Chapter Twelve: Ferocious Beasts

When everyone was exhausted to the point of extreme fatigue, only two people in this rookie team remained alert—Chen Diwen and Chen Cao.

Now, in the forest that had grown eerily calm under the oppressive heat, the sound of rustling was not unusual. Naturally, Chen Diwen, trained from childhood as a special forces soldier, possessed a keen sense of perception; but what was strange was that Chen Cao appeared to share this intuition.

“Be careful, something seems to be approaching us,” Chen Cao said, lifting the machete from the ground and holding it at the ready across his chest with a sharp swing.

“Everyone, get close together and observe the ground carefully!” Chen Diwen, holding another machete, moved toward Chen Cao while issuing a command to the sluggish group.

The team moved slowly, but even Yu Hongxiu and Wu Lanxian—both children raised with solid military education—quickly gathered their supplies within the boys’ protective circle, gripped their daggers, and watched their surroundings with wide, vigilant eyes.

Little Fox Zhou Hongye’s round face was slick with sweat that trickled down his cheeks. In this silent atmosphere, devoid of anything, fear was the only emotion that could grow in the jungle without outside support.

Chen Cao held his machete, listening intently through his headset. “The sound seems to have disappeared. If I’m not mistaken, it’s probably some kind of wild animal.”

“Is that so?” Bear’s thick eyebrows lifted, and his dark eyes flashed with the light of bloodlust, mingled with a hint of excitement.

“Bear, don’t act rashly—this is not a game!” For once, Chen Diwen agreed with Chen Cao.

“I don’t care what comes—if one shows up, I’ll kill one!” Bear snorted coldly, but he obeyed Chen Diwen’s words; though he spoke brashly, he refrained from attacking.

Suddenly, the leaves began rustling again. This time, everyone heard it. Unless someone was deaf, the sound of leaves and grass shifting was unmistakable, accompanied by a low growl.

That growl was familiar to Chen Cao, who had grown up watching nature documentaries—it was the sound of a cheetah in the jungle.

“Careful, it’s a cheetah!” Zhou Hongye’s warning sounded almost redundant to the others.

Before his words faded, a head marked with gold-spotted fur emerged from the thicket. Instantly, its body leapt out without hesitation, spinning agilely on the spot and sending rotten leaves flying. No sooner had it landed than it impatiently began to assert its dominance as king of the jungle, growling at the group of half-grown children before it.

Everyone present felt their hearts tighten at the sight of the fierce animal. Chen Cao, pressed against his teammates, sensed the bodies behind him trembling.

“Give me the machete—I’ll cut down this beast!” Bear roared, snatching the weapon from Chen Cao and taking a step forward. Yesterday, he and Chen Diwen had hunted a half-grown bear, which seemed to have emboldened him. Now, the cheetah before them was clearly smaller than that bear.

“Don’t rush in—this creature is tough!” Chen Cao frowned, watching the cheetah sharpening its claws.

But Bear would hear none of it, swinging his blade and charging ahead. Chen Cao felt a gust of wind whip past his ears as Bear and the cheetah’s furious roars clashed.

“This guy is completely reckless!” Chen Cao drew his dagger, unable to stop Bear, and could only watch and wait.

“Wow, Bear really is brave. Look at him swinging his blade—he’s no less than an adult!” Zhou Hongye’s eyes shone with excitement as he watched Bear charge.

Indeed, Bear’s presence now rivaled any special forces soldier on the battlefield. Even Chen Cao thought it surpassed scenes from the movies.

“Bao Li, take them and retreat—I’ll help Bear take down this beast!” Chen Diwen spoke with the air of a commander, moving his blade to shield his teammates behind him.

Why don’t these fools think before acting? Chen Cao watched as Chen Diwen seemed poised to charge as well, shaking his head in helplessness. Chen Diwen was outstanding in many ways, but emotional control still needed honing.

As a capable military commander—especially in special operations—protecting and caring for teammates was essential, and Chen Diwen had failed to manage his subordinates. Not only was this a sign of failure, but Chen Diwen’s hot-blooded, childish approach was risky. If they couldn’t defeat the cheetah, who would lead the remaining team members to safety?

While Chen Cao pondered, he observed the cheetah. Something didn’t add up. The creature seemed disinterested in a fierce battle with Bear; instead, it deftly evaded Bear’s blade, its movements agile and methodical. Chen Cao realized this was animal instinct—this beast was a veteran of jungle hunts and survival. It seemed to be waiting for something, conserving Bear’s energy.

