Chapter 49: Monkeys everywhere

Chapter 49: Monkeys everywhereDamon appeared in a blur of shadows, materializing silently on the branch just behind the unsuspecting monkey. The creature, level 12 Feral Tree Flinger, froze mid-chew, sensing the shift in air pressure just a second too late. Before it could screech or fling anything inappropriate, Damon grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and slashed its throat. The monkey flailed and twisted, its tiny eyes wide with indignation. Damon stared at it flatly, unimpressed, starting to absorb the blood essence using his hand. Within a matter of seconds, the monkey was dead. Damon did not bother to look at the notifications just yet. He simply moved on to another monkey. His shadowy form blurred again, and he reappeared above the next branch, where another Feral Tree Flinger let out a warning screech. It was too slow. A blood cleave later, Damon was already absorbing its blood essence. Three more monkeys had already begun to shriek from neighboring trees. A few more seconds later, these three as well dropped dead to the ground, but not before the last one shrieked loudly, sending out a call for help. The canopy rustled violently, as more and more monkeys started to appear from all around the forest. Damon stood on the branch, unfazed, even as dozens of eyes locked onto him from the branches above, below, and all around. The Feral Tree Flingers, usually content to harass travelers with mischief and mess, now moved with a frightening coordination. "Fuck! Fuck! Bro, we are screwed. Shit, these many monkeys? Aio, this is so much worse than I anticipated. Bro, let it go. We can go somewhere else and level." "And leave this wonderful opportunity?" Damon smirked. He had already gained 2 points in strength and a skill to aim and throw projectiles. This was just the beginning. He cracked his knuckles and got to work. Dozens of shrieks filled the air, turning the once-serene woodland into a war zone. The Feral Tree Flingers—dozens of them, perhaps even a hundred—had converged on their location, jumping between branches in synchronized bursts, flinging stones and poo. From a distance, it might have looked comical. But not to the guy experiencing all of it firsthand. "Brooo, they’re using formation tactics!" Blood Wraith wailed from below, crouched behind a tree and clutching his expensive gear like a baby blanket. "That one’s giving signals! Are they allowed to give signals?!" Damon didn’t respond. His attention was locked on the treetops. While the other two stayed and watched the show at a safe distance, Damon jumped from one tree top to another as silently as a rogue but with stats better than even the best of the rogues. Shadowstep was an extremely useful skill, and that, combined with the level difference and the overall attribute difference, the entire forest quickly turned into a scene of massacre. Blood Wraith was chewing his nails, unable to bear the suspense. However, the disaster he expected never arrived. One monkey after another died, and yet Blood God was going strong. Finally, Blood Wraith’s expression turned from nervousness and despair to utter awe. He watched, mouth slightly open, as Damon carved through the canopy like a god of execution. Each kill was a blur of motion and magic. It was brutal, yes, but it was art. This wasn’t leveling. This was dominance. S~eaʀᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And Blood Wraith—once the pampered prince of pay-to-win—felt like a peasant watching a king at war. "Woah. Look at him go. My bro is awesome. I am already 3 levels higher." "No way... he’s farming so fast it’s raining levels!" "Oh look. One here. One there. Dead monkeys everywhere!" Blood Wraith started whistling and dancing from excitement, shaking his hips. He would have never done this in public, but since there was no one here except for them, the guy happily danced while watching his experience bar quickly fill up. Even the sister, previously cold and skeptical, found herself captivated. She would have facepalmed at Blood Wraith’s antics, but she had not peeled her eyes away from Damon even for a moment. Her gaze tracked Damon’s every movement with laser focus. "What class is he? A rogue or a thief? It doesn’t make sense. Those attacks look so powerful, but he is able to withstand a couple of attacks here and there casually. How could his physical defense be so high?" "A Rogue-type player’s defense shouldn’t be high. Hmmm. A rogue shouldn’t be able to take on so many beasts at the same time. Hmmm. What do you think?" She asked the guy, only to realize her words were going into deaf ears. "Bro is awesome! Look at that attack! Wow! Look at him punch that monkey. Woah! Amazing!" The sister gave up and continued observing Damon. The Feral Tree Flingers were dropping from the trees one after the other. They didn’t stand a chance against the lone being hunting them. Their once-organized assault dissolved into chaotic screeches and panic as Damon’s shadowy afterimages became the last thing they ever saw. He moved like the forest belonged to him. None of the monkeys could predict his next move. He moved erratically and finished the job before the others became any wiser. He was culling down the monkeys one at a time, weaving in and out of the shadows of the canopy. "I need some aoe attack." Damon thought. He had given himself an hour, but within half an hour, he cleared the entire barrel of monkeys. However, that was not the end of it. The real show was about to begin anytime now. Just as Damon landed from his last kill, the branches around him began to tremble, not from the wind, but from sheer weight. Out of the deeper canopy emerged more monkeys. These were much bigger and stronger and when they pelted with a stone, it left an indentation on the ground. The elites. The Stone-Skinned Monkeys. Unlike their chaotic cousins, these ones clearly possessed more intelligence. Standing a foot taller, their hides shimmered with mineral-like plates that clinked softly with each motion. Their eyes glowed faintly red, and saliva dripped from their mouths. [Zone Event Triggered: Stone-Skinned Monkeys Appear]