Chapter 285: Three-Horned Black Rhinoceros (Still Three Updates)

After calibrating the direction, Qin Yun turned and left the cave where he had been hiding, stepping forward without pause, heading once more into the heart of the Serengeti.

The sun climbed steadily, and before long it was noon.

The scorching heat of Africa's dry season rolled in with gusts of hot wind carrying dried grass and dust, the ground baked so hot it burned, the air itself slightly warped. He marched forward at speed, and the single canteen of fresh water he had painstakingly saved vanished in an instant.

Fortunately, before setting out, he had obtained two 1.5-liter bottles of mineral water from Mombasa's research team, sparing him the trouble of searching for water en route. In this terrain, stopping to find water would drastically slow his progress—he'd likely fail to meet today's distance goal.

After another hour of rapid travel, Qin Yun's forehead and neck were soaked in sweat.

It wasn't that his strength was failing—it was that the rate of sweating under this blazing sun was terrifying; at this pace, the last two bottles of mineral water would be gone in no time.

He raised a hand to shield his eyes and squinted ahead.

"There's a patch of open woodland ahead; let's head there to escape the heat."

After entering the Seronera region of central Serengeti, the endless flat grasslands vanished completely.

Rolling river valleys and dense clusters of open woodland now appeared frequently; the terrain was no longer gentle, littered with rocky pits and depressions, the path beneath his feet growing ever more treacherous. Vegetation here was far more lush than around Lake Ndutu, meaning the dangers hidden in the shadows had also multiplied.

Yet after advancing only a few minutes, Qin Yun's expression hardened instantly, his steps coming to a sudden halt.

He quickly lowered his posture, using the branches of an acacia tree to conceal himself, his breathing instinctively growing lighter, whispering into the livestream camera: "Holy shit, look quick—this is unbelievable."

The livestream audience, lulled into drowsiness by the midday heat, instantly snapped awake, fixing their eyes on the drone's footage.

In the frame, over a hundred meters away at the edge of the woodland, a colossal black beast lowered its head, chewing on the dry, brittle short grass. Its broad lips worked like a lawnmower, shearing off swathes of vegetation with each downward motion; its massive body nearly crushed the ground's shadow.

"Black rhino," Qin Yun whispered, voice low with awe, "Look at its size—it's definitely an extremely rare mutated individual. Black rhinos are already endangered, but that's not the key point—look closely at the horns on its head."

The drone's lens slowly zoomed in and focused.

The livestream audience erupted in shock.

They saw that, besides the standard two horns—one in front, one behind—the creature had a third, independent horn sprouting directly from the center of its forehead, sharply angular, jarring and grotesque.

"666, three-horned rhino."

"Weird species, never seen one like this—must be a mutation."

"So rare—I've never heard of a rhino with three horns."

"Unbelievable!"

The comment section flooded with posts.

Qin Yun's gaze locked onto the beast, his voice echoing through the livestream: "This mutated three-horned black rhino is absurdly massive—body length at least 5.5 meters, weight probably nearing three tons. Standing there, it's like a moving hill."

"The front horn alone measures over 1.5 meters in length, with a base diameter of 23 centimeters—identical to a giant stone spear; the rear horn is slightly shorter, still 80 centimeters; even the forehead's mutated horn is 60 centimeters long—its piercing power must be terrifying."

"In sheer visual intimidation, it's more terrifying than a main battle tank."

Qin Yun's words made everyone in the livestream truly feel the beast's terror.

"666, this weight and size—what's the difference from a tank?"

"Why is Qin Ye being so careful?"

Qin Yun shook his head slightly, voice grave: "Many people online think rhinos are docile—that's a misconception. Black rhinos are naturally irritable and extremely aggressive. I've said before: their eyesight is terrible—they can't distinguish humans from animals beyond fifty meters—but their sense of smell and hearing are terrifyingly sharp. Any living thing that approaches is seen as an intruder."

