Chapter 4
The place where the Snow Wolf Tribe was currently resting was extremely crude.
They had only just entered a new territory, so the first thing they had to consider was safety. Comfort and stability would only come afterward.
The cave was oval-shaped, roughly two to three hundred square meters in size. From the marks on the stone walls, one could tell it had been dug out by large animals. After the tribe arrived, everyone had transformed into beast form and excavated it together. Perhaps because they had considered the issue of support, several stone pillars of varying thickness had been left in the middle of the cave.
The tribe had not brought many belongings with them. Aside from Lang Shuo and the cubs, none of the other beastmen in the entire cave even had animal hides. Those who were particular about comfort moved some dry grass into a corner to rest on. Those who were not simply transformed into beast form and slept wherever they pleased.
The Snow Wolf Tribe naturally came with a coat of fur that was extremely good at keeping them warm. Even in the snow, they could move around freely. A cave that could block the wind was already a very good shelter for them.
But cubs and severely injured members were more fragile. Relying on their bodies alone, it was difficult for them to withstand the low temperatures of the snow season, and they could easily fall ill. They needed external warmth.
The tribe had just moved here, and they lacked everything. Only a few pieces of animal hide remained. Apart from the larger one covering Lang Shuo, the pieces on the cubs’ side were all small.
The beastmen caring for the cubs would drape the animal hides over them after they fell asleep. But the cubs were far too restless. Every time one woke up, it would change positions. After a while, when it felt cold, it would crawl back again. After repeating this a few times, it would not take long before the hides that had originally covered them ended up pressed beneath them instead.
Lang Shuo spoke to his own brother again. “Brother, help me move some dry grass over.”
Lang Yu was in an excellent mood today. Whatever Lang Shuo asked him to do, he did. Moving dry grass was not troublesome at all. Since he was not sure how much Lang Shuo wanted, he reached the cave entrance and called Lang Nuo and Lang Shi over to help.
There were currently several injured members in the tribe. After the hunting party and gathering team set out, aside from guarding the cave entrance and protecting the cubs, they would also move back anything nearby that could be used. Dry grass and branches were the most abundant, and there were also some stones that could be polished into stone knives.
The piles of dry grass were somewhat messy. Lang Yu and the other two selected a few clean piles and carried them back into the cave, placing them beside Lang Shuo.
By now, it was already getting late. The beastmen returned to the cave one after another to rest. Seeing them busy over here, they curiously gathered around to watch.
Lang Yu first observed Lang Shuo’s expression. Seeing no rejection on his face, he did not stop the tribe members. Most beastmen liked gathering together, especially wolves. In the past, Lang Shuo had liked staying alone and ignored everyone else. Even as his older brother, Lang Yu could only stay beside him a little longer than the others. Now that he saw the change in Lang Shuo, Lang Yu was very happy.
Before, he had always felt that he and his younger brother were not close enough. Lang Yu was very clear about how much he liked his brother, but he always felt that something was missing when the two of them got along. It was as if an invisible barrier stood between them.
Until today.
The moment he saw his brother wake up, those feelings disappeared. What followed was a wave of heartache for his brother. He kept feeling that Lang Shuo must have suffered a lot somewhere he could not see.
Now that Lang Shuo’s personality had changed a little and he was no longer drifting outside the tribe, but was willing to interact with the tribe members, it was a good thing.
When members of the tribe encountered danger, they would help one another, but there were still differences in closeness. If they had a choice during danger, everyone would naturally prioritize protecting the members they had better relationships with.
Lang Yu himself would not treat tribe members differently. Aside from Lang Shuo, everyone else held the same place in his heart. But he hoped that Lang Shuo could get along well with the tribe. That way, even if one day he was not there, the remaining tribe members would still do their utmost to protect Lang Shuo.
Lang Shuo did not think as much as his brother. Looking at the group of wolf tribe members gathered around him, he automatically imagined their original forms: a group of adult snow wolves that looked like big dogs.
