Poison God's Heritage

The Obsidian Prowler froze, a low growl vibrating from its chest. The pressure of its paw on my chest lessened, its gaze shifting cautiously between me and Kyu. It recognized that, despite its rage, it was outmatched by the strange beast now standing guard between us.

"If I don't do this, you're going to lose them both," I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I could feel my heartbeat hammering in my ears, but I refused to break eye contact with the prowler. It had to understand—this was its only chance.

Kyu, standing protectively between us, let out a low, rumbling growl of its own, a sound that resonated with authority. The prowler's jaws, still dangerously close to my throat, finally snapped shut as it let out a reluctant snarl and stepped back, giving me room to breathe. Its eyes, still filled with a mix of rage and desperation, locked onto me as if warning me to make no mistake.

"Good," I whispered, pushing myself back up slowly. My heart was still racing, but the tension had eased—if only slightly. I wiped the sweat from my brow and focused on the task at hand.

"Kyu, keep an eye on him," I instructed, and Kyu's massive form remained between me and the prowler, its stance protective and alert.

I turned my attention to the female prowler, her breathing shallow and labored. Her wounds had mostly closed thanks to the healing pills, but she was too weak for a natural birth. Time was running out, and if I didn't act soon, both mother and pup would be lost.

I carefully placed the knife against the female's abdomen, preparing for the delicate incision. The male prowler growled low, its body tense, but it didn't move. It was a calculated risk, trusting the creature to hold back while I performed the procedure. Every second felt like an eternity, the weight of the prowler's gaze pressing down on me as I worked.

The blade slid through the fur and skin with practiced precision. Blood welled up, but I was quick, my hands steady as I reached inside. My fingers found the pup, nestled deep within, and I gently guided it out. It was small, fragile, and completely covered in slick, dark fur, its tiny limbs flailing as it took its first breaths.

The moment the pup emerged, the male prowler let out a low, guttural sound that could only be described as a mix of relief and desperation. The female, though unconscious, stirred slightly, her body responding to the life that had been saved.

I quickly cleaned the pup and handed it to the second female, who had been watching anxiously from the shadows. She immediately began licking the newborn, her rough tongue cleaning the blood and amniotic fluid from its fur. The pup let out a tiny whimper, its eyes still closed, but its heart beating strong.

I exhaled a long, relieved breath and turned back to the mother. The wound I'd made needed to be closed quickly. I grabbed a few more healing pills from my bag, crushing them into a fine powder and applying it directly to the incision. The flesh began to knit itself back together, the regenerative properties of the pills working rapidly.

"She'll be fine," I said, my voice hoarse from the tension. "She just needs to rest and recover. Give her this when she wakes up," I added, handing the male prowler a bowl of medicine from my storage ring. It was a strong concoction meant to replenish strength and vitality.

The male prowler, no longer growling, nudged the bowl with his snout, acknowledging the gesture. For the first time since we'd encountered each other, its eyes weren't filled with murderous intent. There was a grudging acceptance, a mutual understanding.

I stepped back, giving the family space. The pup, now fully cleaned, was nursing at its mother's side, and the second female prowler watched over them protectively. The male prowler, though still battered and exhausted, stood tall, its gaze finally softening.

"They'll make it," I said, turning to the Blue Sun and the Wisest Sun, who had been watching the entire ordeal unfold in silence.

The Blue Sun exhaled in relief, her earlier frustration replaced with a hint of respect. "You've got more patience than I gave you credit for, Shen Bao," she admitted.

"I just didn't want them to die unnecessarily," I replied, wiping my hands clean. "Besides, I have a feeling these creatures will repay the favor."

As if on cue, the male prowler disappeared into the shadows of the forest, only to return moments later with several items clutched in its jaws. It approached cautiously, dropping them at my feet before stepping back.

I knelt down, picking up the objects one by one. The first two were jewels—smooth, translucent stones about the size of my arm. They seemed ordinary at first glance, but something about them felt… off. I couldn't sense any Qi from them, nor did they radiate any sort of energy.
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"What the hell are these?" I muttered, turning one of the jewels over in my hand.

The Wisest Sun approached, his eyes narrowing as he examined the stone. "This… this is an immaterial object," he said slowly, his voice tinged with disbelief. "It shouldn't exist. At least, not in this form."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

The Wisest Sun's expression remained serious as he continued to study the jewel. "It's made entirely of law, but not in the way you're familiar with. This is space law, an intangible concept made physical. It's like…"

"It's like another dimension," I finished, the realization dawning on me. "These jewels… they're keys."

"Keys?" The Blue Sun asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

"To another dimension," I confirmed, my mind racing with possibilities. "But if these are the keys, where's the door?"

The third item provided the answer—a piece of cloth, torn and frayed at the edges. It was a robe, but not just any robe. It was too clean, too pristine to have been lying here for long.

The Blue Sun's eyes widened as she recognized it. "This belongs to the Death Widow," she said, her voice low. "Her avatar was wearing the same thing. This must mean…"

"She fought here," I finished for her. "And judging by the damage these prowlers took, it wasn't just her."

"The Cryptic Sun must have been involved," the Wisest Sun mused. "If it were the Death Sun, they wouldn't have survived."

The male prowler, now seemingly satisfied that we had accepted its offering, turned and began walking deeper into the forest. It glanced back at us, as if beckoning us to follow.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a guide," I said, a small grin tugging at the corners of my lips.

Kyu, now back in its smaller form, hopped onto the prowler's head and settled in comfortably, as though it had done this a thousand times before. I couldn't help but feel a pang of envy at how effortlessly Kyu commanded respect from these beasts.

The Wisest Sun nodded. "Let's follow it. If anyone knows where the Death Widow and the Cryptic Sun are hiding, it's this creature."

The three of us followed the prowler into the depths of the Dark Garden, the tension lingering in the air as we moved forward. Every step we took felt heavier, the weight of the unknown pressing down on us.

With each step, you could see the Obsidian Prowler's pace get faster and better, he was a stubborn fool, but he cared deeply for his companions, and even now, although still not fully recovered he repaid the favor by working tirelessly guiding us through the foliage and the thick dark forest to the unknown.

It took us a few hours before we finally arrived to a seemingly empty space that didn't have much to describe. The area seemed void of all life, no trees grew near it and no rocks or pebbles were visible. It was a simple clearing without much to it. And that was skeptical by itself, the was too clean, too unnaturally clean.

The Obsidian Prowler let out a low growl and his tail lowered, it was switching to his fight mode.

"You can go back," I said as I hunched down on the dirt, checking it with my hands.

The Obsidian Prowler slowly withdrew, and jumped into the brushes disappearing from sight almost immediately.

"What do you see?" The Blue Sun asked.

"Formations, a lot of them," I said as I backed away, "They are waiting for us," I said.

"Well, they aught to, after all, they know well that I was arriving," the Wisest Sun raised on arm up and then proceed to slam it down on the ground.

Now, I've seen some of what the Suns could do, granted, they're mighty powerful individuals, and have incredible power. Power that can make a person question what true divinity might look like if this is merely a stage.

But what I saw right now, was something far different. It was the Power of Law.