10: Chapter 10 The Carrion Bear

Panic spread like an avalanche, and the channel was instantly flooded with various "giant beast sighting reports," cries from big shots for shelter, and pleas to "huddle together for warmth."

Images of giant beasts, far more terrifying than the wolves and wild boars seen during the day, were clearly presented in every lord's mind through these words.

"Good grief, the Heavenly Dao's notification just finished, and the difficulty is already ramping up? They're playing for keeps!" Lin Tian sat up straight instantly, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

Subconsciously holding his breath, he strained his ears to listen for any movement outside his territory. The night wind blew through the jungle, bringing the distant roars of monsters, but for now... there didn't seem to be any particularly heart-stopping vibrations or pressure.

"Thank goodness, it seems things are calm on my end for now...?"

BOOM!!!

An extremely dull thud, sounding as if it had slammed directly into his heart, came from the front of the territory without warning! The entire ground shook slightly! Clanging armor and hurried footsteps immediately rang out from the Barracks; the soldiers who had just fallen asleep were all startled awake, rushing out of their quarters and gripping their weapons as they stared warily into the darkness.

BOOM! BOOM!

Two more loud thuds followed, echoing from the rear and the right side of the territory simultaneously, forming a hair-raising three-sided pincer movement!

Lin Tian felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. He didn't even bother putting on his coat before dashing out of the Lords Cabin.

The sight that met his eyes made his blood freeze instantly.

The darkness was violently torn apart by three suffocatingly massive silhouettes.

They were three bears. But the word "bear" seemed pale and weak at this moment. Each of them stood over fifteen meters tall at the shoulder, like three moving mountains of flesh radiating a murderous aura! Their thick, coarse fur was an ominous dark brown, matted with dried blood, mud, and unknown filth.

Most terrifying of all were their eyes—not the crimson of beasts or the wild amber of predators, but a murky, dark-yellow glow filled with madness and hunger, like six lanterns from the underworld shining in the dark.

Their massive size brought a primitive sense of megalophobic pressure. Lin Tian had to tilt his head back as far as possible just to barely see their lowered, massive maws dripping with foul-smelling saliva.

With every step of their limbs, which were as thick as stone pillars in a temple, the ground vibrated clearly. They were surrounded by a nearly visible aura of ferocity—the baleful qi accumulated after slaughtering countless beings, making the air feel viscous and heavy.

"One... two... three..." Lin Tian's throat felt dry. "Didn't they say everyone else only encountered one? Why did I... get a wholesale order of three?" Through the Inspect panel, Lin Tian could only see the name "Rotting Skeleton Giant Bear"; all other information was marked as (???), just like the results others had shared in the group.

The giant bears seemed to have developed a keen interest in the "little speck of light" (the Territory Core) in the center of the territory, which emitted an aura they both loathed and craved, and the "little snacks" (Lin Tian and his soldiers) within it.

They began to pace slowly and ponderously around the boundary of the protective shield, their massive heads occasionally leaning close to the invisible barrier, breathing out hot gusts of air that carried a stench of intense rot. One of them seemed to grow impatient, raising a massive paw like a battering ram and slamming it hard against the shield!

"!"

The expected earth-shattering boom or ripples in the barrier did not occur. Where the bear paw struck, the protective shield didn't even show the slightest flicker or vibration, acting like an absolutely static, unshakable absolute domain.

The immense force was like a stone dropped into the ocean, with even the sound being swallowed whole. The giant bear seemed stunned for a moment, a hint of confusion flashing in its dark-yellow eyes before turning into deeper rage.

They couldn't get in. Having confirmed this, Lin Tian's heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled a bit, though it still hung in mid-air. This was because he saw that these giant bears seemed to be treating the area around his territory as their temporary "cafeteria."

One giant bear reached into the darkness and snatched an unfortunate Night Shadow Leopard that was trying to flee in panic. The leopard was like a toy before it; with a lick of the bear's barbed tongue, it was swallowed in a few bites—bones, fur, and all—amidst the sound of bone-chilling crunches, as blood and bone fragments leaked from the corners of its mouth.

Another bear used its claws to dig through a patch of bushes, unearthing a nest of shivering Burrowing Rats and tossing them into its mouth like peanuts.

The scene was bloody, primitive, and savage to the extreme, dealing a heavy blow to Lin Tian's vision and stomach. The roasted meat he had eaten in the afternoon churned in his gut; his face turned pale, and he barely managed to keep from vomiting on the spot.

He observed for a full half-hour until the three giant bears seemed to confirm that this "turtle shell" could not be broken for the time being. As they began to roam and prey on other weak monsters in a relatively fixed area outside the territory, Lin Tian finally let out a long, trembling breath, and his tensed nerves relaxed slightly.

"The Heavenly Dao's notification just ended, and 'gatekeepers' of this level spawned immediately..." Lin Tian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his back already soaked. "If several of these things, or even more, get mixed into the beast tide on the seventh day... the problem won't just be severe; it will be a total catastrophe."

He forced himself to calm down, his brain working at high speed. Fear wouldn't solve anything. With his current resources and troops, any thought of a direct confrontation against threats of this caliber was suicide.

The only way to survive was to frantically increase his strength within the limited six-day safety period until... there was at least a sliver of a chance to resist or maneuver.

"I can't sleep, and there's no way I could!" Lin Tian glanced at the SOS messages and wails still flooding the channel, then looked at the three despair-inducing "mountains of flesh" outside. A flame mixed with urgency, indignation, and a strong will to live began to burn in his eyes.

He turned around and strode toward the militia recruitment altar. The remaining 16 Spirit Crystals in his hand were no longer just simple resources, but incredibly precious chips for survival.

"Recruit all!"

Light flashed repeatedly as 16 figures emerged: 11 male Militia and 5 female Militia. "Well, the gender ratio is a bit skewed this time." Lin Tian twitched his lips, trying to use a quip to dispel the heaviness in his heart. He had no time for sentiment and immediately began to act.

Following the old routine, the 5 female Militia were directly merged with wood, turning into 5 sharp-eyed Archers.

The remaining 11 male Militia needed iron armor and rocks, but his stock was low. Without hesitation, Lin Tian opened the trading market, quickly exchanging 10 units of wild boar tusks for 10 units of stone, and 10 units of wild boar meat for 5 units of iron ore.

The light of Fusion shone within the territory once more, steady and orderly. 5 Militia donned iron armor, becoming new Iron-Armored Spearmen; the bodies of 6 Militia became one with rock, becoming new Rock Armor Soldiers.

At this point, including his original 17 soldiers, Lin Tian's total force reached 33! With exactly 11 members each in the Rock Armor Soldier, Iron-Armored Spearman, and Archer units, they formed an unexpectedly balanced primary battle formation.

The increase in soldier count brought a sliver of security, but Lin Tian knew that against the giant bears outside, quantity was just a number; quality was the key. He thought of the "Refined Iron" and "Moon Birch Wood" he had just acquired through trade.

"You, come forward!" He called over the first Iron-Armored Spearman, that silent and steadfast warrior who had followed him from the beginning. It was time for him to have a name.

"Your subordinate is here," the Iron-Armored Spearman stepped forward, his armor clanking.

"You were the first Iron-Armored Spearman to follow me; that holds great significance. From now on, you shall be called 'Lin Feng'."