CHAPTER 422: PLANET OF THE SERPENTINE APES

"I’m not just a brute," I said, trying to sound calm.

"You are," Lyrate shot back, her eyes narrowing. "I can feel your emotions when you fight. You just want to punch or smash things with your staff."

I shrugged. "Kind of true," I admitted, a small smirk forming.

"So... what do you think?" I asked, turning to her. "I’m stuck between the ape and the kitsune."

Lyrate blinked at me, clearly surprised. "Why are you confused? Go for the Ape, of course. The Kitsune’s advantage is the law of creation, which I already have. I can make an army for you if you want."

She leaned closer, her voice calm but certain. "Besides, the Ape is a hybrid. Who knows what other abilities it might awaken from its serpentine lineage? And I like that it already comprehends different forces as its laws."

I hummed, letting her words sink in. "You know... you’re making sense. I am leaning toward the Ape too. He’ll be the hard hitter of our group."

I cracked my knuckles, feeling anticipation stir in my chest. "Alright. It’s decided. Mr. Serpent Ape it is."

Without hesitation, I took a step forward and appeared right in front of the sitting ape.

The moment I landed, it let out a deafening roar, echoing across the sliced mountain peak. Its massive hands clenched the bone club, and the runes engraved across its body flared to life, bright orange, locking the beast in place. The ground trembled beneath its power, and even the air seemed to vibrate with the force of its presence.

I raised my hands slightly, letting my Essence flow outward in a calm, controlled wave. "It’s alright, big fella," I said softly, my voice steady. "I’m going to free you of these chains."

The ape’s chest heaved as it growled low, testing me, its eyes glowing with raw intelligence and barely restrained fury. Heat radiated from its muscles, serpentine scales glinting under the light. I could feel the tension in its body, every sinew ready to spring into action if I made the wrong move.

"It looks like you’ve got some anger issues, big guy. Time to calm down," I said, raising my hand.

"You’re not the only one who can use force," I added.

I activated the law of attraction, and the ape froze in place. Its eyes widened in shock, unable to comprehend what was happening. Before it could react, I moved my hand down, slamming its massive body into the ground and holding it there, pressing every inch of it against the stone.

The impact sent vibrations through the ground, and the beast thrashed briefly, but my control held it firmly.

Once it was fully subdued, I pushed the final Essence into the null heart.

– Null Heart Charge: 1000 / 1000 Essence

A new soul shackle formed instantly. I knelt beside the groaning ape, its massive body trembling as it tried to rise but couldn’t.

I pressed my palm against its head. "Submit," I whispered.

My Essence moved with my will. This was a command. From deep inside me, the Null Heart stirred, spinning and glowing brighter with purpose. It hummed through my chest, down my arms, and into every fiber of me.

Then everything stopped. The air. My heartbeat. Even thought itself paused. It felt like the whole world had frozen.

Darkness swallowed me next. The real world faded like a distant memory. I stood on a cracked stone floor, floating in an endless black void. There were no stars, no light, only cold emptiness.

Ahead, a massive door appeared. Dust covered it, runes glimmering faintly.

A chain burst from my chest, glowing thick and bright. It shot forward without hesitation, slamming into the door. The door shuddered. Dust fell. Runes flickered brighter. A small gap opened, and from it, a red sphere floated out, the soul of the Serpent Ape, bound and contained. Its body curled in stillness, held safe and quiet, its power locked inside.

The chain connected with the sphere, then pulled it straight to me. It passed through my chest and merged with the Null Heart. A new core formed beside the white one—red, smaller but dense.

Inside, the ape’s soul floated, silent and restrained. The connection between us shone clear.

A pulse of energy shot through me. The void cracked, and I gasped, back on the mountain, hand still on the ape’s skull.

The ape’s body began to crumble. Its bone club cracked, the scales on its chest and arms flaked away, and the black fur rotted into ash.

Then the ape shimmered. Energy surged from its form, shooting into me. It struck my forehead. And the ape was gone.

As soon as the soul shackle connected, a memory surged through me. I felt it like my own body, like living through the ape’s eyes.

I was running. Rocks flew beneath my feet. Monstrous creatures gave chase, teeth snapping, claws scraping the ground. My chest heaved, every muscle screaming, but I couldn’t stop.

Behind me, the growls and roars of my pursuers echoed like thunder.

And then the ground gave way. I fell.

The air rushed past me as the chasm swallowed me whole. At first, I tried to twist and fight, but the gravity inside that pit was unlike anything I had ever felt.

It pressed on me like a living weight, pushing me into the jagged rocks below. Every movement was agony, every struggle seemed futile.

I hit the ground hard. Pain exploded through my body, but I roared anyway, a sound raw with fury and fear.

My anger burned hotter than the pain, sharper than the fear. I tried to stand, tried to push against the pull, but the gravity forced me down again and again.

My body shook with exhaustion, yet I refused to stay down.

Day after day, I clawed and leapt against the crushing force. Inch by inch, I learned its rhythm, felt the subtle shifts in pressure, the way each force pulled or resisted.

My muscles tore and healed, my mind sharpened, and little by little, I began to move upward. I fell many times, bruised and battered, but each failure only stoked my rage and determination.

Eventually, I grasped the edge of the chasm. With a final, furious push, I heaved myself out. I lay there, chest burning, fists dug into the stone, staring at the sky.