The forest’s verdant canopy was impenetrable. The foliage was so dense it blotted out the sky, plunging the depths into shadow. The deeper I ventured, the darker the surroundings grew. I need to stay alert for ambushes…
To acclimate to the gloom, I harnessed my internal mana to enhance my physical abilities, sprinting through the woods while prioritizing my vision. My sight sharpened, and soon, I’d adapted to the dimness, piercing the darkness with clarity.
That’s when it struck.
Whoosh!
Crack!
A jolt of electricity ran down my spine. My evasion instinct kicked in.
I slammed on the brakes, pivoted mid-stride—
A hair’s breadth too late, and I’d have been crushed.
Thud!
A boulder the size of a fist砸ed into the ground where I’d nearly stood, gouging a crater.
That was close.
I turned toward the source of the attack.
As my detection net flared, the monsters that had been tailing me since I entered the forest—hiding in the shadows, clinging to trees with glowing eyes—stirred.
Screech! Ugh-ee!
The Packet Apes, ape-like creatures with a penchant for hurling tools from their satchels, revealed themselves.
[Monster Encountered.]
[Packet Ape (Rank 01) x 7]
They’re numerous, but not a real threat.
In the game, once these apes exhausted their satchels, their combat prowess dropped drastically. They became little more than hot-headed monkeys. The Shinjeom Taoist Sect’s intel aligned with this—
So, I didn’t curse my luck at their elevated positions in the trees.
Instead, I dodged their relentless barrage, relying on my evasion instinct.
Evasion’s not hard.
Their attacks were fast but monotonous. With night adaptation and instinct on my side, they posed no real threat.
Emboldened, I retaliated between evades.
Clang!
When their satchels emptied, they’d flee, knowing their weakness.
In the game, monsters sometimes bolted mid-battle—a quirk now reflected in reality.
Ugh?
No way I’d let them escape.
Swift climbers thought they were, tracking them all was impossible. Not with my current abilities.
So, I struck back whenever I could.
Smash!
If I sensed them, I could hit them.
Using my sheath as a club, I knocked a boulder skyward.
──!*
The boulder screamed back toward its launcher.
Ugh!?
Thud!
A Packet Ape, clueless, took the hit and plummeted to the ground.
Crash!
It didn’t die—yet.
But it didn’t matter.
A fallen ape was easy prey.
So that’s how it’s done.
Recalling the sensation, I launched another rock.
Screech!?
Crash!
Another ape dropped. This one didn’t move.
In the end…
“Home run.”
As the saying goes, even monkeys fall from trees.
I witnessed seven apes rain down from the canopy.
Afterward?
Screech… Whimper…
“You should’ve learned some curveballs.”
I finished them off like the rocks they’d thrown, burying their bodies in the earth with precise strikes to their hearts.
Not too bad, but mana’s draining…
No time to loot their mana stones.
The hunters lurking nearby would handle the cleanup.
I absorbed ambient mana to replenish my reserves.
Then, I checked the timer.
02:26:11
34 minutes elapsed.
Considering the distance to the Sovereign’s Lake, stamina loss would only worsen.
Can I take down the sovereign like this?
Doubt crept in.
Even weakened, a Rank 3 monster wasn’t to be trifled with.
Need to conserve strength and mana to reach the lake… Wait—
Something tumbled from an ape’s satchel.
A red fruit, apple-like.
“This is…”
I recognized it—not from clan teachings, but from my past life, where I’d seen every ending of this game.
[Vitality Fruit]
◆ Consumable
A fruit favoured by Packet Apes used as potion ingredients.
Effect: Restores 50 HP upon consumption.
Right, in the game, these fruits often spawned near where Packet Apes roamed.
There were more than just red ones.
Blue fruits too.
When that thought struck—
“Time for some farming.”
I decided.
I rummaged through the apes’ satchels for more fruits.
Then…
“As long as I don’t remove their mana stones, the bodies won’t vanish… It’s a bit much, but needs must.”
Slice.
I severed their satchels.
The apes’ stretchy pouches were perfect for holding fruits.
“Monsters have lives too… Sorry.”
Guilt was pricked, but survival came first.
I gathered the bodies, and carved massive bloodied letters on each chest:
[M] [A] [N] [A] [S] [T] [O] [N]
“They’ll get the message.”
If hunters looted the stones mid-way, the satchels would vanish, spilling the fruits.
So, I took precautions.
In the game, monsters disappeared after death, leaving only loot—no need to repurpose satchels.
But Packet Apes’ loot did include their satchels.
Still, I couldn’t assume they’d drop every time, hence this method.
“Sorry. I’ll put your satchels to good use.”
The bodies leaned against trees—some with half-open eyes, others lifeless, one with a caved-in skull.
I wished them peace and left.
“Gather vitality fruits en route to the lake… Or hunt more monkeys.”
I decided to leap from branch to branch, hacking down fruits as I went.
At That Moment, On the Cliff Above
People lounged casually, attended by servants, watching the evaluation unfold.
A stark contrast to the life-or-death battles raging in the forest.
Except for parents with participants—eyes glued to the screens.
“What if… he’s dead?”
“He shielded with mana in time. Dazed, maybe, but alive.”
“Even weakened, apes in packs are dangerous, right?”
