Homecoming, Level 4 after the Snow

Xia Yu didn't know how badly the brown bear was injured; the main wounds were on its back, which he couldn't see. He only felt that the seat cushion beneath him was already wet. Pressing his back forcefully against the seat, Xia Yu tried to use this method to alleviate the blood loss. For now, blood loss wasn't the main issue. At this moment, Xia Yu's most significant problem was the pain in the back of his head.

A bullet had penetrated it.

If it weren't for the brown bear's physical constitution far surpassing humans, it would probably have died by now. The road was initially smooth, but as it went further, it became bumpier, and Xia Yu's head hurt even more. He didn't dare to slow down to reduce the bumpiness as he didn't know which force was chasing him behind, possibly trying to catch up.

There was no clock in the car, but the officer wearing a big hat had a watch. Xia Yu glanced down and saw that they had been driving for two hours. The original cement road gradually turned into a dirt road, and after a while, even the traces of the dirt road disappeared.

"Head that way," Mei Mei pointed in a direction.

Xia Yu continued driving. The pain in his head had vanished, probably due to habituation or numbness. The view outside the car window became desolate, the trees became sparse, replaced by low shrubs, and the ground became dry. Simultaneously, Xia Yu's lips grew dry, and he felt drowsy, the air before his eyes distorted, just like beneath the scorching sun in summer.

He didn't know how long it had been when, in Xia Yu's eyes, a patch of unusual color appeared amidst the vast yellow earth. It was a gathering place made of simple wooden houses and tents. The truck was still some distance from the gathering area, but Xia Yu felt that his body could not hold on any longer. He stepped on the brake; due to the weakness of his bear leg, it took two steps before the car finally stopped.

Lying back in his seat, Xia Yu saw game prompt text before him: "This body is on the verge of death. When dead, you will be forcibly kicked out of the game." The game had deemed him beyond salvage; his initial plan to save himself seemed hopeless now. Xia Yu concentrated on the emotions coming from the Brown Bear, feeling the comfort of lying on the ground, basking in the sun.

"Do you still wear the badge?" Xia Yu asked.

"Hmm," Mei Mei nestled into Xia Yu's embrace.

Placing his bear paw on the girl's back, Xia Yu sighed.

"Who are you?" The girl lying on the bear's body asked in a choked voice.

Xia Yu pondered for a moment and felt that the atmosphere was too heavy, so he used a joke to ease the tension: "I'm a magical bear. On the day you were born, it was the seventh day since my daughter had died. I used dark magic to turn her into a human."

Mei Mei was silent for a while, then her embrace around Xia Yu's arm tightened: "Daddy."

You're so serious; it's easy to be taken advantage of!

The view in front of him blurred further, and Xia Yu didn't linger. He left the remaining time to the brown bear. Regaining control over its body, the brown bear let out a weak roar. It lowered its head and sniffed Mei Mei's scent lightly.

Time slowly passed, and when Mei Mei lifted her head from the brown bear's embrace, the bear had stopped breathing. After affectionately rubbing the brown bear's cheek, Mei Mei opened the car door and got out.

Wiping the bloodstains from her face, the girl took out a badge from her bag and pinned it to her clothes before walking towards the gathering area.

The scale here was not small. Besides being a settlement, it was also a trading market. Passersby were shocked at the sight of the bloodied girl.

Ignoring their gazes, Meimei followed Ah Wei's instructions and walked along the road.

Soon, three men approached her.

Following the three men, Meimei arrived at a large tent where more than a dozen people gathered.

At the head was an old man with white hair.

"Your Highness!" The old man knelt before Meimei.

"Go to the north. There is a bear's corpse in the truck. Bring it back to me in perfect condition." Meimei's face was calm, but her clenched hands revealed her inner turmoil.

The three men left to carry out the task.

The old man continued to report the situation: "Both the pseudo-government and the rebels are planning to kill the royal family. The guards are also attempting to profit from the royals. There is no place for us in this area."

"What should I do?" Meimei asked.

"Cross the desert to Area 26. Your half-brother, the Prince of Trees, is there." The old man answered.

"What about revenge?" Meimei clenched her teeth.

"We may be able to persuade Area 26 to help us, but the likelihood is slim." The old man's response was still calm.

After three seconds of silence, Meimei released her grip: "I want to take the ashes of the bear with me."

"As you wish."

Returning to his own body, Xia Yu took deep breaths.

Compared to the dying bear's body, his own was full of vitality.

Lying in bed, he recalled the bear's events, the forest shuttle, and the road ambushes. After three minutes, the game's hint message appeared.

The body of the bear you marked has died.

Opening the column, the bear's slot was now empty.

Letting go of his hand, Xia Yu began to worry about the girl Meimei. He wondered if Ah Wei's gathering place was reliable, and if she could live safely in Area 232.

However, no matter what, he couldn't manage it. Only equal-level district governments or large arms dealers can control matters related to the district.

He couldn't go to Area 232 either.

Knock, knock, knock—

The knocking came from the door.

"Come in," Xia Yu said.

The door opened, and Yuxue entered.

"Brother!" Yuxue threw herself into Xia Yu's arms.

"What's the matter? Why are you suddenly so attached?" Xia Yu pinched the girl's face.

Having experienced three days and nights of escape as the bear, Xia Yu felt like he was in another world when he returned home and saw his cute and well-behaved sister.

"You left for three days!" Yuxue puffed up her face and said.

"I was delayed by something, but I won't be away for so long in the future." Xia Yu promised.

"Don't just play with the wild women outside, sometimes think about your cute sister!" Yuxue put her face on Xia Yu's chest again.

Her words made Xia Yu's heartbeat speed up. The girl inadvertently demonstrated her natural talent for acting cute.

After teasing Yuxue's face for a while, Xia Yu began to drive her away: "Alright, let me sleep for a while."

"I'll join you." Yuxue pulled up the quilt.

"Stop talking nonsense." Xia Yu knocked on the girl's head and pushed her out of the door.

Lying on the bed and recalling Yuxue's coquettish behavior, Xia Yu decided to accompany her well during the winter vacation trip to Area 26.

Then he opened the game panel and checked the gains he had obtained from the brown bear.

On the way to rescue Meimei by car, the brown bear's bonus had gone from LV3 to LV4, which was Xia Yu's second LV4 bonus.