Shackles of Humanity

Soon, the table before Sister Su was piled high with all sorts of precious birthday gifts, a dazzling sight to behold.

Sister Su ignored most of the gifts, instead picking up the book on Topology and becoming completely engrossed.

Zang Guixu shot Li Ye a smug smile. Li Ye snorted coldly, raised his cup, and began to drink heavily. ’With Black Stone Heavy Industry having family ties to the new City Lord, it’s an alliance of titans,’ he thought. ’Our Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold stands no chance. To make matters worse, we’ve lost the backing of the Dragon Shark Pirates. The days ahead are going to be tough.’

”Little Sis, you’re going to love the gift Father got for you this time.” Su Wenlin signaled to the old butler behind him, and a moment later, several burly men walked in, carrying a large cage draped in black cloth.

Luo Kai immediately sensed a familiar aura emanating from the cage. His expression shifted, a look of hesitant uncertainty on his face.

Sister Su put down her book and asked curiously, ”What is it? It’s huge!”

Su Wenlin gave a mysterious smile. ”Something incredible. Unveil it!”

The black cloth was slowly lifted from the cage, revealing a strange, round, and bloated creature inside. It resembled a seal with four limbs and a tail, but its head was distinctly canine. Its entire body was covered in fine, black scales. Its stout, round form was firmly bound by several iron chains as thick as a man’s arm. Its limbs and tail were webbed, suggesting it was an amphibious creature.

The strange creature had been sedated and was fast asleep in the cage. Seeing that there was no danger, the crowd drew closer to get a better look.

”What is that monster? It’s so ugly.”

”Is it a mutated seal?”

Su Wenlin cleared his throat. ”Have any of you ever heard of Fierce Beasts?”

”Ah, so this is a Fierce Beast!”

The crowd, startled, hastily backed away. The Xingma Kingdom was far from the battlefronts where humanity fought Fierce Beasts, and one hadn’t been seen in the kingdom for over a century. For generations, people had only heard tales of their savagery but had never seen what one actually looked like.

”There’s no need to be alarmed. This is indeed a Fierce Beast, but it’s only in its Juvenile Stage, so it doesn’t possess much combat strength yet. We had it appraised by the Xingma Kingdom’s Genetic Research Bureau. Its body contains a large amount of canine DNA, so it likely mutated from a common house dog. We’re calling it a ’Sea Dog Beast.’”

”House dogs can mutate into Fierce Beasts?” Zang Guixu asked hurriedly, a shiver of fear running down his spine as he thought of his own pet.

Su Wenlin frowned. He truly despised this debauched and ignorant relative, but with Zang Haoming also present, he couldn’t say much. So, he patiently explained, ”The direction of evolution cannot be foreknown. Any living creature can mutate into a Fierce Beast, including us humans. When a person’s bestial nature overwhelms their reason, they too must be called a Fierce Beast!”

Seeing that the creature’s Scale Armor was chafed raw and bloody by the iron chains, Sister Su felt a pang of pity. She interjected, ”Brother, why did Father give me this? Are we going to keep it?”

Su Wenlin smiled. ”Of course. In the distant Western Human Realm, they have developed a Beast Taming Technique that allows them to control Fierce Beasts in battle. They call these creatures ’War Beasts.’ As it happens, Father knows the method for raising such a War Beast. The only thing is, once a Fierce Beast enters its Growth Stage or Mature Stage, it can no longer be tamed. That’s why he went to great lengths to capture one in its Juvenile Stage. If it’s raised from a young age, it can still be controlled by humans even after it advances.”

He then added, ”Don’t underestimate this Juvenile Stage Fierce Beast. It has an incredibly thick hide and is adept at using Hydro Power. Even an ordinary Martial Artist would be helpless against it. In the water, it’s even more formidable. If it successfully advances to the Growth Stage, its combat power will be comparable to a High-level Martial Artist!”

Few girls can resist a pet, and Sister Su was no exception. A stir of delight in her heart, she took a few light steps toward the cage. She had barely gone two steps when the Fierce Beast inside suddenly woke up. Seeing the people surrounding it, its small eyes filled with fear. It let out a series of intermittent whimpers, like the cries of a newborn puppy, full of timidity and helplessness.

Sister Su said softly, ”Don’t be afraid, little one. I’ll have someone let you out soon.”

Just then, the Fierce Beast began to struggle. It lifted its long snout, sniffing vigorously in Sister Su’s direction and whining nonstop. This time, the sound was much clearer—it was unmistakably the sound of barking. And it was no longer the timid, helpless cry from before; it was filled with a sense of joy.

”Little Sis, it seems this Sea Dog Beast has taken a liking to you!” Su Wenlin said with a laugh, though he was thinking, ’This sister of mine really is a hit with everyone, young and old. Not only is she Grandma and Grandpa’s favorite, but now even a Fierce Beast acts like a puppy the first time it meets her.’

Sister Su also thought the Fierce Beast was fond of her. She walked up to the cage and reached out to pet its head, but the creature let out two warning barks. It then looked past her, continuing to whine at whatever was behind her.

Now everyone sensed that something was amiss. They all turned to look at a corner of the hall, where a man dressed as a servant stood with his face concealed.

Luo Kai sighed to himself. He slowly walked forward and said to the Fierce Beast in the cage, ”Old Huang... how did you end up like this?”

Hearing the familiar name, the Fierce Beast in the cage grew even more agitated. Its round body began to twist violently, causing the chains to bind it even tighter. It flew into a rage, opening its fang-filled maw to gnaw desperately at the iron links. It wouldn’t stop, even as its mouth became a bloody mess.