The forest continued to get darker, but I found my sight was only minimally hindered. Where last night I could not see more than shadows a few feet in front of me unless I was lucky enough to come across some glowing mushrooms, I could now see quite far. Though my sight was still not as clear as during the day, I supposed it would only get better as the skill leveled up.

  I went ahead and used {Pulse Sense}. Instantly a wave of heartbeats revealed themselves to me. I considered the smaller ones, as they were the safest targets, but a couple larger ones did grab my interest. I was supposed to be stronger at night, so why not test myself? Besides, Genzo said this was a lower-level area, and that meant it should be okay.

  Singling one out, I began to move forward. An unexpected benefit of night vision is that I found myself moving faster. It was natural to slow down when you were not entirely sure if you were about to run into something, but now I headed for my prey with confidence.

  Soon, I saw it and hid behind the undergrowth. It was a Felsnare Grazer. The feelers swatting at the ground caught my eye, but they were different from the last one I fought. They were shorter, not as thick. Being able to see better in the dark, I did not get a sense for the barbs being as dangerous either. The monster itself was likewise less bulky.

  I slowly set my bone on the ground, hidden in the undergrowth, and licked my chops, eyeing up its flank. I felt very confident in this one. I would go after its back leg with Crippling Bite and then finish it off from there.

  Belly low to the forest floor, I moved forward, making a wide arc to avoid the feelers crossing my path and picking up my scent. When I was finally in striking distance, I attacked.

  {Crippling Bite}!

  I locked my jaws around its back leg, instantly causing it to squeal in pain. With a quick, twisting thrust of my neck, I felt the bones snap. As it bucked up on its front legs to try to throw me off, I let go willingly but did not retreat. I ran between its legs and under its belly.

  As it came down, it would have crushed me if I were not fast enough, but before it did so, I was jumping up between its front legs and sinking my teeth into its neck. Its squeals turned more stressed and forced, its feelers whipping at me with little damage. As I twisted and tore, it fell to its side. A few more chomps and twists, and it was laying still but for the weak twitching of its feelers and legs.

  Prey Eliminated! Felsnare Grazer lvl 7

  Experience Gained!

  Hm, as expected, this one was a lower level. I looked at its feelers to see up close it did not even have the barbs that the higher-level one had. I wondered if that was a skill this one had not yet learned, or maybe a lower evolution path altogether?

  Whatever the case, it was just as tasty as the last. I tore into the upper thigh of its back leg first. The tough, muscular meat was the most satisfying against my teeth, and there was not as much fat to work around. When my favorite parts were done, I finished filling myself on its belly and then left the rest for any scavengers that would come by.

  Coming back to the undergrowth, I gathered my bone and continued walking.

  At this point, I didn’t necessarily need to keep hunting. What I ate would be enough to satisfy me for the night. I considered my options and knew what was most important was simply making it back to my den. More hunting would mean more leveling, but I needed to find any clues as to what happened to my family.

  Besides, I had a very nice bone to chew on for dessert. Working off my dinner with a little travel and then finding a safe place to hunker down for the night while I gnawed on the bone sounded like a perfect night.

  I scooped it back up where I left it and then continued trotting through the darkness.

  I felt a confidence that I did not possess the previous day. Here, I did not feel like prey that could be snatched by something stronger at any moment. I truly felt that I belonged here as a predator in the forest.

  After a couple hours of travel, the terrain became rockier and more sloped. That seemed to be a good sign I was reaching the mountains. Soon, the trees became much sparser, and I saw mounds of hills and miniature cliffs, knowing I was close.

  Then, I spotted an opening in the side of one of these cliffs and thought that would be a nice place to rest for the night. I used {Pulse Sense}, seeing that it didn’t have any current occupants, and then approached.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Sniffing around, it was not obvious to me that something else had been sleeping here recently. Nor did I see any lingering fur or discarded bones that may indicate that was the case, so I figured it was a good spot where I wouldn’t be interrupted tonight.

  I hunkered down in the small cave, bone under my paws, and began chewing. It was difficult to break through, but the pressure against my teeth was satisfying. Eventually I locked my jaw around the knobbed end and tore, succeeding in cracking it open. Upon doing so, there was delicious rich marrow for the taking—better than any I had ever had before!

  My teeth scraped out the marrow that was easy to get to, then my tongue licked deeper inside. When I had gotten all I could reach, I began chewing until cracking the bone open further.

  This was the best bone I had ever tasted! I wonder where Genzo got it from. Whatever monster this belonged to, they would become my number one hunting target if I only knew!

  When all the marrow was gone, I could hardly accept that I would be denied more of the incredible flavor. Genzo had truly given me a wonderful gift!

