Lin's lips curled faintly as he thought of Kea. Huo had hunted a rare two-horned red tod to gift its fur to Ziqian. Kea will surely sulk for days over it, simmering with jealousy. But what if he brought him a pitaya fruit? His wife would surely brighten at such a gift. Perhaps then Kea would finally look at him with the same admiration he gave to Huo.
Lin's chest tightened at the thought, a sour mix of bitterness and determination burning in him.
The forest grew denser as Lin led them forward. The air was damp, heavy with the scent of moss and earth. For a while, only the crunch of leaves and the sounds of insects accompanied their march.
Then one of the beasts gasped. "There!"
Their eyes followed his trembling finger, and there it was. A massive vine snaked down from the canopy of a towering tree. Hanging low were three fruits that were bigger than their heads, round and plump, their smooth skin glowing faintly in the dappled light.
The color was a deep, glossy purple. Veins of silver traced across its surface, shimmering whenever the breeze shifted the leaves above.
The tallest of the five stepped forward, eyes wide with excitement. "It's true. It's a pitaya fruit!"
Their throats bobbed as they swallowed greedily, imaginations already racing to the faces of their waiting partners that were full of admiration and praise.
Lin smirked, pride swelling in his chest. Huo may have his precious red tod fur, but he will bring back something rarer. Kea will finally see who deserves his heart.
The group drew closer, their steps slowing as they tried to move without making a sound that might draw nearby monsters. The forest was eerily quiet, yet blinded by greed, none of them questioned it.
A small black bird cawed above the tree, then silence fell once more. No one notices the unnatural stillness of the surroundings. Their eyes were locked solely on the gleaming fruits.
One by one, the five beastmen approached and surrounded the tree. Lin crouched first, checking the soil and sniffing the air.
Every monster emitted a distinct scent to warn or drive away others. The stronger the beast, the stronger its scent lingered in the air.
But right now, he couldn't smell anything, nothing at all. That could only mean that there had been no monsters nearby for a long time.
"See? I told you it's unguarded," Lin said, a smug smile tugging at his lips. "Let's be clear, I will have a fruit, and you can divide the other two among the four of you."
The four looked at each other and then nodded without resistance. After all, the credit was Lin's. He had found the tree and even shared the discovery with them.
Lin wasted no time. He swiftly climbed the vine with the biggest fruit, its weight nearly pulling him off balance. The other two followed, climbing the vines and cradling the massive, purple-skinned orbs in their arms.
The tallest beastman had a grin wide enough to split his face. "Hah! My wife will sing my praises for a year when she sees this!"
Laughter broke out among them. Lin crossed his arms, feeling pride from the praises of the others.
They cradled the pitaya fruit in their arms, the rich fragrance of it clinging to their skin.
"Unbelievable," one whispered, still half-afraid the fruit would vanish like a dream.
Lin wanted to appreciate his haul, but fear gnawed at the back of his mind. Monsters never left pitaya fruit trees unguarded for long.
"Don't dawdle," his voice low but urgent. "We leave now."
Without further delay, the five headed straight for the path that led back to their temporary camp.
In the shadows just beyond the ring of light, a pair of slitted eyes blinked open.
The vines above them trembled, as though the tree itself had shivered. Then a low, guttural rumble was heard beneath the rustling leaves.
The tallest beast shifted uneasily, glancing back. "...Did you hear that?"
No one answered.
They all heard it, and silence was the only thing that betrayed their fear.
Then came the sound of thud… thud… thud…—heavy and deliberate, it's getting louder as it draws closer. The ground quivered beneath their feet.
Lin froze, clutching the pitaya fruit that is now covered with leaves. His throat went dry.
A shadow loomed from the deeper part of the forest. Red eyes blinked open, gleaming with anger, fixed directly on them.
"...Monster," someone whispered, voice cracking.
And the forest exploded with a roar.
The shadow stepped into the dim light filtering through the canopy. Its massive body was covered in dark, bark-like scales, its head crowned with four jagged horns that scraped the branches above.
"A… a four-horned rock lizard," one of the beastmen stammered, his legs already trembling.
