Become a Cheetah
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The hyena clan led by Galna underwent a sudden and tragic change overnight. All the young hyenas were killed, and when the adult hyenas returned, they were met with the cold, stiff bodies of seven young hyenas.
The scent of a leopard was everywhere, mixed with the strong smell of blood, driving the hyenas into a frenzy.
The young female leader, Galna, devoured the cold, stiff body of her daughter. She swore that the murderer would pay dearly for what they had done!
The male leopard responsible for killing the young hyenas had left the territory that very night, but the hyenas' rage did not subside. It wasn’t just Monty who was in trouble.
Beatrice, acting decisively, took her two young leopards and hid in the heart of their territory. The lionesses of the Hosby pride also began to pay attention to the hyenas' movements.
Although hyenas posed no threat to a group of lions, it was not uncommon for a lone lion to fall victim to them. Naturally, Nas seized the opportunity to curry favor with the lionesses.
He spent almost all his time with them, while Felix and Ero kept their distance, only appearing when the lionesses made a kill. Nas was quite pleased with their 'discretion,' having already forgotten how fiercely these two young lions had competed with him for food.
Zuwa was beginning to take a liking to the two young lions. She looked forward to the day they would mature. As for Zuwa, who had always been indifferent to his advances, Nas had no choice but to give up. After all, there were six other lionesses.
The hyenas' movements did not affect Luo Qiao. The young cheetah father was busy exploring the territory left behind by Aisha. Since Aisha had passed away some time ago, the boundaries of the territory had become blurred.
If Luo Qiao wanted to inherit this territory and live here, he would have to redefine its boundaries and mark it with his own scent, signaling to other predators that this was now his domain.
Marking the territory with his scent made Luo Qiao feel a bit awkward.
"Casually relieving myself wherever I go? This cheetah is under a lot of pressure" he thought.
But for the sake of his and his sons' little piece of land, Luo Qiao decided he could handle the pressure. Over the course of two days, he led the two young cheetahs around the entire territory, marking the boundaries. Every so often, he would rub his paws on the ground or leave a more distinct scent on a tree or rock. By the time he was done, the skin on his hind paws was nearly worn off.
Luo Qiao lay down and lifted his hind paw to inspect it. Without hesitation, he began licking it. As he licked, he reassured himself.
"I’m a cheetah now. Licking my paws is just instinct!"
Luo Sen and Luo Rui had followed Luo Qiao for two days. It was rare that no other predators had caused trouble during this time, and the two young cheetahs had learned a lot from Luo Qiao, such as how to define and mark territory. When they grew up, they would use the same methods to establish their own territory, living together as brothers.
Luo Qiao now had a general understanding of the territory. Centered around a solitary rocky hill, the area was surrounded by dry grass. The waterhole, located about five hundred meters from the territory's boundary, was the only water source nearby. Luo Qiao had initially wanted to include the waterhole within his territory, but he discovered that it also belonged to Monty!
"Curse that wealthy, land-hoarding tyrant! Down with the landlords! Share the land, equalize the land rights!"
Though he could shout such slogans, Luo Qiao didn’t have the courage to actually seize land from Monty. As a compromise, he slightly expanded his territory’s boundary to get closer to the waterhole.
After all, it was the only water source nearby, and during the dry season, many animals would come to drink there. Luo Qiao could lie in wait near the waterhole, waiting for an opportunity. However, this could only be done occasionally, and only when Monty wasn’t around. Otherwise, who knew what 'favor' the leopard might demand from him?
At noon, Luo Qiao led the two young cheetahs to the waterhole and hid in a patch of tall grass. The cheetahs' spotted fur blended perfectly with the grass, making them nearly invisible to the animals drinking nearby. None of them noticed that three cheetahs were lurking just a short distance away.
Having gone two days without food, Luo Qiao’s stamina was somewhat affected. He didn’t plan to hunt large prey this time, instead setting his sights on gazelles and small warthogs. However, the gazelles were particularly alert today, and Luo Qiao couldn’t find a good opportunity to strike. A reckless attack would only waste precious energy and yield nothing.
Luo Qiao had no choice but to wait patiently.
Luo Sen and Luo Rui crouched low, lifting their heads. They hadn’t yet participated in a real hunt and lacked the experience to choose prey wisely. If Luo Qiao were to choose, he would target young or female gazelles, preferably pregnant, injured, or elderly ones, as they were easier to catch. The two young cheetahs, however, would focus on the strong, robust male gazelles.
As the saying goes, ideals are rooted in reality but often exceed it.
A female warthog and her young approached the waterhole. Compared to the alert gazelles, they were much closer to Luo Qiao! While the mother warthog remained cautious, the young warthogs were solely focused on drinking. This was a perfect opportunity!
Luo Qiao stood up, his gaze fixed on the young warthogs. He carefully took a step forward, making sure not to startle the prey, and slowly closed the distance. Until the very moment he launched his attack, the warthogs remained completely unaware!
Finally, Luo Qiao burst out of the grass like lightning. The gazelles sounded the alarm and scattered, while the mother warthog raised her tail and led her young into the grass. The young warthogs were fast, but they were no match for a determined cheetah!
Luo Qiao had little trouble catching his lunch. He picked up the still-struggling young warthog and quickly carried it into the tall grass. Pressing it down, he clamped his jaws around its neck until the prey suffocated.
