Chapter 2: The Hunter’s Demise and the Breakfast Chase

Doremi, a tranquil town nestled far from the bustling metropolis, knew no urban clamor. It was a place untouched by strife, where residents lived in harmony and customs were pure.

Every day, it brimmed with an aura of peace and serenity.

As night descended, the residents retired to their beds, and the entire village receded further into the quiet darkness. Only the occasional bark of a dog broke the nocturnal stillness, adding a touch of life to the otherwise placid night.

However, in the mountain range not far from the town, the scene was far from serene.

Within the dense forest, moonlight filtered through the branches, casting fragmented specks of light onto the scattered weeds. Upon the verdant grass, several crimson stains were starkly visible.

These bloodstains originated from a wounded fawn, which limped frantically through the woods.

A broken feathered arrow was lodged in its leg, from which blood continuously seeped, dripping onto the ground and blooming into grotesque dark shadows.

Despite its exhaustion, the sheer will to survive relentlessly drove it to escape the hunter’s pursuit.

Then, with a ‘whoosh,’ another feathered arrow pierced the air and struck the fawn’s neck. Unable to run any further, the fawn let out a desperate cry before collapsing to the ground.

A moment later, a hunter carrying a lantern arrived before the fallen fawn.

“Tch! To think it got away for so long, wasting so much of my time!” the hunter cursed, reaching out to grab the fawn by its neck.

Sensing the approaching danger, the fawn began to struggle ceaselessly.

“Still struggling?! Don’t you know? If it weren’t for you, I’d have been home before dark! How much time have you made me waste?”

The hunter continued to grumble as they pulled out a rope, preparing to bind the fawn. Just then, a low, guttural breathing sound reached their ears.

“What was that?!” The hunter grew alert. They immediately halted their actions, drew a machete from their waist, and cautiously scanned their surroundings.

Hiss. Hiss. Hiss.

‘What could be in these woods? Could it be some other animal?’ the hunter wondered.

Through the dim glow of the lantern and the tangled branches, the hunter discerned a dark silhouette beside a large tree. The light was too faint to make out any details.

Putting down the lantern, the hunter drew their bow and an arrow, aiming it at the shadow before letting it fly.

The arrow vanished into the darkness, but the sound it made was that of a metal arrowhead striking stone.

“Not possible?!” Realizing they had missed, the hunter suddenly felt a cold, slightly腥-smelling breeze on their back. ‘Could it be!?’

The hunter spun around swiftly, simultaneously drawing a new arrow from their quiver and notching it onto the bow. But in the next second, the hunter froze.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to attack; rather, their body had instantly succumbed to fear, losing all ability to move. “Th-this… this is—!!”

Their legs trembled uncontrollably. What the hunter faced utterly transcended their comprehension.

It was a colossal entity, impossible to describe with words. Its mass, its size, its terror—all were unfathomable, like a monster of flesh wrapped around a skeletal corpse.

Saliva, thick and viscous, dripped from its abyssal maw, which was lined with barbed teeth. The monster’s breathing was ragged and broken: “Ex… experiment… 101… where… is… it.”

“Ah!!!” The hunter shrieked, oblivious to the lantern they had kicked over. Their boundless terror culminated in a piercing scream that tore through the night sky, only to abruptly cease.

“Experiment… 101… Find it… Father.” The monster mumbled incoherently, continuing its lumbering journey through the forest, its presence fading into the distance.

The ground was a scene of devastation. Vast patches of blood had seeped into the earth, forming a winding, crimson path.

Scattered organs and a mutilated head emitted a pungent stench, mingling with the heavy coppery scent of blood in the air.

Much later, rustling sounds echoed through the woods—the arrival of a pack of wolves, their eyes glowing red.

***

In the early morning, sunlight lazily streamed through the glass window, bathing a small bed near the window in its warm embrace. It looked so inviting, perfect for sleeping.

With a soft creak, the room’s window suddenly swung open, startling the chirping birds on a nearby tree.

“Aha~! What a beautiful day again~” The golden-haired girl basked in the sunlight, taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air before stretching languidly, utterly content.

Then, she turned to look at a small lump beneath the duvet at the foot of the bed, a gentle smile gracing her lips. “This little lazy cat is still asleep.”

Saying this, the girl approached the bed, grabbed the duvet, and swiftly pulled it back, revealing a dark, fluffy little creature.

“Wake up~! Little lazy cat~! It’s already morning, and you’re still sleeping.”

The curled-up kitten, startled by the sudden assault, sleepily licked its paw and rubbed its tiny face. It glanced at the girl by the bed, yawned, curled its body once more, and promptly drifted back to sleep.

“Wake up~! Rinna.” The girl poked the sleeping kitten with her finger. “Don’t be lazy every day! You’ll get fat as a ball if you keep sleeping.”

‘I’m not an orange cat, and I exercise every day, so how could I get fat?’

Thinking this, Votila flicked its tail twice at the girl, covering its eyes with both paws, as if to convey its unwillingness to see her.

“Stop sleeping, Rinna!” The girl extended her ‘demonic claw’ and vigorously kneaded Votila’s cat face.

Votila remained motionless, even letting out a contented purr.

“Oh, Rinna, you’re so stubborn and lazy!” The girl put her hands on her hips, chiding with a laugh. “But little kitty! You’re too naive! I have a hundred ways to make you get out of bed.”

