By the time the moon rose high, the troop arrived at a towering waterfall.

One by one, the apes leapt behind the crashing cascade, disappearing into the rock wall.

He followed. What greeted him made him freeze in his tracks.

A massive cave opened up behind the waterfall, at least a few hundred square meters wide. Moonlight filtered through cracks above, illuminating a hidden world.

Dozens of female apes lounged near the back wall, cradling infants in their arms.

Near them were others—larger, battle-worn apes missing limbs, nursing deep wounds. Fresh ones. The coppery scent of blood hung heavy in the air.

“Squeak!” The monkey king barked again.

A few of the wounded stepped forward and limped toward a shallow green pool near the center of the cave. Its liquid shimmered unnaturally, thick like syrup and glowing faintly under the moonlight.

One by one, they jumped in.

Axel stood still, confused.

Then—shove.

A clawed hand hit his back.

He turned. One of the larger apes was behind him, baring its teeth and motioning at the pool.

“...You’ve got to be kidding me,” Axel muttered under his breath.

But there was no point resisting. He stepped forward, inch by inch, toward the bubbling pool of glowing green liquid.

Axel hesitated before plunging into the thick green pool.

The liquid was hot, not scalding, but enough to make his skin prickle. A strange surge pulsed through his body. It wasn’t just warmth—it was raw energy, soaking into his flesh, crawling through his veins.

Within moments, Axel felt it: his muscles tightening, bones hardening, his whole body being refined like steel in a forge.

“What the hell... is this stuff?!”

He’d read about anomalous zones before. After the Mutation Era began, certain hot springs and mineral pools across the world—like the ones in Western Bridgeport—had transformed into physical sanctuaries. Places where bodies were tempered, evolved.

“Shit.”

But this… this was too fast.

Axel’s eyes widened. The rush of improvement was forcing out some of the power he had kept hidden, leaking his internal energy like a hairline crack in a pressure valve.

Not his human scent, but strength. Pure, unfiltered strength.

Around him, the other long-clawed Blackleaf monkeys fell eerily silent. The ones who’d tormented him hours ago shrank back behind the rocks and foliage. Even the boldest among them now stared like they’d seen a ghost.

A few whimpered.

Then—

"ROARRRR!"

The monkey king leapt into the open, eyes locked on Axel. He bared his teeth, every inch of his hulking frame bristling with challenge and rage.

He felt the threat.

Axel quickly reverted to his submissive act—ears down, shoulders slumped, eyes lowered. “Come on, take the bait...”

But the monkey king wasn’t buying it.

Without warning, the alpha charged and brought his clawed hand down in a brutal arc across Axel’s shoulder.

SCHLACK.

Blood sprayed. Hot. Fast. It dyed the green waters a sickly crimson.

“Squeak! Squeak!!”

The surrounding apes howled and scattered in all directions.

Axel bit back a scream. The cut was deep—but not fatal.

“ROAR!!”

Another blow came, heavier, faster—aimed straight at his skull.

“Fuck this—” Axel ducked, barely avoiding the crushing strike.

He launched himself backward out of the pool, green water and blood trailing behind him.

“Squeak?!”

The monkey king froze for a half-second, surprised by the dodge. Then—furious.

This time, his roar echoed like thunder, shaking the trees as he pounded his chest and bared his teeth.

There would be no going back. If Axel hesitated now, he’d be ripped to shreds before sunrise.

“Fine, want a fight?”

“Let’s fucking go.”

The two massive forms clashed, fur and claws colliding with a bone-rattling BANG.

The force of it cracked nearby rocks and sent a tremor through the floor.

The monkey king snarled again and sprang away from the cave. He knew this place was too cramped.

Axel followed without hesitation, dripping wet, and ready to kill.

The moment he emerged into the moonlight, a shadow blurred across his vision.

SWIPE.

A claw grazed his cheek, carving another line of red across his face.

“Son of a bitch—sneaking up on me?!” Axel snapped, rage flaring in his chest.

He flipped backward, claws digging into bark as he launched himself into the nearest tree. The moment he latched on, his transformed body kicked in fully—joints fluid, balance perfect, speed monstrous.

The monkey king narrowed his eyes.

“ROAR!!”

With blinding speed, the monkey king launched himself into the air like a cannonball, crashing through the branches toward Axel.

Axel met him head-on.

BANG!

CRACK!

They collided midair, slammed into tree trunks, and exploded into the brush.

Each strike sent branches snapping, bark flying, and rotten leaves spiraling through the night.

Claw against claw. Fang against fang.

Neither willing to back down.

“Squeak! Squeak! Squeeeeeak!!”

Dozens of long-clawed monkeys now surrounded the treetops, their eyes wide with shock and excitement. None of them had ever seen anyone stand up to the monkey king like this.

Blood dripped from Axel’s claws as he and the old monkey king circled each other, both panting, both bruised and battered.

“This stubborn bastard...” Axel gritted his teeth, tasting copper. Physically, he was stronger now—faster, tougher—but he hadn’t fully adapted to this form yet. Meanwhile, the old ape was pure brutality and experience, his reflexes sharp, his body like knotted steel.

From the outside, the monkey king still looked unshaken. But underneath all that fur, several of its ribs had snapped. One wrong move, and those injuries would cave in.

Then it happened.

The old monkey king took a step back. Then another. And then it raised both arms and screeched—angry, loud, defiant.

Immediately, dozens of younger, stronger blackleaf monkeys perked up. Their white eyes gleamed in the dark. Claws flexed. Muscles tensed. Murder in the air.

“Shit,” Axel muttered. “The old fuck’s calling backup.”

He didn’t wait. Advance, not retreat.

With a flash of primal instinct, Axel charged—so fast the wind howled around him. His sudden acceleration stunned the entire group. Monkeys flinched back. Even the king hesitated.

Awakening skill: Recharge.

He became a blur of movement.

The monkey king let out one last bellow and met him head-on, pride overruling survival. If it turned tail now, the pack would abandon him. But if he held Axel long enough—just a few more seconds—he could order the others to swarm.

Axel wasn’t playing that game.

Just before they collided, Axel’s body twisted midair.

Not a headbutt.

Not a bite.

But a kick—a brutal, full-body whip-kick that tore through the dark and caught the old ape right in the ribs.

CRACK.

A clean, sickening snap echoed across the trees.

The monkey king’s eyes bulged, and blood exploded from its mouth.

The giant beast staggered, stunned—and then Axel was on him.

Fists rained down.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Each punch sank deeper, smashing fur, muscle, and bone. The old king shrieked in agony, arms flailing, then twitching, then going limp. Mud and blood mixed beneath them.

And then—silence.

Axel rose slowly from the broken body, panting, blood dripping from his face. The other blackleaf monkeys stared in shock, frozen mid-snarl.

He scanned the ring of apes, eyes glowing with savage intensity.

The biggest of them—once poised to leap—took a single step back.

Then another.

As Axel walked forward, they parted like shadows, falling to all fours, bowing instinctively.

The forest held its breath.

Then, a silver shaft of moonlight pierced the canopy and bathed Axel’s form in its glow.

He stood tall, chest rising with every breath, crimson running down his arms, and grinned.

A few of the monkeys shivered.

Axel raised one massive arm and let out a guttural roar that echoed into the treetops.

“ROOOOOAR!”

The tribe answered in turn.

Axel stood alone, a blood-soaked figure in the moonlight.

King of the Wild.

And as he glanced at the crushed skull behind him, he couldn’t help but smirk.

Miracle, huh?