  As I forced my tongue into the deepest recesses of the dismantled bone—futilely, as I knew full well it was all gone—the system gave me a ping that proved this gift was more than just a tasty treat.

  You Have Consumed a Rare Treat!

  [New Active Skill Obtained: Marrow Sense]

  Short-range detection that reveals the density of an enemy's skeleton, allowing you to target weak points more efficiently.

  A new skill! Marrow Sense. Wow, something like that combined with Crippling Bite will make me unstoppable! Heheheh!

  My tail wagged with excitement. Part of me wanted to leave my temporary hiding place and try it out right now.

  But, letting out a yawn, I knew now wasn’t the time.

  Genzo really helped me a lot. Not only this, but he helped me with an evolution hint and got me closer to finding my den. That’s not even mentioning the simple fact that the bone was delicious.

  I really owed him a lot. I wished there was some way to thank him for all he has done for me.

  I let out another long, sleepy yawn and curled around the remains of the bone, resting my chin on my paws. The rock beneath me was cool. The walls around me made me feel safe and reminded me vaguely of home. It was hard to believe how short a time ago I was cuddled with my brothers and sisters, most specifically Lily, who always stuck to me like glue. We would all probably be dreaming of our hunting trips right now.

  With those lingering thoughts, I drifted off and had a surprisingly pleasant dream.

  ***

  The next morning I awoke half expecting to see my brothers and sisters around me. Maybe getting up and ready for the day's hunting without bothering to wake me. I looked around the small hollow I had slept in with the dream fading from my memory and knowing I might never wake up with them around me again.

  No, think positively! I told myself. I’m closer to the den than ever now! I’ll be home in no time!

  I shook the dust from my fur, gave the precious bone a final sniff, and padded to the small cave’s mouth. I looked up, actually seeing the mountains for the first time now that the sun was out. Their black pointed peaks stabbing into the sky far above me, making me feel very small in this world.

  I walked along the stone walls until finding upward slopes, sloppily climbing the mountain and slowly getting higher. Eventually, I found a proper path like the ones Mom would lead us down, and traversing upward became much easier.

  With each sharp turn that reversed the path’s direction, I came slightly higher into the trees until I could see above them for the first time.

  There was another precarious turn in the path where it became narrower. I carefully jumped to a flatter spot, knowing full well tumbling down the mountainsidefrom this height could end badly for me.

  After landing safely, I looked up, planning how to continue. Wind blew, pulling clouds of dust from higher up on the mountainside. Something caught my eye through the dust.

  Black, muscular, three heads. For a moment it stood proudly above me, watching over me just as it always had before.

  “DAD!” I yipped and began bounding forward, paying just close enough attention to my footing to avoid a fall. I kicked up rocks that went tumbling down below me. “Dad! I’m here!” I yipped again.

  I knew those red masks couldn’t have killed him! The dragon rider had that powerful attack, but surely it wasn’t enough! That woman was lying! My dad survived the strike and then beat them, and my family were all up there and safe, and—

  The wind settled, and so did the dust.

  I stopped in my tracks.

  The shape on the ridge did not move and as the wind shifted again, the scent struck me. It wasn’t the smell of smoky fur. It was that of old blood, baked into the rock.

  If I were to use Pulse Sense, I knew what I would find—no heartbeat.

  My ears drooped and flattened. I staggered backwards, shaking my head.

  No. No no no NO NO!

  That wasn’t Dad standing guard; it was what remained of him.

  The three heads lay along the cliff side, their eyes already sunken and hollow, looking out over the vale like destroyed phantoms. His muscular shoulders now seemed far weaker, with his black hide hanging off of the bone beneath. One massive paw hung over the cliff side, dangling limply.

  Worst of all, the dozens of spears were still stuck in his body, jutting out like thorns. They pierced his ribs, shoulder, and sides, almost like they were pinning him there to leave him on display for all to see. Like some cruel announcement to show what was left of the fallen god.

  I felt my heart break all over again, crashing through my chest, sapping the strength from me.

  I looked down. I couldn’t look. I didn’t want to see!

  That couldn’t be my Dad! My Dad would never look like that! He was the strongest hunter in the vale! This vale was his! It belonged to him!

  Slowly I forced my eyes up again. I knew I couldn’t deny what was in front of me. That was my Dad. He had been killed, and the rest of my family taken by those damn humans!

  My teeth clenched in a growl, my grief turning to a new way of hatred. Genzo had told me not to move forward with letting only hate drive me. But how could I feel anything else right now? It was impossible!

  Unable to contain what I was feeling, I lifted my gaze to the sky and let out a long sorrowful howl that echoed through the vale.

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