Kalukaga roared, pulled out his hammer-axe, and slammed the hammer into the fist. Fate energy surged and made him glow in purple.
Bang!
The burly, hairy man was flung a few meters and rolled on the ground, while the giant ape only took a step back.
Aidan frowned and retreated a few steps. He had seen how Kalukaga chopped the swarm of monkeys to pieces, and if he used his fate energy, he could slice dozens of monkeys in a single move. Even though he had defeated Kalukaga before, that was because he did not use his power. Now this giant monkey, who is taller than the steel ape, smacked him away easily.
Shivering, Aidan breathed in fate energy to replenish his strength. He would need that strength for later. Standing still, and controlled his breathing to not make any noise. He was afraid that the ape would turn its attention to him and shred him apart.
The ape moved, which almost made Aidan jump and run away. It walked to the side. Kalukaga stood in a stance, his hammer-axe held in two hands, pointing towards the side, elbows bent and arms tucked close to his chest. This time, the axe side of his weapon faced toward the ape.
Aidan held his abdomen, and the sharp pain made him grit his teeth. He activated [Internal Healing] and the skin that hung from his face fell as new skins regenerated and closed his wound. Then he continued breathing in the purple energy.
Kalukaga circled the ape. He was injured by the arms, with purple bruises all over his body, especially on the forearm. His knee trembled, and his shoulder slouched. It seemed like another blow would put him down for good.
That's not good.
Aidan needed to heal him so they can escape together. But he was afraid that if Aidan approached, the ape would attack. Aidan stared at Kalukaga, hoping he would understand him. He beckoned with his arm and pointed toward the distance to signal: We need to run.
Kalukaga nodded at him and charged at the ape. No! That's not what I mean!
Kalukaga leaped forward and whipped his axe-hammer over his head, then down to his right with purple energy shining all over his body. Aidan crept closer to them, waiting for the chance to heal Kalukaga and escape. Because only death would await them if they didn't.
The ape roared and slapped. Suddenly, the axe-hammer sucked in all the glow in Kalukaga's body and shone with brilliant amethyst-like light. Like a hot knife through butter, the axe-hammer cut through the ape's hand and seared its flesh.
Roar!
The ape stumbled backward and held its hand that sizzled with smoke, a painful expression on its face. Then, Kalukaga sprinted towards Aidan.
"Run!"
Aidan ran beside him and held his shoulder. He wanted to heal Kalukaga so he could run faster.
"Slow." Kalukaga grabbed him and put him on his shoulder.
The ape cried. Slamming the ground with its fist, before it charged toward them. With each step, the ground boomed and shook. Aidan trembled, and hurriedly inserted his energy to heal Kalukaga with [Internal Healing]. Running through the forest, with a giant ape charging at them, Kalukaga's wound healed and his speed increased. Cold wind welled up in his heart as he watched the ape get closer and closer. If that thing caught up to them...
Aidan shivered. He looked around, trying to find what he could do to help. Nothing. He was just too useless. Then, Aidan and Kalukaga hit something before they fell.
Aidan stood up and saw a steel ape standing in front of them. Behind it, two steel apes stood like a guard.
"Sorry. I didn't see you there," a voice came from inside the steel ape.
"Fel Gomon?" Aidan asked.
"That's me."
"Great, great! Gomon, you have to help us. There is a giant ape that is chasing us. There! Look!" Aidan pointed towards the charging ape.
"Alpha homocibus! We need to run." Gomon turned his steel ape."You two. Carry these two men and follow me!"
The two steel apes took Aidan and Kalukaga and ran behind Gomon. The steel ape shone with intricate runes, shining with fate energy on its surface. Their steps were heavy and banged the ground every time. Yet despite its weight and size, it ran faster than Kalukaga.
But it wasn't enough.
Roar!
The giant square-faced ape leaped from a distance and landed in front of them.
"Triangle Punch!" Gomon shouted.
The two steel apes absorbed Aidan and Kalukaga into its body, and from within the golem, Aidan saw the two steel apes rush forward, and together, they punched the ape in its stomach. Fel Gomon followed, a resplendent glow of purple energy in his steel ape's fist, struck the ape's face and knocked it away.
So powerful!
But how did that elf girl defeat the steel ape golem? Was that girl too strong?
Fel Gomon ran again, and the two steel apes followed. The ape roared behind them, making the birds on the trees flutter away. This orang-utan was too resilient. Is this really the low-level area of the garden?
If it was, then Aidan could only stop coming to this place until he got strong enough. That was the plan if he survived this.
