Chapter Ninety-Four: The Abandoned Infant (Part Two)

Leaving the edge of the cliff, the girl had nowhere to go. Dragging her body, weighed down by sorrow and hunger, she wandered aimlessly.

When she grew tired, she would sit down to rest for a while.

Passing by a puddle, her thirst unbearable, she was about to lower herself to drink the murky, dirty water when a sudden thunderclap startled her.

Boom!

The sky darkened, thunder roared, thick clouds gathered, and a fierce wind sent leaves swirling into the air. It was clear a heavy rainstorm was about to break.

Raising her hands to shield her head, the girl quickly ran into the forest, searching for shelter from the rain.

Her luck held; shortly after, she found a nearby cave. Hurrying inside, her clothes were already soaked through, clinging wetly to her skin.

Watching the rain intensify outside, a cold breeze swept through. Wearing only thin clothes already drenched by the rain, she sneezed and hugged herself tightly.

Uncertain how long the storm would last and knowing she couldn’t leave anytime soon, the girl ventured deeper into the cave.

Living with the female hunter had taught her not only how to be a person but also survival skills—how to endure in the wild, make fire, and set traps.

Inside the cave, the girl found a piece of wood and a stick. Recalling the hunter’s lessons, she gathered dry grass and arranged a small nest-like pile on the wood as tinder.

Crouching down, she pressed the wood with her small feet, clasped the stick with both hands, and began rubbing it against the wood to bore a hole.

After a moment, a small groove appeared in the wood. With persistent effort, smoke began to rise. Continuing, she finally sparked a tiny ember.

Gently, she transferred the ember onto the dry grass, blowing cautiously as white smoke curled upward. At last, a flame flickered to life.

The girl was overjoyed, but soon a wave of sadness followed.

Adding twigs to the fire, she watched the flames grow stronger. Removing her outer garment, she held it near the fire to dry.

The firelight cast her shadow on the cave wall. Suddenly, her gaze fell upon a pile of white bones not far ahead on the ground.

Beside them lay a piece of rotting flesh crawling with insects. Staring at the decomposed meat, her eyes caught a pale skull nearby. She began to recall specimens she had seen in the wooden cabin.

Eventually, she matched the skull to that of a wild deer. Though she realized it was not human, she felt no relief—only rising tension.

For an animal capable of consuming a deer so thoroughly must be a formidable creature. This cave was likely its home, and her intrusion would surely provoke displeasure.

At that moment, she heard movement outside. Quickly, she hid deeper in the cave behind a large stone.

Gripping a sharp bone from the scattered remains on the ground, she held it as a weapon, silently waiting for the intruder to appear.

She had no time to extinguish the fire. By its glow, she saw a massive shadow on the cave wall.

It was a crawling beast, with a large, rounded head, carrying prey in its mouth, moving on all fours toward her.

Peeking out, the girl was terrified to discover a huge black bear! She immediately covered her mouth, retreating further behind the stone.

The bear dropped the piece of meat it carried near the fire. The girl stifled any sound, fearing a cry might betray her presence.

Curious about the fire, the bear sniffed around it and detected the scent of a human. The smell hadn’t left; it still lingered inside the cave.

Wary, the bear crawled toward the stone, baring its teeth as it lunged behind it, only to find no one there.

As it turned, the girl seized the moment, gripping the bone tightly and thrusting its sharp end into the bear’s eye. She then fled, the bear howling in pain as it gave chase.

Bursting out of the cave, the girl ran eastward. The bear, crashing through trees, snapped trunks with its massive body. The sound of falling timber drew closer and closer.

Using her knowledge of the forest, the girl tried to outmaneuver the bear, but it cut through a shortcut and appeared directly ahead of her.

Cornered at the edge of a hill, the girl gripped the bone that had wounded the bear’s eye, her face tense with fear.

The bear’s eyes flared with rage as it recognized the clothing she wore.

When it was young, a hunter clad in that very garment had slain its father—a fully grown male bear—snatched away life unjustly, all for a single bear hide.

Seeing the jacket again ignited the bear’s fury. With a roar, it charged at the girl.

Trapped at the precipice, she stumbled and tumbled down the slope.

Rolling helplessly, sharp wild grass cut painfully into her skin, leaving wounds on her face and arms as she tumbled downhill.

The bear stood at the top of the slope, following the narrow path down to where the girl now lay, covered in leaves and unconscious.

As it raised its paw to strike, a flash of white leapt before the girl. The bear halted and retreated, confronted by a white wolf demon.

A three-tailed white wolf stood guard over the girl, snarling fiercely at the bear. The bear growled back, staking claim to its prey.

Despite its size—twice that of the wolf—the bear dared not attack the demon beast.

The white wolf’s gaze was resolute, refusing to yield. At its call, a pack of white wolves emerged from the surrounding forest, revealing the wolf as their leader.

Though unwilling, the bear had no choice but to turn and leave; facing the entire wolf pack would bring no gain and might even make it the hunted.

Once the bear departed, the white wolf approached the girl, sniffing her body.

A female wolf moved forward, howling toward the white wolf, prompting the pack to respond in kind.

It seemed they had accepted her.

The white wolf bit the girl’s garment, lifted her gently, and placed her on the back of another wolf before leading her away from the forest.

In the days that followed, the girl lived among the wolves.

They ate together, slept together, hunted together, and played together. With several wolf pups, she rolled on leaf-strewn ground and speared fish at the river’s edge with sharpened sticks.

Leaping over obstacles, crossing ravines, she grew agile, brave, and clever. Long companionship with the wolves dulled her speech; she learned only to howl like them.

When her clothes finally fell to tatters, she joined the pack in hunting beasts, crafting a coat from animal hides.

This life continued for eight years.

Until one day, a group of soldiers ventured into Wolf Mountain, shattering the peace.

They launched a massive hunt to exterminate the wolves, fueling her deep hatred toward humans, convinced that all mankind was evil.