The End.
It was composed of a large central island and many distant outer islands, primarily made of end stone.
The sky and the void were a featureless, static darkness, occasionally flickering with pulsing orbs of purple light.
Similar to the Nether, the End had no weather or day-night cycle.
This meant there was no distinction between day and night; only a single, unchanging atmosphere remained.
"The sky never changes, and it's thick with the scent of Endermen. What a truly unique dimension."
Observing their surroundings, the Wandering Mage murmured to himself.
Emerging from the portal, the first thing they encountered was the central island.
Unlike the terrain of the Overworld or the Nether, it manifested as a massive, solid island floating in the void.
The inland ground was relatively flat, but gaps and hollows appeared near the edges.
They were positioned at the island's edge, where the teleportation had conveniently generated an obsidian platform.
Notably, there was no sign of a return portal anywhere in the vicinity.
This meant they had to defeat the Ender Dragon to find a way home; otherwise, they would be stranded here forever.
It lacked the vibrant diversity of the Overworld. Taking a few steps forward...
...one could see that the entire central island was populated only by countless Endermen.
They were strange creatures with spindly limbs. You couldn't communicate with them or meet their gaze, making them terrifying monsters to many players.
Staying in the End, companioned only by such monsters?
The mere thought was enough to instill pure dread!
"Look up! It's the Ender Dragon!"
Surveying the area, the Wandering Mage pointed toward the sky and cried out in surprise.
A massive, pitch-black silhouette appeared, nearly blotting out the sky. Its head alone was larger than a single block.
It was entirely black, with grey skeletal structures lining its wings. Its forelimbs were small, while its hind legs were thick and powerful.
Bony ridges protruded along its back, fitting the classic image of a dragon.
Spreading its wings, it let out a thunderous roar.
"We have to defeat it to leave. I didn't expect to be fighting a dragon as soon as we arrived."
With a wry smile and a shake of his head, the Wandering Mage prepared for battle.
Regardless of his previous thoughts, he had followed Galen Yu to the End and had no way back. His only option was to assist in the fight.
"I can feel a surging vitality within it. While not as powerful as other adult dragons, it's still terrifying."
"I might not be able to fully protect you during the fight, so be careful!"
The Wandering Mage took a deep breath, making sure to warn Galen Yu.
No matter how impressive Galen's previous performance had been, he was still a newcomer. Furthermore, they weren't within a chunk where he had building bonuses or minions to help.
With just the two of them facing a dragon, they had to be extremely cautious.
Even a weak dragon was still a dragon—a top-tier species with a powerful physical body and magical abilities!
Very few creatures could stand against one!
Outside the screen, the audience was growing nervous.
"Holy crap, he's already fighting a dragon before even advancing!"
"People say dragons only appear in Small Chunks, but God Yu is taking one on from a Miniature Chunk!"
"What an overbearing dragon. Are they really going to fight that thing?"
"Just looking at it scares me. There's no way I could fight it!"
"Wait, why does that dragon look so familiar? Like I've seen it somewhere before?"
"I remember now! That's the creature that flies around in the sky during the death penalties for the players!"
"One breath can destroy half the land. It's insanely strong!"
"With such a powerful dragon, can God Yu handle it? I hope nothing goes wrong."
"He should... be able to, right?"
It was slightly different from other creatures, beyond its terrifying appearance.
The Ender Dragon had actually been seen by some of the audience!
Whether they were on the brink of punishment or lucky survivors of one...
...the image of it destroying everything, turning skyscrapers into ruins in the blink of an eye, was deeply etched into many people's memories.
It was precisely this vivid impression that made them doubt.
Could Galen Yu really deal with such an invincible and powerful dragon?
"So it was this fellow all along."
The blonde elder muttered in realization.
Everything about the Block World was under study, including the punishment mechanisms.
By taking a photo or screenshot from the sidelines and studying it closely, one could actually see traces of the Ender Dragon in many places.
However, back then, only parts of its body had been recorded, so their understanding was incomplete. It was only now, seeing its full form, that they could recognize it.
Undoubtedly, based on its size and the traces it left behind, the experts' evaluation of the Ender Dragon was extremely high.
"There's no portal home in the End, and they've encountered a boss of this caliber. Even with the Wandering Mage's help, the difficulty is staggering."
'Die in the End!'
The blonde elder grew excited at the thought of Galen Yu being defeated by the dragon and dying there.
He prayed fervently in his heart, hoping that the Ender Dragon would soon swallow Galen.
In the Research Institute, Headmaster Quill frowned slightly.
"The Ender Dragon... it has appeared multiple times as a national destiny punishment. Tsk."
To think that a creature the mages sought so desperately had actually appeared many times before.
And during a previous punishment, they had even seen it from a relatively close distance!
Recalling that experience, Headmaster Quill's eyes filled with lingering fear.
He had been only centimeters away from death. He hadn't even clearly seen what kind of creature it was before the Ender Dragon had already departed.
Only now were those buried memories finally unlocked.
"It was that thing back then."
Fries had also been present and was nearly killed, so he understood the Ender Dragon's power all too well.
The punishment had long since passed, and they had been lucky to survive, but now...
Galen Yu was about to face the Ender Dragon head-on—a boss positioned at the highest tier, with an evaluation ranking even above creatures like the Hydra and the Phantom Knight!
He truly broke into a cold sweat for Galen.
"The Ender Dragon."
Looking at the dragon soaring in the sky, Galen Yu didn't have as many complex thoughts.
'It looks just like it does in the game. Do I only get the reward after the kill?'
Recalling how he had triggered a reward upon entering the Nether, he had assumed there would be one for entering the End for the first time as well.
But it seemed it would only be issued alongside the rewards for killing the Ender Dragon.
"How should we fight this?"
Since Galen was the one leading the way, the Wandering Mage asked for instructions as he entered his combat stance.
"My magic shield can block normal creatures and grant immunity to three hits. I've shared it with you now!"
A transparent shield swirled around Galen Yu, enveloping him in protection.
Though he voiced his thanks, Galen didn't actually need this protection.
While the Ender Dragon looked majestic flying in the sky, any veteran player knew its behavior was limited to just a few patterns.
Generally speaking, it had four states of behavior. During combat, it would circle the main island.
Galen pulled out his Tri-Bow and launched an attack directly at it.
Nine arrows flew out simultaneously. He didn't need to aim carefully; there were always arrows that would strike the Ender Dragon.
Although it had 200 health points—less than some bosses in the Twilight Forest—it possessed its own unique damage reduction.
Normally, one would need to deal at least 800 points of damage to complete the kill.
More importantly, aside from its combat maneuvers, when it soared into the sky again, a long line connected to its body.
In the blink of an eye, the damage caused by Galen's arrows was restored!
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