Xia Yu didn’t know exactly how severe the brown bear’s injuries were, as the main wounds were on its back, which he couldn’t see.
He only felt that the cushion beneath him had become wet.
Pressing his back hard against the seat, Xia Yu tried to slow the blood loss this way.
Currently, blood loss wasn’t the main issue. The biggest problem Xia Yu faced now was the pain in the back of his head.
A bullet had entered there.
If not for the brown bear’s physical condition far surpassing that of a human, he probably would have died already.
Initially, the road was relatively smooth. However, as they drove further, it became increasingly bumpy, worsening the pain in Xia Yu’s head.
He dared not slow down to ease the bumps, as he didn’t know which faction’s pursuers might be chasing closely behind.
There was no clock in the car, but the officer wearing the peaked cap had a watch. Xia Yu glanced at it and realized they had been driving for two hours already.
The originally paved road gradually turned into a dirt path. After a while, even traces of the dirt road disappeared.
“That way,” Mei Mei pointed.
Xia Yu continued driving. The pain in his head eventually faded, probably due to getting used to it or becoming numb.
The scenery outside the car window grew desolate. Trees became sparse, gradually replaced by low shrubs, and the land turned dry.
As a result, Xia Yu’s lips also became dry. He felt drowsy, and the air in front of him seemed to distort, just like under the scorching summer sun.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when, in Xia Yu’s vision of a vast expanse of earthy yellow, an unusual color appeared.
It was a settlement made of simple wooden huts and tents.
The truck was still a considerable distance from the settlement, but Xia Yu felt his body couldn’t hold on any longer. He stepped on the brakes. Due to the bear legs’ weakness, he had to press twice before stopping the vehicle.
Lying properly on the seat, Xia Yu saw the game’s prompt text appear.
[This body is on the brink of death. Upon death, you will be forcibly kicked out of the game.]
So the game judged him as done for? That probably meant he really was finished. He had originally hoped he might still be able to save the situation somehow.
Xia Yu focused on sensing the emotions coming from the brown bear. It was a feeling of peaceful comfort, like lying on the ground sunbathing in the afternoon.
“You’re still wearing the badge, right?” Xia Yu asked.
“Mm-hmm,” Mei Mei threw herself into Xiongyu’s embrace.
Placing a bear paw on the girl’s back, Xia Yu sighed.
“Who are you?” The girl resting on the bear’s body asked with a trembling voice.
Xia Yu thought for a moment. He felt the atmosphere was too heavy and decided to use a joke to lighten it. “I’m a bear who can use magic. On the day you were born, it was the seventh day after my daughter died. I used black magic to reincarnate her as a human.”
Mei Mei was silent for a moment, then tightened her arms around Xiongyu. “Dad.”
“???”
You’re really easy to take advantage of if you’re this serious!
The scenery in front of him blurred a bit more. Xia Yu decided not to linger any longer. He gave the remaining time back to the brown bear.
Regaining control of the body, the brown bear let out a weak growl. It lowered its head, gently sniffing Mei Mei’s scent.
Time passed slowly. When Mei Mei lifted her head from the bear’s embrace, the brown bear had already stopped breathing.
After affectionately nuzzling the bear’s face once more, Mei Mei opened the car door, got out, and wiped the bloodstains from her face. She took the badge from her handbag, pinned it onto her clothes, and walked toward the settlement.
This place was quite large, serving not only as a residential area but also as a marketplace. Pedestrians on the road were startled when they saw the blood-soaked girl.
Unconcerned with their stares, Mei Mei followed the path as instructed by Ah Wei.
Soon, three men approached her.
Following the three men, Mei Mei entered a large tent. Inside the tent gathered about a dozen people.
The leader was an old man with white hair.
“Your Highness!” The old man knelt in front of Mei Mei.
“Go north. There’s a bear’s corpse in the truck. Bring it back to me intact,” Mei Mei’s expression was calm, but her tightly clenched hand revealed her inner turmoil.
Three people left to handle this task.
The old man continued reporting. “Both the puppet government and the rebels are determined to destroy the royal family. The guards also attempt to seek personal gain from the royal family. We no longer have a foothold in this district.”
“What should I do?” Mei Mei asked.
“Cross the desert and go to District 26. Your half-brother, Prince Shu, is also there,” the old man replied.
“And revenge?” Mei Mei gritted her teeth.
“We might convince District 26 to help us, but the possibility is slim,” the old man answered calmly.
After three seconds of silence, Mei Mei relaxed her grip. “I will take the bear’s ashes with me.”
“As you wish.”
…
Back in his own body, Xia Yu took deep breaths.
Compared to the nearly dying brown bear’s body, his own body was so full of vitality.
Lying on the bed, he recalled the brown bear’s story, the forest running and the highway ambush. After three minutes, the game’s prompt text appeared.
[The body you marked—the brown bear—has died.]
Opening the inventory, the brown bear’s slot was already empty.
Putting down his hand, Xia Yu started to worry about the girl Mei Mei. He wondered whether the gathering place mentioned by Ah Wei was reliable and whether the girl could survive safely in District 232’s situation.
However, no matter what, he couldn’t do anything about it anymore. Involving district affairs, only the same-level district government or major arms dealers could control the situation.
He himself couldn’t possibly go to District 232.
Knock knock knock—
Someone knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Xia Yu said.
The door opened, and in came Youxue.
“Brother!” Youxue rushed into Xia Yu’s arms.
“What’s wrong? Suddenly so clingy?” Xia Yu pinched the girl’s face.
After experiencing three days and nights of escape in the brown bear’s body, now returning home and seeing his cute and obedient younger sister, Xia Yu felt like he had returned from another life.
“You’ve been gone for three days!” Youxue puffed her cheeks.
“Something came up. I promise it won’t happen again,” Xia Yu assured.
“Don’t just play with those outside women. Occasionally think about your cute little sister too!” Youxue buried her face in Xia Yu’s chest again.
Her words made Xia Yu’s heart race a little. The girl unintentionally displayed her talent for acting cute.
After pinching Youxue’s face for a while, Xia Yu started to drive the girl away. “Alright, let me sleep for a bit.”
“I’ll sleep with you too,” Youxue pulled up the blanket.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Xia Yu tapped the girl’s head and pushed her out the door.
Lying on the bed, recalling Youxue’s cuteness, Xia Yu decided that when he went on a trip to District 26 during winter break, he would spend quality time with Youxue.
Then he opened the game panel to check the rewards he had gained from the brown bear this time.
On the way to rescue Mei Mei by driving, the brown bear’s bonus had risen from LV3 to LV4. This was Xia Yu’s second LV4 bonus.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage