"Whew~ Finally found it. That wasn't easy."
Moses gazed at the nest in the tree, where a section of black tail feathers was exposed, recalling the distinctive cawing of crows he had just heard.
Looking at the massive tree before him—one meter in diameter and over twenty meters tall—with a nest perched on a branch about seventeen or eighteen meters up, Moses grinned.
"Bear Cub, let's climb."
With that, Moses wrapped his arms around the trunk, clamped his legs tight, and effortlessly scaled upward, hand over hand.
A dozen seconds later.
Standing on the branches with Bear Cub, they flanked the nest on either side.
Inside the basket-like nest were five oval-shaped eggs, pale blue-green with olive-brown streaks and blotches.
"Caw~ Caw-caw... Caw..."
A crow with a ring of white feathers around its neck, nape, and shoulders flew in circles overhead, its hoarse cries filled with urgency.
A white-necked crow.
Nearly sixty centimeters long.
Its beak was black, its claws thick and sharp, and its dark, lively eyes brimmed with anxiety.
Flapping its wings, it swooped and circled above Moses' head.
Moses picked up one of the eggs, gauging its warmth, while his Observation Haki assessed the life inside. He could sense the faint heartbeat of a nearly fully formed creature.
A mischievous smirk curled his lips as he held the egg up toward the mother crow, who was glaring at him intently. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to your eggs, would you?"
"Caw~ Screech~"
The mother crow let out a furious series of cries, beating her wings as she dove straight at Moses, her sturdy black talons aimed at his face.
"Whoa, you've got guts, huh?"
Moses straightened up, his Observation Haki predicting her movements. Just as she reached him, his left hand shot out and seized her by the neck, gripping her firmly in his palm.
Leaning against the branch, he pinned her wings to her sides, immobilizing her, then cradled her in his hands.
"You understand me, right?" Moses said. "You really don't want me taking your whole clutch, do you?"
The mother crow's eyes still burned with rage. "Screech~ Caw~"
"Here's the deal—I want to raise you. How about coming with me?"
Moses coaxed, "Food's scarce on this island. Stick with me, and your whole family will have meat at every meal, fresh water to drink, and no more worrying about predators."
"Screech!"
Seeing the mother crow still unmoved, Moses played his trump card:
"Your life's in my hands. Agree to follow me, and your whole family lives. Otherwise, I'll make sure you and your eggs never see each other again."
As he spoke, he tightened his grip slightly. Sure enough, the mother crow's eyes instantly cleared, and she let out a small, subdued "Caw."
Moses inwardly sighed in relief.
Thankfully, in this world, animals were exceptionally intelligent—most could understand human speech and knew when to yield.
He loosened his hold.
"Follow me, and your family will never go hungry—plenty of meat, clean water. Refuse, and well… see this bear next to me? I'll have him swallow you whole."
Bear Cub obligingly bared his four gleaming white fangs with a fierce "Grrrowl!"
Carrot and stick.
A one-two punch.
The mother crow's eyes grew even clearer.
Just then, Moses heard another crow's cry in the distance.
Seconds later,
A male crow, nearly seventy centimeters in size, flew toward them.
The moment he saw his wife held in Moses's grasp and their entire clutch of eggs "confiscated," a shrill, hoarse crowing pierced the sky.
Moses rolled his eyes, observing the fury in the male crow's gaze and the relentless snapping of its sharp talons. Suddenly, the corner of his mouth quirked up. Releasing his right hand, he drew the shortsword Cold Dew from his waist and pressed its razor-sharp edge against the female crow's throat. With a sinister chuckle, he addressed the male crow:
"You don't want your wife and kids to die, do you? If not, shut up."
Beside him, Bear Cub's eyes lit up. Mimicking Moses, he stammered out a "Shut up," while placing his right paw on the nest, his bear eyes gleaming with "menace."
Instantly, the cacophony of caws fell silent.
Moses smirked at the now much more subdued male crow, then resumed his earlier tactic of alternating threats with incentives.
...
It had to be said—most animals in this world were clever.
And knew when to yield.
After climbing down the tree, Moses now carried a bird's nest and five crow eggs—he had taken the entire nest. To show goodwill, he released the female crow, who cautiously settled back onto the nest to continue incubating the eggs. The male crow, meanwhile, perched on Bear Cub's shoulder, its beady eyes fixed longingly on the nest in Moses's arms.
