64: Chapter 64 Subduing the Rat Swarm, Blackscale Bear.

"King, King, what should we do next? Should we pack up and run, or..."

A rat, one size smaller than the Rat King, stepped forward.

The other rats also began to squeak; some expressed their dissatisfaction, while others felt afraid and sought comfort.

"Are we, the dignified Rat Race, really going to be driven by an eagle? I find it somewhat unacceptable."

"There's nothing we can do about it. You saw that giant eagle's strength for yourself. Even if we wanted to resist, we don't have the ability."

"That may be so, but... it's just too humiliating."

"Don't be afraid, Xiao Mei. I'm here, I'll protect you."

"We should just follow the Rat King's orders and arrangements."

The Rat King sighed:

"Brothers and sisters, listen to me. Even if we all joined forces right now, we wouldn't be a match for that giant eagle. And if we try to run and get caught, it will be a disaster."

"Therefore, I have decided to do as the giant eagle said. Saving our lives is what's important; everything else is secondary. It's just a forty percent loss of spirit stone resources; we aren't lacking in those. Consider it paying a toll to avoid a greater calamity."

The Rat King's words were well-reasoned; this was the only way for now.

They would take it one step at a time and wait for an opportunity. Perhaps serving that giant eagle wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

"We shall obey the Rat King's command!" most of the rats shouted.

The Rat King treated them very well, and they were completely convinced of his leadership. Now that he had spoken so reasonably, they naturally followed his orders.

"You are all good rats. Now, let us work together to create miracles and build a glorious and powerful race."

Hearing this, the Rat King nodded, moved.

Under the Rat King's impassioned words, the rat swarm regained their confidence and cheered excitedly, "Rat King! Rat King!"

...

Meanwhile.

Bai Xuan arrived in a forest where the snow had mostly melted. Flowers and grass were reviving, birds were singing, and fragrance filled the air—a scene full of vitality.

"King, that area ahead is too terrifying. We've already lost five or six black bears. How about we just stay here?"

An ape came running in a hurry to report.

The one the ape was reporting to was a massive black bear. Its entire body was covered in mysterious black scales—or rather, it looked more like scale armor. They were oval-rhomboid in shape, resembling dragon scales. Its defensive power was surely terrifying.

The Black-Scaled Bear King frowned deeply. "I don't believe it! What could possibly block my path of expansion!"

"King, we are currently no match for the humans. I believe we should avoid direct confrontation for now and wait for the right moment to expand our territory in one fell swoop."

The Golden-Haired Ape stood four meters tall, its fiery red eyes bright and piercing. Its tone was extremely respectful; it clearly held great awe for this black bear.

The Black-Scaled Bear King raised a paw and struck out in anger. With one blow, a large tree nearby was snapped, crashing to the ground amidst flying dust:

"Damned humans, they only know how to get in my way!"

"King, please calm down. We need to plan carefully. Now is not the time to go to war with humans. The most important thing is to grow our tribe until we have the strength to fight them, eventually defeat them, and expand our territory."

The Golden-Haired Ape persuaded while soothing the Black-Scaled Bear King's emotions.

"By the way, how is the attack on the Black Wolf Pack going?"

The Black-Scaled Bear King asked as if remembering something.

He had mutated from a black bear and lived in the Waixing Mountain Range. Step by step, he became the Black Bear King, grew his tribe, expanded his territory, and plundered the resources of many ferocious beast tribes. Any tribe targeted by the Black-Scaled Bear King...

...would either die or surrender.

The Black-Scaled Bear King had grand ideals and ambitions. The drive for expansion seemed etched into his very bloodline. He cultivated diligently, never daring to slack off.

Meanwhile, he consolidated his position and suppressed those covetous Black Bear Commanders. There was only one king in this region, and it could only be the Black-Scaled Bear King himself.

The Golden-Haired Ape was one of the ferocious beasts that had surrendered to the Black-Scaled Bear King. It was responsible for reporting on the situation and devising strategies, proving to be a great help.

It was also very silver-tongued, managing to please the Black-Scaled Bear King with its praise every time.

"The attack is proving somewhat difficult. After all, those black wolves are not weak and are particularly united. Defeating them will require a great deal of effort."

The Golden-Haired Ape was a bit embarrassed, but mostly uneasy.

It knew the Black-Scaled Bear King's temper well and did not want to become his punching bag. Therefore, it always did its best to stabilize the King's mood before informing him of the situation and offering suggestions.

Ultimately, the final decision rested with the Black-Scaled Bear King.

"So you're saying there's not a single bit of good news?!" The Black-Scaled Bear King grew even angrier, staring coldly at the Golden-Haired Ape.

"There is a little. Your Majesty's ninth consort has given birth to a very cute black bear cub. He is the spitting image of you, King. I am truly happy for you."

The Golden-Haired Ape shared the good news with the Black-Scaled Bear King.

"What's there to be happy about? I have so many offspring already; what's one more? And it's only one, what's so great about that!"

The Black-Scaled Bear King was furious; this good news was not enough for him.

He needed better news regarding resources and territorial expansion.

"One cub can better inherit your supreme talent, King."

"Now that's something I like to hear. But I don't need this trivial news. Pass down the order: the wolf territory must be conquered at all costs, by any means necessary, regardless of casualties! Beat them mercilessly! Even if they are wiped out, I have only one requirement: take the wolf territory!"

The Black-Scaled Bear King's anger subsided slightly as he ordered the Golden-Haired Ape to relay the command.

"Yes, I obey. By the way, King, regarding the humans..."

During this time, the Black-Scaled Bear King had been sending beasts across the border to expand his territory, but none had returned. Through the vision of other beasts, they could see that those who entered... had all died without exception.

The Golden-Haired Ape was well-traveled and had some understanding of humans. It had explained and tried to persuade the Black-Scaled Bear King that now was not the time to engage with them.

But the Black-Scaled Bear King simply wouldn't listen and had sent several waves of beasts to fight the humans.

Because he had to oversee his territory, he hadn't gone personally. Whenever he wanted to, the Golden-Haired Ape would stop him, only managing to dissuade him through persistent persuasion.

"Forget that side for now. I'll listen to you and refrain from going to war with the humans for the time being."

Initially, the Black-Scaled Bear King was very confident, believing those hairless monkeys were weak and powerless. He thought that with just a breath from the beasts, the humans would be defenseless, defeated, and scattered, leaving the area to become the Bear King's territory.

But the result was far beyond expectations. Not only did they fail to take the forest, but they also suffered heavy casualties, giving him a new understanding of humans.

"Your Majesty is wise," the Golden-Haired Ape flattered.