Why Do All the Beasts Want Me?

Chapter 33

In the vast and boundless ocean, dangers lurked everywhere. Even if Qiao Qixi hadn't experienced the power of the Greenland Shark, he knew how thrilling this journey would be.

Returning from the north in summer meant better travel conditions than now, and since it was night, everything would be more difficult than during the day.

Qiao Qixi kept his wits about him in the water, closely following Audiss's figure. What he feared most was suddenly seeing a shark fin, and of course, even more terrifying, seeing a group of fins…

However, he felt that with his European Emperor's luck, he shouldn't be so unlucky.

Just as he thought this, the water around him changed slightly, much like the movement created by a large marine animal nearby.

What could it be?

Even Audiss slowed down to observe, which made Qiao Qixi feel a surge of tension. He tightened his skin and looked in all directions.

Audiss glanced around, but didn't seem concerned. He continued to move forward at a steady pace.

This proved that the creature making the waves posed no threat.

Indeed, later Qiao Qixi saw with his own eyes what it was: two Pacific Ocean porpoise mates.

These porpoises prefer to live in waters about 20 meters deep near the shore and are endangered animals. In recent years, due to the continuous worsening of marine pollution, they have become very rare.

Qiao Qixi had a feast for his eyes and felt delighted.

Everyone met by chance in the ocean, and what was even better was that they weren't on each other's menu. Such encounters were truly wonderful, and more of them would be great!

Sharks, however, were out of the question.

Don't come.

During the rest of the journey, Qiao Qixi encountered several marine animals.

It seemed that after dark, everyone liked to come out and play.

Perhaps the Little Polar Bear's luck was truly good, or perhaps Audiss's guiding experience was seasoned enough, as they didn't encounter any shark groups along the way.

Of course, it wasn't without any dangers.

The biggest danger the Little Polar Bear encountered was being targeted by a scaly sea turtle, which chased his feet the entire way.

Every now and then, it would even open its mouth, trying to bite him.

???

Qiao Qixi wondered, were his feet stinky or something?

Why didn't this big turtle go after Audiss's feet!

Being chased by a big turtle was something Qiao Qixi was naturally too embarrassed to ask Audiss to help him with, especially since Audiss was fully focused on leading the way and wouldn't know there was a sneaky sea turtle causing trouble under the water behind him.

Finally, having nowhere else to go, the Little Polar Bear kicked the scaly sea turtle a few times, sending it far away.

He couldn't be blamed for being too violent; it was the turtle who first disregarded martial ethics.

And then there were no other dangers along the way.

Unlike the last time, when they leisurely walked and stopped, this time the time spent resting on land was significantly reduced.

Audiss seemed to have planned the journey according to the Little Polar Bear's endurance, striking the perfect balance so that the Little Polar Bear wouldn't be too tired, staying within an acceptable range.

In mid-November, the sea ice was rapidly freezing at a gratifying speed. The more than nine million square kilometers of sea ice area were enough to attract most polar bears back to the ice surface.

Qiao Qixi felt Audiss's urgency; it seemed something was urging him to return to the ice surface as soon as possible and hunt enough food to compensate for the losses of the past two seasons.

During the autumn and summer, Audiss's weight had remained stagnant.

But in fact, like the Little Polar Bear, he was still in his growth phase, with room for his weight to increase, perhaps reaching its peak before he turned ten.

Adult polar bears generally eat their fill during winter, storing enough fat to prepare for the arrival of spring.

In spring, they shift their focus to the opposite s*x, and their attention to food significantly decreases until they find a suitable mate and complete their reproductive activities.

Qiao Qixi, of course, didn't understand that Audiss, who was about to reach s****l maturity, had a fire burning within him, which was why he was so eager to return to the ice surface.

His reason for actively returning to the ice surface was much simpler: because there were Seals on the ice surface.

The speed at which the sea ice was freezing reduced the distance the two polar bears needed to travel, which was good news that made Alexander secretly smile.

A week later, they reached the edge of the sea ice.

Looking out, clusters of white sea ice floated on the soon-to-freeze sea surface, a truly spectacular sight.

And this awe-inspiring scene, which left humans amazed, was already commonplace for Qiao Qixi, as natural as returning to his own home.