Every now and then, it let out a raspy "Caw~" or "Scree~," each cry promptly echoed by the female crow. Soon, the air was filled with a chorus of "Caw~" and "Scree~."
Moses handed the nest to Bear Cub, who took it and then waved his left arm at the male crow. "Come here. Let's talk."
The crow glanced at its family in Bear Cub's grasp, then pushed off the bear's shoulder with its talons and soared onto Moses's arm, gripping his sleeve tightly. The powerful, agile flight left Bear Cub staring in envy, unconsciously licking his lips. The female crow noticed this and shuddered.
Moses examined the male crow, ignoring its displeasure as he inspected its wings, talons, and legs. Its feathers were glossy and well-kept, its legs and talons smooth and delicate, the skin a brown hue tinged with faint red. Drawing from his book-learned ornithology, Moses concluded this was a young crow—no more than two years old.
And a winner in life, at that—with a wife, kids, and a warm nest to call home.
Moses locked eyes with the crow, who returned his gaze with equal sharpness and coldness. "You understand me, don't you?" Moses asked, though the question was redundant at this point. The crow gave a human-like nod with a "Scree~," prompting Moses to grin. "I want to raise a flock of crows to serve as my eyes and ears. Our meeting was fate. Since I've come across your family, I'm not letting you go."
"To be honest, I don't really need you and your mate. What I want is your clutch of eggs. After all, to raise crows right, you have to start from the egg. But I've noticed you're quite clever—young, pragmatic, and devoted to your family. I like that. So, I'll give you both a chance. Come with me, bring your eggs, and work for me. In return, I'll provide for you—feast on whatever I eat, every day. Well? Do we have a deal?"
The male crow's eyes flickered as it tilted its head to look at Moses, its glossy black wings spread wide, defiance flashing in its gaze:
"Kraa~"
Moses chuckled and said to it:
"Not convinced? Fine, I'll give you a chance. I won't use my hands—I'll fight you. If I win, your whole family follows me from now on. If I lose, I'll let you all leave safely."
The white-necked crow, measuring seventy centimeters in length, glanced at the human child who was only slightly larger than itself, disdain flashing in its eyes.
Its sharp talons had once pierced through the skull of a foolish roe deer. If not for this human child's tricks, it would never have submitted.
With its head held high, the crow let out a hoarse, sharp "Caw~" and fixed its sharp gaze on Moses.
Flap, flap, flap!!!
It flapped its wings and soared into the air, circling above, its keen crow eyes locked onto Moses's.
Moses stopped in his tracks, calmly watching it, his hands naturally clasped behind his back to show he was ready.
But to the male crow, this was arrogance, a provocation. It immediately let out a loud cry.
Nearby, Bear Cub halted and looked up at the white-necked crow in confusion, then glanced down at the female crow and let out a soft "Yip."
Wait, is your mate really this bold?
The female crow understood Bear Cub's meaning and let out a low, raspy croak, pride gleaming in her eyes. "Kraa~"
My mate is very strong.
Moses watched as the male crow circled at low altitude, testing him with occasional dives or swift flaps of its wings right in front of his face.
Moses remained unfazed, responding to every move with stillness.
Yet his gaze grew more focused.
Suddenly, the male crow dove from the sky at high speed, its sharp right talon aimed straight for Moses's eyes.
Moses didn't retreat. Instead, he stepped forward. At the last moment, he jerked his head to the left, dodging the talon, and opened his mouth wide, snapping his head forward with uncanny precision to bite down on the crow's thigh.
"Kraa~"
The male crow shrieked in pain, its wings flapping wildly.
But before it could fully react, Moses violently whipped his head downward, slamming the crow into the snow.
Then, he raised his right foot and stomped hard on its back, pressing it deep into the snow.
In an instant,
the brief skirmish ended with Moses's complete victory.
Bear Cub huffed and puffed, grinning widely as it let out an "Awoo~" of laughter.
The female crow stretched her neck, letting out an involuntary, disbelieving "Kraa~."
Moses looked down at the struggling male crow beneath his foot and said calmly, "You lost. Will you honor the bet? From now on, you're my bird."
