Haiyang’s conscious lights up to see a stone ceiling of a cave. He looks around and finds that there are five wetred-furreded fox kits in a small group. They’re all about the same size of four inches of length and two inches in height.
He looks the other way and sees a fox much bigger than himself. This fox is very muscular and bright red fur. Haiyang had trouble telling the measurements of the fox as it was much bigger than himself.
Haiyang was taken aback by these sights, but realized he reincarnated as a fox. He studied himself a bit and indeed he did have paws and red fur. He smiled at that realization as that meant he wasn’t a farm animal. ‘If that’s my new father and those are my siblings then that means…’ Haiyang is stopped mid thought as he looks to his left and sees a beautiful, shining, red furred fox. ‘...Thats my mother.’
Haiyang tried to stand but couldn’t. He kept falling and slipping. His legs felt like they were trying to support a mountain.
“Boy, you can’t do that yet. You were just born,” Haiyang’s father laughed. He picked Haiyang up by the scruff of his neck and brought him over to the pile of fox kits.
Haiyang was surprised that he could understand what they were saying. Haiyang just rationalized it as being reincarnated. He thought it was a nice surprise though as it would make his whole experience so much better.
“Why you talking to him you know he won’t understand,” Said a light gorgeous voice.
Haiyang look toward the voice and saw his mother. He found her voice much more pleasing than his father’s rough, but steady voice.
“Who says I was talking to him,” his father responded.
“Because were the only ones in this cave. Who else would you be talking to,” his mother questioned with a slight tinge of announce?
“Ok ok.” his father nodded and laughed it off.
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The last eight months passed quite quickly, but quite boring as well. Haiyang and his siblings, which he now knows counting himself contains four boys and two girls, were cooped up in the cave all day and night. Their father brought them all their food and their water was provided by a small stream inside the cave. Today though was special, as today Haiyang and his three brothers would learn to hunt.
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Haiyang and his three brothers all stood in a line watching their father perform different types of strikes. He also explained many different things from hunting to things about the forest they lived in. Haiyang absorbed every ounce of knowledge and recorded every movement into mind. His father soon stopped and stared at the four foxes with a malicious grin, or as much as a grin as a fox could get.
“Hope you all were listening and watching because we go hunt now,” his father, Tie Zhao laughed before turning his back towards them and walking away.
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All five of them snuck through the woods hiding in bushes and the shadows of trees. The four young males carefully followed the much older male. They all stopped when they heard sounds of the rustling of some leafs, and bushes. They stared at the origin of that sound to see six people stepping out into a clearing. The six people held sabres, swords, bows, and one a dagger.
“What are those,” asked Red the families second youngest.
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“Human cultivators,” responded their father with a slight tinge of wariness in is
voice.
The word cultivator gave Haiyang a shock and a sight hint of joy. His mind raced at the possibilities of that word. The idea of being in a cultivator world popped up a couple of times but that seemed unlikely. How unlikely it sounded though made sense as if it wasn’t such a world they wouldn’t be using swords and sabres.
“What’s a cultivator,” asked Grey the oldest of the brothers, and the only one of the foxes that developed a light grey coat of fur.
“A cultivator is a human or beast that absorbs and refines qi from the air and makes it into their own. Cultivators would then use that qi and refine their bodies to make them stronger. Qi can also be used for other things like walking on water, fly, or even use it as a weapon itself. These cultivators though are just a small time hunting party probably hunting for a magical and demonic beast,” Their father explained in a low voice.
“What are demonic and magical beast,” Haiyang asked?
“Demonic beast are beast that cultivate qi to refine and strengthen their body’s. While magical beast cultivates qi to shoot out of their bodies to fight at far distances. It is possible for demonic beast to shoot their qi out of their bodies it just won’t be as effective as magical beast. It is also possible for magical beast to use qi to strengthen their bodies with qi just won’t be as effective as demonic beast.
“How do you know they are a hunting party,” Haiyang asked again?
“I had a few run ins with them while out hunting. They come to this area every few days.”
Haiyang started thinking about how this world is much different than Earth but much closer to the books he used to read. This idea of a new world gave Haiyang some excitement as maybe he wouldn’t need to live as a fox forever, or at least not a normal one.
The group of foxes watched as the group of four male and two female cultivators walked along what looked like a predetermined path.
“Let’s hunt,” yelled Tie Zhao a little after the group walked away.
The old fox lead the young ones to a small clearing a little farther away. When they got to the clearing the old fox stopped and turned towards the group of four.
“The first one to find, kill, and bring back to me any animal will get the largest spoils,” their father yelled. He then walked into the shade of a tree and layed down.
Haiyang let out a small yelp in his head. He was a little worried as he has never been to the woods alone in his old life let alone in an unknown one. He wanted to complain but knew it would do nothing. So he kinda unsteadily walked in a random direction.
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In the undergrowth of the red wood trees was Haiyang. He was sneaking up on a decent sized rabbit that was nowhere near as big as the one the his father brought back, but it would work. The light brown coat of the rabbit blended in quite nicely with the dirt covered ground and barked covered trees. .
Normal this rabbit would be hard to see from Haiyang’s distance but this rabbits red eyes and his sense of smell gave it away. Haiyang was confident that he could catch this rabbit that wouldn’t win I’m a first place, but at least a good 3rd. That was hoping though as of the four brother he was the youngest.
Haiyang slowly but surely crawled towards the rabbit. He was only a few feet away before a sense of fear takes over him.
He looks around and sees a giant brown beast with long sharp claws and razor sharp teeth. The beast had deep purple eyes that look as if they would steal your soul away.
‘DEMONIC BEAST,’ Haiyang yelled in his head while running away from the beast. He was running deeper and deeper in the woods but also farther and farther from his father. He ran much faster than what his little legs could take him.
After what felt like an hour Haiyang finally stopped running and looked behind him. He saw that the beast wan’t following him and when it stopped he didn’t know. Once he stopped he realized his legs felt like jelly and his breaths were rapid.
He took some deep breaths and soon regained the ability of normal breathing. He looked around and too his horror realized he didn’t remember how to get back. He just sighed and walked along a path that looked familiar.
He walked along deep in thought as he looked towards the trees for some kind of landmark. He soon felt that there was no ground underneath him and fell down a large hole which ended in a “BANG!!”