Chapter 7: Truly a Teddy Bear

I’d done it.

The Venomfang Rat—a snarling, Uncommon-rank monster with venom-dripping fangs—lay defeated at my paws after a brutal, hard-fought brawl.

Victory surged through me, glorious and hard-earned.

My chest puffed with pride.

Who knew a stuffed bear could feel this alive?

I’d proven I could hold my own.

Well done, me!

All hail the cooking buff!

Courage roared back, a wildfire in my cotton heart.

I felt invincible, like I could conquer anything.

But I wasn’t about to let it go to my head—not like last time.

This forest crawled with beasts far stronger than me.

That “strongest” boast?

Just a fleeting high from the win.

From now on, I’d pick my fights carefully—only opponents I could actually beat.

With that vow etched in my mind, I checked the spoils of my triumph, diving into the rewards from my latest achievements.

【Achievement Unlocked: “Struggle”】

【Level increased by 1.】

【Achievement Unlocked: “First Kill”】

【Level increased by 1.】

【Achievement Unlocked: “Slayer of a Higher Species”】

【Level increased by 4.】

Three achievements in one go!

The rewards were all level-ups—six glorious levels from a single fight.

No skills this time, which stung a little, but I wasn’t complaining.

I’m a teddy bear who knows how to be grateful.

This was more than enough to make me grin.

【Chef Bear Plushie Lv.10】

┗ Power: 10 (+1)

┗ Rank: Normal

【Skills】

[Helper Lv.1], [Evolution Lv.1], [Action Lv.2], [Consumption Lv.1], [Magical Chef Lv.1]

The cooking buff had worn off, its timer expired.

But who cares?

I’d rocketed to Level 10 in a flash!

Happiness bubbled up, and just looking at my status window made me want to laugh.

This was more like it—a proper level for a proper monster.

For the first time, I felt like I belonged in this wild, dangerous world.

Hey, with a level-up like that, my Physical Adaptation must’ve climbed too, right?

“Helper buddy!

What’s my Physical Adaptation at now?”

【Current Physical Adaptation: 31】

Nice!

Thirty-one, just over the threshold.

That meant one thing: evolution time!

My body was a wreck from the fight—torn fabric, spilling stuffing, and my mana stone threatening to slip out with every move.

Leveling up didn’t heal me, not like in some forgiving video game.

But evolution?

That was the ultimate fix, a full-body reset that patched every rip and tear.

【Would you like to use “Evolution Lv.1”?】

Hell yeah!

Let’s do this!

My heart—or whatever passed for it—raced with anticipation.

What kind of teddy bear would I become next?

Please, oh please, let it be a Mecha Bear Plushie!

『Evolvable Species』

◎ Truly a Teddy Bear – Normal

…What the heck?

Truly a Teddy Bear?

What kind of name is that?

It’s like the system’s mocking me!

No hint of what makes this form special.

If I had multiple options, I’d have skipped this one faster than you can say “stuffed.”

But, as usual, I had no choice.

One option, no debate.

I sighed and selected Truly a Teddy Bear.

Flash!

Light erupted, wrapping my body in a warm glow.

【Evolution complete.】

The process was over in an instant.

My battered body was whole again, every tear mended, every bit of stuffing tucked neatly
back inside.

Appearance-wise… maybe I was a smidge taller?

Barely noticeable, honestly.

Oh, and my tattered toque blanche was still perched on my head, shredded but clinging on.

No point keeping it—it was just a prop, no special effects.

Chomp, chomp.

I stuffed the toque into my mouth and swallowed.

Farewell, old friend.

Our time was short but sweet.

Rest easy as you dissolve inside me.

I pulled up my status window to check the changes.

【Truly a Teddy Bear Lv.9】

┗ Power: 9 (+1)

┗ Rank: Normal

【Skills】

[Helper Lv.1], [Evolution Lv.1], [Action Lv.2], [Consumption Lv.1], [Magical Chef Lv.1], [Teddy Bear Disguise Lv.1]

Level down by one, as expected.

No extra Power boost, and still no limit break—big surprise there.

But a new skill caught my eye: Teddy Bear Disguise.

So that’s why the species name was so weirdly literal.

I dove into the skill description.

