POLAR BEAR ARC CHAPTER 6

Qiao Qixi lifted his head and sniffed the air forcefully. Due to the wind direction, he still mostly smelled the unfamiliar male polar bear, but there was also a hint of a familiar scent—Otis.

Could it really be Otis?

Qiao Qixi wanted to trust his judgment but found it hard to believe. How could Otis be here? Or were they released very close to each other?

In just two minutes, Qiao Qixi went through despair and then hope. If it really was Otis, he would be so relieved.

Soon after, Otis appeared in front of the young polar bear. Exhausted from running, he panted heavily. Yet, despite his exhaustion, he kept his eyes fixed on Qiao Qixi, with a deep, intense, and sharp gaze, as if he was very interested in Qiao Qixi.

But Qiao Qixi wasn't afraid. Confirming that Otis had come to find him, he was overjoyed beyond words. Even though his limbs were still weak, he couldn't help but throw himself at Otis.

Otis!

I missed you so much, Qiao Qixi shouted excitedly in his heart. Ever since becoming a polar bear, he realized his thick skin and flesh made bumping into things and rolling over not hurt at all.

Moreover, Otis was so furry that crashing into him only felt comfortable, except for the slight sensation when his nose hit the ground.

Seeing the little polar bear with his face planted on the ground, Otis lowered his head and nudged him back up.

Thank you... Qiao Qixi was about to say thanks for helping him turn over, but in the next second, Otis nudged him again, this time harder, causing him to roll far away on the ice.

No way!

Qiao Qixi: Otis?

Feeling dizzy from the roll, Qiao Qixi prayed, Dear God, please don't tell me this is Otis's way of expressing happiness.

Though Otis rarely showed such liveliness, honestly, no one liked such a celebration!

Dazed and disoriented on the ice for a while, Qiao Qixi eventually got up. Despite disliking Otis's celebratory method, he happily jogged back to him.

Hey! Otis!

Ha! Otis!

Qiao Qixi was so happy that he kept rubbing against Otis, wanting to hug him during this exciting reunion!

Considering the circumstances and knowing Otis wouldn't likely cooperate, he settled for hugging one of Otis's paws with his own.

Otis's front paws were thick and strong, making Qiao Qixi very happy to hold them.

Looking down at the furball hanging onto his forearm, Otis's gaze was deep, perhaps even a bit helpless—who knew?

Maybe not chasing him away was his way of showing acceptance.

After a brief emotional connection, Otis resumed his vigilant posture, sniffing the air at the windward side.

His actions caught Qiao Qixi's attention—was he worried about the invading polar bear?

Indeed, the scent in the wind grew stronger, suggesting that the polar bear, like Qiao Qixi earlier, couldn't detect the presence of another bear nearby due to the wind direction.

The joy of reunion almost made Qiao Qixi forget he was still being chased.

But he couldn't run anymore, and Otis didn't seem to have any intention of running either.

In that case, Qiao Qixi stayed put, trusting Otis's extensive wild experience to handle the situation.

Running for a long time under the sun raised a polar bear's body temperature, and they needed to lie in the snow to cool down.

Thus, Qiao Qixi witnessed a classic polar bear scene—Otis placed his head on a snow slope, keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings, with only his round butt sticking out of the snow.

Qiao Qixi, eyes squinting from the wind, yawned and realized he was both tired and hungry.

Still young enough to need his mother's care, the little polar bear made a soft cry. At just over a year old, his voice was still that of a cub.

Otis's ears twitched but he remained focused on regaining his strength.

At this time, the unfamiliar polar bear tracking Qiao Qixi appeared in Otis's sight.

The snow slope hid Qiao Qixi from view, so the unfamiliar bear only saw Otis, an adult male polar bear, causing him to stop in confusion.

After all, he had been tracking a small polar bear.

Even if there were an adult bear with a cub, it should be a mother bear!

This unfamiliar polar bear was likely baffled.

Standing in the wind, he watched for a moment before choosing to turn and leave.

Hunting a lone polar bear cub was easy for most polar bears, but with an adult bear protecting the cub, they would rather hunt seals.

Polar bears are highly intelligent when it comes to survival, understanding the balance of risks and benefits.

Otis, seemingly regaining his strength, got up, shook off the snow, and led Qiao Qixi away.

Qiao Qixi had no idea a bear had been nearby.

