Hunter Carter didn’t know how he had angered it. The situation was critical, and he raised his pistol again.

Before he could fully lift the pistol, the giant ape had already darted in front of him like lightning and punched him in the abdomen. Hunter Carter was sent flying through the air, landing on a branch midair, which snapped under his weight, causing him to crash heavily at the giant ape’s feet.

The giant ape lifted its foot and stomped viciously toward Hunter Carter’s head.

At that perilous moment, a fit of violent coughing was heard—it was George White, trembling as it walked out of the stone hut.

The giant ape’s massive foot froze in midair, and its bristling fur gradually smoothed down.

George White slowly came to Hunter Carter’s side and reached out to pull him up. The giant ape seemed to hold it in great awe, lowering its head obediently.

The female ape that had tried to seduce Hunter Carter earlier walked over from behind, gently tugged at the giant ape’s arm, and together they disappeared into the darkness.

Hunter Carter wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, still shaken. “Thank goodness you showed up in time, or I would’ve been done for!”

George White sighed. “Actually, Weigang meant well. You saved me from the brink of death, and to show its gratitude, it offered you its most beautiful wife. It didn’t expect you to refuse.”

Hunter Carter didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. No matter how he looked at it, that female ape was anything but beautiful. It turned out that apes’ sense of beauty was vastly different from that of humans.

“By refusing, you insulted it. Weigang is the future king of this group—it cannot accept such an insult!”

“Can you help me explain it to him?”

George White took a step forward. “Young man, you don’t belong here. Weigang and the others are the true masters of this land!” George White turned its head, gazing at Hunter Carter. “By giving you his wife, he was accepting you into his tribe. Your refusal means you rejected becoming one of them, rejected this land.”

Hunter Carter said hopefully, “You can help me explain it to them!”

George White slowly shook its head. “My time is almost up. After I die, no one will protect you. You have your principles, your moral bottom line, and so do Weigang and the others. If you can’t integrate with them, it means you’ll be cast out…”

Hunter Carter finally realized the gravity of the situation. If George White died, there would be no one left to help him. If he wanted to survive on the island, he had to blend into the world of the apes. Thinking of the female ape’s toothy grin, Hunter Carter couldn’t help but feel a headache. He knew his current state—if he stayed on this deserted island, he wouldn’t be able to control the ever-growing desire within him, and one day, he might do something that violated his morals.

George White patted him on the shoulder. “Leave here before things get worse.”

It stuffed a worn-out satchel into Hunter Carter’s hands. “The things inside are my gifts to you. Whatever you want to take, you can put in here. The satchel will keep everything inside safe and sound.”

Hunter Carter, as if driven by some unseen force, returned to Emily Foster’s grave. George White didn’t have much time left in this world, so he had to make a decision quickly.

Gazing at Emily Foster’s grave, Hunter Carter couldn’t hold back his tears. He mourned not only Emily Foster’s tragic death, but also his own unfortunate fate.

Even at this moment, his mind was still filled with passionate scenes with Emily Foster. If not for his strong will, he might have done something truly beastly.

It all came down to his cynical nature. If only he could have foreseen the outcome.

Hunter Carter placed a bouquet of freshly picked flowers in front of Emily Foster’s grave. “I’m sorry… I dragged you into this. If Heaven could give me another chance, I’d do everything I could to make it up to you…”

Suddenly, a clap of thunder sounded in the sky. Dark clouds instantly covered the heavens, and a violent storm was about to break.

Hunter Carter went to the open grassland and, following George White’s advice, put the first aid kit, essential supplies, and other necessary items into the satchel George White had given him. Finally, he took out the blue diamond.

A raindrop the size of a soybean landed on his face and slid to the edge of his lips. Hunter Carter stuck out his tongue and licked it—it was salty and astringent, just like his complicated feelings at that moment.

“Goodbye!” Hunter Carter muttered to himself, taking a lingering look at this familiar yet strange world. Hesitantly, he opened his mouth and put the blue diamond inside. Suddenly, the image of the female ape’s toothy grin flashed through his mind. Perhaps due to the effects of the medicine in his body, the female ape’s expression now seemed much more alluring and enchanting in retrospect.

Hunter Carter began to hesitate. Maybe staying wouldn’t be such a bad choice after all.

The diamond in Hunter Carter’s mouth grew hotter and hotter. Just as Hunter Carter was about to spit it out, the diamond began to melt rapidly, slipping nimbly into his body as if it were alive.

Hunter Carter was shocked. He hurriedly stuck his fingers down his throat, trying to dig the diamond out. The stimulation made him gag, but unfortunately, he couldn’t spit the diamond out.