Qin Hao glanced at his cave. Half of the roof had been blown away. It was no longer safe.
"Should I find another place?"
Putting aside the danger, the temperature would only drop as night deepened. He barely had any clothes. Without proper warmth, freezing to death was a real possibility. Qin Hao hesitated, weighing the pros and cons.
"Alright. There's no point hesitating anymore," he muttered. "With those two monsters causing destruction everywhere, I should be able to find another suitable cave."
Having made his decision, he gathered his belongings. He took his bow and arrows, a long wooden stick, and a few pieces of dried meat. Wrapping a deer skin over his shoulders, he secured it tightly to keep himself warm.
The forest was dark, but as a hunter, his eyesight was sharp. Navigating the shadows wasn't much of a problem.
Just as he was about to leave, Qin Hao suddenly froze.
From the corner of his eye, he felt as though something had moved.
Slowly, he turned his gaze and his heart sank.
Behind a massive tree stood a tiger.
No, a monster.
The beast was nearly five meters tall, its enormous body blending into the darkness. Its white irises glowed eerily, like twin lamps fixed entirely on him. A chill ran down Qin Hao's spine.
"Oh no… how could a tiger of this size exist?" he whispered in horror. "Could it be one of those strange beasts?" His heart pounded violently. Cold sweat soaked his forehead.
"No… I must remain calm…" Carefully, he stepped backward, never turning his back to the tiger. The beast remained still, watching him with terrifying patience.
The moment Qin Hao moved, the tiger leapt.
Its massive body soared through the air, crossing nearly thirty meters in a single leap. In an instant, it appeared right in front of him.
Qin Hao wasn't even half the height of its leg. The tiger released a low, rumbling growl. Hot breath washed over Qin Hao's face, sending his hair fluttering wildly.
His face turned pale. The sheer size of the beast was something he had never imagined.
As if savoring his despair, the tiger didn't attack immediately. It circled him slowly, its steps heavy and deliberate. Then, without warning, it raised its paw and struck.
Qin Hao felt his vision going dark, the impact was extremely painful. He felt all of his ribs being broken. A mouthful of blood spilled from his lips. Trembling, he barely managed to prop himself against the tree as the tiger approached once more.
"Is this how i die…"
The shadow of death was engulfing him.
A vivid memory from seven years ago flashed through his mind.
That day, he died. And today… it's my turn.
Would things have been different if I were stronger?
"…Mother… I wish to see you one more time…"
Qin Hao closed his eyes taking his last breath.
A few seconds later,
His eyes snapped open.
"Cough! Cough!" Qin Hao coughed violently, his body convulsing.
"…Honestly," he muttered, straightening his back, "dying like this is pathetic." With calm precision, he fixed his sprained arm and twisted his neck a few times.
"Hm?" He glanced down at his chest. "My ribs are visible, but the lung's intact. I'll make do." He spoke as if discussing a minor injury.
Standing upright, Qin Hao's gaze became tranquil, calm like still water. He seemed like a completely different person. Even his voice had deepened. An aura of authority quietly radiated from him.
"I don't know where I am," he said thoughtfully, "but something bizarre clearly happened today."
His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the tiger.
"This beast shouldn't have crossed the red line marked by the guards. That means those two monsters earlier forced it to flee here."
He assessed the situation calmly.
"My body is in terrible condition. The tiger is strong and intelligent. I've lost my bow and arrows…"
"…So all I can do now is gamble."
Qin Hao's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Heh. This will be exciting."
If someone from the village were to see him right now, they'd think Qin Hao lost his mind or possessed by ghost.
Without warning, Qin Hao collapsed back onto the ground. Groaning, he crawled weakly, pretending to flee.
The tiger followed leisurely, clearly amused. It raised its paw and pressed it down onto Qin Hao's back.
"Ahhh, it's so heavy…" he cursed but outwardly he screamed like in pain.
"Aaaaaa…."
Clutching a sharp stone, he stabbed wildly at the tiger's body. Again and again, he struck but the stone couldn't penetrate its tough hide.
Annoyed, the tiger swiped him once more, sending him flying through the air.
"Heh," Qin Hao chuckled weakly. "Good boy. If you were actually hungry, I'd be dead a hundred times over by now."
The tiger continued to toy with him. It wanted to savor its prey.
Both of Qin Hao's legs were now twisted at unnatural angles. Through subtle movements, he ensured his arms remained unharmed.
Just as the beast wanted to step on him again. Qin Hao's eyes shone viciously with a dangerous light.
In an instant, a bow appeared in his hands.
Whoosh!
The arrow pierced straight into the tiger's left eye, sinking nearly halfway in. The beast roared in agony. The deafening sound made Qin Hao's eardrums buzz violently.
Without hesitation, he drew another arrow.
Whoosh!
It struck the tiger's right eye. Another roar echoed through the forest as blood sprayed wildly.
Blinded, the tiger rampaged uncontrollably, unable to locate its target.
"Heh. Foolish beast," Qin Hao muttered coldly. "That's what you get for messing with me."
Using the last strength left in his arms, he crawled away and hid behind a massive tree.
From the beginning, Qin Hao's eyes had never left the bow. That was his goal.
The weapon had been too far away to retrieve safely. If he'd tried directly, the tiger would've killed him instantly.
So he feigned weakness.
Some beasts enjoyed playing with their prey before killing them and Qin Hao had exploited that instinct.
The gamble was simple, endure long enough to land near the bow.
After the third time he was sent flying, his body crashed down directly on top of it.
A perfect gamble.
Throughout the ordeal, he had subtly adjusted his body's position each time, guiding where he would land.
If the tiger had struck him from the left instead of the right, he would've had to recalculate everything.
Fortunately, he had noticed early on the tiger favored its right paw.
So he positioned himself accordingly, forcing each blow to send him spiraling counterclockwise… straight toward the bow.
Next came the question of how to injure it enough to escape. The tiger's body was simply too massive. A single arrow was nowhere near enough to seriously wound it. Even piercing its hide would be difficult, given how terrifyingly tough its skin was.
That was why he chose its eyes, the only part of its body left unprotected.
If the first arrow missed, there would be no second chance.
One wrong move, one miscalculation, and he would be doomed.
It was truly dangerous. But it worked.