Planetary-Grade Drill Beast

On the right side of the migration convoy, a pack of over a hundred carnivorous Rift-Toothed Beasts launched scattered attacks against the convoy.

Rift-Toothed Beasts were cunning and cruel carnivorous beasts. Adults reached Apprentice Tier 6 and lived in family groups.

They were relatively small, resembling bobcats. Adults were only a little over two meters long, but they possessed explosive power and swift movements, making them especially effective against large, clumsy herbivorous beasts.

However, the warriors in the migration convoy had plenty of experience dealing with small, agile beasts like Rift-Toothed Beasts.

Aside from a few expert archers who continued firing arrows, everyone else picked up bone shields and war blades to coordinate with the shield-bearing spearmen.

Leaving several men behind to protect the archers, the rest jumped down from the wagons in groups of three or four and took the initiative to meet the attacking Rift-Toothed Beasts.

"Kill!"

"Roar!"

The two sides collided, and for a time, the warriors' furious cries intertwined with the Rift-Toothed Beasts' roars.

It was an evenly matched battle!

One side was well-equipped and highly experienced in battle.

The other had sharp claws and fangs, and moved with great speed.

In one battle group, three warriors formed an airtight defense with their bone shields. No matter how sharp the Rift-Toothed Beasts' teeth and claws were, they could not harm them.

Soon, after one spear-wielding warrior stabbed a Rift-Toothed Beast, the other two warriors rushed forward and killed it. Not long after, another Rift-Toothed Beast also died under the focused attacks of the three men.

Another battle group was different. The four warriors did not coordinate as well. After one young warrior made a mistake and had his throat bitten by a Rift-Toothed Beast, the scales of victory tipped toward the beasts.

Battle groups fought fiercely all along the line, with victories and losses on both sides.

Unlike other beasts that attacked in dense formations, the Rift-Toothed Beasts attacked the migration convoy in groups of two or three, with dozens of meters between each group.

Thus, by the time Yakesi arrived atop the massive Long-Haired Beast, there were dozens of battle groups fighting between the convoy and the Rift-Toothed Beasts, and the battle line stretched for nearly a thousand meters!

If other tribes had not joined the migration convoy along the way, the Haheru Tribe alone would have been unable to defend such a long front.

"Hah!"

With an angry shout, Yakesi pointed his spear toward the nearest battle group. He squeezed his legs and directed the Long-Haired Beast beneath him into a charge.

The Long-Haired Beast beneath him was an Apprentice Tier 9 beast. When it charged, it created an enormous commotion, its hooves pounding out an exceptionally loud clatter.

Moo!

With a low bellow, the Long-Haired Beast lowered its head and sent a Rift-Toothed Beast blocking its path flying.

The airborne Rift-Toothed Beast had its waist bones shattered. Blood flowed from its mouth and nose, and its internal organs had suffered severe damage. After landing, it took in more air than it let out. It was unlikely to survive.

"Die!"

Yakesi thrust out his spear and performed a cranial operation on a Rift-Toothed Beast that had failed to dodge in time.

After killing two Rift-Toothed Beasts, Yakesi did not linger. He directed the Long-Haired Beast onward, charging toward the next battle group.

He slaughtered his way through the battlefield. In just over ten seconds, he had torn through several battle groups, unstoppable!

Just as he charged toward the next battle group, preparing to expand his gains, an unexpected change occurred.

The ground exploded, dirt spraying everywhere as an unidentified grayish-brown object burrowed out of the ruptured earth and blocked Yakesi's path.

Then, the grayish-brown object suddenly split open from above, revealing a gaping, bloody maw ten meters in diameter. It was a beast!

"Not good!"

Yakesi immediately sensed danger and reacted swiftly.

He knew the Long-Haired Beast beneath him could not stop its charging hooves, so he pushed off with one hand and leaped from its back. Then he planted one foot on the Long-Haired Beast's back and sent himself flying backward.

The instant Yakesi left the Long-Haired Beast's back, a bloody maw lunged forward and bit down where the Long-Haired Beast had been, swallowing it whole!

Fortunately, his judgment and movements had been fast enough. Otherwise, he too would have been swallowed by that massive mouth!

At that moment, the bloody maw had been only two or three meters away from him. He could even see the sharp, fine teeth inside it, as well as the rotting flesh lodged between them!

Flying backward, Yakesi braced one hand against the ground just before landing, using the force to adjust his body and land on the grass.

His feet plowed through the ground for over a meter. When he looked up, he saw that a large patch of grass where the Long-Haired Beast had been swallowed had also been bitten away.

Staring at the grayish-brown beast, Yakesi tightly gripped his ancestral spear, his expression grave!

"A Planetary-Grade Drill Beast!"

Drill Beasts were beasts that reached Apprentice Tier 8 as adults. They had neither fur nor scales, and their skin was exceptionally tough. Because they lived underground year-round, their vision had deteriorated, but their senses and hearing had been greatly enhanced.

Yakesi's heart sank. This is bad!

If he did not kill or severely injure this Planetary-Grade Drill Beast, the entire migration convoy would suffer!

Because Drill Beasts could eat carrion!

And they had the "bad habit" of hoarding food!

As the chief of the Haheru Tribe, Yakesi knew he had to do something.

Because this was his responsibility!

His eyes locked onto the Drill Beast as he rapidly considered a strategy. I don't know what rank this Planetary-Grade Drill Beast is, but I'm definitely no match for it!

I can't fight it head-on. I can only stall for time until Li Qi comes to help. As an inspector, he must have some way to deal with Planetary-Grade beasts. If even he can't do anything...

Yakesi shook his head slightly and cast those unpleasant thoughts aside.

Hoo!

He slowly exhaled, flexed the fingers holding his spear, and steadied his mind.

He had to concentrate so that he could deal with the coming battle against the Planetary-Grade Drill Beast.

At that moment, the Planetary-Grade Drill Beast stopped chewing. After swallowing its food, it began searching for new prey.

Listening carefully and sensing the vibrations in the earth, the Drill Beast locked onto a new target.

Just as it lowered its head to burrow toward it, a deafening sound and violent tremor held it in place.

Bang!

With a loud crash, a deep pit appeared before Yakesi, surrounded by scattered dirt and shredded grass.

Yakesi had created that pit by smashing the ground with his spear!

Silence!

After smashing the pit into the ground with his spear, Yakesi stopped moving, and even his breathing became much slower.

The Drill Beast listened and sensed carefully, but due to the interference from the distant fighting, it could not locate the target that had produced the tremendous sound.

After several seconds of silence, the Drill Beast lowered its head to burrow again, only for another tremendous sound and violent tremor to leave it stunned in place.

This time, the Drill Beast no longer listened or sensed. It raised its head and let out an enraged roar!

Roar!

After roaring, it burrowed directly toward Yakesi's location.

"Fuck! Who said Drill Beasts need to keep sensing their targets to lock onto them?!"

Seeing a large bulge in the grass rapidly racing toward him, Yakesi cursed and turned to run.

Who would be foolish enough to clash head-on with a Planetary-Grade Drill Beast?

He had not even seen his youngest son take a wife yet. He did not want to die young.

As long as the Drill Beast did not trouble anyone else, he was willing to keep playing with it until Li Qi came to rescue him.