POLAR BEAR ARC CHAPTER 42

After sharing the food in the bucket, both polar bears still felt unsatisfied. This was perfectly normal—those fish were merely a snack to tide them over after more than a month of sleep.

The taste was quite good, though.

Qiao Qixi then took a closer look at Otis, checking if the month of hibernation had caused him to lose weight. The answer was yes. Even though their bodies consumed the minimum energy during hibernation, they still lost some weight, a phenomenon that would be more pronounced in other polar bears. However, since both of them had large body masses, they could afford the loss.

Perhaps feeling bad that the little bear had lost weight, Otis, after eating the gift, went out and caught more fish.

Over the next few days, they lingered in the bay, resting and recuperating. Then, as in previous years, they began their slow journey along the coast toward the cliffs suitable for diving into the sea.

The way polar bears moved—always so leisurely—made it hard to imagine how incredibly fast they could run when necessary.

Having left their tracks everywhere, the route had become quite familiar and secure. Otis, who had transitioned from being just a companion to a much closer presence, provided Qiao Qixi with a sense of security and belonging.

To put it bluntly, he really enjoyed his current life.

Apart from the scarcity of food during the summer, everything else was fine.

As he had mentioned before, despite making eight navigational errors on the way here, he still longed to take the lead on the return journey. Otis, being indulgent, had no objections and allowed him to swim ahead once again.

In the dead of night, with no drones to spy on them, there would be no one to laugh at his mistakes—though it also meant losing an opportunity to redeem himself. There were pros and cons.

Once in the water, Alexander felt everything was just right: the water temperature, the climate, the way his limbs moved through the water—it all felt effortless.

As for fears about the dark or ghosts, he was now a grown-up polar bear. He had already overcome that hurdle.

He could handle it.

Maybe it was because he felt no pressure, or maybe it was just good luck, but Alexander performed excellently on the return trip, only making two mistakes.

Qiao Qixi thought, 'What's there to be proud of?'

Thank goodness there was no drone to record it. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a redemption but rather adding to his list of embarrassing moments.

The sound of water splashing was particularly noticeable in the stillness of the night.

Qiao Qixi and Otis, already ashore, looked over to see a strong polar bear emerging from the water. The bear was about the same size as Otis, with similarly pristine white fur.

Upon closer inspection, the bear had a powerful aura and a dignified appearance.

Seeing a well-fed polar bear after a tough summer was comforting to Qiao Qixi, who had grown used to seeing skinny and scruffy polar bears. It was nice to know that some polar bears, like them, had managed to survive the summer in good condition.

Thanks to its strong physique, this bear looked like an excellent hunter.

The bear, now on land, shook off the water and seemed to notice a nearby gaze.

It turned to look at Qiao Qixi.

Of course, what it saw was not a little bear but a clean and cute sub adult male polar bear, exuding a faint male scent that contrasted sharply with the aggressive, strong scent of the mature male polar bear nearby.

The dignified bear gave Qiao Qixi a second glance, but only a quick one at Otis.

It didn't like the intense aggressiveness emanating from Otis, preferring instead the subadult bear beside him. So, its gaze returned to Qiao Qixi.

Some male polar bears don't mind the company of other males and may even approach them on the road to show friendliness, indicating a willingness to become companions.

For example, Otis and Alexander had gone from strangers to familiar friends.

It was highly likely that this male polar bear was one of those who didn't mind the company of other males.

Noticing the bear staring at Qiao Qixi, Otis's reaction was immediate. He stepped in front of the little bear, using his massive body to hide him.

But Qiao Qixi, full of curiosity and eager to see a handsome polar bear, poked his head out to continue watching.

Unbeknownst to him, his gaze was a form of goodwill, signaling an interest that could have led to them sniffing each other, if not for Otis standing in the way. That bear would have probably walked over by now.

But with Otis blocking the way, the other polar bear had no choice but to stay put, hoping that the curious subadult would come over.

Of course, Qiao Qixi had no idea the bear was waiting for him; he was just curious and wanted to take a look.

Gradually, a strange tension filled the air between the three male polar bears on the ice.

Originally just cautious of the other bear harming Alexander, Otis's eyes slowly narrowed and suddenly became sharp, his entire body exuding a strong hostility directed at the other male bear.

It was a dense, intense hostility.

Hidden behind Otis, Qiao Qixi quickly sensed Otis's strong displeasure, though it wasn't directed at him, but at the bear they had encountered.

But why?

Otis wasn't usually like this. Typically, when they met other polar bears, he would lazily choose to ignore them.

Unless the other bear provoked him first.

Right now, the other bear wasn't roaring or attacking—just looking.

'What's wrong? Has Otis's temper gotten worse? Can't even look now?'

Qiao Qixi wasn't keen on fighting, so he continued to observe, thinking that if Otis really showed signs of fighting, he would step in to calm things down.

After all, they were endangered animals—what was the point of fighting?

Fortunately, the other polar bear didn't seem too fixated on Qiao Qixi. It had just come ashore, still hungry, and after sensing Otis's battle intent, decided it wasn't worth it. After a brief hesitation, it left.

