Recaps

Su Wei drove the giant bear he had killed into Kodiak Town, following Black’s advice to make the hunt public and establish his reputation. As the crowd reacted with awe, Aruk proudly described the kill, leaving Su Wei to feel the beginnings of a new status as a professional hunter.

• Black told Su Wei to show the bear to the town rather than butcher and sell it in secret, explaining that public recognition would build his reputation.
• Su Wei realized that being known for killing the giant bear could give him valuable leverage with buyers, guilds, and equipment dealers, and he agreed to drive it into town.
• Su Wei, Black, and Aruk drove the loaded Raptor toward Kodiak Town, with Aruk waving to startled motorists along the way.
• The truck rolled onto Kodiak Town’s main street, where the bear’s head and the other prey drew a stunned crowd that quickly began taking pictures and cheering.
• Su Wei remained composed under the crowd’s attention and felt the awe gathering around him as a new kind of status.
• Aruk told the onlookers that the bear weighed over six hundred kilograms and that Su Wei had killed it with one shot through the heart at Eagle Beak Cliff.

Su Wei drove through Kodiak Island with the enormous bear he had hunted, and Black redirected him from the Hunters' Guild to the Broken Blade Tavern to establish his reputation. The chapter ended as Su Wei approached the crowded tavern entrance, preparing to display the bear to the local hunters.

• The men on the road recognized the bear's weight of over six hundred kilograms and saluted it, exciting Aruk and gratifying Su Wei.
• Black told Su Wei to skip the Hunters' Guild and take the bear to the Broken Blade Tavern so the island's hunters would hear about the hunt.
• Black explained that publicizing the kill could win Su Wei fame, better-paying opportunities, and recognition as Black's disciple.
• Su Wei turned the Raptor into the alley toward the tavern, while Aruk eagerly urged him to park in front and block the entrance.
• Su Wei reached the crowded Broken Blade Tavern as music and laughter sounded from inside.

Su Wei entered the Broken Blade Tavern with Black, facing the hunters’ hostile scrutiny as they judged whether he deserved to be Black’s apprentice. Black’s reputation cleared a path through the room, while Su Wei’s acceptance among the hunters remained undecided.

• Su Wei parked his pickup outside the tavern with the dead bear and moose antlers visible in the truck bed.
• Su Wei and Black entered the Broken Blade Tavern, and the room fell silent.
• Hunters scrutinized Su Wei and mocked his youthful appearance, recalling that Black had refused wealthy men who had offered to become his apprentices.
• Su Wei stayed composed under their hostile gazes, while Black stepped forward and the hunters made way for him.

Su Wei accompanied Black to a Kodiak tavern, where Black arranged for hunters to unload the day's catch and made clear that it was Su Wei's haul. As the other hunters watched and mocked the young apprentice, Su Wei remained confident about what they would find.

• Su Wei followed Black into the crowded tavern while Aruk and Old Kash guarded his flanks, and the hunters made way for the respected legendary hunter.
• A bearded hunter taunted Black about returning from Pillar Mountain empty-handed, but Black ignored him and ordered whiskey from the one-eyed bartender.
• Black paid the bartender to send the young hunters outside to unload the cargo, explaining that it was Su Wei's game and warning them not to damage the pelt.
• The young hunters accepted Black's offer of one hundred dollars each, then left the tavern still joking that Su Wei could not have shot anything.
• Su Wei drank whiskey and told Old Kash that the hunters, not he, were the ones who should be nervous.

A terrified porter burst into the tavern after seeing the enormous bear Black had killed, and Old Joey recognized it as the legendary King of the Island. The hunters rushed outside to see the carcass while Black and Su Wei stayed at the bar and Aruk celebrated their stunned reactions.

• A young porter stumbled into the tavern, trembling as he tried to describe the giant bear outside.
• Old Joey went out to investigate, then returned in shock and called the bear the King of the Island.
• The hunters overturned tables and chairs as they scrambled outside to see the legendary bear.
• Aruk laughed and mocked the bearded hunter and Old Joey, while Black remained calm and Su Wei watched the open door.
• The crowd gathered around the bear, marveling at its enormous paws and damaged teeth.

The hunters returned to the tavern and celebrated Black for supposedly killing the King of the Island, while Su Wei went unnoticed. Black then revealed that Su Wei had fired the shot, leaving the tavern in stunned silence.

• The hunters came back inside, praising Black for the shot and celebrating the giant bear’s valuable hide.
• Old Joey and the other hunters estimated that the hide could sell for fifteen to twenty thousand dollars.
• Black sat quietly through the praise, then pointed at Su Wei and said that Su Wei had fired the shot.
• The tavern fell silent after Black’s revelation.

