Neo and the rabbit moved in sync.
In fact, their movements were eerily similar.
Both raced towards their target with a mad fervour that seemed almost unreal.
Their target?
The hole, of course!
Neo and the rabbit collided just a foot away from the hole, staggering backwards.
They had reached the hole at the exact same time, and neither was willing to enter second.
They moved once again. Pouncing for the hole, but just like before, they collided and staggered backwards again.
Neo was livid. He glared at the rabbit, silently scolding it with his bloodshot eyes, which seemed to say, 'Let me pass, you demonic bunny!'
But the rabbit wasn't having it.
It flared its nostrils and bared its tiny teeth at Neo. Its round eyes seemed to say, 'You dare block me from passing?!'
They both wanted to pass! No, they had to pass!
Neo was on the brink of madness. Imaginary steam puffed from his ears as sweat glossed his body. His gaze grew more hostile, more menacing, and more sinister.
His eyes seemed to say, 'If you know what's good for you, let me pass!'
Couldn't this wretched rabbit just let him go first? Didn't it realise they were wasting time like this? Did it have a death wish?
The rabbit's eyes widened, and it spat at Neo. From its gaze, Neo could vividly read its thoughts: 'For what reason?! You shall not pass!'
What the hell was going on?!!
Behind this mad duo, the huge gorilla watched them with a mixture of confusion and amusement.
It didn't understand what was happening. It had come to its favourite spot as usual to pluck some fruits, only to find these two fools there.
They had clearly been about to steal his treasures, but their reaction was extremely odd..
Weren't these ants supposed to be trembling in fear, shaking like leaves in a storm?
What was going on?
Were they... ignoring it?
The gorilla pondered in confusion. Had its power weakened?
It looked down at its hairy chest and then examined its massive... organ. It was still strong, wasn't it?
Yes it was!
Hadn't it just come from its gorilla harem? How could it be weak?
The gorilla realised the ants before it were simply foolish!
To ignore its majestic self—utterly foolish!
Roar!!
In a blur of motion, the gorilla appeared before Neo and the rabbit, who were still bickering, and slapped at them with both palms.
It was merely a casual swat, not even using half its strength, yet the effect was astonishing.
Its massive palms, wide enough to cover an adult human's head, struck both of them squarely in the chest, sending them flying backwards.
Bang! Bang!
Neo and the rabbit were hurled violently into the trees within the cave.
Neo was embedded in the tree bearing blue fruits, while the rabbit found itself lodged within the tree bearing pink fruits.
The pain from the slap had barely subsided when the wonderful aroma of the blue fruits filled Neo's nostrils.
Neo was speechless. Was his mouth really watering in this situation?
Was he losing his mind?
Or were the fruits just that good?
Neo glanced over at the rabbit, who was staring back at him.
It seemed they were thinking the same thing...
'As long as we're in this tree, it can't attack us!'
Neo reasoned that the beast wouldn't dare to harm him or the rabbit while they were buried within the branches of its treasured trees.
This place was safe!
And so, they both began plucking fruits like mad!
Neo couldn't believe he was experiencing the legendary 'stealing treasures in broad daylight' that so many relic protagonists enjoyed.
His heart raced with excitement!
His movements were swift and precise. With each twist, a fruit was plucked from its branch. He pulled out his black satchel and began dumping the fruits inside like a machine.
All the experience he'd gained from harvesting the pink fruits in the tree where his treehouse stood was being put to good use.
Within a minute, Neo had cleaned out the part of the tree where he sat. He firmly tied the satchel to his back like a backpack.
He had gathered over a hundred of the juicy blue fruits and was now waiting for the perfect moment to make a dash for the tunnel.
If the tunnel was out of reach, Neo didn't mind jumping out of the cave altogether. He was certain that once he reached the river and entered the forest, he could escape.
All he needed now was a diversion...
Neo glanced at the rabbit and noticed it was also storing fruits in a... crudely made pink bag?
Neo was astonished. This rabbit was far too clever! How had it crafted such a bag? It was simply genius!
Neo had heard of mythical-grade beasts that could think and speak like humans, but this was merely a commo—
Neo's thoughts were interrupted by the loud roar of the gorilla.
Roar!!
The gorilla had had enough. It couldn't bear to watch these two ants plucking its precious fruits any longer.
It had tried to restrain itself, to avoid attacking the tree outright, but the speed and expertise with which they plucked the fruits made its heart ache.
Especially that bald monkey...
It was going to kill it tonight, no matter what!
With its mind made up, the Uncommon-grade gorilla moved.
Boom!!
It lunged towards Neo and struck again.
Neo's heart stopped as he realised the script had gone awry. This was not how things were supposed to happen!
His cursed luck had caused the gorilla to lose its patience and attack him!
If only he knew it wasn't his bad luck, but his fruit-picking prowess, that had provoked the gorilla's wrath...
But Neo could only blame his luck.
Before he could react, the massive palm was upon him again. This time, it packed far more power than the casual swat from before and would surely cause significant damage if it connected.
And connect it did.
It connected painfully!
Boom!