Boonie Bears: Another World Fantasy

Some say it is an army composed of valiant knights.

Including infantry and ships,

It is the most beautiful thing on this black earth.

But in my opinion, what is truly wonderful is to be deeply loved.

—Sappho.

……

Upon arriving, he was joyful and full of energy, eager to start a new chapter in his life. He was so vibrant.

In the deathly silent path, he stopped speaking, and couldn't even open his eyes to look at her properly.

Naya burst into tears. She hugged Sharp tightly, her body growing cold, wanting to share the warmth within her with him.

Don't leave me...

Blood seeped through her fingers. This was no match for the gaping hole in his waist, and Naya was devastated by her own naiveté.

Why do I always feel like crying?

Why can't I always protect the things I cherish?

No... I still have golden antlers.

Thinking of this, her eyes lit up.

The golden antlers, transformed into energy, were stored within his body. Since they could revive withered branches and fallen leaves, surely they could save him too?

She wiped away her tears and laid Sharp's body flat. She removed the blood-stained bow. Without hesitation, Naya slashed her palm.

One drop, two drops...

The blood carrying the blood of the deer clan became the girl's last hope, dripping into Sharp's slightly open mouth.

She knelt before him in a prayerful gesture, her hands clasped together. She spoke in the Deer Language:

The light of divine revelation shines upon my heart.

The breath of the gods purifies my body.

Pray for wisdom, as brilliant as the stars.

Pray for courage, as majestic as a mountain.

Grant me the strength to pass through the dark fog.

Guide me toward a bright future.

In the name of holiness, I call for aid.

With a pure heart, I beg for refuge.

My great Deer God!

May my prayers, like a feather in the wind,

Light yet firm, transcending the boundaries of time and space.

God, hear my voice.

I find peace in your mercy.

……

The prayer ceremony was over, but the sacred golden antlers did not respond to her.

Even just a little bit of charity would be appreciated.

"Why……"

She stared in despair at her bleeding palm. It was as if the sky had fallen.

"Why couldn't I save him...?"

"?!"

Footsteps were heard. A woman with a high ponytail appeared, panting, at the end of the path. Behind her was a group of people holding flashlights.

"Quick! Over here!!"

She was backlit, so Naya couldn't see her face clearly. She could only stare blankly as she skillfully pulled out a roll of gauze and neatly wrapped it around Sharp's wound. People in white coats surrounded Sharp and lifted him onto a stretcher.

"How are you? Are you hurt?"

The woman with the high ponytail squatted down, holding her shoulders, and asked worriedly.

For a fleeting moment, Naya was in a daze, mistaking her for her mother, whom she only knew from memory.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Zhao Lin tried to communicate with her using sign language. But the girl still didn't respond.

The next second, she burst into tears, as if she wanted to pour out all her despair and grievances to Zhao Lin.

She was stunned, then hugged the girl. She had a pair of enviable big eyes, and even her crying looked so endearing.

Zhao Lin gently patted her back, comforting her again and again.

"never mind."

……

In the corridor of the small-town hospital, several abstract paintings hung on the white walls, attempting to add a touch of warmth to the desolate environment. The air was filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant, accompanied by a faint aroma of medicine and food.

The lights were on at the nurses' station, and several nurses in uniforms were busy talking, their faces showing signs of fatigue.

Who are the patient's family members?

The door to the makeshift operating room opened, and the attending physician came out and asked loudly.

"I."

Zhao Lin looked at Naya, who was receiving simple bandaging, and raised her hand to speak.

"Come and sign this," the doctor said.

"How is Sharp?" she asked, grabbing Zhao Lin's sleeve.

"Don't worry, he's out of danger." Zhao Lin winked at her.

This answer was like a reassuring pill, finally putting Naya's mind at ease after a night of anxiety. She slumped back into a chair in the corridor, and as the tension eased, exhaustion washed over her like a tidal wave.

So this is what it feels like to miss someone?

She rested her chin on her hand, her gaze sweeping over the diverse lives of the people here.

The old man in the opposite room lay quietly on the hospital bed. His breathing was steady and slow, and although his face did not show much expression, a slight smile would occasionally flash across it.

