Chapter 647 - 2: Cave Hyena (2)
After analyzing everything, he believed the key to this challenge lay in airdrop supplies.
But since airdrop supplies were distributed irregularly, their preliminary preparations should focus on competing for these supplies. This included selecting suitable locations to build temporary shelters, preparing food and weapons, exploring the terrain to confirm their position, and, if possible, constructing a means of transportation.
During the Pleistocene era in Eurasia, there were numerous massive beasts that could carry people, such as the Aurochs, Siberian Bison, Great Horned Deer, Hairy Rhinoceros, and Woolly Rhinoceros, all of which had the potential to serve as mounts. If they could be tamed, their mobility would be greatly enhanced.
Paul agreed with this—
The veteran had already completed a challenge once, so his insights must be more reasonable than those of a "rookie" like him. Besides, even from a partner’s perspective, Paul couldn’t find any flaw in his reasoning.
After listing the general objectives, Chen Zhou also provided a detailed explanation regarding the selection of a shelter site.
In a wilderness survival scenario, to conserve energy, it’s best to choose a wind-sheltered lowland or build a shelter within a forest in places where daily temperature variations are significant and winds are frequent.
A sheltered place can prevent fat consumption, beneficial for a prolonged fight.
However, Chen Zhou felt that having a good view was more important than being sheltered from the wind—
He would rather sacrifice some stamina and take on more trouble to place the shelter on a high slope or hillside, just to be the first to pinpoint the exact location of an airdrop supply and take action swiftly.
At the same time, a higher position would allow them to effectively overlook the land and monitor the movements of other challengers.
If any other challengers took chances by lighting a fire to produce smoke in the dense forest or grassland.
In good weather, standing on a mountaintop, he could see the smoke even from dozens of kilometers away.
As the saying goes, "Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat." Since they opted for a main confrontation strategy, the prioritization of information must be elevated to the highest level.
After a conflict breaks out, any unexpected enemy movements can be fatal.
...
"Tonight, as the challenge has just begun, the other challengers as well won’t have much time to explore the surrounding environment.
Night is a peak activity period for beasts, and leaving the campfire could easily lead to encounters with fierce animals.
We currently don’t have suitable weapons, nor enough medical supplies, and engaging in a battle with beasts and getting injured would severely disrupt our rhythm.
I suggest we take turns standing guard, get through tonight first, and then act tomorrow morning. We should work on the shelter’s location selection, explore the surrounding terrain, and hunt simultaneously.
At the very least, we need to solve the food and water problem first; otherwise, everything is just empty talk."
Having said that, seeing that Paul had no objections, Chen Zhou swept away a patch of wild grass around them with a stick, then spread a protective suit on the ground to lie on, rested his head on the stick, and closed his eyes.
Paul’s "post-transit syndrome" hadn’t completely healed yet. He sat by the campfire, occasionally snapping a twig and adding it to the fire, gazing at the dancing flames, waiting for dawn.
...
The distant mountains loomed dark, the vast land seemed gloomy, the clouds engulfed the stars and the moon.
The semi-dry wood in the fire occasionally crackled, accentuating the quietness, and the cold wind gusting through the forest edge made one shiver involuntarily.
Placed in such an environment, it was inevitable for Paul’s nerves to be tense.
The bonfire brought him a bit of warmth. By the firelight, he sorted through a few survival tools, choosing a sufficiently straight and hard stick, and began whittling its ends—
He didn’t want to waste time, attempting to craft two Wooden Spears overnight.
Throwing weapons represented a significant evolutionary step for humans. With the aid of stones, Wooden Spears, and Bow and Arrow, humans could attack beasts from a safe distance, enabling damage-free hunting.
Paul believed that under such conditions, two Wooden Spears were undoubtedly the easiest and most practical weapons to craft.
If he could successfully produce two handy Wooden Spears tonight, it would save a lot of effort for tomorrow’s hunt.
...
The sound of a knife carving wood continuously echoed, and a yellowish-brown pile of shavings had formed on the ground.
Paul, with his head lowered, focused on sharpening the spearhead to a fine point.
The surroundings remained as quiet as ever; even the cries of unknown beasts had disappeared, leaving just the sound of the wind.
