Hearing Sam's words, Xuan paused to think about it—and he had a point. He relaxed his frown, his usual easygoing demeanor returning.
"C'mon, let's go! It's still early—let's find us a beast to test this thing on. My blade's practically *itching* to cut something."
Seeing Xuan drop the subject of his weird internal power, Sam quickly changed gears, clutching his bone blade and urging him on.
"Deal. I think I know the perfect target—just not sure if we can track it down tonight. If not, though? I can sneak you out every night from now on."
Xuan's voice was bright with his usual youthful energy as he shifted back into his massive black panther form and stretched lazily.
A full moon hung high in the night sky, its pale silver glow spilling down to gild Xuan's sleek fur—reminding Sam of the first time they'd met, when the panther had sat regally before him, bathed in golden sunlight.
Sam climbed onto his back using the tail as a step, then gave him a light pat.
"Let's roll!"
Xuan froze, turning his head to stare at him with a very confused panther face. Sam cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh—I mean, let's move out! Go find us a beast!"
Xuan finally got it, glancing around to orient himself before darting off into the darkness.
Sam, who had zero sense of direction out here, was happy to follow wherever Xuan led.
The moon hung like a polished silver plate in the sky as the massive black panther raced across the open plains, its paws barely making a sound on the soft earth.
After what felt like forever, Xuan slowed his pace to a near-silent stalk, his head swiveling to scan the surrounding undergrowth with sharp, predatory eyes. "There's a pack of spotted brushbeasts nearby. Medium-sized for small game—they're not that tough, no real deadly attacks. Perfect for your test run."
He lowered himself to the ground so Sam could slide off his back, then filled him in on their target.
"Perfect! How do I set this up?" Sam gripped his bone blade so tight his knuckles whitened, excitement thrumming through his veins.
"Hide in that patch of tall grass over there. I'll flush one out toward you—you take your shot when it's in range." Xuan whispered the plan, his voice low and steady.
"Got it!" Sam nodded, hurrying to the designated spot and dropping to one knee in the grass, his eyes locked on Xuan.
"Don't panic. You're safe—no other beasts will come near, not with me around. Only the one I chase straight to you."
With that, Xuan wasted no time, slipping silently into the nearby trees. Sam's gaze stayed glued to the spot where he'd disappeared, his breath coming slow and shallow as he licked his dry lips, equal parts nervous and pumped.
Time dragged by agonizingly slow. Just when Sam was starting to wonder if they'd scared the beasts off, he heard the sound of rustling leaves and trampled grass coming from the direction Xuan had gone. His muscles tensed instantly, every sense sharpening as he readied himself to pounce.
The noise grew louder—whatever was making it was running full-tilt, panicking as it tried to dart left, then right, only to be herded back onto its path by some unseen force.
Sam knew it was Xuan herding the beast straight to him. Seconds later, his target burst into view.
It was a spotted brushbeast—about four and a half feet tall, its fur dappled with brown and black splotches. Xuan's massive, shadowy form loomed just behind it, driving it forward.
*That's the one.*
Sam's fingers tightened around his bone blade, his eyes fixed on the beast as it charged closer.
Ten feet.
Five feet.
Three!
*NOW!*
He burst out of the grass with a yell. The brushbeast let out a startled yelp, skidding sideways in a desperate attempt to change direction—but it was too late. The sudden turn left its flank wide open, completely unprotected.
Sam didn't hesitate. He swung the bone blade with all his strength, slicing deep into the beast's side. Hot blood splattered across his face and chest.
The brushbeast let out a howl of pain, spinning around to face its attacker—and froze when it saw it was just a sub-beastman.
A *sub-beastman*. A weakling it could've snapped in half without breaking a sweat. And this thing had *dared* to attack it?!
It let out a furious roar, lowering its head and charging straight at Sam. But Sam had been expecting this—he didn't stick around to take the hit, tumbling sideways to dodge the beast's ramming horns.
