“Oh my god! An eagle is catching a chick—no, an eagle is catching a child!”
Lu Shiyan’s exclamation was exaggerated, but his expression remained calm, as if he were watching a 3D movie.
Yuanmou Man was visibly distinct from modern humans in appearance.
They had small heads, with brain capacities roughly half that of modern humans, prominent cheekbones, low foreheads, deep eye sockets, and large, sturdy teeth.
It was like the difference between the first version and the Nth version, optimized and perfected over time.
Watching this scene felt immersive, not too detached, yet he was clearly aware that he was merely a spectator, a traveler.
Traveling to this world meant anything could happen—survival of the fittest, natural selection.
Su Miaomiao seemed to share the same mindset, even taking on the role of a class representative: “I told you to pay attention in class, but you insisted on reading novels. Is that an eagle? That’s a vulture!”
Su Mu’s mini-lecture also began, sharing knowledge: “Vultures are scavengers and cowards. They usually don’t actively attack humans, but in rare extreme situations, they might strike—such as when they’re starving or their young are threatened.”
“As primates, humans naturally have advantages. That vulture swooped down, looking fierce, but there were three or four female Yuanmou Man there. If they fought back, that vulture wouldn’t stand a chance.”
As the guide, He Mu didn’t stand by and watch. Instead, she sprinted toward the child under attack. She was determined to be the hero who drove the vulture away, and she had to act fast!
Su Mu’s analysis was spot-on. The female Yuanmou Man had already picked up sticks and were on guard. With their fierce determination, driving off a vulture wouldn’t be difficult.
But that would mean missing He Mu’s opportunity.
The system tasked them with hunting alongside Yuanmou Man.
Yuanmou Man weren’t exactly easy to communicate with, and integrating with them wouldn’t be simple. But if she saved this child from the vulture, wouldn’t their goodwill increase? Everything afterward would become much easier.
He Mu summoned the speed of someone rushing to the cafeteria after class to be the first in line for food. Taking advantage of the downhill slope, she reached the child before the female Yuanmou Man, grabbing the vulture by the neck and capturing it right before her eyes.
The female Yuanmou Man stopped in their tracks, spreading out to surround He Mu. They bared their teeth, emitting low growls from their throats, as if warning He Mu.
He Mu noticed their gazes were filled with vigilance and fear.
The child she was protecting saw its mother and ran back, wailing and clinging to her leg.
He Mu raised the unconscious vulture high in the air, trying to make her smile appear harmless. “Don’t be nervous… I’m here to help you.”
They seemed to understand He Mu’s words or perhaps interpreted her actions, as they stopped growling at her, though their eyes still held fear.
To Yuanmou Man, she seemed like a terrifying presence.
He Mu glanced down at the guide badge hanging around her neck. Was it the aura emanating from this thing that made them afraid?
He Mu said, “I’d like to visit where you live. Can you show me the way?”
The female Yuanmou Man gestured animatedly for a while before nodding in unison, signaling for He Mu to follow as they headed in a certain direction.
Footsteps sounded behind He Mu—it was Lu Shiyan and the others running over.
Lu Shiyan ran the fastest, his eyes quickly scanning He Mu to confirm she wasn’t injured, then his mouth turned sharp. “Well, well, I didn’t know our Director He was playing the saintly heroine, always ready to help those in distress.”
He Mu lifted the vulture toward Lu Shiyan. “Being a hero requires skill. Try catching one yourself?”
Lu Shiyan looked at the vulture with its crooked neck and twitched his lips. “What decent person catches a vulture barehanded?”
Su Miaomiao rushed to He Mu’s side. “Mu Mu, are you okay?”
He Mu shook her head. “I’m fine. Let’s follow them to see where the Yuanmou Man lived, then we can all go hunting together.”
Since they were already here, no one wanted to leave empty-handed, so they all followed.
The family of these female Yuanmou Man lived in a cave dug at the foot of the mountain—dark, damp, and uncomfortable to stay in for long. He Mu and the others soon stepped outside.
There weren’t many people here, just over a dozen.
Besides the women they had seen earlier, there were several pregnant women with swollen bellies, and the rest were men who were short in stature and also had protruding stomachs.
An older man stepped forward to greet the guests, seemingly the clan leader.
None of them could speak, only making incoherent sounds and gestures to communicate. Strangely, He Mu, who didn’t understand sign language, somehow grasped their meaning.
The clan leader first thanked He Mu for saving the child from their clan, then offered a piece of bloody meat—likely stripped from some animal—as a token of gratitude.
He Mu felt her scalp tingle at the sight and waved her hand in refusal. “No need, we brought our own food.”
The clan leader understood and didn’t insist, instead distributing the meat among the other clan members.
They ate it raw.
“Ugh—”
Su Miaomiao gagged at the sight.
Su Mu led Su Miaomiao away from the cave entrance, distancing them from these uncivilized savages.
Lu Shiyan moved closer to He Mu and said, “According to reports, the Yuanmou Man had traces of using fire in their daily lives, but this group in front of us doesn’t seem to possess that skill. The cave is damp and dark, and they eat their meat raw.”
He Mu nodded. “Now I understand why their stomachs are so swollen.”
She shook her head. “Quite a few creatures have made homes inside them.”
He Mu glanced at Lu Shiyan. “Take out a lighter and show them what you can do.”
Lu Shiyan immediately retorted, “I don’t smoke. Why would I have a lighter?”
He Mu had seen Lu Shiyan smoke before.
Lu Shiyan seemed to come from a well-off family and was generous with his money. Many students at school followed him around. As the saying goes, “One takes on the color of one’s company,” and since some of his friends smoked, Lu Shiyan picked up the habit too.
Senior year of high school offered almost no breaks, with classes even on weekends. Once, on her way home on a Sunday, He Mu saw Lu Shiyan smoking in an alley with a few dubious friends.
Clouds of smoke billowed around them, and the sight disgusted her.
After that, she never saw Lu Shiyan smoke again.
The guy seemed guilty, as if he’d been caught red-handed, and more than once muttered to himself in front of her that he had quit smoking.
He Mu said, “Who cares if you smoke or not? I packed a lighter among the supplies. Take it out of the bag.”
Only then did Lu Shiyan snap back to reality, somewhat awkwardly pulling the lighter from his bag.
He Mu took the lighter from Lu Shiyan’s palm and went to demonstrate it to the clan leader.
Click—
A flame sprang from the lighter, startling the clan leader, who stumbled backward. The others were also drawn to the sight, both fearful and unable to suppress their curiosity.
“Lu Shiyan.”
“Got it.”
He Mu and Lu Shiyan understood each other perfectly—one gathered dry leaves while the other lit the fire with the lighter.
It began to burn.
The clan leader led the others to gather around, their eyes gleaming.
This flame seemed to ignite something within their hearts as well.