Hunting

His mind drifted to the idea of hunting wild boars in the nearby woods.

But could he even manage that in his current state? His strength was minimal, and he lacked any real experience.

His stomach twisted at the thought.

Not from hunger, but from something deeper.

Before he could dwell on it, the door to his mother's room creaked open.

Raen snapped his head up.

Lira stepped out, looking composed, a soft smile on her lips as if nothing had happened.

Selene's eyes lit up, and she ran to embrace their mother.

Lira knelt carefully, wrapping her arms around her daughter.

Raen watched the scene unfold, unmoving.

But his eyes didn't leave Lira.

He studied her closely, searching for any signs of strain.

Pain.

Weakness.

But he saw none.

She knows how to hide pain, he thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Still, that lingering unease stayed with him.

Lira soon joined them at the table, and her untouched bowl of food was already waiting.

Raen quietly made up his mind.

I need to hunt.

After that decision settled in his chest, he finally picked up his spoon and began eating.

The three of them ate together in peaceful silence.

Until a sudden knock echoed through the house.

Raen froze.

His grip tightened on the spoon, and his eyes slowly drifted toward the door.

He rose cautiously, his instincts sharpening, and opened it to find a man standing there, formally dressed, a satchel slung over his shoulder, and a sealed envelope in hand.

Without a word, the man glanced at him, confirming his identity.

"Raen Thalor?"

Raen gave a slow nod.

The man handed over the envelope and, without waiting for a response, turned on his heel.

Then, impossibly, wings shimmering and translucent like a projection unfurled from his back.

With a powerful flap, he lifted off the ground and vanished into the sky.

Raen blinked.

"Delivery guy," he muttered, shutting the door.

Efficient, I guess.

He returned to the table, setting the envelope aside and continuing to eat as if nothing had happened.

His mother, Lira, silently observed him for a long moment before turning her attention back to Selene.

When Raen finished his meal, the system message appeared once again:

[+5 Energy]

Routine. Familiar.

He gathered the dishes and handled the chores without complaint, slipping back into the rhythm of a normal day.

Selene was still too young for the clan's academy, so her lessons were taught at home, standard practice for children until they came of age.

But Raen's thoughts lingered on his mother.

Once Selene was settled, he approached her, careful not to startle her.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked, lowering his voice.

Lira offered a small smile.

"As good as always."

It was a lie.

A thin one.

Raen's jaw tightened.

"Lady Agatha treated you, You'll be on the same treatment for a while."

Her smile faded slightly.

"I understand. But... have you checked the letter you received?"

Raen hesitated.

His eyes drifted to the envelope resting on the table.

"I think I know what it says," he admitted.

"I just don't know if I want to follow through with it."

"Why not?"

He looked away.

"It doesn't feel like the right time. Not with everything going on."

Lira's expression softened.

"Raen, you don't need to worry about us. We can take care of ourselves. This is your chance to prove yourself as a beast cultivator."

Her words stirred something inside him but also tightened the knot in his chest.

Raen stared at the envelope, debating whether to tell her.

Would she still look at him the same if she knew about the serpent core inside him? About the primal hunger clawing at his mind?

No.

Not yet.

Not until he could control it.

He tore open the oddly wrapped letter and unfolded the paper inside.

RAEN THALOR, BRANCH FAMILY OF THE SILVER.

Branch family?

Not even acknowledging his father's name.

His lip curled.

ADMITTED INTO THE THALOR CLAN INSTITUTE UPON SUCCESSFUL ASSIMILATION WITH A BEAST CORE.

Stamped and approved by the HEAD OF INSTITUTE and CLAN PATRIARCH.

Raen let out a cold breath.

"They couldn't even use Dad's name," he muttered bitterly.

Lira didn't comment.

A thought struck him suddenly.

"Mum... why can't you teach me instead?" he blurted out, more desperate than he intended.

"You were one of the best in the academy. Why should I bother with them when I could learn more from you?"

Lira's smile faltered.

She sighed, brushing a hand through her hair.

"Raen, I chose my path. You need to choose yours. What I can teach you may not be what you need. The academy can offer more than I can now."

Raen frowned, but deep down, he knew she had already thought this through.

"I doubt they'll teach me anything worth learning," he muttered, pushing himself up from the chair.

