Chapter 871: There Will Be Someone Who Would Stand Up!
Amongst the dozen or so shadows, a few continued to stay in place while some had disappeared instantly.
The dark clouds in the skies rolled down like they had a will of their own.
It swept across the entire earth and everything was soon covered by dark clouds. Even if it had the existence of the supervision, the Eagle King could not see its own fingers.
Countless beasts and residents who had escaped the initial attack of the Black Sun’s ‘Black Tides of Death’ were suddenly attacked by randomly fatal blows of the Dark Cloud. Amidst the darkness that existed without a trace of light, screams rang out one after another.
The Human-Faced Tiger blasted out a wave of light energy.
The light energy shone briefly for a few seconds in the dark world that was shrouded by the Dark Cloud.
However, the Black Sun in the sky emanated a huge black ball of light, which swallowed the light energy thrown by the Human-Faced Tiger at once.
The world plunged into darkness once more. With those few seconds of light however, Ryoma and the Sickle Weasel managed to lead the Rhino, the Bobcat and the others to successfully escape to the sides of the Human-Faced Tiger, the Poisonous Queen Bee and the Eagle King. At this moment, it was undoubtedly the safest to be around the three leaders. If you were alone, you would probably follow in the footsteps of the dead very soon.
“Move east!” Due to the situation being extremely severe, the Eagle King made a decision without hesitation.
“I’ll cover you,” The Human-Faced Tiger and the Poisonous Queen Bee also thought that moving east was a good choice.
Three kilometers to the east, there is a pond full of clear water, which has been provided for the aquatic beasts to moisten their bodies. The Black Sun was the strongest in the sky, but it was almost invincible if it fought on the ground, leaving no room for confrontation.
So, the only possibility was to enter the water.
No matter what kind of light it was, it would be refracted when entering the water and its power would be greatly reduced.
If they could escape to the East pond and make the strongest Black Sun lose the possibility of launching an attack, then there would still be the possibility of self-protection.
The Toad King naturally heard the conversation between the Eagle King and Human-Faced Tiger as he laughed wildly, “Okay, what a clever idea, it really deserves a round of applause! The problem is, would it be possible for you to escape to the pond that is three kilometers away? Under the Black Tides of Death and the Light of Death, all of you are nothing but easy prey! Haha, run away then— make a pitiful whine as you run away in pain. The way to survive is just ahead, I will cheer for you! I hope that you have successfully escaped into the pond after I kill the remnants!”
The Eagle King almost exploded its lungs out of extreme rage, but it couldn’t refute his words.
Although its eyes could not see the beings ahead, it could feel that there were two extremely powerful creatures right in front of them.
Although their strengths were not comparable to the Black Sun, they were by no means weak either.
If the Eagle King guessed correctly, they should be the Battle-Beasts cultivated by the two Central Palace Masters Ran feng and Wan Mo, the ‘Fire Tyrant’ and the ‘Golden Worm King’. These two Battle-Beasts not only possessed a certain amount of wisdom, but they have also reached the 6th Level of the Heave Rank. The Eagle King was sure that if it fought them alone, it would be a stretch to go up against one of them; but if the two of the beasts faced it at once, it knew that it wouldn’t stand a chance.
The Human-Faced Tiger had the same feeling.
There was a kind of unfavourable tug on its heartstrings as the last of its ancestry.
In addition to the Fire Tyrant and the Golden Worm King, there were also several other powerful Battle-type Beasts that were quietly surrounding them.
They weren’t very strong, but the Black Sun and Dark Cloud were in the distance, whereas the Fire Tyrant and the Golden Worm King were near. They were already pushed to the utmost limit, so adding the other beasts into the equation was like piling more weights on their backs. It would be hard for them to make a confrontation. What should they do?
Someone must stand up and block the first wave of attacks before it is possible for more people to escape.
If everyone was dependent on each other, the consequences would be the annihilation of the entire army.
The most worrying thing was the silent ‘bomb’ of the Poisonous Queen Bee. If it had to choose the scariest person among the five Beast Kings, the Human-Faced Tiger would definitely not choose the lion king, nor would it choose the toad king. Instead, it would opt to select the Poisonous Queen Bee. She was the most ruthless, most savage, most self-reliant and least trusting out of everyone in the entire Beast Valley. Even her subordinates were not truly loyal to the Poisonous Queen Bee because she never truly believed in anyone. The Human-Faced Tiger wouldn’t believe it if someone like the Poisonous Queen Bee didn’t have any form of relation with the Toad King.
