Confirmation

As dawn broke, a thin layer of morning mist drifted through the woods.

Having undergone the mental fortitude of the previous night, Lu Heng was exceptionally clear-headed. The second disaster alert that popped up on his Wristband was like a heavy stone weighing on the hearts of all survivors, one that no one could escape. But for him, the unknown dangers were far more terrifying than the alert itself.

He had to personally verify whether the Global Region malice brought about by the catastrophe had shattered the delicate balance he had previously established with the creatures of the entire wilderness.

Lu Heng left the Shelter alone and stepped into the Frost Forest.

The atmosphere in the woods was noticeably different from usual.

In the past, the forest was filled with subtle sounds in the early morning, birds and animals roaming, branches and leaves swaying, and the air was filled with the scent of life. Today, the entire forest is quiet, and the sound of the wind sweeping through the branches is just an empty rustling.

The small wild animals along the way sensed the presence of humans and all fled in panic. Rabbits burrowed into the grass, and tits flew close to the ground, showing no intention of approaching at all.

Lu Heng saw it all, but remained unmoved.

These weak creatures are inherently fearful and timid, so their escape proves nothing. The only things that can truly verify the impact of the cataclysmic rules are the high-level beasts in this forest that were once intimidated, had their boundaries defined, and tacitly allowed to exist by him.

He ventured deeper and deeper, first reaching the former territory of the Dark-Spotted Leopard.

Before he could get close, a low growl came from deep within the shade of the trees.

The Dark-Spotted Leopard slowly stepped out, its body low to the ground, its muscles taut, its gaze fixed on him. It was the most standard territorial warning posture, carrying a strong sense of exclusion, but without the slightest hint of uncontrolled ferocity, nor the indiscriminate hunting impulse that should accompany a cataclysmic event.

The man and the leopard stared at each other for several seconds.

Lu Heng could clearly sense that the leopard's emotions were pure; it was simply guarding its territory and not allowing outsiders to cross the line. There was no hatred, no bloodlust, just the unchanging rules of its territory.

The catastrophe did not change its understanding.

Lu Heng slightly turned his body and took a half step back, indicating that he would not invade the territory.

Upon seeing this, the Dark-Spotted Leopard's growling gradually ceased, and it remained coiled under the tree, no longer keeping a close watch.

Preliminary verification confirms this; the old tacit understanding still exists.

But Lu Heng dared not rest easy. The Dark-Spotted Leopard was only one of them. The entire Frost Forest was vast, and the Black-Eyed Bear had the largest territory and the most scattered range of activity.

The Black-Eyed Bear's territory spans the middle section of the entire forest area, with no fixed location and a very wide range of movement.

To determine the condition of the entire forest, it must be found.

Lu Heng continued deeper into the dense forest.

He traversed the woods, climbed over slopes, and passed through thickets, searching for a long time. The usual animal trails were empty, the dens were deserted, and the areas where the Black-Eyed Bear used to linger were all deserted.

He searched for half a forest before finally spotting the familiar, massive black shadow near an open body of water.

The air near the water was very humid, and mist condensed on the surface.

The Black-Eyed Bear was crouching on the shallows, head down, focused on eating, its massive body almost obscuring half the water. It ate earnestly, its movements as it tore at its prey with steady, relaxed movements, completely absorbed in its meal.

Outwardly, it appears peaceful and stable, without any trace of the frenzy or violence that comes with a catastrophe.

Lu Heng's footsteps crunched on the withered branches Withered Branch the water, making a soft sound.

moment.

The Black-Eyed Bear suddenly raised its head.

Its previously relaxed body tensed up completely in an instant. It put down the food in its mouth, braced itself on all fours, and stood upright with its massive body. Its dark pupils focused instantly, locking onto Lu Heng's position.

The low, heavy breathing suddenly intensified.

That was the displeasure of being disturbed while eating, and the intense vigilance of having one's territory trespassed upon.

That's all.

Lu Heng stood still, watching it quietly.

He roughly understood all the emotions at that moment.

Anger, vigilance, and rejection of outsiders, but not a trace of murderous intent arising out of nowhere, nor the madness of being brainwashed by the malice of the catastrophe.

If the rules of the Second Cataclysm truly covered all the Old Testaments, the Black-Eyed Bear should be rushing to hunt him down without hesitation, without any guard, without any standoff, and without merely issuing warnings or engaging in confrontation.

But it didn't.

The tension that had been hanging over Lu Heng finally eased considerably.

He spread his hands out naturally, his posture very flat, clearly indicating that he came empty-handed, with no intention of attacking or stealing his prey.

A man and a bear stood silently facing each other across several meters of water.

There were no roars, no slaughter, only the most primal struggle between two life forms.

Lu Heng looked at it, his tone steady and his pace slow, each word clear and distinct, as if reminding or reiterating a long-established rule.

"You guard your territory, I won't interfere."

"But this is my territory, the area around my residence. Please inform the surrounding residents not to approach or loiter."

He was calm, offering no threats or forceful pressure, simply providing information in a composed manner.

Having survived countless wilderness survival experiences, he had long understood that communicating with these intelligent wild beasts did not require fierce shouts; a firm attitude and clear rules were enough for them to understand.

The Black-Eyed Bear stared at him for a long time.

His heavy breathing gradually subsided, and the anger in his eyes faded, leaving only a calm and composed observation.

It can remember this person, the previous confrontation, and the territorial boundaries of this mountain forest. The catastrophe caused hostility to surge throughout the wilderness, but it could not erase the established rules in its memory.

Lu Heng raised his hand, took out a substantial piece of Swamp Giant Python meat from his Wristband, and gently tossed it onto the open ground by the water.

The piece of meat landed firmly and solidly.

"This is payment for the notification."

This isn't bribery; it's a tacit agreement to escalate tensions and reaffirm each other's boundaries.

The Black-Eyed Bear looked down at the piece of meat, then looked up at Lu Heng, paused for two seconds, and then stepped forward to pick up the piece of meat.

It accepted the gift and implicitly acknowledged the reaffirmed rules.

Seeing it lower its head and eat quietly again, no longer wary of him, Lu Heng was completely certain.

All the boundaries he had previously demarcated in Frost Forest and all the implicit recognition he had established remained valid and were not affected in the slightest by the cataclysm.

On the way back, the forest breeze was still chilly, but Lu Heng felt completely at ease.

He was well aware of his current situation.

Countless survivors now face the ever-increasing malice of wild beasts, constantly threatened with indiscriminate attacks, living under the constant pressure of being hunted.

Without the approval of the pack of beasts or the endorsement of their territory, these seven days are pure purgatory for ordinary people.

And him.

The top-tier clans in the two core regions of Frost Forest and Swamp all tacitly acknowledge his existence and recognize his boundaries.

He was not invincible, and he knew that there would inevitably be a few wild beasts and monsters that he had never encountered before, who were not bound by the old rules and would still be affected by the malice of the cataclysm.

But compared to all the survivors who braved the disaster from scratch, he was already standing on a completely different survival baseline.

While others were undergoing tribulations, he had significantly reduced the danger.

This unexpected advantage, at this moment, has fully revealed its true value.