After resting-though they really hadn't rested for long-the group was inspired by Eleven and decided to continue catching Earth-Burrowing Rats to train.
For the sake of their futures, the Earth-Burrowing Rats would just have to suffer.
However, before they could set off, the White Creek Village committee's loudspeaker suddenly blared to life.
The broadcast was so loud that Shi Yu and the others could hear it clearly even though they were far from the village center.
When they heard the broadcast, Shi Yu and the others' expressions changed.
"Attention, all villagers. Attention, all villagers: the city has issued a yellow beast tide warning. The city has issued a yellow beast tide warning."
"A sizable number of ferocious beasts have already gathered outside the city walls, and their numbers are showing signs of increasing."
"All departments and individuals, please make the appropriate preparations in accordance with the defense guidelines..."
"Fuck!"
As the broadcast echoed around them, Chen Kai couldn't help venting his feelings. Zhuang Yue and Yu Jingjing also looked visibly bewildered and nervous.
A beast tide?
None of them were strangers to the term.
Pingcheng District had been rebuilt ten years ago precisely because it had suffered a beast tide.
They had all been young at the time, but there was no way they wouldn't know about something like that.
Was another beast tide coming???
"This is bad."
While the four of them were still dumbfounded, the farmer who had been patrolling the fields ran over to them.
"Kids, things are different today. Why don't you head back first?"
"Uncle, what was that broadcast about?" Shi Yu asked.
"I'm not sure either, but the animals on the snowy mountain are probably acting up again."
"A yellow warning sounds pretty serious. If things get worse, we might even have to evacuate."
The farmer was also at a loss, but judging by his expression, he wasn't particularly flustered.
At that moment, Shi Yu also came to his senses. It really wasn't time to panic yet.
Unlike ten years ago, a high wall had now been built between the snowy mountain and Pingcheng District and the dozen or so towns and villages under its jurisdiction.
The Beast Taming Corps of the Beast Tamer Association were stationed both inside and outside the wall, forming the first line of defense against beast tides.
The warning was only meant to alert residents of the surrounding towns and villages; it didn't mean there would actually be any danger.
If there really were a danger of the city walls being breached, it wouldn't be as simple as a yellow disaster warning.
"Why don't we go take a look?" Chen Kai suggested.
Icefield City was located on the edge of the national border, and Ping City, which was under its jurisdiction, and the towns and villages around it were even closer to the snowy mountain teeming with ferocious beasts.
That was also why, ten years ago, only Ping City and two surrounding districts and counties had borne the brunt of the beast tide.
"What is there to see? There must be security cordons on both sides of the wall at a time like this. Wouldn't you just be getting in the way?" Zhuang Yue said.
"We should head back first," Shi Yu said.
Although he didn't think anything would happen, tensions were high right now. They shouldn't stay here leisurely playing whack-a-mole and causing trouble for others.
They could play whack-a-mole anytime. More importantly, they needed to return to the Beast Tamer Association and find out exactly what the beast tide warning was about.
The other three nodded. They weren't all that eager to play whack-a-mole now either. After packing up, the group soon returned to Ping City.
The Beast Tamer Association, Pingcheng District, Icefield City.
After finishing their whack-a-mole mission, the group told the staff member at the mission hall's front desk about the warning in White Creek Village and asked what was going on.
"Well..."
The staff member shook their head. "I'm not really sure either."
"But I don't think this is the first time this month. The previous two were blue warnings. Was this one yellow?"
Shi Yu and the others looked bewildered by the answer. It was as good as saying nothing...
Chen Kai was just about to ask something else when someone in the distance called his name.
"Chen Kai, Zhuang Yue!"
The voice came from afar, making Chen Kai and Zhuang Yue start. They turned around instinctively.
Shi Yu and Yu Jingjing also looked over and saw a bespectacled Beast Tamer with an honest, dependable appearance entering through the door.
He was only in his thirties, but his hair already looked a little thin. He had to be an expert.
"Teacher Zhang..." Chen Kai and Zhuang Yue said.
"What are you doing here?"
He was a teacher at Chen Kai and Zhuang Yue's school.
"I was nearby. I just saw your chat in the group, so I came over to take a look. I didn't expect to run into you."
On their way back, Chen Kai and Zhuang Yue had shared news of the yellow beast tide warning with their classmates in the class group chat. They hadn't expected their lurking teacher to see it.
So you actually chat in a class group with a teacher in it? Shi Yu thought, looking at these strange students.
Normally, wouldn't the students set up a separate group without their teacher to hang out in?
With them doing that, the group members couldn't even make dirty jokes freely.
"And who are these two?" the man addressed as Teacher Zhang asked, looking at Shi Yu and Yu Jingjing.
"They're my friends, Beast Tamers from other schools," Chen Kai said.
Teacher Zhang smiled and nodded. "You're wondering about the beast tide warning, aren't you?"
"Yes, Teacher. Is it serious this time?"
"Things won't turn out like they did before, will they?"