A little girl with her hair in a bun followed behind the adults, clutching a colorful balloon tightly in her hand. Her bright, watery eyes curiously observed Naya.

"It's that pretty older sister dressed as a cat!" the little girl exclaimed excitedly, waving her hand.

Naya waved back at her and smiled in return.

This place called a hospital is filled with the fragility and resilience of life at all times. It is a place full of stories, where the struggle between life and death unfolds.

This is something you can't see in the Enchanted Forest.

She once harbored unnecessary suspicion of outsiders, believing that they all came to the forest with the ultimate goal of seizing the golden antlers.

But a group of people changed her.

Naya thought of Bald Qiang, Xiao Tie, Xiong Da and Xiong Er, and—him…

Sharp.

Although he's a bit carefree, his charm can't be summed up by his appearance alone. When I close my eyes, all I see in my mind is his flowing long hair and his resolute face when facing enemies. He's even a little...handsome.

Huh... what am I thinking...?

She touched her slightly flushed cheeks and immediately dismissed the idea.

"Give way."

The operating room doors were wide open, and several doctors pushed out a nursing cot.

"Sharp!"

Upon seeing him, Naya immediately jumped up from her seat and ran to the bedside. Her reaction speed startled the nurses nearby.

Although only a few hours had passed, the wait felt incredibly long to her. Seeing him safe and sound, Naya smiled with childlike relief.

"Young lady, don't be in such a hurry, he still needs to rest," the attending physician reminded her.

Despite still being in a coma, Sharp's slightly warming hands and his still-beating heart were enough to prove his resilience.

"Boom, boom, boom."

She heard it clearly.

"He was in hemorrhagic shock. Luckily, he arrived in time and survived," he said, praising him.

"This kid, he probably can't bear to part with you."

"what……?"

The doctor's casual, unintentional teasing made Naya awkward. She really wasn't good at handling these situations.

"Hey! Beautiful lady, wanna go buy some late-night snacks?"

Suddenly, Zhao Lin appeared out of nowhere and hugged Naya in a familiar manner.

"Huh? I...I'm not very hungry..."

"If you're not very hungry, then you must be hungry. Come on, it's my treat!"

"Ugh?"

She was pushed out of the hospital by Zhao Lin.

Unable to withstand Zhao Lin's persistent pestering, she had no choice but to give in.

……

In the quiet ward, Naya and Zhao Lin sat facing each other, focused on what they were doing.

"Mmm, mmm, it's been so long since I've had potato chips from here."

Watching Zhao Lin proudly displaying a bucket of potato chips, Naya swallowed hard, picked up a small chip, and popped it into her mouth. It was fragrant and crunchy, leaving a lingering cucumber flavor on her lips and teeth.

In contrast, consider Zhao Lin.

She had been observing Naya's every move since just now, and found it strangely incomprehensible.

"Oh, I don't even know your name yet," Zhao Lin asked tentatively.

"Naya".

Nevertheless, her gaze remained fixed on the motionless Sharp.

If you ask about what just happened right away, you'll definitely be rejected and disliked, right?

"My name is Zhao Lin, and I'm a reporter." She then extended her hand to Naya as a gesture of friendliness. Naya seemed a little surprised, but still reciprocated with a handshake.

Naya's hands were strong, with noticeable calluses on her knuckles. For some reason, Zhao Lin felt that the answer she had been searching for for so long was finally within reach.

This is something I got by sacrificing my hard-earned vacation.

Zhao Lin suppressed the rudeness that her anticipation might cause. She moved forward a little.

“You are truly special, Naya.”

“Special…?” she repeated, confused.

"Yes. For example, you're better at guessing what I'm thinking than other people."

Such an implication was impossible for Naya not to understand.

"What do you mean?" she asked, becoming wary.

If I had to pinpoint the biggest change Sharp brought me, it would be learning to conceal it.

"You can do things that normal people can't, can't you?"

Naya did not deny it. She simply stared silently at the reporter before her, as if waiting for her to anxiously ask the question she herself had to face.

Zhao Lin glanced at Sharp, who was still unconscious, and continued:

"You don't belong here, do you?"