Even after the bear left, Qiao Qixi didn't fully understand what had just happened.

And he might never know that he had caught the interest of another male bear besides Otis—an interest that Otis had unceremoniously blocked.

It's worth noting that although polar bears have limited information processing abilities, they are extraordinarily sensitive and perceptive in two areas: food and mates.

As long as you don't mess with these two things, everyone can live peacefully. But if you do, it often leads to a life-or-death struggle.

For Otis, stealing his prey might be forgivable, but coveting the little bear he had painstakingly raised was absolutely not.

Otis led the little bear in the opposite direction of where the other bear had gone.

It wasn't until they had gone far enough that the scent of the other bear faded that Qiao Qixi noticed Otis's hostility gradually dissipating.

'What a temper. Could it be because he met an evenly matched opponent?'

No, Qiao Qixi thought back to the other bear. Actually, it wasn't evenly matched at all—the difference in strength was pretty obvious.

At least, Qiao Qixi could tell at a glance that if they fought, Otis would definitely win.

Otis's mood returned to normal, and he nuzzled the little bear affectionately before focusing on finding seals again.

Coincidentally or not, when they were eating seals on a patch of sea ice, that same male polar bear reappeared.

Qiao Qixi shot a curious glance but also felt a bit concerned. Earlier, they had only exchanged looks, and the atmosphere was tense enough to almost spark a fight.

Now, with the situation even more sensitive, he glanced at Otis. Sure enough, Otis had stopped eating. With blood still on his muzzle, he tensed up, his full attention on the intruder.

If this intruder was only interested in stealing food, Otis wouldn't usually care much. At most, he'd growl a few times to scare the bear off.

But this bear had a different agenda.

Its intentions made Otis furious, so much so that he wanted to tear the bear apart.

Once might be excusable, but this bear shouldn't have come back.

Otis abandoned the food and Qiao Qixi, turning to slowly approach the male polar bear with his massive legs.

Qiao Qixi, not wanting Otis to fight, grew anxious and left the food to follow him.

Seeing the little bear following him, Otis hesitated for a moment, the fierce aura abruptly pausing.

It seemed he was torn between staying with the little bear and fighting.

Qiao Qixi pressed close to Otis, refusing to let him fight.

Not wanting to show his spoiled side in front of the other bear, Qiao subtly nibbled at Otis's body—a gentle reminder.

The little bear's soft, sticky body clung to him, nibbling at his neck. Otis couldn't help but think he was scared of a fight.

Quickly, he suppressed his overwhelming urge to fight.

Since Qiao was little, Otis had always avoided conflicts with other bears in front of him.

This time was no different. Otis soon abandoned the idea of fighting, though he still seemed agitated, making Qiao feel a bit sorry for the other bear.

What on earth had that bear done to provoke usually laid-back Otis like this?

Could it be...

Qiao wasn't entirely clueless. After thinking about it for a moment, he almost figured out what was going on.

It left him stunned.

'Really? That's what it is?'

Was it because spring was approaching and the bears were getting restless? With no female bears in sight, even a handsome male bear like him wasn't safe.

'How crazy is that?'

Or maybe that bear was just into other males.

Qiao was both amused and exasperated.

He was also a bit puzzled—what had attracted the other bear to him? Was it some kind of instinctive magnetism?

Or maybe it was a particular scent.

Qiao sniffed his paw. There was nothing special, just the lingering scent of blood from their meal.

Speaking of food, he hurried back to finish the seal, calling Otis over as well: 'Rawr...'

'Otis, the seal will freeze if we don't finish it.'

There was no need to fight a rival. Even if a thousand handsome polar bears showed up, he wouldn't stray.

Otis would understand this eventually.

Although the fight didn't happen, Otis's growls were enough to intimidate the other bear.

The bear didn't dare cross the line as they finished their meal.

Perhaps it was just passing through.

What Qiao didn't realize was that the bear had indeed been drawn by a specific scent—one coming from him.

As he reached sexual maturity, this unique scent had begun to form, unnoticed by Otis, who was always around him.

But to a passing bear, the scent was immediately detectable and appealing.

As spring approached, Qiao's unique scent would only grow stronger, becoming his signature scent, detectable by female polar bears up to 30 kilometers away.

After the "bear crush" incident, the two polar bears went on a hunting spree on the sea ice, replenishing the energy they had lost during the summer.

As they gained weight, both bears, now fully mature, began experiencing the inevitable stirrings of the mating season.

This included Qiao, who was facing his first season of heat.

He had long anticipated this day and felt a bit apprehensive. After witnessing Otis's annual struggle, he couldn't help but develop a bit of PTSD about spring.

Otis, however, had already picked up on the growing scent from Qiao.

This massive bear, who had once ignored female bears that showed interest in him, couldn't resist the faint scent coming from the little bear, which had already triggered his restlessness.

And he wanted immediate relief.

But that was impossible. Otis had great self-control and was willing to wait patiently.

Wait until the little bear is completely ready.

