The wolf reacted almost instantly.
The moment Mom's roar echoed outside the cave, it turned and ran. Its tail dropped low as it rushed toward the entrance, desperate to escape.
James saw the chance and sprang forward.
"You're not getting away that easily."
He kicked at the wolf's tail as it tried to flee. The wolf jerked forward, losing its balance for a moment. James immediately dropped the stone from his mouth and lunged, trying to bite down.
The wolf twisted violently.
Instead of slowing down, it kept running, even if it meant letting James catch part of its tail. Survival came first.
But the wolf had already lost its chance.
Mom had reached the cave.
The moment she saw the intruder, her entire body moved with explosive speed. In an instant she was standing in front of the wolf, blocking its escape.
Her paw struck before the wolf could change direction.
The impact landed on the wolf's side with a heavy thud.
The force sent the animal sliding across the cave floor until it slammed into the rock wall. The wolf tried to stand again, but its legs struggled to support its weight.
Mom didn't give it time.
She rushed forward and clamped her jaws around the wolf's neck.
From where James stood, he could clearly see the size of her mouth as she bit down. Her jaws opened wide, and the long saber teeth drove deep into the wolf's throat.
Blood quickly spread across the cave floor.
The wolf struggled weakly for a few moments, its body shaking as it tried to pull free.
Then the movement stopped.
The fight was over.
James stood there staring.
The wolf that had nearly killed them a moment ago was now lying still on the ground.
Mom had finished it in seconds.
He quickly snapped out of it and ran toward Zack.
Fortunately, the bite on Zack's backside wasn't serious. The thick fur had protected him, and the wound was only shallow. A little blood had stained the fur, but it didn't look dangerous.
James felt relief.
Still, Zack rolled around on the ground whining loudly as if he were badly injured.
Mom walked over and began licking the wound gently.
For many animals, licking was the only treatment they had. Saliva could help clean the wound and slow the bleeding.
Zack continued making small noises while his mother cleaned the injury.
At that moment, a familiar voice appeared in James's mind.
[System Notification]
Assist in hunting: Subadult Gray Wolf
Gene Points +5
James blinked.
"So hunting gives points too."
The system quickly explained.
When the host killed prey alone, the reward was larger. When multiple hunters were involved, the system counted it as an assist and gave a smaller reward.
Since Mom had delivered the killing bite, James received only the assist reward.
Even so, he felt satisfied.
If She had arrived a little later, the situation might have ended very differently.
Facing a wild predator in real combat had made one thing very clear.
This world is dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
If he wanted to survive here, he needed to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
For wild animals, the early months of life were one of the most dangerous periods. Illness, hunger, and predators could kill young cubs easily.
Only when a saber-toothed tiger reached adulthood did it truly become one of the dominant predators of the Ice Age.
Watching Mom deal with the wolf so easily only strengthened James's determination.
One day, he would reach that level too.
Later that night, Mom and Dad returned with another large prey animal.
With the wolf already lying in the cave, the family ended up with more food than usual.
For the cubs, it became a feast.
As James ate, the system messages appeared again.
[System Notification]
Gene sample acquired: Alpaca
Gene Points +0.1
[System Notification]
Gene sample acquired: Alpaca
Gene Points +0.1
Later, after tasting some of the wolf's meat—
[System Notification]
Gene sample acquired: Gray Wolf
Gene Points +0.1
[System Notification]
Gene sample acquired: Gray Wolf
Gene Points +0.1
By the time he finished eating, James had gained two additional Gene Points.
When he checked his panel again, his stored points had reached ten.
One Gene Point could be converted into either an attribute increase or a healing point.
After thinking for a moment, James decided to keep three points in reserve and spend the other seven.
Strength, agility, and endurance were all important.
Strength improved muscle power, bone density, bite force, and even the toughness of his fur.
Agility affected coordination, reaction speed, and movement.
Endurance covered stamina, recovery ability, and resistance to illness.
All three mattered.
He decided to keep them balanced.
"Three points to Strength. Two to Agility. Two to Endurance."
The moment the change was made, a warm sensation spread through his body.
It felt like heat flowing through his muscles and bones. The sensation lasted for several moments before slowly fading.
James opened the panel again.
Host: James
Species: Smilodon (Male)
Age: 4 Months
Strength: 13 (+)
Agility: 10 (+)
Endurance: 9 (+)
Gene Points: 3
Fused Genes: None
The next morning arrived quietly.
A pale light spread across the eastern sky.
For once, James didn't wake up early. After the large meal the night before, he slept much longer than usual.
By the time he opened his eyes, Mom and Dad were already awake.
He walked closer and noticed them standing together near the cave entrance. They were rubbing their heads together and making low sounds, almost like a conversation.
James listened carefully.
One word stood out clearly.
Move
He paused.
"Move? Why?"
Then he remembered the wolf from the previous night.
The answer suddenly became obvious.
Mom and Dad had decided the cave was no longer safe.
If another predator discovered it again, their cubs could be in danger.
Which meant only one thing.
The family was about to leave this den and find a new home.