Lang Shuo had secretly touched his own tail just now. Adult wolves were definitely not as soft as cubs, but the texture was still quite nice. They were just a little malnourished. But Lang Shuo was confident that, given time, he would definitely raise himself until his fur was glossy and smooth.
The members in front of him would receive the same treatment. When they transformed into beast form, he would be able to pet them as much as he wanted.
Once he viewed these members as big doggies, Lang Shuo felt even his dizziness recovering. Hearing Lang Yun ask what he wanted to do, Lang Shuo explained, “If we only lay down animal hides, the cold from the ground will seep through. Adding a layer of dry grass underneath the hides will be more comfortable, and the cubs won’t move around as much as they do now.”
A year on the Beast God Continent had three hundred and sixty days, divided into four seasons: breeding season, growing season, harvest season, and snow season. Each season lasted three months. This was very similar to spring, summer, autumn, and winter in his previous life.
It was currently the beginning of the first month of snow season. For the next while, the weather would grow colder and colder. The temperature would not slowly rise again until the third month of snow season was nearly over.
The inside of the cave was a bit warmer than outside, but it was still far from comfortable. Animal hides were warm when worn on the body, but they were somewhat thin when spread on the ground. It would be best to add a layer of insulation. It was already late today, so there was no time to weave straw mats. For now, they could only spread some dry grass.
As before, Lang Shuo spoke, and Lang Yu acted.
He took a handful of dry grass, straightened it, and used a few tough strands of grass to tie the rest together, making a simple “broom.” First, he cleared an empty area. Then he spread a layer of dry grass, making sure the thickness was even.
After the dry grass was spread, they pieced some smaller animal hides together on top of it, then carried over the cubs who were sleeping sprawled in all directions and placed them neatly on it. The remaining animal hides were used to cover the cubs.
The group of cubs had finally eaten their fill today and were sleeping deeply. On top of that, the scent of the beastmen handling them was extremely familiar, making the cubs feel completely at ease. Even after being moved to a new place, the cubs did not wake. They merely rubbed against the warm animal hides beneath them and slept even more sweetly.
Lang Shuo looked at the cubs, now only one step away from him, and was extremely satisfied.
At this distance, he could hook one over with a stretch of his arm.
When Lang Yun had carried the cubs over just now, Lang Shuo had counted them. There were thirty-six in total. All the cubs in the tribe under the age of twelve were here.
A wolf’s life was divided into six stages. The ages of three, twelve, sixteen, eighteen, and forty were the dividing points between different stages.
Before the age of three, cubs only had beast form. Around the age of three, they would transform into human form for the first time.
Between the ages of three and twelve, cubs could not fully control their forms. When their bodies were weak or when they were frightened, they would automatically change back into beast form. During this period, their beast forms did not change either. They were all little wolf cubs slightly larger than an adult’s palm.
This unstable state continued until the age of twelve. After twelve, cubs could control their forms most of the time, and their beast forms would gradually grow larger.
Around the age of sixteen, beastmen entered the sub-adult stage. The exact time each beastman entered sub-adulthood was not fixed and was influenced by the amount of food they ate and their surrounding environment.
During the sub-adult period, changes in both beast form and human form were extremely obvious. The beast form grew from the sub-adult state into an adult body, while the human form completed its transformation from youth to young adult. Physical strength, endurance, and other abilities would all improve rapidly. It could be called a complete rebirth.
The sub-adult stage generally lasted about two years. After adulthood, beastmen could fully control their forms. Only after severe injury or special stimulation would partial or full beastification appear uncontrollably.
Around the age of forty, beastmen entered old age. Their strength, endurance, and thinking ability gradually declined, and they no longer participated in hunting.
Whether they were cubs or adult beastmen, when forced to transform into beast form, they would be affected by that form and experience aftereffects. Simply put, they would lean more toward their primitive body, and their behavior and thinking would rely entirely on instinct.
The cubs in the cave were similar in size and divided into two groups. One group consisted of those younger than three who still could not transform into human form. The rest could transform, but because the migration had exhausted them too much, they had been forced into beast form.
