Morning arrived like any other. The sky stretched in soft hues of blue, the distant chirps of early-rising birds mingling with the faint hum of mana flowing through the air.

I stretched, exhaling slowly, feeling the familiar warmth of cultivated energy coursing through my veins. My artifact had absorbed mana throughout the night, and as expected, I woke up feeling refreshed.

Another day. Another step forward.

Life had fallen into a steady rhythm: cultivation at night, training in the morning.

Every day, I pushed Bobo through rigorous exercises, reinforcing his growth with Adaptive Growth Factor after meals, Recovery Stimulation after training, and Neural Acceleration when teaching him something new. The results spoke for themselves—Bobo’s agility had sharpened, his strength had increased, and his mind was sharper than ever.

He wasn’t just stronger; he was evolving.

Not in rank, but in sheer ability and skill.

Rhyzar’s ape still outclassed him in every way, but Bobo no longer just took beatings—he was moving quite well. I might be biased because he’s my companion, but he has truly grown.

Today, we'd meet with Rhyzar again. He would come to test our progress and see Bobo’s development and the results of our training.

The backyard training ground felt different today.

Not because of the sun climbing lazily over the horizon. Not because of the morning air, crisp with the scent of dew-covered grass.

No.

It was because of her.

“Go, Bobo! Smack him in the face! No, wait—dodge! Dodge! Aghhh, jump, jump, jump—oh no, oh no—”

Five years old. Loud. Relentless. Completely invested.

I sighed. "Lina, what are you doing?"

She bounced on the balls of her feet, gripping my sleeve with every moment of tension, nearly yanking my arm out of its socket.

"I'm practicing, duh! If Bobo fights, I have to be ready to cheer him with all my might."

Rhyzar chuckled beside me, arms crossed, completely unfazed. His Warforged Golden Ape stood in front of Bobo, its massive frame towering over him, waiting.

Bobo?

Poised. Ready.

And… mildly distracted by Lina’s screaming.

His ear twitched, and he shot me a look.

I could practically hear the exasperation in his eyes.

I sighed, ruffling Lina’s hair. “Lina. Breathe. You’re gonna pass out before they even start.”

She gasped dramatically. “I can’t breathe, Akul! This is life or death!”

Rhyzar snorted. “For who?”

Lina blinked, then frowned. “Uhhh… for my heart?”

I groaned. Rhyzar outright laughed.

Bobo just cracked his knuckles, tail flicking behind him.

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"Enough talk. Time to fight"

Then the Warforged Golden Ape moved.

A blur. A force of nature.

Bobo’s pupils contracted.

The fist came fast—but he was faster.

He rolled with the punch. Absorbing the force. Twisting his body with the impact rather than against it.

Lina squealed.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, he’s like—like a—like a—”

“Leaf in the wind?” I muttered.

She gasped. “YES! A leaf in a HURRICANE!”

Bobo lunged forward. A feint. A flicker of movement, baiting a reaction.

The Warforged Golden Ape didn’t take the bait.

Didn’t need to.

It brought its arm down—a crushing arc of raw power.

A split second.

Bobo twisted mid-air, tail snapping to anchor himself, momentum redirecting.

The fist brushed past his fur.

A perfect dodge.

Not by luck.

By calculation.

I exhaled.

Rhyzar let out a low whistle. “Damn.”

His ape took a step back, its expression shifting. Not just watching now.

Assessing.

This wasn’t just improvement.

This was instinct.

Bobo wasn’t just reacting.

He was reading the fight.

The Warforged Golden Ape lifted its hand.

Then—vanished.

Lina screamed.

“Akuuuuul, he DISAPPEARED—”

I gritted my teeth. “Lina, please—”

A downward kick. Faster than before.

This wasn’t a test anymore.

This was real.

Bobo’s ears twitched.

And before I could even think—

He stepped in.

The kick descended—

Bobo twisted, pressing his hands against the Ape’s leg—redirecting.

The force of the attack slammed into the ground, cracking the dirt.

But Bobo?

Untouched.

Lina grabbed my arm. “DID YOU SEE THAT?”

Rhyzar smirked. “Heh. Kid’s learning.”

His ape straightened, eyes locking onto Bobo.

And for the first time—

It nodded.

Approval.

Lina lost her mind.

She jumped into my arms, kicking wildly. “HE’S SO COOOOOOL! BOBO YOU’RE THE STRONGEST MONKEY IN THE UNIVERSE—”

Bobo grinned.

Then crossed his arms, puffing his chest.

Rhyzar laughed. “Oh great. Now he’s gonna be insufferable.”

I sighed. “Yeah. Thanks, Lina.”

She gasped. “I only speak facts!”

Bobo thumped his chest dramatically.

Rhyzar’s ape smirked.

Then raised a single hand.

An invitation.

Bobo blinked.

Then—

He stepped forward.

The fight wasn’t over.

But Bobo wasn’t just surviving anymore.

He was growing.

Not by brute force.

Not by overwhelming power, yet.

But by understanding.

By knowing.

And that?

That was even more terrifying.

That afternoon, we spent it at the enclosure, checking on the other monkeys. At first, returning had been uneasy. I hesitated. They hesitated.

But now?

Now they greeted me with their usual energy—a rush of bodies, playful bites, excited hoots. Even Bobo was like the king of the juveniles now, after I had properly introduced him.

My parents still kept me busy. Helping at the enclosure. Playing with Lina. Joining family meals. The days blurred together, a mix of sweat, training, and small moments of normalcy.

Except—

Now, there was something new.

Something unexpected.

Something that needed me just as much as Bobo had.

“Akul!”

A familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

Chia.

She jogged toward me, grinning wide, hair bouncing with each step. “Let’s go check on Marshmallow!”

I blinked. “Marshmallow?”

She huffed, crossing her arms. “You can’t just keep calling him ‘the boar.’ He needs a name!”

“Marshmallow?” I repeated, incredulous.

“What?” She pouted. “He’s all soft and fluffy now!”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Chia… he’s a boar.”

“Exactly! And he’s my boar now, so his name is Marshmallow.”

I opened my mouth—then closed it.

I wasn’t winning this one.

“…Fine.”

She beamed. “Let’s go!”

With Bobo trailing behind, we made our way back toward the healing chamber.

The air inside was warm, thick with mana from the recovery array pulsing softly along the walls.

And at the center—

Was Marshmallow.

Not the Marshmallow we brought home yesterday, broken and charred. This was a totally renewed Marshmallow.

After i saw it I stopped in my tracks.

Chia’s breath hitched.

Bobo tensed.

Marshmallow had changed.

Gone was the frail, twisted frame.

Gone were the jagged deformities, the unnatural warping.

What stood before us was something else entirely. Something well taken care of, something well-fed.

His frame had filled out—dense muscle layered beneath smooth, reinforced skin. His coat, once patchy and scarred, had transformed into a thick, coarse hide that shimmered faintly in the mana-rich air. His back, which had once been hunched in deformity, was now straight, broad, powerful.

His tusks had regrown—but not wildly. They curved forward in perfect symmetry, sharp, strong, and controlled.

And then, there were his eyes.

Once bloodshot and lifeless, now gleaming with intelligence. Awareness.

Chia exhaled slowly. “…Wow.”

I stepped forward cautiously.

Marshmallow’s ears twitched.

His gaze locked onto me.

A silent recognition passed between us.

This wasn’t the same dying creature we had rescued.

This was something else.

Something stronger.

Something reborn.