After half a day of adjusting, James had finally accepted the truth.
He had been reborn as a saber-toothed tiger.
The first thing he focused on was getting used to his new body. Walking on four legs felt strange at first, and controlling his balance took some practice. His paws were heavier than human hands, his claws sharp, and every movement relied on muscles that felt completely unfamiliar.
Gradually, though, the coordination started to make sense.
Once he was comfortable moving around, he began paying attention to his surroundings—and the strange family he now belonged to.
First was his mother.
Rosa.
Standing near her felt like standing beside a living mountain. Her body was massive, and every step carried tremendous strength. Watching her move made James instinctively keep some distance. One careless step from her could probably flatten him.
Still, he knew something clearly.
One day, he would grow just as powerful.
Next came his younger brother, Zack.
The cub was clumsy and slow, often stumbling over his own paws.
Finally there was the youngest member of the family—his sister, Zoe.
Her fur was noticeably brighter than the others, almost a vivid orange shade. The color reminded James of the little orange cat he used to keep in his previous life.
During the afternoon, Rosa led the three cubs through the forest while patrolling her territory.
From time to time she rubbed her body against trees or rocks, leaving her scent behind. These scent marks were clear warnings to other predators.
This land already had an owner.
James followed closely behind while quietly observing the area.
At the same time, he tried estimating the size of Rosa's territory.
The result surprised him.
The area she controlled was enormous—roughly 100 to 200 square kilometers.
And that was only the core territory. During winter, when prey became scarce, the hunting range could expand even further.
Fortunately, Rosa didn't patrol the entire area today.
As the sun slowly sank toward the horizon, she turned back and began leading the cubs home.
For saber-toothed tigers, a territory wasn't the same as a home.
Many herbivores lived within it, and other carnivores occasionally passed through the outer regions as well.
Those places were hunting grounds.
But deep inside the territory was a smaller area that served as their true den.
That place belonged exclusively to them.
No other animal was allowed to enter.
After walking for some time, Rosa led the cubs to a cave hidden between large rocks.
The moment James stepped inside—
A powerful smell hit him.
His stomach immediately churned.
The cave reeked of waste.
For a moment, he seriously considered whether it was possible to teach prehistoric predators basic hygiene.
The floor of the cave was covered with layers of dried grass and leaves. It seemed to serve as bedding for the family.
Sleeping on grass was better than lying on cold stone.
But the current bedding was old and rotting. Insects crawled freely through the layers of leaves, and the smell was unpleasant.
James felt his fur stand on end.
Rosa, however, didn't care about such details. She simply lay down on the bedding and closed her eyes, clearly ready to rest.
Zack and Zoe had followed their mother for half the day. Exhausted, the two cubs collapsed onto the grass and prepared to sleep.
But just as they settled down—
James stepped forward.
Not yet.
Although only soft cub-like growls left his mouth, his intentions were obvious.
He had no interest in sleeping in this mess.
Even if he wasn't overly concerned about cleanliness, this environment was simply too unpleasant.
So he decided to fix it.
The cave wasn't very large, but it wasn't tiny either. Cleaning it alone would take time, so he planned to recruit some help.
Convincing Rosa was impossible.
But the two younger cubs?
That's an easy thing.
James began by demonstrating.
Using his front paws, he pushed the old grass and rotting leaves together into a pile. Once they were gathered, he dragged the debris outside the cave.
Zack and Zoe watched him with confused expressions, unsure what their older brother was doing.
Zack let out a lazy yawn and started lying down again.
Before he could—
Smack.
James tapped him on the head with his paw.
Zack froze.
Then he bared his tiny teeth and lunged forward in protest.
James didn't hesitate.
Being the largest cub, he had the advantage in both strength and size. The moment Zack pounced, he quickly pushed him down and pinned him to the ground.
Zack struggled and growled, trying to break free.
But James held him firmly in place with one paw.
No matter how hard Zack squirmed, he couldn't escape.
Eventually, the smaller cub gave up and let out a quiet whimper.
Satisfied, James stepped back.
After that brief lesson, giving orders became much easier.
Zoe watched the whole scene carefully. Seeing how badly Zack had been defeated, she obediently followed James's lead.
Soon both cubs were copying his actions.
Under his supervision, they carried out the old grass and rotten leaves piece by piece.
After clearing the cave, James led them outside again to gather fresh grass and branches.
Together they laid the new bedding inside.
By the time the work was finished, darkness had already fallen.
The forest outside the cave was completely black.
Rosa continued sleeping peacefully, her deep breathing echoing through the cave.
Zack and Zoe collapsed onto the fresh bedding, completely exhausted.
Watching them lie there like defeated workers made James feel oddly satisfied.
He stretched out on the clean bedding and finally relaxed.
Just as he was about to close his eyes—
A deep roar echoed through the night.
"ROAR!"
The sound clearly belonged to another saber-toothed tiger.
Rosa immediately opened her eyes and stood up.
Zack and Zoe also jumped to their feet, their exhaustion gone in an instant.
James looked toward the dark cave entrance in confusion.
Moments later, a massive figure emerged from the darkness.