No matter which type they were, these cubs were currently not much different from real wolf pups. Their minds were simple, and they followed only instinct, dazed and muddled. Thinking of it this way made them seem even cuter.
Looking at the cubs, Lang Shuo suddenly grew curious about his own beast form.
From his vague memories, he knew that this body was seventeen years old this year, right in the sub-adult stage. The size differences during sub-adulthood were the greatest. It was like opening a blind box.
Considering his current injuries and the tail he still could not retract, Lang Shuo decided to wait. At the very least, he had to wait until his leg injury recovered. Beast form and human form were different. If he transformed back into beast form and accidentally burst through the equipment they had painstakingly fixed in place, his brother’s entire night of work would be wasted.
Lang Shuo lay on the bedroll his brother had prepared for him and briefly planned the next day’s work. Accompanied by the cubs, he drifted into sleep.
Early the next morning, Lang Shuo woke up. He opened his eyes and stared at the rough cave ceiling in a daze for a while before remembering where he was.
After one night, his arm and waist no longer hurt as much as they had yesterday. His dizziness had also lessened considerably. Beastmen’s recovery ability was truly shocking.
Lang Shuo yawned and shifted his position, first looking at the cubs beside him.
With so many fluffy creatures by his side, he had slept especially well last night.
The cubs were no longer sleeping as neatly as they had the night before, but they were even cuter. Lang Shuo counted them one by one.
One, two, three…
Thirty-four.
Hm?
Lang Shuo’s sleepiness vanished instantly.
Where were the cubs?
Where were the two missing cubs?
Remembering that the hunting party was not going hunting today, Lang Shuo immediately called toward the outside.
“Broth—”
After shouting the first word, he remembered that the cubs were right beside him and immediately stopped.
If he had not stopped, it would have been fine. But shouting only half a title before falling silent frightened Lang Yu, who was busy outside. He leapt up, shoved whatever he was holding into Lang Nuo’s hands, and rushed into the cave.
Lang Shuo still had not thought of a way to call Lang Yu without waking the cubs when the other had already appeared in front of him.
He immediately had no time to wonder how Lang Yu had heard him after he had only spoken one word. He pointed straight at the pile of cubs and told him the problem.
“Brother, two cubs are missing.”
It was a false alarm.
Lang Yu let out a breath and answered after calming himself. “They’re not missing. The cubs are outside.”
“They went out?” Lang Shuo looked at the place where the cubs slept, then turned to look at the cave entrance before finally looking back at Lang Yu. He felt that, when there was time, he needed to discuss cub safety with everyone.
The cave was so large. If cubs crawled around and someone noticed, that was fine. What he feared was a wolf tribe member rushing in and out carelessly. With such a large body, what if they stepped on or kicked a cub?
Just thinking about it was terrifying.
Before Lang Shuo could bring up the topic, Lang Yu had already begun explaining the reason.
“Two cubs had stomachaches and vomited. Yun was afraid they would wake the other cubs, so she brought them outside first. She’ll send them back in a while.”
“They’re sick?” Lang Shuo became even more nervous.
When he heard that the cubs were outside just now, he thought they had mischievously run out. He had not expected them to be sick.
Lang Yu nodded.
Lang Shuo frowned.
The cubs all ate and lived together. Yesterday’s warming arrangements had been done better than before. How had cubs suddenly fallen ill?
As he was thinking, Lang Yun came in carrying one cub in each hand. She placed the cubs back in the pile and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Cubs were not obedient at all times. Sick cubs especially were difficult to coax and would thrash around. This year was Lang Yun’s first year caring for cubs. She could not bear to use too much force, so she had ended up flustered and busy.
Looking at the cubs’ sickly appearance, Lang Shuo felt distressed. He asked Lang Yun softly, “Yun, what happened to the cubs?”
Lang Yun was extremely tired and simply sat down beside Lang Shuo. “They just vomited a pile of meat. They ate too much last night.”
These cubs currently had no sense of hunger or fullness. They ate however much they were fed. Some time ago, the tribe had only had a little food left, and Lang Yun had prepared very little food for the cubs. Each cub could only take a few bites before it was gone, so overeating had never happened.
