Chapter Fifteen: Hunting the Strange Dragon! An Uninvited Guest!

The entire family of Chu Xu remained perfectly still, like statues.

After a while, the adult Gallimimus turned its head back and resumed foraging peacefully.

Seizing the opportunity, the dragon mother confirmed the Gallimimus herd’s route and, with three young tyrannosaurs, took a detour to ambush along their path, waiting patiently.

They waited for over an hour, lying motionless on the ground to conceal themselves.

The ordeal was agonizing. Both Longyue and Liuxing were struggling to hold out, especially Liuxing, who had ADHD and was restless, wanting to sneak away shortly after the ambush began.

Fortunately, Chu Xu forcibly pressed Liuxing’s head down in time; otherwise, if he had accidentally revealed their position and startled the Gallimimus herd, all their efforts would have been in vain.

The Gallimimus were highly alert, with extremely sensitive hearing; no rustle or breeze in the surroundings escaped their ears.

Although Chu Xu felt some anxiety, he remained calm and patiently waited for the Gallimimus herd to walk right into their trap.

Finally, the Gallimimus herd approached the ambush site, less than ten meters away.

The moist air after the rain, combined with the headwind, effectively masked the scent of Chu Xu’s family, leaving the approaching herd completely unaware.

“Grrr~~”

At last, the dragon mother emitted a deep growl from her throat, like the signal of ancient ambushers breaking their cups before attack.

In the next moment, her massive body surged forward, her thick pillar-like hind legs shaking the earth and mountains with every step, charging fiercely toward the unsuspecting herd.

“Rumble rumble rumble~~~”

The deafening footsteps of the dragon mother and her terrifying size—four to five times larger than an adult Gallimimus—instantly threw the herd into chaos. They scattered in panic.

But it was too late. The dragon mother swiftly closed in on the last adult Gallimimus lagging behind. With a powerful swing of her huge head, she slammed it down with a crushing force onto the small body.

“Bang!”

The Gallimimus, weighing some four to five hundred pounds, was sent flying like a smashed tennis ball, tumbling and scraping over the rough ground for dozens of yards, dragging a deep furrow until it collided with a tree and snapped it in half, finally halting the terrifying impact.

That Gallimimus lost most of its life, as if shattered to pieces, collapsing on the ground unable to rise.

Meanwhile, Chu Xu, who had been lying in ambush, chose a target and swiftly pursued it with his long, powerful hind legs.

Chu Xu’s target was a sub-adult Gallimimus, just over two meters in length, similar in size to himself, making it less challenging than hunting an adult.

“Chirp~~ chirp~~”

The sub-adult Gallimimus cried out in panic, desperately fleeing, but Chu Xu’s superior speed rapidly closed the gap.

The sound of Chu Xu’s approaching steps was a death knell to it.

The sub-adult felt an invisible pressure from this young tyrannosaur, causing its breath to quicken and muscles to spasm uncontrollably, its running body swaying precariously.

“Thud!”

Seizing the moment, Chu Xu lunged and bit down hard on its hind thigh.

Crunch!

His rows of steak-knife-sharp teeth pierced deeply through muscle to the femur. The hot blood instantly filled his mouth, thrilling him to the core.

“Chirp!!”

The wounded sub-adult Gallimimus wailed in pain, its forward momentum abruptly halted as its entire body lost balance and crashed heavily to the ground.

All other Gallimimus had already fled; no matter how it screamed for help, no companions would come.

Chu Xu wasted no time. His sharp vertical pupils locked onto the neck of the fallen dinosaur, opening his jaws wide like a vise, crushing its trachea as his sharp fangs pierced its carotid artery.

The sub-adult struggled wildly like a fish out of water but was firmly restrained by Chu Xu, who held on until it finally succumbed.

[Notification: You have hunted a sub-adult Gallimimus. Evolution points +15.]

Fifteen evolution points—equal to the previous hunt of a Ceratopsian. Presumably, an adult Gallimimus would yield even more.

After confirming the sub-adult’s death, Chu Xu slowly released his bite, though his nerves remained highly alert.

This was likely Chu Xu’s first complete hunt.

The previous Ceratopsian was a tool dinosaur specially caught by the dragon mother for the three young tyrannosaurs to practice hunting.

The fish caught yesterday by the river posed little challenge.

Hunting these small to medium-sized dinosaurs truly stirred Chu Xu’s tyrannosaur predatory instincts!

After the kill, Chu Xu glanced around and realized that, in the heat of pursuit, he had strayed far from the dragon mother and the others.

He had to return quickly; encountering enemies alone would be troublesome.

Without stopping to feast, Chu Xu bit the tail of the sub-adult Gallimimus and dragged its heavy body—at least two or three hundred pounds—in the direction they came from.

But sometimes, what one fears most comes true.

Before Chu Xu had dragged his prize far, his telepathic sense, spreading over a kilometer radius, detected several unwelcome intruders approaching.

“It’s a pack of five Thanatos Dromaeosaurs!”

Releasing his grip, Chu Xu dropped the heavy carcass and turned, his gaze coldly fixed on the clearly hostile pack of Thanatos Dromaeosaurs.

Thanatos Dromaeosaurs, small carnivorous theropods of the Dromaeosauridae family, measured about two meters long and less than one meter high at the head. Their bodies were covered in dense feathers, with well-developed wings on their forelimbs, resembling large turkeys.

However, as predatory dromaeosaurs, they were far more fierce and dangerous than turkeys. Weighing only forty to fifty pounds, they were swift and agile, with slender, nimble hind legs adapted for fast running and jumping, and strong, rigid tails for balance.

Their deadliest weapons were not sharp teeth but their claws—especially the sickle-shaped second toe claws on their hind feet, about ten centimeters long, folding like spring-loaded knives emitting a chilling gleam.

These claws were connected to tendons, allowing them to adjust angles freely during attacks, swinging down or forward with maximum arc to strike prey; during movement, they could retract to avoid wear from ground contact.

Facing this pack, Chu Xu felt considerable pressure. It was obvious they intended to steal the sub-adult Gallimimus he had painstakingly hunted.

If it were one-on-one, Chu Xu would have no fear.

But with five Thanatos Dromaeosaurs, and their evident intelligence and teamwork, the threat multiplied.

So, should he swallow his pride and hand over the prey?

Or choose to defend his kill and fight to the death against the enemy?

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