Not being an outdoor survival expert, never having learned to cook, and having spent all his time on scientific research with more days living in laboratories than at home.
Despite possessing seven doctoral degrees, when it came to life skills, truthfully, Bruce Banner couldn't even achieve a passing grade.
Take these grilled saber-toothed salmon, for instance.
Some were undercooked, others burnt; plus he hadn't properly cleaned out the innards, nor had he marinated them with wild herbs growing around the wooden cabin to remove the fishy smell.
In short, the taste of the final product was truly nothing to boast about.
"Peh, peh peh!"
After trying a small bite, as the indescribable flavor exploded in his mouth, Bruce Banner quickly spat out several times.
Could such grilled fish win over the big creature before him? Would it anger the dinosaur instead?
Looking at the fish skewered on sticks, then at Big White waiting eagerly at the side, Bruce couldn't help feeling apprehensive.
'At least it can't taste worse than raw fish.'
After pondering for a moment, Bruce finally decided to give it a try.
Well, he had initially wanted to grill another fish, but from Big White demeanor, it clearly couldn't wait any longer.
Carefully removing the grilled fish from the stick, barely maintaining its whole shape, Bruce stood up and approached Big White, who had already opened its huge mouth in anticipation of being fed.
After hesitating for a brief moment, Bruce finally raised both arms and tossed the still-steaming grilled fish into Big White's mouth.
Afraid that Big White might attack him out of dissatisfaction, Bruce discreetly retreated several steps, quietly preparing to "run into the cabin immediately if things went wrong".
Though his cooking skills were too poor to evaluate, his observational skills were quite good.
Having noticed Big White movement patterns earlier, he had already guessed some of the situation, roughly determining that "this T-Rex values the wooden cabin and probably won't destroy it."
"Woo~."
Anxiously observing Big White reaction, Bruce was somewhat surprised to find that Big White didn't seem to mind the strange taste of the grilled fish.
'That makes sense, being accustomed to eating raw food, this level of fishiness probably doesn't bother it much.'
'It's also possible that a T-Rex taste buds differ from humans, so what I find unpalatable might be exactly what it likes.'
'Or perhaps...'
As his scientific researcher professional habits kicked in, Bruce subconsciously began analyzing the reasons, and in an instant, he had mentally constructed several possibilities.
The spontaneous sense of achievement motivated Bruce to continue.
Also, because his hunger had not yet been satisfied and he needed to eat more, Bruce returned to the bonfire and redirected his attention to grilling the raw fish.
The more demanding the diner, the more a chef potential is stimulated, allowing their skills to be honed.
The reverse was also true.
Due to Big White lack of pickiness, Bruce fish-grilling technique remained stagnant.
Even after grilling seven or eight fish, there wasn't the slightest improvement.
However, even a blind cat occasionally catches a dead mouse.
After grilling so many fish, there were bound to be one or two decent pieces of meat.
Picking through them selectively, Bruce finally managed to fill his stomach.
'What should I do next?'
After going to the riverside to drink some fresh water and wash away the strange taste lingering in his mouth, Bruce looked back at the T-Rex lying by the fire, seemingly taking a nap, and began to ponder.
'I still can't be sure if it will maintain this attitude. If it does, that's fine. But if not... safety first. I should probably leave here and keep some distance from it.'
Being unfamiliar with the surroundings, where should he go?
From the appearance of dinosaurs, he guessed he might have traveled through time to prehistoric Earth.
Thinking about this, Bruce felt discouraged again.
Just as Bruce was indecisive and feeling confused about his future, a sharp eagle cry came from the sky.
Instinctively looking up, he saw a giant eagle the size of a small car descending from the sky, landing beside the T-Rex.
Not knowing that the giant eagle and T-Rex were allies, Bruce assumed they would definitely clash.
Fearing he might get caught in the conflict, he quickly jumped into the river and hid behind a reef.
"Screech~, chirp chirp~."
"Roar~."
"Caw caw, gurgle gurgle."
"Mmm, hiss hiss."
The two enormous creatures didn't fight at all.
Instead, from their interaction, they seemed more like old friends having a conversation.
Hiding behind the rock with just his head peeking out, Bruce wore an expression of astonishment, his mind full of confusion.
Whether it was mentioned by the T-Rex or the eagle had already spotted him from the sky, moments later, Bruce noticed the giant eagle turning its gaze towards his direction and even waddling over.
Yes, waddling—taking steps with a swagger, in that unmistakable "I answer to no one" manner.
This wasn't just because the giant eagle, being a flying creature, was not adept at walking and naturally had a strange posture; it was also because the creature was genuinely quite arrogant.
This arrogance stemmed from the preferential treatment shown by Shi Xiaolei.
Back then, whenever Shi Xiaolei went on long journeys, he almost always rode the giant eagle.
Even when heading to dungeons or going to fight bosses, he would carry the giant eagle in a cryogenic compartment as a last resort for escape.
Whether in terms of time spent by Shi Xiaolei side or the number of trips accompanying him, the giant eagle ranked first among all pets.
If not quite "the most beloved of all" it was certainly close.
As the most favored "courtier" in Shi Xiaolei presence, the giant eagle naturally became the big sister figure in the eyes of other pets.
This was also evident from the earlier conversation between the giant eagle and the T-Rex, Big White—Bruce couldn't tell, but in reality, the giant eagle had been one-sidedly scolding Big White, saying things like "you're slacking off again" and "you don't even know who he is, yet you dare eat fish grilled by him."
The eagle had been quite nagging. If both creatures were anthropomorphized into human forms, it would be the perfect scene of a big sister lecturing her little brother.
"Screech, purr purr~."
Tilting its head to look at Bruce, who was peeking out from behind the rock, the giant eagle spread its wings and flapped them a couple of times.
Unable to understand what the giant eagle was saying, Bruce roughly guessed its meaning from its demeanor.
With an awkward smile, he emerged from behind the rock, waded through the water to the shore, and approached the giant eagle. Bruce rubbed his hands together nervously.
"Um, hello."
The giant eagle extended its head slightly forward, examining Bruce up and down, left and right.
Earlier, Big White had been able to detect a trace of Shi Xiaolei scent, but now, because the bed sheet had been soaked by river water, this scent had been completely masked.
Naturally arriving at a different conclusion, the giant eagle's reaction was also completely different from Big White.
It flapped its wings to rise into the air, extended its two enormous talons, and grabbed the extremely nervous Bruce.
Then, amidst Bruce prolonged and panicked yelling, the giant eagle soared across the sky, carrying him far away.
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist?you can read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [p@treon.com/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)