Did Puppy Pick Up Fluffy Things on the Livestream Today? - Chapter 3

“Pah, pah, pah!”

As soon as he reached the cave, Dong Mo quickly spat out the flint stones from his mouth. His mouth tasted entirely of charcoal. It was fortunate that his fur was black; otherwise, even the fur around his mouth would have been stained. He shifted back into his teenage form and hurriedly pulled on his animal skin clothes.

On the bed, the kitten’s belly was still rising and falling with slow, weak breaths. In its stupor, it seemed to sense that someone had returned and let out a tiny moan. Dong Mo felt his heart tighten instantly. Without pausing to rest, he grabbed a relatively dry branch from one side of the cave and a pile of withered grass he had picked up before the snow started. He squatted down, placed the flint in the center of the grass, gripped the branch with both hands, and began to rub it back and forth rapidly.

Dong Mo’s brow was furrowed tight as he stared unblinkingly at the base of the stick, praying fervently, “Please light up, please light up!”

The livestream viewers, hearing his mumbling, filled the screen with questions. One viewer asked what the baby was saying. Another asked if he was trying to light a fire since he was not yet an adult. A third viewer laughed and asked if starting a fire with wood was now voice-activated.

Finally, a faint scent of smoke drifted into his nostrils. His beautiful silver eyes immediately sparkled with joy. It was working! He increased the speed of the friction. Soon, tiny sparks jumped from the contact point between the branch and the stone, landing on the surrounding hay. The small flicker of flame quickly spread, growing into a larger fire.

Dong Mo hurriedly removed the stick and flint. He gathered a pile of wooden branches and carefully layered them one by one over the flame to build a conical fire frame. He did not have any stones to encircle the fire and protect the source, so this temporary fire made of dry grass and branches would not last long. For now, however, it would maintain the temperature inside the cave.

With the temporary campfire lit and a supply of dry wood gathered over the previous days to keep it burning, Dong Mo turned toward the entrance to process the large snake. He had only one sharp stone that he had spent ages grinding until it was barely usable. He used it to slowly cut through the snake’s chest, right where it had been scratched before, and began the arduous task of gutting it.

As he worked, he vented his frustrations to the livestream. “Look! This is that annoying big snake! It wanted to eat me. This is the consequence of trying to eat me! Die! I am gutting you!”

Just as he finished speaking, the stone slipped from his hand and landed on his foot. His small toes instantly curled in pain. Dong Mo could not help but hiss through his teeth. The livestream chat erupted in laughter. One viewer called him a silly puppy. Another told him to be careful because hitting his foot would hurt. A third joked about the consequence of picking up a stone only to drop it on his own foot.

Dong Mo was not annoyed by the teasing. He sniffled sheepishly and picked up the stone to continue his work. The scales on the back of the spotted snake were exceptionally hard. Even on the belly, he had to use all his strength just to make a small incision. The blood flowing out carried a pungent, unpleasant odor. Despite the freezing winter temperatures, Dong Mo managed to work up a sweat.

By the time he finished processing the snake, darkness had completely fallen. Standing before the firelight of the cave, Dong Mo’s face was a mess. One side was blackened by soot, while the other was speckled with tiny dots of blood and sweat. His hands were trembling and covered in filth. He looked utterly disheveled. Yet, a faint smile remained on his small face. He had fire! Now there was hope for his life.

With renewed energy, he removed the internal organs and buried them in the snow. He cut the remaining snake meat into pieces. He intended to keep the organs to use as bait for smaller animals later. Since the winter air was cold, he did not worry about the meat spoiling. He carried the large pieces of snake meat back into the cave and piled snow on top of them for temporary refrigeration.

Once the meat was handled, he looked down at the long, large piece of snake skin left outside. The head and tail were gone, but the rest remained. Dong Mo chose to roll the skin up inch by inch and hide it in his cave. “The scales on this thing are so thick! Maybe I can sew them onto my clothes as armor later. They will be warm too!” Dong Mo said cheerfully to his viewers, his eyes bright with excitement.

The audience played along. One viewer agreed it was useful, especially since it had hit his foot. Another mentioned that Mo Mo’s livestream had changed their view of beastmen. A third admitted they used to think all beastmen were kings of wilderness survival until they saw Mo Mo. Finally, a viewer joked about covering Mo Mo’s ears so he would not hear the mean comments.

After finishing with the snake, Dong Mo looked around the exterior of the cave to ensure no traces of blood remained on the ground before quickly retreating inside. He moved the large rock he used as a door inch by inch to block the entrance and sat down by the fire. The rock did not perfectly fit the entrance, leaving a gap about the width of a palm. The cold night wind blew in, causing the flames to flicker.

