Sweet Prey

Darkness.

I don't see anything. I don't feel anything. There's no sense of touch, no ground beneath my feet, no wind brushing against my skin. Just an empty void.

What… is this?

I try to move, but there's nothing to move. It's like I don't even have a body.

Am I dead? No, that doesn't make sense. I was just…

Wait. What was I doing?

Memories flood my mind, sharp and vivid. I was playing Mineria, the most popular game in the world breaking all the charts and even some platforms. It was the ultimate combination of sandbox, souls-like combat, and strategy. I had spent years mastering it, rising through the ranks, defeating every challenger in my path including PvE and PvP. And just before everything turned black—

"The Golden Pickaxe!" I exclaim in my thoughts.

I won it. The ultimate prize, proof that I was the best in the world. Only one player could hold it at any given time, and I had conquered the global leaderboard. I remember the exhilaration, the countless hours, the strategies I devised—

And then… nothing.

I struggle to think about what happened next. Did I pass out? Did something happen to my PC?

Before I can figure it out, something changes.

Warmth.

A strange, comforting sensation envelops me. It's gentle but foreign. I've been in VR pods before, I've felt full-body simulations, but this… this is different. It's natural. It's… real?

Then comes the sensation of weight. I feel like I'm being carried, cradled even.

What the hell is happening?!

Panic surges through me. I try to move, but my limbs won't respond. I try to open my mouth, but no words come out. Instead—

"Waaaaahhh!"

Wait. What?!

I just… cried?

I hear voices, murmurs, and movement around me. My ears feel strange, as if they were muffled, but I can still make out faint words. The sounds of people talking, though I can't understand what they're saying. The voices are soft, yet filled with emotion.

No way. This isn't possible.

I try again, forcing my eyes to open, but my body refuses to obey. My head spins, and another wail escapes my lips.

"It's a boy!" a voice exclaims excitedly.

More noise. More commotion. My body is being passed around, and the warmth surrounding me shifts. A strange yet familiar scent fills my nose, comforting yet foreign. My body, or whatever this is, feels small and fragile.

Then it hits me.

I've been reborn. These voices I hear and my own voice, it was clear what was happening but at the same time it wasn't.

No. No, no, no. That's impossible. That only happens in novels and games. I am Shennong, 24 years old, a professional gamer at the peak of his career! I was just holding the most prestigious in-game item in existence! There's no way—

Another wave of exhaustion washes over me, and I can't fight it. My mind screams in resistance, but my body, this small, frail thing, gives in. My eyelids grow heavier until finally—

Darkness again.

***

The cavernous ruins were silent, save for the soft rustling of the wind that seeped through the broken stone walls. A crimson-skinned woman with slightly brown hair, twisted horns curling back from her forehead, and barely any clothing stood over a fallen man. Her long, sharp nails traced the air as she licked her lips, her golden eyes gleaming with hunger.

"Mmm... what a delicious prey, I hope it is a virgin." she purred, her voice sultry and dripping with anticipation. But the moment her eyes fully took in the man's frail form, her excitement faded. Her lips curled in disappointment as she let out a sigh. "Tch, another weak old man."

She crouched beside him, her sharp nails lightly grazing his cheek. He was old—too old. His lifeforce was dim, flickering like a candle about to be snuffed out. What a waste.

"If it were the others, they'd probably do this frail human, but..." she muttered to herself, ready to dispose of him and move on because she was a picky eater..

Just as she was about to stand, a soft cry pierced the silence.

She froze.

A baby? Here?

Her sharp gaze darted toward the man's arms, and for the first time, she noticed the bundle he held protectively against his chest. She reached out, prying the cloth away with delicate fingers, revealing a tiny, crying human child.

She blinked, confusion flashing across her face. "A human baby and a something that look like a human weapon?"

Her clawed fingers curled under the child's chin, tilting his face up. He was small, weak, and utterly defenseless. But then—

Her breath hitched.

A sudden pulse of energy washed over her, making her golden eyes widen. Strong. This child had an incredibly strong life force. Even as an infant, his essence radiated with potential, more vibrant than most grown men she had encountered.

A slow, wicked smile spread across her lips.

"Oh...?" she mused, cradling the child in her arms, feeling the warmth seep into her cold skin. "What a rare find."

She glanced back at the unconscious man. He would not wake again. Even now, his grip on life was slipping away. She had no interest in the weak. But this baby…

She stood up, swaying her hips as she rocked the child lightly in her arms, her mind already forming a plan.

"Other succubi would just drain this one dry," she murmured, glancing down at the infant's face, his tiny fists curled as he whimpered softly. "But why waste such a strong source? I'll wait until it ripens and take the best meal of my life."

She let out a small chuckle, her sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light. "Yes… I'll raise you. I'll shape you into the most delicious man, one who can feed me and my sisters for years."

The baby's cries softened, as if sensing the shift in fate, and she ran a claw gently along his cheek.

"My little treasure," she whispered. "You will grow strong… for me."

With that, she stepped into the shadows, her form fading into the darkness, carrying the crying infant away from the corpse of the man who once held him. A new fate had been sealed, one that would change the world forever.