Despite being a bear, Malric did not drop to all fours in defeat. He remained upright and glared at Kael with undisguised hatred. His gaze briefly moved toward his fallen lackeys, their bodies lying in pools of their own blood like a group of fools who had never stood a chance. Everything Malric had worked for had fallen apart in a matter of minutes, yet he was still the boss and the strongest bear on the tutorial island. He would not abandon his principles or break his own rules simply because a few of his kin had been defeated by a monkey.With a furious stomp, Malric advanced toward Kael, clearly intending to crush him beneath one massive paw.Kael stood tall and released the white eagles in his Soldier Form. At such close range, he no longer needed to worry much about distance or the accuracy of his shots, so he allowed his muscle memory to handle the bow and arrows while he devoted more of his attention to the battle itself. Kael knew how important it was to plan ahead, especial

The beginning of Kael’s ascent was not particularly difficult. The steep path had plenty of crevices he could use to secure his hooks, while his safety equipment gave him extra protection in case he slipped or ran out of strength. His abnormally high stats for a Level 10 player also made the early section much easier, allowing him to cover a surprising amount of ground in a short time. Kael had clearly never climbed a real mountain before, but an experienced climber would probably have approved of his preparation. He had listened carefully to Garrick’s advice and studied climbing techniques from experts online, so instead of letting his usual impatience take over, he maintained a steady pace and followed what he had learned. Eventually, Kael spotted a small cavity in the mountainside. He carefully climbed toward it, pulled himself over the edge, and rolled inside to rest. After opening his inventory, he took out a warm slice of meat and his first wooden bottle of water. ‘I ne

Weighed down by everything he was feeling, Kael forced himself back onto his feet.‘Yeah… I haven’t even slapped him in the face for that,’ Kael thought through gritted teeth.Once he was standing, his body crumpled into his Joker Form. He had expected to fight the final boss, so he was already wearing his black monkey set, the best equipment he had for Joker Form. In close combat, the disadvantages caused by his high Dexterity and lower accuracy were not nearly as troublesome, especially when he could fight at close range.‘I’ll give you… my all.’Kael equipped the quiver containing the white eagles, drew one of the arrows, and placed it against the new arrow rest. The distance between him and Garrick was considerable, and the final boss showed no intention of charging toward him. Kael reconsidered and switched into Soldier Form so he could put his full strength and body weight behind the shot.He drew the bowstring back to his highest anchor point and released.The white eagle flew

While Kael enjoyed his new rewards, Garrick stood behind him with a warm smile.A different light surrounded the older man.It was gradually consuming his body.Garrick existed on every tutorial island. His soul had been divided into countless pieces so that he could guide every new player who entered the game. Now that he had been forgiven, those pieces were finally being released from the shackles that had bound them.“There are no words to express my gratitude, Kael,” Garrick said.Kael turned around.Garrick was already becoming half-transparent.He was about to disappear.Yet the older man was smiling from ear to ear, looking so genuinely happy that Kael found the farewell easier to bear than he had expected.“How come it hurts me so much to see you half-gone?” Kael asked.Garrick chuckled. “Maybe because you’re so selfish, you don’t want to part with someone who accepted that part of you?”Kael smiled and closed his eyes.“Maybe… well, you are kinda selfish, too, right? You must

Kael logged into the game and cracked his neck before letting out a sigh. He had already told his sister that his starting point was The Warmonger Empire’s capital, and Elara’s reaction had been pure excitement. She immediately told him that she was nearby and would come to visit him soon. That meant she would probably find some way to drag her brother away from the capital and interfere with whatever plans he had made.‘Can’t she wait for me… ugh, yeah, she waited seven months… rather ten…’Kael smiled faintly. Elara could only bother him for so long, and it was not as though he lacked time to figure out his first steps in Last Night. Still, time was already slipping away, so Kael took one final look at the capital during the day.The red-brick buildings, houses, and institutions gave him the image of a massive red coral reef, as though red water might surge through the streets from beneath the earth at any moment.‘Looks good for the military country where strength matters the most…