Lifting his foot, Moses bent down and grabbed the crow's body, holding it up to eye level. Staring into its eyes, he spoke word by word:
"Follow me from now on!"
The male crow stared blankly at Moses, but after Moses gave it a little shake, its gaze cleared.
Finally, it let out a resigned "Kraa~" and bowed its head to Moses.
Seeing this,
Moses smiled.
"Since you agree, we're family now. Let me give you names.
You'll be Crow Dabao, and your wife will be Ya Xiao Niu (Crow Xiao Niu). Understood?"
Crow Dabao nodded helplessly with its beady eyes. Moses patted its head with his right hand and grinned:
"Following me today will be the best decision you ever made in your life."
Crow Dabao quietly watched Moses without making a sound, simply staring.
Seeing this, Moses smiled and reached out to brush off the snow clinging to its feathers.
After placing Crow Dabao back on Bear Cub's shoulder, Moses cheerfully led them homeward.
...
"Whoosh!!"
With a flick of his wrist, Moses sent Cold Dew flying like an arrow, its sharp blade sinking completely into the eye of a Snow Hippopotamus.
Watching from Bear Cub's shoulder, Crow Dabao shuddered as Moses happily retrieved the short sword.
The massive creature, nearly four meters long and weighing several tons, had been instantly killed.
[Obtained E- grade Soul Crystal*1]
Storing the irregular, bean-sized Soul Crystal extracted from the corpse,
Moses took the nest from Bear Cub's hands and said, "Let's take it back. We'll eat it when we get home."
"Rawr, okay."
Bear Cub's right arm transformed into a long iron chain, which he used to bind and drag the Snow Hippopotamus through the snow.
The journey home wasn't far, and soon the man and bear, accompanied by their avian family, arrived at the treehouse.
Leaving Bear Cub outside to process the Snow Hippopotamus, Moses entered with Crow Dabao's family.
Ascending to the second floor, he encountered Kureha, who grinned at the sight of the birds in Moses' hands.
"Keh keh keh, I didn't think you'd actually catch them," Kureha said.
She approached, examining the white-necked crow perched on Moses' shoulder while rubbing her chin.
"Not bad, not bad. Fine birds, quite majestic."
At Kureha's praise, Crow Dabao looked sideways, its avian face full of pride. Spreading its wings, it let out a loud, hoarse cry as Moses ducked behind his head.
Meanwhile, Ya Xiao Niu, still incubating her eggs, curiously looked up at Kureha and also vocalized.
"So, why bring them here?" Kureha asked.
"To introduce them around. After all, Doctorine is the head of this household. I plan to let them settle on one of our tree's branches."
"Do as you please," Kureha waved dismissively, rolling her eyes at Moses. "But you're also here for medicine, aren't you?"
Moses grinned. "Are you prepared?"
Kureha gestured toward the lab bench where a shallow beaker of pale yellow powder sat.
"That's it there. It's cooled now—take it. You know the dosage and usage; handle it yourself."
Moses transferred the powder into a small vial and left with Crow Dabao's family.
Behind the treehouse's front door, a rope ladder hung from the trunk above. Moses climbed to the treetop with the nest and secured it on a sturdy branch.
"You'll live here for now. We'll see about the future later."
Watching as both crows nodded quietly, Moses smiled.
"Now that we've settled your new home, it's time for a feast. Come, Crow Dabao, let's eat some meat."
"Oh, starting today, both of you must study hard to become cultured birds. You must learn human language. As for writing... we'll see."
Moses lifted Ya Xiao Niu with his left hand, smiling at the five eggs in the nest. "Rest easy and keep incubating. You're safe here."
Descending the rope ladder, Moses left Crow Dabao looking at Ya Xiao Niu with resignation, curiosity, but mostly relief in its crow eyes.
Crow Dabao let out a low, hoarse cry before going to find Moses.
Flapping his wings, he flew near the treehouse and observed the man and bear handling the Snow Hippopotamus.
The hide had already been neatly separated, revealing thick layers of white fat. Moses glanced at the approaching Crow Dabao, then sliced off a long strip of meat with his scalpel and tossed it over:
"Eat."
Crow Dabao caught it in his beak, a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes, before flying back toward the bird's nest by the treehouse.