The enormous mammoth, over a dozen meters long and nearly seven meters tall, could probably only be finished off by hundreds of adult tribesmen if they all pitched in.
But for a Saiyan? It was nothing. Child's play, even.
"Awooo! Roar! Roar!"
All the tribe's warriors formed a circle around the two, letting out excited howls.
Axis gave a friendly wave, greeting the tribe's warriors.
"I bet this time, the mighty Wolf King will definitely win," one warrior said.
"I think the Wolf King will lose again. Don't underestimate Axis. I've never seen a scarier kid than him!" Only those who had seen Axis eat knew just how terrifying his appetite was.
"Just watch! The mighty Wolf King is sure to win."
Very soon, Axis and Russ were standing in front of the massive roasted mammoth.
The beast glistened with oil, its golden skin practically begging to be eaten. Axis's mouth watered at the sight.
This planet was crawling with all sorts of giant monsters, at least Saiyans would never have to worry about food or drink here!
"How about we make this interesting?" Axis's eyes gleamed as he looked at Russ.
"What do you mean, make it interesting?"
"Every time you win, you make me call you 'Father.' But I never get anything when I win. That's not fair to me, is it?
'So from now on, if you want to compete with me, there has to be a prize at stake. No prize, no contest." Axis declared.
"Hahaha! Fair enough. So, my little wolf cub, what do you want for a prize?" Russ laughed.
"How about this: I've pretty much gotten used to this planet now. Starting tomorrow, you'll be my sparring partner, okay?" Axis said, squinting his eyes with a sly grin.
Having a sparring partner would make a Saiyan's power grow even faster, and this 'discount foster father' was the perfect candidate.
He was six years old now, his bones had stabilized, and he could handle some basic combat training.
And as for his foster father, his strength was nothing to scoff at.
In a year, Axis's power level had risen by 50 points.
Meanwhile, his foster father's power level had shot up to over 1,700. Russ was a high-power mutant if he'd seen one.
"You have my word," Russ agreed, smiling at Axis.
This kid wanted to learn to fight at such a young age? Truly, he was worthy of being his little wolf cub.
Russ was also curious, just how strong was this kid now? Could he match up to what Russ himself had been like as a child?
Axis nodded, joining Russ in front of the giant platter of roast meat.
"Ready—go!" shouted one of the tribe's warriors.
Instantly, the two lunged into action. Russ began shoveling meat into his mouth with wild abandon.
This time, he'd show that brat who was boss! He hadn't eaten for three days, his stomach was already rumbling!
Right now, he could eat at least twice as much as usual!
As Russ tore into the meat, the watching warriors stared in shock.
"What the, how is that possible?"
"That kid… is he really human?"
Hearing their exclamations, Russ looked up, only to be stunned by what he saw.
Axis had leapt straight onto the mammoth, mouth open wide, devouring with ferocious speed.
It was as if he was swallowing air instead of meat, in just a moment, he'd cleaned an entire mammoth leg to the bone.
And he showed no signs of stopping.
"Damn brat!" Russ couldn't afford to keep gawking, he crammed food into his mouth so fast he didn't even bother chewing, just swallowing chunk after chunk.
An hour later, Axis sat contentedly in the middle of the mammoth's giant skeleton, patting his round, full belly in satisfaction.
Russ had managed to finish a leg and a big bowl of meat, but the rest was all Axis's. This was the fullest meal he'd ever had!
Axis glanced over, his discount foster father, Leman Russ, was sprawled out, completely stuffed.
He couldn't even sit up straight anymore. Russ just slumped in the chair, legs spread, his mouth occasionally making retching motions.
He had clearly reached his limit; he'd eaten so much it was stuck in his throat.
Even his eyes seemed to go blank, as if he was thinking, 'Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to be doing?'
"What a sorry sight! Looks like I'm the winner!" Axis strolled over his round belly with a grin, squatting down to gloat.
"You little brat, just you wait—urgh! …I'll definitely beat you one of these days. But a promise is a promise: from now on, I'll be your sparring partner." Russ spat out some leftover food, gasping for breath.
This kid really was a monster! Russ had pushed himself to eat more than three times his normal share, nearly bursting, and still couldn't keep up!
Meanwhile, Axis looked completely fine, not even the slightest bit uncomfortable. The blow to Russ's pride was real.
"Alright, that's a deal. But you should rest for today. I mean, look at you, you can barely walk!" Axis said, sporting a smug expression.
"Damn it! You little bastard!" Russ glared at him, shouting in frustration.
He was truly pissed off.
'Just you wait, brat! Tomorrow, I'm going to put you through the wringer.'
…
Early the next morning, fully recovered, Russ brought Axis out onto a vast icy plain, it was a training ground he'd picked specially.
"How are we training?" Axis asked, stretching his limbs and testing his jumps.
"The best training is sparring, of course. Isn't that what you wanted? Come at me," Russ said, tossing his cloak aside and beckoning with a finger.
"Don't mind if I do! Take this!" Axis's eyes instantly sharpened.
Like a leopard, he sprang forward, launching himself straight at Russ.
His gaze was suddenly as sharp as a blade, as if it could cut through the very air. He crouched slightly, muscles tensing like a drawn bow, ready to explode.
In the next second, his foot kicked off the ice, tiny cracks spreading beneath him.
He shot forward like an arrow, the wind howling in his wake as he barreled toward Russ.
"HAah!" Axis shouted, snapping his right leg out like a whip, aiming a kick straight for Russ's face.
The kick was lightning-fast, carrying explosive power; it seemed even the air was torn apart by its force.
But Russ remained unfazed. He calmly raised his left hand, his palm like an iron wall, effortlessly blocking the attack.
As fist met palm, a visible shockwave burst out between them, shattering the surrounding ice.
Shards flew everywhere, and the cold air seemed to freeze even further.
Using the recoil, Axis leapt back, his toes barely brushing the ice as he flipped into the air.
Twisting his body midair, he raised his right leg high and brought it down with thunderous force toward Russ's head.
The strike crashed down like a mountain, its momentum overwhelming.
Yet Russ stopped it with just one hand, gripping Axis's leg like an iron clamp.
He didn't budge an inch; Axis's attack was as effective as hitting a steel wall.
"Your speed's good, but your strength still needs work," Russ commented with a faint smile, a hint of approval, and a touch of teasing in his tone.
A flash of defiance crossed Axis's eyes.
Landing lightly, he immediately unleashed a flurry of attacks.
His fists rained down on Russ like a storm, each blow carrying terrifying strength, the force ripping through the air with every punch.
Russ, still using only one hand, deflected every strike with ease, his palm dancing like a phantom in the air.
Each collision of fist and palm sent out muffled booms, visible waves of force rippling across the ice, splitting it further and sending shards flying everywhere.
Axis's assault grew fiercer and fiercer, finishing with a sweeping kick that gouged a deep trench in the ice.
But Russ just lightly jumped aside, landing as steady as a mountain.
The gap between them was immense.
"Not bad, kid! Now that's some real power." Russ's eyes flashed with approval.
Axis was breathing heavily, sweat beading on his forehead, his fists slightly numb, but his fighting spirit only burned hotter.
The Saiyan cells in his body were waking up, and he was practically buzzing with excitement.
"Again!" Axis roared, charging once more.
His figure blurred across the ice, fists howling through the air, intent on smashing anything in his way.
Russ was still unhurried, blocking every attack with that iron wall of a palm.
Their battle whipped up a fierce wind across the ice, snow and ice chips swirling in the air.
It was a true blizzard.
And this fight… had only just begun.