In the case that the Poisonous Queen Bee was a chess piece of the Toad King, it would be over for them all.
The Human-Faced Tiger could trust the Eagle King. It could trust anyone, but it just couldn’t bring itself to trust the Poisonous Queen Bee.
“Now, someone must stand up and join me in resisting the enemy. From the beasts and the residents, we would also need two or three people to help us out,” The Human-Faced tiger swallowed hard, secretly guarding against the Poisonous Queen Bee while proposing combat, “Preferential consideration for having special skills!”
“This…”
If it was a normal fight, many people would take the initiative to stand up.
But now, staying to resist the enemy and letting the companions escape was equal to walking on the road towards death.
The problem would be that if no one stayed behind to resist the enemy, then the whole army would be wiped out, resulting in a worse scenario.
The Eagle King also swallowed nervously.
Its logical reasoning is telling itself to stay behind, but the shadow of death shook its will again. No one wanted to die. In this case, everyone wanted to escape, and even the Eagle King was no exception.
The Beast Valley had never been a place to show greatness. On the contrary, it had always been a gathering of selfish beings.
No one believed in anyone!
No one was willing to sacrifice for others. The three kings did not speak, whereas Ryoma and the Sickle Weasel felt that the air was more suffocating than death itself. The enemy was slowly approaching, and the other fleeing companions were slayed by the Black Sun, engulfed by darkness one after the other. The beasts and the residents who escaped alone were probably dead too. When the Black Sun finishes ma.s.sacring the runaways, it would be their turn soon enough.
The dozens of beasts and residents that gathered together, including the Bobcat and Rhino, were silent.
No one had the courage to say that they were staying.
The Poisonous Queen Bee suddenly coughed, “Someone has to stay for the others, so I’ll stay!”
“Wh- what?” The Human-Faced Tiger was shocked. In fact, it was waiting for the Eagle King to say something, not the expression of the Queen Bee. If the Queen Bee did not immediately cast an attack towards them, the Tiger would have thought that it wasn’t a bad outcome. It never would have thought that the Poisonous Queen Bee actually offered to stall the enemy, which was why the Human-Faced Tiger couldn’t believe its ears.
“Are you serious? Bee, are you really deciding to stay?” The Eagle King’s astonishment was no lesser than the Human-Faced Tiger.
“I know for a fact that everyone is a little scared of me, thinking that I may be a traitor. Maybe in the past, I was a bit unscrupulous in doing things. But now, death is imminent. Maybe we will die in the next moment and become the nourishment for others to cultivate their Battle-Beasts, so what use is there if we are still fighting? There’s really no point to prove at all, so why should I stay? It is not an act of greatness or sacrifice, but rather a necessary choice. If I resist them here, I would need to face the enemy’s attack; if you retreat to the pond, you would also need to face the enemy. The only difference between our battles would be that your fight would be slightly closer to the pond! I don’t care where I fight, but the TIger who is more familiar with water warfare can fully utilise its potential there… And, most importantly, the Golden Worm King belongs to the insect beast category, which would make it a little easier for me to restrain it. Both Tiger and Eagle will face some difficulties with that. After thinking about it this way, it only makes sense if I stay behind. ” The Human-Faced Tiger and the Eagle King were both shocked and moved by the words of the Poisonous Queen Bee.
Who would have imagined that at the moment of life and death, the most selfish Poisonous Queen Bee would volunteer to fight for everyone.
Whereas the Lion king, who has always been like everyone’s umbrella[1], all but disappeared.
T/L Note: [1] Used to describe someone who is reliable, sheltering others from pain like how an umbrella s.h.i.+elds you from rain.
The Human-Faced Tiger felt its eyes water and became slightly hot, “Bee…”
It wanted to apologise.
If it had known that the Poisonous Queen Bee had such courage and mindset, then it would have sincerely befriended her long ago.
Just now, as it pondered over the fact of whether or not the Poisonous Queen Bee was a traitor, it wanted to launch a preemptive strike against her. Now in comparison, the Human-Faced Tiger felt ashamed beyond comprehension.
