Leon tore into the soft belly of his prey, his jaws slick with warm blood.
"Ding! Host has gained 2.8 Evolution Points from consuming eland flesh."
"Ding! Host has gained 2.8 Evolution Points from consuming eland flesh."
"Ding! Host has gained 2.8 Evolution Points from consuming eland flesh."
The carcass of the giant eland had offered a satisfying reward—far more than smaller prey. Each bite was fuel, power, transformation.
After gorging on a few hearty mouthfuls, Leon stopped. The ache in his belly had dulled into a comfortable fullness. He didn't dare overeat—not in the open plains, not when danger could emerge at any moment. Stuffing himself would only slow his reflexes.
He'd gained over seventy Evolution Points, just shy of the next threshold for advancement.
The kill couldn't go to waste. Even if he had to crawl back to the rocky overhang that served as his den, Leon would not abandon this bounty. The eland carcass easily weighed over two hundred kilograms—nearly four times Leon's current size. Dragging it alone was near-impossible.
But Leon was not just a lion cub. He was once a man.
Surveying the sparse savanna brush, he spotted two fallen tree branches, stripped clean and smooth by wind and sun. Sliding them beneath the wildebeest's body, he reduced the drag across the dry earth.
Most lions wouldn't think of this. Even adult males would have struggled to move the carcass alone.
He gripped the eland's hind leg in his jaws and began to pull, inch by inch, across the grassland toward his den.
But he wasn't alone.
From the nearby thicket, a predator had been watching him.
It had followed the scent of blood—the copper-sweet lure of fresh meat.
Now it crouched low, its body flattened, muscles coiled like springs. Its grey-and-cream fur blended perfectly with the scrub. Only the glint of golden eyes betrayed it.
A leopardess.
Among felines, leopards were silent killers. And this one was lean with hunger.
She was about the same size as Leon, though built for speed and agility. Her frame rippled with tension, and her ears twitched forward, locked onto her target.
She hadn't eaten in days. But she didn't pounce yet.
She waited.
Hunting was patience.
Then, Leon slipped. His paw twisted awkwardly on a rock hidden beneath the grass. He stumbled, releasing the carcass and tumbling forward with a grunt.
That was the moment.
The leopard burst from the underbrush in a blur.
Her claws gleamed, jaws wide to kill.
Leon's instincts roared to life.
"Species: Leopard (Female)"
"Level: 4"
"Vitality: 398"
"Endurance: 28"
"Strength: 49"
"Defense: 19"
"Speed: 53"
She was Stronger. And a level above him.
But she'd made a mistake.
She thought he was just a cub.
Leon scrambled to his feet and roared—a harsh, defiant bellow. But he was a fraction too slow.
The leopard's claw raked his flank, cutting deep. His skin tore open, warm blood dripping onto the dry grass. Pain lanced through his body, but it also cleared his mind.
This was no sparring match. No scuffle for territory.
This was the first real life-or-death fight since he had awakened in this lion's body.
There were no rules on this savanna. No fairness, no honor. Only survival.
And to survive, he would have to fight smarter.
The leopard's eyes gleamed with killing intent. She circled now, tail twitching, waiting for the next opening.
Leon bared his fangs. His size matched hers. His speed was even greater—he had invested every extra point into that edge.
Speed: 60 vs 53
He couldn't overpower her. But he could outmaneuver her.
She lunged again. Claw met claw as Leon parried with his foreleg, but the force of her strike drove him backward.
He gritted his fangs and darted sideways. Their clash became a blur of motion—bites, swipes, growls.
Then—slash.
Her claws found his shoulder, cutting another line into his hide.
Pain seared him again. Blood trickled. But his eyes burned with fury.
He darted under her next swipe and sank his teeth into her flank. She twisted, yowling, but he tore away a strip of flesh.
She retreated, panting—but it wasn't over.
"Ding! The host has consumed leopard flesh. +2.5 Evolution Points."
Leon's breath caught. That worked?
His mind raced.
He needed five more points to reach Level 4.
Just two more bites. That was all.
The tables could turn with one good hit.
He circled her now, slow and deliberate. His eyes, once sky-blue, shimmered with a deeper hue—intensity, calculation, rage.
He lowered himself into a crouch.
No more running.
He would kill her—or die trying.
With a roar, Leon launched himself forward.
The leopard hissed and responded in kind, her hackles raised, fangs bared.
They met in a violent crash, claw against claw, predator versus predator.
Only one would leave this savanna alive.