The hope and excitement that had just risen among the people in Hongfu Restaurant at the arrival of the rescue convoy froze in an instant beneath a bone-chilling dread. The militiamen and volunteers lost all color in their faces as well, their terrified gazes fixed on the direction of the three roars.
Even the battle-hardened armed police couldn't help holding their breath, instinctively tightening their grips on their weapons.
Lin Yi stared at the Giant Rock Abyss Bear that had just crawled out of the nest and was now roaring a threat in their direction. His gaze swept toward the two other directions where roars had answered it, and at last, his usually calm expression darkened.
"I see."
He had figured it out.
"In my previous life, this nest was wiped out by the authorities before I rose to power, using overwhelming numbers. The archive I saw was only a 'conservative' estimate made afterward, based on limited combat records."
"But this wasn't some conservative nest that weighed its losses and advanced cautiously. It was a far more insidious and troublesome kind—a retaliatory nest!"
The greatest difference between retaliatory and conservative nests was that, after suffering losses early on, they would endure and retreat, even deliberately show weakness. Like venomous snakes, they would withdraw into the shadows and keep their eyes fixed on their target.
They wouldn't give up easily. Once they decided the time was right, or were pushed far enough, they would erupt completely.
"Clearly, in my previous life, it was too close to an official shelter to ever show this side of itself. But now, after suffering repeated setbacks and heavy losses at Hongfu Restaurant, how could it just watch us stroll away?"
Now that he understood, a trace of anger rose in Lin Yi's heart.
He was