Soon, Chen Diwen joined the fray with his machete, but it only slightly impeded the cheetah’s evasions. The animal still seemed to be conserving strength, alternating between offense and defense.

Something was wrong—this beast must have a plan. Chen Cao watched its movements, rubbing his nose as he tried to figure it out.

“Brother Chen, you look troubled!” Little Fox Zhou Hongye, ever observant, noticed Chen Cao’s rare pensive expression.

“Hmm, that cheetah seems to be waiting for something.”

“What else could it wait for? It must be scared!”

“If it’s scared, why not run away?” Chen Cao replied, eyebrows furrowed, as he watched the ongoing fight.

“Um…” Zhou Hongye had no answer. He thought for a moment, then asked, “So what do you think it’s waiting for?”

“It’s waiting for its companions!” At that moment, Bao Li, arms crossed, spoke coldly from the side.

“Companions?” Both Chen Cao and Zhou Hongye felt a chill run through their hearts.

“Yes, all of us together are over a thousand pounds of fresh meat. This creature knows it can’t finish us alone. Now, it’s stalling for time, trying to call its companions. Heaven help us—if several more come, none of us will escape!”

Chen Cao blurted out his analysis.

“What should we do?”

Neither Chen Diwen nor Bear was concerned with such questions, for at that moment, the cheetah’s growl signaled its counterattack. Its speed and ferocity were suddenly transformed, as if it had been injected with adrenaline.

Cheetahs are naturally agile, their claws and teeth their weapons. Long accustomed to hunting in the jungle, they were as strong as seasoned warriors. Now, as it attacked, the once-dominant Chen Diwen and Bear could only defend.

With two consecutive roars, two black heads emerged from the thicket—clearly two black panthers, their glowing green eyes fixed on the fierce battle, claws sharpened, teeth bared.

“This is madness—what can we do now?” Chen Cao spun in panic, his eyes falling on Bear’s discarded pack, which suddenly gave him an idea. The pack contained Bear’s spoils—the meat and hide from yesterday’s kill. The black panthers’ eyes were locked on it; Chen Cao understood at once.

He shouted to Bao Li and Zhou Hongye, who were preparing to fight, “Run! Get away as fast as you can!” Then, picking up the bear meat wrapped in hide, he tore off a piece and tossed it to the black panthers. Slinging the pack over his shoulder, he sprinted in the opposite direction.

The two panthers were startled by Chen Cao’s sudden move, but the scent of fresh meat quickly drew them in. After a brief frenzy, they abandoned Zhou Hongye, Bao Li, and the others, chasing after Chen Cao and his pack.

“I get it—the cheetahs must have tracked us here because of the food we carried. Quickly, throw away all leftover food from yesterday and run!” Bao Li ordered.

“What about the captain and Bear?” Zhou Hongye, having realized the situation, asked anxiously.

“Take Yu Hongxiu and the others to hide. They’re no help here, and I’ll do my best to assist the others!” Bao Li, nimble and quick, spun his dagger and charged into the fight, swiftly suppressing the cheetah’s attack.

“Come on, let’s go!” Zhou Hongye knew there was no time for sentimentality. He wanted to help Chen Diwen and the others, but his more important task was logistics—he had to cover the retreat of his weaker teammates. Shoving the two dazed girls along, he dropped their burdens and led them into the jungle.

With a sharp movement, Bao Li entered the fight. He timed the cheetah’s turn, plunged his dagger into its body, then wrapped his iron-like arms around its neck and squeezed, though he didn’t immediately snap it.

The cheetah howled in pain, struggling fiercely. Wounded, it was even stronger than before, nearly throwing Bao Li off.

Bear and Chen Diwen seized the opportunity, swinging their machetes at the cheetah’s head until their hands went numb. Only when the cheetah fell silent did they stop, panting heavily.

“Damn, I didn’t think it’d be this tough!” Bear wiped blood from his blade over the stiff cheetah’s corpse.

“Bao Li, your technique is impressive. I knew you practiced iron sand palm, but I didn’t expect your arms to be so strong!” Chen Diwen wiped blood from his face and clapped Bao Li’s shoulder.

“You two are too reckless!” Bao Li shook his numb hands, suddenly remembering Chen Cao. “I wonder how he’s doing!”

Having just relaxed after the hunt, both men tensed again at Bao Li’s words, their hearts instantly tightening.

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