The hollow was still.
Only the soft sound of dripping water echoed faintly from somewhere deep within the fallen tree. Drip… drip… The air was thick with moisture and the faint scent of rot. Luo Feng stirred slowly, his body stiff from the damp. The interior of the tree was cool, its bark rough beneath his belly, and faint trails of moss crept along the curved inner walls like veins.
He blinked once, adjusting to the dim light that seeped through a narrow crack above him. Dust and moisture hung in the air. Outside, he could hear the forest breathing again, faint chirps, the rustle of leaves, the murmur of distant life.
His stomach gave a soft growl. Not sharp, not painful, but persistent a quiet reminder that his last meal had been days ago.
Luo Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. The forest beyond was dangerous. He had sensed it already stronger predators, quicker prey. He wasn't ready to hunt out there yet. Not until he understood this body better.
His gaze drifted over the interior of the hollow. The tree's insides were dark and uneven, lined with fibrous wood and faint traces of decay. The scent of wet bark carried something else too, faint life.
He flicked his tongue out.
Tss…
The air tasted faintly of movement. Small, warm, alive.
"Insects," he thought.
He pressed his body closer to the wood, claws digging gently as he crept along the narrow interior. The faintest vibrations ran beneath his belly, tiny movements just beyond the surface of the bark.
If he couldn't hunt outside, then he would feed here.
A soft scratching sound came from deeper within the hollow. Skrrt… tap… skrrt… Luo Feng froze, waiting. The sound repeated, faint but distinct. His eyes followed it, and he saw a small dark shape wriggling out from beneath a damp patch of bark a thick bodied worm, its skin slick and pale.
He inched closer, muscles tensed, and the moment it lifted its head slightly, he struck.
Snap!
The worm's body twisted once, then went still.
A faint chime echoed in his mind.
Ring!
"Target: woodworm, can provide 0.25 bio energy point."
He blinked. The system had been quiet since he left his old territory. Now, its mechanical voice returned, calm and cold.
He swallowed the worm whole. Its taste was earthy, bitter, a faint crunch followed by a rush of damp flavor. Not pleasant but his body accepted it easily.
Ring!
"The host has successfully gained 0.25 bio energy."
The warmth spread faintly through his chest and belly, subtle, almost imperceptible.
He didn't feel stronger. Not yet. Just… less empty.
Luo Feng continued deeper, pressing along the curving wall. The hollow stretched farther than he had thought, its interior widening and narrowing in uneven intervals.
Moisture gathered in the crevices, forming small puddles where faint glimmers of movement stirred. The bark was alive with crawling things ants, larvae, tiny beetles, each carrying faint traces of energy that brushed faintly against his senses.
He moved carefully, listening. Every few steps, his claws scraped softly against the damp surface. Tap… skrrt… tap…
Another small vibration caught his attention. He turned his head slightly a cluster of dark insects clung to the underside of a rotting patch of wood, their bodies slick and jointed.
Ring!
"Target: bark beetle, can provide 0.10 bio energy point."
He didn't hesitate this time. His tongue flicked out, quick as a whip, and three vanished in an instant.
Crunch. Crunch.
They burst faintly between his teeth, leaving a metallic taste behind.
Ring!
"The host has successfully gained 0.10 bio energy."
Ring!
"The host has successfully gained 0.10 bio energy."
His body accepted it without protest. But again, he felt little change only the quiet satisfaction of survival.
He hunted slowly, systematically.
Sometimes it was a soft bodied worm he found buried in damp soil. Other times a hidden cluster of pale larvae squirming within the wood.
Each time the faint mechanical tone followed:
Ring!
"Target: tree grub, can provide 0.25 bio energy."
Ring!
"The host has successfully gained 0.25 bio energy."
Ring!
"The host has successfully gained 0.25 bio energy."
The hollow grew quieter after a while. His stomach no longer felt tight. The hunger had softened, replaced by a steady calm.
Still, he could feel the truth. This small amount of energy wouldn't bring growth. It was sustenance, not evolution.
He tilted his head, licking the air again. The smell of earth and moisture filled his senses, but beneath it, there was something faintly comforting about the hollow. The curved walls held warmth. The ground, though damp, offered cover. It felt safe.
For now.
He rested near the far end of the hollow, where the curve of the wood formed a shallow bowl. The space was barely enough to stretch his limbs, but it was hidden, shadowed, and still.
Small flakes of bark drifted down occasionally, landing against his scales with soft tch… tch… sounds.
Luo Feng let his gaze wander over the faint marks he had left behind thin claw lines where he had cleared the damp soil, flattened a patch, and pushed aside loose splinters.
He was reshaping his den without realizing it.
The instinct came naturally, but part of it was human habit. The way he smoothed the surface, arranged a curve so it would collect less water. The way he cleared a space wide enough to move comfortably.
He stopped for a moment, his claws resting lightly against the ground.
A faint memory rose warm light through an apartment window, the smell of rice and vegetables, his mother's voice calling gently from the kitchen.
"Luo, come eat before it gets cold."
It felt so real for a heartbeat that his chest ached.
Then it was gone.
He drew a slow breath, eyes lowering.
That world was gone. He didn't know where it existed now, or if time still moved the same way there. But the sound of that voice lingered like the warmth of sunlight that would never return.
He shook it off quietly. This was not the time for sentiment.
He flicked his tongue again, grounding himself in the present. The hollow's damp air tasted of fungus and bark, but also faint life. There would always be more food if he learned where to look.
Still, he understood now that insects would never be enough for real strength. Evolution demanded more. Much more.
Luo Feng moved slowly around the hollow, pressing his claws into the softer parts of the wood. With each scrape, a bit more of the damp bark flaked away. He cleared space near the back, widened the curve slightly, and piled the bits of broken bark to one side.
When he finally stopped, the hollow looked different still dark and rough, but less cramped.
He tested it with slow, careful movements, lying flat, then shifting to see how much room he had. It wasn't perfect, but it was better.
His instincts eased.
Outside, faint streaks of light filtered through the cracks in the trunk. The rain had eased, and the forest's sounds returned in a gentle rhythm. Drip… chirp… rustle…
Luo Feng rested against the smoother patch he had made, his body sinking into the curve. The ground no longer pressed unevenly against him.
His eyes half closed. The hunger had dulled, the air felt stable, and the system's faint presence hummed somewhere in the back of his mind.
He considered it for a moment.
Maybe he should check his status see what had changed, how much bio energy he had gathered.
The thought lingered. His vision flickered faintly, the familiar interface waiting for a call.
But then he exhaled slowly, letting it fade.
There was no rush. He would look when he was ready.
For now, rest was more important.
He tucked his limbs closer and settled deeper into the hollow, feeling the faint vibration of the living forest beyond. The damp wood creaked softly around him. Crrrk…
Somewhere outside, a distant call echoed long, deep, and unfamiliar. The kind that made the smaller creatures fall silent for a moment.
Luo Feng opened one eye, alert but unmoving, listening until the forest's rhythm slowly returned.
His breath steadied.
This was his shelter now temporary, fragile, but his.
And as the rain faded completely, Luo Feng let his eyes drift shut, the faint scent of wood and soil filling his senses.
The hunger was gone for now. The world outside could wait.
Later, he would see what the system had to show him.