With the aardvark losing consciousness, there was no resistance left before the wild predator. Alexander released its snout, and the animal's limp body collapsed onto the ground on its own. He looked at it for a moment, then sank his teeth into its belly. He had not eaten meat for a long time except for fish, and he had truly missed the taste. His teeth easily tore open a wound in the animal's thick hide. He brought his claws into the work as well and widened the opening. What followed was nothing but a bloody feast.
As his stomach filled with meat, he also began the analysis process within his body. After months of failed plant analyses, he felt eager to learn new abilities and systems again. While thinking about what he might gain from the aardvark, he noticed the eight hatchlings beside him watching with an intense, almost bloodthirsty hunger. They were only a month old, but Nuxali did not drink milk. From the moment they were born, their bodies were ready to feed on meat.
He remembered the moment when he himself had first emerged from the egg. He had been so hungry… and the satisfaction from that first bite of meat had been unforgettable. He did not lift his head from the carcass. While his crimson-stained face continued consuming the internal organs, he let the hatchlings feel his permission through the waves spreading from his mind.
The hatchlings joined the feast and began tearing the carcass apart from every side. After a while, Alexander, now completely full, moved a short distance away from the body and lay down in a comfortable spot, watching his swarm devour their meal. He enjoyed the sight for some time before his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
He studied the carcass again. It was about half a meter longer than him and somewhat bulkier. It had to weigh at least seventy or eighty kilograms, he thought. This amount of food could sustain the swarm for a week, especially considering how little the hatchlings ate.
At first, he considered not giving any of the meat to the hatchlings, thinking it might contribute more to his analysis. But he was already going to consume nearly ninety percent of the carcass himself anyway. So he didn't worry about small things and allowed the hatchlings to enjoy the hunt as well.
After that, he began thinking about finding a safer, enclosed area if possible and moving the carcass there. Being caught by rival predators right now would be extremely dangerous for him. So he decided to rest for a while before getting to work. After that, he tried to pass the time by watching the hatchlings and the surroundings, but boredom did not leave him alone.
Eventually, his mind drifted toward the system. He was curious about the changes. The system interface opened, and Alexander focused on the only section where change was likely to have occurred: Statistics.
[STATISTICS]
CON: 15.7
STR: 18.9
AGI: 22.8
DEX: 13
INT: 24.6
[Biomass] – 25.2 / 25.2
[Drone Capacity] – 8 / 10
[Template Capacity] – 1 / 3
The last time he had examined his statistics had been four months earlier, when he had just recovered from the effects of the fungi. Since then, it was clear that many things had changed. He had lost a considerable amount of weight, and as a result his CON stat had decreased noticeably. But that was not the most important thing. His body was not designed for endurance anyway. It was built for sudden bursts of power.
His eyes focused on the STR and AGI stats. They had finally reached the levels they were supposed to. With the loss of excess weight and his return to an active lifestyle, his muscles had grown stronger, and his agility had finally surpassed human limits, reaching the level expected of a Nuxali.
Still, he knew it was not enough. Reaching this level had taken nearly a year and a half despite all his efforts. Compared to animals like the tigers or leopards from his former world, it was clearly pathetic. He was not even half as strong as they were. Of course, this was related to Nuxali biology.
Nuxali possessed mental and evolutionary abilities that other predators did not have. As a result, their physical development was slower, and their physical potential was lower compared to those animals. And Alexander himself belonged to the queen class. His physical attributes were lower than those of hunter drones as well. Still, when he evaluated himself by Nuxali standards, he had done well. He reminded himself that he should not become discouraged.
Still, he did not forget the truth. Up until now, he had been lucky. In this world, he had never been forced to fight a truly powerful predator. His greatest opponents had been another Nuxali swarm and a pack of hyenas, and those were threats he had managed to overcome with the strength of his own swarm. But now his swarm consisted only of hatchlings. Against a major threat, he would not stand a chance, and he knew it.
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A massive caravan stretching nearly half a kilometer from end to end was making its way eastward alongside hundreds of mountains covered with enormous trees, surrounded by a breathtaking landscape. Aside from three Lungrims, the caravan had no riding animals, so hundreds of people walked beneath the blazing sun with heavy packs and sacks on their backs. Their only comfort was the gentle wind that occasionally shielded them from the worst of the heat. The journey was exhausting, but it was even harder for the children. The younger ones often complained and cried, tiring their already burdened parents even more.
What they wanted was simple. They wanted to ride the Lungrims.
For the good of the caravan, Loren had assigned one of the Lungrims to carry the children and the elderly. But of course, a single Lungrim was not enough, so they had to take turns. It was obvious the small children were not happy about this arrangement.
At the front of the caravan, Loren and his men guided the way. Aktar walked beside them.
Looking at the scenery, he spoke.
"The Ikran Mountains… I never imagined they would be this vast."
Loren replied with a faint smile.
"It's been more than thirty years since the first time I saw these mountain ranges, and even I am still impressed by them. Especially when you know what lives within them."
"What lives within them… Are you talking about the mountain tribes?"
"Yes. And also the Ikran, the creatures the mountains are named after."
From the side, Nurk asked, his excitement clearly audible in his voice,
"Have you ever seen them, Loren? I heard they're difficult to find even in the mountains."
Loren turned his gaze toward the mountains with a distant expression and answered.
"I was younger back then. My father led the caravan, and I helped him. We were passing through these lands, and I wanted to see the Ikran, but my father didn't allow it. As you know, we don't trade with the mountain villages because reaching them is very difficult. They live high up in the mountains. It's impossible to take Lungrims there. But I was very curious about the Urtu, the ones who fly by riding those magnificent creatures, so I didn't listen to my father and ran off. I climbed into the mountains alone."
"I couldn't even find the villages. Night came, and I was freezing. The next day my food ran out, and I began to starve. If a woman warrior from the Tayrangi tribe hadn't found me lost in the forest and taken me back to their village, I would have died. In the village, I saw dozens of Ikran. They were beautiful creatures in many different colors. The Urtu rode them and flew above the mountains. Flying in the sky truly looked freeing."
"Only the villagers know the breeding grounds of the Ikran. They never reveal them to outsiders."
Everyone was impressed by the story. The mountains were a source of curiosity for all of them, and they talked about them for a while longer. But before long, the conversation returned to Zeswa's future. Soon the mountains would disappear behind them, and when they reached the green plains and scattered forests ahead, they would arrive among the great tribes. Their fate would be decided there.