In truth, Kael was overthinking it.

  His knowledge from a past life told him this was a legendary grinding spot, a place that would provide a constant stream of experience.

  But in this timeline, the players of Ironclad Citadel hadn't discovered that yet. They couldn't possibly imagine this was a repeatable source of EXP. They would never connect the experience gains to Kael's actions, simply writing it off as a one-time reward for a boss kill.

  But even if the free experience was gone, the conflict wasn't. The moment Kael was out of sight, the brawl erupted once more. Only the members of [Titan Guard] were smart enough to use the brief lull to fight their way out of the chaotic zone.

  This kind of bloodshed was something Kael had seen almost daily in his previous life. The grinding spot near Ironclad Citadel had attracted players from across the entire server, and the killing was nonstop.

  It wasn't until three months later that the major guilds from the main cities finally brokered a truce, establishing a set of rules for using the area.

  In the end, though, only the powerful guilds benefited. An average player couldn't even get in.

  By the time Kael returned to Starlight Village, night had fallen. He still had a day left before Apollo’s deadline, so he figured he’d turn in the quest tomorrow.

  He checked his NPC system resources: wood and Gold Ingots were only at a thousand units each. He still needed nearly two thousand more of each to reach the required amounts for the [Research Institute]—3,000 wood, 1,500 copper, 1,000 iron, 5,000 Gold Ingots, and a population of 100. Seeing no new messages from any other NPCs and with nothing else to do, Kael logged out.

  He stepped out of his room and onto the third-floor terrace overlooking Lake Windermere. The sun had already set, casting a breathtaking glow over the water. Just then, a sports car roared out of the garage below and shot through the back gate of the villa complex.

  Kael paused. He’d seen that car in the garage several times but had never seen anyone drive it. Could that have been Lila?

  A moment later, a figure approached him from behind. "That was Gable," a voice said.

  Kael didn't turn around. He recognized Lila’s voice instantly. Remembering the events of the day, he asked, "Lila, where did you hire Gable from?"

  Lila came to his side and leaned against the railing. "You think she's strange too, don't you?"

  He caught the odd tone in her voice and turned to look at her, surprised. "You don't know much about her either?"

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Lila brushed a strand of hair, tousled by the wind, from her face. "She offered her services to me herself. All I know is that she's a veteran. Served in the Marine Corps, apparently."

  Kael was stunned. "What? How old is she? She doesn't look it."

  "She's forty-two."

  Lila’s brow furrowed. "But she seems to have some history with my mother. I don't know the specifics. I've asked her many times, but all she'll say is that she was wounded on the battlefield and my mother saved her life."

  "Wounded… your mother…" Kael muttered to himself. Suddenly, he activated Spell Ward and voiced his thought. "What if she was injured during her service in the Marines? A permanent disability. And then maybe she was saved by that invention of your mother's."

  Lila shook her head. "I considered that, but I ruled it out. You saw Caleb a few days ago. He looks normal, but he actually relies on a supportive frame to move. I've found opportunities to observe Gable many times. She moves with complete freedom, with no reliance on any external apparatus."

  Kael knew her logic was sound, but he had a feeling it wasn't that simple. "Do you know where Gable went today?"

  "No idea. She takes one day off a month, and she always goes out. As for where, I haven't a clue."

  "And that doesn't worry you?" Kael asked, surprised.

  "Including today, she has saved my life three times," Lila said, her voice firm. "What right do I have to second-guess her?"

  Kael fell silent.

  Back in his room, he tried to dredge up any memories of Gable from his past life, but his mind was a blank. It was a mystery for another time.

  The next day, Kael logged into the game and teleported directly to Behemoth's Watch. The moment he materialized, he stared in shock.

  The village looked like it had been hit by a tornado. Nearly every building had been leveled. The villagers were already at work, trying to rebuild their homes from the rubble. When they saw Kael, their demeanor—so cold when he’d left—had changed completely. They actively greeted him with reverence.

  "Greetings, honored Elder!"

  Elder? Kael was baffled.

  He made his way to the central square where he had first met the village Elder. The old man was still there, sitting with his eyes closed.

  As Kael approached, the Elder opened his eyes and gave him a faint, welcoming smile.

  Kael pointed at the surrounding wreckage. "What happened here?"

  The Elder sighed heavily. "This was Simbra's doing."

  "Simbra?" Kael asked, taken aback.

  "It seems the situation is more complex than I first believed," the Elder said. "I truly underestimated him. Simbra is a man of great ambition."

  "What exactly happened?"

  The Elder shook his head sadly. "Yesterday, Simbra was not seeking the behemoth's forgiveness. His true goal was to devour it."

  "What?!" Every word out of the Elder’s mouth was another shock.

  Just as Kael was about to ask more, he felt an immense pressure descend upon the square.

  "Hahaha…" A familiar voice echoed from behind him. "I spared your life yesterday, old man, not so you could spill my secrets to outsiders."

  Kael spun around. Simbra stood right behind him. His appearance had changed subtly; his features had sharpened, taking on a more bestial, feral look.

  "You old relics," Simbra sneered. "For thousands of years, all you've thought about is destroying the behemoth. Such magnificent power… would be a shame to waste it, don't you think?"

  Kael’s brow tightened. "What do you want?"

  "What do I want?" Simbra’s face twisted into a monstrous grin. "I want the behemoth corpse you carry! I want to become a god here!"

  Suddenly, he let out a deafening roar.

  With a deafening crack, the village's teleport nexus shattered into a million pieces.