The lone Silverback Monkey collapsed with a dull thud, its lifeless, silver-furred body sprawled across the red-tinged forest floor. Its wide, glassy eyes still held a trace of confusion and disbelief—unaware of how it had been found.
But there was no time to breathe.
From above, Aurora's voice came, sharp and urgent.
"Three more incoming."
Unlike the singular swarm-mind of Killer Ants, these monsters didn't follow a queen or central intelligence. Each possessed an independent will, yet they communicated seamlessly—using gestures, vocalizations, and even scent signals to convey emotions and intentions. It was intelligent, complex—and deadly.
Playful, cruel, and unpredictable, Silverback Monkeys were known to kill even their own kind—for dominance, amusement, or boredom.
Now, that cruelty turned toward Alex and Sherry.
They attacked from three directions at once.
One dropped from the canopy above, claws aimed straight for Alex's throat. Another burst in from the right, low to the ground and fast—targeting his legs. The third sprinted toward Sherry.
Alex's eyes widened.
His body moved before thought could catch up. Aurora's voice rang through his mind, crisp and commanding.
"Right flank—now!"
Without hesitation, Alex twisted, arm snapping into motion as he hurled a dagger with deadly precision. Simultaneously, dark mana surged into both hands—he dual-cast
The dagger struck true.
It pierced clean between the eyes of the monkey lunging at Sherry. The creature dropped without a sound, twitching once before going still.
A heartbeat later, twin black mana bullets ripped through the mist—one slammed into the snarling face of the second attacker. Bone cracked with a sickening crunch, and the monkey collapsed in a heap of limp, spasming limbs.
But the third—
It dodged.
A flash of motion and gleaming silver fur—too fast. It twisted mid-air, rebounding off a low branch to evade the spell completely. With a gleeful, bone-chilling screech, it launched itself at Alex, claws gleaming like curved blades.
Everything happened in a blur.
A sudden tingling premonition of danger swept over Alex. Without thinking, he dove to the side.
The Silverback Monkey's claws slashed through the space his chest had occupied a second earlier. Bark exploded behind him in a spray of splinters as the creature slammed into a tree, but it recovered in an instant—coiling for another strike.
Aurora's voice came again, calm but edged with approval.
"Nice dodge. Looks like that new skill of yours just saved you."
==============================
Skill: Sixth Sense (Passive)
Rank: D
Description:
- Grants an innate awareness of immediate threats, alerting the user to unseen or incoming danger.
- Occasionally provides vague but intuitive insights or perceptions about things not obvious through normal senses.
==============================
The final Silverback Monkey screeched as it lunged again—but a crack of black lightning struck it mid-air. Its body jerked violently, limbs flailing in paralysis before it crumpled to the forest floor with a dull thud, lifeless and still.
Alex let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"Phew…" He exhaled heavily, lowering his hands. "Definitely not easy to deal with these things."
He stepped forward slowly, scanning the mist-draped surroundings for any lingering movement. When nothing stirred, he allowed himself to relax—if only slightly.
"Are you okay?" Sherry's voice came softly from behind, tinged with concern.
Alex turned to glance at her. She hadn't moved from her spot, but her hands were clenched tight at her sides. Her eyes were wide, alert—still sweeping the forest as she spoke.
"Yeah," he nodded, offering a small, reassuring smile. "I'm fine. Thanks."
He drew a deep breath, then approached the scattered corpses of the fallen creatures. The mist curled lazily around their still bodies, silver fur dulled by death.
No surveillance drones hovered nearby. No eyes in the sky. Which meant—for once—he didn't need to worry about hiding his magic.
Not that it mattered much here. These creatures weren't strong. Just annoyingly evasive.
'Tricky, not tough!' Alex thought, crouching beside one of the corpses.
Even now, its sleek silver coat shimmered faintly in the low, filtered light. He turned it over carefully, inspecting the limbs and the expression frozen on its face.
"Wow… They're like oversized, ghostly silver capuchins with a mean streak—if capuchins were trained in guerrilla warfare and thievery, vanishing before you even know what hit you." he said dryly.
----------------------------------------------------
[Silverback Monkey]
[Rank: B]
[Description: Elusive jungle tricksters with sleek silver fur that blends seamlessly into mist, foliage, and dim light. Small and nimble, they stalk adventurers with near-perfect stealth, disarming them before turning stolen weapons against their original owners. Highly intelligent and mischievous, they rely on deception and psychological manipulation rather than brute strength. Though physically fragile, their vanishing acts and unpredictable tactics make them dangerous and deeply frustrating foes.
