The jungle loomed ahead, its denser and tall trees swallowing the sunlight and leaving the ground shrouded with shadow.
Wu zian, leaning against the tree, he showed signs of fatigue but the coldness of the dagger he was clenching encouraged him.
"The moon is about to rise in a few hours, I need a suitable tree for shelter."
At night the beasts living in the jungle would be more active compared to the day.
Wandering at night meant jumping in front of hungry beasts like rabbits.
Wu zian climbed many trees searching for a suitable cavity.
He searched many trees one after another only to find failure.
Finding a cavity naturally is not easy, many cavities already had bird's nest.
The moon already beagn to rise replacing the sun, With this the roaring of beasts echoed through the trees, each holding a sound of hunger.
In Wu zian's eyes, the descending sun below the horizon reflected, as he stood on a branch of a tree.
He shifted his gaze searching for shelter.
Wu zian spotted a tree with a cavity his eyes shined with happiness and his heart beating with joy.
He descended and ran towards the direction of the tree he had just spotted.
The joy in his heart disappeared when he saw a wolf resting on the tree.
"It's getting dark I need to hurry it will turn worse if I don't climb that tree."
He looked at the resting wolf carefully, wolves normally stayed in group and the wolf in front of him was alone.
"Father once told me while hunting, in a group of wolves the old and severely injured wolves are removed from the pack."
"This one seems old compared to other wolves I have seen."
"There is white hair under the jaw and deep bite marks around the neck."
"Should I fight it or avoid, slowly climb the tree without it noticing me."
Wu zian thought thoroughly."No, avoiding is not a option if that wolf stays their other beasts could be attracted."
"Killing it is the only option I have." he glanced at the dagger and took a deep breath.
Thud.. Thud.
The wolf opened its eyes to the sound, moving left and right.
Wolves are naturally talented in smelling the wolf sniffed the air and revealing its sharp teeth.
The wolf rushed toward the tree where Wu zian was concealed.
The wolf launched its attack behind the tree into thin air as it saw clothes lying on the ground.
Smelling the clothes it's revealing teeth disappeared behind it's flesh.
The wolf had lowered its defense.
This became the perfect moment to attack.
From the branch above the wolf. Naked Wu zian jumped, stabbing the wolf around its neck.
The wolf gave very painful expressions, it slightly moved it's head upwards.
"Is it trying to howl?" Wu zian tightly clinched the dagger and ruthlessly beheaded the wolf.
Warm blood flowed from the wolf's neck, releasing fragrance of blood into the air.
Wu zian sniffed smelling the fragrance of blood."This can attract other beasts."
Wu zian scratched his hair."Through this fragrance, other beasts can find me."
He thought of many ways to handle this blood."Guess I only have one option left, it's better than being noticed by other beasts."
Wu zian pulled the body and head of wolf, he opened his mouth, in an instant the scenario turned horrifying.
Hot streams of blood flowed into Wu zian's mouth, this young boy dared to swallow the blood instead of having the chance of being noticed by other beasts.
Wu zian swallowed the blood in such a way as if, he craved it for centuries, not even spilling a single drop on the ground.
The moonlight illuminated the ground.
The blood stopped flowing, and a portion of blood was still on the ground leaving a blood stain."I need to hurry, beasts have already started to wander."
He wiped the dagger clean on the wolf's fur, his hand trembling slightly.
Wu zian knelt on the ground, scoffed up handfuls of mud four times smearing them over the blood stain.
Next, he looked at the motionless body."This can be a easy target for hungry beasts."
Wu zian grabbed the beast's leg dragging it away from the tree, every muscle in his arm burned."I need to put some distance between this body and my shelter." he glanced backward at the tree.
After dragging the body a short distance, he saw a dense bush." I think this much distance is enough.", he shoved the wolf's body into the dense bush.
At this moment he could feel the air becoming heavier and heavier due to those hungry beasts breathing.
The jungle gained life with roars, growls, and the rustling of unseen predators.
Without wasting any further time he sprinted back to the tree he had fought so hard for, climbed it, entered the cavity.
He looked at the moon, exhaled deeply calming down his heartbeat." Father… Mother I promise one day I will find my sister."
Wu zian's body, was fully exhausted right now he could hardly move under the warm light of moon he felt very sleepy.
His eyes slowly started to close, folded his arms trying to get a nice sleep.
At this moment two objects flashed in his mind, he opened his eyes forgetting about the tiredness searched in his pocket, pulled two objects out.
Those two objects were those rings he found inside his parent's ashes.
He looked at those rings with curiosity."I have never seen these rings with my parents it's size dont even match their fingers.
Wu zian played with the ring for a while and decided to put it on.
He wore the simplest one with no design on his index finger and looked at it with amazement despite the unmatched size of the ring and his finger it fitted perfectly.
Afterward, he wore another ring with two bloody gems attached and some weird marking craved on it.
He equipped it on his thumb.
Those rings looked so natural in Wu zian's hand as if they became the flesh of his finger.
Wu zian found it so much amazing that he clenched his fist tightly.
The moment he clenched his fist a sensation of pain occurred in his head.
The veins around his head pumped, eyes turning red and blood flowed from his nostrils.
Wu zian trembled in pain, even in such a condition he didn't scream.
After a few minutes of hell, Wu zian's body movements stopped while his eyes started at the moon.
Darkness loomed everywhere vast and infinite as if the boundaries of existence had been torn apart. Swirling colors of blue, purple, and gold danced through the air in the middle of all this Wu zian's body floated.
Wu zian's eyes opened slowly he lowered his gaze the scenario forced his pupils to turn niddle size.
He layed in the middle of patterns of light, like delicate threads of gold and silver, woving themselves across his lower body creating a surface.
He then moved his gaze forward, nebulae of blue, purple, and gold swirled together, casting a serene, otherworldly glow.
He could feel a pull with the nebulae, stood up, subconsciously walked towards it.
As he walked towards the nebulae patterns of light appeared below his feet.
Wu zian got closer to the nebulae and stopped before it, waved his hand in the air, stretched his index finger through the space.
The moment his fingers touched the nebulae it shattered magnificently.
Wu zian's pupils shined along with the shattering nebulae which brought him back to his senses.
His face revealed an expression of confusion.
Shattered nebulae revealed those two rings that Wu zian had worn.
Those two rings reached Wu zian and orbited around him.
Wu zian scratched his hair in confusion."Is this a dream?"
"A dream? This is not a dream this place is far different than the realm of dream."
Wu zian's eyes widened, he looked around searching for the source of voice.
"Who… who is speaking to me?."
Those rings stoped before Wu zian, the ring with two bloody gems shined.
Wu zian's approached to grab it but the ring moved away maintaining a distance it began to shine more brightly resembling blood.
"You can't catch me, kid."
This time Wu zian knew sound came from the ring."How do you know my name?"
Mocking laughter came from the ring."I have been with you since the time of your birth."
Wu zian sat down."Sleeping in my dream can force me to wake up."
"Wasting your time, this place is your metaphysical space."
Wu zian stood up immediately,"My metaphysical space? What are you talking about."
"It's not a shame you were raised in a remote village isolated from the outside world."
Wu zian scratched his hair."What are you saying remote…isolated?"
"Who are you?