Become a Cheetah
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The so-called "unlucky year" must be referring to this kind of situation, right?
Luo Qiao stared intently at the leopard in front of him. This wasn’t the first time he had encountered a leopard. In the past, other leopards had stolen his prey, but those were primitive species.
They only wanted food, and as long as Luo Qiao and the two cheetah cubs didn’t resist, there was basically no life-threatening danger.
But this leopard in front of him was different, he was also an evolved species!
It was an innate intuition. Between evolved species, there was always an indescribable subtle feeling. It was completely different from encountering a primitive species.
Just from the leopard’s pale golden eyes and robust physique, it was clear that this evolved leopard was not to be trifled with!
Luo Qiao didn’t dare to act rashly. Compared to other predators, leopards didn’t have any particularly outstanding advantages.
They weren’t as fast as cheetahs, nor as strong as lions. They preferred to be solitary and didn’t have the pack strength of hyenas.
But they were natural hunters, skilled at hiding and ambushing, capable of capturing prey several times their own weight. What was even more terrifying was that they could hunt almost every species on the savannah, including birds that cheetahs could never catch.
Even the large antelopes, which lions disliked, were not off the menu for leopards.
Luo Qiao had seen those large antelopes before. Their musky scent could carry for miles. Just being near them was unbearable for Luo Qiao, let alone eating them.
But leopards could catch them and eat them.
Lions could easily kill cheetahs, but they rarely succeeded against leopards, especially adult male leopards.
This leopard in front of him was clearly attracted by the scent of blood from the female wildebeest. Luo Qiao began to feel relieved that it was a leopard and not a pack of hyenas.
"Can we make a deal?"
Luo Qiao tried his best to shield the two cheetah cubs behind him. This had become a habitual action whenever he encountered other predators.
"You can have all of this. Just let us leave."
The leopard was too close, and the two cheetah cubs had grown too big for Luo Qiao to carry them easily anymore. Between getting injured and leaving safely, Luo Qiao wanted to choose the latter, but that required the leopard’s cooperation.
The leopard, Monti, flicked his tail, the tip twitching slightly. This indicated that he wasn’t in a bad mood—in fact, he was somewhat excited.
He had been bored lately. His territory was abundant with prey, so he didn’t have to worry about food. Even during the dry season, leopards fared much better than other predators.
They were skilled climbers and could hide their prey in trees, allowing them to laze around and sleep all day.
Monti was an excellent hunter, but he wouldn’t turn down a free meal. However, compared to the wildebeest on the ground, he was now more interested in Luo Qiao.
An evolved male cheetah with two cubs.
How fascinating!
Monti had always been a solitary creature, and the news of a lone male cheetah roaming the savannah hadn’t reached his ears yet.
Monti slowly moved forward, his soft paws stepping on the grass without making a sound. Luo Qiao was certain that if this leopard didn’t want to be noticed, he could easily hide and ambush him.
But he wasn’t doing that. Instead, he was deliberately making noise in the grass to get Luo Qiao’s attention. Why?
As Monti drew closer, Luo Qiao instinctively stepped back, but he didn’t dare to retreat too quickly. If he turned and ran, this leopard would definitely chase him. Felines had this instinct, and even Luo Qiao was no exception.
Given the choice between a fawn lying on the ground and a running hare, Luo Qiao would instinctively chase the hare. He wanted to save energy, but it was just his nature—there was nothing he could do about it.
The two cheetah cubs nervously hid behind Luo Qiao. Luo Sen wanted to peek out, but Luo Qiao’s tail brushed over him, and he immediately froze, not daring to move.
Finally, Monti quickened his pace. Luo Qiao sensed danger—he was too close!
Luo Qiao suddenly lowered his head, adopting a threatening posture toward Monti. Seeing that Monti didn’t seem bothered, Luo Qiao waved his front paws, trying to make himself appear larger.
He tapped his paws on the ground, creating noise in an attempt to intimidate the leopard and stop him from coming closer.
The threat seemed to work. Monti stopped in his tracks, and Luo Qiao subtly let out a sigh of relief.
"You’re an evolved species too, right? I just want to take my cubs and leave. You can have this prey. This female wildebeest is big enough to last you a week."
Monti’s gaze casually swept over the wildebeest but eventually circled back to Luo Qiao and the two cubs.
Luo Qiao felt a chill run down his spine. Even when stared down by a lion, he had never felt this way. Those pale golden eyes, with their black pupils, held a strange and mysterious aura.
"I just want to take a look."
Monti finally spoke. His voice was deep and magnetic, different from Parson’s clear tone and Jairo’s deep resonance. It felt like a gentle breeze brushing against fur, sending a tingling sensation through the listener.
Luo Qiao couldn’t help but shiver. Stop it! He wasn’t a sound enthusiast.
But what did this leopard mean by "taking a look"? What did he want to see?
Seeing Luo Qiao’s confusion, Monti decided to show him exactly what he meant.
The leopard moved swiftly and unpredictably. Luo Qiao was caught off guard and pinned to the ground. The two cubs cried out in panic, but a single glance from Monti silenced them. They instinctively wanted to run but forced themselves to stay, their father was still here!
Luo Qiao, however, couldn’t worry about that. He used his claws to grip Monti’s paw that was holding him down, his claws digging into the leopard’s fur. He then shouted at the cubs.
"Run!"
But Luo Sen and Luo Rui shook their heads, staying rooted to the spot. At night, even if they managed to escape from this leopard, they might run into hyenas or lions. It was better to stay with their father!
"Dad, we’re not leaving!"
"Dad..."
Luo Rui finally burst into tears. "I want to stay with Dad! Eat me instead, don’t eat Dad!"
Luo Qiao’s face instantly darkened. Should he consider his parenting a success or a complete failure?
This self-sacrificing spirit actually appeared in a predator like a cheetah?!
If they managed to get out of this safely, he was definitely going to give the two cubs a good spanking!
A really good one...
Okay, fine, he couldn’t bring himself to do it...
Monti didn’t care at all about the leg Luo Qiao was holding onto. If he wanted to, he could easily break free. In front of an adult male leopard, a cheetah’s weight and strength were nothing to write home about.
"Did I say I was going to eat you?"
Monti muttered under his breath, then added, "I was just curious and wanted to take a look."
As he spoke, he flipped Luo Qiao over, who was still pinned to the ground. He pressed a paw against Luo Qiao’s soft belly and glanced down between Luo Qiao’s hind legs.
"So it really is a male."
Luo Qiao was utterly furious. This was outright harassment!
What was wrong with the evolved species in this world? First the lions, now the leopards! Did they even want cheetahs to live?!
Unable to control himself, Luo Qiao kicked out with his hind legs, but Monti easily dodged. Luo Qiao quickly rolled over and stood up, tail tucked, growling low at the leopard.
"Is that really necessary?" Monti licked his paw. "I was just looking. I didn’t do anything to you."
Seeing Luo Qiao still seething with anger, Monti gradually dropped his casual demeanor. His pale golden eyes flashed with the predatory glint unique to hunters.
Was he really planning to fight?
This cheetah was truly interesting...
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