Struggle

Not long, the boar had no clue it was being stalked. But it wasn't dumb either.

Reaching Level 8 as a Mortal Beast wasn't just about eating a lot—it meant instincts sharper than a freshly forged sword. It moved constantly, never staying still for too long.

For Wei Long, this was a problem.

Every time he crept closer, the boar would suddenly shift direction.

Every time he thought he found an opening, the boar would adjust its stance, ears twitching like it sensed something was wrong.

Annoying.

This thing was faster than him. Stronger than him. If he didn't play this right, he'd be the one getting trampled.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, the boar finally stopped.

It lowered its head to graze, ripping up the grass with its massive tusks.

This was his chance.

But Wei Long didn't attack immediately.

No—biting it now would be stupid. If he lunged, the boar would panic and bolt before his venom could even kick in.

So instead…

He let his Toxic Scales do the work.

Ever so subtly, his Bio-engineered Mortal Toxic Scales (Peak) activated.

A faint, invisible vapor began seeping from his body, carried by the wind.

It drifted silently toward the boar, entering its nostrils, creeping into its ears, coating its eyes, and slipping past its thick lips.

And just like that—

The poison had already invaded its system… without the beast realizing a thing.

Wei Long grinned. Nice and easy.

But then—

The boar froze.

It blinked.

It sniffed.

And then—

It panicked.

The beast suddenly stomped the ground, its body trembling as its instincts finally screamed:

"DANGER! DANGER! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

Before Wei Long could even process what was happening, the buff pig shot forward like a cannonball.

Wait… what?

The poison was supposed to kick in gradually, weakening its senses before it even realized it was dying!

But this boar… was running!?

Wei Long cursed internally.

No, no, no, you're supposed to SLOW DOWN, not SPEED UP!

This wasn't good. If it escaped before the venom took full effect, the fight would be over.

Thinking fast, Wei Long lunged.

His teeth sank into its thick, muscled neck!

The boar squealed in shock.

But instead of stopping—

It RAN FASTER.

Wei Long's tiny dinosaur body jerked violently as he was yanked along for the ride.

He gritted his teeth, refusing to let go. He needed to keep the boar off balance, stop it from escaping!

So he did the only thing he could—

He used his head. Literally.

With a sharp twist of his neck, he yanked the boar's head to the side.

The creature stumbled.

Then, with a mighty swing of his body—

WHAM!

Wei Long slammed its skull against a tree!

The boar grunted in pain, but kept running.

So Wei Long did it again.

WHAM!

Again.

WHAM!

Again.

WHAM!

But this stupid, stubborn pig… refused to go down!

Wei Long was getting tired.

He wasn't even sure if the poison was working fast enough.

His jaw hurt. His claws ached. His stamina was dropping.

And then, all of a sudden—

His grip slipped.

And just like that—

The boar broke free.

Wei Long collapsed onto the ground, panting.

The boar didn't even look back.

It just kept running and running, disappearing into the distance.

Leaving Wei Long in the dirt, defeated.

"Are. You. KIDDING. ME?"

He lay there, staring up at the night sky.

All that effort. All that hunting. For nothing.

His grand plan to level up faster? Ruined.

His dream of getting some awesome new ability from a Level 8 beast? Shattered.

His dignity as a dinosaur?

Questionable.

He groaned.

Fine.

Whatever.

I didn't want to eat that stupid pig anyway.

Rolling onto his feet, Wei Long huffed and shook the dirt off his scales.

He still had time.

He still had options.

There were plenty of weaker beasts in the sanctuary.

No point in chasing a buff pig that got away.

He'd just have to go back to hunting Level 4 creatures.

For now.

Like he had a choice anyway.

Just as Wei Long thought he was safe, ready to rest and pretend his last failure never happened—

The ground rumbled.

His entire body froze.

A split second later, his Predatory Senses (Peak) screamed at him.

Something was coming. Fast.

He turned his head—

And what did he see?

THE BUFF PIG.

Charging at him like a cultivation world sports car with a V16 turbo engine.

Wei Long's jaw dropped.

ARE YOU SERIOUS!?

Not only was it back—it was FASTER.

Its muscles bulged like an over-trained bodybuilder, its hooves tore into the earth, and its bloodshot eyes were locked onto him like he had personally insulted its entire boar ancestry.

It wasn't just running—it was accelerating.

This thing had some kind of ability.

Wei Long realized something in that moment.

Just because I have Bio-engineering doesn't mean I can underestimate anything in this world.

If he had thought like some overconfident protagonist, assuming he could just climb levels and win with ease—

He would have been trampled to death right here.

But now wasn't the time to admire life lessons.

Because right now,

HE WAS ABOUT TO GET HIT BY A BUFF PIG BULLET.

Wei Long licked his lips.

That's more like it, he whispered while grinning.

Instead of running or panicking, he simply—

VANISHED.

His Bio-engineered Mortal Camouflage (Peak) activated, blending him perfectly into the environment.

The boar's eyes widened in confusion.

But it was too late.

It had already reached a speed too fast to stop.

It slammed into a tree.

Then another.

Then another.

And another.

CRASH! BANG! BOOM!

By the time the boar finally skidded to a disoriented halt, Wei Long was already behind it.

And this time, he bit down HARD.

"GOTCHA."

The buff pig squealed—but unlike before, it wasn't panicking.

No, this time, it fought back.

It twisted its body, trying to slam him into trees.

Wei Long snarled, twisting with it, using his grip to control its movements.

It was a battle of strength vs. technique.

Momentum vs. control.

The buff pig tried to crush him with its weight.

Wei Long tried to throw it off balance.

It rammed.

He redirected.

It slammed.

He twisted.

Wei Long's jaw ached, but he refused to let go.

But then—

Something unexpected happened.

THUD!

The boar suddenly collapsed.

And because of its sheer momentum—

Both Wei Long and the pig were sent rolling through the dirt.

They tumbled and tumbled, a chaotic mess of scales, fur, and pure stubbornness—

Until finally, they came to a stop.

Wei Long immediately scrambled to his feet, rushing toward the boar, ready to bite it again, make sure it wouldn't get up this time—

But then, he froze.

The boar… wasn't breathing.

Its chest didn't rise.

Its tusked mouth had frothy bubbles dripping from it.

Wei Long blinked.

He stared at it for a long moment.

Then, slowly, realization dawned.

"…Wait. It actually died?"

He had given up on his toxic ability.

He had decided to end this with pure strength.

But in the end—

It was his Bio-engineered Mortal Toxic Scales (Peak) that finished the job.

Wei Long sighed internally.

So I was wrestling a pig for my life… when it was already dying anyway?

…That was a little embarrassing.

But whatever. A win's a win.

And now, he could eat.

Soon, he would bow his head to it while opening his mouth.

Bite by bite, Wei Long devoured the buff boar.

His stomach expanded slightly as he swallowed the last piece.

Then—

Ding!

A system notification appeared.

Satisfaction: 99.9% / 100%

Hydration: 99.1% / 100%

Wei Long's eyes bulged.

He let out an instinctive, loud exclamation:

"WHAT!?"

How in the prehistoric hell did it go up THAT much!?