Night.
By the fire, a creature that looked like a wild boar—though it truly was a wild boar—was roasting.
Its thick fat sizzled, releasing the unique aroma of animal oil as the flames consumed it.
"Sniff, sniff…"
Mu Feng's sister, drawn by the scent, couldn't help swallowing hard.
The smell of fatty meat was what she had longed for most.
Previously, because of Mu Feng's insufficient strength, their hunts could only catch small animals like Snowrock Rabbits.
Even these were not guaranteed every day.
More importantly, Mu Feng would suffer injuries during each hunt.
But now was different.
Since receiving the "Blessing" of the Mother of the World, Mu Feng seemed like a completely changed person.
In just one day, he had hunted prey he could never have imagined before—and alone.
"Here, eat this."
Mu Feng smiled, tearing a roasted boar leg and handing it to his sister, who was practically drooling.
"Mm!"
Excited, she grabbed the leg and began devouring it, baring her fangs as she chewed.
But as soon as she finished, a question occurred to her.
"Brother, such valuable prey… don't you need to offer a sacrifice? Eating it all might be a waste."
In this world, after hunting, offering part of the prey to the Mother of the World was very important.
It increased one's strength and gained the favor of the Mother of the World.
"Don't worry," Mu Feng said, eating another boar leg.
"I already sacrificed in the forest earlier!"
"Ah?" His sister couldn't comprehend it.
Looking at the intact boar, she didn't think Mu Feng had already made a sacrifice.
A proper offering required at least a quarter of the prey, and stronger prey demanded even more.
If it were an enemy, likely one hundred percent of it would need to be sacrificed.
"Hehe, sister, I'm serious."
"The Mother of the World only wanted a small piece of the boar's brain; she didn't take anything else!
And through this sacrifice, I gained even more power!"
Mu Feng patted his now muscular arm with delight.
"Next time, I'll have to hunt something else."
"For some reason, the Mother of the World is especially interested in different kinds of animals in the forest, and she even asked me to create something called a [Map] as a sacrifice."
"And besides that, she also…"
Mu Feng rambled about the strange offerings to the Mother of the World.
"I see."
His sister didn't fully understand, but she kept eating eagerly.
Soon, the whole boar was gone, devoured by the siblings.
Seeing his sister finally full, Mu Feng smiled in satisfaction.
Since their parents' death, the two had constantly hovered on the edge of starvation.
Without adult protection, these orphans were like candles in the wind, easily extinguished.
"But now, it's different."
Mu Feng breathed deeply, dressed, and left the dilapidated house.
"With the help of the Mother of the World, I have power. Everything is different now!"
He gazed at his arm, fascinated by the surging strength within.
Then he took a deep breath.
Part of what he had told his sister was a lie.
"The Mother of the World did tell me to sacrifice different animals and create a map, but she also told me something else."
His eyes shifted, a streak of crimson appearing in the darkness.
"I must, within the next two days, sacrifice an enemy—someone who humiliated me, trampled my dignity when I was at my lowest!"
Mu Feng hesitated.
In the tribe, killing was forbidden. If discovered, he would be expelled.
But a problem arose.
"If you fail, everything will be taken back, including the power you now possess."
During today's sacrifice, Mu Feng had heard the Mother of the World's warning.
If he didn't comply, his newfound strength would be revoked.
"No!"
He glanced at his sleeping sister and gritted his teeth.
"I will never return to the weak boy I once was!
Even if it defies the ancestors' decree, I will keep this power for myself."
With that, Mu Feng approached the edge of the tribe, broke a section of the fence, disguising it as a path for wild beasts.
On this moonless, cloud-covered night, Mu Feng blended into the darkness, patiently waiting for his [prey] to appear.
Soon, a boy around his age emerged.
Sleepy, the boy went to the fence to release water.
But as he did, he shivered.
In the darkness, a pair of red eyes appeared—eyes belonging only to the most vicious predators.
"Who… is that?"
The boy panicked, but upon seeing the owner of the eyes, his fear vanished.
"Mu Feng? So it's you, idiot! Hahaha!"
He continued releasing water, mocking as usual.
"I heard you hunted a boar today? Lucky you!
If I had seen that boar, you wouldn't have gotten a single hair!"
"I wonder if your equally useless sister cried seeing so much meat?"
As the boy ranted, a knife suddenly cut his throat.
"Ugh!"
He fell into a pool of blood, futilely clutching his neck.
Mu Feng squatted beside him, smiling.
Unlike before, the boy sensed the predator aura on Mu Feng.
"No… please…"
The boy's plea was barely audible.
But Mu Feng was cold and ruthless, dragging him into the darkness beyond the fence.
There, he would perform another sacrifice.
"A sacrifice to the great Mother of the World!"
A twisted shadow far beyond the world watched the scene with an evil smile.