C12 Beast Tide(2)

"Puff!"

The driver shuddered, his previously flushed face from the fierce combat now ghostly pale. He opened his mouth, coughing up a copious amount of blood.

The porcupine was dead, ripped to shreds by a pack of vicious jackals.

With only two elite-tier spirit beasts remaining, the squad's combat strength had plummeted by at least 30%.

The number of encircling jackals was swelling, surpassing 200.

That alone would be daunting, but among the pack, they spotted a few Armored Wild Boars and fierce jackals.

In the wild, Armored Wild Boars are the epitome of brutes, challenging anyone they encounter. A group of more than ten is enough to deter even jackals from engaging.

Fierce jackals and vicious jackals are both ferocious beasts of elite status.

Normally, Armored Wild Boars and fierce jackals wouldn't associate with vicious jackals, so what was happening now?

"Could this be... a beast tide?"

Fatty and the driver exchanged a glance, each finding the reflection of their own despair.

...

...

"What is this? It's utterly preposterous."

Wang Yan, having set the car to autopilot, turned on his phone to indulge in a novel.

A cataclysm 400 years prior had steered the world onto a path vastly different from his previous life, triggering a domino effect of changes.

Every piece of literature seemed to revolve around spirit beasts, monotonously identical and devoid of originality.

The majority featured a fortunate beast tamer stumbling upon a high-quality spirit beast cub, joining forces in battle and growing together.

Then there were the unconventional tales where the spirit beast dominated the beast tamer, or transformed into a human to lead an unblushingly intimate life with their tamer.

And some authors, lacking any semblance of talent, produced works that were downright offensive.

Titles like "Tyrant Bear in Love with Me," "The Secret My 1200-Year-Old Nine-Tailed Fox Landlady and I Must Share," "Young Snake"...

Wang Yan opened one such book and skimmed through it, feeling a sense of déjà vu with certain plotlines.

Mrs. Landlord...

Snake's academic performance left much to be desired...

"Damn, I'm an upright gentleman, why do I keep getting recommendations for books like this?"

Wang Yan grumbled under his breath but began reading with relish.

Life in the wilderness was monotonous, filled with endless travel and relentless combat.

Thankfully, the vehicle was equipped with the latest energy system, which was the only reason it could endure for so long.

"I've racked up over 8,000 points. Once I hit 10,000, I'm heading back."

Wang Yan stretched lazily. His Soul Strength had reached 2.9 points, and he was on the cusp of becoming a Level 3 beast tamer, ready to bond with a second spirit beast.

For now, he was single-mindedly focused on accumulating points, putting money and quests on the back burner.

After all, the items in the Points Shop couldn't be bought with money. Some were regulated goods, others were outright not of this world.

Money was the least of his concerns. Even though his father had cut his monthly allowance to five hundred thousand, the real head of the Wang family wasn't him.

All he needed to do was to go back, playfully coax his grandfather, and flaunt his newfound power, and the old man would surely open his wallet without hesitation.

"Ah, growing up in this kind of family really saps your drive."

Wang Yan sighed in resignation, his exasperating demeanor almost too much for Green to stomach.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"

Green, feigning sleep on the front passenger seat, suddenly lifted its head, its large, round eyes reflecting a sense of gravity, as if it had detected an impending danger.

The next second, a jarring alarm blared in the cockpit.

The vehicle's radar had picked up a massive assembly of ferocious beasts—over five hundred strong.

"Clumsy turtles, malicious jackals, fire foxes, and sullen boars. What's happening? Aren't these ferocious beasts part of a food chain hierarchy? Why aren't they attacking each other?"

Wang Yan's brow furrowed deeply as a troubling thought surged into his mind.

A beast tide!

Periodically, the wilderness would be swept by a beast tide.

Their scope varied—some were as small as a few hundred thousand, but they were mostly ordinary ferocious beasts.

The larger beast tides numbered in the tens of millions, teeming with elite ferocious beasts.

For the colossal beast tides, they swelled into the hundreds of millions, with numerous leader-class ferocious beasts leading the charge.

A small-scale beast tide could lay waste to a county-level city, a large-scale one could obliterate a city, and a super large-scale beast tide was apocalyptic, leaving no one able to withstand its fury.

The pack of ferocious beasts ahead numbered around 600, with the strongest only at Rank 4. Wang Yan figured it wouldn't pose much of a problem.

With that thought, he promptly dispatched a drone to snap photos and relayed the information back to the Beast Tamer Association.

Better to err on the side of caution than to be blindsided by an attack.

"Hmm? Is someone there?"

Noticing the drone above, cries for help suddenly erupted from within the beast horde.

After a brief contemplation, Wang Yan decided to intervene.

Human survival was precarious, and he believed in lending a hand when possible, especially if it didn't compromise his own safety.

Besides, he had already documented the scene. Ignoring these people could lead to complications with the Beast Tamer Association later on.

And it was only ordinary ferocious beasts they were dealing with. With Green's dragon might in play, they'd all be subdued in no time.

Sure enough, as Wang Yan approached, the ferocious beasts ceased their assault, meekly lying down with a few even tail-wagging as if to curry favor.

Having sent dozens of jackals flying with his vehicle, Wang Yan executed a stylish drift, coming to a halt before the trio.

The driver, having narrowly escaped death, was overwhelmed with the surreal feeling of a second lease on life.

"Are you all okay?"

Wang Yan propped himself against the car, casually flicking as if to toss back hair he didn't have.

"Thank you for the rescue! Without you, we would've been goners for sure."

The first to regain his composure, Fatty expressed his gratitude.

Though puzzled by the ferocious beasts' submissive behavior, he surmised it must be the work of the man before them.

In the world of beast tamers, prying into the abilities of another's spirit beast was a major faux pas. Grateful to his lifesaver, he wouldn't dream of making such an indiscreet inquiry.

"Let's get out of here before things get more complicated."

Wang Yan inquired, "Is your car still operational?"

"Uh, seems like it's not."

The driver exhaled deeply, frustration etching his face. "That piece of junk Santian, I swear if I buy one of these again, I might as well write my name upside down."

"Upside down? What's your surname, if I may ask?"

"Tian!"

Wang Yan: "..."

"Come on, let's board the car and talk later."

Wang Yan let out a sigh. His gut feeling was that this squad was somewhat unreliable.

"Thanks!"

With another word of gratitude, the Fatty squeezed into the car first. The other two quickly followed suit.

In contrast to Ruan Mei, Wang Yan's driving was far more cautious.

The engine bellowed furiously, shooting forward like a wild donkey breaking free.

The pack of vicious jackals ahead was instantly turned into a mash, with no chance to even react before meeting their end.