Chapter 59 To Be a Lion, You Must Rely on Yourself

Chapter 59: To Be a Lion, You Must Rely on Yourself

The lionesses naturally cared more about their own biological cubs rather than paying special attention to the others.

When Fluff returned to the pride, the reactions varied greatly. Some cubs quickly recognized Fluff and rubbed against its fur to show affection and friendship.

However, other cubs barked loudly at Fluff, treating it almost as an enemy.

Chuye observed their expressions and felt this was entirely normal. After all, Fluff had been missing for a whole week, and its sudden reappearance meant the others needed time to adjust.

With Fluff's return, the entire pride seemed to bustle with sudden liveliness.

Yet, Fluff itself felt somewhat out of place within the pride's life. Having lived among a troop of baboons for a whole week, it had unexpectedly grown accustomed to their ways. Now back with the lions, it felt a sense of awkwardness instead.

Just as the other cubs crowded around Fluff, full of curiosity and confusion, the male lion Zick returned from the patrols.

Spotting an unfamiliar extra cub in his pride, Zick immediately sensed something strange about it. Without hesitation, he lunged toward Fluff and clamped his jaws around its neck.

The sudden turn of events terrified the other cubs, who scrambled away in a panic.

It was worth noting that Zick had not eaten for the past two days and was desperately hungry. Seeing an unfamiliar cub, his immediate instinct was to treat Fluff as a snack.

However, Lisa would never allow Zick to devour Fluff. Seeing Zick seize Fluff by the neck, she immediately hurled herself onto the male lion's neck and began biting him.

Realizing Lisa was determined to stop him from killing the cub, Zick released Fluff. He then sniffed around Fluff's body thoroughly and finally recognized its scent.

By then, Fluff had been scared out of its wits by the male lion's sudden assault. It lay flat on the ground, completely motionless, pretending to be dead.

Overwhelmed with anxiety, Lisa feared the male lion might have killed Fluff. She hurried over and nudged Fluff's body gently with her nose, prompting Fluff to scramble back to its feet.

Only upon seeing Fluff stand up did Lisa finally breathe a sigh of relief.

In truth, Zick's actions had also given Chuye a severe start. He had feared that Fluff, whom he had rescued with such painstaking effort, might be crushed to death by the male lion, rendering all his previous struggles entirely in vain.

If that had happened, Chuye would have felt that his actions today were not saving Fluff, but rather harming it. After all, had Fluff remained with that female baboon, it would have been safe for quite some time.

Yet Zick's behavior had genuinely frightened Chuye. He had truly believed Fluff's chances of survival were slim. After all, the might of a male lion was terrifyingly immense, and a small cub was utterly defenseless before it.

Fortunately, Fluff emerged unscathed, finally setting Chuye's mind at ease.

It turned out the male lion had not genuinely intended to harm Fluff; he had merely given the youngster a scare. Had he bitten down in earnest, Fluff would have lost its life long ago.

After the false alarm, the Zick pride finally regained its tranquility.

Initially, the pride struggled to accept Fluff, and Fluff found it difficult to readjust to the environment. However, these barriers vanished quickly.

Fluff had reacquainted itself with the others and recalled that this was the very pride it had always lived in. The other cubs recognized Fluff once more, and even the male lion Zick, having identified it, paid it no further mind.

And so, Fluff resumed its life alongside its siblings, mothers, and aunts. With lion king Zick accepting Fluff as well, the entire pride returned to its normal rhythm.

For Chuye, his most pressing need right now was to maintain the harmony of the pride. He knew that as long as the pride remained intact, he and the other cubs would gradually grow up. Once they all matured, their pride would become one of the most powerful forces across the vast savanna.

Following the episode of Fluff's disappearance and Chuye's successful rescue, the Zick pride resumed its peaceful existence.

Yet the dry season was far from over, and it had now reached its most severe stage. Two whole months had passed without a single drop of rain on the savanna. Nearby large waterholes had shrunk into small puddles, while the smaller ones had devolved into muddy pits.

Even worse conditions lay ahead. In another month, even the muddy pits would vanish entirely. By then, every creature in this region would be forced to migrate north toward the forested highlands.

