The moment it started, everyone moved at once. Dad shot forward his massive body exploding into motion as he launched straight at the limping horse.
"Now!"
James reacted instantly, pushing off the ground as he and Mom closed in from both sides. The herd panicked the moment they saw the three saber-toothed tigers, hooves pounding as they scattered in every direction, but the limping horse made the worst possible decision. Startled by Dad charging straight at it, it turned and ran the opposite way, breaking away from the herd completely Alone.
"That's it… you're done," James locked onto it and accelerated.
Dad caught up within seconds and slammed into it, the impact dropping the horse instantly as its body hit the ground hard. Before it could recover, Mom and James arrived, and the three of them surrounded it without hesitation.
The horse struggled desperately, letting out sharp cries as it tried to call the herd, but there was no answer. The others had already fled. Even with one injured leg, it fought to survive until the very end, but it didn't matter. Under Mom's Long Saber teeth, its resistance faded, and moments later, it went still, eyes wide open, fixed on the direction where the herd had disappeared.
Mom and Dad immediately began eating, clearly starving after the long wait. The hunt itself had taken less than a minute, but the ambush had taken over an hour, and James finally understood why patience mattered so much.
A notification appeared in his mind, rewarding him with fifteen Gene Points. "Not bad… I just helped and still got this much," he thought, feeling satisfied.
Zack and Zoe rushed over the moment it was safe, practically throwing themselves at the carcass. James took a few bites of the horse meat, chewed for a second, then paused.
"…Yeah, this is not great." The taste was strong and unpleasant, nowhere near as good as rabbit or deer.
"No wonder people say horse meat smells," he muttered, but he kept eating anyway. Hunger didn't give him the luxury to complain too much.
Just then, a sharp cry echoed from above.
"Goo! Goo!"
James looked up. "What's wrong now Who's making so much noice…"
Two large dark birds circled high in the sky, their wings spread wide, easily over three meters across. They looked like oversized vultures, with bare heads and heavy bodies.
Using the system, James quickly figured it out. "Teratorns… scavengers." He clicked his tongue.
Mom and Dad barely reacted and continued eating, but within minutes more birds began to appear. Then more. And more. The sky slowly filled until it looked like a dark cloud pressing down on them.
"You've got to be kidding me… " The birds began landing nearby, standing there and staring, waiting for leftovers. The feeling was irritating, like being surrounded while eating.
Mom suddenly stopped and let out a warning,
"Rrr—" causing several birds to flap away in panic, but when nothing followed, they came back again.
"Shameless birds…" James muttered. Dad had even less patience. He stood up and charged straight at them, forcing the entire flock into the air as feathers scattered everywhere.
"Yes go run away and don't disturb my lunch," James watched, but as expected, they didn't stay gone. Within minutes, they returned again, even more than before. This time, even Mom and Dad didn't bother reacting and simply continued eating. That only made it worse.
James exhaled slowly. "No… this is so annoying." Letting them stand there and watch felt unbearable. He studied them carefully, noticing how alert they were. If he rushed directly, they would scatter instantly.
"Think something James…" Then an idea hit him. He tore off a chunk of meat from the carcass and threw it toward them.
"Here, take it." The reaction was immediate. The birds rushed forward, fighting over the meat, completely focused on it.
"Gotcha"
The moment they got distracted, James moved. His body burst forward like lightning fast . Before the birds could react, he slammed straight into them. Several were knocked off their feet instantly, bodies tumbling as feathers spread into the air.
"Where are you looking birdie ?" he snapped, already preparing to strike again as the entire flock fell into chaos.