The stench of blood filled the air as a low, guttural howl echoed.
This particular Dark Lion King was clearly a seasoned predator in the dark, its growls always carried that chilling, subdued menace.
"Don't shoot!"
Satan shouted the moment he noticed the nervous rookies instinctively raise their guns, aiming at the direction of the Nightfall Lion King.
He was afraid they might accidentally shoot Martin.
At the same time, he drew his dagger and charged toward the dark lion from the side.
But just one second later, his body froze in place.
Diddy, the young black soldier nearby, widened his eyes in shock, his face full of disbelief.
What they saw was this:
Just as the Dark Lion King lunged at Martin, the man calmly took a step back, dodging the lion's frontal assault. Then, with a sudden burst of speed, he collided head-on with the ferocious beast. In one swift motion, Martin twisted both of the lion's outstretched forelegs.
Even the Dark Lion King hadn't expected its prey to retaliate with such explosive force. Before it could react, its front paws were already locked in the man's grip.
And this "prey's" strength… far beyond its imagination.
For a moment, the lion struggled to break free—only to find that it couldn't.
It let out a deep, frustrated roar and lunged, jaws wide open, snapping toward Martin's face.
But Martin abruptly let go, slid sideways with graceful agility, dodging both the lion's claws and its foul-smelling bite. Pivoting around its flank, he let out a sharp cry, then slammed his fist into the lion's belly with crushing force…
The lion's body stiffened for a brief instant.
Seizing that opportunity, Martin spread his arms wide, locked them around the beast's neck, let out a roar of his own, and with astonishing strength, twisted the mighty lion to the ground. He then straddled its body, clamping his legs tightly around its waist and locking its neck in a death grip.
"Oh my God!" someone among the soldiers gasped in awe.
"Lord have mercy…" Diddy's legs gave out as he collapsed to his knees. Watching Martin sit atop the Dark Lion King, completely subduing the savage ruler of the plains, he looked at the man as though he were staring at a god.
"Get over here! Tie up the lion, now!" Satan was the first to snap out of it, bellowing the order.
But before anyone could act, Martin spoke. His voice was astonishingly calm, as if he weren't restraining a wild beast, but rather a household pet.
"No need. He'll behave… won't you?"
To everyone's disbelief, the Dark Lion King—that huge, black beast—seemed to understand. It gave a slow, obedient nod.
Martin smiled and released his grip, leaving behind a trace of magic power that lingered in the lion's mind.
The beast shook its mane and slowly stood up. Though slightly smaller than other lions of its kind, its body remained powerfully built, emanating a crushing sense of dominance.
Everyone instinctively took a step back—everyone except Satan.
He stepped forward instead, stopping right in front of Martin.
"Boss, are you alright?"
Martin shook out his arms, then chuckled. "Do I look like something's wrong?"
He raised his hand and gently patted the lion's head. "It's him we should be worried about. He took a few bullets—he's bleeding quite a bit. Needing an immediate treatment."
Satan nodded, scanning the new recruits until his eyes landed on a young medic.
"Krall, you're up."
The soldier stammered nervously, "Sir, I… I've never treated animals before. And… is it gonna bite me?"
Satan growled, "Damn it, you scared little shit"
But Martin raised a hand to stop him and said with a reassuring smile, "Don't worry. I'll be right here with you. You've seen it for yourself—this big guy understands humans. You help him, he won't just not bite you—he'll be grateful. As for the treatment, just do it like you would with a person. Open the wound, take out the bullets, stitch it up. It's really that simple."
The moment Martin finished speaking, it was as if something clicked in the young man's mind. He immediately stood at attention.
"Yes, Boss!"
And the treatment went surprisingly well.
The Dark Lion King lay quietly on the ground, letting the medic work on his body. Docile as a giant housecat.
Who would've thought that this seemingly tame creature had, just moments ago, savagely killed seven or eight men?
While the medic worked, Martin kept gently stroking the lion's head.
And then, images began to flash in his mind.
A sturdy, tawny lion wrestled with another of its kind.
One lost, fled in humiliation.
Then came a blur of images—Martin was now seeing through the lion's eyes.
Fighting, hunting, killing.
The rival lion's throat was ripped open.
Dawn broke.
Two tawny lions stood atop a rock, roaring at the sky.
More images followed.
The black lion fought side by side with the tawny one, driving off challengers.
It roamed alone through the night, patrolling its territory.
It frolicked with lionesses under the stars…
Until one day.
A convoy of humans appeared in the distance.
They plowed through the savannah, scattering the pride.
Then the trucks stopped.
A brutish man climbed down, carrying a rifle with a scope.
A gunshot rang out.
A lioness's head burst into a spray of blood.
The lion's vision turned red.
It looked back, only to see the humans cheering in excitement.
The lioness's body was dragged onto a truck.
What followed were days of relentless pursuit.
Then, finally—an opening…
Martin's eyes narrowed slightly.
His brow furrowed as though he were deep in thought.
From what he'd seen in the lion's memories, its pawprints covered nearly half the West African savannah. It had ventured into places no human had ever set foot.
And among those images… was one particularly bizarre.
A massive man-made structure, its entire body the same earthy yellow as the surrounding sands.
Most of its buildings were shaped like half-cylinders on the bottom, with cone-shaped tops. The outer walls were embedded with sharp, black stones, like jagged fangs jutting out of the surface.
Calling it a building didn't do it justice—it was more of a complex, stretching far into the distance.
From the lion's perspective, the whole area was lifeless and desolate. Not a single trace of human activity remained.
Still, the lion had approached it out of curiosity, giving it a cautious once-over.
It didn't find anything interesting… but—
What didn't interest the lion… now fascinated Martin.
Things like—
Gold, gemstones, and those massive wooden crates sealed in dried mud…
A museum?
Martin hadn't expected this. It was supposed to be just a vacation—and now, it had turned into something far more entertaining.
Interesting. Very interesting.