It was the Phorusrhacidae, the Terror Bird, once known as the second overlord of Earth after the dinosaurs vanished.

Terror Birds could exceed five meters in height, possessing a huge, hard beak. Although they bore a striking resemblance to ostriches, their legs and necks were thicker and more powerful.

The erectile crest atop their heads was a mark of extreme wildness and ferocity; when the crest stood erect, it signaled they were about to launch an attack on prey.

Once selected as prey, survival was practically zero.

Firstly, their stout legs granted them astonishing speed, even faster than the cheetahs on the African savanna.

Secondly, once they secured a bite, that massive, hard beak could tear a chunk of flesh right off the body.

Most crucially, the Terror Bird carried a special instinct within its blood: as soon as it began to run, it was as if injected with a natural stimulant; its blood temperature would skyrocket, its entire body flushing red from the heat, like a high-horsepower steam engine.

Once prey was knocked down, the bird would peck at the throat with extreme rapidity, ensuring death within seconds.

After the prey died, the Terror Bird would revert to the elegance characteristic of birds, meticulously tearing the flesh from the body, savoring it slowly.

They also shared a trait with their descendants, the vultures: they would strip the prey clean, leaving nothing behind but perfectly white bones.

It was precisely this perfect blend of savagery and grace that led many modern biologists, particularly those in Europe and America, to adore these creatures, hailing them as ancient monarchs.

As I was recalling this information about the Terror Birds, the other two seemed to finally catch on. Number 12 asked me, "What is that thing? An ostrich?"

I quickly cut him off, saying, "Don't speak, don't move!"

Seeing the cold sweat on my forehead, Number 12 was momentarily bewildered; perhaps in his mind, he wondered what was so terrifying about an ostrich.

His reaction was understandable, as he had no idea that the creature before us was far more dangerous than any modern predator.

This Terror Bird could dispatch three grown men in mere seconds.

Although the three of us were not ordinary people, it was best not to provoke this notoriously ill-tempered brute.

What happened next proved my caution was correct.

Because after the first Terror Bird's head appeared, three more heads followed in quick succession.

They seemed drawn by the ignited flying fish, staring intently at the fiercely burning flames.

I let out a slight sigh of relief when I saw they hadn't assumed an attacking posture.

Just as I was about to signal the others to remain motionless, the four Terror Birds suddenly seemed to sense something, and the crests on their heads shot straight up.

As the crests rose, the skin on their featherless necks slowly began to redden, visible to the naked eye, much like a person who was heavily intoxicated.

The redness spread all the way to the top of their heads, even filling their set, avian eyes with bloody veins.

I couldn't tell what these four Terror Birds were seeing, but their gaze had clearly shifted—from the flames to the direction of the serpentine skull's head.

Before I could turn to see what they were looking at, they suddenly leaped up, landing atop the wall formed by the serpent's rib bones.

It was then I noticed that each of the four birds was covered in a thick layer of snow.

When they jumped onto the skeletal structure, the snow on their backs showered down, falling like heavy rain.

I froze, thinking that although the weather was a bit chilly today, this was the first snowfall in the north; the south shouldn't have snow this early.

Moreover, judging by the sheer volume, this wasn't just any snow; it looked like the aftermath of a blizzard.

Could it be that in the mere minutes since we entered this tomb, a heavy snowstorm had broken out outside?

If so, why weren't we feeling any cold at all?

Though countless questions spun in my mind, they were just fleeting thoughts, because the four great birds had clearly registered our presence. They dropped from the serpentine bone structure and lunged toward the three of us.

At that moment, Number 12, still unaware of the danger, blurted out, "Crap, those big ostriches are charging us! Quick, bury our heads in the dirt, pretend we're one of them!"

I kicked him hard in the rear and snapped, "Ostriches? These are Terror Birds that eat people without spitting out the bones! If we don't run, we won't be burying our heads in the dirt; we'll be getting buried in it."

As I spoke, the Terror Birds were incredibly fast, closing the distance behind us in an instant.

One stretched its neck and aimed a vicious peck directly at the back of Number 12's neck.

I was about to use my psychic ability to block it, but unexpectedly, at the last millisecond, this idiot switched places with the Terror Bird about to strike him.

Suddenly, I saw a person appear amidst the flock of birds, and between me and Number 2, there was now a large bird.

If it were a person, they might have reacted with confusion: "Huh? Why am I suddenly over here?"

