The shadows of the forest stirred as a creature moved from the cover of thick trees and hanging vines. Its many eyes gleamed with interest, unblinking as it observed the scenes unfolding before it. It was like a silent predator lurking just out of sight, its presence rarely noticed by the denizens of the forest that wandered too close.
But then, something unusual drew its attention—a sound, faint but filled with desperation. The creature's many eyes narrowed, honing in on the source of the cry. It was unlike anything it had heard in this forest before. Intrigued, it moved swiftly and silently through the underbrush, following the sound until it came upon the scene by the riverbank.
The creature slinked closer, its many legs barely making a sound as they touched the forest floor. It stopped just before the riverbank, hidden among the shadows, its eyes fixed on the unusual scene before it.
A small creature—serpentine, but with fins and scales—lay exhausted by the water's edge. Its body trembled, and strange, choking sounds escaped its throat. The creature observing from the shadows narrowed its eyes, trying to make sense of what it was looking at. It had never seen anything quite like it before.
What kind of creature is this? It thought, watching as the strange being cried out again. Though weakened, the small creature was clearly still trying to bring attention to something—a limp figure beside it.
The lurking predator's many eyes shifted from the strange creature to the boy lying motionless on the riverbank. He had dark hair, streaked with vibrant blue-green strands that framed his face. Though now they were matted with blood, the colors muted by the deep crimson staining them. Blood pooled heavily around the stump of his arm, severed just above the elbow.
His face was pale, drained of all color, and his breathing was shallow, barely detectable. Yet, even in this broken, fragile state, something about the boy stood out—an undeniable presence that lingered around him.
That aura…
The creature leaned in closer, intrigued by the faint but undeniable power pulsing from the boy's body. It recognized it as the remnants of a bloodline ability, but this power—it was unlike anything the creature had encountered before. Far too potent for a mere child, his energy surged even as his life force waned.
This is no ordinary human, the predator mused. There was an unfathomable bloodline power embedded in this boy, which even the creature had trouble identifying
Its attention flicked back to the serpentine creature, now weakly nuzzling the boy as if in an attempt to rouse him. Its strength seemed to be running out.
The predator tilted its head, its many legs shifting slightly. Then it noticed the creatures blood-smeared mouth and looked back at the boy's bloody non-existent arm.
The creature must have attacked him… It pieced together the scene in front of it. ...and now it wants to save him?
The thought amused the predator. What kind of beast would try to save a human it had attacked? It stared down at the boy, whose life force continued to flicker. The strange serpentine creature—still trembling with exhaustion—lay helplessly beside him, trying in vain to save him.
What an absurd creature. The predator's mandibles twitched, a mixture of intrigue and disdain filling its thoughts.
It considered for a moment. Both the boy and the serpent carried powerful bloodlines, and even with their life forces on the verge of fading, the faint energy they radiated stirred the predator's insatiable hunger. The heavens must truly want me to grow stronger, it mused darkly.
The creature moved forward, creeping on its spindly legs, its many eyes narrowing as its mandibles clicked open, poised to deliver the final blow to both its prey.
But just as it was about to strike, something caused the creature to pause. A stray thought crossed its mind—a glimmer of curiosity that had long been buried beneath its predatory instincts. Something that had bothered it for a while now.
What kind of talent do the humans here truly possess?
The creature clicked its mandibles, forming a new idea. It could test the boy and see what talent lay within him before ending his fate. This was a rare chance.
There's no way these humans are as talented as they told me. It was probably just exaggeration—humans couldn't possibly compare.
The creature had heard endless tales about the humans of these lands, their supposed strength and unmatched talent. But it didn't want to believe that these humans were truly so exceptional. Now, finally, it had the chance to see for itself—to verify the truth.
Producing a small crystalline orb from seemingly thing air, the predator carefully placed it on Xuan's chest, directly above his Heart Node. The crystal pulsed faintly, designed not to extract energy, but to measure how quickly the node could attract and channel qi.