Dong Mo skewered a piece of snake meat on a stick and began to roast it over the fire. As the pink meat turned golden brown, he felt a mix of joy and anxiety. While he finally had fire and his first real meal since arriving in this world, the weather was getting colder every day. This cave was only a temporary shelter. If the snow became too heavy, he and the kitten might be buried alive. Furthermore, this temporary fire would not last.

Dong Mo let out a long sigh. He wondered why other people who transmigrated into beast worlds received systems or special powers, or at least a proper home. He felt it was unfair that he had to ask others for fire. The little dog wanted to cry, but he had no tears. He pouted as the aroma of the meat began to fill the air. He carefully tore off a small piece and tasted it. It was a bit fishy, but tolerable.

He moved to the bedside and squatted next to the kitten. The frozen blood scabs on the kitten’s eyes had melted, leaving two bloody wounds. It appeared that only the eyelids were injured, and the damage did not reach the pupils. Dong Mo did not have clean water and did not dare to wipe away the blood yet.

“Little baby, just hold on for one more night. Tomorrow, I will find clean water to wash you,” he soothed in a low voice. He tore the snake meat into tiny shreds and gently placed them near the kitten’s mouth. He had no hot water, let alone milk, so he had to use the meat to fill the kitten’s stomach. Sensing the food, the kitten instinctively opened its mouth and chewed the small morsels. When Dong Mo saw that the kitten’s tongue was a soft pink, his heart skipped a beat. Even though survival was difficult, he was happy he had found this kitten.

As the kitten finished the first bite and let out a weak sound, Dong Mo quickly offered a second piece that he had blown on to cool. Watching the tiny creature struggle to eat while the firelight flickered in the cold wind, Dong Mo’s heart sank, and a look of determination filled his silver eyes. He had decided! Tomorrow, he would move the kitten to a new home. Winter had only just begun, and the days would only get harder. Since he had arrived during the worst season, he had to find a proper shelter before the weather became even more severe.

He continued to feed the kitten until it stopped opening its mouth. He felt its belly and noticed it was slightly full. Dong Mo then sat back by the fire to eat his own portion. Seeing the pair eating snake meat so pitifully, several viewers sent donations. One viewer cried about how pitiful they were and promised to buy milk. Another noted that Mo Mo had not filled in an interstellar mailing address yet, so they could only send digital gifts. A third viewer encouraged him, saying the platform supports new streamers and that he would be famous soon. A fourth viewer asked if the kitten was a beastman or just a wild animal.

Over the past few days, Dong Mo had noticed that the Moon Mountain Forest was situated on a range of mountains called Moon Mountain. The peaks were covered in glaciers and snow year-round. Further down, needle-leaf forests and various plants he could not name grew along the ridges. Theoretically, finding a cave in such a forest should be easy. However, the best caves near the peaks were occupied by the Moon Mountain Tribe. Now that it had snowed, many unoccupied caves were likely hidden under the snow.

That left only one option. Dong Mo’s chewing slowed. The only caves left were those occupied by large wild animals. On his first day in the forest, he had seen a large feline resembling a lynx entering a cave in the rocky slopes. His silver pupils constricted slightly. Dong Mo’s only strength was his quirky, clever mind.

“If only I were a bit bigger,” he sighed while chewing the bland meat. “Then I could fight those lynxes and take their caves.” But he was only a small puppy, half a meter tall. He could not defeat beasts with large, sharp claws. “Forget it. I will take the kitten and try my luck tomorrow. Maybe I will find something.”

After swallowing the last bit of meat, he decided to search for a new cave. If he failed, he could always return here. He added the last of the branches to the fire and crawled onto the dirt bed. He placed the kitten on the inner side and used his back to block the cold wind from the entrance. He waved goodbye to the viewers who had been watching all day.

“Thank you so much for coming to my livestream today! My first day was very happy!” he said, his voice thick with exhaustion. “The kitten and I are going to sleep now. I will see you tomorrow! Tomorrow, I am going to find a new cave. You are all welcome to join me on my adventure!”

He smiled, revealing his tiny canine teeth, looking incredibly adorable. The chat scrolled wildly as viewers said goodbye and wished him luck for the next day. Some even asked if he could really survive the night. Ignoring the less friendly comments, he officially closed the livestream. He checked his earnings; although it was only one hundred interstellar coins, it was a start. Pursing his lips, he hugged the kitten and fell into a deep sleep, filled with both joy and anxiety.

In his daze, Dong Mo felt the kitten stir in his arms. It felt so warm. The white kitten struggled to open its painful eyes. It felt as though it were wrapped in something warm, like the feeling it once had inside a crystal. No, this was warmer than the crystal, and it smelled wonderful.

“Why did you save me? Are you not afraid of me? Have I survived?” its thoughts wandered as its tiny claws opened and closed, and then it drifted back into a deep sleep.

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