James had already guessed the situation.
Predators like saber-toothed cats rarely hunted alone. The male scimitar saber-toothed tiger attacking Mom and Dad from the front was probably just drawing their attention. If that was true, then another predator had to be nearby.
And sure enough, movement came from the bushes behind them.
"Rrrr!"
James immediately shouted a warning to his parents.
At the same moment a female scimitar saber-toothed tiger burst out of the bushes and rushed straight toward the cubs. Her target was obvious — the three cubs standing behind their parents.
Mom heard the warning and turned her head. When she saw the predator charging toward her children, she tried to pull away from the fight. Unfortunately, she was still too far away to reach them in time.
"Run!" James roared to his siblings .
Zack and Zoe were still confused and hadn't reacted yet. James slapped both of them on the head, forcing them to wake up to the danger. The two cubs finally understood and immediately started running toward parents.
But the female predator was faster.
Within seconds she had already closed most of the distance. Her eyes were locked on Zoe, who had fallen slightly behind. Her claws stretched forward as she prepared to strike.
James didn't hesitate .
"System, exchange ten enhancement points. Put all of them into Strength."
A system notification appeared in his mind and a warm sensation spread through his body. His muscles tightened and his movements felt heavier and stronger.
Instead of running, James suddenly stopped.
Then he turned around.
"Rrrr!"
He charged directly toward the female predator.
The scimitar tiger clearly didn't expect a cub to turn back and attack. She slowed for a moment in surprise.
That moment was enough.
James jumped forward and slammed into her shoulder with his full weight. The impact pushed her slightly off balance and forced her to step sideways to steady herself.
The female tiger stared at him in disbelief.
A cub had actually stopped her charge.
Her surprise quickly turned into anger.
"Roar!"
She lunged forward again, aiming her claws at James's neck. James jumped aside just in time and the claws struck empty air. The predator turned quickly and attacked again, but James kept moving and avoided each strike.
He didn't try to fight her directly. The size difference between them was too large. Instead he stayed just outside her reach, forcing her to keep turning and chasing him.
Every second she spent attacking him was another second Zack and Zoe gained to escape.
The female tiger grew more frustrated with every failed attack. She pounced again, trying to crush James under her weight, but he slipped away to the side before she could land on him.
At that moment a powerful roar shook the forest.
"ROAR!"
Mom had arrived.
Her massive body rushed forward and she positioned herself between the predator and the cubs. Compared to James she was slower, but the strength in her movements made it clear that she was far more dangerous and experienced.
The female scimitar tiger immediately realized the situation had changed.
Attacking the cubs was no longer possible.
Fighting an adult saber-toothed tiger alone would be extremely risky.
She stepped backward while watching Mom carefully. After creating some distance she turned around and ran back into the forest.
On the other side, the male scimitar tiger fighting Dad also noticed the situation and quickly retreated.
The forest slowly became quiet again.
James finally relaxed. Driving the intruders away was already a good outcome. Trying to kill them would have been far more dangerous.
But the encounter also made one thing very clear.
He still needed to become stronger.
Much stronger , so no one can harm his family.
The fastest way to do that was through hunting.
Every successful hunt meant more Gene Points.
The opossum he killed earlier was only the beginning.
The sky was already growing dark.
Mom and Dad gathered the cubs and quickly returned to their den.
They didn't want to risk another encounter with predators.
Once they reached the cave, the tension finally faded.
Zack and Zoe, still shaken from the attack, fell asleep almost immediately.
James lay down beside them.
The temperature dropped quickly at night now that autumn had arrived.
The three cubs pressed together for warmth.
James closed his eyes.
Today had been exhausting.
But he had survived.