At the tavern, Aruk defended Su Wei’s account of killing the charging sow bear with a .454 revolver, while the hunters doubted the young newcomer. Old Joey inspected the bear and returned shaken, confirming the feat.

• The bearded hunter and others mocked Black’s claim that Su Wei had killed the sow bear.
• Aruk leaped onto a table and angrily explained that two bears had attacked, with the sow charging Su Wei from five meters while his rifle was empty.
• Aruk said Su Wei drew his Ruger Super Redhawk and fired a .454 Casull round into the charging bear’s head.
• Aruk showed the hunters Su Wei’s blood-marked revolver and challenged them to inspect the sow’s wound.
• Old Joey went to the game trading room to examine the bear, then returned in bewilderment and drank his beer without answering the bearded hunter.

After Old Joey confirmed that Su Wei had killed the charging beast with a point-blank .454 shot, the hunters accepted him as one of their own. Black then bought the room a round of bourbon, leaving Su Wei with a hard-won sense of belonging among the hunters.

• Old Joey described the beast’s shattered skull and confirmed Su Wei had fired from no more than a meter away.
• Black challenged the hunters to deny that his apprentice deserved the hide, and no one objected.
• The bearded hunter apologized to Su Wei, toasted his courage and gun, and drank a liter of beer.
• The other hunters raised their drinks to Su Wei, who returned the toast and felt accepted among them.
• Black ordered Silas to give every hunter a strong bourbon whiskey on his tab.

After Su Wei and his companions were celebrated at the Broken Blade Tavern, Black led them to its hidden cold room, where Silas assessed their game. Silas judged Su Wei’s giant Kodiak bear to be a collector-grade trophy, and Aruk asked how much it was worth.

• The tavern crowd cheered Black and Su Wei while Aruk celebrated Su Wei’s newfound fame and Old Kash watched proudly.
• Silas led Black, Su Wei, and Aruk through a hidden door to the tavern’s cold room, which Black revealed was a Hunters’ Guild transfer point and a place for private contracts.
• Black told Su Wei that Silas was the person in charge and a professional hunter at LV6, but said no more about Silas’s missing hand.
• Silas inspected the female bear and bull moose, then praised the giant male bear’s undamaged hide and intact face as a priceless collector’s trophy.
• Aruk asked Silas how much the bear was worth and warned him not to cheat them while Black was present.

Su Wei asked to keep the giant bear’s hide and skull as a personal milestone, offering to pay the others their shares. Black ruled that Su Wei could keep the trophy without payment but would receive only twenty percent of the remaining game, leaving the group’s division settled by his terms.

• Su Wei asked to keep the male bear’s hide and skull and offered to compensate the others at market price.
• Aruk objected, arguing that Su Wei had earned the bear by landing the killing blow, and Old Kash agreed that Su Wei should keep its hide and head.
• Old Kash proposed dividing the remaining game so that Su Wei received most of it, while he, Aruk, and Black took smaller shares.
• Black rejected Old Kash’s sentimental division and said the group hunt required fair shares for everyone.
• Black granted Su Wei the hide and skull without payment but assigned him twenty percent of the remaining game, leaving eighty percent to be split equally among Old Kash, Aruk, and Black.

After Silas announced that the hunt had earned the team $124,300, Aruk counted the cash while Silas began dividing it according to the agreed rules. The chapter ended with Silas setting aside the odd $4,300 and preparing to split the remaining $120,000.

• Silas announced that the trip’s proceeds after the guild’s cut and his fee totaled $124,300.
• Aruk eagerly began counting the cash after Su Wei told him to do it.
• Aruk finished counting and confirmed the total was $124,300.
• Silas wrote out the division and set aside $4,300, leaving $120,000 to split.
• Black nodded to Silas to continue with the distribution.

Su Wei and the hunters divided the proceeds from their bear hunt, then Su Wei turned the remaining $4,300 into a shared fund for meals and gatherings. The group agreed to celebrate at the Old Captain Seafood Restaurant the next evening, and Black invited Silas too.

• Silas divided the $120,000 among Su Wei, Black, Old Kash, and Aruk, and Su Wei received his $24,000 by bank transfer.
• Aruk proposed giving Su Wei the remaining $4,300 because Su Wei had landed the final shot on the bear, and Old Kash and Black agreed.
• Su Wei refused to keep or split the extra money and made it a shared fund for future meals and drinks.
• Su Wei invited everyone to a celebration dinner at the Old Captain Seafood Restaurant the next night, and the hunters cheered.
• Black told Silas to join them at five o'clock, surprising Silas.

