Chapter 9
Chapter 9
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Catch It If You Want to Eat, Meow!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"If you want to eat it, catch it, meow!"
💬 Comments — Viewer No black sheep who fell for that Fengyun guy's nonsense, right? — Viewer Damn right! We've believed in you from the start! You know our hearts, Shihanbu! The viewers were brazenly rewriting history as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
I was staring at their shameless chat in disbelief when someone appeared to speak for me.
— Heavenly Demon Hmph! As if you believed anything! My disciple. Don't fall for these hyenas! You're the only one who believed in you—your master alone! Disciple?
I never agreed to that.
I let out a hollow laugh in sheer absurdity when...
— Viewer T-That's... It's your fault, Heavenly Demon! — Viewer Yeah! We didn't believe it either! But then you suddenly said it was true. What were we supposed to do? — Viewer Exactly! It's all the Heavenly Demon's fault! — Heavenly Demon Y-You bastards! — Viewer Screw it! Anyway, it's not our fault. — Viewer Yeah! Blame that Fengyun asshole! — Viewer Right. That guy's the one who deserves to be torn apart. We're innocent. The chat flooded with curses against the Azure Cloud Swordsmanship.
Watching it all, I flipped the fish roasting over the bonfire and said,
"Aw, come on, don't trash them too hard. It was a pretty reasonable suspicion."
Sure, I was pissed at first too.
They'd threatened to suspend the Gallery—my lifeline for survival in the wild.
But...
Smoothly, my eyes drifted to the top right corner of the Gallery window.
Gallery Points: 773 My points had jumped from 43 to 773.
The viewers had compensated me with "financial therapy" for doubting me.
All thanks to the Azure Cloud Swordsmanship guy.
He really was a giving tree.
"Hope more guys like that show up."
I smirked for a moment.
Then I grabbed the scruff of the wolf pup slobbering toward the bonfire and hoisted it up.
"Awoo! Awoooo!"
The little guy flailed in midair, putting up a cute fight.
I gave its belly a few strokes, charmed, and said,
"No can do. It's not ready yet. Might have parasites. Just wait a bit."
"Awoo!"
The pup barked back as if it understood.
The moment I set it down...
Dadadadada—
The wolf suddenly bolted off somewhere.
Wondering where it was headed, I followed its path.
"A rabbit?"
There was a rabbit entering the lake.
"No way... is it going to hunt it?"
I watched closely.
"Awoo!"
The pup wagged its tail furiously and snuggled right up to the rabbit.
Then it hit me.
"Ah, it's that rabbit from before."
The one that brought me the bloodied leaf to warn me about the pup's danger.
Yeah, that same rabbit.
Remembering, I waved to it.
"Thanks for back then..."
But the rabbit ignored me completely, brushed past, and drank from the lake.
— Viewer Snubbed by a rabbit lololol — Viewer Lmao so embarrassing lololol "...These trash heaps never miss a chance."
With a sigh, I flipped the fish again.
That's when...
Splash—
Something wet hit the ground.
I glanced over.
The rabbit was looking up at me, having fetched a fish.
"Want me to grill it?"
Nod.
"Fine. Not a big deal."
I skewered the rabbit's fish on a stick and started roasting it alongside mine.
The fish sizzled golden-brown.
"Can't wait to eat."
Since dropping into this world, all I'd had was the water the pup fetched.
The aroma of cooking protein was pure drugs to me.
"F-Finally."
The fish was done.
Forgetting the heat, I went to tear into it when...
Thud. Thud. THUD—
A massive earthquake rumbled.
Startled, I whipped around toward the entrance.
There stood...
[GRRROOOOAAAARRR—]
A dinosaur with a neck at least ten meters long.
A Brontosaurus lookalike.
"Gyaaaaah! Why now of all times?!"
I screamed in frustration, but only for a second.
I tried to shove a bite of fish in my mouth.
No point running on an empty stomach anyway.
Might as well get one bite in.
Or so I thought.
"Hand it over, meow!"
A voice rang out.
Shocked, I looked aside.
The rabbit was turning human.
Silver-white hair.