A permanent river flowed just a few dozen kilometers to the north. During the harshest period of the dry season, the animals inhabiting the southern Serengeti had no choice but to wander northward to survive.

Chuye understood all of this quite well. He knew that during this period, he had to hunt actively for himself. He could not rely on the two lionesses to bring back enough prey; he had to depend on his own hunting skills.

Only by hunting for himself could he regularly fill his belly, and only by staying well-fed could he grow as rapidly as possible.

During such a brutal season, many young cubs failed to survive the dry season. Unless they grew strong enough to protect themselves, they would likely succumb to the harsh conditions and fall prey to other predators shortly thereafter.

Chuye had no desire to become a meal for other predators. He was determined to master the arts of self-defense and hunting.

The ability to protect oneself allowed one to evade danger when facing threats and ensure continuous survival.

Meanwhile, the skill of hunting ensured that Chuye could regularly fill his stomach, allowing him to grow taller and stronger. Only by growing tall and strong could he endure on this brutal savanna.

In short, both sets of skills were critical factors for the survival of every animal on the savanna, and neither could be dispensed with.

"I must rely on myself to hunt. I cannot count on the lionesses to bring back enough food for me."

Chuye knew that the challenge before him was learning to take care of himself rather than expecting the two lionesses to continuously hunt and provide for all the cubs.

"Starting tomorrow, I will go out hunting every single day. I will eat my fill daily and become the strongest cub across the entire savanna."

Chuye made a firm resolution in his heart. He understood that he had to rely on himself to survive in this vast wilderness. Relying solely on himself was the only way to endure. If he simply waited for the lionesses to provide, he would sooner or later become food for other predators.

Early the next morning, Chuye woke up promptly. He intended to hunt on his own. The two lionesses had failed in their hunting attempts yet again the previous night, leaving the other cubs to endure empty stomachs.

Having failed the night before, Lisa and Aisha set out together once more to hunt that morning.

The rest of the cubs stayed behind, resting in the thickets, incapable of hunting for themselves. They could only wait until the lionesses successfully captured prey and shared a portion with them.

These cubs were already over six months old and had basically been weaned. In truth, they had no choice in the matter, as the two lionesses frequently went hungry and could no longer produce milk.

Cubs were generally weaned around the six-month mark because lions usually gave birth in the middle of the rainy season. During their first two months, the cubs enjoyed an abundant supply of milk.

Since those two months coincided with the rainy season on the savanna, the lionesses could easily capture prey, remained well-fed, and naturally produced plenty of milk.

However, once the dry season arrived, the lionesses could no longer eat their fill, causing their milk production to dwindle steadily.

Consequently, by the time the cubs reached roughly six months of age, they were forced to be weaned. For the remainder of their youth, the cubs were compelled to transition to a diet of meat.

For Chuye and his seven littermates, now all past the six-month threshold, weaning was essentially complete.

Weaned cubs urgently needed a regular supply of fresh meat to grow healthily. If they frequently went hungry, healthy growth became impossible because their bodies would remain in a state of chronic malnutrition.

Chuye understood this dynamic clearly. He knew that now they were weaned, their survival depended entirely on meat. Frequent access to meat would ensure their healthy development, while chronic shortages would lead to malnutrition and stunted growth.

"I must eat meat regularly. Only by eating meat often can I grow up healthily. Only by eating meat often can I outgrow the other cubs and become the leader among them."

Chuye knew that if he wanted to become the fiercest cub in the pride, his journey had to start with meat. Regular nourishment was the foundation of healthy growth; talking about development while constantly starving was sheer nonsense.

As the sun crested the horizon, the savanna's temperature had yet to peak—the ideal time for hunting. Having failed the previous night, Lisa and Aisha set out once more.

The other cubs curled up in the bushes to rest. The male lion Zick followed suit; lazy by nature, he never offered to help his mates hunt.

Of course, staying behind also served to protect the cubs, given that many carnivores viewed them as delectable treats.

Chuye understood that in the future, he must rely on himself. Just as one must depend on oneself as a human, the same rule applied to being a lion—self-reliance was absolute.