The Rise of a Primitive Civilization

The group of children were stunned, screaming in terror and scurrying back into the cave. Never having strayed far from the cave nor participated in hunting, they had never witnessed such a bloody scene. Only two or three braver boys continued to watch alongside Luo Chong.

Luo Chong was also afraid; although he had killed many enemies in his past life, that was then. Now, with his small frame, he was no match for the terror bird, whose legs alone were taller than him. Charging at it head-on would be suicidal, a fact he was well aware of.

The two adult men who had returned with the leader, seeing their leader dead, quickly discarded the eggs and scrambled up into the trees at the edge of the forest.

They were lucky to have escaped. The trio had returned together, but the leader, with his loud voice and distinctive green feathered crown, had been the most visible target, drawing the terror bird's aggression.

Having climbed the trees, and with the leader now dead, the terror bird lost its initial target. However, the screaming of the children had drawn its attention. It turned its head toward the cave and charged.

With sharp cries, the terror bird advanced, causing the two boys who had been standing at the entrance with Luo Chong to flee. Inside, a pregnant woman ran to the entrance and began to push a spherical boulder to block it, but her strength was inadequate, and the stone moved too slowly. Luo Chong quickly joined her.

"Come on, push the rock!"

The boulder gradually began to roll, but the terror bird's charge was swift. Luo Chong urged the other children to help, but they were still shivering in the pile of grass, some even crying out in fear. Eventually, only the two braver boys joined in, and with their combined effort, the boulder moved faster.

Thud… Thud… Thud…

The heavy footsteps grew louder. Just as the cave entrance was about to be sealed, a massive beak thrust through the gap.

A fierce shriek echoed inside the cave, causing the children hidden in the grass to scream again.

"Shut up, or I'll throw you out!" Luo Chong shouted at the children.

Although they didn't understand his words, his fierce demeanor frightened them into silence. The cave quickly quieted down, the children with tears streaming down their faces daring not to make a sound, their bodies twitching with suppressed sobs. Luo Chong was satisfied with this effect and joined the adults hiding quietly behind the boulder, bracing it with their bodies.

The cave fell utterly silent; no one dared to make a sound, not even to breathe loudly.

The terror bird could only poke its beak through the gap, unable to force its way in. Its neck was strong, capable of easily breaking the neck of a saber-toothed tiger with a downward strike, but it couldn't leverage its neck to move the boulder horizontally.

After a few more frustrated screeches, the terror bird gave up and turned away to search for other targets.

Listening to the sound of its departing steps, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The children were about to speak again when a stern look from Luo Chong silenced them. He then put a finger to his lips, signaling them to keep quiet. Seeing the confused looks in their eyes, he mimed covering his mouth with his hand. This time, they understood and mimicked the gesture.

This instinct to imitate adults is innate in humans; children often emulate adults, like little girls wearing their mother's high heels or little boys pretending to smoke like their fathers. They think someone is impressive and instinctively imitate them. Luo Chong's display of fierceness had intimidated them, and his continuous engagement in incomprehensible activities had made him seem formidable in their eyes.

With the situation under control, Luo Chong quietly moved to peek through the gap in the cave entrance.

The terror bird had not yet left. It was possibly searching for the other two egg thieves who were still up in the trees. The terror bird attempted to peck at them, but they had climbed too high. It eventually ignored them, turning to the leader's body and began pecking at it.

Luo Chong watched for a while, deciding to keep the terror bird. Now that it had tasted human flesh and knew where their tribe lived, it was a threat that could not be ignored. Who knew how many might die if it returned hungry one day?

However, he had no weapons suitable for a confrontation. Approaching it with a club would be suicidal, and throwing stones from a distance wouldn't be effective unless they were significantly large, which he couldn't manage. Observing the terror bird's long legs, an idea struck him, reminding him of an ancient tool used for capturing prisoners.

Yes, a bola. There are two types of weapons known as bolas. One consists of a rope with a pouch that swings a rock by centrifugal force to strike with significant initial speed and impact.

The other, which Luo Chong intended to make, involved a rope with a rock tied at each end. Holding the middle, the user spins it, causing the rocks to stretch the rope straight, much like helicopter blades. Then, throwing this spinning bola could entangle a target's legs by rapidly wrapping around them, effectively immobilizing them. Luo Chong aimed for the terror bird's legs.

This type of bola was generally used to capture prisoners because it caused no harm, merely immobilizing the target, and was simple to make without needing extensive practice.

Luo Chong quickly looked for materials. There were stones around the central fire pit used for containing the fire. He selected two slightly larger than his fists but couldn't find any rope. The vines gathered in the morning were outside the cave and too stiff for use.

Everyone inside the cave watched him, clueless about what he was doing. This child had been engaging in inexplicable activities all day.

Luo Chong gritted his teeth, glanced at his still bare-bottomed companions, and, with a resolute determination, removed the snake skin he had fashioned into a loincloth. Setting aside concerns for his appearance for the sake of future safety, he prepared his weapon. The three to four-meter long snake skin was sufficient: one stone tied at each end, with over two meters in between.

Now armed, Luo Chong squeezed out of the cave entrance, where a pregnant woman tried but failed to stop him. She dared not shout for fear of attracting the terror bird back, watching anxiously as Luo Chong stepped out to face the danger.

Curious companions crowded the entrance, heads stacked in the narrow space, eager to watch the unfolding drama.