The flock departed, and night fell.
In the darkness, the death of a Typhon set off a feeding frenzy.
The scent of blood spread along the river, soon drawing other diners.
They had not dared show themselves during the day, but once night fell, they all emerged. Dozens of pairs of green eyes gleamed in the darkness.
Hyena-like canine predators darted out of the forest, while medium-sized raptors like vultures landed around the remains and pecked at scraps of meat. Even some medium-sized crocodilians that had been hiding poked out their snouts, venturing close to the edge of the feast.
The ripples parted as something rose from the riverbed and swam toward shore.
Moonlight flowed over his scales like molten silver. His pale pupils gleamed in the night as he slowly swept his gaze over the feast.
The diners kept their heads down, eating. None of them saw the enormous creature pass.
Famu had stayed hidden underwater, only surfacing once not a glimmer of light remained overhead. He held the giant bird in his mouth, its golden plumes soaked and clumped together like a soggy lump of gold.
Hunger was a habit, not a desire he felt at that moment. He could no longer stay here; the banks of the Mara River were no longer safe.
Famu gave up on eating where he was. He would hurry back to his nest and savor the meal at his leisure.
Famu had a feeling that this giant bird was extraordinarily significant to him.
The flock had killed an adult Typhon, and no second adult Typhon would come to this river basin for a while. By rights, it should have been safe, but Famu knew the truth was far from that simple.
Those giant birds had made a conspicuous entrance into the Mara River, and they must have drawn the attention of Muerjia upstream. During the day, after the demonic leader of the flock descended, Famu had heard a low-frequency vibration from upstream. Muerjia had angrily sounded a warning, and heaven knew when this ruler would come here.
Famu left the Mara River and slipped into the jungle along a small trail.
He took a different route.
He was worried that one of his own kind might imitate Xing Rui and find the Blackwater Swamp.
Just like the Savage Species and the Intelligent Species Xing Rui had spoken of, there was no shortage of intelligent creatures in the rainforest. He needed to be even more careful, so no other creature discovered his trail.
Whitewater Trees grew everywhere here, together forming the White Forest that spread along the riverbanks and floodplains. Many large mammals liked to live in the White Forest. Both the trunks and the foliage helped Famu conceal himself, while the complex root systems and shifting shallows could also erase the traces of his passage.
The advantage of a serpent's body became apparent as he slithered through the White Forest. Even a giant snake like a Typhon could slip beneath the roots without its thick, broad body getting stuck in an opening.
As for the giant bird in his mouth, not a single bone in its body was intact. It was limp as a waterskin filled to the brim, ready to be squeezed any which way.
"Hummm—"
It was a Typhon's roar.
Beneath the White Forest, Famu heard the vibration again. It came from the area where the Typhon had been hunted down.
Famu could not help feeling glad about his decision. If he had not left in time, he would have run straight into this unknown member of his kind. By the time the other Typhon slithered over to inspect these waters, Famu had vanished without a trace.
He passed through the White Forest, entered a dried-up watercourse, followed its winding turns, and sank into the swamp.
Even at Famu's slithering speed, at least two hours had passed. He had taken a long detour.
The black Typhon returned to his loyal territory. Headscar had returned earlier; once the flock left during the day, Headscar had hurried back to the Blackwater Swamp. As far as Headscar was concerned, nowhere was safer than this.
The Nightmare Leopard lay on the bank, watching the Orbital Ridge Crocodiles play in the water, bored out of its mind.
These creatures liked to perch their young on their heads. The youngsters played by making the adult crocodiles carrying them bump into one another.
Headscar was licking a paw when Headscar suddenly turned toward the eastern side of the swamp.
The lord had returned.
On the small island in the middle of the swamp, moonlight fell in patches, and a giant serpent lay coiled.
Famu lay on a rock with his jaws open. The four independent sets of serrated teeth in his mouth worked like four little hands, feeding the giant bird into his throat bit by bit.
The giant bird was much larger than the long-snouted tapir, but it weighed a little less.
Famu had some difficulty eating it. He rarely hunted birds, not only because it was difficult, but also because they had far too little meat.
This time was different.
The giant bird had only just entered his mouth.
What the hell is this? How can it be so delicious?
It was a delicacy unlike anything he had ever tasted.
Famu was stunned. This was the first time he had encountered the concept of a delicious meal since becoming a Typhon. It even eclipsed the longing he remembered feeling for human food.
His stomach digested the giant bird slowly this time, dissolving its feathers, keratin, skin, and flesh bit by bit.
Famu savored it. White vapor rose from the surface of his scales; his body temperature was so high that it evaporated the moisture in the air.
His premonition had been entirely correct. The giant bird was extraordinarily significant to him, and he needed to devote his full attention to digesting this fine meal. If he had swallowed it down whole on the bank of the Mara River, it would truly have been a reckless waste of a heavenly treasure.
Famu truly enjoyed this process of chewing up a miracle and swallowing it bit by bit.
He longed to experience such a miracle again, which inevitably raised a question.
But where did these giant birds come from?
They were certainly not a species native to the Samei Rainforest.
A large raptor called the Titan Feather-Crested Heron lived in the canopy of the Samei Rainforest. It was one of the largest raptors in existence, its name referring to its enormous size and distinctive feather crest. Titan Feather-Crested Herons often perched high in the canopy, using the dense forest as cover while they watched the activity below for long periods. Once one locked onto a target, it would glide silently closer, then suddenly accelerate into a dive a few meters from its prey, using the impact of its enormous body and its deadly grip to finish the hunt in a single strike.
In open terrain, even a Nightmare Leopard would find this large raptor troublesome. Its talons could pierce the leopard's shoulder blades and pin it in place.
But even a Titan Feather-Crested Heron could not possibly grow this large.
Never mind the golden giant that stood four meters tall; the one in Famu's stomach alone exceeded the maximum size of a Titan Feather-Crested Heron, to say nothing of its ability to hunt Typhons and its army-like collective nature.
A Furnace-Core Creature?
Famu pondered the matter and came up with a reasonably plausible explanation.
They were Furnace-Core Creatures on the same level as Typhons, so a Typhon could kill a giant bird, and giant birds could kill a Typhon.
During the rainy season, Famu often wandered the network of waterways along the main river channels, yet he had never seen this kind of giant bird. That meant the giant birds only appeared during the dry season. They had picked their moment, taking advantage of the waterways being cut off during the dry season to hunt Typhons in pools.
It was an unequal war.
Only with the advantages of terrain and numbers could they win a round. In terms of individual strength, the giant birds were far inferior to Typhons.
As Famu thought, his body responded.
That Furnace Core rumbled.