Chapter 28: Climb up a tree

Words : 1206 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 28 of "Return of the Youngest Son with SSS-Rank Talent" starts with dramatic events: Chapter 28: Climb up a tree The sun, which minutes earlier had crowned the sky with... Discover what happens!

Chapter 28: Climb up a tree The sun, which minutes earlier had crowned the sky with its golden glow, was now drowning beneath a blanket of gray clouds. The last rays clung to the snow, tinging it with a dying glow, before the shadow devoured everything. The snow-covered meadow was transformed into a leaden landscape. The biting wind whistled through the dry stalks peeking out from under the snow, while a pack of silver wolves sliced through the air with their jaws half open. The vapor from their breath formed ghostly wisps as it collided with the cold. Two figures ran across the plain at a rapid pace. They were Kael and Eren. Behind them, the silver wolves pursued them closely; their growls pierced their ears like the echo of a nightmare. Each step seemed to take them a little further away... but not far enough. They continued running at full speed, breathing heavily. Eren’s legs were burning. Sweat clouded his vision. His gaze moved quickly, getting closer and closer to the forest. With just three seconds of analysis, Kael opened the image of the Kiran mountain map and calculated the angle of entry into the forest. If he ran in a straight line, he would enter boar territory. Detouring would cost him ten more seconds... but the wolves would give him twenty. He noticed that Eren’s resistance was waning, but he didn’t let panic take hold of him. Despite the desperate situation, he remained calm, thinking about the best option for surviving the crisis. The silver wolves, with their large bodies, were incredibly fast and agile. They moved through the snow with unsettling ease. They drew closer, their elongated shadows looming over the two like omens of death. Then they entered the forest again, where they had the advantage of the terrain. Kael glanced at Eren to see how he was doing, and it wasn’t looking good: the wolves were about to catch up with him. There were at least twenty wolves in the pack. Kael ordered Eren, "Climb up a tree." Eren’s eyes widened slightly at this command; he was sure Kael would use him as bait. Without asking, he quickly climbed a tree. Some of the wolves stayed with him before ignoring him and continuing to chase Kael, who was going deeper and deeper into the forest. While Eren clung to the tree like a child on the brink of death, Kael ran with light steps, as if the fangs behind him were just part of the noise of the forest. Kael noticed that some of the wolves had stayed with Eren, which relieved the pressure a little. He hadn’t given Eren that order simply because he was a good person and willing to sacrifice himself. Rather, Eren was getting in his way and limiting him, and he didn’t want to get rid of him just yet. That’s why Kael gave him that order. Without Eren following him, he could move more freely in that forest. The wolves, jagged shadows emerging from among the trees, let out wet snarls into the air. Kael dodged to the right, his boots sinking into the snow, then lunged to the left, grazing the rough bark of an oak tree. The trunks were his allies: he used them as barriers, forcing the beasts to slow down, to collide with each other with frustrated growls. The icy wind whipped his face. Kael glanced at the hologram map so as not to stray too far off course. The growls were still there, tearing through the air, each one closer than the last. But Kael merely frowned, his fingers brushing against the coin mask. The burning in his muscles grew, a dull reminder of his body’s limits. Lactic acid burned, but he ignored it. The bright sun hung in the clear sky. The clouds that had once obscured its light had dispersed, revealing a landscape of elongated shadows. Golden rays illuminated the trees, creating a play of light and shadow that gave the forest an even more unsettling air. The cold winter wind blew strongly, bringing with it the smell of dampness. The branches of the trees creaked and cracked under the pressure of the air, producing a sharp sound that echoed throughout the area. Kael ran, drenched in sweat, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow. His vision was blurred by the sweat running down his forehead. He quickly opened the map image and saw that he was close to the small red dots. Seeing this, he put on his coin mask. He was getting closer and closer to his destination. "Woof, woof!" "Woof, woof!" The howls pierced the frigid air, so close that Kael could feel the putrid warmth of the wolves’ breath on his calves. Their drooling jaws snapped just inches from his heels, splattering melted snow against his boots. Although his body was slightly above that of a rank 9, that didn’t mean he was invincible, though he did have a system that helped him. The environment, despite being an advantage, also limited him in a certain sense due to the snow, and his endurance was severely affected by the cold climate of the place. The air cut into his lungs, turning each breath into ice crystals that tore him apart inside. The cold had ceased to be a nuisance and had become poison: his muscles burned, his numb fingers barely responded. But the most dangerous thing wasn’t the pain. It was the snow crunching under his feet, betraying his every step. It was the steam from his breath, marking his position like a torch in the night. At that moment, Kael’s body was close to its limit. But despite this, his expression remained indifferent, covered in sweat. The edge of the forest loomed between the tree trunks, drawing ever closer. The wind howled furiously, tearing off dry leaves and whipping Kael’s face as if trying to stop him. These were not mere gusts, but an invisible wall blocking his escape. Among the branches, the sunlight filtered through, pale and clear but without warmth. And then the grunts of the lightning boars began to be heard, growing closer and closer. Making one last great effort, watching the trees beside him move quickly as he passed, Kael emerged from the forest and came to an open field, a white expanse of snow under the clear sky. And then he saw them. More than a hundred. The lightning boars covered the ground, their muscular bodies covered in thick, bristling fur. Red eyes stalked him, sharp fangs dripping with saliva. Kael drew his coin sword, and the black blade cut through the air with a whistle. Three heads rolled before the first agonizing screams rang out, followed by the smell of blood. But it wasn’t enough. The rest of the herd rose like a storm, their hooves kicking up snow and dirt. Kael continued running among the animals, searching for a way out, until the sound saved him: running water. A river. There was a part that wasn’t frozen, just fast-flowing, dark water. Without thinking, without breathing, Kael jumped. The cold hit him like a hammer, but the roar of the boars was drowned out behind him.

Chapter 28: Climb up a tree

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