As Kaiser made his way back through the forest, he felt an immense sense of relief. For the first time in a long while, a calm settled over him. With the Shifter finally burned, the weight of guilt he had been carrying began to dissolve. He had played a decisive role in its demise, avenging its victims and sparing future victims, especially Ariella from becoming the monster’s prey. In his opinion, he had paid his mistake on the previous night and could now sleep well devoid of worries for himself and the goddess. It's really hard to rest knowing such monstrosity is after them.

Though, unexpectedly, his good deed isn't left unpaid. The revelation about his immortality thrilled him. As if having the ability to live through the most fatal wounds wasn’t enough, Kai had just discovered his body could regenerate lost parts entirely. The fear of becoming crippled no longer lingered. No matter what happened—whether he was cut in half, partially devoured, or maybe even beheaded—he would always remain whole. It makes him wonder just how far his regeneration could go. If he were reduced to nothing but a drop of blood, could even that bring him back? The thought sent a chill down his spine.

However, testing his limitations would require unimaginable risks beyond ideal, but one thing was clear: his regenerative powers surpassed even the monster’s undying resilience in one aspect. Unlike the Shifter, who could only alter and reshape its existing form, Kaiser could actually regrow what was lost. And he could do it in mere seconds.

His mind wandered to a dark question: what if he were the immortal prey? How would hunters like Alfred and Brick deal with someone like him? He knew it wouldn’t be easy; the Shifter had already been a nightmare to handle. Left undiscovered, it could have wiped out the entire village. What if he—someone far more intelligent than the beast—were to turn into an unstoppable foe?

It wouldn't be pretty for them, that's for sure.

'Why am I even thinking of becoming a villain?'

Kaiser shuddered and dismissed the thought. He wasn’t interested in becoming a villain, not now, not ever. But if it ever came to that, he could be everyone’s worst nightmare, a relentless threat that couldn’t be killed, perhaps they could, but it would be far, far from easy.

'That’s the last thing I’d ever want, though it might suit me a bit too well,' he mused wryly.

He shook his head, pushing those dark musings away. Kai only wants a peaceful life with Ariella and Cia. Now that he didn’t have to worry about being maimed or crippled, providing for them would be easier than ever despite the risk he might face, Kai would remain whole and capable of protecting them. And, if fate smiled on him, perhaps he would reunite with his friends and the other students or teachers from Earth.

Though.

‘Is it me… or is my immortality actually improving?’ Kaiser marveled, recalling the strange lack of blood when his hand had been severed. There should have been a fountain of gushing blood, but only mere droplets came out. Unlike in past battles when injuries had left him drenched in red. More astonishingly, his hand had regrown without him even noticing, the regeneration was faster than anything he had experienced before. The speed of it was simply... Startling.

As he continued down the forest path, the realization of his newfound power felt both exhilarating and a little terrifying. He didn’t know where this strange evolution would take him, but for now, he could only hope it meant a brighter future ahead.

Kaiser enjoyed the fleeting feeling of peace for now, though he couldn’t help but wonder if he would always feel this way. What if his immortality continued to evolve to a point where he could never die, even if he wanted to? The thought was unnerving, but he shrugged it off; that would be far, far in the future. For now, he would rather savor the present.

Walking behind Alfred and Brick, Kaiser glanced around, taking in the sights as they neared towards the Base. Then realized that they're relatively near the Boundary, It had been a while since he had had a close look at that strange, unsettling barrier. Briefly looking behind, the distant Boundary was still there, of course.

The ominous barrier stretched along the distant horizon, rippling under the starry sky, marking where reality itself seemed to shuddered and disoriented, becoming undescribable and incomprehensible. It looked like a normal horizon, but at the same time, utterly wrong. Yet, as he looked closer, a small frown creased his brow. Was it his imagination, or did the Boundary look… different? It was hard to tell; the Boundary was inherently disorienting, a distortion of reality itself and could even be described as embodiment of wrongness. So, If something was wrong about it, how could he possibly confirm it?

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With a sigh, Kaiser dismissed the thought and continued on. His head is aching just by staring at it, let alone, attempting to understand the unsettling view.

Before long, they reached the base, where numerous hunters greeted them, hope and anticipation etched across their faces. Questioning and hoping if they had succeeded in hunting down the beast.

Kaiser slipped to the side, not intending to involve himself with them anymore. Furthermore, it was Alfred's responsibility to face his men, he had nothing to do with these Hunters anymore.

Alfred proudly walks forward to inform his men of the good news, he boomed his voice, announcing their victory over the Shifter. Praising everyone's contribution and paying respect to the brave souls that unfortunately passed in the process.

The hunters gathered to listen, a mix of emotions sweeping over them—joy, pride, relief, and sorrow for those who hadn’t made it back.

