POLAR BEAR ARC CHAPTER 11

Eating, speaking lightly, but finding food in the vast polar region was far from easy as it sounded.

Qiao Qixi had experienced hunger, like now. They had spent a long time crossing the coniferous forest to reach the last ice-covered sea.

Here, they encountered more and more polar bears, busy searching for food.

The ice, no longer as thick, could be broken by a single slap from a standing polar bear, allowing them to capture prey under the ice.

Even Otis couldn't catch prey easily.

He broke through a section of ice, but the prey escaped. He chased it until it swam into the deep sea, free of ice cover.

Qiao Qixi stretched his neck; the white ice and turbulent sea were beyond his control.

Otis stared blankly in the direction of the departing prey, slightly panting, but soon adjusted his direction and continued searching for other prey.

The rising seawater crisscrossed the ice, and the two hungry polar bears moved forward with wet limbs.

Qiao Qixi noticed a dark shadow on a distant floe—it was indeed a seal.

But it was quite far.

If they swam over with great effort and the seal escaped, it would be a waste.

Clearly, Otis shared the same thought. He paused, gazing at the seal but took no further action.

Perhaps the seal noticed them too, but due to the distance, they could only watch each other, each complaining silently.

Seal: Just try coming over, and you'll be running for nothing.

Polar Bear: ...

Typically, polar bears wouldn't talk if they could act, and if they couldn't act, they'd turn away. The Arctic wasn't home to just one seal.

That's right.

Qiao Qixi, with great dignity, followed Otis's graceful steps, continuing to search for other prey on the ice.

As they walked, he realized they had circled around the seal.

This spot made it easier to approach the seal without alarming it.

Otis submerged into the water, and Qiao Qixi waited quietly on the shore, not making a sound.

A polar bear swam silently across the dark blue sea.

The sunbathing seal hadn't noticed the approaching danger.

The cunning and calm polar bear landed behind a snowdrift, revealing most of his body.

The turbulent sea provided Otis with cover, giving him the patience to wait for the right moment.

From afar, the young bear dared not even twitch an ear in this critical moment.

Whether they ate or went hungry depended on now.

If they could catch that heavy seal, Qiao Qixi vowed to eat more of the fatty meat.

Yes, this was a male seal, weighing almost twice as much as a female.

A polar bear needed to eat at least 40 seals a year to survive.

In this last bit of time before the ice melted, catching this seal would bring peace of mind to Otis and Qiao Qixi.

The energy from this seal could help them endure until winter.

Otis was always patient when hunting. Although it wasn't yet the perfect moment, he detected the scent of another polar bear.

An uninvited guest was approaching. Before it arrived, Otis ended his observation and launched an attack on the sunbathing seal.

Hearing the noise, the seal immediately dived into the water, with Otis following closely.

Seals were naturally more agile in water, and Otis struggled to keep up.

However, he managed to bite the seal. As he shook his head, his fur swayed in the water.

Due to water resistance, Otis's strength was diminished underwater, so he desperately dragged the prey towards the shore.

Here, his powerful limbs played a crucial role. Once he bit the seal, it was hard for it to outswim him.

Onshore, Qiao Qixi waited anxiously.

Otis had dived underwater, making it impossible to see what was happening, which made him uneasy.

Suddenly, the uninvited guest Otis had anticipated appeared.

Its presence startled the young polar bear, as they were now less than 50 meters apart—a dangerously close distance.

After a brief consideration, Qiao Qixi chose to jump into the sea and swim towards Otis.

Otis surfaced with a splash, holding the struggling prey in his mouth.

The soaked giant polar bear climbed ashore and immediately killed the prey, pinning it under his paw before looking for the cub.

However, the familiar figure was missing from the shore; instead, there was a strange polar bear.

Otis wasn't surprised. He quickly glanced past the intruder and focused on the swimming young bear.

The yellow plastic bucket on Qiao Qixi's head was a conspicuous sight against the dark blue sea, like a bright beacon.

He swore he had never swum so fast.

He wasn't swimming fast because there was food ahead, although he was quite hungry.

He swam quickly because, if he didn't, he might become that strange bear's meal.

Otis shook off the water, ensuring Qiao Qixi could swim over by himself, then turned his gaze back to the other bear.

His aura was overwhelmingly dominant, silently conveying to the intruder: This place is taken. Leave now, and I won't bite you.

Animals with keen senses identified enemies by scent and could also discern strength.

