Sovereign of Chaos

Chapter 12: The Big Cat Arrives

In a slightly open clearing on the mountainside, a large black pot sat atop a crackling bonfire, emanating an intoxicating aroma of meat. Ethan ambled over, finding seven or eight teenagers already scattered around the fire. Among them were familiar faces: Justin, Snotty-nosed Kid, Lily, and Charles, while the rest were newcomers.

Ethan caught a glimpse of Lily from the corner of his eye. To avoid the subtle awkwardness that arose when they were alone, she had visited the mountains less frequently in the past six months, only joining the group for meals. There was no need for a wealthy young lady like her to share simple meals with others, yet she did so. Why?

"Hey, Ethan, you've got perfect timing! The dog meat's just cooked," Snotty-nosed Kid enthusiastically exclaimed as he pulled Ethan down to sit beside him. Over the past year, the kid had grown taller and his runny nose had subsided, though two telltale white streaks still marked the skin below his nostrils, adding a touch of humor to his appearance.

"Everyone's here, so let's eat while it's hot. Dog meat isn't as good when it's cold," Charles declared, taking the lead. Justin swiftly followed suit, picking up a fragrant piece of meat and placing it in Lily's bowl. "Here you go, Lily, this tail is quite nourishing. Have more."

Charles' eyebrows arched momentarily before he relaxed and placed a piece of dog meat in Ethan's bowl. "Ethan, you should eat more too. You're a tough guy, after all. Last month, you chopped down more than 2,600 black pine trees, averaging over eighty a day. That's incredible! You're worth three adult laborers."

Ethan remained composed, knowing that he had deliberately hidden his true abilities. With his full strength, he could have increased his speed by at least fifty percent. Nevertheless, he responded humbly, "You flatter me, Uncle Charles. I'm just doing my job."

His increased speed was the result of a year of dedicated practice in blade technique. One year ago, chopping down ten black pine trees in a day would have been a remarkable feat. Now, his speed had increased by more than eightfold! Even while eating hot pot, Ethan kept one hand on the hilt of his blade – not out of deliberate wariness, but a habit formed from a year of constant vigilance.

"Ha, Ethan sure is modest," Charles remarked with a knowing glance, laughing heartily.

"Isn't he? I've heard the tools forged at Blue Cloud Forge in town have been exceptional this past year. Ethan must have played a significant role in that," ventured a youth who had recently joined the lumbering crew.

Word had spread about Ethan's casting skills despite Henry's efforts to conceal them. After all, every item produced by Blue Cloud Forge in the past year had been of exceptional quality. Who wouldn't be curious?

Justin's expression soured as he focused on his food and continued serving Lily. "Lily, try this piece of tender meat."

"Wow, Ethan, you've been keeping secrets! Hahaha," Snotty-nosed Kid chuckled, placing a piece of dog meat in Ethan's bowl. The two had become well-acquainted after spending the past year chopping trees together on the mountain.

At that moment, the Snotty-nosed Kid noticed Justin's disapproving gaze and hurriedly added a strip of dog meat resembling a finger to Justin's bowl. "Justin, you've worked hard too. Try this piece of knuckle meat."

Justin's expression softened slightly, staring at the strip of dog meat in his bowl for a while before turning cold again, his face darkening, and his voice rising an octave. "What did you just give me?"

Everyone's attention was drawn to Justin, who looked curiously at the "strip" of dog meat in his bowl. "Knuckle meat?" the Snotty-nosed Kid said blankly. As everyone's eyes focused on Justin's bowl, he looked closely as well.

Upon closer inspection, the Snotty-nosed Kid's face turned red. This was no knuckle meat – it was clearly a dog's penis! What a blunder! It was definitely knuckle meat, so how had it turned into a dog's penis once in the bowl?

Charles' facial muscles tensed, and he lowered his head, pretending not to see. The other youths surrounding them tried to suppress their laughter, looking away. Lily's pretty face flushed slightly, and she took a sip, lowering her gaze.

"Indeed, it is knuckle meat – very nourishing!" Ethan said, trying to hold back his laughter and emphasizing the word "nourishing" as he spoke calmly.

"Get lost!" Justin barked at the Snotty-nosed Kid, his face turning green. "You guys enjoy your meal. I'm full. I need to step away for a moment." With that, Justin stood up and headed down the mountain. He couldn't bear the humiliation any longer, especially with his love interest watching...

The Snotty-nosed Kid called after Justin regretfully, "I'm sorry, Justin! Wait for us, and we'll head back together."

Moments later, Ethan burped, stood up, and glanced at the darkening sky. "It's getting late. I should head home. Enjoy your meal, everyone."

Charles nodded slightly, "It's dark out. Lily, walk Ethan home."

Ethan was about to decline, holding his long knife, when suddenly a distant scream pierced the night. "Ahh! The big cat! The big cat is back!"

"Hmm?" Charles raised an eyebrow. "What's going on? That sounded like Justin."

Ethan's face changed, and he tightened his grip on the knife handle. Had the big cat that had been missing for over a year returned?

Everyone's faces changed dramatically, and they quickly got up and gathered together. "What's going on? The big cat? Wasn't it said to have disappeared over half a year ago?" the Snotty-nosed Kid lamented.

"The big cat! What are we to do? We're just here to chop wood. We're no match for a man-eating big cat!" The other youths also showed panic, either holding axes, large wooden clubs, or picking up large stones to huddle around Charles.

Rumors had it that Charles was a fifth-level Strong Blood Realm cultivator, and upon hearing about the big cat, the youths could only seek a sense of security around him.

"Everyone, stay calm and don't run off. Grab your weapons and follow me down the mountain!" Charles ordered calmly, leading the way with a torch in hand. Ethan, Lily, and the others followed closely behind.

At the foot of the mountain, when Ethan and the others arrived, they saw a pool of fresh blood and broken branches and leaves. Several smaller trees were broken, showing that a brief but fierce battle had taken place not long ago.

"Where's Justin?" Charles frowned, the situation far from promising.

Just as everyone was about to assume the worst for Justin, a faint gasp came from above their heads: "I... I... I'm up here."

Ethan looked up sharply, and by the light of their torches, they saw Justin, weak and barely conscious, perched on the trunk of a thick, dark pine tree. His clothes were tattered, his face covered in blood, and his right hand clenched the trunk tightly, while his left sleeve hung empty, a clear sign that Justin had lost his left arm forever.

"What happened?" Charles asked gravely, "Where's the big cat?"

Everyone tensed, fearing that the big cat was nearby.

"The big cat... is... over there," Justin panted, struggling to nod his head towards the northeast.

"What?" Charles was shaken to his core, momentarily speechless. The direction Justin pointed was exactly where Charles' home lay. Could it be that the big cat was headed straight there? This was disastrous!

"Grandfather! Brother!" Lily's face turned deathly pale. She quickly pushed past the others and sprinted towards the northeast.