The steady, rhythmic thunk of the cleaver echoed through the small butcher shop, a sound as familiar to Yue as her own heartbeat. Her father, broad and silent, swung the cleaver with practiced precision, slicing through thick slabs of meat with ease. His muscles rippled beneath his rough, bloodstained shirt with every swing, years of hard work sculpting him into a mountain of a man.
Yue stood beside him, her hands much smaller, but just as skilled. She moved quickly, almost mechanically, arranging the fresh cuts on a tray for the next customer. Her fingers, stained crimson from the day's labor, deftly wiped away stray flecks of blood onto her worn apron. The air smelled of iron and salt, a constant reminder of their trade.
"That's the last of the boar, Papa," Yue said quietly, her voice barely rising above the hum of the shop. She stacked the final cuts with meticulous care, her eyes lingering on the glistening meat. The weight of the cleaver in her father's hands was familiar, comforting, a symbol of their survival.
Her father grunted, not much for words, but his brief glance toward her was enough. His way of acknowledging her work was in the silence they shared, a silent language developed over years of toil together.
The door creaked open, and a grizzled man stepped inside. His weathered face spoke of a life lived outdoors, the sun and wind carving deep lines into his skin. His sharp eyes scanned the display of fresh cuts with the precision of a predator sizing up prey.
"Got anything special today, butcher?" the man rasped, his voice as rough as the wilderness he came from. His clothes were torn and dirt-streaked, the telltale signs of days spent surviving the unforgiving world outside.
Yue's father wiped his hands on a rag, then nodded toward the boar. "Fresh kill this morning. Take your pick," he said, his voice deep and steady like the weight of the cleaver he wielded. The man's face lit up in a crooked grin, his eyes gleaming with hunger as he leaned in closer to inspect the meat. "You always get the best," he muttered reverently. "No wonder no one messes with your shop. You sell good meat."
Yue sniffled, sucking up the snot that always seemed to run down her nose. She knew it wasn't just the quality of the meat that kept trouble away. Her father's size, skill with a cleaver, and the hard-earned reputation they had built played their part too. As the sun began its descent, casting long shadows through the dusty windows, the shop grew quieter. The once-steady stream of customers slowed to a trickle, and soon, the only sounds left were the creak of wooden boards and the low hum of the fading day.
"You can go," he rumbled, his voice deep and steady, like the ground beneath their feet. "I'll finish up here."
Yue's lips quirked into a small, eager smile. There was something softer in his eyes as he watched her go. She wiped her hands on her apron one last time, then slipped into the back of the shop. The scent of raw meat still lingered in the air as Yue reached for a slab of chicken breast from the storage counter. It wasn't much—just a small piece left over from the day's sales. She held it in her palm for a moment, her fingers trembling with the new surge of power.
She closed her eyes, feeling the energy ripple from her core to her fingertips. Her ability, her gift, flowed through her with the ease of long practice. One hundred times—the limit she had. The chicken, ordinary just seconds ago, began to change. It glowed faintly, the texture shifting as the proteins and nutrients multiplied, transforming it into something far more potent, almost divine. Without hesitation, Yue tore into the meat. The taste, rich and intense, filled her mouth as the effect hit her instantly. Her muscles tightened, bones cracked audibly as her body expanded, grotesquely stretching into a monstrous, muscular form. For a brief moment, she towered, her frame grotesquely swollen with raw strength, veins bulging beneath her skin. Her breathing came in sharp, powerful bursts, every part of her vibrating with energy.
But then, as quickly as it came, the transformation faded. Her body shrank back to its original size, her limbs and bones snapping into place as if nothing had happened. Yue let out a slow breath, flexing her fingers experimentally. She could feel the difference—her body stronger, faster, sharper. Her muscles thrummed with power, her mind clearer than it had been before. Satisfied, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and turned to the corner of the room where her slingshot lay. A simple toy. Her father had given it to her when she was younger, a harmless gift.