Aidan was thrown away. Something had hit him from behind and sent the steel golem flying. The golem landed face first and was dragged a few inches by the momentum. The back of the golem opened, and Aidan crawled out. Kalukaga and Gomon also crawled out of their golem.
A few meters away, the ape approached them. Its face was broken and bloodied, with nasty wounds on its stomach. Such was the power of the steel golem, yet this monkey was still strong. Now what?!
The three steel golems stood up and charged at the ape.
"Come on. Let's run. That thing won't be distracted for long!"
Kalukaga grabbed the short Gomon and put him on his shoulder before he do the same to Aidan. He sprinted away from the ape.
"Go to the right. That's where the nearest post tower is. Though you have to be quick because it's not near enough," Gomon said.
Kalukaga dashed to the side. His breathing became ragged as he ran. The breeze fluttered the leaves and bushes, and there it was once again, staring at him with flaring nostrils and narrowed eyes. It balled its hand into a fist and roared before charging toward them.
Aidan used [Internal Healing] on Kalukaga, improving his breath and increasing his speed. But the ape, even with its injury, did not give them any chances. It took a rock by the side and hurled it towards them.
"Dodge!" Aidan activated [Hard Muscle] and jumped to the side.
The rock flew towards him, blocking his entire vision as it was about to crush him with its weight. Panicked welled up inside him, but Aidan managed to react.
"Knockout Punch!"
His body shone with purple energy before it surged to his arms and rushed to his right fist, condensing into a resplendent, blinding amethyst glow. With a roar, he slammed his fist into the boulder.
Boom!
The boulder smashed into pieces, as Aidan fell, hands on the ground.
"I did it?"
An arrow spun in midair and landed on the ground, sizzled with icy mist. That arrow... could it be? Aidan turned around.
A woman stood with a crossbow in hand, a shoulder-length golden ponytail swayed as she approached. She stared at him with her green, emerald-like eyes. Her pointy ears twitched.
"Siraye, you're here," Gomon said, as he and Kalukaga stood up. "This is great. With the four of us, we have a chance of defeating the alpha homocibus,"
Siraye stared towards the distance where the alpha homocibus crashed its way here. It roared when it saw a new enemy appear.
"Let's kill it," she said.
She dashed towards the ape, firing her arrows imbued with icy energy. The arrows, like a shooting star, stabbed the ape's hand as it blocked its face. Siraye closed the distance, leaped, and slammed feet-first into the ape's face, pushing it back as she spun and landed on the ground.
"Go help her!" Gomon said as he took an octagon tube from his bag. He pressed the button on top and it crackled with electricity.
Aidan couldn't believe something like this existed in this world. This world was vast and he could not underestimate it.
"Get away!" Gomon threw the tube at the alpha homocibus. When the tube crack from impact, electricity flashed and electrocuted the ape before it fell.
"This is our chance. Attack!" Aidan shouted and rushed towards the fallen ape. Kalukaga, Siraye, and Gomon sprinted towards it.
Kalukaga drew his axe-hammer over his head; Siraye loaded her crossbow with deep purple quartz; Gomon took a needle from his pocket, and Aidan surged his energy into his fist. Together, at the same time, they struck the ape's head in different directions. Fate energy surged and swirled in the air as their strike about to land.
But.
The ape opened its eyes and slapped them, throwing him and the other to the side.
Aidan slammed into a tree and spat blood. The others rolled on the ground before hitting a tree. Their body filled with bruises all over.
Healing himself, Aidan stood up and healed the others before he helped them to their feet. "What should we do? We can't defeat that thing."
"That thing shouldn't be here in the first place," Gomon said, "Guess I'll have to use that."
Three steel ape golems rushed towards the ape from the other side. They have no deformities nor any broken parts despite the fight.
"After the fight with Siraye, I learn that I should not make them stronger nor faster." Gomon smiled. "But that I should make them more tricky. So they can do this."
The ape punched its fist towards a steel golem. But its fist sank in deep towards the golem's body. A golem from the side held the ape's other hand, and like quicksand, its left hand sank into the body. The ape thrashed about, head-butting the golem a few times.
"Now we need to get out of here. Those two golems will explode in any second!"
What?
The last steel ape approached them and inserted them into its body.
"Quick! Quick! Quick!" Gomon said.
The ape sprinted away from the raging ape, the two steel golems that held it back turned red, swelled, and exploded with a shock wave that flung the golem Aidan was in high into the sky.
"Ahh!"
"Please tell me this golem can fly!"
"Actually, I have to remove the flame propeller for it could improve its liquid form."
"So, are we going to die?"
"I'm not sure."
"Ahh!"