Rising in the Beast World, Becoming the Apex Predator

Confronting the Rogue Clan

Cora was trembling violently in Ryker's embrace. Her breath hitched in fear, and her wolf ears twitched wildly, catching every heavy, rough footstep drawing closer to the cave entrance.

Seeing her panic, Ryker reached out and gently rubbed her shoulder.

"Take it easy, beautiful. I've got this," Ryker said, his voice completely calm.

Cora looked up at him. "They're incredibly dangerous. They usually hunt in small packs and have absolutely no mercy. Their hides are thick, and their strength is far beyond an ordinary male's!"

Ryker smiled faintly. The new power surging through his veins after their long night together made him feel in peak condition. "Don't worry. Stay inside the cave and don't come out until I call you."

'System, give me the rundown on the enemies outside. How many are there and what are their weaknesses?'

[Ding! Activating Proximity Radar Scan...]

[Enemy Analysis:] 3 Rogue Clan Hunter Orcs detected.

Orc A (Leader): 2.2 meters tall, Physical Strength: Low-Tier Tribe (High-Level).

Orcs B & C (Members): 2.0 meters tall, Physical Strength: Low-Tier Tribe (Mid-Level).

[Racial Data:] Orcs possess thick hides highly resistant to sharp attacks, but their knee joints and neck structures are relatively fragile. Their reaction speeds are slow due to excessive muscle mass.

'Slow speed and fragile joints... Perfect,' Ryker thought. With the permanent 200% physical boost he had just received from the system's gift pack, combined with real-time analysis, a strategy instantly formed in his mind.

Ryker pushed aside the thick brush blocking the cave entrance and casually stepped out. The morning sunlight hit his face. Standing about five meters ahead were three grotesque creatures. They had incredibly massive builds with rough, moss-green skin, sharp fangs protruding from their lower jaws, and wore nothing but filthy animal-hide trousers. In their hands, they wielded large stone axes and clubs made from primal beast bones.

The moment they saw Ryker step out, the three Orcs stopped in their tracks. They exchanged glances, then sized Ryker up from head to toe with expressions of sheer confusion and surprise.

"What the hell are you? Why do you look so weird?!" the massive Orc leader shouted, his voice booming like grinding stones. "No fur, no animal ears, no fangs. Your skin is pale and thin like a mud rabbit!"

Ryker stood tall, crossing his arms over his chest without a hint of fear. "I'm a human. The apex race of the universe, if you can grasp that."

The three Orcs blinked for a moment before bursting into raucous, mocking laughter. To them, Ryker's claim sounded like the most ridiculous joke in the primal forest. A fragile creature without claws or fangs dared to call his kind an apex race?

"Human? What a pathetic name for a race!" The Orc leader spat on the ground, then pointed his blood-stained bone club at Ryker's chest. "Ah, who gives a damn about your garbage race! We catch the scent of a fertile wolf female inside that cave. Hand her over right now before we butcher you and have you for breakfast!"

Ryker's eyes narrowed, flashing with cold, lethal intent. "The female inside is my wife. She belongs to me. If you want to touch her, you go through me first."

"Dying words from a weakling!" the second Orc on the left roared. Without waiting for his leader's command, he lunged forward, raising his massive stone axe high into the air. His heavy steps made the ground shake slightly.

[Ding! Initiating Enemy Motion Analysis in Combat Mode...]

[Left Orc:] Preparing a vertical downward cleave. Speed: Slow. Predicted point of impact: 1.2 seconds.

[Suggested Strategy:] Shift body 30 degrees to the right, counterattack the enemy's left knee joint.

In Ryker's eyes, the Orc's movement—which would have seemed blindingly fast to an ordinary primal creature—suddenly slowed down like a video played at half speed. Calmly, Ryker waited until the stone axe was inches from his head.

Whoosh!

Right on cue, Ryker stepped his right foot aside. The stone axe sliced through empty air and slammed hard into the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Before the Orc could recover his weapon, Ryker moved like lightning. Utilizing his newly enhanced weight and solid frame, he drove a devastating side kick straight into the outside of the Orc's left knee.

CRACK!

The sickening sound of fracturing bone echoed through the clearing. The Orc's knee buckled inward at an unnatural angle. He howled in agony, his massive body instantly losing balance and crashing to the ground.

Giving him no time to recover, Ryker balled his right hand into a fist, channeling the full force of his 200% physical boost. A straight punch landed squarely on the Orc's lower jaw.

BOOM!

The second Orc flew backward, a few fangs snapping off into the air before he crashed into the dirt, knocked out cold with his eyes rolled back. One Orc down in a matter of seconds.

Seeing this, the Orc leader and the third Orc instantly cut their laughter short. The smug grins on their green faces were replaced by absolute shock and disbelief. How could a "mud rabbit" take down one of their clan's warriors with just two simple moves?

"Damn it! This creature has supernatural strength!" the third Orc yelled, his confidence wavering.

"Don't back down! Attack together! Crush him!" the leader roared, trying to mask the dread creeping up his spine.

The remaining two Orcs charged simultaneously. The leader swung his bone club horizontally, aiming to take Ryker's head off, while the third Orc lunged with a stone spear, aiming for his abdomen.

[Ding! Combination Attack Analysis Successful...]

[Recommendation:] Duck to evade the club, seize the third Orc's spear shaft, use the momentum to clash the enemies' heads together.

Ryker followed the system's instructions with flawless precision. He ducked with a level of flexibility impossible for an ordinary human, letting the massive club pass just inches above his hair. At the same time, his left hand shot out, gripping the shaft of the third Orc's stone spear as it lunged past.

With a violent yank, Ryker pulled the spear, dragging the third Orc toward him. He then executed a short leap and drove his hard right elbow straight into the bridge of the Orc leader's nose, just as the brute lost his balance from the missed swing.

Crunch! Crack!

The leader's nose shattered, spraying fresh blood and sending him staggering backward. Meanwhile, Ryker spun mid-air, delivering a full-force spinning backkick to the third Orc's chest, sending the green brute flying three meters until he slammed hard against a tree trunk.

In less than three minutes, the three rogue clan hunters lay broken on the ground. The second Orc was unconscious, the third was clutching his cracked ribs while coughing up blood, and the leader knelt in the dirt, holding his bloody face, staring up at Ryker with eyes full of absolute horror.

"M-Mercy... Mercy, Lord Human!" the Orc leader whimpered, all his arrogance entirely gone. "We were wrong! We didn't know a powerful male occupied this territory! Please don't kill us... We'll leave and never come back!"

The third Orc, propped up against the tree, nodded frantically with a pale face, begging for his life. In the primal world, when utterly defeated, begging a stronger male for mercy wasn't a matter of shame; it was the only way to survive.

Ryker walked slowly toward the Orc leader, his footsteps sounding like a death knell to the green brute. He raised his hand, preparing to end their lives to prevent any future trouble. But before his hand could drop, the system suddenly flashed a blue notification window before his eyes.

[Ding! Defeated enemies detected in a state of absolute surrender.]

[System Offers a Higher Quality, More Profitable Alternative Payout:]

Instead of killing them for minimal experience points, the Host can use system items to convert them into "First Clan Slaves."

[Benefits:]

1. Gain free manual labor to construct an initial base and forage for food resources.

2. Unlock the Tribe/Clan Management Feature.

3. Receive a bonus of 500 System Points for successfully subjugating enemies without a massacre.

[Cost:] 100 System Points to purchase 3 "Primal Soul Control Marks." Does the Host agree?