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Chapter 11: Robbers on the Plains
If Gu Lang hadn’t been there, and it was just Wang Ping and Rosette encountering this situation, Wang Ping would have surely jumped on Rosette’s back, urging her to run as far as possible.
In one-on-one fights, Rosette’s strength was more than enough to take down a hyena with ease. Even Wang Ping could put up a solid fight thanks to his resilient body.
But no matter how tough they were, one pair of fists couldn’t hold off multiple opponents. There’s a big difference between a single hyena and an entire hyena pack. It’s like ancient warfare: a skilled swordsman could kill an ordinary soldier, but against a hundred soldiers in formation, he’d likely be cut down before he even drew his sword.
Hyenas are similar. A pack of hyenas isn’t an exaggeration to compare to a tactical unit, as they operate with precise coordination. Because of this behavior, they’re sometimes called "wolves of the land."
Of course, "hyena" isn’t a single species but a general term for hyena-like animals.
Just like we refer to breeds like Golden Retrievers, Huskies, or Dobermans as “dogs” or “pups,” the term “hyena” includes spotted hyenas, striped hyenas, and brown hyenas, each with different behaviors.
If it had been a lone striped hyena, it wouldn’t have dared to tail a fierce predator like Rosette. But this time, they were dealing with spotted hyenas, Africa’s most abundant and formidable pack-hunting carnivores.
Logically speaking, if they got into the car and left immediately, they might still have a chance to shake off these hyenas.
But Rosette had gone a whole day without food and had spent a lot of energy hunting. Asking her to abandon her prey now was out of the question. Besides, they hadn’t even fought yet—giving up so easily was not in the leopard’s creed.
Rosette lowered her body, locking her gaze on the approaching figures and preparing to fight.
Gu Lang’s livestream became chaotic. Though it was late at night, many viewers stayed up to watch. When Rosette brought her kill back, Gu Lang had adjusted the camera angle quietly, capturing this rare glimpse into a wild leopard’s mealtime—something rarely shown on livestreams.
But this sudden confrontation was even more captivating on screen.
Even with the dim lighting, where viewers could barely discern what was creeping into view, this didn’t stop the night owls from buzzing with excitement.
Meanwhile, Douyu staff monitoring Gu Lang’s channel were also getting anxious. They couldn’t understand why Gu Lang hadn’t driven back to the nearest city for a break after what happened to him. What was he doing lingering on the plains? Was he asking for trouble?!
By now, Gu Lang was entirely focused on the situation, barely noticing the livestream. The howling around them grew louder and more frequent, and pairs of gleaming eyes started surrounding the campfire, closing off any escape route.
Wang Ping noticed Gu Lang’s tension, thought for a moment, and reached over to give his leg a pat.
“Holy—!” Gu Lang jumped, almost tumbling into the fire. It was the first time Wang Ping had physically touched him, usually just knocking on the dashboard or some metal part to get his attention.
Wang Ping pointed to Gu Lang and then to the fire.
The meaning was clear: wild animals generally fear fire. As long as Gu Lang stayed within the fire’s reach, or held a torch, the hyenas would hesitate to approach. This is why campers always keep a night watch to maintain the fire—not only for warmth but as a deterrent for animals.
Whether Gu Lang understood the hint or not, Wang Ping couldn’t do more to explain. Meanwhile, several hyenas were already closing in on Rosette from a distance, entering her strike zone.
Wang Ping looked down at his own claws. Although he’d cleaned them with water many times during the day, they still gleamed with a faint metallic sheen under the firelight.
“Roar!” Rosette suddenly let out an angry snarl.
A hyena, no longer able to hold back, dashed in from the left, sinking its teeth into the carcass of the antelope and dragging it toward the darkness.
Rosette pounced at it, swiping with her claws, but the hyena deftly dodged. In that instant, another hyena lunged from a different direction, seizing the opportunity to bite into the antelope and pull it in the opposite direction.
