It took some time for Noah to cool down, but even then, he was sending daggers at Arthur with his eyes. If looks alone could kill, Arthur would have died many times by now.
But of course, Arthur didn't care about the grumpy kid and said, his voice turning serious, "I wasn't joking. We have no other choice but to fight it. Well, we could use each other as bait and run away, but I don't want that."
"Why is that?" Noah asked, getting curious about this strange, annoying man.
With a light smirk playing on his lips, Arthur replied, "Because I am very petty by nature. I will return what others give me a thousandfold as soon as I get the chance. That damned monkey made me run around like a little bitch. I want it dead."
Noah was speechless. He didn't know whether to admire this madman or stay as far as possible. What kind of logic was that? Hadn't he heard the phrase 'Revenge is best served cold'? Even a street kid like him knew it.
Shaking those thoughts off, he asked, "I still don't understand how we would kill something like that, and most importantly, why do you think I would agree to this suicide plan?"
Arthur smiled and replied, "Because you will be the one to kill the monkey and also absorb its Soul Core. Soul fragments from a High-Grade Tier 1 Abyssal Creature—aren't they enticing?"
Silence reigned in the dark cave as Noah pondered over Arthur's offer. It had its risks, but the reward was also great. He was at Level 6, so the Soul Core from the monkey would directly increase his level to 7.
He had been hunting in the forests ever since his awakening, and even then, he only reached Level 6. A reward of one whole level was hard to ignore, especially since he didn't fear taking risks.
However, there was one question that puzzled him.
'Is he really doing all this because of his pettiness?'
Arthur saw the look on Noah's face and rolled his eyes, guessing his thoughts. He sighed, "Are you that stupid that you can't see obvious facts before you? Seriously, how did you survive until now?"
Groaning, Noah looked away.
"I want to get out of here, and with my level, it's impossible to defeat it. So, my plan is simple. I will attract its attention, and you will kill it. I'll get what I want and also get out of here," Arthur explained as he stood up.
Looking at the ceiling, which was showing cracks, he added, "Decide fast, though. That big guy will flatten everything at this rate, and we both would be corpses."
Noah also stood and, giving a long look at Arthur, asked, "How sure are you of our victory?"
Hearing him, Arthur began laughing and said, "Of course, less than ten percent. But no worries, I'm sure we'll succeed, probably."
Noah's lips twitched as he ground his teeth and said, "Fine! I'll kill it. Just make sure to bait it well."
Just then, the whole cave trembled again, and a massive rock dropped from above, shattering the ceiling and allowing warm sunlight to enter the cave.
After glancing at the destruction one last time, Arthur began to walk toward the entrance. "Just remember one thing: I do return favors, good or bad."
His voice was cold, sending chills down Noah's spine. He looked at his back and wondered how a person could change so quickly. The more he interacted with Arthur, the more he felt there was more to him than his goofy behavior.
He shook his head and followed him to the cave entrance. After getting out, they hid behind a bush and looked at the giant monkey destroying the vegetation around the forest. It was so big that they easily found it.
Arthur patted Noah's back and said, "Alright, I'll be going. My life is in your hands, brother. If you let a handsome hunk like me die, you'll have horrible nightmares every day."
"Sounds like a good deal to me. The world will be free from a burden like you, so the price is fair," Noah shrugged as he took out his single dagger.
Arthur ignored his remark and looked at the dagger. Then, he put his hand in his bag and took out a small dagger. It had a broken hilt, but the blade itself was clean and sharp.
He gave the dagger to Noah and said, "This is my family's heirloom. Now, I'm giving it to you, so take care of it well. Alright, see you on the other side, buddy."
Saying that, he leaped out of the bush and ran towards the angry giant monkey. He used whatever was left as cover and advanced at a rapid pace.
On the other hand, Noah took the dagger and cursed, "Family heirloom, my ass!"
However, he still equipped it and followed Arthur silently. His task was simple: while Arthur tried to bait the giant monkey, his job was to find an opportunity to kill the monkey in one go. He had the necessary power to do that, but he didn't know how to utilize it all alone.
Honestly, Noah had already considered running away at the first chance but chose to stay out of greed. He wanted that one level-up in one go. And although this annoying stranger was irritating, he was also very mysterious.
Noah was fond of solving mysteries, so he wanted to make sure Arthur didn't die.
They hadn't even traveled far before the giant monkey threw a small boulder at them. It came hurtling towards them, powered by the strength of a High-Grade Tier 1 Spiritual Creature. It easily destroyed what vegetation was left along with many rocks.
Arthur easily dodged it and came into the clearing. He cracked his neck and grinned, "Fighting Level 7 at Level 1… haha, I missed this feeling."
He then bent forward and shot at the monkey, his crazed laugh resounding in the forest. The Giant Monkey shared his feelings as it roared loudly and ran towards him, ready to finish the annoying bug.