"Velociraptor?" Unknown jolted to his feet, instinctively grabbing two fist-sized stones.

Two years of living as a hunter had taught Unknown that in this forest known as the Greater Khingan Mountains, there were some beasts that were best left alone. The velociraptor, a carnivorous, pack-hunting creature, was one of them.

These velociraptors weren't particularly large, only a bit taller than an average person, but with their tough skin, razor-sharp teeth, and ferocious, cunning nature, they were even harder to deal with than ogres. On top of that, since velociraptors preferred to hunt in packs, even fiercer creatures in the Greater Khingan Mountains would avoid provoking them unless absolutely necessary.

When Unknown saw that only a single velociraptor was chasing him, a faint smile appeared on his face. For Unknown, who had long wanted to hunt a velociraptor but never had the chance because they always moved in groups, this was undoubtedly the perfect opportunity.

"Combat power 205. I can handle this," Unknown said confidently. The dwarf had already run up beside him, shouting loudly, "Human, run! That's a ferocious velociraptor!"

No sooner had the dwarf finished speaking than the velociraptor lunged at Unknown, opening its jaws wide to reveal teeth sharp enough to bite through steel, snapping toward Unknown's head.

Clang...

A metallic crash rang out between Unknown and the velociraptor. The dwarf, fleeing, glanced back in a panic and stopped dead in his tracks, stunned by what he saw.

The velociraptor's jaws had clamped down on most of Unknown's left arm, which he had thrust into its mouth. The teeth, capable of biting through steel, hadn't managed to sever the arm. Instead, Unknown had used that arm to pierce straight through the velociraptor's mouth and out the back of its head. Pale green brain matter was slowly oozing from the new hole at the back of the velociraptor's skull.

"This... this is..." The dwarf stared, dumbfounded, at the scene, his shock known only to himself. He, who prided himself on being stronger than humans, had once swung his giant axe at this very velociraptor, but its tough hide and thick flesh meant that even a deep, two-inch gash on its thigh hadn't been enough to sever the limb.

The velociraptor's face twitched, its eyes filled with unwillingness, as if it couldn't believe that such a seemingly weak human could take its life. With a feeble wail, it slowly collapsed to the ground.

After killing the velociraptor with a single punch, Unknown wasted no time. He quickly pulled out all the teeth from its mouth, then skillfully located and extracted the main tendons from its body. Even the velociraptor's hide couldn't escape Unknown's hands; in just a few moves, he had a complete velociraptor skin in his possession.

The dwarf's jaw seemed dislocated as he stood beside Unknown for a long time, unable to close his mouth. He finally asked, "Are you really human?"

A layer of special powder scattered from Unknown's hand—this was a powder hunters used to mask the scent of blood, preventing the smell from attracting even fiercer beasts after a kill.

Unknown put his newly acquired spoils into his pack and smiled, "I often ask myself that same question. You can call me Unknown. By the way, are you a dwarf? I happen to need to go to a dwarf village two hundred li away. Are you a resident there?"

"Yes, I'm a resident there! Thank you for saving my life just now. You can call me Tom." The dwarf answered Unknown's question earnestly, his eyes glancing—perhaps unintentionally—at the rabbit meat roasting over the campfire, giving off a delicious aroma.

Seeing this, Unknown smiled. Even the best cooks in the village had to admit defeat when it came to Unknown's grilling skills.

"Would you like to try some of my roasted rabbit?"

A roasted rabbit leg was lightly tossed by Unknown to the dwarf, who was already drooling.

"Thank you, kind soul." The dwarf took the rabbit meat and began eating ravenously.

Unknown smiled and tore off a rabbit leg for himself, eating as he chatted with the dwarf. Upon learning that Unknown was heading to the dwarf village to forge hunting tools, the dwarf immediately pounded his chest and promised to introduce Unknown to the village's best craftsman, Uncle Sam.

Since waking up, this was Unknown's first time traveling far alone, and he still felt a bit uneasy about going to the dwarf village. Hearing Tom's enthusiastic offer eased his worries considerably.

The roast rabbit was quickly finished between the two of them. To make good time, Unknown picked up Tom and sprinted at full speed toward the dwarf village.

The howling wind whistled past Tom's ears, making him scream in fright again and again, until after more than ten minutes he finally began to get used to Unknown's speed.

"You're a behemoth in human skin, or maybe a dragon in human skin," Tom concluded after thinking for a long time in Unknown's arms.

To such a comment, Unknown could only smile helplessly. Ever since he had been awakened from a metal and glass cabinet filled with strange liquid, his body had been full of mysteries, and the rumor that he possessed the strength of a behemoth had long circulated in the village.