With a hungry belly, he trotted to catch up with Otis, making needy cries that caught Otis's attention.

However, finding food on the ice in a short time was unrealistic.

So, their next meal's timing remained unknown.

Using his keen sense of smell, Otis searched for food. He passed by breathing holes that excited Qiao Qixi but didn't stop.

Otis...

Qiao Qixi watched the breathing hole regretfully, unsure whether to follow Otis. He was really hungry.

After a long walk, Otis noticed Qiao Qixi lagging behind and stopped to wait.

Seeing this, Qiao Qixi felt a mix of emotions and quickly trotted to catch up, leaving the breathing hole behind.

Maybe Otis had a plan?

Looking at the little polar bear catching up, Otis continued, sometimes quick, sometimes slow, occasionally changing direction.

Soon, Qiao Qixi realized what Otis was doing—circling a seal. He accurately predicted where the seal would surface and pounced.

Despite appearing clumsy, polar bears have explosive power comparable to lions and tigers; they are very agile fat creatures.

Most importantly, they are strong, capable of stunning opponents with a single paw strike.

For the first time, Qiao Qixi witnessed a polar bear hunting. He saw Otis dive into the water after a seal, unable to see what happened underwater.

About 10 seconds later, water splashed, and Otis triumphantly dragged a seal ashore.

The large bear shook off the water and expertly tore open the seal's belly, a move that looked elegant and easy.

No wonder he was so proficient—he must have hunted hundreds of seals in a year.

Otis's clear fur around his mouth was stained with bright red blood, making his face look fierce.

After tearing the seal, he turned to call Qiao Qixi, quietly summoning him.

Looking into Otis's eyes, Qiao Qixi once again marveled at their beauty.

Black and bright, both pure and wild.

Their purity came from the lack of complex thoughts in animals—they lived in a simple world. Their wildness was inherent, as only the strong survive in nature.

This combination was quite striking.

With his stomach growling, Qiao Qixi slowly approached, and Otis used his sharp teeth to tear off a piece of meat for him. Seeing him stare at the meat on the snow, Otis wondered what he was thinking.

Deemed to have limited intelligence by scientists, Otis bit the meat in half, a bloody scene that didn't scare Qiao Qixi.

Thank you, Otis. He couldn't speak, and polar bear vocalizations were limited. Expressing gratitude could only sound like a cub's whine to its mother, which was awkward.

Otis, having been a cub himself, was familiar with the sound, though he wasn't a mother bear and might not understand why Qiao Qixi made such noises to him.

This was Qiao Qixi's first time eating seal meat. As he bit down, he found it rich and fatty, much tastier than fish.

Polar bears, given a choice, would prefer mammalian prey like seals over fish, which are only a last resort for survival.

Seeing Qiao Qixi start eating, Otis tore off several more pieces for him, ensuring he had enough before starting his own meal.

Like his hunting, Otis ate quickly.

Clean and efficient, he first ate the richest parts of the seal. The seal's fat would turn into his own, storing enough to survive the harsh summer.

Sometimes polar bears could go an entire summer without eating.

For the first time tasting such fatty meat, Qiao Qixi found it a bit greasy but tried to eat as much as possible.

Despite his effort, some was left.

Otis, already cleaning his paws, picked up the leftovers and ate them effortlessly.

After the exhausting chase and a full meal, the comfort and safety made Qiao Qixi sleepy.

But he hadn't cleaned his mouth and paws yet, so he roused himself to wash his face.

Otis, having cleaned up, looked back at the little bear about to fall asleep on the snow, hesitated, then growled softly.

Sleeping here wasn't wise; the seal's blood could attract other polar bears.

Qiao Qixi finally woke up, rubbing his eyes with his paws, and sleepily followed Otis.

On the rescue center staff's computer, the two monitored targets moved slowly together. It seemed they had reunited and, barring any surprises, would stay together for a long time.

People speculated that the two polar bears might part ways in the spring of the next year, when Otis would reach adulthood and experience his first mating season.

Instinct and behavior

would lead him to leave the young bear and seek a mate.

By then, the young bear would have grown up.

People hoped that within this year, Alexander would learn enough survival skills from his older companion.

They were also grateful to the kind and steady Otis, who unexpectedly took on the role of a mother bear, caring for a young polar bear that had lost its mother's protection.

Revised ✔