How did he dare to call himself a man?
T/L Note: Got another gender clarification y’all! Don’t know if you guys notice but it’s been hard to call everyone ‘it’ and making sure they don’t sound confusing ?
He couldn’t even compare to a selfish woman like the Poisonous Queen Bee.
The Eagle King also felt the heat rise in its heart, blurting, “Bee, I will stay too, to fight the enemy with you. Let the Tiger lead everyone away. My life will accompany yours to the end. If we manage to get out of this alive, I am willing to be your friend— a true friend. We don’t have to be wary of each other any longer, and we don’t need to have our internal fights either!”
The Poisonous Queen Bee declined the request of the Eagle King, “I understand your kindness, but the retreating team must have one to lead and one to pick up the rear. You and the Tiger, who are both at the Leader levels, are the best candidates. Don’t waste time and go away now! If there is someone who is willing to stay behind, I would need two or three companions to help me intercept the enemies together. I can only contain the Golden Worm King and the Fire Tyrant for a short time, so I hope someone will stand up and intercept the few beasts behind…”
The Sickle Weasel was so emotionally driven that it couldn’t suppress its feelings anymore.
Its emotions were like a volcanic eruption, giving it an unpleasant impulse, “Someone like me is already tired of living. Death is inevitable for me as it’s just a matter of time. As a properly gallant man, I would rather die on the battlefield than die out of shock. Count me in!”
T/L Note: One by one, everyone’s finally opening up about their gender omg yayyyy.
Ryoma had lived in the Beast Valley for thousands of years. Yet, this was the first time he felt a rush of heat in his heart.
Before the Sickle Weasel spoke up, he hesitated a little bit. In other words, he was also a resident. He was left with his life, and perhaps he still had a chance. But when the Sickle Weasel roared, he felt that his blood was boiling, so he stood up and shouted, “That’s right! It’s up to G.o.d to decide if I am going to live or die! He can have my life if he wants, but a small price must be made!”
In addition to Ryoma and the Sickle Weasel’s courageous volunteering, the Rhino, Bobcat and a few others clamored to stay behind as well.
At that moment, everyone seems to have forgotten that the way of survival in Beast Valley was by being selfish.
They seemed to have forgotten that once they are killed, they will truly die.
After a short and fierce quarrel, it was determined that the Poisonous Bee Queen, Ryoma and the Sickle Weasel were left behind to block the enemy. The remaining dozen or so beasts, led by the Eagle King and the Human-Faced Tiger, would quickly flee towards the pond. As soon as the Human-Faced Tiger arrived at the pond, he would immediately use the ‘Sliding Waves’ and the ‘Return of the Vortex’ to rescue the three of them out of danger.
“I already know of your escape plan. It’s great, but is there anyone who decides to stall the enemy? Hahahahaha, I was wrong, I really shouldn’t be asking such mentally r.e.t.a.r.ded questions! Everyone knows that the people of the Beast Valley are the most selfish and most afraid of death, haha! Do you know why this Lord is stronger than you? Do you know why this Lord can kill you when you can only whine like a poor worm? The reason is simple— because I am very smart and I know how to forge an alliance and to find friends to cooperate with, unlike you. One by one, all of you were naively thinking that if you protect yourself, you can live a little longer… Haha, it’s really ironic— those who want to live longer would never trust others, but in the end, the lack of friends is what kills you!” The Toad King who had partic.i.p.ated in the ma.s.sacre just now has returned with great vigour.
He didn’t know, but within a few minutes, the Eagle King, the Human-Faced Tiger and the Poisonous Queen Bee, including the remaining beasts and residents, had all undergone completely different changes!
Based on the Toad King’s past experience, he probably wouldn’t believe it to be true without knowing their previous dialogues. But then again, he wouldn’t believe them either even if he had heard their discussions. Were there really fools who would sacrifice themselves for others in Beast Valley? Even if there was someone like that, perhaps that person had already died several thousands of years ago, right?
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[TL note]:
It’s been a month since I’ve started tl-ing LLS, so it’s not unfamiliar territory (not much anyway, still some confusion though) but please do let me know if there were terms that I have used incorrectly like the names etc. Thanks and look forward to the release!
-Sterling
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