Yue picked it up, her fingers tracing the worn-out wood. She closed her eyes again, focusing her energy into the slingshot. One hundred times the quality in every way. The tension in the bands grew taut, humming under the pressure as if begging to be released. With its boosted strength, the slingshot could probably fire a slab of meat straight through solid rock. A satisfied smile crept across her face as she carried the slingshot in her hand and headed for the door. The forest beyond the village awaited her, teeming with ferocious beasts. The woods were dangerous, a fact that everyone knew.
Her family's business depended on fresh kills, but this was more than just a task for her. After the boost, after the transformation, she wanted to have fun. To push the limits of her newfound strength. The air outside the shop was crisp and cool, the scent of pine and damp earth hanging in the fading light. The village sprawled behind her, quiet and still, but the wilderness ahead was alive with unseen dangers. Yue's shoes crunched over the dirt path as she made her way toward the dense woods, her slingshot held in her hand.
The forest was thick, dark, and sprawling—an untamed land where only the strong survived. To most, it was a place of fear. To Yue, it was her new playground and source of living. She inhaled deeply, her senses heightened after consuming the boosted chicken. Her muscles felt coiled, ready to spring, and her mind was sharper, each sound around her clear as crystal. The rustling of leaves. The scurry of small creatures in the underbrush. The distant call of a bird of prey circling somewhere high above. Everything felt amplified.
She moved loudly through the forest. Yue wasn't raised as a hunter or knew anything about hunting besides capturing prey or being killed by prey. That meant she stepped on twigs, rustled bushes, and constantly sniffled during her hunt. There wasn't any specific ferocious beast that she was looking after. As a butcher's daughter, she was simply after meat. It didn't matter what kind of meat.
The deeper she ventured, the more the forest seemed to close in around her. The trees loomed tall, their branches twisting into dark, clawed hands that blocked out what little sunlight remained. A cold wind swept through, ruffling the leaves and sending a chill across her body. Yue sneezed from the cold with a splatter of snot.
Then she heard a rustle. A soft but unmistakable shift in the underbrush, subtle enough to go unnoticed by anyone without her finely honed instincts. Yue smiled to herself, a slow, deliberate curl of her lips. Her hand drifted toward her slingshot as she turned her head, scanning the forest for the source of the sound. This wasn't the wind, nor was it the scurrying of a small animal. This was something larger, something heavier, moving through the dense thicket.
Her sharp eyes narrowed as she focused on the direction of the disturbance. There, just beyond the twisted trunks of trees, a massive, coiled form caught her gaze. Almost hidden in the shadows, the creature's glossy, scaled hide shimmered faintly in the dim light that filtered through the canopy. A snake. No, not just any snake—a beast. Its enormous body was coiled around a jagged rock, its dark, leathery skin blending so seamlessly with the environment that it appeared like an extension of the forest itself. Yue sniffled as she caught sight of its eyes—glimmering, sharp emerald orbs that cut through the gloom like twin flames. The creature's gaze locked onto her, unblinking, cold, calculating.
This snake… Yue didn't recognize it. Its size, the thickness of its coils, the sheen of its scales—none of it matched any species she'd encountered before. But one thing was certain: it was no ordinary creature. Snakes like this didn't exist in the wild unless they were ferocious beasts, creatures whose very bodies were treasures to cultivators. A serpent this large, powerful enough to swallow a man whole… the value of its skin, fangs, and venom would be astronomical. Cultivators would pay fortunes for even the smallest piece of such a beast, using its body to refine pills, weapons, or armor. And fortunes… meant the shop would thrive. Money would flow in like never before.
Yue's pulse quickened with anticipation as her mind raced ahead. But just as she reached into her pocket, pulling out a small, sharpened bone fragment, the serpent moved. In an instant, the creature struck with blinding speed, its massive jaws opening wide as it lunged at her with terrifying precision. Before Yue could even react, the world turned dark. The overwhelming pressure of the beast's jaws closed around her, and with one swift motion, she was swallowed whole.
