From this hill, what might've once been called a mountain before the System, Richter watched the sun dip below the horizon. Today had been overwhelming; he'd become a one-man army.

  When he first entered the System, he'd chosen Healer. He never imagined himself fighting alone. He was content to be support, to stay in the background. But yesterday, he had left the safety of the settlement by choice, driven by something deeper, an unwillingness to remain confined behind walls, no matter how well-guarded.

  He now understood that for many, Lakeside would become their entire world. They would never stray far from its protections. But not him. Not anymore. He wanted to learn, to discover. That hunger had always lived inside him, he'd just never had the chance to feed it until now.

  As he sat there, a sudden presence brushed against his awareness, sharp enough to jolt him into motion. He twisted around, eyes scanning the dimming landscape, heart pounding.

  "Don’t worry, it’s only the god responsible for your disfigurement. No need to panic." Cain’s voice was unmistakable, neither spoken aloud nor echoing in his mind, but simply... there.

  "I didn’t expect to hear from you again, honestly, I hoped I wouldn’t." Richter surprised himself with the bluntness. After all, this was the god of murder he was speaking to.

  A thunderous chuckle echoed through the space. "Thank the gods—you’re no longer that little wimp. This world’s actually doing you some good." Cain’s voice carried an odd hint of pride, and Richter wasn’t sure why. Why hadn’t the god helped him more directly?

  Then again, that wasn’t entirely true. Cain had pointed him in the right direction. He glanced at his blade, fingers brushing the hilt. This weapon, this cursed, powerful thing, was Cain’s legacy, in a way. It had all started with him.

  "I'm not the kind of god who sticks around to babysit, how dull would that be?" Cain’s voice crackled with amusement. "I’ve been able to talk to you like this for a while now. My blessing’s a bit stronger than the others."

  There was a pause, not long enough to be silence, but just enough to draw attention.

  "I just wanted to say, you did good. Other gods have started noticing. You're officially on the radar."

  Another low chuckle followed. "Some of them are getting nervous. Humans like you—monsters in the making. You should see some of the top fighters. It's terrifying what a few of you have pulled off... and it's only been a week."

  Richter didn’t respond right away. The wind tugged at his cloak as Cain’s words settled over him like falling ash, soft, but suffocating.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  On the radar. Monsters in the making. Was that what he was becoming?

  "I'll take that as encouragement," he muttered, mostly to himself.

  But when he looked up, the presence was already gone. No parting word. No lingering energy. Just the quiet hum of the forest, and the faint warmth of his blade at his side.

  He stood, the last light of day glinting off the blood-red gem embedded in his ring. His staff pulsed with a faint red glow, casting just enough light to paint the ground in flickering shadows, then, the System notification appeared.

  [System Notification]

  [System Event Concluded: 'Guarded Spoils' has officially ended]

  [Processing Event Data...]

  [Total Points Accrued: 40]

  [Rank Achieved: Top 5% – Participant Group: The Great Forest Tutorial Zone]

  [Approximate Participant Count: 3,015,776]

  [Reward Tier Achieved: Gold – Final Evaluation In Progress]

  Richter stood and analyzed the information. This was the first time the System had shown him just how many people were in The Great Forest, over three million. The number stunned him.

  From his vantage point, he could just make out Lakeside. His improved stats hadn’t only strengthened his body, they’d sharpened his senses, too. He could see the faint outline of the settlement, its neatly organized streets lit by scattered lights.

  When he’d been there, he’d estimated maybe three hundred people at most. Now he wondered, how many more settlements like that were out there? Dozens? Hundreds? Just how massive was this forest?

  It stretched endlessly in every direction, an uncharted wilderness that refused to reveal its borders. He had the sinking feeling that he’d only seen a fraction of what was waiting out there.

  [Reward Calculated]

  [Gold Tier Reward Granted: Sanguine Aegis Robes –Rare- Soulbound]

  A flowing white robe manifested from the system, its fabric laced with dormant energy that shimmered just beneath the surface. It radiated a quiet strength, enhancing all shielding abilities, especially those that drew on both mana and health, amplifying their resilience and duration.

  [2000 credits rewarded]

  Richter took the robe into his hands, running his fingers over the crimson embroidery. The fabric shimmered faintly, catching the last rays of daylight as if drawing strength from them. He slipped it over his shoulders. It fit perfectly, weightless but firm, like it had been woven for him alone.

  He breathed in deeply. For the first time since the Integration, he felt... ready. Whatever came next, he would meet it head-on.

  [System Notification]

  [Title Earned: Pinnacle Healer of the Great Forest]: Awarded to a participant in the [Great Forest] tutorial who chose the Healer class and ranked among the top 20 healers during the first system event. You have proven that a healer can be more than just support, surpassing expectations and redefining your role through strength, strategy, and resilience.

  Effect: +5 percent to Wisdom

  This system was going to give him a big head. Not only had he placed in the top 5 percent of all participants, but he was also ranked among the top 20 healers. It felt a bit like cheating, considering he hadn’t exactly played the role of a traditional healer. But maybe his shields counted, maybe survival was its own kind of healing.

  He adjusted the robe’s collar, the crimson embroidery warm against his skin. It pulsed faintly in rhythm with his heartbeat, as if the System itself acknowledged him now.

  He was no longer just a survivor. No longer hiding behind numbers or titles. He was something else now. Someone becoming.

  The wind picked up, rustling through the trees below.

  He should head back to Lakeside, he had credits he could spend. But not yet. There were still secrets buried in this forest, and he wasn’t ready to stop uncovering them.