The dust slowly settled.
A towering golden staff remained embedded in the shattered ground, splitting the battlefield in two.
No one moved.
Not Marshal Liang.
Not the Dragon Division.
Not Ren.
Even Lucien’s calm expression had disappeared.
The only sound was the soft clink of the staff as it vibrated from the impact.
Then— A cheerful yawn echoed through the silence.
The monkey warrior stretched lazily before pulling the massive staff from the ground with one hand as if it weighed nothing.
He rested it across his shoulders and grinned.
“So…”
He looked around the ruined zoo.
“I leave for a few thousand years and this place becomes a mess.”
Bruno’s eyes sparkled.
“Monkey!”
The warrior pointed dramatically.
“Bear!”
Bruno ran over excitedly.
The monkey dropped his staff.
The two ancient beings hugged each other so hard that the resulting shockwave blew leaves off every nearby tree.
Arjun stared.
“…They’re friends?”
The Moon-Devouring Heavenly Wolf answered calmly.
“They’ve been arguing for over eight thousand years.”
Bruno quickly corrected him.
“We’re best friends.”
The monkey scratched his chin.
“…Sometimes.”
The system suddenly flickered back to life.
Its screen glitched violently before stabilizing.
SYSTEM REBOOT COMPLETE
Emergency Override Activated
External Administrator Connected…
Identity Confirmed
Sun Wukong
Great Sage Equal to Heaven
System Privilege:
Temporary Administrator
Arjun blinked.
“…Administrator?”
Correction.
Annoying Administrator.
A second line immediately appeared beneath it.
I SAW THAT.
The system paused.
…Connection compromised.
The monkey burst into loud laughter.
“Hahahaha!”
“It still gets embarrassed!”
Arjun looked back and forth between the glowing screen and the monkey.
“…You can read my system?”
Sun Wukong twirled the golden staff effortlessly.
“Read it?”
“I helped write parts of it.”
Silence.
Arjun slowly turned toward the system.
“…You never mentioned that.”
Host never asked.
“I’ve asked hundreds of questions!”
None were sufficiently specific.
Sun Wukong slapped his knee.
“It hasn’t changed at all!”
Lucien watched the exchange quietly.
Then he spoke.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Sun Wukong’s smile faded only slightly.
“I know.”
“You broke the agreement.”
“I know.”
“You crossed the Boundary.”
“I know.”
The monkey shrugged.
“…Worth it.”
Lucien sighed.
“You never listened.”
“And you still talk too much.”
The two men smiled at one another.
Yet beneath those smiles…
The spiritual pressure surrounding them shook the heavens.
Marshal Liang immediately shouted,
“Everyone!”
“Retreat another five hundred meters!”
The Dragon Division obeyed instantly.
Even Ren stepped backward.
Only Arjun and the ancient guardians remained.
Sun Wukong walked over to Arjun.
Without warning…
He flicked Arjun’s forehead.
Thunk!
“Ow!”
“There.”
The monkey grinned.
“That should wake up a few sleeping memories.”
Arjun rubbed his forehead.
“What was that for?”
Before anyone answered…
A sharp pain exploded inside his head.
His vision blurred.
Another memory surfaced.
Memory Fragment
A younger Sun Wukong sat upside down on a palace roof, eating peaches while arguing with a man in black robes.
“You know…”
the monkey said through a mouthful of fruit,
“Your plan is stupid.”
The man laughed.
“It’ll work.”
“It’ll get you killed.”
“Probably.”
“So why do it?”
The man looked toward the horizon where countless stars shone above an endless kingdom.
“Because someone has to protect everyone.”
Sun Wukong sighed dramatically.
“You Heroes are exhausting.”
The man smiled.
“That’s why I keep you around.”
The monkey pointed at himself.
“I’m the handsome one.”
“No.”
“I’m definitely the handsome one.”
They both burst into laughter.
The memory shattered.
Arjun staggered backward.
“…That…”
His breathing became uneven.
“I remember…”
Sun Wukong caught him before he fell.
“Easy.”
“That’s enough for one day.”
The system quietly updated.
MEMORY SYNCHRONIZATION
Current Progress:
11%
New Title Unlocked
Friend of the Great Sage
Lucien watched silently.
Then…
He smiled again.
