The bear beastman stared at Nuan, then down at the growling, terrified Koda. He looked back at Nuan, his eyes finally fixing on the roaring torch in her hand.

"What you called me?" he asked, his deep voice rumbling like thunder.

"Huh? Oh. A big brown potato!" Nuan repeated without flinching.

"What is that?"

"Why do you want to know?" Nuan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because if it’s an insult, I will deal with you!" he grunted, crossing his thick, fleshy arms.

"Huh, deal with me how? Anyway, it was a compliment," Nuan said, rolling her eyes at her own blatant lie.

"A compliment... good for you then!" the bear man said, nodding his head, completely satisfied with the answer.

Nuan huffed. "Are you trying to threaten me? Look, I don’t want to be rude, but I literally just took down a massive bull moose by myself. So don’t go thinking I’m scared of you!"

The bear man stared at her for a long moment, completely unfazed by her fire. "You have the attitude of a bearded beast."

"Huh? A bearded beast?" Nuan repeated, her biology brain trying to translate.

"The big cat that lives in the plains of dry grass!" he explained, gesturing with his massive, heavy hands.

Ohh, lions! Ahh, wait, he just compared me to a lion?! Nuan’s face lit up. Oh my god, finally! Not a mosquito, not a furless, not a squirrel or a boiled egg... but a literal lion!

"Ahh, you’re flattering me," Nuan murmured, her pride thoroughly pleased.

The bear man nodded heavily, his round face dead serious. "I like your attitude. Be my mate!"

Tsk, never mind. He’s exactly the same as every other male in this wild jungle! Nuan hissed internally, her smile instantly vanishing.

Ding!

[ New Potential Mate Detected: Brown Bear Beastman (Solo Hunter) ]

Seriously, Blue Buddy? This guy too?

[ Why not, Host? He is a solo hunter and his personal territory spans over 18,000 square kilometers! ]

What do you think I am, a prehistoric gold digger?!

[ Then think of his fur! Bear beastmen possess incredible heat insulation. He is soft, squishy, and exceptionally cute to cuddle during the chilly seasons! ]

Well, right now I’m perfectly fine dealing with the wolves! And stop suggesting every single beastman that appears like you’re trying to collect them all!

[ But Host, did you not once say in a popular video interview back on Earth... ]

Said what?

[ "What will you choose, a man or a bear?" And you answered with "A bear, every day!" ]

Nuan groaned internally. Ugh, well look at this specific bear! What is he right now?

[ Hm? A bear beastman, Host. ]

Right! A man! So the old Earth debate is void and I’m out! Nuan snapped in her mind.

Koda let out a sharp bark and wrapped his small wolf body protectively around Nuan’s legs as the bear guy tried to take a heavy step forward.

"Woah, woah, woah, big teddy bear! Stop right there!" Nuan warned, lazily swaying the flaming torch between them. "See, I’m a solo hunter just like you. And sadly, I’m not looking for any mates right now. So, bye-bye!"

"No. Be my mate, and we both will be solo hunters together," he insisted, completely serious.

Nuan stared at him, her jaw dropping. Seriously??? "Solo hunter" and "together" in the exact same sentence? Why does this feel like total déjà vu? First Kael, now this guy!

"Still no, teddy buddy. Don’t make me turn you into a charred black bear with this red evil. I am rejecting you. Do you get it?"

"Why?" the bear man asked, looking genuinely confused. "I will give you honey! No other beastman in these woods can get you honey. It is a very special, sweet, sticky water!"

Oh, trying to buy me with sweet gold now? Nuan smirked. "Well, I have tasted plenty of honey in my life, so no thanks!"

The bear’s eyes widened. "You have tasted the sticky water?"

"Yeah, pretty often. Now shoo away! My water is going to get cold," Nuan said, glancing back at her wooden bowl where the rocks were bubbling.

"No. Let’s go together to the other side of the river!" the bear guy urged, taking another massive step toward her.

But before Koda could lung or Nuan could swing the torch, a huge shadow suddenly swept over the riverbank. With a loud flap of powerful wings, Aerin descended from the sky, landing gracefully right beside Nuan. His sharp eagle eyes locked onto the intruder.

"Is he bothering you, my friend Nuan?" Aerin asked, his feathers bristling defensively as his glared at the stocky bear man.

Before Nuan could even utter a response, the bear guy let out a loud, frustrated grunt. He pointed an aggressive, chubby finger straight at the eagle.

"My salmon stealer!" he roared angrily.

​Aerin didn’t even blink at the finger pointed in his face. He stood tall, his powerful wings tucked tightly against his back as his sharp, golden eyes locked onto the bear beastman.

​"I do not steal, Bramor," Aerin replied, his voice smooth but cutting like a sharp blade. "The river belongs to everyone. If your paws are too slow to catch the fast fish, that is your own fault."

​Bramor let out a loud, angry huff, his chest puffing out. "You take the biggest salmon right from my fishing spot! Every time!"

​Nuan looked between the two of them, her eyebrows raising. Well, well. Look at that. A neighborhood rivalry over the local seafood market.

​Koda was still growling from behind Nuan’s legs, but his tail wasn’t tucked as deeply now that a giant eagle was on their side.

​"Okay, look, salmon stealer or not," Nuan said, stepping in and waving her torch to get the bear’s attention back. "Teddy buddy, you need to turn around and march right back across that river. Like I said, I am busy making my soup, and I am definitely not interested in being your mate or sharing your honey."

​Bramor looked at the fire, then at Aerin’s sharp talons, and finally back at Nuan. He let out a deeply disappointed grunt, his chubby shoulders slumping down.

"Fine," he muttered, turning his massive back to them. As he started walking away, he began to mumble to himself. "This is the third potential mate who rejected me because of my size..." The big bear guy actually let out a sad, heavy sob.

With another dramatic twist of his heavy body, a puff of brown dust and fur exploded around him, and he transformed back into the giant, polar-bear-sized brown potato.

He splashed heavily into the rushing river, swimming back toward his own side without once looking back.

Nuan stared after him, a sudden wave of pity hitting her gut. Aww, poor teddy buddy! In the wild, when big male bears get too close, the females usually run away, swat at them, or charge at them. But i didn’t say no because of body shaming, though!