The transformation of a pig into a cosmic horror is a process that defies both biology and sanity, but in the Northern Gorge, it happened with terrifying efficiency.
Zhu Zhu, the formerly pink and cowardly piglet, was gone. In his place stood a creature of absolute vantablack, a void in the shape of a swine. He hadn't grown physically larger, but his shadow had detached itself from the laws of physics. The shadow towered over the gorge, a writhing, tentacled mass of darkness that blotted out the sun, reaching up to scrape the sky itself.
The air grew cold—not the icy cold of Luo Bing's Phoenix, but the vacuum cold of empty space. Gravity seemed to tilt, making the stones float inches off the ground.
"It is beautiful," Elder Wraith whispered, stumbling forward, his bone armor cracked and leaking green mist. He ignored his injuries, his eyes fixed on the monstrosity. "The King of Hunger! I have freed you! I am your servant! Command me!"
The Void Pig slowly turned its head. Its eyes were two burning violet stars. It looked at Elder Wraith. It didn't see a servant. It saw a calcium supplement.
"Snack..." the voice boomed, emanating not from the pig's throat, but from the vibrating air itself.
The massive shadow lashed out. A tendril of darkness, thick as a tree trunk, slammed into Elder Wraith. The Elder screamed as the shadow wrapped around him, not crushing him, but draining him. His necrotic green aura was sucked away like smoke into a vacuum cleaner.
"Wait! No! I am the Summoner!" Wraith shrieked, clawing at the darkness. "You are supposed to eat the world, not me!"
"Appetizer," the Void Pig grunted. It flicked its head, and the shadow threw the drained, husk-like Elder across the gorge. Wraith hit the wall with a wet thud and didn't get up.
Su Ye watched this with a grim expression. "Well, that solves the villain problem. Now we have a catastrophe problem."
"Master!" Luo Bing yelled, her voice barely audible over the roaring wind of the void suction. "Zhu Zhu is eating the ambient Qi! The plants are withering! If he keeps going, he'll consume the entire forest!"
"He's not Zhu Zhu right now," Su Ye said, tightening his grip on his shovel. "He's a vessel. The Void drop he licked... it's like a hijacker. It's driving the bus."
He looked at the golden chicken on his shoulder. "Little Sun. You were born from the stars. That thing is born from the dark. You know what to do."
Little Sun puffed out its chest. Its feathers began to glow with an intensity that made it painful to look at. The chicken didn't moo this time. It let out a sound like a solar flare hissing through the atmosphere.
SCREEEEE!
Little Sun launched itself from Su Ye's shoulder. It didn't fly; it became a bullet of concentrated sunlight. It slammed into the massive shadow monster looming behind the pig.
BOOM.
Light met darkness. The gorge was split in two—one side bathed in blinding gold, the other swallowed by violet shadow.
The Shadow Monster roared, recoiling as the solar fire burned its tentacles. It lashed out, trying to swat the tiny bird, but Little Sun was too fast. The chicken zipped around the shadow, pecking holes in the darkness. Every peck left a burning crater of light that sizzled and smoked.
"ANNOYING FIREFLY," the Void King's voice rumbled. "EXTINGUISH."
The Void Pig opened its mouth. It didn't bite. It inhaled.
A vortex formed in front of Zhu Zhu's snout. The rocks, the dust, and the light itself were pulled in. Little Sun screeched as the suction dragged it backward, its solar flames flickering out as the oxygen was ripped away.
"He's swallowing the sun!" Lin Fan horrified, checking his gauntlet. "The gravitational pull is increasing! Master, we have to run! The event horizon is forming!"
"We don't run," Su Ye said, stepping forward into the gale. "That's my pig. I paid three coppers for him."
Su Ye didn't draw a weapon. He didn't cast a spell. He reached into his "Inventory of Failures"—his backpack.
"The Void King is 'Hunger', right?" Su Ye shouted over the wind. "He wants to consume? Fine! Let's see if he has the stomach for this!"
Su Ye pulled out a large, sealed clay jar. It was wrapped in warning talismans. It was vibrating.
"What is that?" Gao Ming screamed, clinging to a rock to stop from being sucked in.
"This," Su Ye grinned maniacally, "is the Stew of Eternal Regret. It's a mixture of the Basilisk's venom, the Skunk-Weed oil, the leftover chili water, and a pair of socks I wore for a week in the swamp. I was saving it for a rainy day."
He pulled the seal.
The smell didn't just spread; it assaulted reality. It was a scent so foul that the air turned green.
"Zhu Zhu!" Su Ye roared. "Catch!"
He threw the jar into the vortex.
The Void Pig, driven by the mindless compulsion of the Void King to eat everything, didn't dodge. The suction pulled the jar straight into its open mouth.
Crunch. Gulp.
The jar shattered inside the pig. The Stew of Eternal Regret was released into the digestive system of a cosmic entity.
For a second, there was silence. The vortex stopped. The massive shadow monster froze.
Then, the Void Pig's eyes widened. The violet glow flickered.
