Chapter 165: Humanity Expresses Concern

Lu Chen suddenly realized that from this moment onward, humanity had been left far behind by him. Or rather, the existence of the military formation domain gave him the confidence to stand on equal footing with humans. Any future communication between him and Dong Mingjun would be a dialogue between two entirely different species and civilizations.

Watching the video recorded on the communicator, Lu Chen was tempted to boast to Dong Mingjun, but he quickly decided against it, fearing it might scare him. After all, given the current power of the Dragon King, humanity was already tense and on edge. If they knew he possessed such a formidable offensive capability, many of the upper echelons of Blue Star’s human society would likely lose sleep. It was better to keep a low profile and develop quietly, avoiding the unnecessary provocation of humanity’s sensitive nerves.

In truth, Lu Chen believed there was no substantive conflict between himself and the humans of Blue Star at present. However, having understood the key factors behind the increasing power of the military formation domain, he now paid much more attention to the bay crocodile clans living on Blue Star. According to data he had checked through the communicator, there were roughly over two hundred thousand bay crocodiles inhabiting the tropical waters of Blue Star. Their presence stretched from the southernmost Ocean Island to the northern Elephant Kingdom, spanning the entire tropical region.

When Lu Chen initially conscripted his subjects, he hadn’t searched far. Yet near the river mouths in other directions of the Madura primal jungle, there were still at least forty to fifty thousand bay crocodiles. These were invaluable manpower resources, and naturally, he could not afford to miss out on them again.

However, Lu Chen had no intention of going there personally. Instead, he planned to dispatch the bay crocodile leaders to recruit other subjects on his behalf. Relying solely on his own power would take at least half a month. Moreover, the bay crocodile leaders weren’t kept around just to be useless—they had to contribute. Better to act sooner than later. With this resolved, Lu Chen immediately issued the order.

Currently, humans on Blue Star were highly vigilant toward Lu Chen. To keep precise track of his whereabouts, high-altitude reconnaissance drones constantly circled near the spatial rift. The sudden appearance of large numbers of bay crocodiles immediately drew intense human attention. Before Dong Mingjun could inquire, Lu Chen proactively established contact, informing him of his plan to continue migrating the bay crocodile groups from Blue Star into the waterfall space for habitation.

The news quickly spread to major nations worldwide. Many insightful figures expressed grave concerns about the Dragon King's actions. Even the strongest and most ferocious individual beasts could be dealt with eventually. But when they gathered in numbers, the situation changed drastically—they could unleash tremendous group combat power. Furthermore, the Dragon King’s intelligence was by no means inferior to humans. Under his leadership, no one could predict what transformations the bay crocodile clans might undergo.

Even if these ferocious beasts fully migrated to the alternate space, seemingly benefiting humanity, no one could guarantee they wouldn’t one day return to Blue Star. When that time came, eradicating the bay crocodile clans would come at a tremendous cost. The best option now was to nip this latent threat in the bud.

However, no country was willing to take the initiative to do so—not even Merrigan, once known as Blue Star’s police force. Recently, the Dragon King had already demonstrated his formidable deterrent to the world. Attacking the bay crocodile clans would mean a fight to the death. As the most powerful ferocious beast on Blue Star, the consequences of the Dragon King’s wrath were fully foreseeable. That terrifying energy blast alone could kill hundreds of thousands, even millions, of humans. No nation was willing to bear such a catastrophic price.

From his current conduct, the Dragon King seemed benevolent toward humanity. To push such vast combat power into opposition simply over future possibilities would be unwise. Moreover, Blue Star itself was growing increasingly perilous. Many spatial rifts were expanding, with more and more ferocious beasts emerging, their strength far surpassing previous levels. Most modern weaponry had become utterly ineffective.

Nations were already somewhat overwhelmed and ill-prepared. It was unwise to create even more natural enemies. Therefore, with humanity’s tacit approval, the bay crocodile leaders’ recruitment of their kin proceeded unhindered. Some media outlets even dispatched drones to live-stream the process, sparking widespread online discussion. Perhaps because the Dragon King was born on Blue Star and had aided humanity, most netizens felt a strong affinity toward him. Some even formed “Dragon King Societies” to share videos and information about him, treating him as a spiritual symbol or protector. The recent surge in protective charms bearing his image was the best proof of this.

Lu Chen had yet to notice these developments and was unaware that he had already gained hundreds of thousands of human fans. At this moment, however, he felt somewhat overwhelmed gazing at the newly arrived bay crocodile army within the space.

He had initially thought the bay crocodile leaders bringing back thirty thousand kin would be impressive enough, but the actual number far exceeded his expectations. Over sixty thousand bay crocodiles, large and small, now gathered before him, with more than half being young born after the great transformation. Blue Star’s upheaval had caused countless species to mutate. Ferocious beasts appeared in waves, many plants developed potent toxins, and terrifying insects proliferated. Numerous regions were no longer suitable for human habitation.

Humans were continuously retreating from jungles and coastal areas, clustering toward large cities and urban centers. Consequently, the survival space for animals expanded further. As swamp overlords at the top of the food chain, bay crocodiles naturally experienced explosive population growth without human interference. In just a few months, their numbers in many areas had more than doubled. This was why the bay crocodile leaders could accomplish their recruitment tasks so smoothly.

Yet, the sudden addition of tens of thousands of mouths within the domain imposed enormous pressure on Lu Chen. Coupled with the first group settled in the waterfall space, his total subjects now officially exceeded one hundred thousand. These creatures required proper arrangements for food, drink, and waste, and conflicts and disputes inevitably arose between different groups. Countless issues surfaced—if poorly managed, large-scale bloodshed could erupt. Managing all of this alone would likely make Lu Chen’s head explode.

Fortunately, he was not fighting alone. Over five hundred bay crocodile leaders now served under him, along with the strong warriors and evolved elites from the first tribes, numbering over a thousand. Having witnessed Lu Chen’s formidable power, they held deep respect and loyalty, making them his best aides.

For efficient and convenient management, Lu Chen planned to reorganize his crocodile subjects. The previous rough model was no longer viable. He intended to implement a three-tier structure: the Crocodile King’s Palace, vassal states, and individual tribes.

As the ruler of the entire crocodile kingdom, Lu Chen would naturally preside over the Crocodile King’s Palace. However, since he frequently traveled, during his absence leadership would be entrusted to Big Croc, Little Croc, and Black Spot. Whenever internal matters arose, they could discuss and resolve them together.