[Teddy Bear Disguise Lv.1]

─ Alters emitted mana to perfectly disguise as a lifeless teddy bear.

─ Altered mana is undetectable, except by Unique rank or higher entities.

─ Does not restrict movement.

Oh, this was good.

A survival ace up my sleeve.

If enemies can’t sense my mana, they’ll dismiss me as a harmless doll and move on.

Even that smug Poison Tiger wouldn’t see through it—unless he’s Unique rank or above, which I doubt.

Level doesn’t matter; rank does.

This skill wasn’t just for hiding—it could be a game-changer for ambushes against anything below Unique rank.

Speaking of ranks, Unique must be a step above Legendary.

Good to know.

Let’s test this thing out.

【Activating “Teddy Bear Disguise Lv.1”】

…Did it work?

I couldn’t feel any change in my mana flow—it still pulsed as vividly as ever.

Wait, duh.

Of course I wouldn’t notice.

If I could sense my own altered mana, the skill would be pointless.

I turned it off.

It drained mana steadily, more than my Action skill, so I’d save it for when I really needed it.

Time to head back to my hideout.

The sky was darkening, and I’d had enough excitement for one day.

I grabbed the Venomfang Rat’s corpse—my hard-won trophy—and started my slow, wriggling crawl back to safety.

The night passed, and dawn broke, ushering in a new day.

Sleep wasn’t a thing for a doll like me.

I’d spent the night lying still, conserving mana, doing nothing but replaying yesterday’s epic duel in my mind and plotting my next moves.

Today’s plan?

Playtime with Jjokkomi!

I’d cook that Venomfang Rat corpse as a thank-you for the mana stone she gave me.

Maybe toss in its mana stone as a bonus gift.

Would she freak out seeing me move?

Be touched by my hunting prowess?

I couldn’t wait to see her reaction.

Come on, Jjokkomi.

My little sis, my favorite cub.

Where are you?

I’m waiting, bursting with anticipation.

I stayed put under my boxwood tree.

She could show up any moment, and I wasn’t going to miss her.

Hours dragged by, the sun sank, and moonlight bathed the forest.

I waited all day, but Jjokkomi never came.

Did she forget where this place was?

Or was Mama Bear keeping too tight a leash on her?

Something must’ve held her up.

She’ll come tomorrow, I told myself.

The night grew thick, too dangerous for activity.

I flopped onto the cold ground, clutching the rat corpse tightly.

Tonight felt like it would stretch on forever, heavy with the ache of waiting for someone who didn’t show.

If only I could sleep to pass the time.

I’d always assumed dolls don’t sleep—hadn’t even tried since my first day.

But what if I could?

Curiosity got the better of me.

I stood, carefully plucked the button eyes from my face, and set them on the ground.

Darkness swallowed my vision.

This was my version of closing my eyes.

Lying back down, I hugged the rat corpse and tried to will myself to sleep.

The quiet night gave way to a vibrant morning.

No luck with sleep—turns out, dolls really don’t get that luxury.

But the attempt wasn’t a total waste.

I learned something new: even without my button eyes, I could still see.

At first, everything was pitch black, but as time passed, my vision returned, clear as day.

A surprising discovery.

I reattached the buttons anyway.

They complete the look, and I’d feel naked without them.

But still no Jjokkomi.

I needed to keep growing, and sitting here all day like yesterday wasn’t ideal.

As I mulled this over, stroking the rat corpse absentmindedly—

Rustle.

A sound cut through the morning air—footsteps trampling grass, getting closer.
Jjokkomi?
My heart leapt as I stared toward the noise.

But what burst through the bushes wasn’t my sweet cub sister.

A humanoid figure.

Was that… a human?

This world had humans after all!

My excitement fizzled fast.

【Vampire Lv.40】

┗ Power: 240

┗ Rank: Elite

Yikes!

A vampire!

Instinct kicked in.

Truly a Teddy Bear—no, Teddy Bear Disguise!

【Activating “Teddy Bear Disguise Lv.1”】

The vampire was already at my nose, looming over me.

It stopped, staring down with suspicious eyes.

“Strange. I could’ve sworn I sensed mana from this doll…”

Just a misunderstanding, buddy.

I’m just a plain old teddy bear.

Keep moving, nothing to see here.