Chapter Twelve: Hunting Practice—The Protoceratops! Neither Grandma's Affection Nor Uncle's Love! (Please Support with Bookmarks and Recommendations)

In the days that followed, Daenerys always took her three young tyrannosaurs with her on hunts, allowing them to observe and learn from her hunting techniques.

After the lessons came practice.

So, Daenerys went to great lengths to capture a live prey for the three young tyrannosaurs to practice hunting.

It was a Protoceratops!

Protoceratops, also known as the hidden horned dinosaur, is a small herbivorous dinosaur from the Protoceratopsidae family, closely related to Triceratops and Styracosaurus.

However, compared to the massive Triceratops and Styracosaurus, the Protoceratops was quite diminutive, measuring only about two meters in length and weighing around 300 to 400 pounds—hardly impressive among the giant dragons roaming the Hell Creek Formation.

The Protoceratops had a beak resembling that of a parrot and a distinctive frill formed by bony plates on its neck, but it lacked evolved horns on its head, only a small bump above its snout. Overall, it looked like a weakened version of a Triceratops.

Generally, adult tyrannosaurs would not consider Protoceratops as prey due to its small size, which offered little meat; however, it was more than sufficient as a hunting practice target for tyrannosaur juveniles.

“Moo~~”

The Protoceratops caught by Daenerys, believing itself doomed, was unexpectedly released. Its desperate will to survive spurred it to flee without hesitation.

“Roar!!”

The three young tyrannosaurs roared excitedly and rushed forward in a frenzied chase.

Among them, Chu Xu was the fastest. His powerful hind leg muscles bulged, and his agile body shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.

Compared to the bulky, slower adult tyrannosaurs, Chu Xu’s light and nimble frame allowed him to reach speeds over 50 km/h, thanks to an agility score exceeding 100.

Moreover, Chu Xu had a skill to boost his speed.

Acceleration!

Activating this ability instantly doubled his short-distance burst speed, allowing him to sprint with astonishing velocity comparable to a cheetah, swiftly leaving Longyue and Liuxing behind, catching up to the fleeing Protoceratops in the blink of an eye.

“Bang!!”

Then, Chu Xu charged fiercely, using his doubled strength and high speed to slam into the Protoceratops’ body with tremendous force.

A heavy thud echoed as the Protoceratops was knocked over like a runaway car, tumbling across the ground several times, barely absorbing the terrifying impact.

“Moo~~”

The fallen Protoceratops let out a mournful wail. After Chu Xu’s collision, it felt as though its bones were shattering, unable even to rise.

Seizing the opportunity, Chu Xu closed in rapidly, aiming at the Protoceratops’ short, thick neck, and bit down hard!

“Crack!”

However, the Protoceratops’ neck frill protected its vulnerable neck well. This frill consisted of bony plates extending backward from the rear of its skull, resembling a composite armor shield—hard and thick, nearly impervious to the teeth of ordinary carnivorous dinosaurs.

Chu Xu felt his teeth biting against stone, unable to penetrate even half an inch.

“As expected, with my current teeth and bite force, it’s still difficult to pierce the neck frill.”

Chu Xu didn’t relent. He tensed his jaw muscles fiercely, tightening the entire muscle group in his neck, instantly doubling his biting power!

Bite through!

“Crack!”

With a crisp sound, half of the Protoceratops’ neck frill shattered under the assault, crushed brutally by Chu Xu’s sharp teeth into fragments scattered on the ground.

Now unprotected, Chu Xu bit deeply into the Protoceratops’ neck, piercing its carotid artery and trachea, causing blood to gush while its breathing grew short and labored.

“Moo!! Moo!!”

The Protoceratops screamed hysterically, struggling desperately with its massive body, putting considerable pressure on Chu Xu, who had to exert full strength to keep it subdued.

Meanwhile, the tardy Longyue and Liuxing followed Daenerys’ example, pouncing and biting at the Protoceratops.

Clever Longyue bit deeply into the Protoceratops’ abdomen, tearing a large wound that exposed the bloody internal organs, exacerbating the creature’s agonizing cries.

Clumsy Liuxing insisted on biting the Protoceratops’ hind leg, but before he could react, the struggling Protoceratops kicked him, knocking him sprawling on the ground.

Fortunately, Liuxing’s thick skin and tough flesh protected him from serious injury, and he soon got back up, albeit frustrated and angry, immediately biting the Protoceratops’ tail.

“Smack!”

In the end, Liuxing was struck squarely by the Protoceratops’ heavy tail, stumbling and falling flat on his face again.

Seeing this, Chu Xu was exasperated, wondering how his foolish little brother would ever survive on his own.

This time, the prey was a relatively harmless Protoceratops. If they ever encountered Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, or Pachycephalosaurus, a simple fall might cost them dearly—perhaps even turning a failed hunt into a disaster.

Soon, as blood loss and severe asphyxiation took their toll, the Protoceratops’ struggles weakened. Finally, it kicked its legs once and lay still.

[Notification! You have hunted a Protoceratops. Evolution points +15.]

After hearing the system alert, Chu Xu released his grip and began to devour his prize without hesitation, claiming the most tender part of the Protoceratops—the belly—and consuming the steaming internal organs.

Though Longyue and Liuxing watched hungrily, they dared not approach out of respect for Chu Xu’s usual dominance and patiently waited their turn.

Chu Xu was quite pleased, feeling that his “loving” care for his dragon siblings was well rewarded.

After he was full, Chu Xu left the remaining carcass.

Longyue and Liuxing, who had been anxiously waiting, rushed forward to compete for the leftovers.

“Roar~~”

Though usually unassuming, Longyue was a female tyrannosaur and, while not as powerfully developed as the supercharged Chu Xu, was noticeably stockier than Liuxing, an ordinary male tyrannosaur.

If she could not defeat her big brother Chu Xu, surely she could overpower her little brother Liuxing.

Thus, poor Liuxing was knocked down and pinned beneath Longyue, who gave him a thorough thrashing until he surrendered and accepted his position as the lowest-ranking sibling.

Only then did Longyue proudly approach the Protoceratops’ carcass to enjoy her meal.

Left alone, neglected by both grandmother and uncle, Liuxing sat down dejectedly, reflecting on his dragon life.

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