He and Audiss swam amidst these ice floes, heading towards the already solidified ice layer.

Upon reaching this point, Audiss suddenly changed his leading order. He swam back behind the Little Polar Bear and gently pushed the Little Polar Bear, who had worked hard the entire way, forward.

Finally, he pushed him onto the ice surface.

Oh yeah ~

The moment his butt touched the ice surface, Qiao Qixi couldn't help but cheer with inner joy. The achievement of returning to the ice surface was complete, awesome!

Qiao Qixi sat up, soaking wet, and immediately took off his little yellow bucket, taking a deep breath of the fresh air on the ice surface.

Ah, he, Qiao Little Bear, was back.

Immediately after, Audiss also climbed up. His action of shaking his head on the ice surface to drain the seawater was handsome and swift, forming a stark contrast with the floppy Little Polar Bear.

If Qiao Qixi was too tired to stand, then Audiss could still go another 50 kilometers.

The Little Polar Bear, too lazy to get up and drain the water, simply rolled on the ice surface, letting the sea ice absorb the seawater from his fur.

Audiss, who also needed to do this, found an empty spot and lay down. He quickly rolled twice and then stood up, ready to continue their journey.

It's not safe here. The ice is too thin, and there's no food.

He nudged the Little Polar Bear, who was tired and refused to walk, patiently encouraging him to stand up, because they needed to go to a thicker ice layer.

Qiao Qixi: I'm getting up, I'm getting up!

By the way, it's been snowing continuously, and there's no sun. Will Seals still come up and wait for polar bears to catch them?

The novice polar bear had doubts.

He believed this question would soon be answered.

The feeling of his paws on the ice surface was always so unique. Thanks to the special structure of polar bear paws, they could walk steadily on the ice, without slipping easily.

The Little Polar Bear hadn't eaten for a week, and Audiss was tirelessly searching for food.

Seeing his eager back and footsteps, Qiao Qixi certainly noticed and was secretly touched.

By the way, if it weren't for him, Audiss should be able to hunt slowly, right?

Effortless was Audiss's style.

Yes, Audiss was eager to catch a Seal to satisfy the Little Polar Bear, who hadn't eaten Seal all summer.

Although very tired, Qiao Qixi was the same. From the moment he came ashore, he had been mindful of the smell of food.

However, Audiss had already smelled the Seal's exact location before he did.

“…”

Their first meal ashore was a Ringed Seal.

These Seals are numerous and distributed throughout the Arctic Circle, making them the polar bear's favorite food.

Bright red blood stained a large area of the snow. The freshly killed Seal's body emitted white steam because its body temperature had not yet dissipated.

Audiss quickly tore open the tough Seal skin so that the Little Polar Bear could eat warm food.

Eating something warm in the icy wilderness was undoubtedly the happiest time for polar bears.

One Ringed Seal was not enough to fill two hungry polar bears. The conscientious Little Polar Bear was not greedy, allowing Audiss to eat more than half.

After eating the food the Little Polar Bear no longer wanted, Audiss deliberately nudged his nose, as if saying, “Little rascal, I've seen through your little tricks, but I can't do anything about you.”

Qiao Qixi: …

Cough, cough, recently he had gotten used to the strange tone of his own translations.

Never mind, as long as the meaning got across.

After a meal that only filled him about fifty percent, Qiao Qixi's strength had recovered significantly, and the idea of going out to hunt alone became clearer and clearer in his mind.

He looked up and nudged Audiss's nose, who was resting, trying to express his desire to go out using body language. However, Audiss didn't seem to get it. His beautiful eyes narrowed, and he lowered his head to lick him with an even more intimate attitude.

Annoying.

It was like talking to a brick wall.

Qiao Qixi had no choice but to turn his back to him, then pick up his little yellow bucket and walk forward.

After walking for a few minutes, Qiao Qixi looked back and found that Audiss had indeed followed him.

Knock!

Couldn't he be more self-aware and not be a stumbling block on his path to progress?!

How could he become a legendary polar bear like this?

Becoming a useless bear was more like it.

However, Qiao Qixi didn't mind. He quickened his pace and continued walking, determined to hunt alone this time, no matter what.

Because the Little Polar Bear walked faster, Audiss followed lazily behind, but never showed any intention of surpassing him.

