Hunter Carter picked up the soaking wet little elk, a gratified smile appearing on his face. Ever since being exiled to this desolate land, this was the first time he had felt so happy.

Suddenly, a rapid clatter of hooves sounded behind him. Hunter Carter turned around and saw a male elk charging at him like lightning, its antler-like branched horns viciously stabbing toward his abdomen. Hunter Carter hurriedly dodged to the side, but the male elk pursued relentlessly, clearly unwilling to stop until it had gored Hunter Carter through the gut. At the critical moment, the female elk struggled to her feet and stood in front of Hunter Carter.

No one knew what kind of communication passed between them, but the male elk lowered its head and slowly approached Hunter Carter, sticking out its tongue to gently lick the little elk's body.

Hunter Carter set down the newborn fawn, which wobbled over to the female elk.

Even the mother elk forced herself to close her eyes, but the roar of a leopard echoed in his ears.

Two leopards silently crept closer, their fierce eyes fixed on the nursing fawn. The male elk immediately sensed the danger. Instead of fleeing, he bravely stood guard in front of the mother and fawn, trying to protect his mate with what little strength he had.

The female leopard slowly circled behind them, cutting off their retreat, while the male leopard strode toward them at a leisurely pace. In its eyes, Hunter Carter and the three elks were already prey in the bag, and it was calculating how to enjoy this feast.

With a heart-shaking roar, the male leopard leapt into the air, pouncing down at the male elk from above, its sharp front claws aiming to tear open the elk's throat.

Suddenly, a huge black shadow descended from the sky—a giant gorilla, about two meters tall, leapt down from a tree and landed a heavy punch on the leopard's jaw, sending its body flying sideways.

Seeing the tables turn, the female leopard roared and pounced onto the giant gorilla's back, opening its bloody maw to bite at the gorilla's neck. But before it could sink its teeth in, the gorilla grabbed its neck in a vice-like grip, swung its body, and smashed it hard against a nearby tree trunk. The female leopard spun through the air and crashed to the ground like a pile of mud. A crisp crack sounded as its body hit the hard trunk—its spine was broken on the spot, and it was clearly doomed.

The male leopard, seeing its mate die so tragically, let out a terrified howl and fled deep into the forest with its tail between its legs.

Hunter Carter hadn't expected a giant gorilla to appear at such a critical moment, and for a while, he stood there in a daze.

The giant gorilla seemed to have a good relationship with the male elk. It walked over and patted the elk's back, and the elk gently rubbed the gorilla with its antlers.

As Hunter Carter hesitated about whether to leave, the giant gorilla crawled over to him, pointed at the newborn fawn, then pointed at its own foot.

Hunter Carter looked at the sole of its foot and saw a screw embedded there. He was extremely surprised—this screw was clearly not something from the natural world. Could it be that there were traces of humans here? The thought sparked a glimmer of hope in his heart. If he could find people, maybe he could leave this desolate land.

The gorilla was clearly asking Hunter Carter to help remove the screw. Hunter Carter nodded, picked up its foot, and whispered, "I can take it out for you, but it will hurt a little. You must bear with it."

The gorilla closed its eyes. Hunter Carter gripped the end of the screw and, with a bit of force, pulled it out. The end of the screw was already rusted—it looked like it had been embedded in the gorilla's foot for a long time.

Hunter Carter tore off a corner of his shirt and bandaged the gorilla's wound, patting its hairy thigh as he said, "I won't charge you for this treatment. If you have any conscience, take me out of this place."

Suddenly, the gorilla spread its arms and, catching Hunter Carter off guard, scooped him up and nimbly climbed up a tree.

Hunter Carter was both shocked and frightened, shouting loudly, "Put me down!"

The gorilla ignored Hunter Carter's yelling, quickly climbing to the top of the branches and leaping from one tree to another. Hunter Carter was so scared his heart nearly stopped, feeling as if he were flying through the air in the gorilla's arms. The gorilla was incredibly strong, and he had no chance to break free or escape. "Put me down... you ungrateful beast..."

The gorilla carried Hunter Carter for about twenty minutes, leaping and soaring, until they entered a dense forest with lush branches and leaves. Those twenty minutes felt like an eternity to Hunter Carter.

The gorilla gently set him down on the grass. Hunter Carter was still shaken and didn't dare take a single step.

From the branches, behind the trunks, and among the rocks, hundreds of gorillas of all sizes surrounded him, curiously sizing up this strange newcomer and communicating with each other in animal language.

Hunter Carter's appearance was now utterly disheveled, his clothes torn in many places by branches, exposing his bronze skin.

Several female gorillas looked at Hunter Carter with curiosity, their shining eyes revealing the most primitive desires. Hunter Carter hurriedly covered himself with his hands—it seemed these gorillas had no concept of modesty.

Chapter 2 【Burn!】 (Part 2)