquid gushing out continuously...

Chapter 15: Strangulation

The python remained motionless, so its body temperature remained consistent with the surrounding environment. If Cheng Yijiu had moved, his muscles would have generated heat, which would have been slightly higher than the natural ambient temperature. This was also the reason why the python's activity time was limited. The python's heat dissipation system was a complete mess, and once muscle movement caused overheating, it could only cool down in the water.

Now his infrared vision told him that a battle was underway over there. Humanoids were firing aimlessly with their heat-generating weapons, and even Cheng Yijiu was nearly hit by a stray bullet. But they were still being killed. The giant python watched the battle over there, and in his thermal imaging vision, a tall figure appeared...

The battle was over, and of all the expedition members, only the women seemed to have survived—the warmth of the two women was still radiating, while the others had fallen to the ground and were beginning to cool. The tall figure was still there, and it seemed he had taken the heads of several corpses...

Cheng Yijiu felt that creepy feeling again. This tall, thermal image of a humanoid figure was too terrifying. All Cheng Yijiu could see was something faintly stained with hot blood - "Cold weapon?" He was also very surprised. Combined with the previous actions, he almost immediately remembered what this figure was, "Predator!"

He really didn't expect that such a thing would appear in this world. This alien hunter was extremely cruel. It didn't matter if ordinary people were not in the other party's hunting target, but a giant python like him would definitely be a prey that could satisfy the other party.

"Fortunately, cold-blooded animals have advantages. The predator with infrared vision should not be able to see me - if he does not switch the visual mode." Cheng Yijiu felt that he had to rely on the other party's lack of experience. He should be able to swim over slowly and keep his body temperature from rising as much as possible, and then try to kill the predator.

This wasn't a matter of abandoning the creature. If he didn't kill the alien monster, he himself would likely become its prey. Given Cheng Yijiu's current situation, he didn't believe he could escape once he became prey. A predator's movements were much more agile than a python's, and Cheng Yijiu only had a short burst of energy to catch up with his opponent.

If this continued for too long, he would be on the verge of death. Furthermore, the weapons in the opponent's hands were not something a mere snake's flesh could withstand. Cheng Yijiu immediately recalled his last mission. Now he had a clear understanding of why he felt something was wrong and why he felt so terrified.

He hadn't thought of this at first, but now that he thought about it, the alien monster shot down the helicopter, killed the armed personnel inside, and then killed a giant python - maybe the alien monster had been following them on their way back. But before he could make a move, Cheng Yijiu had already moved the boat to the middle of the river, temporarily preventing the predator from hiding.

The most annoying thing about these alien monsters is their invisibility. If they didn't have it, humans wouldn't be so afraid of them. But Cheng Yijiu was in a dilemma. He had no guns or swords, only the strength of a python. If the other party was wearing their alien armor, he didn't think the mere strength of an Earth python would be enough to crush him.

Even if a python grew to twenty meters in size, could it still possess the strength of a ten-thousand-ton hydraulic press? Ten tons of strangulation force would be impressive... and swallowing an alien was probably not a good idea. There was no way to cut through it if it came out of its stomach.

He could only hope the other party was wearing only mesh clothing instead of armor. As far as Cheng Yijiu could remember, most predators who hunted wore only mesh clothing, used to hang the skulls of their prey. The python descended from the tree and, while stalking the monster that quickly climbed and leaped away from the tree, rubbed himself against the ground, smearing mud and water on himself. He had also seen how the governor dealt with predators.

The predator itself was warm-blooded, so as long as Cheng Yijiu's infrared vision could keep a close eye on it, it would be difficult for it to escape. Although the monster moved very quickly, Cheng Yijiu, having memorized its scent, managed to keep up. Its temporary lair wasn't far away, built atop a tall tropical tree.

The massive monster revealed itself, sat upright on a branch, and began to process its trophy. These terrifying alien hunters had professional tools, and Cheng Yijiu silently and slowly climbed up the tree, moving very slowly, fearing to attract the enemy's attention.

