Hunting

It really was the sound of a pig. Caesar made the grunting noise of a jungle boar. This was not magic, but a hunting method he had devised over this period.

Dragons possessed an extremely broad vocal range. By deftly controlling the airflow in their throats and vibrating their vocal cords, they could mimic the sounds of most creatures.

Of course, the vast majority of dragons would never do such a thing. Mimicking the cries of other creatures was, in their eyes, equally humiliating. But Caesar had no such psychological burden.

That was also why he had left the river and entered the jungle, choosing to hunt carnivorous mammals. Though he could imitate fish sounds as well, it was difficult to lure suitable prey in the water.

"Huff, huff..."

Caesar kept his breathing steady.

The jungle wind was hot, humid, and moist. Before long, the prey took the bait.

A jungle tiger.

A king at the top of the food chain on Earth in his previous life, it had been reduced to a lowly creature near the bottom of the pyramid in this bizarre world. In the Underdark, jungle tigers more often played the role of prey.

Though his scales were still small, they were nonetheless tough. Even as a hatchling, he possessed great strength. This gave Caesar some confidence; he had what it took to defeat any beast roughly his own size.

—As long as it was not a dire creature.

Dire creatures were a collective term for a range of specially enhanced beasts. Perhaps a red dragon hatchling could handle them, but Caesar knew that a black dragon his age absolutely could not provoke monsters of that level. Even a few dire wolves could kill him.

Fortunately, the creature that had taken the bait was merely an ordinary carnivore—a wild tiger.

After careful observation, Caesar judged that the target resembled the South China tigers he had seen in his previous life. Its entire body was orange-yellow and covered in black stripes. The muscles along its high, arched back displayed its formidable strength. Having heard the boar's howl, the tiger was sniffing its way toward Caesar's position.

Caesar controlled his breath and continued grunting, producing steady, rhythmic sounds. Clearly, this "boar" had not detected anything amiss.

Hidden in the soil behind layers upon layers of shrubbery, Caesar watched the tiger pace forward silently, gradually entering its pouncing range.

But the next second, the wild tiger stopped, remaining at what it considered a safe distance.

Had it discovered him?

No. Mammals were simply cautious by nature. Though a feast lay before it, the tiger knew it had never been king of the jungle. So it halted, tensed its body, and began pacing sideways as it observed carefully.

What should he do? Pounce now, or keep waiting?

The tiger's actions left Caesar in a dilemma. He was a complete novice. If he lunged out now, at this distance, he was not sure he could succeed in one blow. If the pounce failed, it would be nearly impossible for a hatchling to catch up to an adult feline.

But if the prey sensed something wrong and fled, his entire half-day of waiting would have been wasted.

"Don't rush. Don't rush."

Caesar comforted himself and forcibly suppressed his chaotic thoughts, calming his mind. At the same time, he slightly changed the boar's pitch and let out a sharp squeal.

The prey sounded as though it was in pain. Had it been injured and tangled in the bushes?

This thought emerged in the tiger's limited mind. After circling for several dozen more seconds, it could wait no longer. It sprinted two steps, arched its back, and leaped straight into the thicket.

"Roar!"

The tiger's roar shook the jungle.

Unfortunately, it had fallen for the trap. What awaited it was not a sumptuous meal, but a deadly ambush.

The instant the vicious tiger sprang forward, the soil before it suddenly burst open. The pitch-black hatchling collided head-on with it, and his claws sank into its soft fur at once.

The tiger that had grown up in the jungle had clearly never seen such a treacherous, despicable dragon. Caught off guard, its belly was cleanly torn open.

Then Caesar rolled together with it. Ignoring the tiger's savage struggles, amid its unceasing roars, he growled and smashed its cervical vertebrae apart.

"Success."

Only after it was all over did the little hatchling release the limp, dead tiger. He lay back down on the ground, his tail hanging low as he slowly exhaled.

This hunt had not cost a dragon much physically, but the real pressure came from the psychological burden.

In his previous life, let alone a tiger, Caesar had never even killed a chicken. Though he showed no fear of the terrifying black dragon mother, that was only because of their familial bond. If he had not desperately held himself together, he would never have mentally endured a life-or-death battle against a fierce tiger from the top of his previous world's food chain.

"Still too green."

Caesar muttered breathlessly. Looking back afterward, from the moment the wild tiger leaped into the thicket, it had effectively been sentenced to death. He could have acted like a true Predator, calm and effortless, and bitten through its throat immediately. There had been no need to roll around and fight, taking such a roundabout path.

Learn from experience. Reflect on mistakes.

Caesar narrowed his eyes and reviewed the battle for a while. After a brief pause to think, the little hatchling drank dry the blood continuously spurting from the tiger's wounds. Then, carrying his prey in his jaws, he retreated from the dense forest as quickly as possible.

He did not dare eat on the spot. In the perilous dark jungle of the Underdark, the scent of blood would attract even more Predators. Who knew what terrifying creatures might be among them? Caesar was far from strong enough now, so he had to remain cautious at all times.

Thus, even though hunger gnawed at his belly and much fresh tiger blood was lost during the bumpy journey, Caesar endured the heartache and dragged the tiger's corpse back.

Time passed as he moved through the jungle. Only after he safely returned to the swamp and entered the territory covered by his black dragon mother's draconic might did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. His tense heart settled, and he eagerly began to feast.

What was it like for a black dragon to devour fresh meat?

It was like someone who had eaten nothing but plain boiled meat their whole life tasting stir-fried pork with chilies for the first time.

Caesar narrowed his eyes. The black dragon's senses meant that even rotten meat did not disgust him much, but red meat felt far more tender and delicious, making it impossible for a dragon to stop eating.

Would he cry someday when he tasted cooked meat again?

He tilted his head, blood still hanging from the corner of his mouth. Amused by his own thought, he chuckled. Being a dragon did not seem so bad after all. At least he could eat his way across the world without worrying about spicy or sour food upsetting his stomach.

But Caesar's joy did not last long before his face crumpled again, turning gloomy. The little hatchling sighed, lowered his head, and waddled toward the riverbank.

Because... it was time to eat dirt after a meal. The growing pains of my slightly sour childhood.

Ugh, this stuff tasted fucking awful...

The sky gradually darkened. Caesar returned to his little corner in the Black Dragon's Lair to rest. The two hatchlings were sleeping soundly beneath the black dragon mother's wings, letting out loud snores.

The jungle expedition had exhausted Caesar. He crawled into a curled-up position on the ground and quickly fell asleep as well.

Who knew how much time had passed? Caesar's muddled consciousness gradually became clear again. He realized he was no longer in the black dragon mother's lair. Looking around, he saw nothing but an unbroken expanse of darkness.

Yet right before him was a source of light.

Caesar was not surprised. In fact, ever since arriving in this world, he had the same dream every time he slept. In the body of a black dragon, he came to this deserted, pitch-black place.

Only this time was different. There was actually light within the darkness.