Otaku Translation: Honey Badger's Streaming Life C112

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Chapter 112: Taking the Shortcut

The sun crept stealthily toward the southwest, its shifting light scattering dappled patterns across the forest floor. A woodpecker, out for a post-meal stroll, flitted through the trees and perched on a white pine branch. Its curious gaze fixed on the rustling bushes below.

From within the undergrowth came the occasional toss of dirt and leaves, gradually forming a small mound. At the front of it all, Wang Ping—his furry rear end proudly jutting into the air—was busy digging with his claws. Beside him, propped upright on the ground, sat the waist bag containing the drone. Unnoticed by Wang Ping, a patch of sunlight had shifted onto the metallic frame of the drone’s propeller blades, casting a faint metallic glint.

"Kiki~~?"

The woodpecker tilted its head, its gaze flickering between the honey badger and the shimmering object beneath the tree. With a flutter of wings, curiosity got the better of it, and the bird swooped down to land near the waist bag. A slight breeze from its landing caused the drone’s propellers to twitch ever so slightly. The woodpecker’s sharp eyes narrowed as it cautiously approached, its beak inching closer to the spinning blades.

Snap!

A clod of earth-coated pebble whizzed past, narrowly missing the woodpecker’s beak before smacking loudly against a nearby tree trunk.

"Ki!"

Startled, the woodpecker let out a shrill cry and took flight, retreating back to its perch above. Moments later, Wang Ping emerged from the bushes, his face smeared with mud. He shot an annoyed glare at the stubborn bird still hovering overhead before grabbing a cluster of green stems and shuffling back to his waist bag. Plopping down onto the ground, he held up the plant triumphantly, inspecting the carrot-like ginseng dangling with tangled roots.

"You think you can run? Go ahead, show me!" Wang Ping muttered sarcastically, his furry face breaking into a grin.

Gurgle~ Gurgle! His stomach growled insistently, urging him to devour the prize immediately.

"What's worrying you now? It's covered in dirt—I need to clean it first!" Wang Ping scolded his protesting belly. After wiping one paw clean on his fur, he stood up and reached for the waist bag.

"Ki!"

Overhead, the woodpecker—who had narrowly avoided becoming a casualty of Wang Ping’s impromptu rock-throwing—squawked indignantly at the oblivious honey badger. Ignoring the bird entirely, Wang Ping slung the waist bag over his shoulder, oriented himself, and sauntered deeper into the woods. The persistent woodpecker, however, decided to follow along, flapping after him.

Following Gu Lang’s scent trail, Wang Ping wound his way through the forest for another half hour. Though he hadn’t yet found the man, the distant sound of splashing water soon caught his attention. Apparently, Gu Lang too must have heard it; the traces he left behind here became more purposeful, clearly heading toward the source of the noise.

As Wang Ping neared the ridge, the sound of rushing water grew louder. By the time he’d walked another two hundred meters or so, the unmistakable roar of a waterfall filled the air. It seemed there was a fault line in the mountain nearby.

Rounding a bend, Wang Ping froze, stunned by the sight before him. There was indeed a waterfall—but not where he'd expected. Instead of cascading from this side of the ridge, the falls poured down from a jagged cliff on the opposite slope. The steep hillside revealed a narrow stream tumbling dramatically off a rocky ledge, feeding into a small pool below. From there, a river snaked westward between towering trees, vanishing into the valley beyond.

But what baffled Wang Ping most was that Gu Lang’s trail ended abruptly here.

"Did he fall off somewhere around here?" Wang Ping wondered aloud, scanning the terrain skeptically.

This slope was steep, but not enough to erase all signs of someone tumbling down. Besides, the dense vegetation provided ample cushioning. No, falling wasn't plausible.

Peering down at the pool below, Wang Ping speculated about Gu Lang’s movements. If the man hadn’t stopped to drink earlier, spotting the lake would surely have lured him down. Since no tracks led downward, perhaps he’d changed course entirely. Of course, if Gu Lang knew Wang Ping was pursuing him, maybe he’d paused somewhere to wait. But knowing how scatterbrained Gu Lang could be, Wang Ping feared the man was aimlessly zigzagging through the forest while he followed blindly.

After hours of searching, Wang Ping was almost certain: Gu Lang really had been running around like a headless chicken.

Unless he found a shortcut, chasing after Gu Lang’s long legs with his own stubby twenty-centimeter limbs might take forever. If Gu Lang was heading toward the lake—or already there—this presented an opportunity to close the gap. Even if not, the drone could scout ahead.

Instinctively patting the waist bag strapped to his chest, Wang Ping resolved to give it a quick upgrade—a makeshift "flight suit," lest history repeat itself and the remote control slip mid-air again, leaving him stranded.

Unbuckling the bag, he laid it flat and opened the inner compartment, pulling out the phone, drone controller, and other odds and ends. Positioning the controller’s joysticks against the outer fabric, Wang Ping used a claw to poke two holes through the material. Once satisfied, he stuffed everything back inside, securing the controller snugly so the joysticks protruded outward.

Testing the setup, he gave the bag a shake. The tightly packed contents kept the controller firmly in place. Satisfied, Wang Ping unplugged the power bank connected to the drone, powered it on, and prepared to don the modified rig. Just then, his eyes fell on the neglected ginseng lying beside him.

Now separated from its soil, the plant’s upper stem drooped sadly, its once-vibrant red berries limp and lifeless. After a moment’s thought, Wang Ping picked it up and tucked it securely into the drone compartment of the waist bag.

With the now-bulging pack securely fastened, a string of red berries dangled comically above his head, swaying like a makeshift parasol. Tightening the Velcro straps, Wang Ping leaned forward, gripping the joysticks with both paws. A soft hum of propellers filled the air as his body slowly lifted off the ground.

Feeling the gentle tug behind him, Wang Ping shook his head inwardly. Clearly, carrying so much gear was weighing the drone down—it barely hovered five meters above the ground despite maxing out the throttle. Still, this height suited him just fine. As long as he didn’t have to walk, he could live with it. Any higher, though, made him nervous. What if the battery died mid-flight? A crash-landing scenario wasn’t worth risking.

Guiding the drone carefully between the trees, Wang Ping descended along the slope, flying steadily toward the shimmering waters below.

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