Rayden felt it the moment he saw that monkey smile.

To anyone else it looked normal. Just a beast baring its teeth.

But to Rayden… it was wrong.

Too calm. Too knowing.

Too much like his own manic grin when he was about to show his enemies exactly where they stood.

No.

This damn monkey cannot be anything like me.

He shook the thought away and forced his breathing steady.

One thing was certain. His earlier assumption had been shattered. This monkey was not some random brute hiding behind the scar faced gorilla.

If he pulled off that stunt earlier, then he was strong.

Extremely strong.

Was Rayden afraid?

Not even a little.

Even if this monkey was stronger than the scar faced gorilla, it did not mean he could take Rayden and his two Wolf Generals.

Rayden alone, if he went all out, could have taken the scar faced gorilla down.

With Raoth.

With Grah.

This monkey would fall.

It was only a matter of when.

The two sides prepared to charge again.

But this time, before moving, Rayden activated Infernal Instinct and kept it active.

He might need it now more than ever.

The battle resumed.

Grah charged first like before, a blur of muscle and fangs. When he reached the monkey, the beast simply sidestepped. Clean. Effortless.

Then it jumped.

And landed calmly atop Grah’s head.

As if this was a game.

As if it was enjoying itself.

Grah snarled and leapt upward, trying to shake him off.

That was when things turned strange.

The monkey twisted its body mid air. The twist did not throw him off.

It added pressure.

His weight shifted. His leg angled.

Grah’s own momentum betrayed him. His right leg buckled into the left.

He crashed onto his back with a thunderous thud.

The monkey landed standing on his muzzle casually.

Grah snarled and tried to open his jaws to bite the arrogant creature’s leg clean off.

He could not.

No matter how hard he pushed.

It felt like a mountain was pressing his jaws shut.

Rayden’s eyes narrowed.

He does not need to be pinned long.

There are still two more opponents you have to worry about.

Right on cue, Raoth lunged.

His claws tore through the air toward the monkey’s face.

The monkey twisted unnaturally.

Its tail snapped out.

The impact redirected Raoth’s claws straight toward Rayden.

Rayden had been waiting for the monkey to slip so he could unleash another barrage.

Instead he was nearly caught off guard.

If he had not activated Infernal Instinct, he would not have reacted in time.

Time slowed.

Ultra Boost.

His speed doubled.

He shifted sideways just enough.

Raoth’s massive form smashed into the ground with a heavy crash.

Dust exploded.

Raoth rose instantly, shaking it off.

The three regrouped for a brief second, eyes locked on the smiling monkey.

It was clear now.

The monkey was not falling for the same tricks twice.

That was fine.

Rayden’s lips curved.

What is he, if not a master strategist?

Within seconds a new plan formed.

Raoth would focus on offense.

Grah would circle, evasive, constant pressure.

Rayden would wait.

Wait for the opening.

The plan moved.

The three rushed at once.

Raoth attacked relentlessly. Grah harassed from blind spots, forcing the monkey to shift and guard.

Seconds stretched.

Then it appeared.

An opening.

Rayden moved.

He jumped.

His body darkened several shades as Hellskin Fortification activated.

Abyssal Pulse gathered in his palm.

He aimed low.

The monkey’s lower body.

It would connect.

It had to.

Then something changed.

The monkey’s movement slowed.

No.

Not slowed.

Adjusted.

It looked straight at Rayden.

And smiled.

Its tail, which had been coiled around one of Raoth’s claws, tightened.

With terrifying strength it yanked.

Raoth was ripped off his feet and slammed into Grah who was circling from the side.

The collision was brutal.

The impact created an opening.

For the monkey.

It twisted.

Closed the distance in a blink.

And a sharp slap cut across Rayden’s face.

The sound cracked through the battlefield.

His vision went white.

His body hit the ground hard.

Pain exploded across his face like fire tearing through flesh.

For a split second the world spun.

Rayden felt the waves of pain before they receded slightly.

It would have been worse if Hellskin Fortification was not active.

Even with it active, it did almost nothing against that heavy slap.

His face still burned.

He forced himself up just as Raoth rushed to his side.

“My King, are you alright?”

Rayden spat blood to the side.

“I’m good. But that damn monkey is about to be thrown into a world of pain.”

He was not done.

Not even close.

Plans formed in his mind one after another. Cold. Calculated. If he executed enough of them, at least one would create a clean chance to gravely wound the beast and secure victory.

They rushed forward again.

They got beaten again.

Second plan failed.

More beating.

Third plan failed.

More beating.

Fourth failed.

More beating.

At this point Raoth and Grah’s faces were fully swollen. Their breaths were heavy. Their movements slower.

Rayden looked better only because of Hellskin Fortification and because his two generals kept charging ahead, taking blows meant for him.

But he knew.

If this continued, Raoth and Grah would reach their limit.

They would not be able to cover for him anymore.

And if that happened…

Rayden swallowed.

The monkey would focus on him fully.

That did not sound good.

Not good at all.

Fifth plan activated.

Failed.

This time Grah was slammed so hard into the ground that the earth cracked.

He did not rise.

He lay there.

Unconscious.

A bad premonition crawled up Rayden’s spine.

