22 Kuting
An orange cub with a few black lines around its body, small silver peeking fangs, black claws, and a round head with small ears on top met Victor's gaze. Its yellow eyes stared back at him, and the cub's size was just the same as Victor's chest. Victor's eyes wavered as the cub replied with a blank curious stare.
A forced smile appeared on his face a second later as the cub started walking in a staggered manner, then stopped beside his feet. The cub showed familiarity with Victor, caressing itself against him.
"What?" Victor was taken aback, realizing that the cub seemed to recognize him as its savior or someone along those lines.
Licking its paws, the cub gazed up at him with a sweet, cherry-like smile, its eyes closed.
"What the hell..." Victor mumbled, unable to resist exclaiming, "This cub is cute!" He lifted the cub with both hands, enchanted by its innocence.
'This is a cub, right? It doesn't seem vigilant of anyone, so it probably hasn't recognized any parents. The chicken I killed must have stolen it or brought it here, mistaking it for prey. But as it grows, it will become its predator,' he pondered, deeply contemplating the situation.
Stupefied, Victor considered various scenarios that tempted him to keep the cub and raise it as his own.
'No...' He shook his head. 'I can't raise this monster. It will only be a hindrance to me if I keep it. I have to focus on my progress and deal with my enemies who are still tracing me.' Recognizing a bad habit from his past, he tried to push away the idea. In Kluma, he had a habit of raising potentially strong creatures, and many of them eventually became members of his own Demon Sect, a group comprised of deadly assassins.
Glancing at the cub once more, seemingly enjoying his company, Victor sighed and reluctantly placed the cub back on the ground. He tried to ignore its cuteness and purity, turning his back on it.
'I can't let myself be distracted by raising this cub. After all, I just killed chicks earlier. It would be hypocritical of me or something.'
With a gloomy expression, he began walking away, but the cub meowed and followed him.
"Okay... alright. I'll carry you," Victor said without second thoughts. He found himself defeated by his own thoughts and once again lifted the cub into his arms. "You're not a cub; you're just a kitten. Remember that. I don't know if you're truly a tiger's offspring or some variant of a monster, but I'll raise you."
"And make you my bond. Coming from a ferocious monster, I will train you and make you my bond. We will kill together."
The night enveloped the surroundings in hushed silence, the aftermath of the fierce battle that had taken place moments ago. But amidst the lingering worry and tension, Victor found solace in the presence of the adorable kitten he had rescued from the nest. It was a small creature, innocent and curious, and Victor couldn't help but be captivated by its charm.
Victor had never raised a monster before, but memories of his past in Kluma surfaced as he cradled the kitten in his hands. He had once nurtured and guided children there, molding them into his disciples. But these were no ordinary disciples; they were murderers, shaped by their circumstances to exact revenge upon those who wronged them.
"You will kill your master's enemies' bloodlines. Revenge is not enough with just killing the perpetrator. Killing their children and other relatives is a must. Remember that, Kuting.You will become my bond, my partner in killing," Victor whispered to the kitten, his voice low and solemn. To most, the idea of forging a bond with a ferocious monster would be unthinkable, but Victor saw potential in the small creature.
As he settled into his tree house, Victor pondered what to feed the kitten. His stored meat, carefully rationed for survival, now felt insignificant compared to the newfound responsibility he had taken on. With a sigh, he decided to share it with the little one, realizing he needed to find alternative sources of sustenance.
'Wait... I still don't know what your gender is.' He thought before he sat down and placed Kuting in front of him.
He peeked below to see what was under Kuting's body and noticed a small sword between its legs.
"You will become my first son in this world." Although it was strange for a 16-year-old boy to speak of having a son, in this world, it wasn't considered odd at all. There were people who were not afraid of teenage pregnancies.
He pointed to the stored meat and tried to convey his intentions to Kuting, but the tiny creature tilted its head in confusion. Victor realized that his words were lost on the kitten, a realization that prompted him to release another sigh. Instead, he showed the meat to Kuting and placed it in front of the young one.
"Eat some," Victor gently encouraged, his heart warming at the sight of the kitten's innocent bewilderment.
Kuting continued to tilt his head inquisitively, seemingly unaffected by Victor's attempts to communicate with words. Determined to show the young kitten how to eat, Victor decided to lead by example. He took a bite of the meat and chewed it, making sure Kuting could see the process clearly.
"Eat," Victor repeated while chewing, hoping that Kuting would catch on. Surprisingly, the kitten seemed to take an interest in Victor's demonstration. He sniffed the meat curiously and gave it a tentative lick, as if trying to discern its taste.
Victor watched with a sense of amusement and satisfaction as Kuting gradually became more engaged. The kitten took a bold step and bit into the meat, pulling off a chunk with his tiny teeth. He chewed it with delight and let out a soft "meow" of contentment.
"So you like it?" Victor asked, half-expecting a response despite the impossibility of real communication.
"Meow..."
Kuting's reply, though simple, felt like a confirmation to Victor. It was as if they had somehow bridged the gap between their species and found common ground. Watching Kuting enjoy his meal, Victor felt an unfamiliar warmth in his heart, a connection he had never experienced with the humans he encountered in the past.
Victor found it strange, even unsettling, to be so soft towards something he initially considered burdensome. His usual demeanor, a stoic and unyielding exterior, seemed to have softened when it came to Kuting. He reasoned that it might be because Kuting was not human, lacking the complexities and flaws of human nature. This exclusion of his usual ruthlessness made him question if he was merely reflecting the inherent darkness of human nature in his past actions.
But Victor quickly pushed those thoughts away, reminding himself that the past was in the past. He believed that death should be given to those who were dying to have it, and he had taken on a path of revenge for the wrongs done to him.
"In Kluma, I never initiated offense, never insulted others unless they insulted me first," Victor mused, reflecting on his past encounters. "But now, I have a purpose, and I will seek revenge for the ones who wronged me."
"Countering other people's actions towards me..." he muttered before closing his eyes to rest. "That fight earlier was tiring."
Victor fully closed his eyes and settled into a peaceful sleep for the day.
The next morning, the gentle touch of sunlight coaxed him awake. As he opened his eyes, he noticed that the position of the roof had shifted.
He stretched his body, yawned, and then proceeded to fix the roof so that sunlight wouldn't intrude into his space again.
"Now, what should we do, Kuting?" he pondered aloud while turning his attention to where he had left the little kitten. However, what he saw took him by surprise.
'W-What...?' Victor's eyes widened in disbelief.