That night before they slept, Otis began grooming Qiao again, finally reaching his belly. Not to stir things up, but Qiao couldn't help but feel something.

Otis, on the other hand, was unfazed, calmly continuing his care.

And compared to his usual grooming, he was even more gentle and meticulous, as if aware of the area's sensitivity—or perhaps it was an instinctual tenderness.

Qiao finally understood Otis's feelings, answering many of the questions he had kept to himself.

First, was the polar bear mating season painful or enjoyable?

'Ah, it's not as painful as one might think. The discomfort comes from not getting relief. But the pleasure is undeniable. Otherwise, it wouldn't take much external stimulus to get things going.'

It's the same for humans.

Second, do polar bears experience divine-like ecstasy? Cough, cough, not sure about that one—haven't reached that point yet.

Qiao lay sprawled on the ice, pondering these questions, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

'This is so embarrassing.'

He sneaked a glance at Otis, who was attentively taking care of him, his handsome profile focused and showing no hint of awkwardness.

Perhaps, after years of patience, he was quite pleased. Of course, this was just Qiao's guess.

Otis was so cool he rarely showed his emotions, so who knew what he was actually thinking?

After a while, Qiao decided to skip the second question and move on to the third.

'Hmm, polar bears sure have stamina.'

It was impossible to measure how much time had passed, as the first experience was too overwhelming, leaving Qiao's mind blank.

It wasn't until he smelled his own scent—stronger than ever—that it spread around them.

It was a pleasant scent. The little narcissistic bear immediately concluded that he had never smelled such a nice polar bear scent in the Arctic.

'Haha.'

To be fair, Otis's scent was nice too, but it was more aggressive, not as gentle as his.

If Otis's scent made other bears wary, then Qiao's scent had the opposite effect.

His scent was sweet, easy to attract other polar bears.

Otis cleaned up the mess before Qiao's scent could spread too far.

But the two bears remained enveloped in that sweet, sticky scent for a while.

After some time, Qiao, recovering from his first experience, could finally answer his second question.

The answer was, 'I don't know; after all, I've never been a god.'

Lying flat on the ice, the exhausted little bear soon heard Otis taking care of his own needs.

Because Qiao's scent had triggered a chain reaction.

Or maybe Otis had been in that state all along, just now having the time to deal with it.

Poor Otis, he still had to handle things himself.

Qiao had no intention of helping. He could barely lift a paw right now.

Though he felt a twinge of guilt, he hadn't asked Otis to help him.

Otis had done it voluntarily.

If they could talk, Qiao would ask Otis not to cause such a fuss every day—he might run out of nutrients.

But Otis was unwilling. Every day he took the initiative to care for Qiao. Maybe not three times a day, but once was a given.

Originally uninterested in indulgence, Qiao couldn't live a chaste life even if he wanted to. Otis, who had raised him, was always so attentive.

And spring hadn't even officially arrived yet!

At this rate, Qiao couldn't help but worry if he might become the first exhausted polar bear in the Arctic. That would be too ridiculous.

In his joy, the little bear resolved that tomorrow, tomorrow he would definitely not let Otis siphon off his nutrients.

As for today, he was too tired to even attempt the "carp flip" or kick Otis away.

No point in resisting—might as well enjoy it one last time.

'Next time, I'll definitely say no.'

Before heading inland, Otis's daily routine consisted of catching seals to feed Qiao, fattening both of them up in preparation for the climb up the mountain.

The other part of his routine was teasing Qiao and taking advantage of him.

Before Qiao developed his special scent upon reaching maturity, Otis already adored him.

Now, with an added allure, Otis's emotions surged uncontrollably without needing to conjure them up.

Even if Otis was unaware, like when he was sleeping, Qiao could easily trigger a reaction with his scent, working like a charm.

It was another day of rest after a seal feast, and today Qiao was determined not to let Otis get close.

So he deliberately slept far away from Otis, one on the east side, the other on the west.

In a sprawled position, with a mass of over 1,000 pounds, even if Otis wanted to move him, he'd have to use force.

But Otis would never use force against him.

That was certain.

Sleeping apart worked. Otis came over to check twice and found that Qiao didn't want to be bothered. He might not have understood why, but he didn't insist.

If it came down to choosing between his own desires and Qiao's, this gentle giant would always choose the latter.

Even if it meant enduring discomfort.

Lying separately for a while, it was Qiao who found it hard to get used to.

He had always felt a sense of security sleeping next to Otis. Otherwise, the empty space around him, without even a blanket, made it hard to fall asleep.

After trying for a while, Qiao still found that sleeping beside Otis was more comfortable.

Wait, wait... until Otis falls asleep.

Unable to resist, the little bear, who wasn't used to sleeping alone, quietly snuck back to Otis's side.

The warm, furry touch was the real deal.

Feeling the warmth next to him, Otis, who was far from asleep, let out a soft sound from his throat.

He was probably saying, 'Welcome back.'

Qiao could tell that his partner was already very tired. After all, he worked so hard catching prey and taking care of him before bed.

No wonder he was exhausted.