Become a Cheetah
o0o
Luo Qiao hadn’t caught any prey in two days. He had traveled far with the two cubs, and aside from resting at night, they had spent almost the entire day searching for food.
The dry season on the savannah was like a cruel test from nature for predators. They had sharp teeth and claws to fear, but these were useless when there was no prey to hunt.
Luo Sen and Luo Rui could barely keep up with Luo Qiao’s pace. Luo Qiao had considered transforming to carry the cubs, but they refused.
“Dad can do it, so can we!”
Luo Sen puffed out his little chest, while Luo Rui sat nearby, clearly supporting his brother’s decision.
Luo Qiao was so moved he nearly cried.
The three cheetahs walked along a dried-up tributary of the Gansa River. Whenever they came across a termite mound or a slightly elevated hill, Luo Qiao would climb up and scan the surroundings. Cheetahs had excellent eyesight, and no prey within two kilometers could escape his gaze.
But once again, Luo Qiao was disappointed. There was no prey, not even a hare.
If they didn’t find food soon, not only would the cubs starve, but Luo Qiao himself would be at risk of dying from hunger.
“Dad, where are we going?”
Luo Qiao couldn’t answer Luo Rui’s question. He didn’t know either. It was just his instincts driving him forward. If he had paid attention to the markers and scents along the way, he would have realized they had already left the territory of the Oros lion pride.
They were now in a no-man’s-land between two lion territories. Crossing the riverbed would take them into another lion pride’s territory, where life was just as harsh.
Luo Qiao didn’t expect to find antelopes or anything like that. At least a warthog would be nice. Did he have to resort to catching field mice like a serval?
“Dad! Dad!”
Luo Sen’s call snapped Luo Qiao out of his self-pity. He turned around and saw the two little ones pawing at a rock-like tortoise.
Wait, was this called a tortoise?
Luo Qiao walked over and tapped the shell with his paw. The way the cubs looked at him clearly said “Dad, can we eat this? We can, right? We definitely can, right?”
Luo Qiao was speechless. He was faced with a historic decision. Did cheetahs eat this kind of thing? Besides, ordinary cheetah cubs wouldn’t immediately think of eating something like this, would they?
Was this another result of his parenting? Luo Qiao refused to think about it.
A cheetah’s claws and teeth were useless against a tortoise shell, but that didn’t stop Luo Qiao. He transformed into human form, picked up the creature that had retreated into its shell, and led the cubs to a shaded spot. Using rocks and hard sticks, he demonstrated how to 'unlock the mystery beneath the shell.'
Meeting a cheetah family that wasn’t picky about their food was just bad luck for this tortoise. He had managed to escape lions unscathed, only to meet his end at the paws of a cheetah.
Luo Qiao ate a little of the tortoise meat himself first. After waiting for a while and confirming he felt no discomfort, he fed it to the cubs.
In truth, tortoise meat didn’t taste as good as antelope meat. For cheetahs, it wasn’t exactly a delicacy. But filling their stomachs was more important than anything else. Anything edible couldn’t be wasted.
While the two cubs buried their faces in the meal, a jackal that had been following Luo Qiao and his cubs approached. Perhaps it just wanted to scavenge some scraps to fill its belly. During the dry season, everyone was struggling. But its shrill cries could easily attract lions or hyenas.
Luo Qiao’s initial intention was simply to drive the jackal away. After all, cheetahs didn’t eat jackals. Occasionally, cubs might chase them, but only to practice their hunting skills.
However, this jackal was too stubborn. It refused to leave, perhaps hoping to attract hyenas.
Hyenas would steal prey from cheetahs and drive them away, but they didn’t mind letting jackals have a share.
The jackal’s persistence finally angered Luo Qiao. He charged forward and killed it.
Clamping down on the jackal’s neck, the fresh blood moistened Luo Qiao’s parched throat.
o0o