Chapter 230

Chapter 230: The Dilemma on the Grassland

Lolan did not speak much about what had happened at the time. In fact, among her classmates, only Bumansa knew her true strength, while Ye Ling could be considered half-knowledgeable. Others merely thought that although Lolan rarely used a sword, she seemed very proficient in swordsmanship.

After Lolan fed her a piece of Golden Maple Sugar and added it to the previous treatment, Nia quickly recovered. Two days later, she was completely healed. It couldn’t be denied that Beastmen indeed had advantages over humans in terms of physical constitution.

The next morning, after waking up, Nia tried moving her body. There was only herself in the room, and she felt quite good. She got dressed and prepared to go out and take a look.

Pulling back the thick curtain, the slightly blinding sky came into view, and it took several seconds to gradually adapt.

This was the living area of the Lion Mane Clan. Her tent was surrounded by many other gray tents. Compared to the Goat Horn Clan’s tents, these were larger. The average height of the Lion Mane Beastmen was over two meters, while the Goat Horn Clan averaged around one point six meters. Therefore, everything they used was larger by a considerable margin.

Around her tent, there were a few women and children from the Lion Mane Clan. Some were starting fires to cook, while others were pounding grains to remove the husks. These Lion Mane Beastmen planted a small amount of wheat.

Unfortunately, these wheat grains were very small, and it seemed that the harvest wasn’t good.

In the distance, the sound of metal clashing echoed. Nia walked towards the sound. The Lion Mane Beastmen she passed did not block her but instead courteously stepped aside, pulling curious children away to avoid disturbing this Goat Horn maiden.

Nia turned past several tall tents and saw an open space in front of her. A low fence enclosed the area, where two Beastmen were sparring. They wielded large axes and wore thick iron armor, which had numerous scratches and dents, clearly showing their age, though well-maintained.

The two combatants attacked each other in the open space. This was nearing the end; both were running out of stamina, taking deep breaths after each attack before continuing. A circle of Beastmen surrounded them, some cheering, others encouraging, and still others beating giant drums.

Nia shifted her gaze and soon spotted the black-haired figure. Compared to the towering and powerful Lion Mane Beastmen around, the girl’s figure was exceedingly delicate. She sat on a platform by the side, beside an old shaman who seemed to be conversing with her. Soon, she waved her hand, beckoning Nia over, and the match concluded.

When Nia reached the high platform, cheers erupted in the arena. A group of people surrounded the victor, presenting him with a massive roasted pig’s trotter. He took a hearty bite, followed by another round of cheers. Many Beastman girls gazed at him with admiration and infatuation.

“Madam Lolan, what do you think of Leiton? He is the strongest warrior among our younger generation, now reaching Sequence 5. Having him as your attendant should not diminish your dignity,” the old shaman asked Lolan Hill beside him.

The black-haired girl wore a black dress, with a smoky pendant hanging around her neck. Her soft, transparent black eyes seemed to see through any deception or concealment, with a sincerity and purity that could touch one’s heart directly.

She understood the old shaman’s intentions. Although he was to be her attendant, he also hoped to learn something from her, even if it was just being influenced, becoming less hasty and more patient.

Beastmen were often rebellious and arrogant. The stronger and more barbaric a race was, the more so they tended to be. If you weren’t strong enough to beat them, they would consider anything you said as useless talk. On the contrary, if you could completely overwhelm them in terms of strength, they would regard your words as sacred.

Over the past two days, Lolan Hill had spoken extensively with the old shaman, learning about the situation of the Beastmen over the years and their migration and evolution experiences. Many of the hardships and difficulties made her sigh—apparently, not only the Rabbit-Eared Clan but also the Beastmen on the grasslands were struggling.

Food had always been scarce, yet animal husbandry mainly produced fur and dairy products, which were insufficient to satisfy hunger. Moreover, due to a lack of vegetables and fruits, they occasionally resorted to eating grass, literally.

Living in such conditions, Beastmen were forced to downgrade from intelligent humanoids to mere beasts to survive.

Driven by hunger, conflicts between tribes were constant, fought over pastures, food, and wealth. In extreme cases, they would even eat the bodies of their enemies.

Due to the physical differences among Beastmen, they lacked the empathy found among humans. Their inherent barbarism made such behaviors less frowned upon.

Although Shamans had long ago declared a ban on consuming the bodies of their own kind, such cruel practices still occurred in remote corners. When survival was at stake, it was difficult to demand everyone to adhere to morality. The concerns of the Rabbit-Eared Clan’s village leader were not baseless but had indeed come to pass.

In recent years, increased trade with the outside world had alleviated this situation somewhat, with grain imported from the south barely maintaining a precarious moral boundary.

Some had considered planting more crops to increase food production, but this was hard to achieve.

Firstly, the land was barren, and the Beastmen’s agricultural knowledge and skills were limited, resulting in low yields and easily causing soil desertification.

Secondly, other tribes would sabotage your efforts out of jealousy and greed. Many tribes would plunder your harvest, or even destroy it with just a torch.

A year’s hard work could be destroyed in an instant.

Unity was impossible because once you became powerful, neighboring tribes would invade and seize your pastures and wealth. Your strength would bring them nothing but harm. There was an inherent rejection among Beastman tribes, which explained why after the Ruined Fang Empire fell, the Winged Clan refused to recognize their northern relatives and instead formed the Hawk Nation with humans.

If not for the immense pressure exerted by human nations surrounding the grasslands, these Beastman tribes would have long since engaged in full-scale conflict.

The scarcity of resources and food fueled internal strife among Beastmen like an unextinguished ember, burning away any warmth between them, leaving only anxiety and unease. Like trapped beasts, they chased their own tails endlessly, exhausting their energy, preventing rapid population growth and disrupting this fragile balance.

Attacking humans might have been a dream a thousand years ago, but now, even rational Beastman shamans would strictly prohibit such actions. The total number of Beastmen on Gufia Grassland was no more than thirty million, while humans on the Western Continent numbered nearly two billion, with high-ranking Extraordinary Beings overwhelming them. Beastmen dared not provoke this sensitive racial nerve.

So, when would this arduous dilemma end?

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