Chapter 49: Earth Bear Clan

At dusk, the dim yellow sunlight retained a faint warmth as it spilled from the sky, sinking into heavy twilight.

The pungent stench of sulfur filled the conifer valley, and steaming hot mist refracted the sunset’s glow into twisted ripples.

Six subadult Earth Bears sat around a boiling, high-temperature sulfur pool, their thick fur encrusted with pyrite crystals like heavy rock armor.

Among them was the Earth Bear chieftain, Broken Fang Garos.

It was the largest in size, its fur deep yellow streaked with dark red, its body marked with numerous scars, and one of its fangs broken.

These were proofs of battles fought against mighty ferocious beasts and demons.

In the Earth Bear clan, they were symbols of valor and honor, badges to be proud of.

Including Garos himself.

All the Earth Bears used their paws to stir the sulfur pool water.

The young Earth Bears would throw a special metallic ore sand into this pool, continuously enhancing its unique effects.

Copper-green bubbles burst constantly, emitting a hissing, corrosive sound.

This was the Earth Bear clan’s decades-old “Claw Tempering”—the sharper and harder a bear’s paw, the longer it could endure the sulfur water; after tempering, the claws would grow even stronger upon recovery.

On a rock ledge at the northwest corner of the hot spring, several cubs peered over, watching intently.

Garos stirred the pool with the greatest force, creating swirling eddies no other Earth Bear could match.

As time passed, one by one, the subadult Earth Bears felt searing pain in their paws, could no longer endure it, and withdrew from the pool, bowing their heads slightly to the chieftain in reverence and respect; after receiving Garos’s low growl in acknowledgment, they turned and left—only old Garos remained, tempering his claws in the sulfur water, even pouring the corrosive liquid over himself, hissing loudly.

While the chieftain was still in the sulfur pool.

A two-year-old male Earth Bear named Raymond crept stealthily, furtively, into the area where the female Earth Bears rested, then bared his teeth and hurled a thunderbird wing hidden behind his back toward one of the females.

In Earth Bear culture,

females do not remain loyal to a single mate but accept courtship from multiple males, provided they redeem mating rights with food.

The female Earth Bear glanced at Raymond, refused the thunderbird wing, and gave him no further look.

This meant rejection.

Though she did not remain loyal to a single mate, she must remain loyal to the strongest Earth Bear.

Chieftain Garos claimed all the females and strictly forbade them from mating with any other males; any male caught doing so was beaten half-dead and driven from the territory, while the females were punished by prolonged food deprivation.

The lustful male did not leave but boldly sat beside the female.

He lightly brushed her hind leg with his tail, provoking her.

It was mating season; the female, stirred by Raymond’s advances, began to grow restless.

Seeing no sign of Chieftain Garos nearby, she finally shifted her massive rump, signaling the male to follow her into a denser thicket.

Rustle rustle rustle.

The thicket trembled.

Ten minutes later.

Raymond stood upright, stepping out of the thicket with a joyful gait—then collided face-to-face with the Earth Bear chieftain.

The chieftain’s expression was calm, but his brown eyes glinted with danger.

“Raymond, you have overstepped.”

He let out a thunderous low growl.

“Chieftain, let me explain!”

The male’s heart froze.

Before he could finish speaking, a massive paw slammed into him.

The seven-meter-tall subadult Earth Bear flew backward like a severed kite, his chest fur matted, flesh deeply sunken, bones shattered.

The Earth Bear chieftain advanced with cold, heavy steps, unleashing a brutal assault; the male dared not resist, only howled in pleading.

The other males remained silent as mice.

Within minutes, Raymond stopped moving entirely, his life force gone—he had been beaten to death.

Such things rarely happened before.

When faced with a disobedient subadult Earth Bear—especially one of his own offspring—Chieftain Garos usually only beat the offender half-dead and expelled him from the territory, rather than killing him outright.

Today, the old bear seemed unusually furious.

“Who dares defy me, challenge my authority?”

“I will snap their necks!”

The old Earth Bear growled, his fur bristling, silencing the others.

Seeing fear flicker in the eyes of the other Earth Bears—especially the males—he nodded in satisfaction.

As he aged, Garos’s fur no longer gleamed as it had in his prime; patches of dull, lifeless gray-white hair had appeared, and he felt his strength waning, his physical attributes weakening—this time, his claw tempering lasted even shorter than before.

The blade of time is a hundred times sharper than any ferocious beast’s fangs.

Not all creatures, like dragons, grow stronger with age; Garos had passed his peak, and each day since, his power had declined.

He felt restless and uneasy.

To maintain his rule over the clan, the restless old bear resolved to adopt colder methods—even killing his own offspring without mercy.

Suddenly,

A rustling came from the conifer forest ahead; the old Earth Bear instantly perked his ears, rose onto his hind legs, and turned his head.

Another Earth Bear pushed aside tangled vines and branches, appearing before the old bear.

“My dear father, you’ve grown even more cruel.”

Looking at the corpse at the old bear’s feet, Mober said.

“Mober, my foolish offspring who once defied me—you’re still alive?”

The old bear grinned, revealing obsidian embedded in his toothless gums.

He felt no threat from Mober.

Though old and weakened, compared to his peak, he was still far stronger than ordinary Earth Bears.

“What do you want, coming before me?”

“Do you seek to challenge my authority and position—or to die?”

His eyes glinted with malice, claws like blades extending.

Mober bared his teeth, stood upright, arms crossed, and growled: “Of course to kill you, take your place, and claim all your females!”

Hearing this, Garos erupted in rage.

He arched his back, braced his hind legs, and lunged to kill this rebellious son.

But as soon as Mober finished speaking, he turned and fled, sprinting on all fours, runes glowing on his limbs, making his body lighter and faster.

“You can’t escape—I’ll kill you!”

The Earth Bear chieftain roared, his claws shattering the ground as he charged like a cannonball, smashing through every obstacle in his path, chasing Mober.

The other Earth Bears exchanged glances but did not follow.

Such challenges to the chieftain were not defenses against outsiders; the others had no need to intervene.

(End of Chapter)