The night forest stretched endlessly beneath the pale glow of the moon.
Wind whispered through the towering trees, carrying the scents of soil, leaves… and blood.
Yet nothing moved between the shadows.
Because the predator was **invisible**.
The small lizard drifted silently through the forest, his body blending perfectly with the surroundings. Light bent around his scales as if he did not exist at all.
Only his golden eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
Unlike his body, they saw **everything**.
The world looked different to him now.
Energy flowed everywhere. Spiritual energy drifting through the air. The faint heat of living bodies hidden beneath the earth. The pulsing life-force inside beasts sleeping in distant burrows.
He moved slowly across a large branch before pausing.
Below him, several small demonic beasts wandered through the undergrowth.
A group of horned forest deer. Spiritual-refining stage spirit beasts.
Their bodies carried spiritual energy—but it was weak.
The lizard's golden eyes narrowed.
*Not worth it.*
He moved again.
Silently gliding through the forest like a drifting shadow.
Hours passed. The deeper he went, the denser the spiritual energy became.
Massive trees twisted toward the sky, trunks thick with age. The forest floor was covered in sprawling roots and patches of glowing moss.
This area clearly belonged to stronger beasts.
The lizard slowed. His senses stretched outward. Hearing. Sight. Even the faintest vibration in the ground.
Then—
His eyes sharpened.
A heavy heartbeat echoed faintly through the earth.
*Thump.*
*Thump.*
*Thump.*
Slow. Powerful. Something large.
The lizard climbed higher along a massive trunk, peering carefully through the branches ahead.
Through dense foliage—
He saw it.
A massive demonic beast resting beside a stone outcrop.
Its body resembled a gigantic wolf, fur like hardened bark, dark stone plates covering its shoulders. Its breathing was deep and steady.
Golden spiritual energy flowed through its body.
Foundation Establishment. Mid-stage. A good meal.
The lizard's tail twitched slightly. Lightning began gathering along the black scales near its tip.
But he didn't attack immediately.
Instead, he vanished again.
The invisible predator circled the clearing. Positioning. Watching. Waiting.
The massive wolf-like beast lay unaware, heavy breathing rumbling through the quiet night.
High above, hidden in the branches, the lizard's golden eyes tracked the flow of spiritual energy within the beast's body.
Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. Strong—but not strong enough.
The lizard remained motionless. Calculating.
Seconds passed.
Then he moved.
His body slid silently down the tree trunk. No sound. No rustle of leaves. Nothing to betray his presence.
Lightning gathered along the tip of his tail. The air around it crackled faintly.
Still the wolf slept.
Closer. Closer.
The lizard reached the forest floor, moving through the shadows of the grass.
Ten meters. Eight. Five.
Now he stood directly behind the beast. His golden eyes narrowed.
Lightning along his tail flared.
Then—
**Strike.**
The lizard's tail snapped forward like a spear.
*CRACK.*
The lightning-charged scale pierced the wolf's thick hide, driving deep into its back.
The beast's eyes snapped open.
**ROAR—!**
But the roar never fully came.
Lightning surged through its body, muscles seizing, limbs locking instantly as electricity scrambled its meridians.
Before it could rise—
The lizard lunged. Invisibility dropped. Fangs bared. Lightning crackled between them.
**CRUNCH.**
He clamped down on the beast's throat.
The wolf thrashed violently, claws tearing at the earth.
But lightning surged through its body, disrupting its control over spiritual energy.
The lizard tightened his bite, claws digging deep into its chest.
Seconds passed. Then the thrashing slowed. The heartbeat faded.
Finally—the wolf collapsed.
Still.
Silence returned to the forest.
The lizard released the throat and stepped back, golden eyes studying the corpse.
He lowered his head and began feeding. Warm blood spilled across the forest floor, energy flowing into him with each bite.
But even as he ate—
His senses spread through the forest. Watching. Listening.
In a place like the **Black Spine Mountains**… predators were never truly alone.
The forest floor grew quiet again.
Only the lingering scent of blood remained in the cool night air.
The massive wolf-like demonic beast was no longer recognizable as a complete body. Bloodstains darkened the earth, and scattered bones lay across the clearing where the invisible predator had finished feeding.
The lizard slowly lifted his head.
Blood stained his maw, and faint lightning still flickered across the dark scales near the tip of his tail.
He swallowed the final chunk of flesh before lowering his gaze toward the remains.
Then—
The familiar voice of the system echoed inside his mind.
**[Demonic beast fully consumed.]**
**[Evolution points gained: 5,200]**
A faint pause followed.
Then additional lines appeared.
The lizard lowered his head again and picked up the glowing beast core from the remains. The orb pulsed faintly with condensed spiritual energy, its surface shimmering with golden light.
Without hesitation—
He swallowed it.