“I understand now.”
Sun Wukong rested his staff on one shoulder.
“Understand what?”
Lucien looked directly at Arjun.
“You truly aren’t ready.”
His expression held neither anger nor disappointment.
Only certainty.
“So I will wait.”
Arjun frowned.
“…You’re leaving?”
“For now.”
Lucien turned toward the enormous golden eye in the heavens.
“Our next meeting will be different.”
He paused.
“And next time…”
His golden gaze returned to Arjun.
“…I won’t come alone.”
Above the clouds, the colossal eye slowly began to close.
The overwhelming pressure covering the zoo gradually faded.
One by one, the stars became visible again.
Lucien’s body dissolved into countless golden particles.
Before disappearing completely, he spoke one final sentence.
“Grow stronger, Master.”
“Because the enemies beyond the Boundary…”
“…have already begun marching.”
The last particle of golden light vanished into the night.
Silence returned.
For several long moments…
Nobody spoke.
Finally, Bruno scratched his fluffy head.
“So…”
He looked at Sun Wukong.
“You hungry?”
The monkey’s eyes lit up immediately.
“Do you still have bamboo dumplings?”
“I made extra!”
“Then what are we waiting for?”
The two legendary beings sprinted toward the staff cafeteria.
Arjun stared after them.
“…The world almost ended.”
Aisha laughed.
“And they’re going to eat.”
The Moon-Devouring Heavenly Wolf closed its eyes.
“Some things…”
“…never change.”
Arjun couldn’t help smiling.
For the first time since receiving the glitched system…
He felt something he hadn’t experienced in days.
Hope.
Yet far beyond the stars…
In a realm hidden behind shattered space…
Countless crimson eyes slowly opened in the darkness.
A cold, emotionless voice echoed through the void.
“The Keeper has awakened.”
“Begin the Final Hunt.”
The true game had only just begun.
The staff cafeteria was unusually lively.
Bruno sat on one side of the table with an enormous mountain of bamboo shoots.
Sun Wukong occupied the other side with what could only be described as an equally ridiculous pile of peaches, bananas, steamed buns, dumplings, and noodles.
The two legendary beings glared at one another.
Bruno pointed his chopsticks.
“I’ll finish first.”
Sun Wukong smirked.
“Dream on.”
Director Wang walked in carrying a tray of tea.
He stopped.
Looked at the monkey with the golden staff.
Then looked at Bruno.
“…New employee?”
Arjun nearly dropped his cup.
Before anyone could answer, Sun Wukong stood up and offered his hand with complete confidence.
“Hello, Uncle.”
“My name is Wu Kong.”
“I’m the new animal behavior consultant.”
Arjun stared.
“Animal behavior consultant?”
Director Wang shook his hand warmly.
“Oh!”
“Wonderful!”
“We’ve been short-staffed.”
He looked at the golden staff leaning against the wall.
“Interesting walking stick.”
Sun Wukong nodded seriously.
“My knees aren’t what they used to be.”
Bruno immediately added,
“Very old.”
Sun Wukong’s smile froze.
“…Bear.”
Bruno grinned.
“What?”
“You started it.”
Aisha covered her mouth to hide another laugh.
Even the Moon-Devouring Heavenly Wolf seemed suspiciously close to smiling.
The system quietly appeared.
✔ NEW IDENTITY REGISTERED ✔
Wu Kong
Occupation: Zoo Consultant
Probability Director Wang believes this:
100%
Arjun rubbed his temples.
“I don’t understand how he keeps accepting these explanations.”
Director Wang possesses an extremely rare passive ability.
“What ability?”
Common Sense Immunity.
“…That’s actually believable.”
After breakfast, the atmosphere became more serious.
The group gathered inside the zoo’s small conference room.
A worn map of Green Paradise Zoo covered one wall.
Marshal Liang stood beside it with folded arms.
Ren remained near the window.
Sun Wukong casually sat backward on a chair, balancing it on two legs.
Bruno attempted the same thing.
The chair immediately broke.
Crack!
“…Oops.”
Director Wang sighed from outside.
“I’ll order another one.”
Nobody questioned it anymore.
Marshal Liang pointed toward the center of the map.
“The Crimson Earth Devourer has stabilized.”
“The First Seal has temporarily recovered.”