Every single one of them paled.
The four-horned rock lizard was infamous because of its scales that were harder than stones and its strength that could crush a two-horned boar in one bite.
"Run," someone whispered, though their feet were already moving.
ROOOAAAR!
The three-horned rock lizard's roar shattered the forest silence, sending every creature within its range fleeing.
The beast lunged. Its claws dug furrows into the ground as it barreled forward, massive body rippling with terrifying strength.
"RUN!" Someone screamed this time, their voice cracking with terror.
The tallest beast of the group stumbled, clutching the pitaya fruit. He tried to sprint, but the lizard's tail whipped like a giant club.
CRACK!
His body slammed against a tree trunk, bones snapping audibly before he crumpled lifeless to the ground.
"No—!" another beastman shouted, only to be cut off as the lizard's horned head snapped sideways, jaws closing around his leg. He tried to transform into his beast form, but it only agitated the monster. His scream split the air before it was drowned out by the sound of tearing flesh.
Lin and the other two didn't dare look back.
Lin clutched the stolen pitaya tight to his chest as he ran, his heart pounding louder than the monster's footsteps behind them.
The scent of blood only enraged the four-horned monster further. It was now seeking vengeance against all who dared steal its fruits, hunting them one by one.
Lin, drenched in sweat and panic, realized that he was now the main target of the monster because he still carried the last unspoiled pitaya fruit.
Fear clouded Lin's thoughts. To him, the fruit symbolized pride, proof that he could bring back something greater than Huo. Yet with every thunderous step of the four-horned rock lizard behind them, the weight of the fruit became unbearable. He couldn't let go of the fruit, but he couldn't let it be his death either.
Desperation birthed cruelty.
Lin tore a chunk of the pitaya, grabbed the youngest of their group that was running in front of him, and shoved the dripping flesh into the youth's hands.
"What—? " the young beast gasped, almost stumbling with the sudden pull and weight of the fruit. Then a realization dawned as the roar behind them grew louder and angrier. His heart dropped when he saw Lin darting ahead, using him as living bait.
"LIN!" The youngest's voice broke with rage and despair. He threw away the fruit as far as he could, but it was too late because the monster had already marked him. He bolted, exerting all the energy left in his body for a last sprint to save his life.
Lin didn't look back. His breaths were ragged, his legs pumping harder as he pushed himself through the trees. All he could think of was survival.
It has to be me who lives.
The only beast left other than Lin, named Ras, was caught between shock and fury. His chest heaved, not only from running but also from the betrayal he had just witnessed. He didn't expect Lin to sacrifice their youngest brother.
Rage burned hotter than fear. He threw one of us away… like nothing.
"Damn you, Lin!" he spat, choked by exhaustion and fury. His legs burned, but anger pushed him forward.
The beast looked at the monster running after them. He knew that unless they kept running, neither of them would live long enough to settle scores.
The monster was ferocious, oozing with such killing intent that a single glance made his blood freeze. Yet that same glance made him notice that the four-horned beast thundered through the trees with its eyes locked on Lin.
It is chasing the fruit.
That fleeting realization sent a slight relief in him because, unlike the others, he doesn't touch the pitaya fruit. Perhaps the beast would not waste its wrath on him.
He changed direction sharply, breaking away from Lin's trail. His lungs burned, each gasp scraping like fire, and branches clawed at his arms as though the forest itself sought to drag him down.
For one heart-stopping moment, the monster's massive head swung his way, its eyes catching him in a searing glare. It roared in his direction, causing the ground beneath his feet to shake.
Ras thought that would be his end, that the monster's rage would shift toward him, but then it lunged forward again, its massive form crashing through the trees after Lin, its fury locked onto the fruit.
Ras staggered and pressed himself against the trunk of a massive tree, his lungs clawing for air. Relief flooded him, but it was bitter, curdled with guilt. Then Rei's face burned through his mind—Rei, his youngest brother, thrown to the beast.
The guilt vanished, and fury surged back into his chest, hot and relentless.
Lin deserved to die!
But if they survived this, Lin still would not walk away unscathed because he will kill him himself.