Owl Bear (1): A Vigorous Good Morning! (Thumbs-up photo)
Good morning, full of energy!
└Cheonma: This lady has awakened. No incidents overnight?
└YasaengGrill: Yeah. Slept like a rock. Did you sleep well, Lady Cheonma?
└Cheonma: This lady's realm is such that sleep is hardly necessary.
└YasaengGrill: Ah... right......
Even while I slept, there was one thing I had to do: the daily survival report. It marked the start of the day. Familiar high-nics like Cheonma left their greetings, and quite a few floaters chimed in too.
└Someone: Grills, you see that post from early dawn?
└YasaengGrill: What post?
└Someone: The one saying they're buying adult mandrakes from you. Tons of 'em.
└YasaengGrill: Oh yeah, saw that. Got a flood of trade requests already.
Am I gonna sell? Who knows. Like I said earlier, no time for that. Not short on cash, and nothing I particularly need. Auctions cover pretty much everything anyway. So far, trades have been with folks acting out of pure goodwill, so I've been happy to oblige.
xxx has requested a trade.
@@@ has requested a trade.
yy has requested a trade.
Trade requests poured in nonstop. I scanned the nicknames. Most were new accounts with no posts, created recently. Clearly scheming to snag adult mandrakes from me.
First, reject 'em all.
Needed to post about it. Ghosting would just make it worse later. Plus, I wanted the head mod to see this.
To everyone who sent trade requests: Looks like you're after my adult mandrakes, but I'm not trading right now. My situation's what it is, and I don't know what you're offering anyway. Better to post in the threads what you're trading, and I'll judge and send requests myself. Also, please don't talk about ongoing trades. I could die tomorrow.
└What? The rumors were true?
└Adult mandrake's real, so yeah.
└But "could die tomorrow" lmao
└Dude's got his head on straight lol
└Everyone cool with that?
└SunForever: If it's money, hit me up. I'll pay top dollar lol
└Whoa, baller status
└Look at that flex lmao
└Rich dark elf bro whoa
└Don'tAbandonHero: Hmm! I think I get the gist! I'll be watching!
└YasaengGrill: Thanks. Head mod, you need a mandrake by any chance?
└Don'tAbandonHero: Eep! I haven't helped you at all, Grills!
└YasaengGrill: Bribe lol
└Don'tAbandonHero: Nooo!!
└lmao
└Bribing the mod so shamelessly lol
With that sorted, I kicked off my daily routine. First up: lotus position to build flexibility. Three days ago, it felt like my body was twisting inside out, but now it's easing up.
Soon I can learn from Cheonma.
Internal power method or mana circulation. Either would level me up. Cheonma wouldn't teach anything sketchy.
Axing and shoveling would get easier too, right?
Shelter repairs were top priority. I'd love to chop wood with Cheonma's sword, but chipping the blade? No thanks—axe it is. Same with the shovel. Nothing easy about this grind.
No standout posts either.
Nothing eye-catching after my report. Breakfast was the usual: Wall Valley Pills.
Traps first today.
Since deciding to adapt and live in the Four Seasons Forest, my routine was simple: scout or repair, morning and afternoon. Yesterday was mandrake drama, so mostly scouting—today's repair day. "Repair" meant hacking trees or digging holes. Ten minutes in, and I'm wrecked, but essential for safety.
Lucky no owl bear in sight.
Every rustle had me jumping, but nothing happened. Far from where it appeared, but no relaxing. Gallery said owl bears are super territorial. Anything in their turf gets shredded, beast or human. House-sized bulk? Meeting one means death.
Or lure it to the cave.
I paused digging and eyed the cave entrance. Perfect mad dog size. Owl bear's too massive to squeeze in. With the entrance trap? Could take it down with luck.
Know its range first, though.
I checked the pit's depth. Good enough. Now camouflage. Sharp stakes? Nah, I could trip. Not near cave—entrance trap's last resort.
Auction has tent substitutes...
Grabbed a tarp from auction, staked edges with rocks, dirt-camo'd it. Trap complete. Felt good.
...Proud over this?
Sigh at my life soon after. One down, but logging's the killer. Dread already.
Rustle—
Bushes rustled nearby. I flinched, tensed, stared.
"......"
False alarm? Nothing. Sighed relief, hopped into cave—careful not to trip my own trap.
Board over it?
Jumping every time? Risky in a pinch. Learning through trial and error. Grabbed logging axe, headed out.
Loggers are legends.
No chainsaws—how'd they fell all that timber? Built houses, ships. Daily awe at civilization. It'll grow.
Dwarf make a chainsaw?
Silly thought—dismissed. He's probably still hungover. More curious about StarlightPrincess.
Thwack! Thud!
Started on yesterday's half-chopped tree. Too thick for sawing. "Ten strikes, tree falls"—keep at it.
Topple toward cave?
Notch both sides. Breather, then switch.
Rustle—
Clear rustle this time. Tensed, turned slowly.
Rustle—rustle—
No illusion. Bushes shaking, sounds growing—coming this way. Backed up, ready to bolt to cave.
Shhk!
It emerged from the thicket. Sharp golden eyes locked on. Bird-like beak. House-sized bulk.
"Grrow?"
"......"
Owl bear. Froze stiff. It didn't charge—first human? Probing.
I backed away slowly.
"Grrrow......"
"Hoo......"
Glanced back, gauged cave distance. Provoke it? Could die bloody. Too big for cave anyway.
Distract elsewhere...
