CHAPTER 35: COME TO THE BEAR SETTLEMENT, YOU SADISTIC BASTARD

[Alpha Bear’s POV]

"So... what do you plan on doing next?"

The Alpha Bear heard the human’s question.

The truth was, he didn’t know.

A part of him longed to return to his old life—back to the safety of the forest and to his family.

But another part of him, a sharp and newly awakened one, pulled him in a different direction.

He had changed. No—he had grown. The bond had sharpened his thoughts and deepened his awareness.

He no longer acted on primal instinct alone. He thought. He weighed. He understood.

Especially after what the being—the one who had resurrected them—had told him.

That resurrection came at a cost. That the miracle was rare and precious.

And the human, his once-enemy, used it for them. Not for power. Not for gain. For them.

He had started respecting the human.

So the moment that miracle was spent on them...

He made a quiet vow.

He would follow the human.

No—his liege.

Not out of submission... Neither because he was tamed but out of conviction.

For the rest of his days.

Besides...

He had never been the strongest Alpha of his settlement. They respected him but only because he was the son of the chieftain.

And in the end, it was his failure and recklessness that let his friends all fall.

So what right did he have to return as their protector?

His head lowered, not in defeat but in undeniable respect.

"I wish to follow you on your journey, my liege."

___

[Rael’s POV]

I looked at the menacing red-furred Alpha bowing to me with complete respect.

Well, damn. I was aiming for respect. Didn’t expect reverence.

Well it’s good either way.

I mean, I just got a full-fledged Martial Artist who could copy a technique at one glance for free.

No way in hell I was about to reject that.

So yeah, I guess I spent the miracle well.

I mean, sure, maybe I could’ve asked for something flashier.

Like the Card of Arcana without entering the Forest of Unmasked.

Or some cool skill.

Or an artifact that sets enemies on fire when they make eye contact, I don’t know.

But honestly?

I didn’t even know what the Trickster was capable of granting at that condition of his—much less how.

No matter how friendly he acted, I would’ve been a fool to let him mess with my body without knowing anything.

And sure, technically, he did mess with me by bonding me to the Alpha Bear. But that was allowed by the heavenly principles, even without my consent.

Which meant it was harmless.

If it had been something dangerous, the system wouldn’t have let it through. At least not without my permission.

The system was strict when it came to godly matters after all.

And that’s the thing. If I had asked for something related to me, that would’ve been giving the Trickster an open invitation to dig his little divine fingers into my fate.

Like hell I was going to do that.

And yeah, sure—grabbing the Card of Arcana early might sound great.

But honestly?

That wouldn’t have been fun.

I had spent the last twenty days preparing for that trial. Strategizing. Training. Burning calories I didn’t even have.

To skip it now would’ve just felt... cheap.

And knowing the Trickster’s personality, he would probably laugh in my face and say something like: "That’s not amusing, boy. Ask for something else."

Well, maybe my Nexus affected me and made me whimsical in ways I didn’t fully realize.

But I really didn’t care. I have no regrets. Especially since now I have a loyal servant with immense potential.

Before I could spiral more into my own thoughts, the Alpha Bear’s voice snapped me out.

"Is it okay for us to visit the settlement before leaving, my liege?"

Well, sounds fair.

The sky had already turned orange and I still had a bit of time before Razek came to drag me back.

...Come to think of it, where was that bastard?

I just had a chat with a cosmic Trickster, used a miracle, got bonded to a literal bear and played emotional therapist for the dead.

And Razek–the person who was supposed to be my mentor and also monitor me so I don’t actually croak was nowhere to be found.

Yep... that guy needs a good punishment.

____

[Razek’s POV]

Meanwhile, a man with messy green hair and sharp brown eyes ran frantically through the dense forest, scanning every small movement he felt around him.

Where did he go?

Everything had been going according to plan.

As usual, Razek had followed his assigned drill: throw the Young Master into a desperate situation, force him to awaken his survival instincts and push him beyond his limits.

It was the training method Duke Ashborn had personally ordered—so the Young Master could learn to survive in the Forests of Unmasked, where monsters roamed freely, without restraint or mercy.

Razek had always kept his distance, ready to step in the moment things turned dangerous.

But the Young Master... had never needed rescuing. He always did just well enough using wits and sometimes some absurd method to defeat his foe.

Today was supposed to be no different.

The final day of training. The big finale. So, Razek wanted to make it special.

He lured a particularly hot-headed Alpha into chasing the Young Master, then started monitoring from a safe distance.

The battle was brutal—surprisingly so. But the Young Master held his own.

He didn’t just survive... he won. Took down the Alpha and his pack.

Razek had even smiled. He’d been about to step out, ready to congratulate the Young Master for surviving something that should’ve killed him.

But then—

His vision glitched just for a few moments before the Young Master vanished as if he had never been there at all.

Razek’s heart dropped. He immediately flared his mana, scanning the perimeter with everything he had.

He was an A-Rank Resonant and yet he didn’t find any signs of magic... or artifact use.

Nothing.

He decided to search the area around him.

But even after half an hour of searching, he didn’t find any trace of the young master.

He pulled out his AetherLink, ready to inform the patriarch—

—when his notification buzzed.

As he saw the name of the sender, his body froze. It was none other than Young Master Rael.

He immediately tapped on it to check the message. It was plain and simple.

"Come to the Bear Settlement, you sadistic bastard."