Chapter 49: The Burning Retreat: Ash vs the Fist Monkeys
Ash thinks, "I really have to give my all to fight these two mid-grade Fist Monkeys."
In the moment, he sees both Fist Monkeys glaring at him with wild, aggressive faces. He clenches his flame swords tightly. Suddenly, one Fist Monkey charges toward him and strikes with its closed fist. Instinct kicks in, and Ash retaliates in self-defence, matching its strength with his own.
Then the second Fist Monkey lunges at him, and Ash quickly casts a Fireball. The blazing sphere crashes into the monkey, its impact fierce and powerful. Ash feels the Fireball's strength surge as it slams into the second Fist Monkey's chest. The fur burns away, revealing raw, scorched flesh and a deep, blackened wound.
A moment passes, and Ash casts another Fireball at the second monkey, but the first one rushes in to strike. He barely dodges its attack, missing his chance to retaliate. Channelling mana into his swords, he focuses his killing intent. He slashes at the first monkey's neck, but it twists away just in time. Undeterred, he fires another Fireball.
Suddenly, the second Fist Monkey returns and swings its massive fist at him. Ash evades again, pouring mana into his flame swords and slicing toward the second monkey's neck. His blade connects—cutting through—but the beast doesn't fall. Blood pours, but it clings to life. He prepares to deliver the final blow when the first Fist Monkey barrels toward him with a full-powered strike.
Ash grits his teeth, raising his flame swords just in time, mana surging through them to block the attack. Seconds later, he sees the second monkey retreating, limping from its wounds. The first one steps back as well, hesitating. Sensing weakness, Ash attacks with fury, forcing them both back. Finally, the second Fist Monkey turns and flees, injured.
Ash decides to flee too. He thinks, "These Fist Monkeys might come back with reinforcements." He runs in the opposite direction, careful not to leave behind any clues. His pace is controlled—not too fast—but calculated, blending into the forest without a trace.
After minutes of running through the thick, shadowy forest, he senses no threat behind him. Still, he stays alert, making sure he's far from the direction the Fist Monkeys fled. Soon, he spots a small village nestled in the trees—a faint sign of human life. Out of curiosity, Ash approaches, cautiously hiding his presence.
The village is tiny, with barely a dozen people. They're all human. After a moment of thought, Ash decides to approach. As he nears, he notices the villagers talking quietly, nervous glances thrown his way.
A middle-aged man steps forward and speaks in the native language of Eldros. Ash responds, intrigued. From their conversation, he learns this man is the village head. He says the village once held 100 to 200 people, but tragedy struck. Their warriors explored an ancient building, and soon after, the strong began dying.
With fewer defenders, forest predators preyed on the weak. Now, only twelve villagers remain. Ash feels a flicker of sympathy in his chest—but his instincts whisper, "This man is hiding something." After weighing the risk, Ash offers the villagers a chance to follow him. After some hesitation, they all agree.
Suddenly, a system window appears before Ash.
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Congratulations to the Altar Owner for gaining subordinates in the native secret realm.
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New information floods Ash's mind. These twelve people are all skilled farmers. They know how to grow grain even in the wild forests. He can store them inside the dimension pocket, and once he exits the secret realm, they'll come with him.
He decides to check the system status of the village head before deciding how to treat him.
A window appears before him.
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Name: Ron (Altar Subject)
Age: 62
Status: Average
Abilities: Farming, plucking
Level: ?
Loyalty: 50
Weapon: ?
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Seeing this, Ash decides to show some respect to Ron. He doesn't know the man's full level or intentions, but he feels confident he could suppress him if needed—especially in Nexus City. If Ron harbours any malice, Ram could handle him too. For now, they'll work as farmers. It's a small risk, and Ash sees no harm in making them citizens of Nexus.
Ash asks Ron about the ancient building and what the village warriors found there. But Ron looks away, eyes filled with sorrow. He doesn't know. He never asked. Misfortune followed the warriors who entered, and since then, the building has remained untouched, lost deep in the forest.
Ash learns from other villagers that the warriors brought back something from the ancient building before their deaths. Whatever it is, it might still be in their houses. Ash decides to search for those items—but first, he needs to store the villagers in the dimension pocket.
He asks them not to resist. In his mind, he commands the altar. Before his eyes, a swirling black space appears, and one by one, the villagers vanish—pulled gently into the dimension pocket.
A few seconds later, Ash begins his search. He combs through each house, determined to find something valuable. Time passes. Nothing.
Then, inside the largest house, he finds a strange box. Its design is unique—ornate, ancient. Just looking at it makes Ash's heart race. Something important is inside.
He doesn't want to make a fatal mistake, so he checks its system status first.
A window pops up before his eyes.
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Name: Mysterious Box
Status: Good
Ability: Perfectly stores items and provides mana so they do not suffer wear and tear.
Description: A mysterious box found in ancient buildings, dungeons, and other secret places. Used to preserve powerful items for centuries.
Grade: High-grade
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