"Shouldn't we collect the bodies?"
Yue Frost looked down at the charred corpses of the mutant birds, curiosity in her eyes.
"No point," Brandon replied, shaking his head. "They're all burnt to a crisp. Plus, there's barely any meat on them, and who knows if it's even edible."
"Oh, right." Yue nodded, following Brandon as they wandered deeper into the Vantora Nature Reserve. Every so often, they'd run into other mutant beasts. While these animals weren't as openly hostile as the crimson tiger or the mutated bird flock, they still attacked, probably seeing Brandon and Yue as intruders in their territory.
But the outcome was always the same. Brandon's spatial ring filled up with more mutant animal remains.
Unlike earlier, where he'd used thunderbolts that destroyed the bodies, this time he focused on using gravity or other precise attacks to minimize damage—especially to the meat. If the rumors were true, and mutant beast meat could actually boost strength or accelerate cultivation, their fate as prey was sealed. Regardless of whether these creatures held grudges against humans, people would eventually go hunting anyway.
This was just the beginning of the era of awakening. Many old notions would fade away as humanity adapted to a new world. Until then, peaceful coexistence between humans and mutant creatures was a fantasy. No one would pass laws to protect monsters, and no beast would hesitate to kill a human who got too close. Both sides were a threat to the other.
Maybe one day, if the mutations deepened enough that animals became as intelligent as humans, real communication could happen. But for now… it just wasn't possible.
And that "for now" could last a very long time.
Time slipped by, and before they knew it, dusk was settling in.
They didn't push themselves to explore the entire reserve in a single day. There was a facility nearby, set up specifically for their team to rest and resupply.
There was no urgent deadline. As long as the higher-ups didn't call them back, they could stay and keep up the work. Besides, the accommodations were comfortable, if not luxurious. The rooms were well-furnished, meals were provided, and for Brandon, the wilds of the nature reserve offered the perfect training grounds—far more interesting than any gym.
He enjoyed the challenge of battling mutant beasts more than mindless exercise routines.
As for Yue, she had no complaints. With Brandon around, she felt perfectly safe, even after seeing just how dangerous this new world could be. She thought back to the crimson tiger—if it weren't for Brandon, she'd be dead already.
And the mutated birds? They were probably as fast as bullets, if not faster.
But it was still only the beginning of the age of awakening. She couldn't help but wonder: Would there soon be monsters who could shrug off bullets? Maybe even heavy artillery? What about beasts that could survive a nuclear bomb?
Even if those things never happened, what she'd seen today was frightening enough.
If creatures like that made it into human cities… she couldn't even imagine the devastation.
A quiet but urgent desire was born in her heart: the need to become stronger.
Did it matter that the animals they'd hunted today were "protected" species? Who cared at a time like this? If you treated them as protected, it wouldn't stop them from tearing you apart if they got the chance.
Brandon, for his part, didn't pay much attention to what Yue was thinking.
After they finished dinner, Brandon went straight to his room to train.
Yue couldn't help but admire his self-discipline. Not only was he talented—possessing lightning, metal, space, and physical abilities—but he was also driven to improve, never slacking for a second.
Some people are just on another level, she thought. Born more gifted, and still working harder than anyone else.
It was probably his relentless training that explained why Brandon's strength had reached such heights.
If she hadn't come on this expedition, Yue never would've believed a human could become this powerful so soon after the awakening began.
She thought back to the creatures they'd faced—not just the ones from earlier, but also a giant, five-meter-tall bear that seemed to shake the earth with every step, its entire body encased in armor-like stone.
And yet, Brandon had taken it down easily, piercing its thick hide with a single golden spike and then slicing off its paws and legs for samples.
That bear's defense was insane—Yue's own ice spikes barely scratched it. But Brandon's metal powers made it look effortless.
Was metal sharper than ice? Maybe. But even so, there was no doubt that Brandon was simply on another level.
She'd never seen anyone else with such terrifying command of the metal element.
The days slipped into a routine. Every morning at nine, Brandon and Yue set out to survey the distribution of mutant animals in the reserve, sometimes tracking down rare variants for research (and for taste-testing).
Soon enough, the mutant beasts in the area learned to avoid them. Some even recognized their scent—at the slightest sign, they'd flee. This made research harder, but what could they do? Surely the higher-ups would understand.
Still, Brandon and Yue had to admit—the meat from these creatures was incredible. Firm yet tender, bursting with rich flavor that seemed to wake up every cell in your body. Once you tasted it, it was hard to stop.
Because of Brandon's unusual metabolism, their first round of "samples" disappeared in just a couple of nights. They had to go out again to restock.
The effect was noticeable. Brandon didn't feel much different, but every time Yue ate mutant beast, her strength jumped a little more.
Once they reported this, the nature reserve's purpose was bound to change. Who could resist a tasty meal that also made you stronger?
After another hearty dinner of mutant beast stew, Brandon didn't start training right away. Instead, he sat on the sofa, closed his eyes, and mentally reviewed a profound, complicated set of martial arts principles—his own version of the legendary "Devouring Star Technique" from the classic wuxia tales.
But something felt off.
"Why does this look exactly like the 'Absorption Art' I found online?"
He rubbed his head, a little helpless. Did secret martial arts really become real in a world where cultivation existed? Or did putting a fictional technique into a real wuxia world make it suddenly legit?
He couldn't help but laugh at the thought.
End of Chapter
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