Alfred's speech was unexpectedly stirring, embodying the spirit of a true leader. Kaiser had to admit, despite his often flatness, the man had a way with words, delivering each line with strength and conviction. Every hunter present felt seen, felt valued, as Alfred’s voice rang out like the triumphant call of a battle horn. When he solemnly honored the fallen, the mood became somber, a quiet sadness settling over the crowd.

Meanwhile, Kaiser had already started to slip away toward the edge of the gathering, hoping to leave unnoticed. He had no desire for the spotlight, assembly drama and victory celebration. Kai had done his part for the benefit of both parties, all he wants now is to go home.

However, one of the higher-ranking hunters suddenly brought up his contribution, and Alfred, who knew the young man's preferred avoidance was forced to announce the Player's crucial contribution. Alfred reluctantly gave him due praise, emphasizing his role in bringing down the monster.

That was all the signal Kaiser needed to bolt out, before the admiring glances could settle on him, he darted out of sight, heading for home at a brisk pace.

'There's no way I'll stay to be thrown around like a damn hero, then be invited to drink booze, play with girls and wake up in the bar the next day.'

Being lauded in public like some hero wasn’t his style. Honestly, just the thought of it irked him nonstop.

As he retreated, he could almost imagine Alfred’s knowing smirk as the leader spotted his disappearance — if that stony man could actually manage to smirk.

The next morning, Kaiser stood on the inn’s balcony, watching as the village below returned to its former liveliness under the bright sun. The change in atmosphere was evident thanks to their last night's achievement; villagers who once stayed sheltered in fear now roamed freely, going about their tasks without the weight of dread hanging over them. Observing the villagers resume building the construct they're previously constructing. His thoughts wandered back to his first day arriving here, when the villagers were focused on dismantling the abandoned homes to build extra carriages and wagons, preparing for the migration. Now, those wooden carriers were ready, lined up and loaded with bundles of belongings, from furniture to bags, all neatly packed and waiting for the journey.

Down in the clearing, the large wooden structure he noticed before was nearing completion. Considering how easy it is to build it, it would soon be finished. It's basically a simple stack of woods, forming a huge wooden box stacked high—meant, from what he'd heard, to be set aflame on the village’s final day here. They planned to have a small farewell festival, a celebration of new beginnings as they left their old home behind for a larger settlement.

Thinking about this, a sense of nostalgia crept over Kaiser. His time here wasn't long, but somehow it felt long and eventful. This small village was the first real place he had come to know since arriving in Greenland, and it would be hard to forget. Its peaceful environment — not really that peaceful due to the lurking monster —, the kindness of the villagers, the stark simplicity of it all had grounded him, reminding him of things that his life back on Earth had lacked. For some reason, the few days he spent here was more meaningful than his years of living on Earth. Well, his life there is really boring in all honesty.

"A few more days, and this village will be completely abandoned," he murmured, his wistful gaze fixed on the half-finished farewell structure. He would surely miss this place,

It was peaceful, simple and quiet. The people are kind, too, if he disregards his issues with Alfred and Brick. Though, he thinks he has a personal issue with everyone now. Be it the Villagers or Hunters, they all have him admiring looks as if his some kind of celebrity.

Kaiser understood that Players are lofty legends in this land, the origin of humanity and powerful individuals. But the fame was getting uncomfortable, such attention just wasn't for him. Even more because even the High ranking Hunters hold slight respect for him now, he finds himself oddly missing their roughness towards him; at least then he could just be himself.

With a sigh, he turned back into the room. The final migration would begin soon, and he had only a few days to wrap up before they all left for the bigger world in the City, or are they moving on a kingdom? Kai doesn't really care for now.

Though, having been somewhat of an unemployed loner, he didn’t have any social obligations , but he felt the pull to tie up a few loose ends.

Crossing the room, he found Ariella sprawled out on the bed, draped over Cia, who lay beside her, equally lost in boredom. Cia had her usual timid demeanor, but Ariella looked practically dead from boredom, especially now that she’d drained his phone’s battery playing games and wasn't in the mood to listen to her sister Cia's stories. He knew they would very much prefer going out, but their introverted caretaker seemed to be unable to withstand the outside world lately. Hence, they can't go out either because they can't go anywhere without him.

The three's relationship was really odd. Even Kaiser or Cia didn't know what to make of it.

Kaiser raised an eyebrow at them. "Hey, feels like going somewhere a bit more interesting?"

Ariella immediately perked up, and even Cia shifted her head in his direction.

He smiled. "I was thinking it might be time to pay a visit to the lighthouse keeper. I did promised to visit the old hag."

Once the migration began, he doubted they'll ever come back here. However, his intentions were more than a simple visit. Kai had a few questions for the Warden. Like who really is Zara? The wolf-eared lady of the Beast-kin race, who's likely connected to the ancient Players. That, and his other encounters with descendants had piqued his interest towards the Players.

Furthermore, rumor has it the old man used to be quite the swordsman.

Without another word, they gathered their things, and soon they were on their way through the village.