Chapter 419: The Relationship Between Humanity and Evolved Fierce Beasts

Chapter 419: Chapter 419: The Relationship Between Humanity and Evolved Fierce Beasts

Humans and the Wolf Clan are both fierce beasts on Blue Star.

An Evolver’s physical attributes—their senses of smell, vision, and hearing, their running speed, their jumping power, and even their instinct for sensing danger—are all generally weaker than those of the Wolf Clan.

The fundamental reason humans have managed to survive and establish bases on this Crazy Blue Star, now in the tenth year of the Natural Disasters, is that the human brain area has evolved to a higher degree than that of the Wolf Clan.

Their Brain Domain Evolution Ability, superior to that of other creatures, was an advantage humans had slowly accumulated over tens of millions of years of evolution. It was the sole reason they could stand atop Blue Star’s food chain for thousands of years.

Humanity’s intelligent brains could imagine and create all sorts of tools, increasing the species’ chances of survival and propagation.

Now, the Wolf Clan also had a few Brain Domain Evolvers. In Xiaqing’s view, their level of brain domain evolution had already far surpassed what human experts had estimated—the intelligence of a seven- or eight-year-old human child—and reached a much higher level.

Take the thoughtful Brain Domain Evolution Wolf before her, for example. It had already recognized the benefit of "tools" and had begun consciously trading for them with humans to enhance the Wolf Clan’s combat strength.

When Xiaqing put Protective Suits on Sheep Leader and the injured wolves, Broken Waist Wolf realized their purpose and proactively proposed a trade.

The trades for the Protective Suits and, later, the "medicinal baths" had only happened because Xiaqing actively "introduced" them, allowing Broken Waist Wolf to realize their benefits.

But the wolf trading for a "door" was a different matter entirely. It had proactively "discovered" the door’s purpose and initiated the exchange on its own.

But that wasn’t even the terrifying part.

After all, an item like a "door" was out in the open, its purpose obvious. The fact that Broken Waist Wolf could discover its use, trade for it, and even line its cave with grass didn’t particularly surprise Xiaqing.

But this time, its desire to trade for Snake Skin Armor made Xiaqing truly grasp how terrifying brain-evolved animals could be.

Because Xiaqing had never actively explained the purpose of the Snake Skin Armor to the Wolf Group. She hadn’t even revealed it in their presence—her armor was always worn underneath her Protective Suit!

Somehow, this Brain Domain Evolution Wolf had discovered she was wearing Snake Skin Armor, realized its function, and taken the initiative. It had caught a Python with even better skin and was now offering it, along with Xiaqing’s favorite Yi Stones, to trade for armor the Wolf Group could use.

If this continued, the Wolf Clan’s combat strength would only grow. If one day they came to believe they were superior to humans, then in their eyes, humans would be no different than the wild boars in the valley.

Just as before Blue Star’s evolution, humans had seen little difference between wild boars and wild wolves.

When that time came...

Xiaqing took off her Protective Mask and Night Vision Goggles. She took a deep breath and re-evaluated the terrifyingly intelligent Brain Domain Evolution Wolf before her, and by extension, the entire Wolf Clan.

Broken Waist Wolf sensed that something was off about Xiaqing and stared at her, seemingly lost in thought as well.

Under the combined effects of nuclear contamination, cosmic ray bursts, and the Qiang and Yi Elements, the great biological evolution of Blue Star was still ongoing, its direction unpredictable. Whether humanity liked it or not, they could no longer completely lord over other species. This was an unchangeable fact.

A new food chain, one of mutual restraint, was taking shape on Blue Star. The creatures at its upper echelons were forming symbiotic relationships or alliances to face the survival challenges of this Crazy Blue Star together.

For example, in the northern waters of Mountain No. 60, the Pythons and Injuring Snakes had formed a symbiotic relationship. The Bear Clan and the Pythons were allies, while the Wolf Clan was opposed to the bear-snake Alliance.

For example, the symbiotic relationships and alliances in tropical regions were far more rich and diverse than in the area where Xiaqing was. There, humans who tried to fight nature alone were suffering constant setbacks.

For example, in the most heavily polluted oceans, the relationships between creatures were even more intricate. Highly brain-evolved animals like dolphins and whales had already formed alliances with hundreds of marine species, and these different alliances would wage large-scale wars against each other for reasons humans couldn’t fathom.

...

Humans could not exist independently of Blue Star’s food chain.

Or, to be more precise, humanity certainly had the power to eliminate any single link in the food chain, which had reached a basic equilibrium after ten years of natural development. However, doing so could destroy the new ecological balance. Once the food chain was broken, the evolved creatures would be reshuffled, and the resulting situation could be far worse than the present.

Humanity, as it stood, could not afford the consequences.

To survive, humanity had to find new ways to seize the initiative within the existing food chain.

Therefore, Hua Country’s far-sighted top leadership proposed a policy of "coexistence." Humans were to coexist with the Evolved Fierce Beasts in the Evolution Forests, and proactively provoking them to start wars between species was forbidden.

Several years ago, back when Xiaqing was still doing manual labor at the base, she heard a broadcast of a reporter from Red One Base interviewing a high-level national leader. The reporter asked how one should understand this "coexistence" relationship with the Evolved Fierce Beasts.

The leader replied, "Coexistence means surviving together. Its Basic form is to refrain from proactive provocation and hunting. Its evolved form is ’coopetition.’ We cooperate amidst competition and compete amidst cooperation, facing the Natural Disasters and developing together."

The leader also emphasized one point: in this coopetitive relationship between humans and the beasts, humanity must be the one to take the initiative. That is how we can firmly grasp our own destiny.

At the time, Xiaqing couldn’t imagine how humans and beasts could possibly "coopete." But looking at the wolf pack before her now, she was starting to understand.

But in the area she could see—the Evolution Forest surrounding the human territory of Hui San Base’s Northern District One—the only ones who could currently form a coopetitive relationship with her were this very wolf pack.

The Wolf Group needed to cooperate with her to enhance their combat strength, and she needed their Yi Stones to grow her crops.

Sensing another shift in Xiaqing’s demeanor, Broken Waist Wolf’s tense muscles relaxed slightly. The Head Wolf yawned and closed its eyes to rest.

As the main combatant from the previous night, the Head Wolf was exhausted. Now that the human before it was no longer a threat, it had to take this opportunity to rest.

Once the Head Wolf lay down, the goofball Broken Leg Wolf tossed his sister aside and ran off to frolic. His Broken Leg Sister, furious, bared her teeth at him, yelping, "AWOO, AWOO!" as if letting loose a string of nasty curses.

Sick Wolf and Black Wolf dutifully flanked the Head Wolf, protecting him. However, the two wolves were wary of different targets. Sick Wolf was focused on the large wild boar that had just emerged from Valley No. 1, while Black Wolf kept its eyes on the human standing before them.

Xiaqing unslung the sniper rifle from her back and held it in her hands.

’She and the Wolf Group can have a coopetitive relationship,’ she thought, ’but I have to be the one taking the initiative, not them.’

’Therefore, I have to make the Wolf Group clearly recognize my strength.’

Broken Waist Wolf stared thoughtfully at the gun in Xiaqing’s hand. The Head Wolf lifted an eyelid for a glance before closing its eyes again. Black Wolf bared its fangs at Xiaqing. Broken Leg Wolf went off to playfully chase the wild boar, and Broken Leg Sister continued to yelp, "AWOO, AWOO!"

Sick Wolf, meanwhile, was staring at a half-grown wild boar and had started to drool.