Fumbled pocket. Round thing: emergency Wall Valley Pill. Lure bait?
Tossed carefully under it.
"Sniff sniff."
"......"
It sniffed the dropped pill. I slipped to entrance. Seemed safe—nommed it.
"Nom."
"......"
"Munch munch."
Savoring, then—
"Kwegh! Kwegh! Keeek!"
Bitterness hit—howled. Realization: don't enter cave now, get torn apart.
Can't smell that? Bears got noses!
Fled, murder vibe chasing. Legs jelly—this killing intent? Spotted trap, dove.
Knees'll hurt, but gotta.
BOOM!
"Kyaaaah!"
Proved right—huge crash, roar behind. Fur stood on end, scrambled up.
"Huff... huff..."
"Kyaaak! Kyak!"
Scrrch! Scraaape!
Claws raking ground. Watched panting. Half its body in—stuck. Entrance too small. Trap kept short bear legs off ground.
Now's the chance.
No sightseeing. Grabbed crossbow from PassingDwarf—not harpoon, regular bolt. Dwarf-made, plenty punch.
Twang! Thunk!
No aim needed—face hit.
"Kyaaaak!"
Arrow in eye, thrashed—shook the cave. Too soon to relax; entrance crumbling under strength.
Shit...!
Entrance gone = my end. Thunk! Thud! Thwack! Unloaded crossbow. More face hits, more rage—no quit.
No brain?
Fired harpoon too. Last one: other eye. Blind now. But thrashing kept distance.
Spear! Buy a spear!
Rushed Gallery, auction—grabbed spear, no reviews or price check. Spear's enough.
Gripped two-handed, eyed raging beast.
"Hraaah!"
Stab! Into skull. Lucky—dead center forehead. Pushed down hard before more freakout.
"KeeEEEK!"
Snap!
Spear's spear—shaft wood. Claw snapped it. Nearly fell, caught balance.
Rumble!
"Wha?!"
Entrance collapsed. Panicking, it barreled in. Fucked. Truly fucked. Grabbed Cheonma's sword, golden shield anyway.
Worst case, but it's near death. Chance if I play smart.
"Kiiiaaak!"
BOOM!
Face-stuck arrows/blade, charged. Flinched, shielded—SwordTasteStar's post flashed, prepped.
CLANG!
"Guhk!"
Shield held, but charge too much. Weight class gap—me human, it bear.
Thud! Airborne, landed safe—no wall smash. Too early to relax. Eyes locked.
"Kyaaaak!"
Charged prone me. Blind, but sound-locating. Low accuracy. Focused.
...Left foot!
Raised left paw. Track drop. Eyes wide, watched.
Lifted high—my left shoulder target.
BOOM!
Twisted—barely dodged. Roar rang ears, tinnitus. Already had some anyway. Next: counter.
"Uwaaaah!"
Yelled, thrust Cheonma's sword at jaw. Please end it.
Shunk!
Cheonma's sword—pierced jaw to brain. Brain hit, just twitched—no fight.
THUD!
"Urk!"
Corpse crushed me. Heavy as hell. Struggled free, checked legs.
Scraped to shit.
Dive did it. Knee meat showing. Deeper, bone visible.
"Ow ow ow..."
Adrenaline fade, pain everywhere. Dive wounds galore. No shirt? Torso gashes.
Elixir... none. Potions it is.
Normally trade StarlightPrincess, but no report from her. Trade cooldown anyway.
Drip—
"Auuugh..."
Auction potion—red, antiseptic. Bandaged with cloth. Wounds everywhere—arms, legs wrapped.
Owl bear cleanup next.
Face arrow-riddled, eyes arrow/harpoon. Pitiful corpse, but it tried to kill me.
Got the owl bear!
YasaengGrill (Owl bear corpse photo)
Thought I was dead for real;; Auctioning soon, go wild
└Whoa, how?
└YasaengGrill: Lured to narrow cave entrance. Crossbow to the face.
└lmao look at that face. Eyes swapped for arrow and harpoon
└Really ordinary guy?
└Ordinary guy bags owl bear whoa
└Cheonma: No injuries?
└YasaengGrill: Just scrapes, nothing major.
└Cheonma: Fortunate. Seeing this, your basic prowess impresses— this lady's fancy?
└YasaengGrill: Without your sword, finishing it'd be tough.
└Cheonma: Pleasing words. Need a weapon?
Weapon? Spear yeah. But no begging Cheonma. Over-relying bad, like always said.
└YasaengGrill: Not yet. Oh! Lotus position's comfy now—can you teach internal power method?
└Cheonma: Music to these ears. Compiling simply for you.
└YasaengGrill: Thanks.
└SwordTasteStar: Impressive. Lured to cave entrance?
└YasaengGrill: Yep.
└SwordTasteStar: Surprisingly quick thinker.
└YasaengGrill: Haha, thanks.
└SwordTasteStar: You'll stand against it fair one day.
└YasaengGrill: Owl bear counter?
└SwordTasteStar: Easy. Claws main weapon—sever legs. Slice when front paw lifts. Simple?
└YasaengGrill: ;;; Easy for her. How's a normie grasp genius?
Scrolled reactions, processed owl bear. Auctioned—gone quick. Bids rolling. 24 hours.
Fetch a price?
Dunno. Rest now. Check trap first—bear trashed it, repair must.
"Huh?"
"?"
Stepped out—face to face with weirdness. Big round golden eyes. Bird beak. Medium dog size, curious mug.
"Kyuu?"
Baby owl bear tilted head at me.