Red eyes.
Two perky rabbit ears atop her head.
As I gawked at the transformation...
"I said hand it over, meow!"
The girl yelled, snatching my fish.
And then...
"Meow!"
With a kiai.
Whoosh!
She full-swung it away.
"N-Nooo."
The fish arced in slow motion.
It hit the ground.
[GRRROOOO!]
The dino at the entrance charged and scarfed it down.
I despaired.
"...My fish... My first wild meat... My labor..."
That's when.
The not-rabbit-anymore human rabbit girl bellowed,
"What are you doing, meow?! Run, meow!"
"That was my fish!"
"So you're alive, meow!!"
With that, she grabbed my hand and bolted, her fish in her other hand.
Her fish.
What a wicked woman.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Phew! Lucky it liked the fish and stopped chasing, meow!"
The rabbit stopped in the forest, glanced back, and sighed in relief.
In that instant, I reached out.
To steal her fish.
But...
"Meow meow meow! Too slow, meow!"
She hopped away effortlessly.
Now at a distance, she started taunting me.
Fish in mouth.
Shake, shake.
She wiggled her hips, mocking me.
I yelled,
"Give me half!"
"No way, meow! Mine, meow! Catch it if you want to eat, meow!"
With that, she bounded away and vanished in a flash.
Stunned as she disappeared from sight, I snapped,
"That crazy bitch!"
The chat popped up.
— Viewer This guy's calling her what, meow? — Viewer Daring to call our goddess a crazy bitch, meow? — Viewer Blasphemy, meow? — Viewer Wanna die, meow? — Viewer Challenge accepted, meow? Fuming, I shouted,
"No, you guys should be on my side!"
— Viewer Why should I? — Viewer Don't rub your dick on it. Gross. Right.
These trash heaps.
I sighed, reminded once more.
Then I asked,
"So, what's with that girl?"
— Viewer What else? She's a goddess, meow. — Viewer Her breath alone could sustain me three days without food, meow. — Viewer Heart exploded when goddess picked up that fish, meow. — Viewer I'm switching to fish from today. — Viewer Me too, gonna catch one, meow T_T The chat devolved into nonsense chaos in seconds.
Sighing, I filled in the omitted subjects.
"Cut the crap. What is she really? Why's a sapient being living here?"
— Viewer Uh... yeah? — Viewer Why's a beastkin from the long-extinct era on Dino Island? They really had no clue.
As the mystery lingered...
A new nickname appeared.
But it was odd—orange colored.
⭐ Top Comment — Magic Girl She's a native of that land. — Viewer Whoa! First time seeing a mod chat in a stream! — Viewer The mods are real ㄷㄷ — Viewer Thought they were ghosts till now. Mod.
A term I'd heard often while streaming.
Gallery admin or something.
But that wasn't important now.
"...Native."
One word, and it clicked.
"Your ancestors did some vile shit."
When they herded the dinos here.
They hadn't evacuated the natives.
Just sealed them in with the beasts.
⭐ Top Comment — Magic Girl ...Yes. So, please... Can you save them? I scoffed at the mod's plea.
Absurd.
"Me? Save them? Me, who doesn't even know where I'll sleep safely tonight? Me, praying someone saves my ass?"
— Viewer Lmao facts. — Viewer The one needing rescue can't rescue others kekeke The chat cackled, oblivious.
Sighing, I muttered,
"...Where am I sleeping tonight?"
With the pup, I trudged through the forest, stomach growling.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Back here again, huh."
Deep sigh. I looked ahead.
The skeleton in school uniform—now feeling like a friend—sat there.
"I'm back, buddy. Mind if I crash one more night?"
Simple reason for choosing this spot: familiarity.
I knew the terrain from multiple visits.
Escape routes galore, no matter what.
And the most crucial reason...
"Just for tonight, buddy."
Mumbling, I carefully shoved the skeleton aside.
Revealing a small burrow underneath.
Probably its old hideout.
I wriggled in and checked around.
Surprisingly spacious.
Room for three adults.
One issue, though.
"Ceiling looks shaky."
Weathered by time, it could collapse anytime.
