The players scrambled out of the forest in panic. After confirming the giant bear wasn't chasing them, they all collapsed onto the ground.
"Dylan, you're so unreliable, always coming up with terrible ideas. You told Leaf to climb a tree, and he got caught like a turtle in a jar."
"I'm gonna tell Leaf you called him a turtle! Besides, how was I supposed to know that Pokémon could climb trees? Everyone says when you encounter a bear, you either play dead or climb a tree to hide!"
Dylan looked genuinely wronged. He had only meant to help.
"In reality, all bear species except polar bears can climb trees. That Pokémon resembles a real-life brown bear, and brown bears are among the best climbers in the bear family."
Luna provided a scientific explanation.
"Wait, really? I had no idea. Why didn't you remind me earlier?"
"I did, but none of you heard me."
Luna felt her presence was too weak. No one ever listened when she spoke.
"My bad, my bad. I'll apologize to Leaf after logging off. That bear swiped him with one paw and nearly flattened him. I wonder if it hurt."
Dylan recalled Leaf's death scene. It had been gruesome.
"It probably didn't hurt much. This game suppresses pain beyond a certain threshold. It's very humane."
"How do you know? When did you test that?"
"Didn't test it. I accidentally cut myself while chopping wood yesterday. The wound was pretty big, but I didn't feel any pain."
Ethan showed the scar on his arm.
"That's good. I just wonder how long he'll have to wait to respawn. And in most games, dying comes with penalties, right?"
"We can ask him after logging off. The bigger problem right now is how to deal with that Pokémon."
Ethan was still fixated on his special reward and farmland. If that giant bear didn't leave, how could they continue their woodcutting mission?
"That Pokémon is Level 33, even higher than the lord's Scyther. There's no way the few of us can handle it."
Among the four of them, only Bell had a Level 3 Spinarak. The others didn't even own Pokémon. Facing the giant bear would only end worse than Leaf's fate, with varying degrees of being flattened.
"Looks like we'll have to go back and ask Lord Leon. Hopefully, he has a solution."
With no other options, the players got up and prepared to return to the territory.
The moment they stood, Pokémon surrounded them.
Their original habitat had been taken over, leaving them homeless. Now, they pinned their hopes on these humans.
After interacting yesterday, the Pokémon had developed some trust in the players and instinctively sought their help.
The players couldn't bear to abandon them, so they brought the Pokémon back to the territory.
This terrified the militia on guard duty. Seeing a horde of Pokémon marching toward the territory, they initially thought it was another beast wave.
Luckily, someone spotted the players among the Pokémon, preventing the alarm from being sounded.
If they'd raised a false alarm two days in a row, the neighbors would've cursed them out.
Still, the militia refused to let the Pokémon enter. The players argued until they were hoarse, but it was useless. They had no choice but to stay outside with the Pokémon.
Walter, informed of the situation, didn't dare make decisions without authorization. He personally delivered some food outside and apologized.
Aware of the favorability system, the players were extra friendly. They waved off his apology and even pulled him into their conversation.
When Leon returned to the territory, he saw this peculiar scene:
Four players and a group of Pokémon sitting on the ground, eating and playing together.
Even the usually composed Walter was smiling, something rare for him.
Leon was moved by the sight. If only he had a camera—this would've made a great keepsake.
Walter noticed Leon first. He immediately wiped the smile off his face and stood to report the situation.
"I understand. For now, let the Pokémon stay in the castle courtyard. Go issue a notice reassuring the citizens not to panic."
"Also, Walter, you look quite handsome when you smile. You should do it more often." Leon teased.
"Y-yes, my lord! I'll handle it right away."
Flustered, Walter nodded and hurried off before Leon could see him blush.
Watching Walter leave, Leon couldn't help but laugh.
This side of Walter was rare. These players really had a way with people, making him laugh like that.
Turning to the players staring at him, Leon spoke:
"I've been briefed. Based on your description, that Pokémon is most likely an Ursaring."
"Ursaring are short-tempered and aggressive, and their strength is formidable. You're lucky to have escaped."
"However, we still don't know why it's so agitated."
Hearing this, the Heracross, who had been eating, paused. It hesitantly approached Leon and began gesturing.
"More hand signs? Who can understand this?" Dylan complained.
"Oh, I see. It's alright, it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."
Leon nodded along while comforting Heracross.
"He actually understands?!"
Dylan was shocked. Was this some protagonist ability?
"Heracross says the Ursaring was attracted by the Honey they were eating this morning."
"Although they immediately threw the remaining Honey to the Ursaring, it wasn't enough. So it attacked Heracross and the nearby Pokémon."
Leon summarized Heracross's explanation.
"Wow, that Ursaring is awful. I thought all Pokémon were gentle and kind."
"Real animals fight over food too. That's just how nature works."
"What about our mission?"
Ethan raised his hand, worried Leon might cancel it outright.
"The mission is temporarily suspended. Once we drive the Ursaring away tomorrow, you can resume."
"If you're unsure what to do now, check the quest board. There are plenty of daily tasks."
The players finally remembered the quest board existed. They'd been so focused on chopping wood they'd forgotten about other tasks.
As the players rushed toward the quest board, Leon led the Pokémon back to the castle.
Along the way, they encountered many townsfolk. Though still keeping their distance, the citizens watched curiously, no longer as fearful.
News of Leon hiring Heracross had spread. They now saw their young lord as capable, and their trust in him outweighed their wariness of Pokémon.
After settling the Pokémon in the castle, Leon prepared to deal with the Ursaring in the forest.
He'd considered chopping wood elsewhere, but there was no guarantee the Ursaring wouldn't track them down. These creatures held grudges.
Since they'd already crossed paths, the only solution was to fight—either drive it away or make it submit.
Otherwise, it might keep ambushing them, disrupting the woodcutting.
No wood meant no rebuilding.
No rebuilding meant his side quest would stall, and his daily Creation Points wouldn't increase.
Staring at his dwindling Creation Points, Leon's eyes burned with determination.
"It looks like that Ursaring has to be dealt with!"
(End of Chapter)