Chapter Thirty-One: Man-Ki Race! The Dungeon Administrators!
How did the female monkey end up wanting to join Peter's growing family?
This was the translated conversation between the two women from different races.
"My name is Peach, by the way. Tehehe~! And you, who are you?" the dungeon guide greeted cheerfully.
The female monkey was startled.
It had suddenly become capable of understanding the winged being floating before her.
"I do not have a name," she replied after recovering from her surprise.
"I'll be straightforward with you. There's no hope left for your child," Peach said sadly as she shook her head.
"My child..." the monkey muttered weakly, her voice filled with grief.
"You may tell me your story."
Under normal circumstances, the mother monkey would probably have laughed at a stranger suddenly interfering in her life.
But perhaps because of the vulnerability brought about by losing her child, she accepted Peach's offer.
"It has already been a long time since I lost my mate.
Our child was the only memory of him that he left behind for me.
He died because of our cunning enemies fighting over territory.
Our migrant companions had long been advising us, but we refused to listen.
If only we had listened and joined them in searching for a new home...
...perhaps I would not have suffered one tragedy after another.
Those dogs are incredibly cunning.
They know nothing of respect.
They dug up the resting place of our deceased ancestors.
And they succeeded in their plan.
My husband became so enraged by that desecration that he descended from our territory and faced countless enemies alone.
That was where his life ended.
I never imagined that I would experience the same tragedy again.
That our child would also die at the hands of yet another cunning enemy.
I have been completely left behind by fate. My life no longer holds any meaning.
I will begin my revenge after laying my child to rest."
Her story ended with overwhelming grief and fury.
Peach quietly allowed the mother monkey to finish her story out of respect for her feelings.
But everything changed once she finished speaking.
The fairy-like dungeon guide stopped the mother monkey, who was about to lift her child's corpse.
"If I were you, I wouldn't do that," Peach said.
"Who are you to stop me?! I knew it! Your true colors were bound to show eventually!" the female monkey shouted accusingly after misunderstanding the dungeon guide's intentions.
It was not surprising.
If one thought about it carefully, Peach had accidentally sounded exactly like the kind of third-rate villain usually seen in cheap dramas.
"Where are you planning to take your child? To the burial ground of your ancestors that your enemies desecrated?
And then what?
Will you wage war against them alone until you die as well?
And once you are killed, what do you think will happen to your child's corpse?
They will desecrate it too."
The female monkey stared blankly at Peach.
She had no answer.
Little by little, she realized just how impulsive her decision had been.
She had almost placed her child's remains in danger once again.
"W-What is your suggestion?" she asked weakly.
"Live here. Become one of our master's subordinates, no, erase that, be our companion.
That way, you will have the right to lay your child to rest here in our land."
Peach secretly grinned and clenched her fist after sensing that the female monkey was gradually falling for her persuasion.
"Here? Is it truly safe here? And what about my revenge against those who killed my husband?" she asked with hesitation still filling her voice.
"Of course. It's completely safe here as long as our master remains alive and properly protected."
Peach deliberately emphasized the word "our" to give the female monkey a sense of belonging.
The female monkey was already convinced that this was a safe place to lay her child to rest after remembering the strange passage that had opened out of thin air, but she still hesitated because of the condition attached to it.
She needed to ensure that the human who had become her ally in a battle to the death would remain safe.
"What about my revenge?" she asked Peach once more.
"Naturally, your battle will become ours as well," Peach assured confidently.
The female monkey fell silent for a moment.
Then she gave a firm nod.
"Very well. I accept."
...
Let us return to the present.
Peter's flustered gaze repeatedly shifted between the female monkey and his ever-reliable dungeon guide.
Afterward, his eyes lingered on Peach for quite a while.
"Care to explain, Peach?" Peter asked.
Peach began explaining and briefing Peter about the conversation she had with the monkey.
Peter was delighted by what he heard, but the joy quickly faded the moment he caught sight of the young monkey's cold corpse.
"But... since when did you gain the ability to talk to monkeys?"
"I always could. And not just monkeys. I can communicate with all kinds of beings as long as they are inside the dungeon.
To be honest, I have many other abilities that could be extremely useful.
The problem is that they only work inside the dungeon.
I also can never leave this place," Peach explained proudly.
Peter nodded in satisfaction at his discovery.
Even if it was limited to the dungeon, Peach's ability to communicate with different kinds of beings would already be an enormous help.
Aside from that, he was also looking forward to discovering the fairy's other abilities.
"Sorry as well, Master, for taking the initiative without your permission," Peach added.
"Well done!" Peter replied as he gently patted the fairy's head.
After that, Peter established a link between himself and the female monkey.
He immediately checked her status board.
...
Name: ---
Race: Man-Ki
Gender: Female
Age: 11 years and 11 months
Lifespan: 10–100 years
Stats
Strength: C
Resilience: D+
Agility: C+
Spirit: B-
Abilities:
Stamp
A moderately powerful ability naturally possessed by all Man-Ki from birth.
It allows the user to trigger a moderately powerful artificial earthquake after performing four consecutive stamps.
The intensity of the earthquake varies greatly, making its destructive and lethal potential highly unpredictable.
Ki Charge
Ki is a unique form of energy exclusive to the Man-Ki race.
This energy enables the usage of the Man-Ki's powerful trademark racial ability—Ki Destruction.
Ki Destruction
Unleashes an immensely destructive energy attack toward a distant target after gathering and concentrating a massive amount of Ki within a few breaths.
...
Peter clenched his fists after reading everything.
Based on what he had seen, the Man-Ki were an extremely powerful battle race.
There was no doubt they would greatly increase their battle power.
Peter and the others dug up the very first tree in the dungeon—the banana tree that had already stopped bearing fruit.
He stored away the parts that qualified for storage.
After that, they buried the young Man-Ki there.
While all of that was happening, Peach secretly kept signaling toward him.
.
.
.
"Allow me to introduce you... to the DUNGEON ADMINISTRATOR SYSTEM."