"Still, should hold for a night. Go on in, pup."
"Awoo..."
The dozy pup crawled in and curled up, snoring instantly.
While it slept, I stepped out for firewood.
Night had fallen; it was chilly.
Needed a fire.
Gathered some dry branches and returned when...
"...Right, the flint."
The flint from the daytime trade.
Left it by the lake in the rush.
"Ugh... I'll freeze without it."
Sweltering days, biting nights.
Torn clothes from the chase.
Perfect recipe for hypothermia.
"What now..."
Scratching my head, stumped.
A chat appeared.
— Viewer Want another flint? Eyes lit up at the kind offer.
But I shook my head.
"Trades are once per 24 hours."
Used it on the first flint today.
No more trades.
Sighing deeply when...
— Noble Mage Lololol brainless sword-swingers. Can't even cast a basic fire spell, hunting for flint. Another weirdo.
"Magic, huh..."
— Noble Mage What, wanna try? Lol here, knock yourself out. Draw this on the ground and chant 'Ignis Globus, Flammas Yaculare' lol A simple magic circle centered on a ring.
Draw it, chant the spell, magic activates.
— Viewer Mage twat showboating again lolol — Viewer Shihanbu don't. Serious backlash death — Viewer Fr, even slight angle off and boom head explodes Viewers poured in warnings, worried I'd botch it and get hurt.
I barely registered them.
Couldn't see them properly.
Because the moment I saw the image, the magic circle floated before my eyes.
In midair, perfectly natural.
As if it'd always been there.
"...Hallucinating."
I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Still there.
Growing clearer.
— Viewer Wtf? What's up suddenly — Viewer Yo it's dark, don't scare us — Viewer Huh!? Something in front? — Viewer Aaaaah don't do it!! Pointing at thin air, I asked,
"You guys don't see this?"
— Viewer G-Ghost... there? — Viewer Fuck don't do it pls — Viewer This guy's faking it lol ...Guess it's just me.
A memory flashed.
"Oh yeah, I picked magic talent at character creation."
That's when.
The circle pulsed faintly.
Red lines glowing subtly, resonating.
"Chant the spell? Ignis... whatever... screw it, just fire already."
Fuzzy on the exact words, I winged it.
"Ignis Globus, Flammas Yaculare" ⟨ Fireball ⟩
Whoosh—!
A lighter-sized flame sparked from my fingertip.
"Whoa! Magic!"
Amazed, I lit the branches with it.
Crackle crackle—
Dry wood blazed, filling the burrow with warm orange glow.
Basking in the coziness when...
— Noble Mage ...Wtf. What the hell...? — Noble Mage No way even talent takes 3 years for basic activation... And that's silent casting.... The mage's fluster turned chat into a laugh riot.
— Viewer Lmaoooooooooooo — Viewer Mage ego shattered lolol — Viewer He just yeeted his desk, saw it lol — Heavenly Demon D-Disciple! Magic is... eh... meh! Martial arts can make fire with Samadhi too! Don't abandon the sword! — Viewer But fr Shihanbu, how? Scanning the chat, I scratched my head and replied,
"Just did it and it worked?"
True story.
Tried it, it worked.
Nothing more to say.
— Viewer … — Viewer … — Viewer This dude's so fucking annoying — Viewer Recruiting for Shihanbu raid 1/100 Raid?
"Coming to Dino Island?"
— Viewer Shihanbu raid recruiting 0/100 (CANCELED) — Viewer Lol — Viewer Lol quick on the uptake Viewers giggling among themselves again.
No energy to join in.
Exhausted day.
Rescued pup, dino chase.
Finally lying down warm.
"That's the stream for today. If I'm alive tomorrow, see you then."
Logged off.
Silence in the burrow.
Lying there, I whispered,
"Can't keep wandering forever."
Need a base.
Points piled up—time for a hideout.
"Near fresh water ideally."
Not lake-side though.
Predators constantly drinking there.
"Stable food source too."
Tomorrow, scout around.
Find a survival spot.
Planning tomorrow, I slowly closed my eyes.
Praying desperately to wake up safe.