Otaku Translation: Honey Badger's Streaming Life C46

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The drizzle continued to fall in the forest, mingling with the steam rising from the damp earth under the sweltering heat. The entire woodland felt like a suffocating sauna, the humid air pressing down on everyone’s lungs. Rainwater seeped into the thick layer of leaves covering the ground, turning it into a slippery mess that made every step precarious.

Both the pursuers and the pursued were rapidly exhausting their stamina. Gu Lang panted heavily as he pushed aside another cluster of branches, only to find himself staring at yet another unfamiliar stretch of wilderness. His brow furrowed in frustration.

If one were to map out the current positions of the three parties—the poachers, Gu Lang, and Wang Ping with Rosette—they would form a constantly shifting triangle. Though the angles of the triangle changed as they moved, the distance between them remained consistent: neither too close nor too far.

Thoughts are among the hardest things to decipher, especially human ones. No one could have predicted that the poachers, despite being ambushed and injured, wouldn’t retreat but instead redouble their efforts to chase after their prey. Nor could anyone guess why Gu Lang, rather than fleeing in the opposite direction, chose to head closer to Wang Ping’s location, hoping to find him.

And then there was Wang Ping and Rosette—arguably the most enigmatic duo of all. Even if the poachers racked their brains, they’d never figure out that this small honey badger roaming the African jungle harbored a human soul within his animal body.

At present, both Wang Ping and Rosette were deliberately concealing themselves, especially after detecting the poachers closing in again. The freckled man’s overwhelming stench of blood could be smelled from hundreds of meters away, making stealth even more critical.

Wiping the wet fur on his face, Wang Ping wore an expression of utter exasperation. Beside him, Rosette appeared equally dispirited, occasionally shaking her body to rid herself of rainwater before turning to lick the wound on her back. Each time she did so, Wang Ping slapped her lightly, causing her to behave for a while before succumbing to the urge once more—and earning another slap.

It was hard to say whether the rain counted as good weather or not. For Gu Lang and the poachers, it certainly wasn’t. Beyond the drop in temperature and soaked clothing, the muddy terrain made movement treacherous. Worse still, any open wounds risked becoming infected from prolonged exposure to water.

But for animals, rain often brought blessings. Rivers swelled, making it easier for creatures to drink without venturing far. Puddles formed throughout the forest, sparing smaller animals the perilous journey to riverbanks. After the rain, fresh shoots sprouted from plants, and mushrooms bloomed on decaying wood, enriching the diets of many species.

Perhaps the only thing that was not good at the moment was the existence of the predators in the forest. Watching Rosette slip and tumble after clawing through a patch of moss on a tree root, Wang Ping couldn’t help but think that predators might feel otherwise about the situation.

“Chirp-chirp~ Chirp-chirp~”

Suddenly, a bird slightly larger than a sparrow—but unmistakably resembling one—emerged from a branch above, letting out a series of grating calls aimed directly at Wang Ping below. What caught Wang Ping’s attention wasn’t just the bird’s presence but its cacophonous cry, which was jarring enough to grate on anyone’s nerves.

With a look of disdain, Wang Ping glanced up. Hmm… Not only did the bird sound terrible, but it also looked hideous. Its dull gray feathers stuck out awkwardly, particularly the tuft atop its head. How it managed to call so brazenly with such an appearance baffled him.

However, no sooner had he finished mentally criticizing the bird than he caught himself thinking of his own reflection—and promptly grew even more self-conscious. Shaking his head, Wang Ping resumed following the trail left by Gu Lang, taking care to erase obvious footprints along the way.

Yet, much to his annoyance, the “ugly bird” followed him.

“Chirp-chirp~~”

Not only did it follow, but it also circled overhead, flying loops around Wang Ping and Rosette while continuing its shrill cries.

“Oh, come on! So you’re mad because I said your singing sucks? Why are you still tailing us?! You ugly little pest!”