[Abilities: Phantom Step, Disarmament, Weapon Mimicry, Group Coordination]
[Weaknesses: Fragile body, easily injured. Sudden bursts of light can disrupt their camouflage, making their outline flicker and briefly exposing their position.]
----------------------------------------------------
He began collecting the bodies, storing them neatly away. Their pelts were valuable—ridiculously so. Rare, high-quality, and difficult to harvest. A perfect trade item.
According to the Monster Encyclopaedia, their stealth could be disrupted by sudden bursts of intense light or specialized illumination tools.
They had prepared for Wilderness Survival Training. But out here… you could never prepare for everything.
"We took out the scouts. The rest might already know we're here." Sherry murmured, voice low.
Alex nodded. "Right."
The hours wore on. Unlike at the quarry—where they'd practically tripped over a Stonehide Grizzly every ten minutes—this stretch of crimson-tinged woodland had gone eerily silent.
Silverback Monkeys were rare, nowhere near as common as the Stonehide Grizzlies. Back at the quarry, they hadn't had a moment's peace.
'Feels like a dry spell now.' Alex couldn't help but complain.
Stonehide Grizzlies had been abundant and dumb—ideal point-fodder for anyone strong enough to overpower them. Lizardmen, while less durable, moved in predictable tribal groups. If you spotted one, more weren't far behind. Easy to track. Easy to plan for.
Silverback Monkeys were a different beast entirely—scarcer, smarter.
And now that several had already died trying to ambush Alex and Sherry, they were acting even more intelligently.
"They seem to have caught on." Sherry noted. "They know their stealth won't work on us anymore. So they're avoiding us now."
Aurora chimed in as well. "Most monsters attack purely on instinct, but it's not unusual for them to fear the strong. These ones just... adapt faster."
The implication was clear: they weren't just being watched—they were being avoided.
By evening, the blood-colored canopy above had dimmed into muted rust and shadow. A cool breeze stirred the air, swaying the massive, brittle leaves with a dry rustle.
"We should stop for today," Alex said at last, glancing up at the slanting sun just above the horizon. "We've already gone longer than we planned."
Sherry gave a tired nod. "About time."
They hadn't properly rested in nearly two days. Energy potions had kept them going, but even enchanted stimulants had limits. Rest was no longer optional—it was overdue.
And truthfully, they'd done more than enough. Their current point total had already surpassed what most students could dream of achieving in six days.
Alex picked a secluded clearing, slightly elevated from the rest of the forest floor. Thick, root-bound trees flanked the sides, and a sharp drop on one end created a natural bottleneck—easy to defend, hard to approach.
With a pulse of mana, the tent unfolded and shimmered briefly before blending seamlessly into the environment. Camouflaged against the red foliage and drifting mist, it was virtually invisible.
They stepped inside, sealing the entrance with a soft buzz of magic as the defensive wards activated, locking the perimeter.
"There's no need to keep watch, Sherry. Get some rest." Alex said gently, noting the fatigue in her eyes. "We'll be fine. If anything attacks the tent while we sleep, the alarms will wake us up."
He was worried she wouldn't sleep properly unless reassured.
The night passed without incident. No alarms rang. No disturbances stirred the warded silence.
Morning came quietly, the forest veiled in pale mist. It smelled faintly of damp earth and blood, a reminder of the quiet violence that haunted these woods.
Soft crimson light filtered through the dense canopy above as Alex stirred, stretching out with a low grunt. His limbs ached faintly from the previous day's exertions—a reminder of how much ground they had covered.
Sherry was already awake. She looked better—some color had returned to her cheeks, and the tension in her shoulders had eased. A full night's rest had worked wonders.
"Morning," she murmured, offering a faint smile.
Alex gave a small nod, rubbing the back of his neck.
But even before he could get to his feet, Aurora's voice cut in, calm but alert.
"A group of Silverback Monkeys has followed you here. They've been lying in wait all night, preparing to ambush the moment you exit."
Alex stiffened.
Aurora had already spotted them long before they'd awoken. Inside the tent, they were safe and secure—but the moment they stepped outside, they'd be ambushed by those vexing monsters.
"They've positioned themselves behind those ridge-like roots near the clearing." Aurora continued. "A few are nestled in the upper canopy. One of them—clever little thing—is crouched directly above the tent, waiting to pounce."
Alex's gaze sharpened. They weren't alone. And they were surrounded.