With a furious snarl, Rosette realized she was being played. Her eyes flushed red, and, ignoring the immediate threat, she spun around and bit into the neck of the hyena trying to steal her prey.
If Gu Lang could understand animal language, he’d probably hear Rosette cursing.
“Awooo... awooo…”
Rosette’s jaws landed a direct hit, making the hyena yelp in pain and struggle frantically. With the element of surprise gone, the rest of the pack, over a dozen hyenas, sprang from the darkness, their ferocious cries exploding into the night air.
Wang Ping’s judgement was spot-on. Though the pack closed in, they didn’t attempt to approach Gu Lang and Wang Ping. The spot near the fire lacked any appealing prey, and the fire kept them at bay.
Gradually, Gu Lang started to relax, but Wang Ping grew more and more tense.
By the firelight, Wang Ping saw blood spray into the night.
Usually, a hyena pack would retreat after grabbing a meal. But Rosette had killed one of them and was fiercely defending her prey, which riled them up.
What’s with this leopard? All this fuss over one antelope? We didn’t even get this worked up when we stole from that lion pride a few days ago. Enough! Time to teach her a lesson. Wang Ping believed that this was probably what this pack of hyena was thinking in their mind.
The hyenas shifted from snatching the prey to attacking Rosette directly. Thanks to their numbers and coordinated attacks, it didn’t take long for Rosette to get injured.
The worst injury was on her hind leg, where a hyena tore off a chunk of flesh. Her entire back leg was now soaked in blood, which splattered everywhere with each movement. The hyena that bit her melted back into the darkness, waiting for another chance to strike.
This was the infamous tactic of spotted hyenas: a nasty, relentless strategy. Many fearsome beast who once ruled their territories have ultimately fallen to this relentless assault.
Wang Ping’s worst fears had come true. With neither side willing to back down, the conflict was now irreversible.
To Wang Ping, it seemed unnecessary to fight so hard. Losing a meal for one night wouldn’t be fatal—better that than injury. Perhaps that’s the difference between him and a real animal, still viewing things from a human perspective. But in the natural world, humanity’s way of thinking was long irrelevant.
Gu Lang had slumped to the ground, his legs trembling. Although the campfire was nearby, he still felt chills running up his spine.
This was a real fight to the death, not some dogfight at a local park; each blow drew blood. No Hollywood gore film could compare to the raw terror of witnessing a battle between wild animals so close.
If it weren’t for the fire, which gave him some sense of safety, he would have crawled into his car immediately.
Seeing Rosette’s movements slow, and her injured leg making her more vulnerable, Wang Ping’s patience finally snapped. A wild fury rose inside him.
The hyenas hadn’t bothered with Wang Ping and Gu Lang initially, seeing them by the fire and posing no threat. This allowed Wang Ping to make his first move with complete surprise.
The hyena that had inflicted the worst injury on Rosette was creeping back into the fray, waiting to strike again, unaware that a pair of sharp eyes was locked onto it.
Just as Rosette stumbled from a fresh wound, exposing her neck to the lurking hyena, it pounced. If it struck her neck, Rosette would be done for.
But in that instant, a small gray blur shot from the grass, claws gleaming under the moonlight, straight into the hyena’s stomach.
To blend in for a stealth attack, Wang Ping had rolled in dirt to cover his white fur, turning gray and blending seamlessly into the night. At the critical moment, this grey streak delivered a fatal strike.
As the hyena’s momentum carried it forward, Wang Ping’s claws tore a long gash across its belly. Blood and organs spilled out, splattering over Wang Ping, transforming him into a bloody figure.
With a heavy thud, the hyena’s body collapsed on the grass behind Rosette, dead without a sound. The pack froze for a moment, a cold wind scattering the stench of blood across the plains.
“Urgh…”
Wang Ping looked down at his claws and his blood-stained fur, gagging.
So freaking disgusting!
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