"With so much money, can we get a softer bed?" Ji Xiaofei asked hopefully.
Yarrow shook his finger. "Wealth should not be flaunted. Keep a low profile. We're still outside. If we draw too much attention, others will take notice."
"Oh… okay." Ji Xiaofei pouted but didn't argue.
Yarrow carefully placed the tin back into the wooden box, wrapping it layer by layer as if shielding it from prying eyes. Until he returned home, he wouldn't let it out of his sight.
"Don't do anything reckless. Just sleep," he urged. "Tomorrow, we leave at dawn and take the fastest earth dragon carriage back."
He ushered the two little ones to wash up and go to bed before locking the doors and windows. Only then did he lie down, clutching the wooden box to his chest.
Yet, sleep eluded him.
Since transmigrating here, nearly three years had passed. He had arrived empty-handed and, to survive in this unfamiliar world, had tried countless paths. At first, he considered leveraging his major—computer programming—but quickly realized it was useless here. The world ran on magic crystal technology, making his knowledge obsolete.
Then, he thought about copying literature to earn a fortune, only to discover that Shakespeare's masterpieces were nothing more than scrap paper to these people. Left with no choice, he started as a farmhand. Later, through an introduction, he joined an adventuring team. The work was dangerous, but it paid well, allowing him to accumulate some savings.
Half a year ago, he even took out a thirty-year loan to buy a small house in a village outside the city.
But all that was in the past. His future was finally looking bright!
Yarrow let out a long breath, his mind swirling with thoughts. Had this windfall truly been a stroke of luck, or was it his talent finally at play?
As he pondered, drowsiness crept in, and he drifted into sleep, the wooden box still in his arms.
—
A noise stirred him.
His eyelids fluttered open. The night sky remained dark, the moon still high.
"Still night?" He rubbed his eyes, rolled over, and tried to go back to sleep—
Then, he froze.
Something felt… off.
Wait. Didn't I lock the window?
His pulse spiked. Jolting upright, he instinctively reached for the wooden box.
Empty.
"It's gone!"
Panic shot through him. He scrambled out of bed, only to step on something, sending him crashing to the floor. Grunting, he rubbed his sore side and looked down.
The wooden box had slipped under the bed. The tin inside remained untouched.
Relief washed over him. Exhaling sharply, he picked it up and set it on the bedside table before getting up to close the window.
But just as he reached for it—
Thud.
Something struck his head. Hard.
"Argh—what the hell?!" He staggered, clutching his skull. When he looked up, his breath hitched.
The wooden box.
It was floating.
Right in front of him.
Yarrow's mind blanked. He reached for it, but the box dodged, gliding effortlessly through the air. Then, as if mocking him, it zipped out the open window.
"Damn it! The treasure's flying away!"
Without a second thought, he lunged after it.
He barely noticed Tao and Ji Xiaofei still sound asleep as he climbed onto the windowsill and jumped.
This is the third floor…
Too late to second-guess.
He twisted midair, landing in a practiced roll on the stone pavement below—Ji Xiaofei's talent reducing the impact of his fall.
No time to appreciate it.
His eyes darted around. There! The wooden box lay just a few meters away.
He rushed over, snatched it up, and checked inside. The tin was still there.
A pop-up window suddenly blinked into view:
[The intellectual and gentle girl behind you seems very interested in you. Do you want to take the initiative?]
"…What?"
Yarrow turned—
And locked eyes with a massive brown bear.
A very real, very not gentle brown bear.
Blood-red eyes. Bared fangs. Saliva dripping.
Yarrow's brain stalled.
"…Intellectual? Gentle?"
His soul nearly left his body.
The bear let out a deep, guttural growl.
ROAR!
Terror jolted through him as the beast reared up, preparing to lunge.
Yarrow barely managed to chant a spell, summoning a ball of fire in his palm.
Fire should work, right? Beasts fear fire!
He hurled it forward. The flames struck the bear, causing it to stumble—
Only for it to shake its body, snuffing the fire out like a mere inconvenience.
Yarrow's stomach dropped.
"…Okay. This bear might be a little overpowered."
His mind raced. Could he outrun it? Could he even fight it?
The bear snorted, muscles tensing.
Yarrow clenched his jaw.
—And bolted.
The bear stood right in front of him, panting heavily. Its red eyes locked onto his, muscles tensed, ready to pounce. One wrong move, and it would sink its teeth into his throat.
Transform, system! Turn it into a beautiful girl! Yarrow screamed internally.
Nothing happened.
No flash of light. No miraculous transformation.
Did the system crash at a time like this?!
The bear let out an impatient roar and lunged.
This is it. I'm dead.
Yarrow braced for the pain—
But it never came.
Instead, the bear's jaws clamped onto his hand, nudging it roughly. Startled, his grip loosened, and the wooden box tumbled out.
Without hesitation, the bear snatched the box in its teeth, spun around, and bolted.
Yarrow lay on the ground, stunned, watching the massive creature vanish into the darkness.
"…It ran away?"
His mind reeled. That bear was weird.
He exhaled sharply. At least I'm alive.
But then, reality slammed into him like a sledgehammer.
The wooden box!
The priceless treasure that promised him a lifetime of luxury—gone!
My seaside villa!
A surge of adrenaline wiped out all traces of fear. Yarrow shot to his feet, eyes blazing with determination. He frantically scanned his surroundings, spotted an iron shovel leaning against the wall, and snatched it up.
"Give me back my villa!"
Fueled by desperation, he charged after the bear.
Out of the alley, onto the deserted street, he ran like a madman, shovel in hand. The round, furry thief was a blur ahead of him, barreling through the empty streets without a care.
The bear rounded a corner, slipping into another alley. Yarrow followed without hesitation, weaving through the winding paths, his breath ragged but his resolve unwavering.
At last, he saw it dash into a dead-end street.
Nowhere to run!
A single tavern stood open, its warm glow spilling onto the cobblestone.
Without thinking, Yarrow burst through the door.
The entire tavern turned to look at him.
The room was packed with burly men, all of them pausing mid-drink to stare at the disheveled, panting intruder gripping an iron shovel.
Yarrow gulped down air, then bellowed, "I'm looking for a bear! Did a bear come in here?!"
Silence.
A few patrons exchanged glances before shrugging and turning back to their drinks.
Then, from the corner, a large, round-faced man with a thick beard stood up. He pulled off his shirt, revealing an impressively hairy chest, and stepped forward.
"I am a bear," he declared.
Yarrow blinked.
"…Ah. That's not the kind of bear I'm looking for."
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