20 minutes into the evaluation, most participants had entered the forest’s edge and clashed with monsters.
The Packet Apes, Rank 1 creatures leaping through trees, had ambushed them.
Even seasoned in combat, trained in Shuwang Style, they panicked before the Yellow Gate’s trials.
Yet some stood firm.
“He’s making unnecessary moves, but handling it wisely.”
“No matter how fast their attacks, cover matters.”
Do Seung-woo, Shinjeom’s prodigy, blocked with a shield, hid behind rocks and trees, then counterattacked when their assault paused.
“Skilled at wall-walking.”
“My son learns fast. I taught him recently.”
Do Ye-eok, head of the Shinjeom Taoist Sect, praised him.
Do Beom-joon, Seung-woo’s father, preened with pride.
“Of course, Seung-woo lost in the duel because he let his guard down against Gyeon-woo…”
Mid-boast, a cry drew attention to another screen.
A beam of light soared.
No—blue lightning.
Bijung.
Shuwang Style Attack Form V
The Lightning Blossom, Do Si-eun.
She stood poised, eyeing the frenzied apes in the trees.
Then, she vanished, leaving only a trail of light.
“Ugh!?”
With movements far smoother than Seung-woo’s, she darted up the tree in an instant, leaving afterimages.
And then—
Lion’s Fierce Assault
Four strikes.
She sliced through the apes like lightning, her body sheathed in blue electricity.
All that remained was awe.
“Bijung! It’s definitely Bijung.”
Do Ye-eok couldn’t help but marvel.
Though the lightning was thin, Si-eun had triggered Bijung.
He laughed heartily.
But it didn’t last.
“Seung-woo’s improved, Si-eun too… but I worry.”
“Thanks to you, Head of the household.”
“Si-eun would be pleased to hear that.”
“But worrying too, since it’s just the forest’s edge…”
“…”
Do Ye-eok stroked his beard.
He rejoiced in his grandchildren’s growth yet coldly assessed the situation.
“Wasting time and resources on these creatures will leave them too drained for the sovereign. Do the kids even think about stamina management?”
“Seung-woo will… handle it.”
“I hope so…”
Do Ye-eok trailed off.
Packet Apes were but one of many monsters in the forest.
Stronger, trickier foes lay ahead.
Were his grandchildren planning for that?
He wanted to ask them directly.
“Well, time will tell.”
He decided to observe others.
Then—
Crack!
“What was that noise?”
A sound like a baseball bat.
Do Ye-eok searched the screens for its source.
It was Do Gyeon-woo’s feed.
Crack!
…Crash!
“…”
Gyeon-woo was batting away apes’ boulders with his sheath.
The returned rocks struck apes mid-tree, sending them crashing down.
“What’s he… doing?”
Do Ye-eok asked, baffled.
No one answered.
[Home run.]
Gyeon-woo’s voice echoed on his feed.
The clan members’ faces twisted in disbelief.
Seeing was one thing, believing another.
Once could be luck—
But Gyeon-woo was repeating it, again and again.
If coincidences stacked so high, they became an inevitability.
He was targeting the apes in the trees with skill.
“He’s got a knack for this.”
Despite the chaos, Gyeon-woo dodged effortlessly, retaliating with pinpoint accuracy.
Do Ye-eok’s eyes blazed.
“Head of the household, Seung-woo’s battling a new monster…”
“Let’s focus on Gyeon-woo first.”
“…”
“Seung-woo will manage without watching.”
Do Ye-eok cut off Do Beom-joon, keeping his gaze on Gyeon-woo.
The onlookers now knew whose performance mattered most.
Not Si-eun’s, nor Seung-woo’s—
Do Gyeon-woo’s.
“Watch with me. Let’s see what that boy does next.”
“…”
Do Ye-eok shrugged.
By then, Gyeon-woo was removing the apes’ satchels.
“Seems Gyeon-woo’s uninterested in the evaluation… Is this the time for that?”
“Beom-joon.”
“Yes, Head of the household!”
“Can’t you see his intent?”
“…”
“Look at the fruit in his hand.”
Gyeon-woo bit into a red fruit without hesitation.
Do Beom-joon scoffed at his recklessness.
Then, he realized why Do Ye-eok was interested in Gyeon-woo.
He was dim-witted.
“Eating a fruit without knowing what it is—such carelessness. Doesn’t he realize touching unapprised items is risky? What kind of education is Sang-joon providing…?”
“Are your eyes for show?”
“…”
“Or is your brain missing? As Sub-Lord, don’t you recognize what Gyeon-woo ate?”
“That’s… a Vitality Fruit.”
“He ate it without a second thought. Sang-joon must’ve taught him well.”
“I didn’t teach him—Gyeon-woo…”
“No need for modesty. Who else but you?”
“…”
“And what you taught him wasn’t just about Vitality Fruits, I suppose.”
Do Beom-joon’s face soured.
Do Sang-joon, pale-faced, trembled.
Ignoring them, Do Ye-eok smirked.
[Found it.]
“He found a Vitality Fruit.”
“…”
On the screen, Gyeon-woo plucked a blue fruit from a tree.
As before, he popped it into his mouth without checking.
“Noticing the fruits from the apes’ presence? Hunters often overlook this, but he adapts well.”
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