Then those words just slipped out.

"He tried his best to keep you out of the spotlight, but he still got exposed."

Naya remained vigilant.

Zhao Lin clearly saw through some of the secrets hidden beneath the surface.

"It might be a bit presumptuous of me to say this, but he really can't stay with you like this forever; it would be dangerous..."

"Just like before."

Zhao Lin's words were a huge blow to Naya.

So... it's because of me, isn't it?

Her expression turned dejected.

"Then... if I leave, will all of this have nothing to do with him anymore?" Naya came to Sharp's side and gently held his soft palms in her hands.

"It's not that simple," Zhao Lin said. "Anyone who has come into contact with you will be implicated."

"If the whole world knew who you were, they would reject you out of fear."

"Or I'll try to get you by any means necessary," she thought.

“Then I’ll disappear again.” A complex emotion flashed in Naya’s eyes.

But the price of disappearing is absolutely heavy.

Zhao Lin put the empty potato chip can into a plastic bag and walked to the window of the ward. The girl in front of her was carrying a lot on her shoulders. Perhaps more than she could imagine.

What should I do if I want to get her secret?

Imagine if you told others that the Deer Clan still exists in this world, how would they react?

The confirmed conjecture had become a choice. Zhao Lin fell into deep thought.

Outside the window, without any warning, a damp atmosphere filled the air, foreshadowing the coming rain. In the distance, the rumble of thunder, like the beat of drums on the horizon, gradually drew closer.

More raindrops fell, pattering against the windows with a continuous "pitter-patter." The rain intensified, the raindrops becoming increasingly dense, weaving together an invisible net that enveloped the entire town.

“Sharp, what should I do…” she said hesitantly, biting her lip.

A strange, foul feeling rose within her. Naya felt dizzy and lightheaded, and began to cough, covering her mouth.

“Naya?”

Upon hearing the unusual sound, Zhao Lin came to her side with a worried expression.

blood.

His palms were covered in thick, coughed-up blood.

"Huh?!" Zhao Lin exclaimed.

Since Naya's body was affected by this unfamiliar environment, it had reached its limit. From the first day she arrived here, this discomfort had been amplified and weakened.

She didn't pay attention until now...

He fell backward, and his consciousness vanished in an instant.

"Naya?!"

……

Humph.

interesting.

Night fell, and a fine drizzle fell. Anal Lefebvre hovered a hundred meters above the town in the night sky. Her All-Seeing Eye pierced through the rain, gazing down at the town shrouded in darkness. Her figure blended into the night, like a ghost. Rainwater slid slowly down her black and blue bodysuit, outlining her graceful curves. But she seemed oblivious to the slight damp chill.

Lefère's face was expressionless, only her deep eyes revealed her inner calculations.

"Even though she's so weak, those idiots still can't do anything to her." She wanted to applaud Naya, but only because of her own sense of superiority, believing she was more than twice as strong.

"We really can't rely on these ordinary people."

A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips; she was enjoying the feeling of being in control.

"Le Fay".

Mus's voice would always appear when she was overjoyed.

"Okay," she replied impatiently.

When will this kind of psychological communication, which always feels so unexpected, be abolished?

"Aren't you going to make a move?" she asked.

"This is a good opportunity... or are you going to spare her life?"

"That depends on her attitude," Mus said, his tone now tinged with uncertainty.

"Ha, are you afraid that I'll defeat your prized student and ruin your reputation?"

"..."

He didn't speak again, quietly covering up the incident with silence. Of course, these reactions were all within Lefève's expectations.

"As for what you do with her, I don't care." Lefie turned and flew away.

"All I know is that after your grand undertaking is completed, I will sit on the throne that rightfully belongs to me," she said ambitiously.

The current Deer Clan lacks royal blood. Their social system is chaotic, and the tribes are scattered. They desperately need a capable leader to guide them towards a new beginning.

And I am that person.

The last high priestess, the only one who could heed the will of the deer god—Anar Lefebvre. This name will become a legend of the deer race recorded in the Book of Revelation…a queen who quietly rose in the rainy night.

"Long live the Queen!"