Chapter Two: Training One’s Own Physical Strength

Chapter 2: Training Physical Fitness Individually

While Chu Ye was in that thicket, he spent his days with a loving lioness, doing nothing but nursing and playing. He saw no other lions or animals. Lions give birth in extremely secluded places to avoid detection by other predators. Although lions are the kings of the savanna, their cubs are considered a delicacy by other hunters. Whenever an opportunity arises, hyenas will raid lion cubs. Furthermore, predators like wild dogs, cheetahs, and leopards are all potential threats to the cubs.

In fact, it is not just these carnivores; even herbivores will hunt down lion cubs without hesitation if they encounter them. Buffalo, in particular, are short-tempered giants that are natural enemies of lions, as if they harbor deep-seated grudges. From a human perspective, there is indeed a deep enmity between them, as many buffalo are eaten by lions, while many lions—including many cubs—are finished off by buffalo. In this sense, the number of lions dying under buffalo horns is not much lower than the number of buffalo eaten by lions.

Returning to the pride, Chu Ye felt a flicker of unease. From now on, he would face greater dangers. First and foremost, the pride’s male lion is the deciding factor in whether the cubs survive. A male lion’s reign over a pride is generally short; only the strongest can rule for several years, while the average male rarely lasts more than a year. If a pride’s leader is replaced by a nomadic male, all the cubs face certain doom. Chu Ye understood his situation clearly: how long he and the other cubs lived depended on how long their father remained in power.

Fortunately, Gek was still young and strong, so there was no immediate threat from other nomads. Nevertheless, such danger was constant, especially since some nomadic males travel in coalitions. If they encountered a coalition, a pride led by a single male would be in trouble. However, if the king is young and strong, the lionesses will not stand idly by; they will surely help the king defeat the invaders.

Although Gek might face a coalition, Elsa and Lisa were still strong and could fight alongside him to drive off any challengers. Thus, Chu Ye did not need to worry about his father being replaced for the time being. Still, the risk was ever-present; no king sits securely on his throne, and challengers appear at any time.

Chu Ye was currently more concerned about other predators. With the dry season approaching, the cubs were becoming prime targets. Perhaps Gek realized this too, as he began to spend time training the little ones once they returned. However, the male lion’s training methods were poor. To be honest, while he was large and strong, he lacked hunting experience. In this regard, the lionesses were the true masters. Their division of labor showed that males are not skilled hunters. Once a male becomes a king, he rarely hunts; even in the dry season, he merely assists the lionesses, who play the leading role. The male is built for fighting, not hunting.

Gek tried to teach his children, but he had no real techniques. He would simply lie on the ground, leap forward, and perform a surprise attack. He repeated this same monotonous action every day. Having trained with this instructor for a few days, Chu Ye felt he was incompetent and that he was learning nothing useful. Although the lionesses had excellent hunting experience, there were only two of them in the pride, and they had no time to spare. Because they were shorthanded, they often failed their night hunts and had to work overtime during the day.

Consequently, Chu Ye and the other cubs were truly on their own. The male lion wanted to teach them, but he lacked both the ability and the patience, often wandering off to sleep after a short while.

"This won't do. I have to train myself! I can't learn any useful hunting skills from this blockhead king," Chu Ye thought. He realized that if he kept following the king, he would learn nothing. "I am still too small; hunting skills are useless right now. No matter how advanced the technique, it is worthless against powerful prey or predators. I should focus on building my physical fitness. I don't need hunting skills; I need the ability to escape."

Chu Ye knew that for a one-or-two-month-old cub, hunting was pointless. The most important skill was escape. Being so weak, what else could he do when facing danger? "Running and climbing trees. Those are the skills I need to master."

With this decision, Chu Ye began training his body. He ran back and forth on the grass, never venturing too far, circling the nearby large tree. When he was tired, he practiced climbing. Once he rested, he went back to running. At first, the other cubs ignored him, but eventually, his eccentric behavior puzzled them. They could not understand why he was so restless, constantly bustling about all day long. While the others rested in the cool shade of the tree, Chu Ye was hard at work. Even Gek found it strange, wondering if something was wrong with his child’s head, as he never seemed to rest.