The safe return of the lion pride hunters stirred a primal satisfaction deep within Leon's heart.
All seven adult lions and lionesses of the pride had come back, none missing, none limping, and each bearing fresh wounds earned in triumph. Between their blood-streaked jaws, they dragged one full-grown bull antelope and three calves across the golden-grassed clearing.
The hunt had clearly been a success; only the torrential storm and chilled winds had delayed their return to the den. Now, with the skies finally clear and the plains dry under the midday sun, they had raced back with urgency burning in their paws.
One lioness, lean and scarred, was his mother in this life. Despite the exhaustion in her limbs, she pushed forward faster than the others, her maternal instinct as wild and indomitable as ever.
Leon padded forward to greet her, rubbing his head affectionately against her shoulder. Her muzzle brushed against his face in return, a deep rumble of pride echoing in her throat as her amber eyes took in his larger frame.
He had grown again. And she noticed.
Without hesitation, she nudged one of the fresh antelope calves toward him. Its soft fur still bore the scent of mother's milk.
Leon was pleased but refused, signaling with a flick of his tail that the calf should go to the youngest of the pride, the lioness cub he thought of as his sister. It would be easier on her stomach.
The elder lioness blinked at him, visibly moved. Her tongue swiped over his cheek again in silent approval, and Leon endured it with the patience of a lion bound by instinct, not embarrassment.
Soon after, the rest of the pride stirred from the den.
The young lionesses sister padded forward to greet their returning mothers, excited chirps and soft mewls echoing in the den. Bud, Leon's scrappy grey-maned companion, remained close to his flank—his oversized paws silent on the stone as he tailed his alpha like a loyal shadow.
The carcass of the calf was torn open and pushed toward the hungry cubs.
Bud looked like he might leap forward first, but hesitated. His golden eyes flicked to Leon's. Only after receiving a silent nod did he lower his head to eat.
None of the lionesses objected. By now, it was clear: Leon's authority, for all his youth, had become absolute among the cubs.
He was nearly the size of a full-grown lioness. And his power had been proven.
Even the oldest hunters acknowledged that he was growing too fast, too strong, too sharp.
Their silent gazes said it all.
Minutes later, the pride's leader returned—the massive, battle-worn lion who had sired most of the den.
His mane clung with sand and dried blood from the storm, and his roars echoed into the cliffs behind them. He paused to sniff his children, then dropped the kill he'd been dragging and settled on a ledge with a thundering sigh.
No questions were asked. The lives of lions were too primal, too harsh for sentiment. Their survival was the only thing that mattered.
With the full pride back, the den roared back to life.
Some lionesses curled around their cubs, others resumed patrol duty. One elder female began teaching her daughter how to stalk unseen through the tall grass, her tail flicking with every correction.
Meanwhile, the pride leader left again to renew the scent-marks around their territory—his roar scattering birds into the sky as a message to all who might trespass.
Back in the den, the lioness mother nudged Leon toward the carcass of the massive antelope.
Its antlers had been snapped during the kill. A giant, muscular beast with thick hide and muscular legs. Even in death, it radiated strength.
Species: Antelope(Female, Deceased)
Level: 8
Vitality: 1265
Endurance: 85
Strength: 65
Defense: 53
Speed: 35
Larger than any gazelle or zebra, this antelope was like a four-legged fortress. Even female, her body was a mountain. It had taken everything the lionesses had to bring her down.
This carcass would feed the entire pride for days.
Leon wasted no time. He padded up to the thick neck, opened his jaws wide, and tore away a slab of steaming red flesh.
[Ding! You have consumed antelope meat. Gained +5 Evolution Points.]
One bite, five points. His eyes gleamed.
This was the highest single gain he'd ever received from any prey. Even the first bite of leopardess meat had only rewarded three.
He dug in with renewed hunger, ripping into flesh and tendon with bone-cracking power.
[Ding! +4.7 Evolution Points.]
[Ding! +4.4 Evolution Points.]
[Ding! +4.1 Evolution Points.]
The notifications flowed like blood from the antelope's jugular.
The points dropped slowly with each bite, but the flavor only improved. The meat was rich, tender, packed with primal energy. Much better than the stringy gazelle he'd torn apart days earlier.
He gorged until his belly swelled. He had devoured nearly ten kilograms of meat—far beyond the appetite of a full-grown lioness. It rivaled even the patriarch.
The feast brought strength, warmth, and something more—progress.
[You have gained over 50 Evolution Points.]
Leon's inner system flared awake.
[Status Panel]
Name: Leonidas(Leon)
Species: Lion(Mutated)
Level: 4
Vitality: 400
Endurance: 40
Strength: 40
Defense: 40
Speed: 80
Evolution Points: 125
Talent: [Hunt] – D-Rank (Upgradeable)
Just 35 points away from leveling up again.
Excitement surged through him. With each evolution, his body sharpened—teeth harder, muscles denser, instincts more refined. Strength was survival. Strength was freedom.
He would rise above this pride and all others.
After Leon had finished, Bud stepped forward and began tearing into what was left.
Days passed. The pride remained in the den, resting, healing, growing.
One adult antelope and three calves had sustained them well.
On the final day, with nothing but bones and scraps remaining, the lionesses stirred, intent on the next hunt. But the air was thick with fog and wind again. They stayed put, conserving energy.
Leon, meanwhile, sat atop the den's sun-warmed stone, restless.
He had gained another thirty Evolution Points. Only a few more, and he would break through again.
But every time he moved toward the plains, a warning growl from the pride leader forced him back.
It was not yet time.
But it would be.
Soon.