The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, Wang Keke sleepily made her way over as usual, ready to give her "Mimi" a good-morning hug and check whether his water bowl needed refilling.
But when she reached his bed and saw what was inside, every trace of sleep vanished in an instant, replaced by a stifled cry of surprise:
"Ah—!"
Lin Mo was stretched out in the soft bed, seemingly still savoring the afterglow of the breakthrough he had made the night before.
And on his sleek, muscular back, two spots that had once been little lumps now bore two pristine, down-covered wings! They were still small and looked rather underdeveloped, but their distinct membranes and slender bones left no room for doubt!
"W-wings! Mimi, you've grown wings?!"
Wang Keke's voice trembled with excitement. She crouched down and gingerly reached out, wanting to touch them but afraid she might damage the delicate new appendages.
Lin Mo had been awake for a while and knew he couldn't hide them. He obligingly lifted his head and purred contentedly. He even turned onto his side, displaying one wing more fully to Wang Keke as if to say, Look how amazing I am!
The feathers felt warm and soft beneath her fingertips, their down impossibly fine. A look of overwhelming delight and pride bloomed across Wang Keke's face!
"Oh my god! You really are... you really are a Winged Tiger! A Mutated Winged Tiger! I knew it! I knew I had a good eye! Eighty million... worth every penny!"
She was so excited she nearly jumped for joy. She swept Lin Mo into her arms and rubbed his head enthusiastically. "Mimi! You're such a treasure! Let's see if Wang Xiao and the others dare look down on you now!"
The anxiety she had felt over the family's pressure and the approaching competition faded away in the face of this unexpected delight. Even a pet beast capable of only a basic glide had far greater strategic value and potential than a land-bound pet beast!
"No, we need to start training you to use those wings right away!" Wang Keke was a woman of action. She scooped Lin Mo up and hurried to the training ground, not even stopping for breakfast.
In the days that followed, Lin Mo's training regimen gained one crucial new element: wing adaptation.
Wang Keke pored over a wealth of training materials on flying monsters. Combining them with a Spirit Reader's unique understanding of energy and muscle control, she put together a gradual training plan for Lin Mo.
At first, they trained indoors on a practice field covered in soft cushioning mats. The main goal was to help Lin Mo get used to his wings, learn how to fold and spread them, flap them, and feel the air currents.
With a human's capacity for understanding and powerful control over his soul, Lin Mo learned incredibly quickly. In just a few days, he could adjust his wings to all sorts of angles with ease, and his flaps grew strong and coordinated.
Next came low-altitude gliding practice. He would leap from a low platform, use his wings to glide, and control his landing point and posture.
Lin Mo quickly mastered the technique and could even make small turns in the air. He could feel his wings growing stronger by the day, nourished by the Devouring Beast meat he ate and his own energy. Their wingspan was also slowly increasing.
Then came comprehensive exercises to coordinate his wings with his body. He practiced spreading them to glide while running, using them to help him change direction and keep his balance, and even attempting short pounces.
Lin Mo applied human combat tactics to his training, considering how to combine the mobility his wings gave him with the pounces, bites, and claw strikes of a tiger.
Watching Lin Mo adapt to his wings at an astonishing pace and display "combat intelligence" far beyond that of an ordinary tiger cub, Wang Keke's eyes shone brighter and brighter. She was even more convinced that she hadn't found a treasure—she had found a monster with limitless potential!
Meanwhile, as Lin Mo enjoyed growing stronger, he was already planning his next move.
The detailed information about his [Combat Devour Talent] had made one thing clear: if he wanted to gain stronger abilities, he couldn't just "eat whatever." He needed to choose what he ate, and take a chance on those extremely low odds.
He needed a target—something with a talent he wanted, that he could get his hands on easily at this stage without raising suspicion.
A monster from the Basic Monster Illustrated Handbook came to mind: the Iron-Wire Snake, which Keke recited from every day beside her bed.
It was at Beast Soldier Rank, with ordinary strength. Its body was tough, as if made from twisted iron wire, and it possessed either the [Iron Bone] or [Tough Skin] talent, which could greatly improve its defense. That was just what Lin Mo needed right now! He already had claws and fangs for offense, and wings for mobility; his defense was his one weak spot.
Besides, Iron-Wire Snakes were small and easy to devour. They would also make a perfectly reasonable "snack" for a pet beast.
But how could he get Wang Keke to understand that he "wanted" to eat an Iron-Wire Snake?
He couldn't exactly ask her outright. He would have to rely on gestures and expressions.
That day, after a round of high-intensity training, Wang Keke brought out some prepared Beast Soldier Rank meat to reward him, as she usually did.
But Lin Mo didn't pounce on it as he usually would. Instead, he sniffed the meat, then looked up at Wang Keke, a hint of "dissatisfaction" and "longing" in his amber eyes.
First, he pawed at the meat. Then he turned toward a chart beside the training ground, which depicted various monsters and which Wang Keke used to teach him to recognize them. He pointed his paw precisely at the picture of an Iron-Wire Snake!
"Roo~" He called out, glanced back at Wang Keke, then emphatically pointed at the Iron-Wire Snake again.
Wang Keke froze. "Mimi? You... you want to eat this?" She looked at the chart, then at Lin Mo.
Lin Mo nodded firmly, his tail swishing rapidly to show how badly he "wanted" it. He even ran over to his food bowl and pawed out the meat that was already in it. Then he gazed imploringly at the Iron-Wire Snake on the chart, looking back and forth between it and Wang Keke.
"You don't like the meat you've been eating? You want... an Iron-Wire Snake?" Wang Keke tried to make sense of it.
Lin Mo nodded again, letting out an eager whine as he stamped his front paws against the ground.
Wang Keke studied his "impatient" and "eager" expression. It struck her as odd—Iron-Wire Snake meat wasn't known for its taste; it was rather tough and dry. But perhaps mutated beasts had unusual tastes. And Lin Mo had just made a breakthrough and needed to replenish all sorts of energy. Maybe he was drawn to some particular quality of the Iron-Wire Snake?
"All right, all right." Wang Keke laughed at his antics. "If my Keke wants one, I'll get you one! But Iron-Wire Snakes aren't easy to prepare. Do you want a whole one, or should I cut it into pieces?"
At that, Lin Mo immediately stood up on his hind legs and frantically shaped a "whole" with his front paws. Then he mimed swallowing something in one bite—even though that was hardly possible at his current size—and fixed Wang Keke with an intensely expectant gaze.
"You want... the whole thing?" Wang Keke understood what he meant. Though she found the request even stranger, she trusted and adored her pet beast, so she agreed. "All right! I'll have someone prepare one right away! It'll be a fresh, Beast Soldier Rank Iron-Wire Snake!"
As Wang Keke turned to give the servants their instructions, Lin Mo rejoiced inwardly.
Step one: success!
He could almost see the Iron-Wire Snake, with its [Iron Bone] or [Tough Skin] talent, becoming the first real "whetstone" on his path to devouring and evolution.
He lay back down and licked his lips. A hunter's sharp anticipation flashed in his amber tiger eyes.
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