He held his breath and slowly crawled out of the cave, trying not to make a sound. He bent over and approached the dark figure step by step. Every step was extremely careful, as if he were stepping on a landmine.

“Ning Yu…” Mu Xue’s voice came from inside the cave, trembling slightly.

Ning Yu didn't turn around, but simply raised his hand, signaling her to be quiet. He continued walking forward, getting closer and closer to the dark figure. His heart pounded faster and faster, a nameless fear enveloping him.

Suddenly, the huge black shadow moved... It slowly... approached Ning Yu's direction.

The enormous black shadow moved, like a mountain slowly collapsing, stirring up a gust of wind that sent sand and stones flying, blotting out the sun. Ning Yu's heart clenched, and almost instinctively he wanted to turn and flee back to the cave. But he forced himself to steady himself, squinting his eyes, trying to make out the true face of the behemoth.

As the dust settled, a colossal figure gradually came into focus. It was a bear! A giant bear, far larger than an ordinary brown bear, as imposing as a small mountain! It was entirely black, its fur rough and gleaming with a metallic sheen in the dim light. Even more astonishing were the strange markings on its body, like some ancient totem, shimmering with a faint fluorescence.

Ning Yu was stunned. He had never seen such a huge bear, much less such peculiar markings. Was this really a creature from Earth? Or some kind of mutated monster?

The giant bear didn't attack Ning Yu immediately. It slowly turned its massive head, its scarlet eyes scanning its surroundings. It let out a deep, deafening roar, as if from ancient times. This roar wasn't directed at Ning Yu, but rather at the direction in which the wolves and giant rats had fled.

Upon hearing the roar, the surviving wolves and giant rats became even more terrified and quickened their pace of escape, as if they had encountered a natural enemy. In the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace.

Ning Yu then realized that the giant bear's appearance wasn't aimed at him. It seemed to be driving away the mutated creatures. Could it be... that it came to help them?

The thought flashed through Ning Yu's mind like lightning, igniting a glimmer of hope within him. However, he dared not let his guard down, remaining vigilant and carefully observing the giant bear's every move.

The giant bear let out another low roar, this time slightly softer, as if testing the waters. It slowly took a step towards Ning Yu, its massive paws slamming into the ground with a dull thud.

Ning Yu held his breath, afraid to move an inch. He felt his heart was about to leap out of his chest. He didn't know whether the giant bear was friend or foe, but it hadn't shown any obvious hostility.

The giant bear took another step, getting even closer to Ning Yu. It lowered its head, sniffing the air with its enormous nostrils, seemingly trying to identify Ning Yu's scent.

Ning Yu's palms were sweating with nervousness. He felt like prey being targeted by a giant beast, about to be devoured at any moment.

“Ning Yu…” Mu Xue’s voice came from the cave again, filled with worry and fear.

Ning Yu did not respond; he dared not make a sound for fear of disturbing the giant bear.

The giant bear seemed oblivious to Mu Xue's voice, continuing to approach Ning Yu until it was only a few steps away. It stopped, its massive body casting a shadow that enveloped Ning Yu.

Ning Yu felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, making it difficult to breathe. He slowly raised his head and met the giant bear's scarlet eyes.

The giant bear did not attack him; instead, it let out a low growl, as if it were a gesture of goodwill.

Ning Yu's heart stirred, and he slowly reached out his hand towards the giant bear...

"Wait!" Mu Xue suddenly rushed out of the cave and grabbed Ning Yu's arm.

"Wait!" Mu Xue's shout made Ning Yu's outstretched hand freeze in mid-air. He turned to look at Mu Xue, a hint of confusion in his eyes. Mu Xue quickly walked to his side, grabbed his arm tightly, her eyes filled with worry: "Are you crazy? It's a mutated giant bear! It's too dangerous for you to get so close!"

Ning Yu gently patted Mu Xue's hand, signaling her to calm down. "Look at it, it doesn't seem to intend to attack us." He pointed to the giant bear, his tone calm yet firm. "Perhaps, it can help us."

Mu Xue followed Ning Yu's gaze to the giant bear. The bear remained standing there quietly, its massive body like a small mountain, exuding a strong sense of oppression. Its scarlet eyes stared at them, yet showed no hostility. It even let out a low whimper, as if responding to Ning Yu's words.

Seeing the giant bear's behavior, Mu Xue's fear subsided slightly, but she still dared not let her guard down completely. "But... how do we communicate with it?" she asked in a low voice.

Ning Yu pondered for a moment, then had an idea. "I'll give it a try." He took a deep breath and reached out to the giant bear again. This time, his movements were slower and gentler, as if he were dealing with a timid child.

The giant bear did not flinch, allowing Ning Yu's hand to gently stroke its rough fur. A strange energy fluctuation emanated from the giant bear, and Ning Yu felt a warm current flow into his body, making him feel extremely comfortable.

"It...it doesn't seem to have any ill intentions." Mu Xue's eyes widened in surprise, her tone filled with disbelief.

Ning Yu nodded, continuing to stroke the giant bear's fur while attempting to communicate with it mentally. He focused his mind, conveying his goodwill and desire for help to the giant bear.

Time ticked by, but the giant bear remained standing there silently, offering no response. It simply stared at Ning Yu with its scarlet eyes, a look that seemed to hold a mixture of doubt and curiosity.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!