Chapter 33 - 32

Probably because the apes were also tired after that battle, our journey going back was actually slower compared to when the group had rushed towards the nest. One factor that most likely affected our speed the most was the fact that our group had traveled on land instead of jumping from tree to tree. Of course, it wasn't as if the monsters had any choice. After all, they were also carrying some additional luggage in the form of ant carcasses which obviously made it hard to travel in the same way as before.

As a result of traveling on land, our group naturally encountered some monsters which also contributed to hindering our speed. But personally, what I found most fascinating about all of it were the monsters that had attacked us. For one, the monsters weren't humanoid or animalistic in nature. In fact, I wouldn't be too far off to say that it was as if the jungle itself had attacked us. And I meant that literally because as far as I knew, all the monsters that got on our way resembled that of plants. In other words, there were numerous plant-type monsters scattered through the jungle and they were the ones that attacked us.

Actually, on our journey going back, I saw three varieties of those plant-type monsters. One was probably the very same monster who attacked us on our way to the nest. Apparently, the monster was called a Pikalet and it was a monster that shot bullet-like pikes using its tube-like branches. Though honestly, I really had no idea how the monster was keeping track of its surroundings given the fact that the monster has seemingly no eyes.

For the second plant type monster, I would say that it was probably one of the most connected and integral parts of the society of the ape type monsters, and the reason was because of its main means of attack which was those remarkably sturdy vines. In truth, those sturdy vines that the apes were using to bind us actually came from those very same plants, and apparently, all those monsters who produced such vines were called Vinip. But the surprising thing was, it seemed like even for the Tronobo, using pure brute force to break free from being bind by those things was an impossible task. And it was actually proven true, after all, I saw with my own two eyes how the Tronobo was unable to break free from the Vinip's vines after the Vinip caught the Tronobo by the arm.

Anyway, the third plant monster was actually a common monster from almost every fantasy story I had read before. The best description to give was probably the fact that the monster was shaped like a tree. In short, it was the monster that was often called a Treant. Though in this case, there were actually two categories of Treant monster.

The first one was called the Dry Treant and based on what I had seen so far, the monster was remarkably weak and dumb. And if you were wondering why I said dumb, well, it was because despite being unbelievably weak, the Dry Treant would always charge towards our group like some sort of mindless monster. Honestly, I couldn't even call it an ambush because it always made those creepy deep scream sounds whenever it attacked us. Probably, the best way to describe the monster's action was simply a reckless charge.

Going back on topic, the second category was called the Forest Treant. Now, this one was a little bit tricky to handle. For one, unlike the Dry Treant, the Forest Treant would not attack our group recklessly but instead always pretended as an innocent and harmless tree. What was most terrifying was the fact that the monster could also completely hide its presence and hostility while doing so. Most likely, the monster also has the skill called Conceal Presence, or maybe it was using a skill that has a similar effect to that one. To make matters worse, the monster also had the ability to control the normal trees in its immediate vicinity and use them to launch a surprise attack. Fortunately, the Tronobo was with our group, so the Forest Treant stood no chance of beating us no kind of trick was used.

'Man, that was exhausting.' I thought while looking at the exhausted ape-type monsters in my surroundings.

For now, our group had stopped directly in front of the giant tree which also serves as the dwelling of the monsters. And based on how the monsters were behaving, the apes chose to wait for someone or something here in this place. Though honestly, I found it odd that the apes didn't immediately throw us into prison but instead decided to include us in whatever it was these monsters were planning.

Truth to be told, after everything that had happened in which these apes were always involved, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was about to happen once again. To make matters worse, I still hadn't completely recovered my strength after fighting against those swarms of ants. After all, I was quite certain that only a few hours had passed since that battle ended. That was why, if it just so happened that we were about to head out into another such fight, it would seriously be bad for me. Well, surely, all these apes must also be feeling tired after that battle and forced march so it was unlikely that they would dare fight once again… I hoped at least…

'Please, guys let's just rest.' I thought wistfully.

It was then that another battalion of apes emerged from the forest. And judging by the exhausted and haggard look of its members, it seemed like this battalion had also fought a battle somewhere in this jungle-type area. Though personally, what I found most curious about this group was the fact that I didn't see any monster prisoners like us in their midst. Of course, it was also possible that this group's monster prisoners were just simply wiped out from the battle. But after seeing the state of the new battalion's members, I had this feeling that most likely, this new battalion had fought directly against their enemies without using any other monsters as bait. The problem was; in contrast with this new battalion which clearly wasn't in any shape to fight, our own looked as if it could handle another large-scale battle probably because it has us (the monster prisoners) working as bait.

'Seriously, this is bad!' I internally screamed.

While I was carefully eyeing the members of the newly arrived battalion, the last apes had finally emerged from the jungle. And the moment I caught sight of this new ape, I instantly knew that this particular monster was the leader of the newly arrived battalion.

Immediately I used Assess on the monster and based on the result, the new ape was apparently called a Pronobo. And just like the other leader who was the Tronobo, I could say with certainty that this new ape was on the same level as the Tronobo in terms of raw power and rank. The only difference I could see was the fact that the Pronobo wasn't as huge and as muscular as the Tronobo. In fact, in contrast with the boulder-like muscles and the huge towering body of the Tronobo, the Pronobo's muscles were firm and sturdy which made its body look thinner yet flexible in comparison to the Tronobo's. Of course, having a thinner body like that didn't make it a lot less dangerous. The truth was, I could easily guess the fighting style of this monster called Pronobo.

'Judging by its body build, I'm pretty sure that this monster is insanely fast. That means that just like me, this monster also capitalizes on its speed to outmaneuver and defeat its enemies in combat.' Was my immediate theory.

Realizing that fact, I couldn't help but think that it would be a lot more dangerous to antagonize the Pronobo compared to the Tronobo. Because one thing I had noticed after constantly fighting in this hell of a place, it was that I always had a hard time fighting against opponents that were fast compared to those who rely solely on brute strength. And though it was also true that getting hit by a strength-type monster could instantly put me on the verge of death, that fact would be rendered useless against the combination of speed, instinct, and reflexes. That fact was simply proven to be true again and again after constantly battling and defeating different kinds of monsters up until now. That was why personally, I would rather fight an opponent that was way ahead of me in terms of strength than that of speed. Because truth to be told, I had not the slightest idea on how I would beat an opponent who was way faster than me.

'I have to avoid any confrontation against that thing as much as possible.' I swore to my heart while gazing at the Pronobo.

Probably as a way to greet each other, the leaders of the two battalions moved towards one another until they were finally standing face to face. But what happened after that confused me even more because the two monsters suddenly roared at each other's faces. And honestly, the effect it produced wasn't something to laugh at either, because loud as it was, the sound was also powerful enough to cause a small shockwave of air. Not only that, the fascinating thing was, the roar of the two monsters were actually blending creating an oddly harmonious tone.

But then, as if sensing the presence of a superior monster. The two monsters instantly stopped their song (?) and straightened their backs when a new group of apes emerged from the jungle. Looking around, the other monster also did the same as their two leaders as if on cue. It was then that I also sensed the oppressing presence of a powerful monster mixed among the apes that had emerged from the jungle. And when I turned my head in the same direction to where the apes were looking, I was shocked beyond words by what I saw.