The midnight trail turned out to be more challenging than Lue had thought.
What began as a simple journey through the wilderness quickly transformed into a nightmare of chittering legs and gleaming eyes.
Hundreds of hive spiders erupted from seemingly nowhere, their bulbous bodies catching the sunlight as they charged at him with predatory hunger.
Without hesitation, he dove toward the nearest rocky outcropping, spotting the dark mouth of a cave just beyond. He scrambled inside and immediately sealed the entrance.
Safe for the moment, Lue pressed deeper into the cave system.
After exploring for what felt like hours, he discovered something extraordinary. In the heart of a particularly spacious chamber, a mysterious egg lay nestled among smooth river stones.
The egg was unlike anything he had ever seen before, its surface gleaming with an otherworldly iridescence that seemed to pulse with inner light.
As Lue approached the egg with cautious curiosity, the shell began to crack with audible pops and snaps, spiderwebfractures spreading across its surface like lightning.
Startled, he backed away quickly and spun around to search for the creature's mother, expecting to face some terrible beast defending its offspring.
The chamber remained empty and silent, offering no clues about what manner of creature had laid such an unusual egg.
When Lue turned back to observe the hatching process, his blood ran cold. A pair of brilliant green slits stared back at him with an intensity that seemed to pierce straight through to his soul. The newly hatched creature emerged from the broken shell, revealing itself to be some form of demonic beast. Its scales gleamed with a black greenish hue that seemed to absorb and reflect light simultaneously, creating an almost hypnotic effect.
The creature studied him with those penetrating eyes, ignoring everything else in the chamber as if the rest of the world had simply ceased to exist. When Lue sensed the overwhelming aura radiating from this newborn beast, fear gripped his heart. The power emanating from something so recently hatched was already greater than his own, a realization that sent chills down his spine.
"Hey there, little fella, um... I was just passing through," Lue said aloud, trying to keep his voice steady and non-threatening. Internally, however, his thoughts raced with mounting dread. This creature had literally just emerged from an egg, yet it possessed more raw power than he had cultivated over months of training. The implications were terrifying. If he couldn't handle a newborn, what hope did he have against a fully grown specimen?
Keeping his eyes locked on the beast, Lue slowly backed toward the cave entrance. Each step felt like an eternity as those green slits followed his every movement with predatory focus. When he finally reached the mouth of the cave, survival instinct took over completely. He turned and sprinted away with desperate speed, occasionally glancing behind him to see if the creature was giving chase.
"It doesn't seem to be following me, I can still get away," Lue thought with growing relief. "Whatever demonic beast that was, even the newly hatched ones are more powerful than me. What hope do I have..."
"Arhhh!" The terrified cry escaped his lips as something slithered past him with impossible speed. The snake's skin displayed that same distinctive black greenish hue he had observed in the cave. It was unmistakably the same beast from the egg, somehow having traveled ahead of him despite his head start. The realization that it could move so quickly and silently filled him with renewed terror.
The creature positioned itself directly in his path and released a threatening hiss. Despite his fear, or perhaps because of it, Lue drew his blade with trembling hands. Baby or not, he would defend himself against this supernatural predator. He dashed forward with desperate courage and released his cosmic energy, swiftly converting it into intense heat that flowed from his body like a steaming pot. The hot energy filled the surrounding space and sent waves of scorching air radiating outward from his form.
However, as soon as Lue released his energy, he sensed something completely unexpected from the beast. There was no hostility in its aura, no malicious intent or predatory hunger. Instead, the creature seemed genuinely happy, almost excited by his presence. This discovery confused him greatly, as he couldn't understand how he knew this information or why he was suddenly able to sense the beast's emotions. When he had fought the spiders earlier, he hadn't detected any emotional emanations from them whatsoever. Except the idea that they wanted to taste his flesh
Uncertainty caused him to pause and hesitate. Against all logical reasoning, he lowered his blade and cautiously reached out toward the creature. It responded with another hiss, but this time the sound carried a different meaning. His eyes widened in amazement as understanding dawned on him.
"NO, little snake, I'm not your mommy or daddy," he said while gently patting the beast's head. The creature immediately slithered closer to him, its movements now displaying trust rather than aggression. Without warning, it latched onto his arm, causing him to flinch reflexively. In that moment, Lue felt his connection with the beast strengthen dramatically, creating an invisible bond between their minds and spirits.
He had heard of this phenomenon before during his studies. Beast taming was a highly respected profession that people dedicated years of their lives to mastering, yet he had apparently accomplished it through simple physical contact? His comprehension speed was truly extraordinary, allowing him to achieve in minutes what others required extensive training to understand.
The snake then performed another remarkable feat. It crawled along his arm and suddenly transformed into what appeared to be a frozen picture, resembling an intricate tattoo embedded in his skin. The detail was incredible, capturing every scale and curve of the creature's form with perfect precision.
"Woah, this is actually so cool," Lue exclaimed while shaking his arm experimentally to test the creature's stability. He drew his blade and performed a series of rapid strikes and movements, but the snake remained perfectly motionless in its tattoo form, completely unaffected by his actions.
He rubbed the scales of his new tattoo and watched in wonder as the blackish-green skin actually shimmered in the darkness, displaying an ethereal beauty that took his breath away. The creature had become both companion and living art simultaneously.
"Ha... I ran into this cave to hide, but I ended up with a beast companion? What a lucky day," he mused while stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I shouldn't get excited, though; this beast is only a young creature, and it'll need to eat soon. The thing is, I don't see any signs of food."
Despite the potential dangers lurking in the cave system, Lue searched every accessible angle until he discovered some small lizard-like creatures scurrying among the rocks. However, before he could begin hunting them properly, something shocking occurred. The snake actually lunged from his arm with lightning speed, bit down on one of the creatures, and devoured it completely in a matter of seconds. In the same timeframe, it withdrew back to his arm seamlessly, returning to its tattoo form as if nothing had happened.
The display was both terrifying and impressive. What a devastating form of attack, capable of striking and retreating before enemies could even react. Lue smirked with growing confidence as he realized the incredible advantage this partnership provided. Things were definitely looking up.
"What a beautiful strike, I'll name you Ess as in essence," he declared. Lue had to admit that naming wasn't exactly his strongest skill, but ESS would serve perfectly for now. With his new companion fed and bonded, he could focus on finding their way out of the cave system.
Lue didn't know the exact species of demonic beast he had tamed, but if he had possessed that knowledge, he would have leaped for joy at his incredible fortune.