Until last night.
Yesterday, the hunting party had caught a horned beast, so the food prepared for the cubs was more than usual. After dinner, a few adult beastmen had nothing to do and teased the cubs with skewers. Lang Yun failed to keep an eye on them for just a moment, and these two ended up overeating.
Hearing that it was indigestion from overeating, Lang Shuo was not as worried. It was not a major problem. Eating too much had burdened their stomachs and intestines. With proper rest for two days, they would recover.
However, these two cubs could not eat that much for the next few days. Otherwise, they would feel unwell again.
Lang Shuo told Lang Yun his concern. “Yun, let these two eat separately today.”
Though these two looked listless now, Lang Shuo clearly remembered how they had fought for food yesterday. Any cub that could eat until it was stuffed was definitely especially good at snatching food. To prevent them from overeating again, it would be best to feed these two separately.
After hearing this, Lang Yun agreed very much. “Right. We can’t let them eat that much again.”
Hearing this, Lang Shuo felt relieved. Although they had not spent much time together, the fact that Lang Yu had entrusted the task of caring for cubs to Lang Yun showed that she was reliable. She must also feel distressed for the cubs, just like him.
Just as Lang Shuo thought this, he heard Lang Yun mutter, “So much meat. They threw it all up. What a waste.”
Lang Shuo: “…”
But Lang Yun was not wrong.
The hunting party lacked members, making hunts more dangerous than usual. Meanwhile, the gathering team had to dig in the snow for a long time before finding even a little food. Every bit of food was hard-won.
After thinking it over, Lang Shuo felt the problem still lay in the feeding method.
Pouring all the food into one tray and letting all the cubs swarm over to fight for it meant that each cub ate a different amount. The cubs that grabbed the best positions first ate more, while the ones behind were lucky to get a few bites.
Lang Shuo thought for a moment and tentatively suggested, “How about feeding them separately today? Divide the food into thirty-six equal portions. One cub eats one portion.”
Ensure fairness and justice. Not a single cub would get to eat extra.
Lang Yun hesitated. “Feeding them like that would be too slow.”
They would have to evenly divide the cooked food first, then feed each portion to each cub one by one. That would keep them busy for half a day. By the time the last cub finished eating, the first cub would be hungry again.
There were several injured members in the tribe right now who could not go out to search for food. They could help with feeding, but it could not always be like this. If everyone came to help feed the cubs, what about the other work?
Lang Shuo fell into thought.
This was indeed a new problem.
After thinking for a while, he offered another suggestion. “Take a bamboo tube used for drinking water and cut away half of it to measure the food. Then make a few more bamboo bowls for the cubs.”
Before each meal, the food could be divided first. One bamboo bowl would be placed in front of each cub, and they could start eating at the same time. This way, they only had to portion the food into each bamboo bowl, then collect and wash them afterward.
Although it was a little more troublesome than before, it would ensure that every cub could eat and would not go hungry. It was also easier than feeding them one by one.
Lang Yun thought about it and agreed. “This method is good.”
Lang Yu did not speak from the side, silently accepting the method Lang Shuo proposed.
Only then did Lang Shuo relax. He had originally been a bit worried that they would not agree. After all, cubs fighting for food could also train their hunting ability.
Thinking of this, Lang Shuo’s expression suddenly grew solemn.
The change in Lang Shuo caught Lang Yu’s attention. Seeing his conflicted expression, he took the initiative to ask, “Shuo, what’s wrong?”
Lang Shuo hesitated again and again, but still voiced the concern he had just thought of. “Will eating separately delay the cubs’ training?”
He was still not familiar enough with this world. If he ended up causing harm despite good intentions and delayed the cubs’ development, that would be terrible.
Lang Yu chuckled and comforted his younger brother.
“Don’t worry. The cubs get enough training when they play around normally. They don’t lack this little bit of time during meals.”
Besides, their Snow Wolf Tribe never relied on brute force to hunt.
