Chapter 6

"Come on!" Arlo urged, grinning with his large maw. "I'm not going to bite you!" Despite his words, he looked terrifying.

The cub remained frozen in fear, having experienced more action than ever before. It curled into a ball, shivering on the ground without moving a muscle.

"Okay, then," he said. "It was nice to meet you."

Arlo gently placed one hand on the cub, his hunger satisfied, and gave it a slow pat before disappearing from its side. The wolf cub, left to itself, slowly unfurled and began licking its still-tender wounds.

Arlo ventured beyond the perimeter of the small woodland area, running past various creatures. Alongside his newfound strength, his speed had explosively increased in this form. He felt confident that he could triumph over any random creature he encountered.

His appetite grew, craving more substantial prey. Deep in his heart, he believed that devouring others was the key to becoming stronger. The stronger prey he ate, the better he felt.

His ears caught the roars and sounds of battle in the distance. Salivating, he followed the noise without hesitation.

There, he witnessed a stag at least twice his size locked in combat with a smaller panther.

The Stag, adorned with fur that shifted between shades of sun-like yellow and moon-like silver, appeared far from mere prey. It exuded an air of superiority. Its antlers looked more durable than anything Arlo had ever seen, evoking memories of the Alpha Deathwalker he had encountered previously, although not on the same level.

The Stag glanced at Arlo, seemingly radiating arrogance. Piercing the panther's body, it effortlessly flung the wounded creature aside and unexpectedly charged towards him.

The Stag's speed surpassed Arlo's own, leaving him barely enough time to raise his guard. Their collision sent Arlo hurtling into the ground, breaking his arms in the process. He vomited some black blood, but unlike other creatures, his body was different. With a mere thought, his arms mended themselves. However, he sensed the energy required for such regeneration, leaving him feeling hungrier.

Unfortunately, the Stag threw Arlo next to the injured panther from earlier, who, despite its wounds, was far from death's door.

"Shall we dispose of this bastard before turning on each other?" Arlo smiled at the panther, and in a strange moment of understanding, the panther seemed to comprehend him.

For now, the two predators disregarded each other as rivals, focusing their attention on the Stag instead. Flanking it from both sides, they closed in on the noble creature emanating contempt.

The Stag stood proud, its eyes filled with disdain for the two adversaries it faced. It swiftly lunged towards the panther, aiming its antlers at vulnerable spots. Clearly, the Stag intended to end the battle swiftly.

"Not so fast!"

Arlo saw a golden opportunity and launched himself at the Stag with all his might. Adrenaline surged through his veins, his speed reaching its peak. However, his instinct wasn't to employ his claws. He felt they would be ineffective. Instead, his insatiable hunger took over, and he opened his mouth wide, revealing razor-sharp teeth. With a swift motion, he managed to sink his teeth into the Stag's back.

The Stag, taken aback by this unexpected turn, displayed a look of shock. With a furious roar, it emitted a column of light that struck Arlo like a formidable wall, inflicting considerable damage. The panther, too, was struck and thrown back by the force.

"This is exactly what I've been craving..." Arlo used one hand to wipe the Stag's blood from his mouth and licked it. "I will definitely consume you!"

Spitting a patch of black blood onto the ground, Arlo realized he wasn't unscathed. The panther appeared significantly worse off and sought to flee.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Before the panther could turn away from the Stag, Arlo appeared in front of it, swiftly ripping out its heart in one fluid motion with his razor-sharp claws and biting into it.

Although uncertain why he chose the heart, Arlo's body recognized it as the most nutritious part, surging with power as if affirming his actions.

The once-noble Stag, now wounded, became consumed by anger. It hesitated no longer, launching another assault on Arlo, wishing to trample upon him.

The column of light emitted from the Stag seemed to have granted it greater power, elevating it to unforeseen levels. Each blow it struck threatened to inflict severe wounds upon Arlo.

Yet, Arlo's stubbornness knew no bounds. "Excellent!" he screamed. "Let's kill each other!"

Arlo gripped the Stag's antlers tightly with both hands, restraining the noble creature while maniacal laughter reverberated through the air. Much like the scorpion he had devoured, a stinger burst forth from Arlo's back as he held the Stag in place, as he drove it into the Stag's neck.

Feeling the danger posed by the stinger, the Stag roared in rage, managing to retaliate by impaling Arlo with its antlers, piercing his armour with ease. However, Arlo freed himself and leapt back to a safe distance, prepared to continue the fight.

Arlo pounded his chest, stained with black blood, and stared directly into the Stag's eyes. "Come!"

The Stag appeared dishevelled, blood streaming from its neck. Even Arlo was unaware of the kind of poison coursing through the stinger. Shaking him off, the Stag abruptly departed, leaving Arlo alone.

"You taunting bastard!" Arlo screamed at the top of his lungs, exhaustion washing over him. It wasn't due to imminent hunger, but rather the adrenaline leaving his body combined with the accumulated damage.

He collapsed onto the ground, slowly closing his eyes.