Wang Pink was momentarily dumbfounded. But soon, irritation gave way to concern. They’d been moving cautiously enough to avoid detection, yet here came this noisy bird practically broadcasting their location. It behaved as though determined to ensure everyone knew exactly where they were—a literal spy in feathered form.

“Scram! You traitorous bird!”

Fuming, Wang Ping bent down, picked up a pebble, and hurled it toward the bird. Startled, the gray avian darted sideways, landing on a nearby branch. Tilting its head, it stared quizzically at Wang Ping.

“What are you looking at?! Come any closer, and I’ll throw another rock at you!”

Standing upright, Wang Ping glared menacingly at the bird, regardless of whether it understood or not. Meanwhile, Rosette watched the brief standoff between the honey badger and the bird with wide-eyed curiosity, her mouth slightly agape, looking every bit like a country bumpkin encountering civilization for the first time.

From behind, faint footsteps echoed, accompanied by low murmurs and labored breathing. Occasionally, sharp curses erupted in rapid-fire succession, incomprehensible due to their speed.

Realizing he couldn’t waste time dealing with the pesky bird, Wang Ping quickly signaled Rosette, and the pair resumed their escape.

“Where the hell did that idiot go? If he keeps zigzagging like this, he’ll get himself lost before shaking off anyone else!”

Since transforming into an animal, Wang Ping hadn’t gained many skills, but his heightened senses were undeniable. While others might remain oblivious, Wang Ping knew full well that Gu Lang had been circling aimlessly for some time now.

Indeed, Gu Lang was thoroughly disoriented. Just how unreliable could online maps be?

After walking less than twenty meters, Gu Lang found himself waiting repeatedly for the map to reload. Thanks to the rain, both his receiver and tablet were malfunctioning, their performance agonizingly slow. Though his livestream was technically still active, viewers rarely saw continuous footage or heard coherent audio. Most of the time, it resembled watching a glitchy VHS tape.

Unable to blame poor internet speeds, Gu Lang sighed deeply and decided to rely on memory alone. Predictably, this only deepened his confusion.

But just as he stumbled over a clump of grass, leaving a distinct human-shaped imprint on the ground, realization struck him like lightning.

“I’m so stupid! After watching so many survival movies, how could I make such a rookie mistake?!”

Climbing to his feet and brushing off the soggy leaves clinging to his clothes, Gu Lang crouched down and began smoothing out the marks he’d left behind. Moving forward more carefully, he started paying attention to where he stepped, opting for patches of bare ground between plants to minimize visible disturbances. He also stopped recklessly pushing aside vines and branches, instead gently weaving around them—or lifting them slightly before setting them back down.

By the time Wang Ping tracked the scent to this spot, he was surprised to discover that while Gu Lang’s smell lingered, the physical traces seemed to vanish abruptly, significantly reduced in number.

Of course, given Gu Lang’s level of expertise, complete invisibility was impossible. At the very least, his efforts wouldn’t fool Wang Ping’s keen eyes. Still, even this modest improvement impressed him.

Was that fool improving faster than expected? Could this count as learning without guidance?

But almost immediately, Wang Ping revised his thoughts. Nonsense! Clearly, this was all thanks to his teachings. Right?

“Chirp-chirp~~”

The bird’s persistent squawking shattered Wang Ping’s fleeting sense of pride.

“Damn bird, aren’t you ever going to quit?”

As the gray, unattractive bird resumed circling Wang Ping and Rosette, Wang Ping instinctively reached for another stone, contemplating using the bird as a quick snack to replenish his energy.

But just as he bent down to pick up a pebble, inspiration struck. Suddenly recalling a legend about symbiotic partnerships in nature, Wang Ping paused.

Legend had it that somewhere on the vast savannah, two unlikely allies—though more like partners in crime—worked together harmoniously. One scouted from the sky, locating beehives and relaying information. The other attacked on the ground, clearing obstacles before destroying the hive and sharing the spoils with its partner.

Hmm… Could it be mere coincidence that he’d encountered his golden partnership?

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