Hiss…

His attitude looked somewhat like a mother walking her child downstairs in the neighborhood.

Only missing a lost-prevention wristband in his hand.

Ah ah ah.

Qiao Qixi was a little excited because he smelled the scent of a Seal, right nearby.

Through months of growth, he felt he had a good grasp of the polar bear's built-in navigator and locator.

This location was definitely spot on.

In fact, that was exactly the case; after walking for a short while, Qiao Qixi spotted a Seal in the distance.

The opportunity to practice hunting had arrived.

Qiao Qixi’s first step in hunting a Seal was to set up his little yellow bucket.

Other polar bears didn't have this step, so they entered hunting mode faster than he did.

As soon as Qiao Qixi put down the bucket, he looked up: “Damn it!!!”

He was the first one to find this Seal!

That shameless Audiss, he was clearly quite far behind just now, so why did he catch up in one swift stride?!

Qiao Qixi stomped his foot, both angry and anxious, and chased after him without daring to make a sound, his heart filled with extreme agitation.

At this moment, beneath his cute and adorable exterior, a thousand alpacas were hidden, and he ran while shouting in his heart: Audiss! Let go of that Seal and let me do it!

Audiss, who had entered hunting mode, ignored him completely; he was just that shameless.

Alright…

No matter how angry Qiao Qixi was, he didn't dare to scare the Seal away, so he could only stop nearby, gritting his teeth and glaring ahead.

Fine, isn’t it just one Seal?

On this Arctic continent, three-legged toads are hard to find, but Ringed Seals are everywhere.

He just needed to find another one.

The process of hunting a Seal was a bit slow, taking at least ten minutes; after Audiss dragged the Seal ashore, he looked around, but he didn't find the Little Polar Bear.

But he wasn't in a hurry.

The Little Polar Bear’s scent was nearby.

Shaking his body a bit helplessly, Audiss picked up his prey and went to chase the little rascal who was running around everywhere.

Logically speaking, hunting three Seals in a short period of time is a very low probability, even if one were a European Emperor reincarnated, it would be unrealistic; otherwise, the lives of polar bears wouldn't be so bleak.

At least within a five-kilometer radius, no other Seals should appear.

As for going too far, it was unnecessary; Qiao Qixi just wanted to hunt alone, not to break up with Audiss.

Going too far would hurt their relationship.

It would put a mental burden on the other party.

After the Little Polar Bear, who had no Gains, was caught by Audiss, he ate a not-so-warm Seal.

Is it his fault?

Audiss: …

He looked honest and didn’t show any signs of blame.

After eating two Seals in a row, today’s activities ended here, and it was time for a big nap.

Finding a spot Audiss loved, Qiao Qixi inverted the little yellow bucket onto a snowdrift and pressed it down firmly.

This was a lesson learned through blood.

Because the little yellow bucket was too light, without protective measures, it was prone to rolling away.

Good night, world; good night, stars.

And of course, Audiss, a kiss on the cheek good night.

Before going to sleep, Qiao Qixi decided to try again tomorrow; tomorrow, he definitely wouldn't let Audiss, that troublemaker, mess up his grand hunting plan again.

Murphy’s Law: what you worry about will always happen.

After waking up, the Little Polar Bear, who once again tried to hunt alone, always had a giant creature following behind him.

Before encountering a Seal, the other party would lazily follow nearby, but once a Seal was found, the other party would finish off that Seal before he could.

There was simply no room for the Little Polar Bear to show his skills.

So, it wasn't that Qiao Qixi wasn't motivated; it was mainly because this generation’s parent was holding him back!

Seriously hindering his progress!

“Sigh.” Life was not easy, and the Little Polar Bear was angry.

Evidently, the phenomenon of “tomorrow after tomorrow” continued.

However, Alexander never gave up the idea of independence.

The research station learned from the GPS positioning provided by the rescue station that the two polar bears had successfully landed on the sea ice.

The total area of Arctic sea ice in mid-November this year was more than 1 million square kilometers less than in previous years; at this rate, the Arctic ice layer could completely disappear in about 25 years.

It must be said, this was truly a terrifying prediction.

It seems that measures to combat global warming are urgent, otherwise these animals that rely on sea ice for survival will be homeless.