With that, the girl walked to the room’s doorway and clapped her hands: “Gasla! Come and help Rinna wash her face!”

Immediately after her words, a series of hurried paw steps echoed on the wooden floor outside the door.

“Awooooowoo~~!!”

A black and white long-haired dog joyfully bounded in, leaping straight for the bed, which carried the faint, sweet scent of the girl.

‘Ugh! Danger approaching?!’ Votila, sensing that the atmosphere was amiss, lifted its head. Then, it once again saw that long, crimson tongue that had haunted its nightmares for three days!

“Meow!”

An excited Gasla launched into a flurry of enthusiastic licks at the kitten.

However, the cat’s reaction was equally swift. The moment it sensed something was wrong, it flipped over and, with lightning speed, delivered a three-hit combo with its right paw at the dog.

*Whap! Whap! Whap!* Yet, it was utterly ineffective.

The kitten’s tiny punches were mere tickles against a two-hundred-pound dog.

Finally, left with no other choice, the kitten embraced the dog’s enormous mouth and delivered a furious ‘rabbit kick to the eagle’ against the dog’s body, finally managing to escape.

‘This is animal abuse! It’s an infringement on my personal dignity! I protest!’ The kitten, having escaped to the balcony, meowed its protests.

Gasla, with its tongue lolling out, wagged its tail at the girl, as if seeking praise.

“Good boy, you’re so well-behaved~!” The girl patted the dog’s head and pulled out a piece of dog food. “Here, eat!”

Awoo! The dog happily snatched the dog food and began to chew joyfully.

Votila continuously rubbed its eyes, meowing. ‘My eyes! Saliva seems to have gotten into my eyes! Ugh! How disgusting.’

The girl, naturally, didn’t understand cat language. She looked at the kitten meowing before her and gently stroked its little head: “Rinna~~ Are you awake now?”

‘Are you a demon in human skin?’ Votila angrily made a retching motion at the girl.

“Alright, alright~! Breakfast is ready, you two hurry down and eat.”

‘Hmm?! Breakfast?’ Votila’s gaze sharpened, and it darted a sidelong glance, just in time to see Gasla’s ears instantly perk up. A sense of foreboding immediately arose within it.

“Awoo!” The very second the girl finished speaking about breakfast, the dog had already bolted out.

‘That guy’s target! Is my breakfast!’ Days of experience and instinct made Votila realize the urgency of the situation, for this scene had played out countless times before.

‘I must stop it!’

In the brief moment the dog shot out, the black cat, realizing the danger, chased after it.

Out of the room, Gasla, who had started first, was already far ahead. The two-hundred-pound dog possessed weight and stamina commensurate with its size.

The wooden floorboards creaked under its paws as it was the first to reach the top of the stairs, lifting a leg to descend.

Meanwhile, the black cat had just stepped onto the corridor. With several weight classes separating them, would the black cat give up?

No! How could the magnificent Black Cat Lord possibly give up now?

The black cat leaped, soaring over the wooden railing like a ball of black cotton, gracefully floating down from the upper floor. Upon landing, it pushed off with its legs, rocketing forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.

But the dog was close behind, only a hair’s breadth separating them.

‘This guy is truly troublesome!’

The black cat, having sparred with the dog numerous times, knew how difficult it was to shake off. Such a small lead would inevitably be caught up to. It had to take other measures.

As it neared the end of the corridor, the black cat, having devised a plan, suddenly looked back, meeting the dog’s eyes with its brilliant golden gaze, leaving only a black vertical slit in its pupils.

This was the black cat’s ultimate, surefire technique!

‘Pupil Art! The Dragon Has Its Gaze On You! (Dragon’s Intimidation)’

By connecting their souls with its golden eyes, it exerted soul-level suppressive intimidation with the spirit of a dragon.

A look of confusion appeared in the dog’s eyes; it seemed not to understand what had happened, but its pace undeniably slowed.

Though the Pupil Art’s effect wasn’t as potent as the black cat had anticipated, it had achieved a certain result. A faint smile touched the black cat’s lips.

Immediately after, a loud ‘thump’ echoed.

The black cat’s head had taken a heavy blow.

In its haste to look back, the black cat hadn’t watched where it was going and had crashed straight into the wall at the corridor’s turn.

‘Meow! That hurts!’ The black cat crouched on the ground, clutching its head in pain.

“Awoo?” The bewildered dog stopped, sniffing the black cat, curious as to what was wrong with the little feline. Seeing that the black cat ignored it for a long time, the dog tilted its head and licked it.

“Meow!!” As if electrocuted, the black cat immediately sprang to its feet.

Past the corridor lay the dining room. Recovering from its dazed state after hitting the wall, the black cat seized the opportunity while the dog was off guard and darted into the dining room in a flash.

“Awoo!” Seeing the black cat run, the dog joyfully followed.

‘Breakfast! Breakfast! My breakfast!!’ Entering the dining room, the black cat headed straight for its food bowl, placed in the corner behind the dining table.

“Awoo!” The dog was right behind it.

‘Trying to steal my breakfast? Not a chance!’

The black cat surged forward, employing its ultimate technique: ‘table-diving!’ No, that sounds too undignified. It should be, ‘taking a shortcut!’

Between two points, a straight line is the shortest distance. The black cat could use its size advantage to pass directly under the table, while the dog, being too large, had to go around.

Closer! Closer! The black cat successfully widened the distance from the dog! The black cat reached the finish line first! The black cat achieved victory!