Thien Anh sat on the sofa, twirling an empty shell casing between his fingers, his gaze fixed on the void.
His mind was a labyrinth of unanswered questions. Why had the world fractured so abruptly? What was that milky-white essence found within the celestial cores? And why was he able to absorb it without dying, while others were reduced to ash?
"Hey, Mr. Huy."
Lam Linh's voice cut through his reverie. She was seated at the dining table, positioned behind a microscope with a sliver of mutant pork before her.
Thien Anh's brow twitched ever so slightly, but he turned toward her, his voice flat. "What is it?"
Lam Linh adjusted the bridge of her glasses, her face assuming the rigorous solemnity of a researcher. "I've analyzed this meat sample. The muscle fibers are saturated with a massive concentration of neurotoxins and hormonal stimulants. For a normal human, consuming more than 200 grams a day would lead to psychosis, hyper-aggression, and eventually, total insanity."
She stared at Thien Anh with piercing intensity. "Yet you consume kilograms of this meat in a single sitting and remain perfectly lucid. Your brain should have been fried long ago. How?"
Pausing for a beat, she pressed further. "And how did you know their hearts were edible? Did you conduct clinical trials?"
Thien Anh shrugged, lying with practiced, unblinking ease. "Trials? Nothing so fancy. I caught a stray cat and fed it a piece. When it didn't die and actually got stronger, I followed suit. Fortune favors the bold."
Lam Linh's jaw dropped. "That's… that's it? You gambled your life on the reaction of a stray cat?"
Seeing Thien Anh give a curt, definitive nod, Lam Linh could only shake her head at the sheer, suicidal recklessness of the man. She shifted the subject, her eyes lighting up as she glanced toward Thien Lang and Thien Thanh.
"By the way, could I… borrow your pets to gather some blood and mucosal samples for research? Their intelligence is developing at a terrifying rate—they have the cognitive capacity of a ten-year-old. I'm fascinated by their genetic structure."
"Grrr…" "Hiiisssss…"
The moment the words left Lam Linh's lips, the temperature in the room plummeted.
Thien Lang, who had been dozing, snapped his eyes open. His pupils constricted into lethal vertical slits as he locked onto Lam Linh. Thien Thanh reared up, her forked tongue flicking in a sibilant, threatening rasp.
The raw killing intent radiating from the two high-tier predators sent a chill down Lam Linh's spine, making her hair stand on end. She felt like a laboratory rat pinned under the gaze of two hungry tigers.
Thien Anh let out a cynical scoff. "Be my guest. If you aren't afraid of losing an arm or your head, go right ahead and take your samples."
Lam Linh swallowed hard, waving her hands frantically in retreat, a forced, nervous laugh escaping her. "Ha… ha… I was joking! Just a little academic humor! Good pets, kind pets, sister is sorry!"
Thien Lang huffed in visible disdain and turned back to the TV.
...
On the screen, the weather forecast remained a montage of desolate greys and whites.
Thien Lang spoke up, his voice a low, resonant rumble.
"Master, we should seize the chance to hunt now. In this cold, the Ghouls and ectothermic creatures are frozen solid. Killing them will be as easy as taking a nap."
Thien Thanh hissed in agreement. "He's right, brother. We must move. In a few days, they will adapt—they'll grow thicker fur or their internal heating mechanisms will shift. It'll be much harder then."
Thien Anh was taken aback. "They adapt that quickly?"
"Incredibly fast," Thien Thanh explained. "Look at me. At first, I felt like I was going to freeze to death, but now my body is already recalibrating. In a week, I'll be able to glide through the snow without my blood thickening."
"And Ki is feeling his fur grow denser, thicker than the old coat," Thien Lang added.
Thien Anh fell into a pensive silence. Rapid Evolution. Mother Nature was forcing every living thing to evolve at a breakneck pace—or be erased.
"Fine. Once the injury check is done, we move."
He summoned Lam Linh to inspect his wounds.
As she unraveled the bandages, Lam Linh nearly bit her tongue. The surgical incisions from yesterday had sealed entirely, leaving behind only faint, pale-pink lines of scar tissue. The bones beneath, while not yet one hundred percent, were now sturdy enough for high-intensity movement.
"Monster… you're a literal monster…" Lam Linh muttered, looking at Thien Anh with a gaze that was equal parts fear and (medically-induced) lust.
...
The decision to hunt was finalized. Thien Anh would bring Lam Linh along. Leaving her alone with his stockpile of equipment and weapons was too great a risk.
But the problem remained: Lam Linh was far too frail for the sub-zero blizzard outside. No matter how many cotton layers she wore, she still shivered uncontrollably.
"What a nuisance," Thien Anh sighed. He walked into the storage vault and hauled out the hide of the Magma Tiger—the Tier-1 fire-attribute beast he had hunted early on.
The hide was a brilliant, radiant crimson, and even now, it felt unnaturally warm to the touch.
He used a mini laser cutter to slice the hide into sections tailored to Lam Linh's frame, then used a specialized needle carved from beast-bone to begin stitching.
Lam Linh sat on the bed, hugging her knees, watching the man covered in scars meticulously sewing. The scene was… bizarre, yet strangely intimate.
"You know a lot of things," she blurted out. "An assassin who knows how to sew?"
Thien Anh didn't look up, his hands moving with surgical speed and precision. "It's not a hobby; it's survival. When clothes tear, you mend them. When flesh tears, you stitch it. If you wait for someone else to do it, your bones will be long rotten."
He glanced at her, smirking. "I already know you're a disaster at basic living. But your research brain is decent. Call it a fair trade."
Lam Linh pouted, but a small spark of joy flickered in her chest. At least she had value.
"No one is perfect. If I were as good at fighting, sewing, and cooking as you, what would I need you for?" She giggled softly. "Do you have any friends?"
"I do." Thien Anh jerked his chin toward the two creatures curled nearby. "Thien Lang and Thien Thanh. We're blood brothers."
"I used to have a cat… but he died," her voice trailed off.
"Cats have short lifespans. Watching them go is a heavy burden," Thien Anh said, a rare note of genuine empathy in his voice.
"Done. Try it on." He tossed the vibrant crimson tiger-hide coat toward her.
Lam Linh caught it and slipped it on. Instantly, a wave of radiant heat enveloped her body, banishing the bunker's chill. The coat was slightly primitive in design, yet it fit her perfectly.
"It's so warm! It feels like there's a built-in heater!" Lam Linh cheered, spinning around to admire her new gear.
Thien Anh nodded in satisfaction, slinging his rifle over his shoulder.
"That's Magma Tiger hide. It's bulletproof, fireproof, and maintains its own heat. Take care of it; there isn't a second one."
He opened the bunker hatch. The snowstorm roared in, but this time, Lam Linh didn't shiver.
"Let's go. Today, I'll teach you the first lesson of survival: How to move across the snow."