As the sea ice increased, other polar bears also returned to the ice surface one after another, actively hunting for food, replenishing their energy and fat, and preparing for next spring.

The two polar bears’ team also began to encounter other polar bears one after another.

After a summer of hardship, the polar bears they encountered were pitifully thin.

But it didn't matter; as long as they could hunt Seals in the next two months, they would become plump again.

Over two months, although the Little Polar Bear never found an opportunity to hunt a Seal by himself, he was still well-fed, and his bones grew rapidly during this period, even feeling leg cramps while sleeping at night.

polar bears in their awkward phase always tend to be a bit thinner, and their faces are relatively pointed and not as good-looking.

Qiao Qixi was an exception; he remained a round-faced chubby bear and didn't lose weight due to physical development.

During this period, not only did the Little Polar Bear, who was eating frantically, undergo physical changes, but Audiss, who reached maturity, also experienced physical changes.

Audiss turned 5 years old.

The approaching spring was calling him, and perhaps he would become a father this spring.

If he could find a female polar bear he liked.

The frantic eating behavior continued until mid-February, showing a clear downward trend.

At this time, Audiss was tall and robust, even more muscular than he was in summer.

Qiao Qixi thought that Audiss was tired of eating big fish and meat during this period and wanted to take a break.

He was overjoyed and prepared to show off his skills during this time, but instead, Audiss led him inland.

What kind of activity was this now?

Why walk inland when they were perfectly fine on the ice?

Qiao Qixi looked at the food-rich sea ice, then at Audiss's back, feeling tormented!

Should he follow or not?

Finally, after thinking it over, he followed.

Audiss was an experienced adult bear after all, so following him was definitely the right choice.

At this time, Qiao Qixi still didn't know that the polar bear breeding process was like this: first, Male polar bears would wander around the entire continent, searching.

If he smelled an attractive scent, he would track the other party’s whereabouts.

When two polar bears met, the female polar bear would lead the Male polar bear to a high place, finding a relatively high and secluded spot for mating, usually on a mountaintop, to isolate themselves from the disturbance of other polar bears.

Scenes of several Male polar bears competing for one female polar bear often occur in spring.

During this lively season, the research station, which tracked them all year, naturally wouldn't miss it.

It’s still not dawn yet; this is just the prelude to spring.

The drone captured that the highly anticipated Audiss had stopped eating, which was inevitable, even though he also had the task of feeding the Little Polar Bear.

At this moment, the urge to reproduce still outweighed everything else, and he headed inland.

So, the next step was to find a suitable mate.

Everything was within the researchers’ expectations… except that Audiss was still leading Alexander and didn't seem to be planning on leaving him behind.

Researcher: Ah, is he taking his child to a blind date?

Begging their pardon, the success rate for this might be very low… very low…

For Audiss to successfully mate with a female polar bear, he must temporarily leave Alexander behind.

Otherwise, no chance.

Which would ultimately win: Audiss’s instinct to raise his cub or his instinct to reproduce?

Those following this matter waited with bated breath.

The outlines of the snow mountains on land were clearly visible; there were only snow mountains there, weren't there?

If there were no surprises, this was a path to the snow mountains, so what exactly was Audiss going to do?

Qiao Qixi’s head was full of curiosity, and he couldn't be blamed for temporarily forgetting about spring, because he himself didn't have that need.

To be honest, ever since he became a polar bear, Qiao Qixi had never thought about that kind of thing.

However, Qiao Qixi was soon forced to understand the truth.

In the wind and snow, he and Audiss huddled together in a sheltered spot, sleeping.

In a daze, Qiao Qixi felt the heat source on his body leave, and accustomed to sleeping close to Audiss, he immediately woke up.

Was it time to get up and travel already?

But he clearly remembered only just falling asleep…

The sleepy Little Polar Bear looked up, and for a moment, his whole body stiffened slightly.

Ah, this…

He immediately closed his eyes and turned his head away.

But even with his eyes closed, his mind was still filled with the scene he had just witnessed.

Audiss was sitting nearby with his legs spread, looking down and licking his own…

“…!” Qiao Qixi shook his head, trying to shake off the image he had just seen.

Ah, ah, ah, don’t recall it!

However, after calming down, he thought again, “Hmm, so polar bears are like this, how majestic.”