The other bear knew Otis was young and strong, so it didn't dare act rashly. However, the scent of blood was tempting, making the hungry bear drool.

It didn't leave, perhaps waiting for a meal Otis might abandon.

But it failed to consider that this male seal was enough for Otis and Qiao Qixi for several meals.

In this food-scarce season, Otis wouldn't abandon the seal after just one meal.

As the saying goes, a horse dies running towards a mountain. This was apt for Qiao Qixi's current situation.

Seeing Otis swim so effortlessly, he thought he could do it too.

But he couldn't.

It wasn't that he couldn't persist, but he was tired.

Qiao Qixi lifted his paws without hesitation, taking off the bucket. Upside down, it became a natural buoyancy aid, supporting his chin.

Though it was insignificant for his weight, it reduced some burden.

Anyway, it was better than wearing it on his head for no reason.

Otis must have been anxious watching such a slow kid, wanting to jump in and carry him.

Qiao Qixi thought he and Otis were a slowpoke and a whirlwind, coexisting peacefully thanks to the language barrier.

Otherwise, Otis would lecture him daily, turning their home into a chaotic place.

Otis waited patiently for some time.

The slow-moving young bear and his plastic bucket finally reached the shore.

Qiao Qixi threw the bucket ashore first, then climbed up.

Before diving in, he was a clean, handsome little bear. After coming out, he was a panting, soggy white rag, looking miserable.

The tired Qiao Qixi lay on the ice to rest, and the concerned Otis came over to sniff his nose.

The large paw capable of stunning a seal gently pressed on the young bear.

Lying on the ice, Qiao Qixi couldn't help but make contented sounds.

He knew Otis wasn't giving him a massage; what would a simple polar bear know about massages?

Seeing him so tired, providing some comfort...wait, stop. But the pressing on sore muscles felt quite good.

As for Otis's real intent, maybe he was checking if Qiao Qixi was still alive?

To alleviate his concern, Qiao Qixi got up and shook off the water.

Actually, it wasn't that tiring.

It was human laziness.

Before arriving here, they had been fasting for a while, and their bodies urgently needed food.

Otis waited until the young bear was safe before eating together. As usual, the giant polar bear let the young bear eat first while keeping watch.

Especially since there was still a scheming polar bear across the water, ready to snatch their food.

Qiao Qixi devoured the meal, and then it was his turn to guard Otis.

The mischievous young bear suddenly became serious, worried the remaining seal meat might attract more bears.

Luckily, their location was like an island in a lake, easy to defend.

Even if ten bears attacked, they could throw the prey away, letting the bears fight while they escaped.

These polar bears never imagined encountering a bear who had read Sun Tzu's Art of War.

Qiao Qixi: Just read it.

Otis ate quickly and a lot because he was indeed hungry. He could eat 100 pounds in one sitting.

That's a peak polar bear.

Besides, Otis wasn't yet at his peak; he had room to grow.

After eating enough, the white giant bear licked the blood from his mouth and paws.

Polar bear claws are tough but can be damaged, needing timely care.

After every hunt, Qiao Qixi would check Otis's teeth, mouth, and claws.

There was a case of a polar bear's paw being pierced and infected, causing swelling and pus.

Being a bear with many quirks, Qiao Qixi could examine Otis's paws freely, as Otis was used to it.

Although he didn't understand why the young bear liked fussing with his paws, he patiently indulged.

But Otis disliked having his mouth examined. Whenever Qiao Qixi tried to pry his mouth open, he'd avoid him.

Now, the energetic young bear, full from eating, was interested in his paws and mouth.

Otis wanted to hide.

Unfortunately, the floe was too small to hide.

Honestly, teeth and claws are crucial for a polar bear's life. They should be checked after every hunt and ideally brushed daily.

If possible, Qiao Qixi hoped Otis would live longer. Even if he couldn't hunt in old

age, there would still be his younger companion.

He'd try to hunt and feed Otis, so protecting his teeth was essential.

Without a toothbrush, bear fur could still clean teeth, and seawater could act as a natural mouthwash.

Just a few minutes daily could maintain dental health, avoiding difficulties eating in old age.

As a thoughtful pseudo-bear, Qiao Qixi brushed his teeth daily.

After relieving himself, he'd rub his butt on the snow, and daily snow rolling was essential.

With the young bear constantly pestering him, Otis lay on the ice, hugging his head into his belly.

Qiao Qixi, helpless, waited for another chance.

Revised ✔