Volume One, Chapter 15: This Bear Is Not That Bear

The bear’s roar startled Zhong Xiahan nearby. She hurriedly sent a message to Zhuang Fan while making her way toward him. Despite feeling somewhat unwell, she pushed herself to help. The thought of Zhuang Fan getting into trouble was unbearable; she couldn’t imagine surviving alone without him. Deep down, she was slightly worried about him, even though he often made her angry.

Zhuang Fan received her message and could only wait by the side. “I’ll go with you!” Zhong Xiahan arrived breathlessly, brandishing a dagger, eager to join the fight. She seemed quite lucky, often finding treasure chests while gathering resources outside. However, Zhuang Fan shook his head quietly. “You’re not fast. If there’s danger, I’ll have to watch out for you too. It’s better if I go alone and you cover me from behind.”

Though he spoke truthfully, Zhong Xiahan felt irritated, believing this man underestimated her. “Hmph, if it’s dangerous, you run first. I don’t need your care!” she pouted. “Besides, I have a secret weapon. Who saves whom, we’ll see!” she declared. Zhuang Fan sighed helplessly—this girl was stubborn like that; the more he forbade her, the more determined she became.

“I’d worry if you got hurt. How about you stay here and come save me if there’s danger?” he said with feigned tenderness, hoping to dissuade her. But Zhong Xiahan was resolute and wouldn’t budge. In the end, Zhuang Fan relented, and the two cautiously approached the cave.

At the entrance, seeing the scattered small footprints, Zhuang Fan’s unease began to fade. Compared to the terrifying monsters they had faced before, these tracks were much smaller. Zhong Xiahan, however, was tense, her fingers gripping the dagger until white, while her other hand unknowingly clutched Zhuang Fan’s arm tightly, causing him some pain. He turned to signal her to relax.

Realizing her embarrassment, Zhong Xiahan’s face flushed white and red—white from nervousness and red from shame. She quickly released him and tried to regain her composure by moving forward. Zhuang Fan wasn’t about to let her lead and pulled her back. Then, carefully, he crept closer to the cave entrance, his ears sharpening to catch faint sounds within.

The noise was soft, suggesting the monsters inside posed little threat. Zhuang Fan swiftly retrieved some wood from his backpack and cleverly stacked it to block the entrance firmly. Originally meant for building, these logs now served to trap whatever was inside.

After sealing the entrance, Zhuang Fan searched for suitable stones and began hurling them into the cave, forcing the creatures inside to reveal themselves. Zhong Xiahan followed suit, mimicking his actions.

“A familiar bear’s cry echoed once more from within.” Zhuang Fan smiled slightly, recognizing the panic and fear in the sound. “So it’s a soft target! Xiahan, let’s press harder.” “Okay!” she replied.

They continued throwing stones, increasing the pressure on the creatures. The wooden barricade at the entrance began to tremble slightly under the force of the creatures pushing from inside, though it held firm. Each log was about a meter long and as thick as a bowl’s mouth, stacked neatly into a strong defense.

The creatures did not seem very strong. Despite their constant howling, they couldn’t budge the logs. Zhuang Fan edged closer and, peering through gaps, finally saw the true form of the occupants. It was a bear, but not an ordinary one.

Small, about half a meter tall, round and furry, resembling a raccoon from Earth, quite adorable with large ears and teary eyes, it wailed pitifully. Zhuang Fan felt a pang of sympathy.

[Wind Soaring Bear (Excellent Grade): ???]

Seeing its name, Zhuang Fan didn’t dwell on it. Though not fierce and somewhat cute, he was fighting to survive in this harsh world and didn’t want to let such an easy source of food slip away.

Gripping a wooden stick, he swung it a few times, startling the little bear backward. “I’m no saint. You’ve just had bad luck meeting me.” He chuckled darkly, preparing to create an opening and then have some fun with the little creature.

“It looks so pitiful, Zhuang Fan. Are we really going to be this cruel?” Zhong Xiahan’s voice trembled, unable to bear the sight of the forlorn bear.

It wasn’t that she was overly sentimental—they had been law-abiding citizens on Earth until just a few days ago. Her mindset hadn’t yet fully adjusted to this alien world.

But Zhuang Fan was different. Long suppressed by life, he was somewhat irritable. In this new world, feeling unbound, he sometimes entertained darker thoughts about Zhong Xiahan. Luckily, his willpower remained strong enough to prevent him from becoming a beast driven solely by desire.

That night, however, Zhong Xiahan suffered terrible dreams.

“We’re even more miserable with empty stomachs!” Zhuang Fan said, raising the stick to strike.

Seeing this, Zhong Xiahan fell silent, turning away to avoid witnessing the brutal scene.

Suddenly, the little bear’s cheeks puffed up, its face swelling unusually large, as if preparing a powerful move. Alarmed, Zhuang Fan grabbed Zhong Xiahan and rolled to the right to dodge just in time.

A fierce gust of wind surged from the cave, scattering the wooden barricade in all directions, some logs nearly hitting them. Panicked, they scrambled behind a large tree to take cover.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zhuang Fan saw the Wind Soaring Bear seize the opportunity to escape, vanishing with astonishing speed.

“Damn, that was close!” he muttered, heart pounding. “Never underestimate any monster.”

He hadn’t expected the little bear to wield wind magic—no wonder it was called the Wind Soaring Bear. Now, he dared not pursue, not knowing what other tricks it might have.

Zhong Xiahan’s face turned pale as she anxiously asked, “It seems to have run off. What do we do now?”

“Guess we make do,” Zhuang Fan replied with a helpless shrug. “This place is our home now.”

Surveying the scattered wood, Zhuang Fan hurriedly gathered the debris with Zhong Xiahan. Once tidied, he rebuilt the barricade at the entrance, this time in a triangular shape for greater stability.

Only then did they feel safe enough to enter the cave, the den of the Wind Soaring Bear—though what exactly lay inside remained a mystery.