You are a cat demon

After the Awakening of Insects, all things revive, and Shennongjia is once again full of vitality.

Plump rabbits leaped through the grass, agile deer roamed among the trees, and chubby wild boar cubs rolled in the mud. The jungle had become an inexhaustible food bowl.

The wound on the back of your neck has almost healed. The hair has grown back quickly, covering the scar, and it's no longer visible from the outside.

The food's been good lately. Yesterday you caught a lost wild boar cub by the muddy swamp, and before you'd even finished digesting it, a leisurely stroll today led you to a half-grown sheep. That sheep was probably domesticated, but for some reason it'd wandered into this deep forest. It seemed completely oblivious to danger, and didn't run away when it saw you, probably mistaking you for an ordinary cat. Food is hard-earned, so you couldn't waste it. Besides, you hadn't eaten well that winter, so you needed a good meal. You started with the tender, smooth offal, slurping up long sections of sheep intestine like noodles. Aside from one slightly tedious part, you were very satisfied with this feast.

Cat demons are very resistant to hunger and can survive for several days without food. However, hunting is not easy. Once they catch prey, cat demons will stuff chunks of meat into their stomachs as if possessed by a starving ghost, fearing that this may be their last meal. Especially after winter, even fat people can become thin, and cat demons are terrified of hunger.

After a period of fattening up, your fur became glossy and shiny, shimmering in the sunlight as if it could produce gold. Not only that, you now have ample time to exercise, making your limbs stronger and more powerful. Your body rapidly grew stronger, and before long, at first glance, you seemed almost indistinguishable from an adult cat demon.

Springtime is also the mating season for cat demons. Females seek out excellent males, and males pursue females they like, creating quite a lively scene.

Cat demons don't have the concept of "father." Males are only responsible for procreation, spending at most a few days with a female before moving on to find the next. The female then bears the sole responsibility of raising the offspring. However, females aren't indiscriminate in their choice of mates. To increase the survival rate of their offspring, female cat demons have strict mate selection criteria: strength and agility. Only by mating with a strong and agile male is it more likely to produce strong and agile offspring. When a strange male approaches, the female will scrutinize him from head to toe, checking his suitability with more rigor than the most professional jeweler. If he doesn't meet her standards, she won't be shy; there are plenty of males in the world, she won't miss this one. Some males will even catch a rabbit or pheasant as a gift to win a female's favor. During mating season, the female's scent acts like an invitation, making it irresistible to any male who smells it. Often, two or more males will be present around a young and beautiful female. Then, the most primitive form of contest would be adopted: the winner takes all, the loser is condemned. The females would not side with either side, quietly watching from the sidelines until a decisive victory was achieved. This was cruel; countless weak and unagile males were eliminated, some even meeting violent ends. Weak genes were ruthlessly filtered out, leaving only the strongest bloodlines.

After the mating season, the surviving males are usually quite bruised, while most of the females are pregnant and begin preparing a safe and comfortable nest for their unborn offspring.

Under natural conditions, the optimal mating season for cat demons is spring and autumn, which are also the best seasons for reproduction. If they mate in spring, the kittens will be born in late summer or early autumn. At this time, the weather is neither too hot nor too cold, and parasites are less prevalent. However, a few months later, they will face the harsh winter, with scarce food and weaker cat demons, who are sensitive to cold, unlikely to survive. If they mate in autumn, the kittens will be born at the very beginning of spring. At this time, prey is plentiful, so there is no worry about food shortages. However, pregnant females are clumsy and find it difficult to find enough food for themselves and their unborn babies during winter. Both seasons have their advantages and disadvantages.

You are a kitten demon born last spring, and you've turned one year old this year. In human terms, you'd only be around ten years old, making you a minor. You're not qualified to participate in the competition for females yet; you're too green to compete with those seasoned veterans. Besides, virtually no female will be interested in you. You need to grow a few more years.

However, influenced by your hormones, you're filled with longing. You plan to go and observe properly, preparing for a few years from now. Besides, even if you can't participate, looking at "beautiful women" isn't illegal, and you want to feast your eyes.