Organizing the information he'd just received, Sam began to map out his next steps.
A rustle of leaves at the cave entrance jolted him to attention. Was it Xuan back already? Or something else?
Sam retreated deeper into the shadows, tensing up—until the foliage parted, and Xuan's massive head appeared.
"I'm back. Meng… Yuqing?"
Xuan twitched his ears, trying and failing to pronounce Sam's name correctly. In their world, beastmen had single-syllable names, and sub-beasts had two. A three-syllable name like Sam's felt alien on his tongue.
Seeing it was Xuan, Sam let out a long breath of relief. Even with the system's interruption earlier, he'd been on edge the entire time he'd waited. On the way here, he'd caught glimpses of the creatures Xuan had scared off—beasts that were nothing to the panther, but any one of them could've killed him with a single swipe.
He shuddered, thinking back to how he'd yelled for help up in that tree. Lucky for him, Xuan had been the one to answer, not something more dangerous.
"I'm in here! Be right out!"
Sam shook off his thoughts, called back, and stepped toward the entrance.
Xuan was standing just outside, two enormous leaves laid out at his feet. One held neatly cut strips of raw meat; the other was piled high with fist-sized berries in shades of green, yellow, and red—none of which Sam recognized.
"I cleaned the beast meat already. It's ready to cook. If you're hungry, eat some berries first to tide you over—I'll have the meat grilled in no time."
Sam looked up at Xuan, confused. How exactly was a giant black panther supposed to start a fire and grill meat?
His question was answered a second later. Xuan took two steps back, and his body began to shrink—his form blurring and warping until he stabilized at around six and a half feet tall.
In his place stood a young man with shoulder-length black hair, bare-chested, wearing nothing but a simple black pelt skirt around his waist. He was tall and lean—an inch or two over six feet, Sam guessed—with sun-kissed skin and well-defined muscles that screamed raw power without being bulky. His features were sharp and striking, wild yet handsome, with those same emerald-green eyes peeking out from beneath a fringe of dark hair. He looked like a beautiful, deadly weapon—every inch the wild panther he truly was.
Right. He *was* a panther. Sam blinked, snapping himself out of his daze. Seeing the transformation firsthand finally drove home the fact that he really was stuck in a world of shape-shifting beastmen.
Xuan picked up the leaves of meat and berries and headed into the cave, pausing beside Sam with a puzzled look. Why was this sub-beast staring at him like that?
Sam awkwardly scratched his nose, caught red-handed, and hurried to follow him inside.
The sky had darkened completely by now, plunging the cave into near-total blackness. Sam could barely see his own hand in front of his face, but he heard Xuan set the food down on the ground before heading for the back of the cave. A moment later, he returned with an armful of dry branches and twigs, struck two stones together a few times, and a tiny flame flickered to life.
"Come over here," Xuan waved him over, stoking the fire into a steady blaze. "Eat the berries first. The meat will be ready soon." He pressed two plump berries into Sam's hands, urging him to eat.
"No rush. You eat too—let's save the meat for later," Sam shook his head, pushing one of the berries back into Xuan's palm.
"I'm not hungry. I caught a small fanged beast right before I found you. I won't need to eat again tonight," Xuan pushed the berry right back, his tone firm but gentle. "Besides, you're far too skinny. You need to eat more."
"Huh?"
Sam glanced down at himself. Sure, he couldn't compare to Xuan's godlike physique, but he was five foot eleven, had a decent set of muscles, and could easily carry his two-hundred-pound roommate around. Skinny was the last word he'd use to describe himself.
His silent protest must have been obvious, because Xuan paused mid-way through skewering the meat on sticks and turned to look at him, clearly confused.
Sam huffed, wrinkling his nose. He decided not to argue the point, rubbed the berry between his palms, and changed the subject. "When are we heading back to your tribe?" He was eager to see it—if for no other reason than to complete the system's first task.
Xuan didn't answer right away. Instead, a conflicted look crossed his face.
Oh no. Did something happen? Sam's heart skipped a beat. Xuan had been so eager to invite him to the tribe earlier—surely he hadn't changed his mind just because he'd gone hunting for a few hours? What would Sam do if he did?
Thankfully, Xuan didn't hesitate for long. He turned back to the fire, skewering the meat carefully as he spoke. "I left the tribe alone because I'm on my coming-of-age hunt. I already have my target—a shadow beast. It's incredibly cunning. I managed to wound it, but it got away. I've been tracking it for days, and I finally picked up its trail here. It's hiding somewhere nearby, just out of my reach." He glanced over at Sam, his expression apologetic. "The tribe is a five-day journey from here. If I leave now, the shadow beast will run, and I'll never find it again."
