The moonlight cast a pallor over the chasm, illuminating the rocks and making the air feel cold and heavy. Sweat mixed with blood trickled down my freshly scarred face.
My grip on the tiger cub's neck did not loosen. Its eyes were fading, its breath came in ragged gasps, and tears of terror streamed down its face.
It struggled, but its tiny body was helpless against my resolve. I could feel its heart pounding fast beneath my palm, fighting against the grasp of death.
Kill you now? No. You are too valuable. A beast that can speak in a world I don't recognize. You're a walking encyclopedia. A priceless source of information. Killing you now would be a waste.
This was merely a bluff. A lesson. An assertion of dominance.
I loosened my grip slightly, just enough to give it a little air. The tiger cub coughed, gasping for breath, its cough wet and painful, as if its lungs had been trampled.
It stumbled to the ground, staring at me with eyes full of terror. Its body trembled violently, its fur standing on end like thorns.
"Agghhh... huff... huff... I-I... can't breathe..."
I grinned, my smile now colder than before, as though forged from ice.
"Listen, cub. I won't kill you... for now."
The tiger cub looked at me, its eyes showing a flicker of hope mixed with profound fear. A brief flash of relief crossed its face, before terror took over again.
"But," I continued, my voice low and menacing, each word a whip-crack. "You will give me all the info you have about this place. Everything you know. And if you dare to lie, or try to run away..."
I leaned my face closer, the bloodstains now clearly visible under the moonlight, my voice becoming a lethal whisper, "I will eat you alive. From claw to tail. Understand?"
The tiger cub nodded frantically, its tears still flowing, wetting its fur. "U-understood! I'll tell you everything! Don't... don't kill me!"
Good. Its mind was shattered. It was just a bluff, but enough to conquer it. The law of the jungle. The strong prey on the weak. And right now, I was the strongest of the two of us. It would become a compliant tool.
I released my grip completely. The cub fell to the ground, coughing and wheezing, rubbing its neck with its small claws. It didn't try to run. Its eyes were fixed on me, full of fear and absolute obedience.
"Good," I said. "Now, tell me. Where are we? What is the name of this chasm? Is there a forest above it? And what is this 'aura' you have?"
The tiger cub was still trembling, but it began to speak, its voice small and frightened, a mere whimper.
"This... this is the Black Stone Chasm. And there's a forest above, it's called the Ancient Shadow Forest. I... I don't know what 'aura' is, but we, the magical beasts, can feel the energy in the air. That's what makes us strong."
After listening to the explanation, Chen Mo thought.
Energy? So there's energy in the air? Not magic, not technology, but... energy. A new foundation. This is far more interesting than I imagined. This world holds secrets that I must uncover. He placed a hand on his chin.
"How do you become strong with that 'energy'?" I asked, my eyes narrowing sharply, observing every detail of its expression, searching for signs of a lie.
The cub explained, "We absorb it. From the ground, from the trees, from the air. We meditate, and the energy enters our bodies. It makes us bigger, faster, and some of us can talk like me. Mom said it's called 'cultivation'. I'm still small, so I can only speak a little."
Chen Mo thought for a moment and then continued speaking. "Cultivation. So there is a power system. Not just ordinary wild animals. This is a different world. A world I can play in. A world I can conquer. A new path to the peak."
"Can all beasts talk?"
"No! Only beasts that have reached a certain stage. I... I'm still very weak. Mom is very strong. She can explain things fluently, and Mom has claws that can split rocks!"
The tiger cub said, proud yet scared, as if pleading with me not to underestimate its mother.
Its mother. Of course. This cub is too small. Its mother must know more. And perhaps has more valuable resources. Or at the very least, she will be a more interesting challenge. An inevitable step forward.
I stood up, ignoring the throbbing pain in my stomach and face. "Alright. You'll lead the way. To your mother's lair."
The cub looked at me, then at the cliff, then back at me, as though wanting to plead. But the cold stare in my eyes locked away all its protests. It knew there was no choice. It knew who held control.
With hesitant steps, the tiger cub began to walk, leading the way out of the chasm, toward the hill it had pointed to.
I followed behind it, my long, monstrous shadow trailing its small body. The Ancient Shadow Forest greeted us with a deceptive silence.
The journey felt long, uphill, and tense. The cub kept looking back, making sure I was still there, making sure my threat was still real.
I just walked, observing every detail of the environment, every track, every sound. I felt the faint energy in the air, exactly as the cub had said.
It was like the breath of this world, flowing between the trees, seeping into the ground, a constant pulse that I couldn't yet access.
Spiritual energy. So this is what they call cultivation. I have to find out how humans absorb it. This body is empty. Like a dry vessel. But I will fill it. No matter the method, And this beast... it's a good source of information. Naive, but useful. I'll squeeze every drop of info out of it.
I saw various strange plants and animals I had never seen on Earth. Some looked dangerous, others might be valuable.
Herbal flowers, berries that cause poisoning, healing moss, basic info, but useful for survival. I recorded it in my memory, categorizing its potential benefits and dangers.
This world is full of potential. And danger. Just like Earth, only with different rules. And I will master these rules. I will become the top predator, no matter how big the prey. Even if that prey is a god.
The tiger cub led the way obediently, occasionally glancing back at me with fear in its eyes. I knew it wanted to run, but my threat bound it more tightly than steel chains. Fear is the best tether.
...
Afternoon light dawned and finally, after walking for quite a while, we arrived at a hidden cave among large trees, covered by thick bushes, And the towering cliff seemed to flank the cave.
The scent of a stronger beast wafted out, much denser than the cub's scent. From inside the cave, a deep, heavy breathing sound could be heard, a growl, filling the air with a vibration I could feel in my bones.
The tiger cub stopped, its body trembling violently, staring at the dark cave with immense fear, as if it were a gate to hell.
"This... this is our lair," it whispered, its voice barely audible, almost a sob.
From within the cave's darkness, a pair of golden-yellow eyes, much larger and more intense than the cub's, suddenly opened.
A low growl, full of warning and power, vibrated through the air, making the ground shake beneath my feet. The roar was not just a sound, it was a statement of power, a warning to stay away. A power I could feel, even if faintly.
Grrrrrrr!
The mother tiger. She sensed our presence. And she was not happy.
I grinned, my smile now full of anticipation and said in my heart.
Finally. The real game begins. Let's see how strong this 'mother' is. And how much I can take from her. This is just the first prey.