"Raen..." Lira's voice softened.

"Please. Don't worry about us. Get ready to leave. I'll be prepared to escort you when the time comes."

He hesitated, then gave a small nod.

"I'll let you know when I'm ready."

Without another word, he turned and left the house.

The moment the door shut behind him, Raen sprinted toward the clan gates.

What am I doing?

His mind spun as he ran.

Somewhere during his chores, he had pocketed a kitchen knife.

It's not the best weapon, but it's better than nothing.

It wouldn't do much against thick-hided beasts like the boars, but now that he was at the first stage of the Primal Awakening Realm, he could afford to take more risks.

Last time, he'd used a makeshift spear to keep his distance from the wolves, but this time... he had a theory he wanted to test.

A dangerous one.

He followed the same winding path toward the forest, the same path where he'd barely survived the wolf attack.

They're still out there.

The wolves.

He had a score to settle.

The forest loomed ahead, dense and dark, swallowing the light.

Without hesitation, Raen vaulted over the underbrush and plunged into the shadows.

This was no ordinary forest.

It was divided into four sectors, each crawling with beasts of increasing strength.

This section teemed with creatures ranging from the Primal Awakening Realm to the Core Infusion Realm.

Anything beyond that?

Unlucky.

That's what they called it when you stumbled upon a beast that shouldn't be there, a stubborn remnant or a creature freshly evolved.

And if Raen was right, he was about to find out just how unlucky he could get.

It was still daytime when Raen stepped into the forest, but the deeper he ventured, the darker it grew.

Shadows stretched long between the towering trees, their dense canopy blotting out the sunlight.

Despite his recent assimilation with a beast core, Raen knew better than to overestimate himself.

Encountering a beast at the peak of the Primal Awakening Realm(Stage Five) would be bad enough.

But if he crossed paths with a Core Infusion Realm beast, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Fighting was impossible.

Running? Even less so.

His steps grew quieter as he moved deeper, carefully scanning his surroundings.

A few rabbits darted between bushes, and wild goats grazed lazily in the distance.

Easy prey, he knew how to catch creatures like these.

'I've tried to assimilate with nearly every animal in this forest.'

Raen crouched low, moving beneath the canopy, every movement deliberate.

His eyes flicked to every rustle, every shadow.

Then he noticed something strange.

He was licking his lips.

Again.

And again.

He paused, frowning.

His lips weren't dry, and the air here was damp, though not stifling.

This wasn't a rainforest, nothing should be causing this.

Why am I…?

Then it clicked.

It wasn't thirst.

It was hunger.

Anticipation.

A slow, primal hunger curled in his gut.

Raen swallowed hard.

He refocused, grounding himself.

The air here barely moved, but faint currents drifted through now and then.

He shifted his stance slightly, angling toward the breeze.

It was one of his hunting instincts, reading the air.

As he pressed on, he glimpsed stronger, wilder beasts moving through the shadows.

He avoided them.

This forest worked on two rules: Territory and No Man's Land.

In a beast's territory, killing something meant risking immediate retaliation.

Territorial beasts didn't live alone.

Wolves, for example, always hunted in packs.

No Man's Land was no safer.

A fight there could draw scavengers or opportunistic beasts.

They wouldn't wait for him to fall before moving in.

'Thread carefully.' he reminded himself

Soon, Raen reached the cliff where he had fallen last time.

Its height still struck him with awe, and a hint of dread.

He knelt, studying the ground.

Paw prints.

The faint, musky scent of urine.

Disturbed soil.

All subtle signs of movement.

Raen followed the trail, tracking their habits.

He read the terrain, how often the ground was used, the slope of the earth, and how the surroundings fit their behavior.

It led him to a slope, partially hidden by rocks, forming the mouth of a cave.

It wasn't fully natural, not yet.

'Give it two more years' he thought.

'And the earth will fortify it on its own.'

This was it.

The wolves' den.

Not many beasts with paws traveled in packs, making it an easy deduction.

Still, Raen remained cautious.

Wolves were smarter than most beasts at this level.

This could easily be a trap or perhaps they were just careless.

Slowly, he drew the knife from his belt.

In their territory now, every move mattered.

He exhaled quietly.

Let's hope this goes smoothly.