At some point, a gap appeared in the overcast sky, revealing a sliver of pale moonlight.
Paul had just finished a Long Spear and was preparing to choose another stick to continue crafting when he turned and noticed Chen Zhou, who had been lying quietly on the ground, sitting up, gazing silently into the abyss-like night.
"What’s wrong?"
"Shh..."
Chen Zhou gestured for him to be silent, squinting his eyes slightly.
In the distance, among the thick carpet of wild grass, a group of beasts was heading toward the forest edge.
They resembled African Spotted Hyenas, but with longer fur, larger bodies, and more robust builds. Their bodies were scattered with some spots, moving in groups of three or four, totaling up to 16 individuals, weaving through the short grass.
When Chen Zhou heard their footsteps, they were about 300 meters from the campfire, and by the time he sat up, the distance had shrunk to just 280 meters.
Although their pace was not fast, if they continued in this direction without changing their course, it wouldn’t be long before they encountered Chen Zhou and Paul.
"It’s a Cave Hyena."
Recalling the challenge rules, Chen Zhou whispered to Paul.
The Cave Hyena was significantly larger than the African Spotted Hyena, with females generally bigger than males.
Chen Zhou estimated that the largest of the Cave Hyenas in the distance weighed about 90 kilograms, with the others being slightly smaller, but even the smallest exceeded 40 kilograms, posing a considerable threat to them.
According to what he knew, Cave Hyenas were extremely ferocious creatures that roamed in packs during the Pleistocene, usually preying on Przewalski’s horse.
When food was scarce, they would team up to hunt Hairy Rhinoceroses weighing several tons, competing with Cave Bears, Cave Lions, wolves, and wolverines for prey. In extreme conditions, they even resorted to cannibalism.
Additionally, Cave Hyenas were the arch-enemies of Neanderthals, engaging in fierce battles over caves and food, with humans included in their diet.
Compared to other beasts, the probability of Cave Hyenas launching an attack was significantly higher.
Seeing them heading straight toward the campfire, Chen Zhou had reason to believe they had already caught the scent of him and Paul.
Glancing at the vomit not far from the campfire, Chen Zhou speculated that perhaps it was the remnants of food that Paul had vomited which attracted the Cave Hyenas—
Cave Hyenas were not only hunters of live prey but also scavengers with highly sensitive olfactory senses.
...
"Prepare for battle!"
Chen Zhou alerted Paul, and without waiting for a response, he reached over and picked up the newly crafted Wooden Spear.
"There are 16 in total, the largest exceeding 90 kilograms, very troublesome.
Northwest direction, currently about 250 meters from us, expected to arrive in about two minutes.
Gather some flammable materials, keep the fire blazing. If there’s still time, lash your Military Saber to a stick using shoelaces, temporarily use it as a Long Spear.
See if we can deal some damage first, then use the flames to scare them away. If that doesn’t work, we’ll climb a tree; Cave Hyenas have no climbing abilities, and if we stall long enough, they’ll eventually leave.
However, that’s a last resort. We haven’t eaten yet, and the longer this drags on, the worse it is for us. If they decide to linger, we’re in big trouble.
Not to mention that at the start of the challenge, time is of the essence; we can’t afford any delays."
With that, Chen Zhou stepped forward, directly facing the direction from which the Cave Hyenas were advancing.
In the past two years, during his adventures in Africa, he had frequently come into close contact with lions within protected areas and had encounters with the so-called second-largest predator in Africa, the Spotted Hyena. He had even used a hunting rifle to bring down a male lion weighing 200 kilograms.
But his mindset at that time was completely different from now—
Now, he didn’t have an invincible firearm, just a freshly carved Long Spear.
Moreover, the size of the hyena group was far more significant than that of any lion pride.
Most importantly, these creatures held no fear of humans. On the contrary, due to nearly ten thousand years of "cave battles" with Primitive People, their hostility toward humans far exceeded that of other animals.
With their fierce nature, even if they were fed, they would unlikely spare a lone human on the grassland, let alone when their stomachs were still empty.
From any angle, this life-and-death struggle was unavoidable.