A young warthog wasn’t very big, and the three cheetahs soon devoured two-thirds of it. Luo Qiao lifted his head, leaving the rest for the two young cheetahs. As he licked the blood from his mouth, he scanned the area for other hunting opportunities.
Luo Sen and Luo Rui quickly finished the remaining prey. The small size of the catch meant the cheetahs ate quickly, so quickly that the vultures didn’t even notice there was an easy meal to be had.
Luo Sen and Luo Rui helped each other clean the blood from their faces, a gesture that also strengthened their bond. Once they were done, Luo Qiao led them away from the waterhole. He had noted the direction the warthogs had fled and guessed there was an 80% chance they lived within his territory.
Suddenly, a strong scent of blood filled the air. Luo Qiao and the two young cheetahs stopped in their tracks.
"Dad…"
Luo Sen looked up at Luo Qiao, who nuzzled his head reassuringly. They all knew this was the scent of a cheetah.
Luo Qiao hesitated. He didn’t want to get involved in trouble, but judging by the direction of the scent, the injured or dead cheetah wasn’t far away. This meant the cheetah was likely within his territory!
Whether he liked it or not, trouble had come knocking.
"Stay close to me. If something seems wrong, hide in the tall grass immediately. Understand?"
"Mm."
Following the scent of blood, Luo Qiao found the injured cheetah. He recognized her—they had fought not long ago. She was GaMa.
GaMa. lay on her side in the grass, one of her hind legs severely injured. A large patch of skin had been torn away, leaving her almost unable to move. Her cub, Tata, stayed close by her side, anxiously nuzzling her head.
Judging by GaMa.'s injuries, she had likely encountered hyenas or lions. After being bitten, she had fled here with Tata but could go no further.
Luo Qiao saw GaMa. and Tata, and Tata also noticed Luo Qiao and the two young cheetahs. Unlike the last time they met, Tata didn’t greet Luo Sen and Luo Rui. Instead, he bristled the fur on the back of his neck and let out a small, bird-like cry toward the father and sons.
Though he was small, he was determined to protect his mother! No one would hurt her!
Hearing Tata's cries, GaMa struggled to lift her head and glared coldly at Luo Qiao.
"Don’t misunderstand. I mean no harm."
Luo Qiao signaled Luo Sen and Luo Rui to stay where they were. He wasn’t sure if GaMa was truly unable to move. An injured mother cheetah with a cub was extremely dangerous, and he didn’t want his own children getting too close to her.
"This is my territory" Luo Qiao explained.
"To be precise, it used to belong to Aisha. Do you know Aisha? She was their mother." Luo Qiao gestured toward the two young cheetahs and continued, "Now it belongs to me. You’re in my territory, and I won’t harm you."
GaMa didn’t relax her guard at Luo Qiao's words, but Tata's attitude softened a little. He looked at GaMa, then at Luo Qiao, and finally spoke up.
"Hyenas invaded Mom’s territory. They bit her… those bad guys!"
Tata's words reminded Luo Sen and Luo Rui of Aisha, and their big eyes began to well up with tears. Luo Qiao flicked his tail in slight irritation. Well, now he had no choice but to help!
He transformed into his human form and walked over to Gama and Tata. Gama grew even more wary as he approached, even dragging her injured leg to stand up. She lowered her head and let out a low growl at Luo Qiao.
"Don’t be like this. After all, we’ve argued and fought before. That counts as some kind of bond, right?"
Luo Qiao smiled and knelt on one knee, reaching out toward Gama.
"You’re injured. If I don’t help you, both you and Tata will die. You know that, don’t you?"
"..."
"So, let me help you."
Luo Qiao’s smile was harmless, and Gama hesitated as she looked at him.
She understood what Luo Qiao meant. An injured cheetah couldn’t hunt, and Tata was still too young to fend for himself. If things continued like this, both she and Tata would starve to death.
"Ah ah?" You’ll really help me?
"Ah!" Of course!
"Ah ah ah ah ah!" I’ll owe you a favor! I’ll pay you back!
"Ah ah ah ah." You’re so stubborn.
Luo Qiao sighed and simply picked Gama up in his arms. He had to admit, though Gama was fierce in a fight, she felt surprisingly light in his arms.
Tata followed closely behind Luo Qiao, while Luo Sen and Luo Rui came over to greet him. They gently licked Tata, offering comfort and reassurance.
Luo Qiao looked down at the three young cheetahs and said, "Alright, Dad will go hunt in a bit. You’re still hungry, right? Tata hasn’t eaten either, has he?"
The three young cheetahs nodded in unison, and Luo Qiao nearly felt his nose bleed from the cuteness. Such adorable little creatures!
Turning his head to look at Gama, who was now lying docilely in his arms, Luo Qiao’s outwardly handsome and composed face hid a perverted thought: A girl! A living, soft girl! We’ve skipped holding hands and gone straight to second base…
Gama narrowed her eyes as she noticed the upward curve of Luo Qiao’s lips. Suddenly, she lifted a front paw and swiped at him.
"Ah ah ah ah? Ah ah!" Trying to take advantage of me? Take that!
After being swiped, Luo Qiao remained calm under the confused gazes of the three young cheetahs.
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