"Add to that their fierce territorial instinct—if they lock onto you, they won't stop until you're dead. I'm still a hundred meters away, so I'm safe for now; if I move closer, I'll likely trigger its alertness."

As he spoke, he patted the silent, trailing male lion, Dahuang.

"Even Dahuang—a fully grown, peak male lion—would only keep his distance from this three-horned rhino, never dare provoke it, right, Dahuang?"

Dahuang lowered his head slightly and let out a low, rumbling growl, as if acknowledging his words.

But the moment he finished speaking, the three-horned black rhino suddenly lifted its head, its massive skull turning slightly, those narrow, vicious eyes locking directly onto Qin Yun's hiding spot.

Qin Yun instantly smacked his forehead, heart tightening: "Shit! I got so caught up talking, I forgot Dahuang's scent! Lions' odor is far too obvious to rhinos—it's been detected. Let's go!"

Without hesitation, he grabbed Dahuang, both lowering their bodies, slipping away silently and swiftly from the woodland patch.

"Hahaha, even Qin Ye gets spooked."

"Anyone would run—damn thing charges like a tank, thick-skinned and tough, Qin Ye couldn't even cut through it."

"This isn't something humans can handle—unless you've got a gun."

"Three-horned black rhino: Thank you, Qin Ye, for sparing my life."

That woodland patch was off-limits now; Qin Yun pressed forward. After another ten minutes, he found a few acacia trees and sat down with Dahuang in the shade.

He built a small fire, tossed a gazelle hind leg to Dahuang, then skewered his own last gazelle leg over the flames to roast.

For a full-grown male lion, one gazelle leg was barely a snack.

Dahuang devoured it in seconds, then turned to Qin Yun, eyes still hungry.

Qin Yun sighed, raised a finger toward the surrounding wilderness:

"Go hunt on your own."

Dahuang lowered his head, turned, and slipped soundlessly into the distant grass.

Only after the male lion vanished completely did Qin Yun speak slowly into the camera: "In a lion pride, males rarely hunt—90% of hunts are carried out collectively by lionesses. But for a solitary male like Dahuang, expelled from the pride and entering independence, he must hunt alone. And male lions are actually strong hunters—haven't you noticed these past few days that Dahuang always comes back full?"

Soon, the gazelle leg on the fire sizzled, its rich aroma spreading through the hot air, making mouths water.

To Dahuang, this meat was negligible; to Qin Yun, this single meal was enough to replenish the energy and nutrients lost during travel.

After wolfing down lunch and gulping down a cold bottle of mineral water, Qin Yun let out a satisfied belch, slumping back against the rough tree trunk. The blazing sun brought instant fatigue, waves of drowsiness crashing over him.

"In this weather, I'd love to curl up in an air-conditioned room and sleep properly."

Before he finished speaking, Qin Yun's ears twitched sharply—he snapped upright, eyes instantly sharp.

"What's going on? What did Qin Ye hear?"

"Another surprise?"

"Did the three-horned black rhino catch up?"

Qin Yun waved his hand, stood up, and peered through the gaps between several acacia trunks toward the south.

"I heard the roar of car engines."

As he spoke, three yellow off-road vehicles flashed across his line of sight three hundred meters to the south, then sped eastward.

He hid behind the acacia tree, certain he wouldn't be spotted.

The three off-road vehicles held a total of four or five people inside; apart from the drivers, each held a weapon, and their attire didn't resemble the expedition team of Muboma and others—more like armed militants.

He tried zooming in again and saw that the drivers of the first two vehicles were local Tanzanians, while the other three were typical white Europeans.

Soon after, the three off-road vehicles vanished from view.

He shook his head, didn't dwell on it, and looked at the drone's feed: "Maybe some rich tourists came here to sightsee—we don't need to worry too much about…"

The word "worry" hadn't even left his lips.

"Bang—!"

A muffled, heavy, earth-shaking gunshot suddenly exploded over the entire Seronera Valley.