SHMBM 01

Chapter  01

It was humiliating.

I had spent my entire life restraining myself, avoiding slaughter, all for the sake of ascension.

And yet all my efforts were rendered meaningless by a mere human.

Beyond my reddened vision, I saw a group of humans gathering. Each held a sharp weapon, standing ready to strike. A low, boiling sound rumbled from my throat at the sight.

This wasn’t my will. I had been brainwashed—forced to obey human commands.

Eliminate them. Any who stand in the Blood Sect’s way should be erased without leaving a trace.

“That I should be controlled…”

There was a time when I roamed the secret valleys of the Central Plains while training. The ignorant humans had revered me, calling me the Mountain Lord.

But I had no interest in their worship. My only goal had been to cultivate myself. I never interfered in human affairs—I simply coexisted. And yet…

“Is this what that path led to?”

To be subdued by humans, to have my home trampled, the sacred beasts slaughtered, and the land defiled?

To become a puppet of those who committed acts so vile that even beasts would turn away?

…Whichever way I thought about it, the conclusion was nothing short of pathetic and horrific.

“Not exactly the dignified look I’d expect from the righteous sects.”

The human controlling me sneered at his opponents. But the so-called righteous warriors only glared, refusing to respond to his arrogance.

“What’s the matter? Did someone strike your acupoints? For people who love to preach, you’re awfully quiet today.”

“…Shut that mouth of yours. The stench of your rotten blood is twisting my nose.”

“Oh my, is that so? Well, you may as well accept it now.”

Through my blood-red vision, I saw the hateful human curl his lips into a fishy smile.

“The righteous sects end today.”

I felt a hand touch the back of my neck.

“Go, Blackblood Heavenly Tiger. Tear apart those filled with hypocrisy and pretense.”

My body moved. If I had my way, I would’ve scoffed and ignored their commands—but my flesh obeyed them faithfully.

“Grrrrrrrr…”

How long could the righteous warriors last? Would they be able to kill me?

But my wish was not granted.

Even disgraced and controlled as I was, my body had trained for a thousand years.

There was no way they could withstand me.

“Keuhk!”

“Aaaargh!”

Under my paws and fangs, the righteous warriors were crushed helplessly. To be unable to control my own limbs—there was no humiliation greater than this.

Then suddenly, I leapt to avoid something ominous slicing toward me.

Kakakang—

But not everything missed. I heard metal clashing repeatedly against the restraints forced upon me.

“Gr…rrr…”

A man stood before me, clutching hidden weapons, his face grim. A sharp, pungent scent of poison mixed with his natural scent.

“So you survived?”

It was a scent I remembered well. The first humans the Blood Sect had wiped out had smelled just like this.

I was a little surprised—but my body continued to move against my will.

The poison-scented human was fast. Agile.

Was this what they called footwork? He refused to yield even a shred of distance. It sparked the faintest ember of hope.

“Haaap!”

Another joined him, assisting the one throwing hidden weapons.

That one slashed at me repeatedly, helping to drive me into a corner.

My body growled reflexively and lunged for the swordsman.

But his blade didn’t aim for my flesh. It aimed for the metal restraints clamped around me.

The hidden weapons, too, sought out the gaps in the metal.

I silently wished their attempts would succeed—and at last, one struck my hind leg.

A cold wave of poison spread through me, but instead of fear, I felt relief.

I didn’t know what poison it was, but instinct told me it would finish me cleanly.

…!

At that moment—my body began to move by my own will.

Not fully, but enough.

The poison tearing through my body didn’t matter.

What mattered was that I had regained myself—my choices, my control.

That alone was everything.

“M—”

But this freedom might not last.

I allowed the swordsman’s tyrannical strike to land and immediately hurled myself at the Blood Sect human who controlled me.

A scream pierced my ears—loud enough to make them ring. Proof my attack found its mark.

For the first time in a long while…I felt joy.

“Y–you…!”

[You dared twist me to your will—prepare yourself!]

He thrashed, desperately trying to kill me. Futile.

[Even in death… I won’t let go!]

The human shrieked, clawing and beating at me to escape, but I held him fast.

I couldn’t let him go. This was my first chance at retaliation since being captured—how could I waste it?

This is my end…

But yours ends here, too.

Forcing my fading eyes open, I watched their downfall.

The righteous warriors, stunned for a moment, quickly seized the chance and charged the Blood Sect disciples.

Soon after—thud.

My body lost strength and collapsed atop the human.

He struggled weakly beneath me, growing fainter and fainter. I exhaled, frustrated.

This one wasn’t the only one who humiliated me.

There were so many Blood Sect dogs I needed to kill.

It was maddening. Unfair.

If only I had time—I would’ve exacted vengeance on every last one of them.

If I were given another chance—I would use every ounce of strength to stop them from having their way.

For a moment, something brushed gently over my head.

If that is your wish…

A voice whispered in my ear, soft as a breeze. And with that thought—the world went dark.

A leaf dropped onto my head with a soft plop, and my body trembled.

The leaf fluttered down, green and light—and beneath it, the fur of my foreleg was blue.

Startled, I tried to growl quietly.

“Kyaaaaauuu…”

[…Huh? Kyauu?]

Wait—why did a baby tiger’s cry just come out of my mouth??

And my voice wasn’t the only thing that changed.

I instinctively moved my legs to leap over a rock—but my legs were far too short now.

I had no choice but to go around and run toward the smell of water, panic driving me.

Please, let this not be what I think it is.

“Kyau!”

At last, I reached a calm stream and looked down at the reflection.

Instead of the blackened fur I had when corrupted, I saw fur as blue as the deepest lake, marked with dark stripes.

My straight whiskers, pink nose, and bright yellow eyes were familiar—but something was very different.

My body was tiny. Far too tiny. Not my original size as a spiritual beast, not even that of a normal tiger—

A cub. I was a cub.

[I’M A BABY TIGER—WHAT IS THIS?!]

What was happening?! I thought I died—so why was my body tiny now?!

It was so absurdly unrealistic that I wondered if this was some dying hallucination.

But no—the situation insisted it was real.

When I had been a cub, my fur had been plain yellow like any other tiger. It only turned blue after I became a spiritual beast.

Meaning: I had never been a blue-furred cub before.

Wait—then…

I quickly examined myself.

Thankfully, none of the filth left on me by the Blood Sect remained.

But compared to my prime, my inner energy was drastically reduced.

[My… my inner core…]

My core was there.

But far smaller—its size and the qi within barely a fraction of what it once had been.

Barely one-tenth. Maybe even less. My heart sank.

So that’s why my body is like this… With this little qi, I can’t maintain my original form.

Even this small, I was still a spiritual beast. But that didn’t mean things were good.

The world of spiritual beasts wasn’t any different.

The strong devour the weak.

A spiritual beast can grow its qi by hunting another and taking its core.

And now—I was a cub with a spiritual core?

With this much qi, I could maybe flee once with everything I had… but if I ran into the wrong predator, I’d die instantly.