novelraw Chapter 150: Human, You Smell So Good
Chapter 150: Human, You Smell So Good
Continuing forward, Leon reached a spot that was clearly an entrance. However, a fallen dead tree blocked the way. Its trunk was thick—over a meter high even lying on its side. In the game, one would need a steel axe to break it and enter.
Of course, there were also players who liked using bugs, exploiting the way chairs worked to teleport across the obstacle.
But here in reality, this was hardly an insurmountable barrier. Leon could simply climb over it.
The rain had made the fallen tree slippery, but it was nothing Leon couldn’t handle. With one hand braced on the trunk, he bent his knees and sprang up, clearing the obstacle with ease.
On the other side, Leon immediately noticed the difference in the terrain. If the ground in the Coal Forest was overrun with weeds, then the land here in the Secret Woods looked more like a meticulously maintained football field.
The grass was so flat it resembled a green carpet—soft underfoot and barely holding any water. If it weren’t for the presence of Slimes, this would have been the perfect spot for a picnic.
Stepping onto the lush grass and moving into the tree-encircled area, Leon drew his Galaxy Watermelon Knife.
After all, with Slimes in the area, it only made sense to have a weapon ready.
But to his surprise, the deeper he went into the Secret Woods, the more unusual it became. There were no Slimes—and not even a single hardwood stump.
The vast Secret Woods were sealed on all sides by densely packed trees, forming a wall. Inside, aside from the smooth grass, there was nothing at all.Determined, Leon ventured further. Finally, he saw something different—a square-shaped pond that looked man-made.
The shape was far too precise to be natural. On the bank, there was even a clearly crafted slope, obviously designed to make it easier for someone to get in and out of the water.
Which begged the question—who in the world would make a pond like this in the Secret Woods and enjoy swimming here?
Leon’s first suspect was Wizard Rasmodius, and he half-jokingly imagined the man treating the Secret Woods as his private garden, complete with his own swimming pool.
The second possibility was the powerful figure Rasmodius had once mentioned—someone who lived here and guarded the entrance to keep monsters out of Stardew Valley.
As Leon pondered, a dark shadow suddenly appeared under the pond’s surface. It rose quickly, breaking through the water.
The figure was a brown bear—massive, easily twice the size of a normal one. Even lying down, its body was as tall as Leon standing upright, and Leon was 1.85 meters tall.
Now Leon understood what the slope was for. The bear used it to climb onto the shore, shaking water from its fur. Leon didn’t take the chance to run.
He knew this bear—Brother Bear of the Secret Woods. If players brought him maple syrup after finding the clue in a secret note, he would teach them a special ability that tripled the value of all foraged berries. He also played a key role in helping Emily reach ten hearts in her friendship storyline.
In short, harmless.
And his appearance answered Leon’s earlier question—this must be the resident Rasmodius had spoken of.
“Hu-ha, hu-ha… Human, you smell so good.”
The brown bear’s nose twitched as he breathed heavily, padding right up to Leon. “Can I have a lick?”
“Uh… better not. That scent’s probably from the Monster Cologne I sprayed on myself. If you want, I can just give you some, and you can lick it whenever you like.” Leon declined quickly. A brown bear’s tongue had barbs—getting licked could strip skin.
“Oh, so it’s that. No wonder.” The bear shook his head. “If it’s just magic, then there’s no need.”
He was about to ask Leon what he was doing here when he suddenly realized—he was talking to a human. “Wait, you can understand me?”
“Of course. How else would I have been chatting with you this whole time?” Leon gave him a helpless look. This bear’s reaction time was a bit slow.
The bear sniffed him again, then nodded in realization. “Ah, you’re a Child of Nature. No wonder we can communicate. Haven’t seen one of your kind—wielders of Forest Magic—in a long time. Brings back memories.”
“Brother Bear, I heard a loud commotion outside just now. Was that you?” Leon asked, taking advantage of the bear’s good mood.
“Yeah. A cursed wyvern came into the forest. I fought it, killed it, then went to wash up.” The bear paused. “You called me Brother Bear? I like that. You’re a good Child of Nature. You can come and go in the Secret Woods whenever you like.”
“What happened to the cursed wyvern’s body?” Anything with ‘dragon’ in its name sounded impressive, and Leon was curious about a monster he’d never even heard of in the game.
“Huh? It disappeared. Haven’t you ever hunted monsters before? Don’t you know that when they die, their bodies turn into pure energy and return to their own world?” The bear eyed Leon’s Galaxy Watermelon Knife. “With a Galaxy Weapon, I’d think you’d be a seasoned warrior.”
“Uh, yeah, I know. Just… forgot for a moment.” Leon scratched his head. He’d killed plenty of monsters already, and never once had a body remained.
“Not too bright, are you? But that’s okay—I don’t mind.” The bear nudged Leon’s chest with his head, as if to encourage him.
Still, having such a huge bear do that was more than a little intimidating, especially when Leon caught a faint scent of blood on its fur.
But he knew Brother Bear meant no harm. “Brother Bear, one more thing—where did all the Slimes go?”
“They’re dead. Without a barrier to protect them, neither I nor the cursed wyvern would have any trouble wiping them out. But they’ll be back tomorrow—I need them to help with the weeds.” The bear sounded matter-of-fact.
“A case of the innocent suffering for the guilty.”
Leon sighed. Now he understood why the Secret Woods had been so empty—two heavyweights had fought here. Yet the trees and grass were completely untouched. This place clearly had more secrets than he’d imagined.