The brushbeast skidded to a stop when its charge missed, wheeling around and rearing up on its hind legs, its front paws raised to crush the annoying little sub-beastman into pulp.
Sam had been ready for this too, the second the beast had turned its back on him. He darted out of the way of the descending paws, swinging his blade again in a desperate counterattack—but the beast had learned its lesson, twisting away just in time to avoid the strike.
Sam ducked and weaved, barely avoiding the beast's flailing claws as his heart hammered in his chest. *C'mon, c'mon—where's the poison? Hurry up and kick in! I can't keep this up forever!*
On the sidelines, Xuan watched the fight with his muscles coiled tight, his claws extended and ready to pounce the second Sam looked even remotely in danger. One second later, and he would've been on the beast, tearing its throat out before it could lay a paw on Sam.
Just as the brushbeast reared up again, preparing to charge for a third time, its eyes suddenly rolled back in its head. A wave of dizziness and numbness washed over it, spreading from the deep gash in its flank to its entire body, making its legs buckle beneath it.
*THUD.*
The beast crashed to the ground, unconscious before it even hit the dirt.
"Ugh—cough, cough…" Sam waved a hand to clear the dust kicked up by the falling beast, then turned to the trees where Xuan was hiding, his voice bursting with joy. "Xuan! Xuan! Did you see that?! I took it down! C'mere, quick!"
Relief flooded through Xuan so fast it made his knees weak. He retracted his claws, schooling his face into a casual expression before stepping out of the trees and walking over to Sam.
*That was way too close. If the poison had kicked in even a second later…*
"Grab some vines—let's tie it up and haul it back to the tribe! Holy crap, I *actually* took down a beast by myself!" Sam was practically bouncing on his heels, circling the unconscious brushbeast like a kid with a new toy.
"Aren't you gonna kill it?" Xuan asked, dropping into a crouch beside him.
"Not yet. Gotta wait for the poison to wear off first. If I kill it now, the toxin'll just stay in its body—if someone eats the meat, they might end up passing out too."
After all, once something was dead, its metabolism stopped. And since the blackthorn poison worked if you ate it, Sam wasn't about to take that risk. He remembered hearing about indigenous hunters back in his world who used frog venom to hunt—poison that only worked if it got into the bloodstream, making the meat safe to eat. But this world was different, and until they were desperate for food, he wasn't gonna chance it.
While Sam was lost in thought, Xuan had already disappeared into the underbrush and returned with a handful of thick, tough vines, quickly trussing the brushbeast up tight so it couldn't escape once it woke up.
"Head back now? Or you wanna check out anywhere else?" Xuan shifted back into his panther form, lowering his head to look at Sam.
"Let's go home. It's getting late—and I'm *so* tired." Sam yawned, his eyes drooping as his drowsiness debuff hit him full force.
"Roger that."
Sam curled up on Xuan's back, his eyes half-closed as he mumbled sleepily. "This blade's amazing, y'know? We should give it to Qiuye. He goes out gathering every day—he could really use a weapon to defend himself."
After all, Sam wasn't gonna be going out gathering until his house was built, and whenever he *did* sneak out, he'd have Xuan with him. Besides, he could always make another blade later. Qiuye needed it more right now.
…
"You keep it," Xuan rumbled, his voice vibrating through Sam's chest. "We'll tell Father about the blackthorn poison trick—he'll make Qiuye a weapon way better than this one. He's got way more cool stuff stashed away than I do."
He paused for a second, then added, his voice softening into something almost like a promise.
"Someday, I'll find you a blade that's *perfect* for you. Even better than this one."
"Sounds good," Sam murmured, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand as he pressed his cheek against Xuan's warm fur. "Tell Father to make Qiuye a real nice one, okay?"
He smiled, already half-asleep.
"For now, though? This one's just… perfect. I love it."
If you enjoy the story, please add it to your library and support with a Power Stone.