The mist inside his body was real.
After consuming the beast meat, the MC could clearly perceive faint strands of pale mist lingering within his flesh. It flowed slowly, quietly, like a dormant river—but no matter how hard he tried, it refused to respond to his will.
I can see it… yet I can't move it.
His thoughts drifted to the rhinoceros beast he had observed earlier.
That beast absorbed the mist through its skin. The energy fused naturally with its body.
Humans were different. His body lacked that instinctive affinity.
But—
Different doesn't mean impossible.
If force failed, then perhaps attraction was the answer.
The MC carefully observed his surroundings. This land itself was constantly absorbing mist, the concentration growing denser with time. The energy wasn't static—it gravitated toward something capable of containing it.
If even the land can absorb it… then maybe I can too.
His gaze sharpened.
Perhaps the brain is the key.
Taking a slow breath, he focused his consciousness on his forehead.
The instant he did—
"Aaah!"
A violent pain exploded inside his head, sharp and piercing, as if a blade had been driven straight into his skull. His vision blurred as cold sweat drenched his body. He immediately broke his focus and staggered back.
Too dangerous.
Forcing it now would kill me.
He steadied his breathing, clenching his fists.
Forget it for now. My food was almost gone—I should hunt first.
The forest swallowed him whole.
This time, his target was the same type of leopard beast. He climbed into the branches of a tall tree, concealing his presence as he waited patiently for prey.
Time passed.
Too much time.
No small beasts appeared. No medium-sized ones either.
The forest grew unnaturally silent. Even the sound of insects vanished. The MC's instincts screamed danger.
Fear lingered in the air.
This place… is wrong.
Slowly, carefully, he began retreating—
Suddenly—
A crushing killing intent descended from above.
The MC's pupils shrank as his yellow eyes flared instinctively.
He twisted his body aside—
BOOM!
A massive shadow slammed into the ground, shattering the tree into splinters. Wood and leaves scattered violently as the shockwave threw the MC backward.
He barely stabilized himself, staring at the creature before him.
A leopard beast—larger than any he had seen before. Its muscles bulged beneath its skin, veins pulsing with mist energy. Its eyes burned with savage intelligence.
"Shit…"
So this is why the forest is silent.
This is its territory.
The beast locked its chilling gaze onto him. The pressure alone made his chest feel heavy.
I can't win.
I need to leave—now.
The leopard moved.
It vanished.
The MC's heart nearly stopped as his yellow eyes barely caught the blur of motion. He rolled desperately to the side as claws tore through the air where his head had been.
The ground split open.
He counterattacked instantly, thrusting his spear forward with all his strength.
Clang—CRACK!
The spear shattered on impact.
The beast didn't even flinch.
Despair surged through him.
The gap… is too big.
Before he could retreat, the leopard's tail struck like a steel whip.
BAM!
The MC was sent flying, smashing into a tree with bone-rattling force. Blood burst from his mouth as sharp pain spread through his body.
He struggled to stand.
The leopard approached slowly, deliberately—enjoying the hunt.
The MC forced his body to move, activating his eyes once more. He narrowly dodged another lethal strike, but the beast's claw still grazed him, tearing flesh and spraying fresh blood into the air.
His vision blurred.
His legs trembled.
I'm at my limit…
The leopard lunged again.
This time—
He couldn't dodge.
A powerful blow smashed into his chest, sending him crashing to the ground. His breath escaped in a violent gasp as pain flooded every corner of his body.
The beast stood over him.
Its shadow swallowed him whole.
The MC looked up, consciousness fading, the predator's hot breath washing over his face.
Then—
Darkness claimed him.
When consciousness returned, the MC felt cold stone beneath him.
He was being carried.
The leopard dragged him into a nearby cave before dropping him onto the ground.
At the center of the cave sat a man.
His body was heavily injured, one arm completely missing. His aura was weak and unstable—yet his eyes glowed with an eerie green light.
At that moment, the leopard's eyes began glowing with the same green color.
Under an unseen command, the beast bit into its own paw and began drawing a formation on the ground with its blood.
"You've done well," the man said coldly."But I no longer need you."
"Use all your blood. Complete the formation."
The leopard obeyed, its movements stiff and lifeless, like a puppet controlled by invisible strings. When the formation was completed, its body collapsed—lifeless.
The man exhaled slowly.
"Finally… a human."
"This one's qualifications are acceptable. Not enough to be called a genius—but sufficient."
"If not for those two bastards who chased me across the Middle Thousand World for a single technique, how could I have fallen to this state?"
"My cultivation dropped from Soul Formation to Foundation Establishment."
"I had no choice."
"I must seize this body and cultivate again."
"With these qualifications, it will take at least five hundred years to recover my former realm."
"At least my Nascent Soul survived. Otherwise, I would already be dead."
He placed his palm on the MC's forehead.
The formation lit up.
Green light surged violently.
A fragment of the man's soul descended into the MC's consciousness.
"Hahaha!"
"Once I seize this body, I'll use my treasures to rapidly rebuild my cultivation and take my revenge on those two!"
Suddenly—
His laughter stopped.
His expression froze.
"What…?"
"What is this…?!"
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