Chen Kai knew his teacher was a professional Beast Tamer and should know more of the inside story, so he immediately asked.
"It's too noisy in here. Let's talk outside," Teacher Zhang said.
None of them objected. They left the mission hall and began walking around the cluster of buildings surrounding the Beast Tamer Association.
Although Shi Yu didn't know Teacher Zhang, he wanted to find out what was going on, so he followed them.
If there really was danger... he had to prepare in advance and flee to the city center with Eleven.
No wonder houses around the city center were expensive. Self-built houses in the countryside and even the suburbs were cheap, but they were close to the wilderness too. It was too dangerous!
On the stone-paved path, Teacher Zhang looked at the youngsters and said, "You don't need to worry too much."
"Things are very different from ten years ago. The defenses around the snowy mountain are excellent."
"Even if danger does arise, the Beast Tamer Association can respond quickly. If the Ping City association's forces aren't enough to defend it, Beast Tamers from the city will come over."
"If the city's Beast Taming Corps can't hold the line, the Beast Taming Corps from nearby cities will quickly come to reinforce them. At present, the creatures on this snowy mountain are no longer enough to threaten Icefield City."
Chen Kai asked, "So, Teacher, you mean a beast tide could happen again?"
"For now, it's only a small gathering of ferocious beasts. It's nowhere near as massive as the sudden upheaval ten years ago..."
Zhuang Yue spoke up. "What's the cause? Aren't those ferocious beasts all ice-type creatures? Compared to the city, they should prefer the environment on the snowy mountain, right?"
"Books say that shortages of food and resources, as well as excessive pressure from competition, are the main causes of beast tides." Shi Yu looked toward the snowy mountain.
"But that probably isn't the main cause of the snowy mountain's beast tide... Beast tides caused by those things are generally frequent and show warning signs, rather than happening suddenly like the one ten years ago."
Teacher Zhang looked at Shi Yu and nodded. "That's right."
"But we don't know exactly what the cause was either. The trigger for the beast tide ten years ago remains an unsolved mystery to this day."
"However, as far as speculation goes, there's currently an answer within Icefield City."
"Do you know the history of Icefield City?"
The group shook their heads.
"It doesn't really count as history, since it hasn't been fully confirmed. For now, it's only speculation."
"According to archaeological findings, there probably wasn't a snowy mountain environment around Icefield City 2,000 years ago."
"This was the territory of a fairly advanced Beast Tamer tribe of an ancient nation at the time. Later, however, an ice dragon flew in from afar and landed on the surrounding mountains."
"This ice dragon was so powerful that merely dwelling nearby indirectly brought about a little ice age, making life unbearable for the Beast Tamer tribe."
"The tribe then decided to drive the ice dragon away. They formed a force to subdue it and fought a long, drawn-out war against the ice dragon in the mountains."
"It's said that the snowy mountain was formed at that time."
Shi Yu asked, "Which side won?"
Teacher Zhang said, "The Beast Tamer tribe probably won."
"There's an Ice Dragon Ruins on the snowy mountain. It's said that the ice dragon's remains were sealed inside by the Beast Tamers of that time."
"Even now, dragon might still occasionally emanates from around the ruins. But 2,000 years have passed, so even that ice dragon should have completely perished."
"One current theory is that the sealed ice dragon became a spirit and influenced the ferocious beasts on the snowy mountain. Its dragon might caused them to lose their minds and take revenge on the city."
Shi Yu and the others looked toward the snowy mountain again.
An undead ice dragon?
This was the first time they had heard of it.
Teacher Zhang pointed to a Stone Giant statue not far ahead. "See that?"
"That's one of the ancient artifacts excavated by archaeologists. It's said that the Stone Giant was that tribe's totem."
As they talked, they had arrived at a huge park.
At the center of the park was a Stone Giant statue. Stone Giants were elemental transcendent life-forms, another type of pet beast. The statue had been placed here to add historical depth to the Ping City association and give the place more of a historical atmosphere.
"That tribe used this thing to defeat the ice dragon?" Chen Kai looked at the statue. He hadn't even noticed it before and had thought it was just a decoration. He hadn't expected it to be an ancient artifact from Icefield City.
Shi Yu and the others all fixed their eyes on the Stone Giant statue. As Shi Yu stared at it, his heart suddenly began to race.
His head suddenly roared. His Telepathy talent seemed to activate on its own, and he heard a strange voice.
"That's not how it was..."
"That's not how it was..."
The sudden voice made Shi Yu start.
However, when he looked around, he found nothing unusual about Teacher Zhang, Chen Kai, or the others.
Suppressing the shock in his heart, Shi Yu looked back at the statue. His face went pale. Please don't tell him the voice had come from the statue. Was he going to turn into light too?
The statue showed no signs of life at all. Wasn't Telepathy only supposed to let him hear the thoughts of living beings? If there were anything abnormal about the statue, it wouldn't have been put here!
"That's not how it was..." Shi Yu could still hear the voice.