The moment it slid down his throat, a powerful surge of energy spread through his body.
The lizard stood silently as the energy settled within him, flowing through his meridians and into his core.
His golden eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
Then the system spoke again.
**[Gene gained: Stonehide Forest Wolf]**
**[Would you like to commence gene fusion?]**
The faint glow in the lizard's eyes deepened slightly.
But he didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he slowly lifted his head and gazed deeper into the forest.
The wind shifted.
Carrying new scents.
New movements.
More prey.
More energy.
More evolution.
The invisible predator's body slowly faded once more as his invisibility returned.
Light bent around his scales until his form vanished entirely.
Then the lizard began moving again.
Silent.
Unseen.
Hunting beneath the endless darkness of the **Black Spine Mountains**.
The forest soon swallowed the last traces of the hunt.
The lizard's body vanished completely as invisibility wrapped around him like a second skin.
Within seconds—
He was gone.
Only the faint disturbance of grass beneath his claws marked where he had been.
He moved deeper into the **Black Spine Mountains**.
The forest here grew thicker.
Older.
Ancient trees towered toward the sky like towering pillars, their massive roots twisting across the ground like stone serpents. Spiritual energy drifted through the air more densely in this region, forming faint currents that flowed between the trunks.
The lizard moved silently across a fallen log.
His golden eyes glowed faintly as they traced the **energy signatures** scattered throughout the forest.
Small beasts.
Burrowing creatures.
Insects filled with weak spiritual power.
None of them interested him.
He continued forward.
Minutes passed.
Then suddenly—
His ears twitched.
Voices.
Human.
The lizard froze instantly.
Without making a sound, he climbed the trunk of a nearby tree, positioning himself carefully among the branches.
Below—
Three figures moved slowly through the forest.
Cultivators.
The lizard remained perfectly still among the branches.
Invisible.
Silent.
Below, the three figures continued walking cautiously through the forest.
Two were clearly **human cultivators**.
Both wore dark traveling robes marked with faint sect symbols along their sleeves. Spiritual energy flowed steadily around their bodies, their auras stable and disciplined.
Foundation Establishment.
**Mid-stage.**
The other was slightly weaker, around the **fourth layer**.
But the third figure—
The lizard's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
It was not human.
Walking beside them was a **demonic beast**.
At first glance it resembled a large black lynx. Its body was low and muscular, its fur dark as midnight with faint silver lines running along its spine. Its movements were graceful and controlled.
Its eyes glowed faint green in the darkness.
The lizard remained perfectly still, his golden eyes fixed on the lynx and the two cultivators below.
Every muscle in his body was coiled.
Every sense was alert.
The faint rustle of leaves beneath his claws was the only sound that might betray his presence—but even that was nearly nonexistent.
Below, the lynx moved slowly, each step deliberate. Its tail swayed lazily behind it like a pendulum as it scanned the forest floor.
Its green eyes flickered briefly to the faint blood traces still lingering from the lizard's earlier hunt.
"You smell that?" the weaker human whispered, his voice tight with caution.
The mid-stage cultivator glanced down at the ground, frowning slightly.
"Blood? Here? Impossible. There shouldn't be anything hunting this far out."
He paused.
"Are you sure it's recent?"
The lynx's ears twitched slightly.
"Fresh," it said calmly.
"Less than a minute old."
Its green eyes narrowed as it studied the surrounding forest.
"But the signature…"
"It's not human."
"Nor beast."
"It's something… else."
The lizard's pupils narrowed slightly.
*Something else?*
He shifted ever so slightly among the branches, careful to maintain his invisibility.
The mid-stage cultivator's eyes widened slightly, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice.
"Something else?"
He glanced around the forest uneasily.
"You mean… a demon?"
The lynx shook its head slowly.
"Not sure."
Its voice remained calm and steady.
"But close enough to be dangerous."
"Strong."
"Fast."
"And whatever it is…"
"It didn't want to be detected."
Below them, the weaker cultivator swallowed audibly.
"Do you think it's still here?"
The lynx's glowing green eyes slowly swept across the forest.
"Yes."
It paused.
"And it's watching."
High above them, the lizard's tail twitched slightly.
Faint lightning crackled along the black scales near its tip before fading again.
*It's curious…*
*No.*
*Cautious.*
*Good.*
*That gives me an advantage.*
The mid-stage cultivator frowned deeply.
"Then what do we do?"
The lynx crouched slightly.
Its muscles tensed like a predator preparing to spring.
"Move carefully," it said.
"Observe."
"Do not engage unless necessary."
Its gaze flicked briefly toward the tree where the lizard hid.
Not directly at him—
But close enough to make the tension in the branches rise.
Above them, the lizard's mind worked quickly.
*They're cautious.*
*Intelligent.*
*And the lynx isn't ordinary either.*