Try my other work: Orc Disaster: Rise of the Savage Orc King
The leopardess' carcass had weighed nearly fifty kilograms.
Leon, despite his growing appetite, couldn't finish it all in one sitting. After devouring seven or eight kilograms of flesh, his belly bulged with satiation. But he didn't stop there for nothing.
That leopardess' meat brought him a surge, almost twenty Evolution Points in total. Another step. Another bite closer to his next level of growth.
By the time he stirred again, the meat of the eland he dragged into the cave had been eaten by cub Sister, who had a tenacious bite, but still struggled against the solid flesh.
She pawed at the carcass, then gave a low, pitiful growl. Her sharp little teeth barely scratched the surface.
Leon, watching her squirm and gnaw in frustration, finally huffed and rose from his warm hollow. He walked over, tore chunks of meat off with his powerful jaws, then shredded them into smaller pieces before tossing them toward her.
She pounced on the food with her tail wagging like a lion cub greeting her pride leader. Leon snorted. She was kin now. Even if instincts whispered at him to conserve food, his heart, what little remained human, refused to let her go hungry.
From the edge of the den, the orphaned cub watched, eyes gleaming with hunger and envy. Its thin flanks rose and fell with breathless desire, but it made no move.
Once Lion Sister had eaten her fill, Leon headed out of the den to patrol. The storm had eased but not died. Wind still howled like mourning spirits over the horizon, sharp and bitter against his fur.
"The brutal climate has drained your vitality: -5 points.""Warning: brutal climate increases energy loss. Vitality burns faster in extreme environments."
The System's voice in his ear was enough to convince Leon to end his patrol quickly and return to the cave.
He barely had time to shake the sand from his pelt before the orphaned cub, energized and bold, bounced toward the den mouth.
Then came a sharp gust of wind—WHOOSH—the cub flipped head over paws and tumbled backward like a rolling stone. It landed in a heap beside another cub, stunned but not discouraged.
"A stubborn little thing," Leon thought, tail flicking.
It got back up and tried again. And again.
Let it. If it wanted to challenge the wind, so be it. That was part of growing.
Cousin took watch while Leon nestled against a stone outcrop sheltered from the wind. Sleep came fast.
Life in the wild lacked the excitement of his past human world. But it also came without schedules, jobs, or bills. Just instinct, hunger, and strength. In some ways, it was a strange kind of freedom.
Seven days passed in storm and stillness.
The storm had been relentless, like the earth itself was trying to kill them. Only today had the skies finally opened, calm and wide.
Inside the cave, Leon gnawed the last scraps of the leopardess' carcass. Even near the end, each bite still rewarded him:
"Consumed leopardess meat. Evolution Points +0.2."
More valuable than herbivore flesh. Carnivores fed him power.
The eland meat had nearly been stripped to bone as well. The orphaned cub—now dubbed Bud in Leon's mind—had eaten like a lion's cub in a feast, nearly doubling in size. More than just growth, though. Something was… different.
Its once-light fur darkened, taking on a gunmetal sheen. Its limbs thickened. Muscles roped across its back like coiled steel. Its claws, retractable and feline-like, had grown sharper and more dexterous.
It wasn't just bigger—it was evolving.
Leon focused on the cub.
Species: Lion(Variant)Level: 2Vitality: 265Endurance: 27Strength: 28Defense: 25Speed: 23
His golden eyes narrowed.
"Variant species?"
The System hadn't listed that before. This wasn't just a stronger lion. This cub had diverged. Unlocked a hidden bloodline, perhaps.
All that food had done more than fill its belly. It had changed its nature.
"Grr..," Bud whimpered when Leon approached.
Obedient. Reverent.
Even when the elders returned, Leon knew this pup wouldn't see them as its pride.
He was the one who brought food. He was the one who punished disobedience. One paw swipe could send Bud tumbling, and the cub remembered every strike.
In the Lion Clan—or any beast clan, for that matter—strength was authority. Leon had claimed that crown long ago.
Now the cub lay down and exposed its belly—a silent, primal show of loyalty.
The most vulnerable part. The gesture meant: You are my Pride. My King.
Leon let out a low rumble and tapped his paw against Bud's head.
A subordinate, yes. And a worthy one.
The cub might not grasp the name "Bud," but Leon branded it all the same. A name in his heart, for his first underling.
He turned and leapt to the rock ledge just outside the cave. The first warm sunlight in a week bathed his pure yellow pelt, making it shimmer like a ghost amid the sand.
His form now matched a fully grown lion in size, but in strength, he surpassed them by leagues.
He stood tall, the bitter wind rustling through his mane, and surveyed the post-storm landscape.
And then—there's movement.
The sight of a well-organized lion pride, carrying ample food and slowly approaching from the distant yellow expanse, appeared in his high vantage point.
"Roaar!!" Seeing this group of figures, Leon couldn't help but roar loudly.
Soon after, a series of responsive roars rang out from afar!
"Roaar!"
"Roaar!"
The resonant and lingering roars echoed through the vast expanse of the savannah.
Try my other work: Orc Disaster: Rise of the Savage Orc King