Su Wei brought the enormous Kodiak bear hide and skull home, where the trophy frightened Cotton Candy and impressed Aruk and Old Kash. He realized the hide, head, and antlers needed professional processing and decided to find a top taxidermist.

• Su Wei, Aruk, and Old Kash carried the bear hide and skull into Su Wei's cabin while Black held a flashlight.
• Cotton Candy hid under the sofa when the bear's scent filled the house.
• Old Kash called the bear a good omen, and Black told Su Wei to rest before training resumed the morning after tomorrow.
• Aruk invited Su Wei to dinner at the Old Captain Seafood Restaurant the next evening, and he and Old Kash drove away.
• Su Wei inspected the trophy and concluded he needed a professional taxidermist to preserve it.

Su Wei joined Aruk, Black, Old Kash, and Silas at the Old Captain for a celebratory seafood dinner after their success hunting the bear. He honored Black by giving him the first piece of king crab, and the meal began in earnest.

• Su Wei covered the grisly bear head and decided to ask Black for help finding a master taxidermist.
• Su Wei practiced commands with Cotton Candy and received three Beast Taming experience points.
• Aruk invited Su Wei to the Old Captain, where he met Black, Old Kash, and Silas for dinner.
• Old Kash insisted that Su Wei take the first king crab leg to celebrate their success.
• Su Wei extracted the crab meat and placed it on Black's plate, and Black praised it with a brief, emphatic “Good.”

Su Wei celebrated the successful hunt with Aruk, Black, Old Kash, and Silas, then stepped outside to answer Emily’s call. Emily told him she had to leave for Anchorage immediately because of problems with her research data and pressure to protect her credits, leaving Su Wei to face their sudden separation.

• Aruk ordered bourbon for the group and arranged for his cousin Cartier to drive everyone home.
• Su Wei and the others toasted the bear, their opponent, the wilderness, and the $120,000 prize.
• Aruk described his plans to fish for bluefin tuna, and Black gave Su Wei a taxidermist’s contact for his game.
• Emily called Su Wei and said she had to return to Anchorage immediately to recheck her research data and finish her work.
• Su Wei asked Emily when her flight was.

After speaking with Emily, Su Wei rejoined the group and received an invitation to join the professional hunters’ circle. He headed back to his cabin with the next day’s airport trip and the mysterious card on his mind.

• Su Wei agreed to drive Emily to the airport the following afternoon, then returned inside when Aruk teased him about the call.
• Su Wei, Aruk, Old Kash, Black, and Silas finished their meal and drinks before leaving the restaurant.
• Silas gave Su Wei a heavy black card and offered to contact him about dangerous prey and private commissions for Broken Blade.
• Cartier drove Su Wei away from the harbor, and Su Wei told him to take him back to the cabin.

Su Wei prepared a beef-and-potato stew and drove to pick up Emily, helping her load her suitcase into his truck. They headed for the airport along the coastal highway, with Emily carrying coffee to warm her hands.

• Su Wei cooked beef belly and potato stew, packed a lunch, and fed Cotton Candy raw chicken.
• Su Wei drove his Raptor to Emily’s apartment building in Kodiak Town.
• Su Wei helped Emily free her suitcase from the doorway and secured it in the truck bed.
• Su Wei gave Emily a cup of hot coffee, and they drove toward the airport.

Su Wei drove Emily to Kodiak Airport and shared a quiet, affectionate farewell before her flight to Anchorage. Emily boarded after giving him a handmade charm and eating the beef brisket and potatoes he had prepared for her.

• Su Wei asked Emily about her recovering foot, and they discussed her research plans and his recent bear hunt during the drive.
• At Kodiak Airport, Emily gave Su Wei a handmade bear charm decorated with wolf teeth, and he attached it to his car keys.
• Su Wei prepared Emily's favorite beef brisket and potatoes, and she ate most of the meal while growing emotional.
• The boarding announcement called passengers for Flight AS66 to Anchorage.

Su Wei watched Emily leave Alaska, then called Old Hope to arrange the preservation of his Kodiak bear pelt and skull. Old Hope agreed to begin work at nine the next morning after hearing the trophy’s size and condition.

