Chapter Twenty-Eight: Death
"Yes, Mom!" the young monkey answered.
"You didn't run into it, did you?" the female monkey asked with visible disgust.
"No, Mom!"
The female monkey let out a sigh of relief after hearing the answer from her only child.
"Where did you go? You followed my instructions, didn't you? Don't wander too far. It'll be difficult for me to save you."
Like any ordinary mother, she began lecturing her child.
It was not because women were naturally nagging.
It was only natural for a mother—regardless of race—to worry about her child's safety.
"I-I only stayed nearby, Mom..." the young monkey answered vaguely while avoiding her gaze.
It knew that if it slipped up, it would definitely receive a long sermon.
"My child..." the mother monkey said softly.
"Listen to me. I won't get angry, so stop hiding whatever it is."
Her tone overflowed with affection as she spoke to her child.
The young monkey's eyes darted around restlessly.
It looked everywhere as though desperately searching for an answer.
"Mom... I made a new friend."
The young monkey paused briefly before continuing.
"He looks like us... but he also doesn't look like us."
The female monkey's brows immediately furrowed.
The young monkey instantly regretted confessing after seeing her reaction.
"What do you mean he looks like us but also doesn't?" she asked sharply.
The young monkey secretly sighed in relief after realizing her attention had shifted elsewhere.
"He doesn't have fur," it answered cheerfully.
"What?!"
The young monkey nearly jumped in fright at her intense reaction.
"Where did you meet that human?" the female monkey demanded impatiently.
"But he's not a bad being, Mom!" the young monkey defended desperately.
"I'm telling the truth! He even has two spirit beasts that adore him!"
"You don't know what you're talking about," the mother interrupted coldly.
"You're still too young. Too innocent and easy to deceive."
"Take me to him tomorrow."
The young monkey froze.
"I'll show you his true colors."
After saying that, the female monkey turned around and walked away.
"I'm sorry, my friend..." the young monkey cried helplessly within its heart.
"It's a good thing that incident happened today," the mother monkey muttered softly to herself.
"Those foolish dogs definitely won't become a threat to our territory tomorrow."
A grin spread across her face as she recalled what she had done.
"Only one of them is capable of climbing up here in the first place."
After injuring the only dog capable of climbing into their territory, the female monkey knew that any attempt by the dogs to invade them—whether tomorrow or in the days to come—would be meaningless.
Her expression changed when she remembered the human her child had mentioned.
"Prepare yourself, you cunning human..." she muttered coldly.
"How dare you try to deceive my child."
...
"Gwa!" Peter waved back after seeing the young monkey approaching.
But the hand he was waving suddenly stopped.
His raised palm froze in midair after he noticed another presence following behind it.
When he took a closer look, he finally realized the newcomer's identity.
It was another monkey.
Peter raised an eyebrow as he silently sized up the creature.
And honestly, he could not help but feel impressed.
She looked just like the young monkey.
Her smooth and fine fur was ash-brown in color, though the fur around her chest and stomach was different. Instead of chocolate-brown, it was pure white.
As he observed the newcomer, several things immediately caught his attention.
At first glance alone, it was obvious that she was female because of the two soft mounds on her chest.
Aside from that, her physique was remarkably well-proportioned.
When Peter looked at her again, he realized that the female monkey possessed a strange kind of beauty.
Her figure was perfectly shaped.
Before he realized it, the protagonist found himself questioning his own sanity.
When Peter recalled the angelic face he had first seen, he could only shake his head in disbelief.
"Is this woman really a monkey?" he wondered.
As difficult as it was to believe, there was no doubt that the alluring and beautiful being before him was indeed a monkey.
Though it was not immediately noticeable, her entire body was still covered in fur.
It merely resembled skin because her fur was so fine and dense, on top of having a color almost identical to human skin.
The female monkey also possessed broad and sturdy shoulders, giving her a unique presence.
But above all else, the true proof of her nature was the pair of hands and feet that were unmistakably simian.
Meanwhile, the young monkey hopped toward him while speaking words Peter could not understand.
Even so, based on its gestures, it was clear that it was introducing its companion.
Peter smiled and politely bowed toward the female monkey.
Contrary to Peter's expectations, the female monkey immediately became aggressive.
To his ears, only incomprehensible words came out of her mouth, yet the anger and threats in her tone were unmistakable.
Meanwhile, the young monkey stood between them, desperately clinging to its mother while trying to calm her down.
Peter's two companions immediately stepped in front of the female monkey and released low warning growls in unison.
Amidst the tension, the female monkey accidentally shoved her child aside.
And at that exact moment—
The eyes of Peter, Ichiro, Iyashi, and the female monkey widened in shock.
A black blur suddenly shot out from the tall grass at incredible speed.
Before any of them could properly react, it had already slammed into the young monkey.
The child was sent flying.
But it did not end there.
The black blur chased after it again and unleashed another violent impact.
The young monkey bounced helplessly across the ground like a rag doll.
Only then did the creature stop.
It pinned the child down with a thick leg resembling a pillar.
Crunch!
"GWĀĀ!"
The young monkey's scream echoed through the area in its final moments.
The female monkey let out a grief-stricken cry after witnessing the tragedy that had befallen her child.
Her body suddenly lost all strength.
She collapsed onto her knees as the last of her energy left her.
Meanwhile, the monstrous bear looked at the four of them with blatant provocation.
It released a low growl in their direction.
Peter, Ichiro, and Iyashi stared blankly at the young monkey's mangled corpse.
They struggled to process the sudden turn of events.