Evolution Begins With A Big Tree

Chapter 79, The Prelude to the Dark Era

Translator:  Ashish

Translation Checker: Silavin

“Honestly, the scenery here is breathtaking,” the burly young man could not help but remark with a smile, standing with his arms crossed before his chest and gazing at the mist rising from the nearby lake. The picturesque canyon looked like paradise.

It was his third day in the canyon.

Having been informed by Qian Qin, he was well aware that he had been captured by a Tree Monster.

As his eyes inadvertently swept over the towering tree shrouded in the dense mist, its form hidden from view, a shiver ran down the burly young man’s spine.

[My god!] Much to his surprise, such a monstrous creature was thriving only a few hundred kilometers away from a city. If the Humans came to find out about it, it would definitely cause pandemonium.

Moreover, there was something even more significant to consider–the towering ancient tree possessed sentience.

*Gulp!* The young man nervously gulped a mouthful of saliva. Despite having known about it for three days, cold sweat still trickled down the back of the burly young man’s neck.

[This is too terrifying!] The burly young man had no doubt that if Humans came to know that Transcendent Creatures could develop sentience, their first thought would be to eradicate them.

Indeed, eradicate, without any room for doubt.

Humanity’s inherent flaw, or rather, every race would make the same decision when their own status was threatened. Yet now, he was bearing witness to such a terrifying monster lurking in the canyon.

“Haaa…” exhaling a long, deep breath, the stalwart young man quelled the nervousness that had welled up within his heart. Though he felt tense, somehow, he could not harbor any hostility toward this towering tree.

Rather, he felt a tinge of pity.

In the recess of his mind, he could envision a scene in the near future where a mushroom-shaped nuclear explosion would bloom across this land.

It was inevitable.

Not only did the burly young man firmly believe it, but even Leng Feng seated beneath a nearby tree shared the same conviction.

However, it was just belief.

In order to survive, they had to fulfill their daily duties.

Teaching the Mutant Beasts to read and write, teach them about the world…

Merely the thought of it made their scalp tingle, yet the three of them had been at it for three days now.

Raising his gaze, the burly young man gazed at the colossal White Tiger, resembling a small mountain, crouched before him.

Its condescending gaze shimmered with a hint of ferocity.

The burly young man felt a mountain of pressure weighing down on him. After all, this rascal nearly swatted him to death with a single slap.

But now, he not only had to teach it how to read and write, but also groom its fur, effectively becoming its caretaker.

*Puff…* he almost spurted a mouthful of blood, but the burly young man forced a smile onto his face. Then, he gingerly picked up a branch he used for daily lessons, and etched the word ‘Tiger’ onto the ground.

“This is Tiger, it represents you.” He explained and wrote until the colossal White Tiger nodded slightly, at which the burly young man finally heaved a sigh of relief, and began teaching the next word.

However, he could not help but wonder if the branch in his hand had fallen from the very Tree Monster hidden deep within the fog. When he held it, he actually felt a refreshing coolness, accompanied by a subtle surge of Spiritual Energy.

“Wow, this Tree Monster is a treasure trove.” 

The mere thought of the Tree Monster nourishing these dreadful Mutant Beasts with its green essence made the burly young man lick his lips in anticipation.

In that moment, he felt an overwhelming urge to prostrate before this towering tree.

Regardless of the circumstances, increasing his own strength was paramount.

In the eyes of the burly young man, this was an opportunity, a lucky encounter. If he could take advantage of it, he would get to enjoy a lifetime of advancement.

Of course, fear still gnawed at him.

However, the burly young man did his best to overcome it. Just a few more days, he reassured himself, and then he would approach the majestic tree, and bare his heart.

As for the Humans…

Bah!

There have not been any wars between the two sides yet, and besides, despite the Divine Tree’s terrifying might, it was far from being able to go against the entire Human race. Hence, his actions could not be classified as betrayal to his own kind.

Furthermore, even if he were to betray, so what!? Not everyone upheld noble ideals.

