Rise of Super Beast

His feet got stuck. Without blinking his eyes, he turned, put his hand down, and pulled the unknown beast that refused to let go of his feet.

"Aaahh!"

Roaring with all his strength, he pulled.

Thud

His body was thrown to the ground, a fish hanging onto his foot and numerous others chained together.

He didn't process it too much; letting his instincts take over, he summoned Emberfluff and transformed into a big, bulky humanoid monster.

Jerking his leg to the right while summoning his weapon, he transformed the area into an enclosed space to prevent any Gadus or Crawfish from crawling back into the river.

Managing successfully, he removed his transformation and circled all the fish within the boundary of a long, wide pile.

Caressing the fur of Emberfluff, which lay on his shoulder, Sam took a fish and tossed it at Emberfluff.

Swish

Emberfluff caught it and began grinding it in its mouth.

Katch

Katch

The sound of bones breaking echoed as Emberfluff chewed bit by bit.

Pulling the enclosed space with his transformed weapon, Sam calculated.

That's maybe around 40 to 50 fish.

No need to worry about maxing out the beginner, elite, and mysterious genes.

Lost in thought, he carried the haul a safe distance away and began putting the fish one by one into his storage ring after killing them, also feeding Emberfluff along the way.

"Done," he exhaled and slumped to the ground, his feet still wounded.

Taking out leaves from the Osmanthus tree, he made a paste and applied it to the wound.

"Hiss!" The skin burned painfully.

Controlling the urge to jerk his leg, he carefully applied the paste over the injury.

"I should rest for 30 minutes," he decided.

...

There was some improvement in the swelling of his skin. Standing on his feet, he moved toward the lava, a bow materializing in his hand. Inspecting the lava's surface, he suddenly released the string.

Swish

The arrow entered the lava, and the string followed behind it.

"Hit," he murmured.

Slowly, he pulled the string back, revealing a beast with blood dripping from its mouth.

Controlling his excitement, he continued pulling until the Lava Salamander emerged from the lava and lay on the ground's surface.

Taking out a dagger from his storage, he made a clean cut on its neck. Carefully collecting the carcass in his storage ring, he once again took the same stance with the bow in his hand.

The one thing no one could ever resist was the carcass of a Lava Salamander.

Its taste was unparalleled.

This was easy for Sam due to his experience and his mastery with the bow. It felt like a child's game to him.

Two more glowing spots appeared on the lava's surface, and the arrow precisely left his bow, the string following behind it.

Chuu

The sound of the arrow piercing the beast's flesh reached Sam's ears as the same process repeated.

Another Lava Salamander was soon lying on the ground.

Approaching it, Sam's dagger leapt into action, taking its life with precision.

Careful not to disfigure the carcass, Sam removed the arrow, revealing a hooked metal tip that no fish could escape.

This process continued.

...

Fish carcasses lay over the bonfire while Sam and Emberfluff enjoyed their time.

Tickling Emberfluff's stomach, Sam also lay down, Emberfluff perched on his chest.

Glancing at the dim moonlight falling over the forest, Sam reflected on the day's events.

Fish Tally:

Gadus and Crawfish: [Beginner: 20, Elite: 15, Mysterious: 5]

Lava Salamander: [Elite: 10]

Hunting more beasts than the day before made Sam happy, though he knew yesterday was mostly spent reaching this place.

He felt a step closer to his goal.

Analyzing the day, his mind drifted. Shaking off wasted thoughts, he noticed the fish roasting properly over the fire.

Carefully hanging a Lava Salamander carcass over the bonfire, he tickled Emberfluff.

Meow

Smiling, he brought the roasted fish close to Emberfluff's nose.

His smile widened as he noticed drool falling onto the boulder.

Pinching Emberfluff's nose, Sam sat down as his companion devoured the roasted fish.

Caressing Emberfluff's fur, Sam softly pinched.

"We've got more, buddy."

Meow

He also took a big bite, feeling all his tiredness and soreness fade away.

Maybe this is what everyone should pursue.

Perhaps the training and increasing cold resistance had drained his energy reserves, leaving his body hungry for sustenance. Even after finishing all the roasted fish, he didn't burp even once.

"Ouch!" Removing a fishbone stuck in his soft palate, he ground the last piece of roasted fish in his mouth.

Rising from the boulder, he carefully adjusted the rod and placed the roasted Lava Salamander onto the boulder. Hanging another Salamander over the bonfire, he noticed Emberfluff drooling over it.

Ripping off one-fourth of the meat, Sam offered it.

"Buddy, this one's yours."

Meow

Taking a deep breath, Sam praised, "It's been years since I've eaten like this."

Without hesitation, he took a massive bite, savoring the taste.

Maybe I should send one to Miss.

It might give her some hope to fight against loneliness.

Throughout this time, prompts rang in his head, but he ignored them, focusing on the present.

Why waste the present thinking about the past or future.

With this philosophy, he allowed himself time to rest and enjoy life. While he didn't encounter many people, those he did were influential. Their thoughts, habits, and perspectives had shaped him, helping him see life differently.

Everyone's life is filled with tragedy, so why focus on others' lives instead of fixing your own.

This was the philosophy he chose to follow.