Xuan frowned, clearly torn. By beastman law, he was duty-bound to protect any sub-beast in his care—to get him to safety, preferably back at the tribe as soon as possible. But he couldn't bring himself to abandon his coming-of-age hunt. Shadow beasts were among the most powerful and elusive creatures in the forest. Even seasoned adult beastmen rarely hunted them alone. But Xuan had always known he was stronger than the others in his tribe. He'd been *sure* he could take it down—and he had, almost. He just couldn't let it slip through his fingers now. Bringing a shadow beast back to the tribe would make him a hero—no other young beastman in the surrounding tribes had ever accomplished such a feat alone. He just hoped the sub-beast wouldn't think he was being reckless or uncaring for prioritizing his hunt.
Sam nodded, understanding immediately. A coming-of-age hunt sounded like a *huge* deal. "I get it. We'll leave once you finish your hunt. Is there anything I can do to help?" The sooner Xuan caught his shadow beast, the sooner they could head to the tribe.
"No, you don't need to. It's already hurt—I know roughly where it's hiding. It's just being tricky, circling around to throw me off its scent. But I'll track it down soon enough. I'll finish my hunt, and then we'll go home," Xuan assured him, surprised and touched that Sam wasn't upset—let alone offering to help. It was a silly offer, of course; a sub-beast had no place in a beastman's hunt. But still, it meant a lot that Sam was willing to try. He was so kind, so gentle… so *sweet*. It was practically a declaration of undying loyalty!
A faint flush rose to Xuan's cheeks, and he quickly turned back to the fire to hide it.
The meat sizzled over the flames, releasing an mouthwatering aroma as golden fat dripped down into the fire, crackling loudly. When it was perfectly cooked, Xuan handed the first skewer to Sam. "Here. It's ready. Eat up."
Sam took the skewer, eyeing the plain, unseasoned meat with a hint of hesitation. It looked delicious—juicy and charred to perfection—but he was used to salt, pepper, and spices. His stomach growled loudly, overriding his doubts. He took a big bite.
"Whoa. This is *amazing*!" Sam's eyes lit up. The meat was tender and flavorful, with a subtle natural sweetness, its juices bursting on his tongue. Even without any seasoning, it was the best meat he'd ever tasted.
"I'm the best grill master in the tribe!" Xuan preened, his eyes crinkling with pride. "Everyone begs me to cook for them. If only I'd brought some salt rocks with me, it would've been even better." He practically purred under Sam's praise, looking every bit like a cat who'd just been given the best chin scratch ever.
Because he *was* a cat. Sam thought, amused.
He finished the skewer quickly, and Xuan immediately handed him another one. Sam glanced from the meat to Xuan and shook his head, holding up a hand. "I'm good—I'm full."
Xuan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really?"
"I'm serious—*burp*—see? I'm stuffed," Sam grinned, patting his stomach as a loud burp escaped him.
Xuan studied him for a moment, then nodded, satisfied that he wasn't just being polite. He polished off the rest of the meat in three big bites, then looked at Sam with a mixture of fondness and concern. "You really need to eat more. You're too thin."
"Okay, okay, I will next time," Sam nodded quickly, squirming under Xuan's intense gaze.
After they finished eating, they cleaned up the cave together, tossing the berry stems and meat scraps outside for the forest creatures. Then Xuan went out and brought back a pile of dry grass, spreading it out on the cave floor to make a bed. Sam knelt down and touched it—it was dry and surprisingly soft, much more comfortable than he'd expected.
He lay down, but after a minute, he realized Xuan wasn't joining him. Instead, he was heading back toward the cave entrance. "Wait—where are you going? It's freezing out there!"
"I'll sleep at the entrance. You can rest safely inside," Xuan explained. He stepped outside, shifted back into his panther form, and curled up in front of the cave, blocking two-thirds of the opening with his massive body. Only a small gap remained at the top, letting in a sliver of moonlight.
"You'll get sick! Come inside!" Sam sat up, alarmed.
"Don't worry. It's not cold for me in beast form," Xuan rumbled, his voice muffled but clear. "And I need to stay in this form at night to keep you safe. Go to sleep—I'll watch over you." He thought Sam was being a little silly, but it was cute how worried he was. This sub-beast was definitely young—his skin was fairer and smoother than any sub-beast in the tribe, softer even than the cubs who hadn't hit their teens yet.
Xuan closed his eyes, settling in for the night. Sam watched him for a minute, then sighed, lying back down on the grass bed. He was exhausted—mentally and physically—from the day's events. The second his head hit the soft grass, his eyes drifted shut, and he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.