Chapter 23 Leaving

"We can't stay here any longer."

After a few more days, Lu Gui gathered everyone together with a serious expression and said these words.

"What do you mean?"

Everyone was shocked. However, those who often followed Lu Gui down the mountain to hunt had already suspected something. They had seen the changes in the mountains below these past few days.

"Animals are more sensitive than humans in some ways." Lu Gui explained what they had discovered during their recent hunting trips. "We initially suspected that the number of small animals had decreased, but we later found that it wasn't entirely because they were being eaten by predators. Many seem to be migrating.

"They are moving away from here, and now even some docile, herbivorous wild beasts are also moving. Something big must be happening here."

"The plants aren't growing well this year either."

Mingmei had gone down the mountain with the team gathering wild vegetables and fruits a few days ago. She had noticed that the plants on the ground were not growing well, and the plants in the area they had marked before winter also showed signs of weakness.

Not only that, but even some fruit trees that were supposed to bloom had mysteriously died this year. They couldn't guarantee that they had been frozen to death in the winter.

It would be understandable if saplings had been frozen to death, but some of these trees were clearly decades or even hundreds of years old. It was hard to believe that a single winter could kill them.

At the time, Mingmei had discussed this with several players in the team who had awakened the ability to sense plants. These were not good omens.

Plants not growing and animals fleeing were not good signs at all.

Even with this explanation, some players still didn't want to leave.

Even though Lu Gui and Mingmei had analyzed that the environment here had changed, the houses, walls, and every brick were built by their own hands.

Seeing their lives gradually improving and becoming stable, the idea of leaving again and returning to a nomadic life was difficult for some players to accept.

"If we don't leave now, we'll have even less of a chance once all the carnivorous animals set their sights on us."

Mu Chen spoke, reminding everyone of the hyena incident a few days ago. If they waited until all the herbivores had left, the carnivorous animals, lacking food, would either migrate as well or target them first to fill their bellies before leaving.

Or, if they delayed for a few more days, they might be followed by something other than docile, herbivorous dinosaurs during their migration. Then it would probably be a matter of life or death.

Fierce beasts on the left, carnivorous dinosaurs on the right—the more they thought about it, the worse it seemed!

"Everyone pack your things and prepare your belongings. The migration is only temporary. Maybe we'll find an even better place in the next stop!"

Moving was already a certainty, but the mood of the group visibly dropped.

Lu Xiaoyao saw this and immediately used her social skills and sunny disposition to cheer everyone up.

"That's right! Our points have been stagnating recently anyway. Maybe this journey will bring a surge in points!"

Mingmei pointed to the 6000+ points on her wristband, joining Lu Xiaoyao in encouraging everyone!

Once the decision to leave was made, everyone wasted no time. They packed their dried food, animal hides, and weapons overnight.

The night before, Zhen Hu had told Lu Gui to have everyone pack their luggage, and that he had a way to deal with the extra baggage. The next morning, when they saw several docile, long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs at the foot of the mountain, everyone was a little dazed.

No way?

"Hehe! The last time my brother and I found Wang Wenfei and the others, they accidentally fell onto wild beasts and survived, being carried over by them. But at the time, I was wondering if we could coax a few good-natured wild beasts..."

Zhen Hu grinned, his white teeth particularly noticeable. The group of long-necked dinosaurs in front of them consisted of ten adult long-necked dinosaurs and four young ones.

Mingmei roughly estimated that the adult dinosaurs were about twenty to thirty meters long from head to tail, while the young ones were about four to five meters long.

Giants!

Aside from the birds they had seen before, these long-necked creatures could definitely be in the top three of giants.

Watching Zhen Hu take out a handful of green grass from his basket and affectionately pat the heads and necks of the young dinosaurs, Mingmei looked up at the adult dinosaurs, which were turning their long necks to look at their offspring. Mingmei wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she saw a look of helplessness in their eyes.

It was like a parent doting on their child.

What could they do if their child wanted to bring a group of strange-looking bipeds?

Just let them, I guess?

When everyone was sitting on the long-necked dragons, they were even more dazed.

This was too surreal!

They were riding ancient behemoths!

Even if they were herbivorous, they were still ancient behemoths!

Due to their massive size, these dinosaurs didn't move very fast, but they were very stable to ride on!

However, their steps were large enough, and one step was enough for them to jog for a while. Sitting on the dinosaurs, the group steadily moved away from the place they once lived.

Mingmei looked up, squinting her eyes in the sunlight, watching the distant stone mountain and the stone platform in the middle. The small houses and walls gradually disappeared from her sight.

They were really leaving!

It was impossible to say that she felt no loss or sadness in her heart.

"Oh my god, Zhen Hu, your skill is amazing!"

Lu Xiaoyao sat on the adult dinosaur, leaned over to look at Zhen Hu riding the young dinosaur surrounded by a group of adult dinosaurs, and gave him a thumbs up.

"Yeah, brother, you're really something!"

The others on the dinosaurs also laughed and gave them thumbs up.

Unlike the stability of being on the adult dinosaurs, Zhen Hu and a few other skilled guys in the team, after obtaining the consent of the young dinosaurs, carried weapons and rode on their backs.

The young dinosaurs that had not yet grown up were probably the most likely to be attacked by carnivorous predators. Zhen Hu and the others risked riding on the young dinosaurs partly to protect them.

Because of the young dinosaurs, they were able to migrate with this group of very safe adult dinosaurs. If the young dinosaurs were lost along the way, and the bond was broken, they didn't know how much these adult dinosaurs liked them after their days of getting along.

It was possible that they would be abandoned halfway.

"Hey! It's nothing special. It's all about sincerity. If you treat them well, they will naturally treat you well!"

Zhen Hu looked up and grinned, and the atmosphere in the team improved a lot. However, soon, one evening, as the long-necked dinosaur team was resting by a river, uninvited guests arrived...