His optical vision couldn't see clearly, but his thermal vision told him that the other person was sitting, his hands moving around. That's right, he was using a knife to scrape away the skin and flesh from the skull, hollowing out the skull to expose the bones, then spraying it with white spray, leaving a dry, white, odorless skeleton.

This alien hunter wore a mask, metal pauldrons on his shoulders, two metal decorations on his hips, and only metal armor on his forearms and calves. It took Cheng Yijiu half an hour to swim right under the predator. Cheng Yijiu stopped spitting out his tongue so as not to make any noise and alert the other party.

At this distance, he could already roughly see the opponent's situation with his naked eyes. Cheng Yijiu slowly moved his huge head, accumulating strength in his muscles. His mind was thinking about how to attack - the wrist blade that could be ejected from the opponent's wrist was extremely sharp, so he must not give the opponent a chance to move his arm.

The alien's limbs had similar joint structure to humans, so Cheng Yijiu had to find an angle that would securely hold the alien's upper arm, preventing even a sharp blade from slashing out from his forearm. However, there was a problem, a serious one—Cheng Yijiu's body was too thick.

He was too big, and his massive body made it difficult for him to entangle the opponent to death, so he had to choose another way. Cheng Yijiu's human brain was thinking, this guy must be killed with one strike, otherwise Cheng Yijiu himself would probably die.

His heart was pounding. "Twist!" That was all he could think of. He had to fight. So the giant python suddenly leaped up, its massive front half tightly entangling the predator's upper body. Its middle body then entangled the alien and the thick tree trunk he was sitting on. Before the predator could even fling out his blade, Cheng Yijiu's massive head clamped down on his skull, then began strangling and twisting his body.

Like uncorking a bottle, the alien's head slipped free from its neck, along with its spine, which was spurting out fluorescent fluid. The giant python spat out its head, released its body, and sped away at top speed—who knew if the bomb on its wrist would explode? It was better to run as fast as it could.

Chapter 16: Continued

For some reason, the bomb didn't explode. Cheng Yijiu had been swimming out for over half an hour, but he still hadn't felt the shockwave or vibrations from the explosion. "The predator must have died instantly—after all, not only was his head and spine ripped out, but even his bones were basically crushed." Cheng Yijiu knew from the feeling of his own body exerting force that the predator was very strong, but his bones still broke.

Thinking about the fluorescent fluid gushing out of the cross section, and even some things that looked like internal organs, Cheng Yijiu was convinced that whatever it was, it was dead. But Cheng Yijiu didn't want to go back to take a look - even if the predator had many interesting things on him. Now that he had dealt with a terrible trouble, it was time to turn all his attention to the orchid.

The two surviving women definitely wouldn't continue searching for the orchid. It was a good thing they weren't frightened out of their wits; they were definitely going to call for help. Perhaps the orchid wasn't far away? Cheng Yijiu thought. Perhaps it was in some quagmire, just like last time? However, a female snake's territory was definitely nearby. The lingering scent in the air told Cheng Yijiu—and he didn't know how he knew that.

Could it be breeding season again? Was the snake's body seduced by the female's hormones? Anyway, it was a good idea to go and take a look. Cheng Yijiu swam around the village—he didn't care about the plight there at all.

Orchids do exist. The tropical rainforest is an orchid paradise, and the sheer variety is staggering. From self-sustaining orchids to parasitic ones, Cheng Yijiu decided to try every one. Would he be poisoned? That was out of the question, right? What else could he do? He didn't even recognize a real blood orchid. Although he had seen the blood orchid on the dead tree above the snake cave, Cheng Yijiu couldn't distinguish the subtle differences between the red orchids.

Moreover, it was a fleeting glimpse, and he couldn't recall many details. So he could only devour the orchids—he vaguely remembered their red color. So, along the way, he devoured every bright red orchid he saw. The giant python slithered, but before reaching the source of the scent, Cheng Yijiu stopped. He saw the creature moving ahead, and he inched closer until he finally got a clearer view.