• Emily gently embraced Su Wei, told him to take care of himself, and boarded her flight.
• Su Wei watched Emily’s plane take off and received her message thanking him for the meal and saying goodbye.
• Su Wei left the airport and called Old Hope using the number Black had given him.
• Su Wei described the Kodiak bear’s skull and nearly intact pelt, and told Old Hope that Black and Silas could confirm the trophy.
• Old Hope became eager to take the job and asked Su Wei to bring the bear in at nine the next morning.

Su Wei arranged professional work on his bear hide and agreed to rebuild his cabin with a specialized construction company. Black then told him that the eighty acres bordering his property were for sale, leaving Su Wei considering a chance to greatly expand his land.

• Su Wei arranged to bring his bearskin and skull to Old Hope for processing and hurried home to preserve the hide.
• Black told Su Wei that Polar Strong Shield could rebuild his cabin, with work beginning as soon as the day after tomorrow for at least $200,000.
• Su Wei agreed to the cabin project as long as the construction quality met his standards.
• Black told Su Wei that Old Sam was selling eighty acres bordering his land and extending to the U-Shaped Valley.

Su Wei decided to buy an additional eighty acres near Pilan Creek, bringing his private land to a hundred acres and moving closer to building his own estate. After returning to his cabin, he warmed up, comforted Cotton Candy, and began cooking venison.

• Su Wei asked Black to arrange a meeting with the seller of the eighty-acre property.
• Su Wei drove back to his cabin, where Cotton Candy kept its distance from the bear covered in oilcloth.
• Su Wei promised to have the bear sent away and restarted the fireplace to warm the house.
• Su Wei selected Black's black-tailed deer backstrap and sliced and seasoned it for dinner.
• Su Wei prepared napa cabbage and soybean sprouts, then heated chili bean paste in a wok.

Su Wei cooked water-boiled venison, shared plain meat with Cotton Candy, and planned to acquire Old Sam’s land to control the valley entrance. The next morning, he woke and found the King of the Island’s hide-and-skull bundle still in the living room.

• Su Wei prepared spicy water-boiled venison and fed Cotton Candy a separate portion of plain venison.
• Su Wei ate the meal with rice and rested with Cotton Candy after clearing the dishes.
• Su Wei marked his cabin and Old Sam’s land on a map, deciding he needed more income to buy the territory and develop it.
• Su Wei carried the sleeping Cotton Candy upstairs and fell asleep as the storm eased outside.
• Su Wei woke at six the next morning and saw the King of the Island’s hide-and-skull bundle in the living room.

Su Wei brought the enormous hide and skull of the King of the Island to Old Hope, Alaska’s renowned taxidermist, who became engrossed in examining the exceptional specimen. After measuring the hide, Old Hope asked Su Wei what pose he wanted for the mount, and Su Wei shook his head.

• Su Wei loaded the enormous bear hide, bear skull, and Roosevelt elk king’s head and antlers into his Raptor and drove to Old Hope’s workshop.
• Old Hope initially doubted Su Wei’s claim, but rushed to inspect the bear hide when he saw its size and condition.
• Old Hope examined the bullet holes and fur, concluding that the hide was almost completely intact and insisting that only he could mount it.
• Su Wei and Old Hope carried the hide into the workshop, where Old Hope measured it and recorded its dimensions for half an hour.
• Old Hope suggested several poses for the mount, and Su Wei shook his head.

Su Wei brought Old Hope a king Roosevelt elk’s antlers, and Old Hope recognized their rare, intact crown and began cleaning and treating the skull. As Su Wei watched his precise work, he considered learning the taxidermist’s techniques.

• Old Hope examined Su Wei’s antlers and discovered a hidden point, confirming that they formed an exceptionally rare, symmetrical crown.
• Old Hope explained the antlers’ age, patina, and value, then carried them into his workshop.
• Old Hope cleaned the skull and learned that Su Wei had done the cutting under Black’s direction.
• Old Hope treated the antler tips while Su Wei closely watched his quick, precise movements.

Su Wei offered to help Old Hope prepare the bear hide and antlers so he could learn taxidermy and save money. Old Hope tested him with a rotten beaver carcass, and Su Wei’s precise work began to impress him.

• Su Wei asked how long Old Hope would need to finish the antlers and bear hide, then offered to help in exchange for staying at the workshop.
• Old Hope warned Su Wei that the work was filthy and dangerous, then agreed to let him stay if he could strip most of a rotten beaver in half an hour without vomiting.
• Su Wei chose a small crescent-edged scalpel and began separating the beaver’s rotten flesh from its bones with careful, clean cuts.
• Old Hope watched Su Wei reach the ribs, then dropped ash from his trembling cigarette as he saw the young man’s skill.