Chapter 37: Battling the Pack of Hounds

Chapter 37: Battling the Pack of Wild Dogs

Chu Ye knew that his hide was just like a honey badger’s; he had no reason to fear being bitten by wild dogs. Furthermore, he possessed the ability to twist his head around and latch onto his opponent’s throat.

This was a unique skill exclusive to honey badgers: the counter-bite.

It is precisely because of this technique that honey badgers can take on many large carnivores. Even when these large predators have a grip on them, the honey badger can still strike back.

The wild dog could never have imagined that, despite having sunk its teeth into the cub’s neck, the little lion would be able to turn around and bite its throat—a feat no other lion could possibly perform.

Although Chu Ye released the other wild dog, it had been held by the throat for several minutes and was nearly suffocating. Fortunately, a second dog intervened, biting Chu Ye’s neck, which forced him to let go.

The first dog was saved. Once it regained its senses, it lunged again, trying to tear at Chu Ye’s rear end, attempting the dreaded disemboweling technique!

However, the dog suddenly felt that the skin and fur on Chu Ye’s rear were incredibly tough; biting down felt exactly like biting the hindquarters of a honey badger.

These adult wild dogs had mostly tangled with honey badgers before. While they could never kill one, they always enjoyed trying.

Regardless, Chu Ye was worried about being disemboweled. When the dog bit his rear, he instinctively wanted to release a foul-smelling fart, but he suddenly realized he couldn't.

It turned out his internal supply of stinky gas was not infinite. Under normal circumstances, he could only release two in a row. Having already done so, he would need another half hour before he could produce more.

Seeing he had no more gas to deploy, Chu Ye had no choice but to release the dog he was currently biting and turn to confront the other.

And so, Chu Ye battled these two wild dogs right there. Though he was a cub weighing only a dozen kilograms, he did not show the slightest weakness against two adult wild dogs weighing over thirty kilograms each.

The two wild dogs were completely bewildered. They could never have guessed that such a small lion cub could be so formidable, standing its ground against two adults.

The sounds of the clash were loud, and soon, they drew the attention of the rest of the pack.

The dogs had been scouring the nearby bushes for a long time without finding any cubs. When they heard the sounds of fighting near the large tree, they all came running.

Of course, not all of them arrived at once; about seven or eight appeared. These dogs had searched the brush to no avail, but upon reaching Chu Ye’s location, they were shocked to see a single cub fighting two of their own.

Seeing this, the pack became excited. They figured that they hadn't been able to find the cubs because their two companions had already cornered one.

Hungry for the taste of lion cub, the newcomers immediately joined the fray, lunging at Chu Ye.

Seeing seven or eight more dogs arrive, Chu Ye felt a surge of fear. However, after the previous two skirmishes, he knew for certain that he possessed the abilities of a honey badger. He might not be able to defeat them all, but they were certainly incapable of killing him.

Chu Ye began to fight the group of dogs. They were stunned; they had never expected that so many of them would be unable to overcome a single cub.

As they grappled with him, it didn't feel like fighting a lion cub at all—it felt like wrestling an adult honey badger.

No matter where they bit, they couldn't break his skin. Yet, every time Chu Ye’s jaws found a target, he left a wound.

By the end of the brawl, it looked as though Chu Ye had been bitten countless times, yet he remained uninjured. The dogs, conversely, had not been bitten many times, but every single one that Chu Ye had managed to sink his teeth into was bleeding.

Still, the sheer number of dogs tearing at him began to unnerve him. After all, honey badgers had weaknesses too. If an opponent managed to bite the underside of their neck, there was still a chance to kill them.

As Chu Ye fought, he pondered his next move. If he didn't flee, he would have to find a way to deal with the pack, but a direct confrontation would ultimately lead to his defeat.

No matter how strong he was, his stamina would eventually run dry. With so many dogs, they could take turns attacking him in waves. If they wore him down, he would eventually collapse from exhaustion.

"This won't do. I need another plan. If I keep fighting them head-on, I'll lose in the end."

He scanned the surroundings. Not far away stood the large tree—the heart of their pride’s territory. If he chose to run, he could climb it, and the dogs would be powerless against him.

But Chu Ye knew he was the only one capable of fighting them. Only by holding the pack’s attention could he keep the other cubs safe.

"No, I can't run. I have to protect the others."

Chu Ye didn't know what had come over him, acting so emotionally. He should have been prioritizing his own survival; after all, he was just a cub, and simply staying alive would be enough to make his mother proud.

But he wanted more than his own safety. He wanted to protect his kin. They had already lost one cub previously; he could not allow another to perish.

These cubs were the lifeblood and the future potential of the pride. If they could all reach adulthood, the pride would be powerful enough to compete with any other. If most died, or even half, the pride’s strength would be greatly diminished.