But this was just a bird; driven by instinct, it twisted its agile neck and swung its beak towards me.

I had no choice but to use my telekinesis to knock its head aside.

Honestly, I didn't hold back; the blow sent the Terror Bird stumbling backward onto the ground.

But as it fell, its thrashing legs tangled with Number 2, sending both the man and the bird rolling into a heap.

Seeing them locked in struggle, I couldn't afford to worry about them, as Number 12 was currently being attacked by three Terror Birds simultaneously.

He could only resort to continually switching places with two of the birds, but he was still in mortal peril.

I condensed my telekinesis into a massive fist and shouted at Number 12, "Get down!"

Number 12 understood, dropped and covered his head, but a second after crouching, he immediately yelled back to me, "Watch out!"

I hadn't registered what he meant when a sudden, searing pain shot through my back, and a massive weight slammed onto me.

The next moment, I felt a set of razor-sharp claws pierce my skin, sending a jolt of agony through me.

Looking back, I was suddenly confronted by the bronze-bell eyes of a monstrous beast.

This animal was covered in yellow fur, with only a few black, coarse hairs between its eyes. Its whiskers were extremely long, and it had a broad face, somewhat resembling a domestic cat.

However, the pair of fangs protruding past its lips instantly told me this creature’s name—the Saber-toothed Tiger!

The Saber-toothed Tiger was a dominant predator of the Ice Age, renowned for its agility, thick hide, and lethal claws and teeth.

Many might assume those terrifying fangs jutting from the lips were used to stab and kill prey, but in reality, this pair of teeth served no such function.

They were more like magnificent, boastful decorations; female Saber-toothed Tigers judged a male's fitness as a mate based on the shape and size of his canines.

Simply put, it was akin to modern men comparing hairstyles.

Of course, during mating contests or duels, they would use their teeth, but unlike hunting, these intraspecies contests were not intended to kill, so they appeared remarkably graceful.

But I was certainly not going to be impressed by the gentleman on my back; even if he wouldn't impale me with his mouth-fangs, a single bite from that massive maw would kill me instantly.

So, I quickly utilized my telekinesis to launch myself upward.

The immense pressure flung the Saber-toothed Tiger off my back, sending it falling backward toward the ground with me.

But then, a rushing wind sound filled my ears; I felt a huge airborne creature rapidly approaching us.

This sudden alertness saved my life.

Just as I was channeling my power to spring toward the ground, I heard a sharp, bizarre cry overhead. A colossal flying creature with a wingspan exceeding ten meters swept past above me, bringing with it a gale and swirling snow.

Though it was just a fleeting glimpse, I recognized it from its thin wings and sharply pointed beak: it was a Pterodactyl!

Many people make the mistake of assuming Pterodactyls were a type of dinosaur. Although both belonged to the reptile class, Pterodactyls were not close relatives of the dinosaurs.

Furthermore, Pterodactyls survived on Earth for a long time after the dinosaurs went extinct; there were even continued reports of sightings well into the 20th century.

The reason for so many sighting reports of Plesiosaurs and Pterodactyls is actually quite logical.

If the extinction event was caused by a meteorite impact or massive volcanic eruptions, the conditions in the sky and water might have been far better than those on land, where most of the disaster struck.

Since Pterodactyls lived in the air and Plesiosaurs in the water, their chances of survival were naturally much higher.

The Pterodactyl was a terrifying creature; even large herbivorous dinosaurs like Triceratops would be snatched up by the massive Pterodactyls and carried back to their nests to be eaten.

Swallowing a human whole would be mere appetizer fare.

While I managed to escape unscathed, the Saber-toothed Tiger wasn't so lucky; it was seized by the Pterodactyl and vanished instantly.

Watching the Pterodactyl fly with such freedom, my mind went blank. This is just a room, how can an animal with such a wingspan maneuver in here?

Could it be a repeat of the situation on Durban Island—that everything we were seeing was merely sound and shadow generated by a magnetic field?

But that was impossible, because a phantom Pterodactyl couldn't physically snatch another phantom Saber-toothed Tiger.

While I was trying to process this, the Terror Birds surrounded me again, and Number 12 was gone.

Frustrated and completely unable to figure out why everything had descended into chaos, I got angry, turned tail, and bolted, intending to blast through the encirclement and find out just how vast this subterranean chamber was.