In the forest was a beast shaped like a dog. It had a wide head, a short snout, and semicircular ears. Its fur was mostly reddish-brown, but its belly and the insides of its limbs were white. It had a thick, bushy tail with a black tip.
It wasn't large, just a bit bigger than Cyan Dragon, weighing a little over forty pounds. Its dark, glossy eyes glinted with ferocity and cunning.
This was the jackal—the first of the "four great predators" of lore: jackal, wolf, tiger, and leopard. Due to the color of its fur, people also called it the Red Dog.
Black Tiger's sudden charge startled the jackal. It scrambled to turn and flee, but Black Tiger was already at a full sprint.
The jackal had barely taken a step, its speed not yet built up, when Black Tiger caught up to it.
Instinctively, the jackal twisted its head back. Seeing Black Tiger pounce, it spun around, opened its jaws, and lunged for Black Tiger's throat.
