Chapter 839: The Roar Before the Storm

Xia Qing’s sniping skills were absolutely top-tier, but she never used a gun. Even hurting a single bear in this situation would have the entire bear pack turning their fury on the human base.

But without a gun her combat power was nowhere near the terrifying level of that speed-evolved giant bear from earlier.

Still, Huo Lei wasn’t the least bit worried about Xia Qing’s safety. After all there were only six bears here, and they had to look after one that was still groggy from tranquilizers. They couldn’t possibly stand up to a pack of dozens of wolves.

The reason the wolf pack called Xia Qing over made Huo Zhun suspicious, especially since it seemed to have something to do with that monk-faced monkey. He couldn’t wait and took off, needing a look from above.

When she saw the helicopter lift off smoothly—with no twisted frame and the exterior looking intact—Xia Qing finally relaxed and started climbing the hillside with Er.

The moment she crested the hill and glimpsed the two giant bears Xia Qing’s heart clenched.

Last year Yang Jin had shown her footage of giant bears, giant pythons, and a standoff with the wolves. Back then, even seeing those bears on the screen was impressive.

Just now, watching from the helicopter as the giant bear sprinted and leapt below—shattering rocks and snapping trees along the way—Xia Qing had been awestruck. But now, seeing two of them up close, her shock was off the charts!

That handsome huge wolf with a back height of 1.6 meters and head height of 2.4 meters was already terrifying. But the giant bear chief, standing upright and facing off against the Alpha, must have been at least 4.5 meters tall!

Even scarier, this brute was a Speed Evolver. Xia Qing couldn’t even be sure the Alpha could match it for speed.

Her hearing dulled by injury, Xia Qing didn’t find the bear’s roar that loud—but its mouth was easily big enough to swallow her helmeted head whole.

Without weapons, even the strongest humans would have a tough time taking on something like this.

Xia Qing’s gaze landed on the Alpha, who stood atop a rocky outcrop trading roars with the giant bear chief.

All through nine years of catastrophe, even counting the time the wolf pack wiped out Storm Squad’s twelve members, Xia Qing had never seen the Alpha so wild and imposing!

It was a bit shorter than Xia Qing, only about 1.65 meters at the head. But up there on the rock, facing down the bear, it didn’t lose an inch in presence.

But with her ears buzzing nonstop Xia Qing couldn’t tell if the Alpha’s current roar was louder than the one she remembered from last October—when she hid in a cave on Hill Sixty all battered, and the Alpha charged out to fight the giant bear.

That night last July, when the Alpha and its pack met these bears—had it roared like this too?

After losing Hill Fifty-Five, how much courage had it taken for the Alpha to lead its wounded companions into human territory, trusting Xia Qing to heal them with medicinal herbs and Yi Stone?

A dozen minutes later, the showdown of roars between the wolf and bear chiefs turned into a full contest. Now both entire packs were involved. Next to Xia Qing, Er took up a fighting stance, showing off its fiercest side.

In this roaring match with the bears, the wolf pack had no choice but to come out on top if they wanted to win the coming negotiations!

Right now, Xia Qing was actually grateful her ears were injured. To her, the angry roars of these apex predators were still quieter than the ringing in her head.

But to Er Yong and the others rushing to help, those cries were terrifying. Jing Kuan quickly radioed Xin Yu, “What’s happening? Do we need to back you guys up?”

Pale-faced, Xin Yu looked down at the showdown below—the bear and wolf packs staring each other down with Xia Qing calm and ready behind the wolves. “No need yet,” she replied. “They haven’t started fighting.”

“Out here in the Evolved Forest, there’s no medicine or treatment. Getting hurt means dying,” said Zhang Song, a specialist in evolved animals—sounding downright thrilled as he filmed. “So when two animals (or even two species) of similar strength have a conflict, they show off first and try to scare the other off. If that fails, then it’s a real fight.”

“Roaring, slamming into trees, smashing rocks—these are all ways to flex and intimidate the opponent. Even that bear that’s still a little drowsy from tranquilizers is joining in.”

Only two on the scene weren’t roaring: Xia Qing, standing next to Wolfdog Number Two, and the dopey monkey lying in the middle of the bear pack.

Just then, the whole situation suddenly changed.

The second giant bear—not a Speed Evolver—reached down with a massive paw, scooped up the monkey lying on the ground, and set it on its shoulder.

At that, the Alpha, Broken Back, and Handsome Huge Wolf all turned in unison to look at Xia Qing, standing at the very back of the wolf formation.

Er nudged Xia Qing forward, using a fair bit of strength, making it clear—it was her turn to step up.

In that instant, Xia Qing totally got it—and then she lost it!

Those evolved bears actually thought she was on the same level as that dopey monkey! What kind of ridiculous comparison was that?

Who were they trying to insult here!

With a single leap Xia Qing sprang to the Alpha’s side, ripped off her protective mask and black facemask, and pointed furiously at the bears. “You bunch of blind bears! Every last one of you idiots!”

Seeing the human on their side jumping around, howling and showing off, the monkey over there just stared dumbly and dared not shout back. The wolf pack’s morale soared. Their roar shook the heavens.

The giant bear smacked the dopey monkey on its shoulder. When it saw the monkey just lay there limp, it chucked the useless thing aside and turned its own angry roar straight at Xia Qing.

That dumb bear’s roar only made Xia Qing angrier. She shouted even louder, “You really brought a dopey monkey here just to insult me? You lot are morons!”

“I could take on twenty of those dumb monkeys all by myself!”

“Quit your damn roaring and get over here if you dare! Try me—I dare you!”

With Xia Qing joining in, only one stayed silent on the field—the monkey lying in the grass, staring up at the sky.

Up in the helicopter, Zhang Song was practically bouncing with excitement. “Look! Xia Qing stepped in! She’s right in the front with the wolves—the pack’s basically recognized her strength!”

Yan Long, hands tight on the controls, asked, “Can either of you fly a helicopter?”

Zhang Song shook his head. Xin Yu spoke up, fighting off her discomfort. “I can.”

Yan Long gave the order. “If the wolves and bears go at it, I’m heading down to join the fight. Xin Yu, you take over flying.”

Zhang Song piped up, “Sis Yan, we’ve got machine guns with us.”

Eyes glued to Xia Qing, who was already in the thick of it, Yan Long grinned. “Using firearms would cheapen this showdown.”

In another helicopter, Huo Zhun was just as fired up. Even the bears thought Xia Qing looked just like that monkey—it wasn’t just him!

He might not know who would win between evolved wolves and bears, but if it was Xia Qing versus that monk-faced monkey, no question—Xia Qing would wipe the floor with it!

Maybe the giant bear understood her insults, or maybe her leaping around just got on its nerves—in any case, it slammed a massive paw down and smashed a rock to pieces.

Unfazed, Xia Qing immediately drew her black long blade and split a bigger rock in two, then pointed the tip at the giant bear and kept right on cursing. “That’s nothing! Come here if you’ve got the guts, let’s settle this right now!”

“Roar—!”

“Awoo—!”

“Come on, get over here! What are you waiting for!”