Heaven destroys those who do not look out for themselves.

The burly young man had no desire to set himself on a path to doom. So, of course, he was going to make the best choice for himself.

In this regard, the burly young man, whose rough edges had been smoothed out by the Golden Monkey, possessed a level of insight that far exceeded the imagination of most Humans.

Even if Yu Zi Yu knew, he would likely be dumbfounded.

…

Meanwhile, atop a branch of the towering Willow Tree, a young girl dressed in red, dangling her fair feet down the branch, could not help but break into laughter at the sight of Humans teaching the Mutant Beasts.

“Master, what were you thinking?”

“Just making use of the best of wastes.”

Hearing Yu Zi Yu’s nonchalant reply, Qing Er chuckled.

“Wastes, huh? Well, Human knowledge is indeed vital for shaping the limited outlook of these little ones.” After saying so, Qing Er suddenly paused, as if she had thought of something, her face turning serious.

“Master, something big has occurred in the Human world recently. Would you like to hear about it?”

“What is it?” Yu Zi Yu inquired, momentarily intrigued.

“Not long ago, USA, a country on the other side of the ocean, faced the largest beast tide in Human history. Its magnitude surpassed the imagination of the entire world. Some even described it as the prelude to the Dark Era.”

…

After listening to her, Yu Zi Yu’s heart sank.

A large-scale beast tide, the Dark Era…

These were very big terms that carried profound implications.

Meanwhile, Qing Er gently stroked Yu Zi Yu’s rough branch as she recalled the information she had uncovered, adding further details, “In the early hours of the 7th of October, a huge tsunami, towering hundreds of meters, swallowed nearly half an entire city. Simultaneously, thousands upon thousands of Mutant Sea Beasts surged toward the city, among them were several terrifying Tier-1 Transcendent creatures.

“The tentacle of an Octopus-like monster swept away dozens of towering skyscrapers, while a Shark over twenty meters in length surged through the waters, its colossal jaws consuming half the street.

“Caught off-guard, USA teetered on the brink of collapse. Its city came perilously close to being overrun. In the end, the radicals convened in the White House, and as a desperate measure, they decided to deploy three nuclear missiles…”

After a rare moment of silence, Yu Zi Yu finally heaved a sigh and stated, “So, the Humans finally resorted to nuclear weapons, huh!?”

“Yes, they did. As the mushroom-shaped clouds rose, the world was engulfed in darkness,” replied Qing Er. However, her expression changed slightly as a look of perplexion and disbelief appeared on her face, before she added, “However, while flipping through my Teacher’s documents, I discovered that the nuclear strike didn’t mark the end. In the midst of a hundred-meter tall tsunami, there echoed a painful ancient roar… It not only shook the sky, but the subsequent shockwaves even managed to change the trajectory of the nuclear missile…”

“A hundred-meter tsunami… affecting the trajectory of the nuclear missile…” a cold smile crept upon Yu Zi Yu’s face as he grasped the underlying meaning.

If nothing unexpected happens, it should be the work of a Disaster Class Mutant Sea Monster, a Tier-2 Transcendent.

Disaster Class Sea Monster possessed sentience. They could understand the horrors of the Human Race. Thus, this was not surprising at all.

But for now, it seemed to be merely probing.

Yu Zi Yu chuckled, feeling a little envious. These Sea Monsters had the support of vast oceans, making them fearless even in the face of nuclear weapons.

However, it seemed his turn was approaching as well.

“Haaa…” Yu Zi Yu exhaled a long, deep breath, before instinctively circulating his Spiritual Energy.

The next moment, in the astonished gaze of Qing Er, Yu Zi Yu’s body actually sank.

Sank, as if descending into the abyss.

Upon closer observation, the ground around Yu Zi Yu’s tree body seemed to have turned into a rippling swamp. And with every ripple in the swamp, Yu Zi Yu’s thick trunk slowly descended into it.

Ability: Earth Escape–Another application of Earth Element. You can transform the ground into a swamp, allowing you to descend into the depths…