Dark Fairy Tale: Tyrant, Conquered Cinderella at the Beginning

The green water flowed gently, winding its way through.

Shadows flickered among the trees, yet no sound could be heard, indicating that they were all seasoned hunters.

Suddenly, there was a faint “chirp” sound, followed by the pitiful cry of a moose in the distance, and then a dull thud as the animal fell to the ground.

[Congratulations to the host for killing the moose, gaining 3 kill points!]

Richard put away his bow and arrow, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

He had spotted this moose for a while now, and getting within shooting range had truly exhausted much of his mental energy.

In the jungle, with dry branches and leaves everywhere, finding a suitable path to approach was no easy task.

After all, with the moose’s alertness, even the slightest movement could easily trigger its awareness.

Fortunately, after prolonged effort, he finally took down the moose before it noticed him.

With a thought, a system panel appeared before him, displaying various attributes.

Strength, agility, endurance, and so on.

Through these recent hunts, his agility and endurance had significantly increased; it seemed best to add these three kill points to his strength.

As he thought, the three kill points transformed into a small white light, merging into his strength attribute.

At the same time, he felt his earlier fatigue instantly disappear, even the slight soreness in his muscles from long-distance trekking seemed to vanish, replaced by a comfortable feeling and a sense of immense strength.

Unable to resist, he slapped his hand on a nearby tree trunk.

With a crisp “crack,” the tree trunk snapped.

Richard stared at his hand in amazement, uninjured, not even reddened.

That tree trunk wasn’t some young branch—it was clearly an old trunk, as evident from its severed end.

I only wanted to see how much the trunk would shake from his slap, but… it actually broke apart?

To ensure it wasn’t just the tree being flawed, he tested a few more nearby trees and finally confirmed that his strength had indeed grown tremendously.

Three kill points had increased his strength so significantly; it was thrilling!

Just then, several people who had been standing still not far away walked over.

“Sir, that shot was truly incredible, hitting precisely in the eye, allowing the moose’s hide to be preserved in perfect condition!”

A man dressed as a medieval knight approached, his face full of flattery.

Richard nodded slightly and said calmly, “Just experience, now get to work!”

“Yes, sir!”

The knight bowed and then proceeded forward.

The team worked in harmony: some retrieved Richard’s arrows, while others skillfully handled the moose carcass, clearly accustomed to working together.

Despite having guards on alert, Richard habitually scanned the surroundings before moving toward the moose.

The moose, known as the “Sibuxiang*”, truly had a unique appearance.

[*Refers to the Père David’s deer, also known as “Sibuxiang” (四不像), a species whose features resemble a mix of several animals. Historically, it was almost extinct but has been revived through conservation efforts.]

Its head resembled a horse, its antlers like a deer, its neck like a camel, and its tail like a donkey. If Richard remembered correctly, this was the same species as Jiang Ziya*’s steed.

[*A legendary figure in Chinese mythology and folklore, often depicted as a wise and strategic advisor. His steed, a creature similar to the “Sibuxiang,” is frequently mentioned in tales.]

Such moose were nearly extinct during the Han Dynasty, only preserved through efforts by the state after the founding of the 20th-century nation, increasing their population from just a few dozen to over ten thousand.

But here, in this otherworld, these creatures weren’t so rare; otherwise, Richard might have spared its life.

Thinking of this world, Richard shook his head, sighing inwardly.

No matter how strong he became here, it was far from the convenience and comfort of his past life in the modern world.

And this world wasn’t just backward—it was a magical realm, and he didn’t know when he could ever wield the power to traverse it at will.

Yes, Richard was a transmigrator.

As a “fetus transmigrator,” his memories of his previous life were hazy when he first arrived, likely due to the mystery of the womb.

But as he grew older, his memories of his past life became clearer.

Compared to most people in this world, his life was quite privileged.

He was the second son of a powerful duke and a viscount himself, now granted his own territory—a status many envied in this world.

But, his memories of the modern world made him painfully aware of how backward his current life was.

He detested this wretched world, filled with fools and illiterates.

Can you imagine how difficult it is to communicate with people who don’t even share the same wavelength?

The most unbearable thing in his daily life was the lack of toilet paper.

He tried to improve the situation, only to settle for using cloths that were washed by servants afterward.

Though he found it somewhat off-putting, he had no choice; despite being a lord, he couldn’t afford to waste resources so carelessly.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.

He wondered if he would ever get a chance to return to his original world in his lifetime.

The worst part was that his knowledge of many technological inventions was just superficial—knowing the concept didn’t mean he could easily recreate them.

And his newly acquired land was still in disarray, with everything needing to be built from scratch.

In his boredom, Richard walked to the water’s edge, washed his face after confirming the water’s safety.

Though the jungle’s canopy blocked the direct sunlight, the heat was still slightly oppressive, and the cool water was refreshing.

Seeing that his men had finished processing the moose, he signaled for them to follow and continued onward.

Just as they took a few steps, there was a sudden rustling in the woods to the left. Instantly, he raised his hand, signaling everyone to halt.

Without hesitation, Richard nocked an arrow and shot it towards the source of the sound.

When the target was unclear, it was wise not to approach directly.

Approaching might mean losing the initiative, or worse, facing a dangerous creature unprepared.

So, instinctively, he fired a probing arrow to test the situation.