-- Chapter 10:

Hui took shelter beneath the shade of an older cousin. His gaze focused at a nest perched a hundred meters above. Licking his figurative lips, Hui calmly waited.

He had traveled deeper in for the greater part of the morning, searching for suitable prey. Hui had lost interest in anything with less substance than his last meal. Following his craving, Hui moved about until he heard a piercing cry.

“Chirp!”

A bird-like creature with a wingspan of over five meters soared towards the depths of the forest with what appeared to be a python lying limp in its grasp.

Originally, Hui wasn’t keen on battling a flying type, however a thought appeared unprompted in his mind.

‘Scrambled eggs.’

Hui stopped in-situ before heading towards the direction of the bird with renewed vigor. His efforts paid off as he spotted the bird lowering itself onto a roost.

Patiently positioning himself in bird’s blind spot beneath the nest, Hui sat down and rested in preparation.

Several hours later, the bird left, flying off in search of new prey.

When it was only a speck in the distance, Hui excitedly climbed above, ready to partake in his prize. Flipping himself over the edge of the nest, Hui landed amongst a dozen meter high eggs.

‘Success! If only I had soy sauce as well!’

Applauding his ingenuity in discovering this carton of eggs, Hui’s branches pierced the coarse yellowish-white shells, meeting little resistance before reaching the energy rich yolk.

A current of energy flowed into Hui and followed his meridians towards the silver core. The colorless energy spread over the surface, forming a murky ocean over the star.

Hui indulged in the taste of the energy as he continually extracted it, moving on to the next when an embryo had been deprived of its supply. When Hui’s branches greedily reached towards the 7th egg, an angry shriek resounded from the distance.

A sunspot appeared on the horizon and rapidly grew. In a panic, Hui held onto the two nearest eggs and fled.

To Hui’s dismay, the outraged mother passed by the nest without stopping and chased after him. Hui’s complexion changed and he redoubled his efforts, weaving amongst obstacles hoping to throw off pursuit. The bird seemed as if were locked onto Hui, closing the gap gradually.

When it flew to within several meters, Hui complained secretly to himself as if he were suffering from an injustice, and threw one of his eggs toward the bird.

The bird silently cursed Hui’s shamelessness as it hurriedly came to a halt and softly caught her unborn spawn. As it hovered debating over whether to follow the villainous sapling or return to the nest, the second egg enlarged in its vision. Surprised and joyful, the bird extended her second talon and carefully caught the egg.

Before she could cry in delight, a shadow darted out from behind the egg towards her exposed breast. The bird reflexively moved to tear the offender apart with her talons, only to helplessly realize her claws were blocked.

As Hui dashed forwards with his branches entwined helically into a spear, he fell into a mysterious state where the surroundings seemed dulled and he only saw his target. Within his body, the surface of the core surged turbulently, and energy streamed towards the spearhead. Hui felt an intense heat radiate from the point as it shone with a glaring silver light.

‘Silver leaf!’

Roaring, Hui’s thorn ruptured the bird’s inadequate defenses and tore unrestricted through its body, exiting from the back.

“Chirp!!”

The bird released an earsplitting cry before the intelligence in the its eyes faded and it died.

Hui pulled his bloodied branches from the bird’s carcass as he breathed deeply. The ocean of his core seemed depleted from the use of the skill, though it appeared to be replenishing itself with every revolution of the core.

‘Haha! I’ve finally activated the skill!’

He sat before the corpse, his body shivering from both exertion and excitement.