Sixth plan.

Failed.

More beating.

Seventh plan.

Failed.

More beating.

Eighth plan.

Raoth tried to stand.

His legs trembled.

Then he collapsed.

Fainted from the otherworldly thrashing.

Now only the leader remained.

Rayden stared at his two trusted generals. Then he lifted his gaze to the white monkey.

The beast stood there just like before.

No sweat.

No strain.

As if he had not just wiped the floor with Rayden’s strongest and most skilled soldiers.

The monkey’s tail rose and curled, half covering his grinning face.

The scar faced gorilla in the distance shook his head slowly, pity written all over his face.

He could tell.

The Grandmaster was done playing.

The real thrashing was about to begin.

Seeing that grin up close, Rayden felt it.

Nervousness.

A bead of sweat rolled down his back.

Don’t tell me this basterd really wants to beat a kid.

Can’t you see I’m just a baby?

The monkey’s smile widened.

Disturbing.

It rushed forward.

Rayden rushed too.

Even knowing his chances were slim.

He used every skill he had to the limit. Every movement precise. Every dodge calculated. There was not much he could do in this situation.

But if he used everything wisely…

Maybe.

Just maybe.

The next attack shattered that dream.

Even with his skin hardened to the extreme, the instant the blow landed his vision blurred.

His body swayed.

The monkey did not stop.

Blow after blow rained down.

Rayden’s small body was completely thrashed, tossed around like a rag doll.

As if he had personally insulted the monkey’s ancestors.

Who knows.

Maybe he did.

But still.

Is this not too much beating for a baby?

“Stop!” Rayden shouted.

What came out was nothing but baby scrambling.

In human standards it might have been cute.

To the monkey, it seemed to be fuel.

The grin stretched wider.

And the beating intensified.

A few minutes later, Rayden collapsed.

Totally fainted.

The beating had finally claimed him.

——-

Some hours later, Rayden woke up inside his small cave.

His army was back with him.

Alive.

Breathing.

The monkey had not killed him.

In fact, the damn beast did not even seem interested in ending him. He had looked amused. Curious. Like Rayden was some interesting toy he was not ready to break yet.

So he offered a deal.

He would join Rayden’s small army against the Scavengers.

On one condition.

Rayden would provide him with a rare, precious material.

What he needed it for, Rayden could not tell.

But he could tell one thing.

The monkey was not lying.

Still.

That damn bastard is a lunatic.

Rayden screamed internally as he held his slightly aching body. Most of his injuries had healed. Some of the gorillas possessed a strange chilling energy that could mend wounds. It was not pleasant, but it worked.

“Well,” Rayden muttered sincerely, staring at the cave ceiling, “I could still call it my win. If getting mercilessly thrashed before getting what I wanted counts as a win.”

He grumbled.

Someday.

Someday he would pay that monkey back in his own coin.

That he promised.

He sighed and leaned back on his small prepared bed. Moonlight filtered into the cave, pale and quiet.

His eyes softened.

Sincerely…

I think I miss you guys.

His mind drifted to his two human parents.

Somewhere out there.

Held by those lunatic psychopaths called Scavengers.

His lips slowly curled into a small, crazy grin.

Wait for me.

I am coming.

I will wipe the Scavengers out.

Every single one of them.

And I will free you.

Just wait a little longer.

———

Meanwhile, far away from the cave.

Inside the massive base of the Scavengers.

Deep in the underground cellars where stubborn prisoners were kept, a man was being whipped.

Each lash tore through flesh with dreadful force.

Blood splattered.

Skin split.

But his expression did not change.

No scream.

No plea.

Only calm confidence.

Only determination.

Even as the Scavenger members continued whipping him, he paid them no attention.

His mind was somewhere else.

On his wife.

On his son.

I promise you two.

I will break out of here soon.

Then I will get rid of the Scavengers.

I will set you free as well.

We will be free.

I will make sure of that.

——–

Above the underground cellars, in one of the largest and second most luxurious rooms in the entire base, several maidens and young ladies were kept.

Late teens.

Early thirties.

Dressed in comfortable clothes.

But their expressions told the truth.

Hopelessness.

Fear.

Guilt.

Despair.

Among them, one woman stood out.

Early twenties.

Her beauty unmatched even among the pretty maidens.

But her eyes.

Her eyes were terrifying.

Not wild rage.

Not unstable madness.

Calm.

Controlled.

Burning.

Her gaze shifted toward the room next door.

There, a man casually sipped alcohol, relaxed, as if he owned the world.

“Rayden…” Selene muttered softly, her voice cold and steady.

“I failed to save you.”

Her fingers clenched slowly.

“But I promise to avenge you.”

Her eyes darkened.

“I will burn this entire place to the ground.”

“Every Scavenger will die.”

“Starting with their leader.”

Her rage did not explode.

It condensed.

Sharpened.

“I promised you, Rayden.”

Far away under the same moonlight, a small boy lay in a cave with a crazy grin on his face.

In an underground dungeon, a man endured lashes with unshaken resolve.

In a gilded prison, a woman sharpened her hatred into a blade.

None of them knew.

They were all making the same promise.

And when those promises finally collided…

The world of the Scavengers would burn.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep