In the silent forest.
Everything around was unusually quiet. Only the occasional howl of a distant wolf broke the stillness of the night. With the sound of rustling and branches being stepped on, Kevin emerged. In front of him walked the swaggering Ging.
Soon, the two arrived at a hillside. They crouched at the edge, overlooking the dark jungle below. Flashes of light occasionally flickered in the jungle—someone was moving down there.
"There are four poachers. They've got shotguns and pistols on their belts."
What? How did he see that? Kevin was full of doubt. It was pitch black, the view blocked by dense jungle—he couldn't fathom how Ging could see anything in such conditions.
Even earlier, as they made their way here, Kevin had been equally puzzled. Ging moved through the forest like a silent predator, as if walking through his own backyard.
He seemed relaxed, almost careless, yet gave off an overwhelming sense of control.
Ging handed him a device that resembled a telescope. "Here, use this to observe."
Kevin took it. "F**k! What kind of black tech is this?!"
He was shocked, forced to keep his voice low. It wasn't his fault; this thing was outrageous. While Kevin had never personally used night vision goggles, he'd seen enough in videos.
But the telescope-like device in his hand made the darkness look like broad daylight. There wasn't any glowing green image or thermal filter—just clear night vision as if it were noon.
Technology in this world was clearly absurd in some aspects. He observed for a while. Eventually, he spotted the figures. The appearance of the four matched Ging's description exactly.
"What are you planning to do? Call the police? Or scare them away?" Kevin asked. Still peering through the scope, he didn't notice Ging glance back at him in the darkness.
"I know where they're headed. We'll go wait for them. You just observe from the side." Ging had initially planned to force Kevin into a fight so he could observe more, but after hearing his words just moments ago, he'd abandoned the idea.
Soon, under Ging's guidance, they followed a hidden trail to a cave. Kevin immediately caught a faint smell of blood—and something else, a little off.
In the cave's darkness, a wolf's head slowly appeared, bathed in moonlight. Most striking of all was a silver horn, about the length of a finger, protruding from its head, glowing faintly in the light.
Kevin stared, stunned. Even the sudden fear he felt from seeing the wolf melted away.
Something felt off. When the wolf fully emerged, he realized what it was—it had two heads. Still, only one head had the silver horn.
Its silver-gray fur shimmered under the moonlight, giving it a beautiful, almost sacred appearance. Another wolf followed, clearly smaller. Its horn was on the opposite head, shorter and rounder.
Then came a group of smaller figures—wolf pups. Also two-headed, but none had horns.
The two-headed wolves didn't seem hostile, though they eyed Kevin with wary curiosity. Then they all gathered around Ging like loyal pets. The pups wagged their tails, licked him, and even tried to climb into his arms.
Facing Kevin's questioning gaze, Ging calmly stroked one of the wolves and said, "They're two-headed wolves. They were nearly extinct a few years ago. We found the only surviving pair and, with technology, managed to breed them and preserve their bloodline."
Pride was clear on Ging's face as he spoke.
And now Kevin finally understood—how and why he had died. Poaching a nearly extinct species. Honestly, he'd deserved it.
Ging remained alert, watching the surroundings.
---
Soon, the group of poachers arrived nearby.
"Boss, are we there yet?" asked a skinny poacher.
The man with a scar across his face responded impatiently, "Shut up. We're close. Should be around here."
"If you ask me," said a younger man with a messy golden broom-like hairstyle, "we should just buy a ticket and go home. We still can't get in touch with that shady pretty boy."
The last member passed him, his expression blank. "If we want to keep working in this business, we can't just walk away."
"Tch, no sense of romance," the broom-haired guy muttered.
Swish! A sharp slicing sound tore through the air. Something shot out from the darkness, and before anyone could react, the golden-haired man was struck.
He staggered backward violently. With a thud that broke the night's silence, he crashed to the ground. Unconscious. His face caved in, blood streaming from his mouth.
"Be careful!" The four moved fast. Clearly experienced, they immediately sought cover. One had already drawn his gun and fired in the direction of the attack. Gunfire exploded into the night.
———
In the cave.
"Stop licking me." Kevin gently pushed off the wolf pup that had climbed onto his shoulder.
He gripped the telescope with both hands, eyes wide, focused. Just now, he saw Ging casually pick up something from the ground—a stone—and hurl it.
Like a bullet, it smashed into one of the poachers. The man flew back several meters and collapsed, motionless.
The others retaliated immediately.
Ging picked up a few more stones, hurling them again as if he were casually tossing apples.
This time, the impact was even more violent. Tree trunks shattered, and the poachers hiding behind them were all struck.
Is it over? Not yet.
Kevin noticed the man who seemed to be the leader. He had taken cover behind a tree and crossed his arms to block the impact.
The stone had forced him to slide back several meters.
He seemed to say something, but before he could react further, another stone struck him squarely. He flew back four or five meters and smashed into a tree.
Done. No resistance.
What the hell is this? A fantasy novel?
You're telling me that was a rock? Not a bullet?
From the battle and the fragmented memories stirring in his mind, Kevin realized: this world was definitely not normal. He noticed something; there had been a strange layer of energy rippling around Ging, though it was vague and unclear.
Internal energy? Or something else?
Then, the camera was blocked. "Oh, come on, don't block it!" Kevin reached out and moved the wolf pup, which was licking the telescope lens.
Apparently, he was too rough. The pup let out a soft whimper. Suddenly, Kevin felt a chill down his neck, and a heavy, dangerous stare bore into him.
"Haha... your son's really cute, Brother Wolf." Kevin laughed nervously and gently held the pup in his arms, petting it.
Fortunately, the little wolf didn't hold a grudge and started playing with him again.