The days passed slowly, each one marked by steady effort and quiet progress. Luo Feng had adapted to the rhythm of his new life within the fallen tree. The hollow that once felt cramped and damp now carried the faint signs of habitation. The floor had been cleared of debris, smooth and firm under his belly, and the inner walls were lined with thick, spongy moss that absorbed moisture and kept the place cool, filling the air with an earthy, clean scent.
Every morning, light filtered faintly through cracks above, painting shifting, dappled lines across his scaled back. He would wake, taste the air with a flick of his tongue sampling the complex cocktail of dew, decay, and distant life, listening to the forest's layered chorus before moving. The sounds outside changed daily, sometimes heavy with the resonant, chest-deep growls of things he dared not imagine, sometimes calm with the steady, hypnotic hum of insects. It was a language he was beginning to understand, its rhythms and warnings slowly etching themselves into his instincts.
Food had become easier to find. Luo Feng had learned to recognize subtle trails, the faint, almost invisible burrows beneath gnarled roots, and the tiny vibrations that thrummed through the soil and marked hidden life. He hunted insects mostly—centipedes, beetles, thick worms glistening with moisture but each catch had taught him patience, the value of absolute stillness.
One morning, as he dug through damp, cool soil near his den, his claws scraped against something hard and chitinous. A long, segmented shape wriggled free a black and red centipede, its glossy carapace gleaming like polished jet in the faint light. Its countless legs rippled in unsettling waves, and it reared its head, hissing softly a venom-laced warning when disturbed.
"Target: black-banded centipede, can provide 0.25 bio-energy point."
Luo Feng's tongue flicked once, a swift, precise motion, before he struck. His jaws closed with a definitive, wet crunch.
Ring!
"The host has successfully gained 0.25 bio-energy."
The taste was bitter, sharp like iron and soil. He swallowed, the rough carapace scraping his throat on the way down, then wiped his jaws against the mossy root beside him. It didn't make him stronger in any visible way, but the hollow ache in his body faded, replaced by a subtle warmth. The nutrients and warmth of energy spread faintly through him, a small but vital fuel.
By the third day, he had adjusted the hollow further. He dug a small second cavity deeper in the trunk, a storage place for the remains of prey and a darker, more secure retreat in case of danger. The effort left faint, whitish marks on his claws, the ancient bark rough and fibrous beneath them, resisting his work.
Occasionally, small, strange creatures wandered near his shelter. Once, a pale, ghostly creature crawled through the moss—a worm-like animal with translucent skin, its internal organs visible within, pulsing with a faint, eerie light. Luo Feng observed it with quiet, analytical curiosity.
"Target: translucent burrower, unknown species, can provide 0.15 bio-energy."
He crushed it quickly, feeling its soft body burst.
Ring!
"The host has successfully gained 0.15 bio-energy."
The forest around his fallen tree had changed subtly since he had arrived. The ground here was alive with strange organisms—tiny, glowing larvae that burrowed near the roots, frogs with frilled skin that unfolded like tiny umbrellas, insects that mimicked rotting leaves so well even his sharpening eyes almost missed them.
Not all hunts were simple. One afternoon, Luo Feng's attention was caught by a faint, skittering rustle. Something moved just beyond the fallen tree. A shape emerged from the grass—a small mammal, slender with gray fur and long, digging claws. Its snout twitched constantly as it searched for grubs, oblivious.
He crept forward silently, scales brushing softly against the bark like whispers. When he struck, the creature twisted faster than he expected, a blur of panic and fur. Its claws grazed his side as he clamped down on its neck. The pain was sharp, burning briefly before fading into a dull throb. He bit deeper, feeling a small bone crack with a satisfying pop under his jaws.
Ring!
"The host has successfully gained 0.75 bio-energy."
When the body went still, Luo Feng stepped back. A small streak of blood darkened his greenish scales where the claws had scraped him. The wound was shallow, a thin red line across his side. He touched it lightly against the cool, rough bark, testing the sting. It didn't slow him, but it reminded him, with painful clarity, that the forest always demanded caution.
He ate slowly that night, beneath the shelter of the trunk. His eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, twin points of jade reflecting the sliver of moon filtering through the dense leaves above.
On the fifth day, after several hunts, he decided to check his status. He focused inward, and the familiar, cool blue text materialized before his mind's eye.
Host property list
Level 3
Bioenergy 19/30
Skill Points 0
Body length 35cm
Diameter 1.2cm
Strength 0.2
Defense 0.1
Speed 0.4
Agility 0.7
Spirit 1.5
Physical strength 1.0
Skills Venomous Saliva (1/5)
Reputation value 0/10000000
---
He studied the faint glow of the text as it hovered before his vision. The numbers had grown, but not by much. His body was still small, his movements still limited. He could feel the ceiling of his current form pressing against him, a fragile vessel for a determined mind.
He knew the next threshold wasn't far, yet he didn't rush. Survival here was a marathon, not a sprint, it meant patience.
After confirming his progress, he began strengthening his shelter further. He dragged dried leaves and bundles of moss into the hollow, layering them carefully for insulation and warmth. He scraped subtle grooves into the entrance floor so rainwater could flow out instead of pooling inside, a simple but effective bit of engineering. His instincts were those of a beast, but his habits remained human—organized, deliberate, and forward-thinking.
Sometimes, while working, faint vibrations rippled through the soil, a tremor passing from the earth into his very bones. Heavy steps, distant but steady, shook the ground. Predators passed by from time to time—looming shadows with eyes that glowed faintly in the dark like cursed embers. Once, a huge snake-like creature, its body as thick as his fallen tree, slithered close, its iridescent scales brushing the outer bark with a sound like dragging stones. It paused for a long, heart-stopping moment, its tongue tasting the air where he hid, before continuing on its immense, unknowable journey.
Luo Feng stayed motionless through it all, body pressed to the hollow floor, every muscle locked in silent suspension. When the danger passed, only then did he allow himself to breathe again, the air escaping in a slow, controlled hiss.
As days bled into one another, the forest felt more familiar, a map of threats and opportunities slowly being drawn in his mind. He had learned which insects hid under specific types of bark, which creatures emerged only at the purple hour of dusk, and which sharp, acrid smells warned him to stay hidden. Yet there was still so much he didn't know, so many mysteries lurking in the deep green shadows.
On the seventh day, he climbed higher within the tree to a crack that opened toward the forest canopy. Warm air flowed in, carrying a new, faint burnt scent. He raised his head slightly, tasting it. Ash. Smoke.
Curious, he crawled out carefully, claws finding perfect purchase in the rough bark. The forest stretched wide beneath him, a vast, undulating sea of green. He climbed to a branch that curved upward like a raised arm and gazed into the hazy distance.
Far away, barely visible through the mist and layered canopy, a thin, deliberate column of gray smoke rose into the sky, a stark scar against the endless blue.
His eyes narrowed, pupils contracting to slits. It was faint, distant, but unmistakable. Not the random fire caused by lightning, but something that spoke of control. Of intention.
He stayed perfectly still, staring at it for a long time, the implications coiling in his mind.
Then he turned his gaze back toward the immediate, pressing world of the forest below. There was still food to find, shelter to maintain, and a body to strengthen. Strength was the only thing that mattered here.
The smoke, and its secrets, could wait.
Luo Feng slid back into the welcoming darkness of the hollow, his claws scratching softly against the wood as the immense sounds of the jungle swallowed him once more.