I could hear water flowing nearby, and my throat burned at the sound alone. I was thirsty—badly—but there were two demonic creatures close to the source, both carrying asura energy levels not far from those bipedal beasts. I could wait it out, stay hidden, let them leave… but something felt off. Their energy wasn't stable—it was clashing.
They were fighting.
I moved quietly, lowering myself behind a patch of tall grass, careful not to make a sound. From there, I angled my view toward the source. A rocky rise where the water spilled down into a narrow stream… and just like I thought—
They were already going at it.
Interesting.
So they kill each other too.
One of them looked like a wolf—lean, fast, its movements sharp and calculated. The other… a blackbuck, or something close to it. Twisting horns, but the body was wrong, distorted, like it didn't fully belong to itself anymore. The buck charged again and again, trying to ram through, while the wolf circled, waiting for an opening.
Then it got one.
It lunged in and locked onto the buck's neck.
There was a struggle—violent, desperate—but it didn't last long. The buck slowed… then stopped moving altogether. And right after that, I saw it—black currents of asura energy leaking from its body, drifting, then getting pulled into the wolf.
Absorption.
No doubt about it.
The same thing.
The wolf's energy spiked almost immediately, and changes began showing across its body. Subtle at first… then clearer. Its frame tightened, muscles shifting under its skin, something unnatural reshaping it from the inside.
Evolution by consuming.
Efficient.
Way too efficient.
I stayed still, watching closely as the two energies began to blend. The wolf's asura presence adapted, adjusting itself to what it had just taken in. Then I saw it—a small horn pushing out from the top of its head, similar to the buck's, rough and incomplete but there.
I leaned forward slightly, drawn in despite myself.
What exactly was happening inside it…?
That curiosity didn't last long.
The tiger appeared.
Again.
Out of nowhere.
One moment there was nothing—next, it was already there, jaws locked onto the wolf's neck. No wasted movement, no hesitation. Just clean, brutal precision. From its mouth, green flames spilled out, not like fire but something thicker, heavier… they seeped into the wolf's body, breaking through it, tearing into its core.
The wolf didn't even get a chance.
It died like it was nothing.
As its body went still, the remaining asura energy scattered outward—but I didn't hesitate. I reached out and pulled it in, absorbing what I could before it faded completely.
A low, heavy growl followed.
The tiger noticed.
Of course it did.
I stepped out from the grass slowly—no point hiding now—and faced it directly. It stared at me, unblinking, but I ignored it, walking past instead. My focus was on the water. I knelt down near the stream and scooped it up with my hands, drinking greedily.
Cold.
Sharp.
It burned going down—but it felt good.
I didn't let my guard down though. Even as I drank, I kept the tiger in my peripheral vision, watching for any movement. If it wanted to attack, it already would have… but that didn't mean I trusted it.
Not even a little.
This forest was huge.
So why the hell did I keep running into this thing?
I pushed the thought aside, stood up once I had enough, and started moving again. But then—
The weird part.
The tiger hadn't moved while I was there.
Not even once.
But the moment I started walking—
It did too.
Following me.
Not close, not aggressive… just there, trailing behind at a distance.
"…ahh, fuck."
It was getting on my nerves.
"The first thing I do after I recover… I'm killing and eating that thing."
I let a small amount of atma leak outward, just enough to keep track of it. It faded in and out throughout the day—sometimes disappearing completely, only to show up again later like it never left.
It should've realized by now this place wasn't livable anymore. No prey, too many threats… everything was moving out. But, why was it heading in the same direction as me?
What the hell was going on in its head?
If it was a human, I could guess—make up reasons, possibilities—but a tiger? What was I supposed to do with that?
Was I its backup food?
The thought hit harder than I expected.
A chill ran down my spine.
My atma was already stretched thin just keeping me alive, and the asura energy I had left was almost gone. I'd been burning through it the whole day just to track that stupid tiger.
Eventually, it disappeared from my senses.
For a while.
So I stopped wasting what little energy I had left.
Evening came.
I was done.
Too tired to keep going, too drained to care, so I found a spot that looked safe enough and settled down, ready to call it a day.
And then—
Yeah.
Of course.
The tiger showed up again.
Out of nowhere.
"…this is getting old."
But this time, it was different.
It came closer than before.
Too close.
My heart picked up, instincts kicking in, ready for something—but it didn't attack. It just walked past me slightly, took a few steps… then lowered itself and lay down.
Way too close for comfort.
I just stared at it.
Completely lost.
Then slowly—
A grin spread across my face.
"…no way."
An unlikely ally.
At least—
I hoped so.