Bypassing a nauseating patch of rotting animal corpses, the expedition team ventured deeper into the island. Suddenly, the surrounding scenery underwent a dramatic transformation.
It was as if nature itself was trying to apologize for the unsettling visual shock they had just endured. It now displayed its most gentle and brilliant face.
The sun climbed high overhead. Bright, radiant sunlight pierced through the previously gloomy canopy, flooding an open, terraced plateau situated halfway up the mountain.
Countless exotic flowers and bizarre plants grew here, their names completely unknown to the survivors. The blossoms—some red as fire, some white as snow, and some purple as the twilight sky—competed to bloom under the morning sun. They practically dazzled the eyes.
A thick, sweet, and intoxicating floral scent permeated the air, making everyone feel slightly lightheaded.
"Good Lord, this place is practically Eden."
Strange pulled off one of his earbuds and took a deep breath of the fragrant air. The deep frown that usually rested on his brow completely smoothed out.
The scenery was indeed breathtakingly beautiful.
Several monkeys with long, colorful tails swung freely through the treetops. They stared curiously at these strange, two-legged creatures, chattering away in rapid, rhythmic screeches.
Vibrantly colored parrots preened their feathers atop the highest branches, singing melodic tunes.
Flocks of massive swallowtail butterflies danced through the flower beds. The powdery scales on their wings shimmered with a metallic luster in the sunlight.
Peering out through the gaps in the forest, past the vast, untamed woods and between the craggy cliffs, lay a placid lake as smooth as a mirror.
A few white egrets skimmed lazily across the water's surface, leaving trails of rippling rings behind them. The lake perfectly reflected the blue sky and white clouds. It was a suffocatingly gorgeous sight.
"If we make it back alive, I'm definitely developing this place into a world-class luxury resort. I'll charge five thousand dollars a night, and people will still have to wait in line to book it."
The blond archer, Hughes, was deeply infected by the beautiful surroundings. His mood soared, and he lowered his drawn bow. He even took the time to pluck a wildflower and tuck it into his breast pocket.
The entire journey was picturesque, filled with the songs of birds and the fragrance of blooming flowers.
This highly deceptive beauty caused the group's taut nerves to unconsciously relax. They even began chatting and laughing, quickly forgetting the stern warnings Alice had given them before they set out.
Alice walked at the very front of the group. Although she had momentarily been dazzled by the scenery, her instincts were screaming like a blaring alarm.
This quiet, this absolute peace—it was far too perfect.
It was the terrifying silence right before a hurricane.
"Gyaaah!"
Just as the group was intoxicating themselves in this utopian paradise, a piercing shriek suddenly ripped through the sky.
The sound was like a rusty piece of iron violently scraping against glass, mixed with the cruel cry of a striking eagle. It instantly tore through the air, completely shattering the mountain's tranquility.
Immediately, it was as if someone had hit the mute button on the lively forest.
The chattering monkeys instantly fell silent, diving into hollow tree trunks like streaks of gray lightning. The singing parrots panicked and plunged into the densest thorn bushes they could find. The dancing butterflies hurriedly folded their wings and hid beneath the flower petals.
In a single instant, every small animal reacted the exact same way. They scattered like frightened birds and vanished without a trace.
Hearing that horrific, throat-tearing shriek, Alice's hair stood on end. The color drained completely from her face.
She was far too familiar with that sound. It was the exact same prelude to the aerial massacre she had witnessed from the canopy yesterday.
She whipped around, screaming at the group of idiots who were still standing around dumbly, some even looking up to find the source of the noise.
"Watch out! Everyone, hide! Do not look up!"
"Huh? Did something happen?"
Donald, clutching his precious luggage bag tightly to his chest, asked with a look of pure bewilderment.
"Stop talking and hide!"
A colossal shadow had already blanketed the sky. Alice didn't have time to explain. Her eyes frantically scoured the area for cover.
She spotted a massive redwood trunk that had died and collapsed long ago. The underside of the trunk formed a natural, triangular safe space.
"It's a pterosaur! Everyone, get under that fallen tree! Now!"
"A pterosaur?"
The word finally struck a nerve. In their confusion, the survivors instinctively looked up.
One glance was all it took to nearly scare their souls right out of their bodies.
Less than fifty meters above their heads, a gargantuan, monstrous bird they had never seen before was circling its hunting ground.
It possessed demonic, leathery wings with a span exceeding ten meters, completely blotting out the sun. Its ferocious, blood-red bony crest was blindingly bright in the daylight. Its elongated beak, lined with jagged teeth, looked like a guillotine eager to be stained with blood.
A pair of cold, golden, slit-like pupils glared down at the ants on the ground, radiating an overwhelming, murderous aura.
That was no bird. It was an aerial reaper straight out of the Jurassic period.
"Run!"
Strange was the first to react. He might usually seem cynical and unserious, but in a life-or-death situation, his mind moved at lightning speed.
He didn't even bother to pick up his dropped earbud. He grabbed the stunned Banner by the arm and sprinted madly toward the fallen redwood.
The rest of the group finally snapped out of their daze. Screaming in terror, they followed close behind Alice, bolting like a pack of startled rabbits toward their only sanctuary.