Chapter 39: The Beast of the River
Kellar strained his eyes, scanning the dark treeline. The white snow stretched out empty beneath the shadows of the pines, showing no sign of movement.
"I don’t see anything," thought Kellar.
"It is right at the edge, near the bank," Freyja replied through their mental link, her small body tense atop the pine branch.
Kellar focused his vision, letting his eyes adjust to the glare of the snow near the river’s shore. Finally, he spotted it. Resting at the frozen margin of the water was a massive, monstrous fish. It stared back at him with wide, fixed eyes. At first glance, its face looked cute, resembling a giant, shimmering golden carp. But the rows of razor-sharp, jagged fangs protruding from its oversized mouth made it clear that this was no harmless creature.
"Was that the thing that came close last night...?" asked Kellar in a low whisper.
"Yes, Master," whispered Freyja.
Kellar frowned, his engineering mind trying to make sense of the sight.
"How could that thing even attack us...?" thought Kellar. "It’s a fish. It shouldn’t have legs."
Freyja froze on her branch.
"It... can’t leave the water...?" asked Freyja, her mental voice trailing off.
She paused, tilting her head as her ears twitched. A sudden realization seemed to strike her.
"That’s right! It can’t get out! The fish can’t leave the river!"
Freyja began bouncing up and down on the thick pine branch, pouncing back and forth in a burst of wild excitement as if she had just made the greatest discovery in the history of the world.
Kellar let out a low chuckle, a burst of warm air blowing into the freezing sky as his shoulders relaxed. Even though the system had boosted her attributes and their shared link granted her high intelligence, at the end of the day, she was still just a cat.
Freyja jumped down from the branch and strolled over to the edge of the river, strutting cockily while mocking the massive fish. The creature snapped; it opened its huge maw and blasted a torrent of water at a terrifying speed, striking like a literal cannon.
The impact of the jet rattled the shore. Kellar, who was still standing far back, wasn’t hit, but seeing the sheer force of the blast made his blood run cold.
"If that shit hits the house directly... it won’t hold up," thought Kellar, rapidly calculating the impact force in his head.
Furious at the fish’s nerve, Freyja let out a low hiss and lunged forward. She whipped a razor-sharp strike of energy through the air, but the fish was too fast, diving straight back into the deep river. Frustrated, the tiny white cat darted back toward Kellar, shaking her paws in annoyance.
"Scaredy-cat fish..." muttered Freyja, huffing with resentment.
Kellar couldn’t help but laugh out loud again at the cat’s ridiculous antics. He leaned down slightly, looking at the small beast.
"Has anyone else been lurking around here?" asked Kellar.
Freyja puffed out her chest with immense pride, holding her head high.
"No, Master," she replied in his mind. "I already marked all of this territory. Nobody will dare come near you."
Knowing what this terrifying creature was capable of despite her small size, Kellar smiled and gave her a gentle pat.
"I trust you," said Kellar.
The two of them walked back toward the cabin, but before they reached the door, the cat made a nimble leap, vanishing once more into the shadows of the forest.
Kellar pushed open the thick wooden door and stepped inside. The three women immediately turned toward him, their faces pale with anxiety.
"Are you okay...?" asked Maya quickly. "We heard a strange noise outside."
"A giant fish just fired a water cannon from the river," said Kellar nonchalantly. "It’s fine, though."
All three of them panicked. Maya and Meli rushed over, wrapping their arms around him as they checked his torso and arms to make sure he didn’t have a single scratch.
"Relax, it didn’t attack me," said Kellar, gently brushing their hands away. "It shot at the white cat."
Maya and Meli remained worried, while Mila—the only one who truly understood how dangerous that cat was—stayed quiet unfazed.
Kellar walked over to the storage corner and looked down at the pile of supplies they had brought over.
"How much food do we have left?" asked Kellar.
Meli stepped forward, showing him what was left. There was only a small bowl of grain that looked like wheat and a few dried fruits, but no meat at all. For a man like Kellar, used to eating well and possessing a barbarian body that demanded calories, that was unacceptable.
"I am going hunting," said Kellar.
"I’ll go with you," Mila offered immediately, stepping up to his side. "I know these hunting trails better than anyone."
Kellar looked at her and nodded. Though he possessed the memories of the old Kellar, he still hadn’t fully mastered the local terrain, making Mila the perfect partner for the trail.
Both of them stepped out of the cabin, pulling their fur coats tight against the biting wind. Kellar looked over at the dense line of pines stretching right behind his property.
"Can we head straight into the woods from here...?" asked Kellar.
"No," said Mila, shaking her head. "Tradition requires us to go to the tribe’s altar first to receive the blessing of the Bear God."
At the mention of that name, Kellar remembered the Awakening ceremony. He recalled that towering, terrifying entity manifesting, only to be effortlessly crushed and erased in a single second by his own System interface.
"If my system wiped it out like nothing, that thing can’t be all that strong..." thought Kellar. "I really don’t give a shit about its blessing."
However, he knew that blatantly ignoring tribal tradition right now would draw unnecessary attention. He needed to keep a low profile while he finished settling in and building up his strength.
"You’re right," said Kellar, looking over at Mila. "Let’s go get the blessing of the gods. I can’t be lazy and expect them to bless me from my bed, right?"
Mila smiled brightly, her eyes shining with pride as she saw her man value her advice and respect the ways of the hunters.