"BLAAAAARGH!"
The voice of the Void King sounded like it was retching. The shadow monster convulsed, clutching its spectral stomach.
"POISON! VILE! WHAT IS THIS ABOMINATION? IT TASTES LIKE DESPAIR AND UNWASHED FEET!"
"It's called cuisine!" Su Ye shouted, running toward the pig while it was distracted. "And you're in the wrong kitchen!"
Su Ye didn't attack the pig. He tackled it. He wrapped his arms around the black, cold body of the possessed swine.
Zzzzt.
Su Ye forced a mental connection. He didn't connect to the Void King. He connected to Zhu Zhu.
"Zhu Zhu!" Su Ye screamed mentally. "Wake up! He's eating your snacks! He's going to eat the rest of the garbage in the barrel! Are you going to let him take your trash?"
Deep within the psyche of the pig, buried under layers of cosmic darkness, a spark of indignation flared.
To a Void Beast, the concept of "Hunger" was existential dominance.
To Zhu Zhu, the concept of "Hunger" was personal property.
My trash?
The thought bubbled up from the pig's soul.
My... yummy... garbage?
The Void King, currently trying to digest the foul stew, felt a sudden resistance. The vessel wasn't submitting. The vessel was... getting greedy.
"SILENCE, VESSEL," the Void King commanded. "I AM THE CONSUMER."
NO! Zhu Zhu's mind roared back, fueled by the primal avarice of a pig who had once eaten a tire and asked for seconds. MINE!
Inside the spiritual realm, Su Ye watched as the tiny, pink avatar of Zhu Zhu opened its mouth and bit the massive leg of the Void King's avatar.
It wasn't a battle of power. It was a battle of Gluttony. The Void King wanted to eat the world. Zhu Zhu wanted to eat the Void King.
And Zhu Zhu had a stomach reinforced by eating toxic waste for a month.
The physical pig on the ground began to shake. The black color started to recede, turning pink in patches. The massive shadow monster screamed as it was pulled downward, sucked back into the pig's body.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" The Void King howled. "I CANNOT BE DIGESTED! I AM THE VOID!"
"You're just spicy jelly to him!" Su Ye yelled, holding the pig down. "Eat it, Zhu Zhu! Swallow the darkness!"
SLURP.
With a final, defying grunt, Zhu Zhu inhaled the shadow. The massive monster vanished, sucked into the vortex of the pig's stomach.
Zhu Zhu's skin turned completely pink again. His eyes rolled forward, returning to their normal, beady blue. He let out a massive, earth-shaking belch.
Buuuuuurp.
A small puff of violet smoke escaped his nostrils.
Zhu Zhu blinked. He looked at Su Ye. He looked at the terrified disciples. Then he looked at the shattered remains of the clay jar on the ground.
Snort? (Any left?)
Su Ye collapsed on his back, breathing heavily. "No, Zhu Zhu. You ate it all. You greedy little monster."
The gorge was silent. The oppressive gravity was gone. The only sound was the mooing of the golden chicken, who landed on Su Ye's chest and pecked him indignantly, demanding praise.
"Master!" Luo Bing ran over, checking him for injuries. "Is it... is it gone?"
"Digested," Su Ye wheezed. "He assimilated the Void drop. He didn't become the Void King. He just added 'Cosmic Horror' to his diet."
Su Ye sat up and looked at his pig. Zhu Zhu looked the same, but his shadow... his shadow was now slightly darker than the surrounding night, and if you looked closely, it seemed to be smiling.
"We need to leave," Lin Fan said, pointing to the ridge. "The explosion and the light show... every beast within fifty miles is coming to investigate."
"Agreed," Su Ye stood up, dusting off his robes. He walked over to where Elder Wraith lay groaning in a pile of rubble.
The Elder was alive, but barely. His bone armor was shattered. He looked up at Su Ye with terrified eyes.
"You..." Wraith gasped. "You fed... the King... old socks?"
"It's a secret recipe," Su Ye said. He leaned down. "Tell the Dark Beast Sect this: The Twilight Stable is closed for renovations. If you come back, I'm not feeding the pig socks. I'm feeding him you."
Su Ye didn't kill him. A broken, humiliated messenger was more dangerous to the enemy's morale than a dead martyr.
"Let's go," Su Ye ordered his team. "We have the ore. We have the herbs. And apparently, we have a pig that counts as a weapon of mass destruction."
As they hiked out of the gorge, leaving the ruined excavation site behind, Gao Ming whispered to Luo Bing.
"Did you see the size of that shadow? I think I need a new cape. Black. With violet trim."
"Focus on walking, Gao Ming," Luo Bing sighed. "And try not to smell like skunk anymore."
The journey back to the academy was faster. Mostly because nothing dared to attack them. The aura radiating from Zhu Zhu—a mix of ancient void terror and indigestion—acted as the ultimate repellent. Even the mosquitoes kept their distance.