At first, the predator watched, expecting only a weak response from the injured boy. But within seconds, its many eyes widened in disbelief as the orb began to pulse more rapidly, responding to the Heart Node's intense pull. The rate at which qi was being drawn into Xuan's body was far beyond what the predator had anticipated.
This... this is no ordinary potential.
Its mandibles twitched. Eager to test further, the creature moved the orb to Xuan's severed arm, where blood still flowed freely. The crystal pulsed again, this time shifting its focus from qi to something deeper. It no longer measured the flow of external energy but sought to absorb and gauge the essence of the boy's bloodline, buried deep within his veins.
The orb glowed, resonating with the latent power that was surging in Xuan's body. The predator's many eyes gleamed as the crystal's glow intensified, pulling at the very core of Xuan's bloodline potential.
This bloodline... monstrous!
Tiny cracks began forming along the surface of the orb as it struggled to contain the immense force surging through Xuan's veins. The predator twitched with shock, knowing that such raw potential was exceedingly rare. Then, unable to withstand the overwhelming power flowing into it, the crystal shook violently.
*Crack*
With a sharp, loud crack, the orb shattered, sending shards scattering across the forest floor. The predator recoiled, its many eyes blinking in disbelief.
This child... it realized, he's no prodigy. He's a monster.
The predator stared at Xuan, still processing what it had just seen. Then, something unexpected happened.
Xuan stirred, awoken by the shard fragments that had hit him.
His eyelids fluttered weakly as he fought against the overwhelming darkness pulling him under. His body, numb with pain, barely registered the world around him. Through the haze of pain, his eyes opened just enough to catch the faint outline of something towering above him.
A silhouette—a dark, twisted form looming over him with a grotesque grace. It had segmented legs and glistening armor, that were barely visible through the shadows around it.
He tried to focus, but his vision blurred. He saw too many eyes... cold, unblinking. And mandibles... clicking rhythmically, as though savoring the moment.
What... is that?
The thought was faint, barely formed in his mind before the weight of unconsciousness dragged him back into the abyss. His eyes closed again, the image of the monstrous figure burned into his mind.
But the predator didn't even care. For a long, still moment, it just stood there, processing what it had just witnessed. The potential within the boy wasn't just rare—it was on a level that defied its experience. A talent like this could change everything.
Slowly a dark smile crept across the creature's mind as a plan began to hetch. This boy might have more uses than just being a meal.
*Screee*
A faint, pitiful cry echoed from nearby, snapping the predator from its thoughts. Its many eyes flickered toward the sound—the small, serpentine creature, the one it had nearly forgotten. The explosion must have awoken it too. Its bloodstained mouth opened slightly as it let out another feeble sound, its eyes pleading.
*Screee*
The predator tilted its head, curiosity momentarily shifting to the serpent. You still cling to him? Even in your state?
The creature's mandibles twitched, and a low, grisly voice escaped it. "Do you want to save him?"
Its voice slithered through the air, laced with cruel amusement.
The predator stepped from the shadows, its grotesque form finally illuminated. Towering over the riverbank, it resembled a gigantic spider, but its proportions were disturbingly unnatural. Eight spindly legs extended outward, each joint as sharp as a blade. Its body, armored in dark chitin, shimmered with a faint green hue, while thin, pulsating veins beneath the surface carried a venomous glow.
It had blood-red eyes, each one glowing faintly with streaks of green poison, scanning the scene with cold precision as its sharp mandibles clicked rhythmically. It's whip-like tongue darted out, tasting the air as if savoring the fear.
„Do you want to save him?"
The serpentine creature's faint whimpers had tugged at something deep within the predator—not empathy, but amusement.
It leaned closer to the kun, its mandibles twitching in mock sympathy as the air around them grew cold. It whispered again, its voice dripping with malice.
"Do you want... to save him?"