Yue's laughter echoed in the darkness of the serpent's stomach, a dry, mirthless chuckle. The situation was absurd. She had heard of cultivators battling ferocious beasts, risking their lives in the name of power, glory, or duty. But here she was, swallowed by a beast before she could even ready her slingshot. No wonder legendary cultivators earned their treatment. Facing beasts like this required more than brute strength or skill—it demanded a power beyond mortal limits.
Yet despite her predicament, Yue felt no fear. She lay motionless inside the beast's stomach, the thick, slimy walls of the creature's innards pressing in around her. The acrid stench of bile and digestive fluids assaulted her senses, and the warmth of the serpent's body made her skin crawl. But none of it made her panic. Her breathing remained steady, her heart rate calm. She could feel the serpent's muscles contracting around her, the slow, rhythmic motion of the creature's body as it attempted to digest her. The sticky substance coating her entire form clung to her skin like thick syrup, but Yue remained unfazed. She knew her life wasn't truly in danger. Not yet.
"I bet no other kid could say they've been swallowed whole by a snake." she muttered to herself, her voice muffled by the wet, squelching sounds of the creature's insides. Her eyes gleamed with a predatory focus as she reached into her pocket once more, retrieving the bone fragment she had intended to use earlier. Even in the belly of a monster, she was in control.
With practiced ease, Yue loaded the sharpened bone into her slingshot's pouch. She felt the familiar tension as she drew the band back, aiming carefully toward what she assumed was the direction of the serpent's head. Her mind worked quickly, visualizing the creature's anatomy, calculating where the brain would be based on the movement she'd felt. The darkness and tight space didn't hinder her, after eating that hundredfold meat, there were few things she felt she was incapable of doing.
Without hesitation, she released the band.
The bone fragment shot forward, tearing through the serpent's flesh with unimaginable force. The small, seemingly insignificant piece of bone sliced through muscle, tendons, and sinew like a knife through butter. The serpent's insides writhed in response, its body convulsing violently as the bone fragment ripped through organs, shredding tissue as it made its way toward the creature's brain. A sickening crunch echoed through the beast's body as the bone pierced the serpent's skull from the inside, severing vital connections in a single, deadly slice.
The serpent let out a low, guttural hiss—its final sound. The once powerful, predatory creature fell limp, its massive coils loosening as its life drained away. Inside the beast, Yue felt the tension release. The walls of flesh and muscle that had pressed so tightly against her began to relax, growing softer and weaker. She smirked to herself. With a quiet grunt, Yue adjusted her position, using her hands to tear at the weakened flesh surrounding her. The serpent's body offered little resistance as she moved her way back toward the mouth of the beast. After a few moments of struggling, Yue emerged from the beast's mouth, covered in blood and slime but entirely unbothered by the gruesome scene.
She stood over the lifeless serpent, wiping her hands on her cloak. The massive creature lay still, its emerald eyes now dull and lifeless. Yue looked down at the body, her mind already calculating how to transport the valuable carcass back to the village. This wasn't just a victory—it was a windfall. The creature's hide, bones, and venom would fetch a high price among the cultivators.
As she began to plan her next move, Yue couldn't help but smile again. In this world, strength wasn't just about power—it was about control. And she had both.
She approached the beast cautiously, her footsteps soft as she circled the massive body. Up close, the serpent was even more impressive—its hide tough and impenetrable, its scales gleaming like polished stone. Yue knelt beside the beast, running her fingers over its cool, rough skin. It would take hours to butcher something this large, but the reward would be worth it.
The meat would be unlike anything her father had ever sold. Spiritual properties, they said. It would fetch a high price, not just from the locals, but from the more powerful cultivators who sought such treasures. Yue grabbed the snake by the tail as she began to drag it back to town. It felt incredibly light in her hand. Almost no different from the toy slingshot in her hand.