vrcanaries Chapter 9: Clash of Two Top-Tier Combat Species
Chapter 9: Clash of Two Top-Tier Combat Species
Fifty-five thousand years have passed since the Red Junglefowl's counterattack.
The timeline of the Ancient Continent has been reversed by 70,000 years.
Over the course of 55,000 years, the Red Junglefowl population has not only greatly improved its survival skills after experiencing life-and-death struggles with wild dogs and cheetahs, but the group has also demonstrated amazing resilience in the face of brutal natural selection.
After a brief decline, the chicken population recovered as they successfully killed predators and began consuming meat, gaining a richer source of nutrition. Their diet expanded from insects and grass seeds to include insects, grass seeds, wild dogs, and cheetahs.
The red junglefowl's appearance has changed further: its body size has increased compared to the early stages, its hind limbs are more robust and powerful, and its running speed and jumping height have continued to improve.
The beak structure begins to harden, and the edges subtly show a trend of sharpening.
The wings have become slightly smaller, and the feathers are more vibrant in color, especially in males, where the feathers on the neck and back have a metallic sheen.
Of course, besides the red junglefowl, cheetahs and wild dogs have also undergone some changes.
Both of them have the same change: increased body size and enhanced biting power of their teeth.
Over these 55,000 years, the territory's ecology has developed into a strange balance, with wild dogs, cheetahs, and red junglefowl all being invincible.
There are no purely superiors or inferiors.
Wild dogs and cheetahs can eat red junglefowl, and red junglefowl can also fight back against wild dogs and cheetahs.
Who will become the overlord of this territory next depends on the application of intervention points and the strength of the creatures after their reversion to antiquity.
......
The ancient continent is not only home to three species: red junglefowl, wild dogs, and cheetahs, nor are they the only species involved in battles.
On the other side of the ancient continent, in the vast area where temperate grasslands and tundra meet, the species of the United States and the United States of Bears are facing each other from afar.
The species chosen by the American participant, Jack Wilson, was the rhinoceros, while the species chosen by the Bear Country participant, Natasha, was the polar bear.
Both rhinoceroses and polar bears are powerful land animals.
Both are enormous land creatures, and after nearly 70,000 years of antiquity, they have shown morphological characteristics that are closer to their ancient ancestors.
The rhinoceros has grown even larger, with a shoulder height of nearly 3.5 meters. Its skin wrinkles have deepened, turning grayish-brown and covered with a thick layer of long hair, making it look like a giant beast clad in armor.
Although their horns did not become significantly longer, their bones became thicker, making them resemble moving hills when they charged.
Meanwhile, polar bears have become stronger in their physique during the regression to ancient times, with their fur gradually turning from pure white to light yellow, their limbs becoming thicker, their claws and teeth sharper, and their bite force constantly increasing in the struggle for survival.
Initially, the two sides had small-scale conflicts due to overlapping territories.
A young male rhinoceros wandered into the hunting range of polar bears while foraging for food and was attacked by three polar bears.
The rhinoceros broke free after injuring a polar bear with its thick hide and brute force, but its side was also torn open by the bear's claws.
This incident became the trigger for a full-blown conflict.
Of course, the real reason behind it is that both Jack Wilson and Natasha want to exterminate each other's species as quickly as possible.
Jack Wilson and Natasha noticed the escalation of the situation almost simultaneously in the observation room.
Jack sneered, "Rhinoceroses are virtually invincible on land in terms of defense and impact. Polar bears are strong, but they lack group cooperation tactics and are just a bunch of large predators. They should surrender as soon as possible."
Natasha calmly replied, "Whether we win or lose, we'll only know after we fight."
The two returned to their respective rooms and began using their intervention points.
Natasha used her intervention points on the polar bear's body.
With a little intervention, the polar bear's height and weight increased again.
Jack, on the other hand, used his intervention points on the rhinoceros's large horns.
Rhinoceroses have relatively few attack methods; their large horns are their only truly lethal weapon.
The battle unfolded on the frozen ground at the edge of the tundra.
The rhinoceros herd, led by adult males, lowers its heads and raises its horns, forming a mobile "armored wall" as it launches a collective charge towards the polar bear herd.
The polar bear flanked the rhinoceros from the side, attempting to avoid a direct confrontation.
Polar bears aren't stupid; they won't blindly charge at a rhinoceros.
Although polar bears are large, this does not mean they can withstand the impact of a rhinoceros's horn.
If you really get hit, it'll definitely leave a hole.
The rhinoceros's first charge knocked down two polar bears, one of which was pierced in the abdomen by the rhinoceros's horn and was seriously injured and unable to get up.
However, the polar bears' attack also successfully knocked down a rhinoceros and bit through its neck.
One soldier was killed on each side; this first battle was merely a test.
After their first charge, the rhinoceros herd quickly regrouped, their heavy footsteps causing the frozen ground to tremble slightly.
An experienced male polar bear suddenly pounced on a smaller rhinoceros from the side and rear, its sharp claws tearing through the fur and thick blubber as it tried to drag the rhinoceros away from the herd.
The rhinoceros, in pain, thrashed about, but the polar bear held on tightly to its shoulder, and blood immediately stained its light yellow fur.
Seeing this, another nearby rhinoceros turned around and charged to the rescue.
The polar bear was forced to open its mouth and leap away, but was still grazed on the hind leg by the rhinoceros horn, leaving a deep wound that exposed the bone.
On the other side, three rhinos surrounded a lone polar bear.
They charged at each other in turn, blocking the polar bear's escape route.
The polar bear roared and stood upright, slapping the face of the leading rhinoceros, causing it to pause slightly.
But the other two rhinos seized the opportunity to ram the polar bear, their large horns piercing its belly.
The polar bear, in pain, staggered backward, blood gushing out. Instead of retreating, the injured polar bear became even more ferocious, lunging forward and biting the base of a rhinoceros's ear, tearing off a piece of flesh.
The sounds of roaring and crashing echoed across the tundra.
The battle lasted for two hours, with both sides suffering heavy losses: the rhino herd lost four adult individuals, with several others wounded; the polar bears lost five, with many more seriously injured.
As casualties increased, both groups showed signs of exhaustion.
Rhinos' collective charge consumes a lot of energy, and frequent turns slow down their reactions; polar bears, although strong in individual combat, are also left with many wounds from continuous high-intensity fighting.
Ultimately, after a fierce exchange, both sides retreated simultaneously, each returning to a relatively safe distance.
Inside the observation room, both Jack Wilson and Natasha looked grave.
They realized that in the current ancient phase, the fighting power of the rhinoceros and the polar bear was in a delicate balance, and neither could completely overwhelm the other.
This battle turned into a war of attrition, and as the process of returning to antiquity continues, the shrinking territory will force them to fight again in the future.
For now, we can only stop temporarily.