Chapter Six: The Lion’s Onslaught

Chapter Six: The Lion’s Onslaught

Today was a special day for Chu Ye. He knew his body was extraordinary, possessing an immunity that no other lion had, and it seemed his saliva could even neutralize poisons.

Moreover, he had already dealt with Little Black and saved his life. Little Black had become Chu Ye’s friend and would no longer cause him trouble.

The following days felt quite good for Chu Ye.

Every evening, the two lionesses managed to catch prey, allowing them to rest during the day.

Although Chu Ye and the others didn’t eat much meat, the lionesses’ milk was abundant, and they all ate their fill daily.

Yet, Chu Ye harbored a bad premonition, for the dry season was approaching—a time when such good days would be few.

For the animals of the African savannah, the dry season meant living on the edge of danger every day. Not only were predators deprived of abundant prey, but even herbivores, due to withering grass, had to wander far and wide in search of greener pastures.

Take the buffalo, for example—an animal that cannot live without water. During the dry season, it must migrate from the southern savannah to the north to survive.

One early dawn, as Chu Ye was still deep in slumber, he suddenly felt the earth tremble beneath him, as if a multitude of animals were approaching from afar.

Opening his eyes, Chu Ye crawled out from the bushes and saw countless zebras and wildebeests passing through their lion pride’s territory.

Lisa, Aisha, and Jik stood beneath a large tree, watching this distant migratory army with eyes full of helplessness.

The other cubs, hearing the commotion, also emerged from their den, but they remained playful and indifferent to the massive herd of wildebeests and zebras far away.

Chu Ye understood the significance of this westward migration.

Without the wildebeests and zebras, the carnivores of the savannah would face a precarious existence.

Carnivores do not solely prey on herbivores; when herbivores are scarce, they are forced to prey upon one another to survive.

Chu Ye knew that their good days were over. The entire savannah was entering a turbulent season.

After the herd’s departure, what remained was parched earth and parched lips.

The next day, just as Chu Ye crawled out from the bushes, he heard the roar of a lion echoing in the distance.

“Roar! — Roar!”

From the boundary of their pride’s territory, a strong male lion appeared.

His neck mane was long and had darkened to a deep chestnut color.

This indicated he was a robust lion in his prime, likely around six years old.

Jik, who had been resting atop a rock, was instantly awakened by the distant roar.

Lisa and Aisha likewise lifted their heads, watching the powerful male lion approaching.

This lion roared as he strode toward Jik.

Clearly, this wandering male lion intended to challenge Jik.

Startled, Jik leapt down from the boulder, growling fiercely at this audacious intruder.

Usually, wandering males sneaked attacks on a pride under the cover of night.

But this lion had the audacity to challenge Jik broad daylight.

It was clear he believed he had the strength to defeat Jik.

The dry season had arrived, unsettling the roaming males. They knew this was the perfect time to seize the throne.

During the dry season, the pride’s life became more difficult, the lion king’s status weakened, and his strength waned.

Typically, the dry season was the prime opportunity for wandering males to vie for the title of lion king.

However, this particular intruder seemed overly eager, attempting to claim the throne at the very beginning of the dry season.

Now, the two males roared and charged at each other—an epic battle was about to erupt.

Lisa and Aisha watched their leader march into battle, lying quietly without any movement.

The cubs, sensing the tension, huddled close to the lionesses, no longer playing.

Chu Ye felt fear creeping in, knowing too well the grave consequences such a fight could bring.

If their lion king father were defeated, all ten cubs would face certain doom.

Seeking safety, Chu Ye climbed into a tall tree, feeling only there could he be secure.

The other cubs, however, seemed oblivious to the potential severity of this battle.

Lisa and Aisha made no move to intervene. It seemed this was a law of the lion world: when male lions fought, the lionesses stayed aside, unwilling to get involved.

Of course, sometimes they would aid the fight, depending on certain special circumstances.

For example, if their cubs were older, and the lion king fell, they might need to lead their offspring into exile, leading them to assist in battle.

Another situation was when the lion king was old and the lionesses no longer desired him.

In such cases, if a young male invaded, the lionesses might betray the old king and support the new one.

Now, since Jik was still young, Lisa and Aisha had no intention of abandoning him.

Yet, driven by instinct, they would merely watch the fight between the males, not joining in.

The two males roared and charged, the struggle for kingship imminent.

Jik and the intruder were similar in size, both in their prime. Their strengths seemed evenly matched.

Indeed, the duel lasted several rounds with neither gaining the upper hand.

Lisa and Aisha lay beneath the tree, silently observing without plans to intervene.

Only Chu Ye, hiding in the tree, grew anxious.

The intruder was incredibly strong; Jik’s victory was far from certain.

Under normal circumstances, the lionesses should have joined the battle, for the consequences of their king’s defeat would be dire.

But their cubs were only two months old, and instinct compelled them to avoid war.

Had the cubs been over six months old, perhaps the lionesses would have fought alongside Jik to repel the invader.

But now, they remained indifferent, unwilling to help.

“What can we do? If our lion king father falls, then the lives of our ten cubs will be in grave danger,” Chu Ye fretted, jumping anxiously in the tree as he watched the indifferent lionesses below.