He moved his finger toward several red circles marked across the city.
“But these…”
“…appeared last night.”
Arjun frowned.
“What are they?”
Ren answered.
“Fractures.”
“The False Sovereign’s arrival weakened the barrier between worlds.”
Sun Wukong twirled a peach in one hand.
“And those cracks let unwanted guests sneak in.”
The system highlighted the map.
WORLD MAP UPDATED
Seal Fractures Detected
Current Active Fractures:
7
Nearby Threat Level:
Medium → High
Arjun looked at the blinking red markers.
“So if we seal these…”
“The world becomes safer?”
Marshal Liang nodded.
“Exactly.”
“But there is another problem.”
He pointed toward the zoo itself.
The map suddenly glowed.
Ancient golden lines spread beneath Green Paradise Zoo like the roots of a gigantic tree.
Arjun’s eyes widened.
“…What is that?”
The room fell silent.
Even Sun Wukong stopped smiling.
Finally…
Ren answered.
“The truth.”
He slowly walked toward the map.
“This place…”
“…was never meant to be a zoo.”
Arjun frowned.
“What?”
Ren placed his hand on the glowing symbol.
Golden light spread across the wall.
The conference room disappeared.
Everyone found themselves standing inside a beautiful illusion.
Towering golden trees stretched toward the heavens.
Crystal rivers flowed between marble temples.
Thousands of ancient spirit beasts wandered peacefully through vast forests.
Dragons slept atop mountains.
Phoenixes nested within radiant trees.
Children laughed while feeding enormous white tigers.
There were no cages.
No chains.
Only harmony.
Aisha looked around in awe.
“It’s…”
“It’s beautiful.”
Ren smiled faintly.
“This…”
“…was the Eternal Sanctuary.”
Sun Wukong nodded.
“The safest place in existence.”
“The home of every sacred beast.”
Bruno quietly whispered,
“…Home.”
The Moon-Devouring Heavenly Wolf lowered its head respectfully.
Varkhaz remained completely silent.
The illusion shifted.
Darkness covered the sanctuary.
The rivers turned black.
The temples crumbled.
Flames consumed the forests.
One by one…
The spirit beasts disappeared.
Only a single figure remained standing.
Kael.
He pressed both palms against a gigantic golden tree.
Countless glowing runes spread across the sanctuary.
Sun Wukong spoke softly.
“He sacrificed the Sanctuary.”
“So the world could survive.”
The illusion faded.
Everyone returned to the conference room.
Arjun stood frozen.
“So…”
He whispered.
“The zoo…”
Ren nodded.
“…is built directly above the remains of the Eternal Sanctuary.”
The system immediately released a new notification.
✔ LOCATION DISCOVERED ✔
Green Paradise Zoo
True Identity:
Eternal Sanctuary
Current Restoration:
4%
Hidden Functions:
Locked
Arjun slowly looked around the ordinary conference room.
The peeling paint.
The old fan.
The cheap plastic chairs.
It was hard to believe that beneath his feet rested one of the greatest places in history.
Director Wang suddenly opened the door carrying a toolbox.
“I fixed the broken chair.”
Everyone immediately fell silent.
He looked around.
“…Meeting finished?”
Sun Wukong smiled.
“Just talking about animal habitats.”
Director Wang nodded.
“Good.”
“Don’t forget the penguins need feeding at eleven.”
He left again.
The room remained silent for several seconds.
Finally…
Marshal Liang chuckled.
“I almost envy him.”
Arjun smiled.
“What do you mean?”
“He has no idea the fate of the world is being decided beneath his office.”
Sun Wukong laughed loudly.
“And somehow…”
“…that’s exactly why this place is still peaceful.”
Before anyone could continue—
The zoo’s emergency alarm suddenly blared.
WEEOO!
WEEOO!
WEEOO!
Director Wang’s voice echoed through the building’s speaker system.
“Arjun!”
“We have a problem!”
“The new panda escaped!”
Everyone slowly turned to look at Bruno.
Bruno blinked.
“…Which panda?”
At that exact moment…
A terrified security guard burst into the conference room.
“H-he’s climbing the observation tower!”
Everyone looked at Sun Wukong.
The monkey scratched the back of his head.
“…That might be me.”
To Be Continue….