When they finally broke through the tree line and saw the familiar walls of the Myriad Beast Hall, it was dawn. The sun was rising, matching the glow of the chicken on Su Ye's shoulder.
But as they approached the main gate, they saw a commotion.
A blockade of guards stood at the entrance. And standing in front of them was Master Mo.
Mo looked smug. He was holding a scroll. Behind him stood two men in official white robes—Inquisitors from the Central Council.
"There they are!" Master Mo shouted, pointing a trembling finger at Su Ye. "The eco-terrorists! Arrest them!"
Su Ye stopped, signaling his disciples to hold position. "Morning, Mo. You look terrible. Did you lose another bet?"
"Silence!" Mo sneered. "Su Ye, you are under arrest for the unauthorized destruction of the Northern Gorge, the usage of forbidden sonic weaponry, and... consorting with dark forces."
One of the Inquisitors stepped forward. He held a crystal detector. He pointed it at Zhu Zhu.
The crystal turned black.
"Dark energy detected," the Inquisitor said coldly. "Tier-7 or higher. That pig is a demon beast. It must be euthanized immediately."
Luo Bing stepped forward, her hand on her sword. "You will not touch him!"
"Stand down, Princess," the Inquisitor warned. "This is Council business. Harboring a Void Beast is a capital offense."
Su Ye stepped in front of Zhu Zhu. The pig hid behind his legs, letting out a pitiful, innocent squeal that fooled absolutely no one who knew him.
"It's not a Void Beast," Su Ye said calmly. "It's a garbage disposal unit with a skin condition."
"The crystal does not lie!" Master Mo shouted. "It proves you are working with the Dark Sect! You summoned that monster in the gorge! I have witnesses who saw the shadow!"
"Witnesses?" Su Ye raised an eyebrow. "You mean the mercenaries who were working for the Dark Sect? The ones I paralyzed with itch-weed? I'm sure their testimony is very reliable."
"It doesn't matter," the Inquisitor interrupted. "The energy signature is undeniable. Surrender the beast, or we will execute it by force."
The guards drew their weapons. The situation was on a razor's edge. Su Ye was exhausted, his team was battered, and they were facing the legal authority of the entire Beast Taming world.
Su Ye looked at the Inquisitor. He looked at Master Mo.
He sighed. "I really didn't want to do this."
"Do what? Resist?" Mo laughed. "You are surrounded!"
"No," Su Ye reached into his pocket. "I didn't want to use my VIP Card."
He pulled out the Concentration Stone. But he didn't use it as a weapon. He held it up.
"This," Su Ye announced, "is the Sect Leader's Keystone. I retrieved it from the Forbidden Vault."
The Inquisitors froze. They recognized the energy signature. It was the highest authority artifact in the Academy.
"You... you robbed the vault?" Mo gasped. "That's another crime!"
"Actually," Su Ye smiled, "According to Academy Bylaw 45, Section C: 'Any disciple who successfully retrieves a Lost Artifact from the Vault without dying is granted the title of Honorary Warden and temporary immunity from local prosecution.'"
Su Ye had read the library. He had read everything.
"I am an Honorary Warden," Su Ye said, flashing the stone. "And this pig is 'Confiscated Evidence' relevant to national security. If you want to euthanize him, you need to file a Form 12-B with the Emperor himself."
The Inquisitors exchanged glances. They knew the law. It was an obscure, ancient rule meant to encourage daring raids, but it was valid.
"He... is correct," the Lead Inquisitor admitted grudgingly. He lowered his weapon. "If he holds the Keystone, he is under the protection of the Vault Laws until the Council reviews the case."
Master Mo looked like he was going to explode. "You can't be serious! He's using a loophole!"
"I'm using the law, Mo," Su Ye walked past him, shoving the stone back into his pocket. "Now, if you'll excuse us, my 'Evidence' needs a nap. And I need a bath."
Su Ye led his team past the stunned guards and the furious Master Mo.
As they walked through the gates, Lin Fan whispered, "Master, does that bylaw actually exist?"
"I have no idea," Su Ye whispered back. "I made it up. But bureaucrats are terrified of paperwork numbers. Bylaw 45 sounded convincing, didn't it?"
Lin Fan stared at him. "You... you bluffed the Inquisitors?"
"I bluffed a Void King an hour ago, Lin Fan," Su Ye patted the pig. "Bureaucrats are easy."
They reached the safety of the Twilight Stable. The gate closed behind them.
Su Ye slumped against the wall, sliding down until he hit the dirt. The adrenaline finally crashed.
"We're safe," Su Ye muttered. "For now. But Mo won't stop. And the Council will check the rulebook eventually."
"What do we do then?" Luo Bing asked.
Su Ye looked at the Star-Iron Ore in his bag. He looked at the Void-Root. And he looked at his upgraded, terrifying pets.
"We build," Su Ye said. "We turn this stable into a fortress. Because the next time they come, they won't bring lawyers. They'll bring an army."
He closed his eyes.
"But first... someone make me an omelet. And don't let the chicken see."