Hearing the six-tailed monkey mention ‘loot’, I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at him.

“Loot? That guy didn't look like he had anything.” I said, glancing towards the now deceased body of Seven-Tails.

The black-furred behemoth was still leaking out pools of blood onto the icy clearing behind us. From what I could tell, the monkey didn’t have anything on him. He wore no clothes, and wielded no weapons. The only thing remarkable about the creature was his impressive strength and ability to use magic.

When my mind went to the strange ice magic the monkey used, I suddenly realized something.

‘Speaking of his magic, why is the ice still there?’ I pondered, for when I had seen my mother use her own magic, it had deactivated after she passed out.

Looking out at the destroyed clearing around us and seeing the dozens of monkey’s still encased in ice, it became clear this was not the case for all types of magic. Perhaps Sapphire mana operated under different rules than Emerald mana, the type of magic my mother had used. The books I had previously read were mostly about Emerald mana, and I saw few mentions of the other main branches—Sapphire and Ruby.

A gruff voice interrupted my train of thought, “We go to Seven Tails pyramid to get loot.” he said, looking towards the depths of the charred forest.

‘That must mean the black-furred monkeys also have a pyramid somewhere in this forest. What kind of goodies do they have for us there?’ I wondered, eager to find out.

At this point, the fires that had spread in that direction had already been raging for a good while now. The once lush forest in front of me had become a desolate wasteland, and only the burned husks of trees remained for at least a mile.

Four-Tails got up from the ground, dusting himself off as he cracked his neck. I watched as he then returned to the scene of the battle to retrieve his spear from Seven-Tails’ corpse. Once he had his weapon in hand, he came back to join us.

The three of us promptly began our march into the depths of the burned forest. None of the other monkey’s who had come with us were still around, for they must have run far away during the earlier battle. It didn’t matter much to me though, for that just meant there would be more loot for us.

As we continued through the forest, we quickly came across the vast majority of the black-furred monkeys, or what remained of them. My eyes took in the sight of scores of monkeys who had met their tragic demise from the onslaught of flames. Their blackened bodies were piled atop each other, and it looked like many of them died while trying to scramble away. As we reached deeper into the depths of the forest, we were greeted with many similar sights. These monkeys had all met the same grisly fate, and I even spotted a number of monkeys holding smaller figures.

Belatedly, I realized that these monkeys were holding their children.

This sobering sight made me understand the reality of this battle. I was able to dissociate myself from the massacre I had committed because these were just monkeys. However, these were clearly living beings with their own thoughts, desires, and dreams.

I shook my head, attempting to rid myself of these thoughts. Six-Tails and Four-Tails evidently paid no mind to this though, for they hardly spared the burned corpses a second glance.

Sighing, I followed the two of them as we continued through the forest. We had been walking for nearly ten minutes at this point, and I could see the fires we had created continue to rage off in the distance—they were moving far faster than we did.

As we presumably got closer to the black-furred monkey’s home base, I caught glimpses of figures darting around in the distance. I raised my guard and prepared for another fight, but these monkeys clearly had no intention of fighting.

They were merely running away.

The fires only seemed to run out of fuel by the time we had reached a large clearing in the forest. We must have walked for another ten or fifteen minutes before we saw it, and it was a breathtaking sight.

This clearing was comparable to the pavilion around Six-Tails' own pyramid. However, instead of two large pyramids in the center, this clearing held just a single one.

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My eyes were immediately drawn to this pyramid, for it was absolutely monumental in size. The gargantuan pyramid had to have been over a hundred meters in height and width, dwarfing the ones I had previously seen. This stone pyramid was easily as big as the Egyptian pyramids of my previous world, and I began to wonder who had constructed these monuments.

The time-worn bricks of the pyramid were covered in green moss, and I saw that the top of the pyramid held a large chamber. Mossy stone steps led up towards this chamber, many of them worn away and broken from centuries of disrepair. Looking closer, I saw that the chamber was sealed off from the outside by a huge boulder.

Six-Tails began to grow visibly excited when he saw this pyramid, and he picked up his pace as he jogged towards it. I followed behind the monkey with my guard still up, scanning the pavilion from the air in an attempt to spot any attacks before they could reach us. I didn't know if there were still bands of monkeys roaming the forest, and it paid to be cautious.

Fortunately, this didn’t seem necessary. If there were any black-furred monkeys still around, they had likely decided they couldn’t fight us.

Soon, we had reached the base of the pyramid, and we promptly climbed up the steps as we approached the chamber on its surface. Luckily, I didn’t have to do any climbing myself, for I simply floated behind the two monkeys as they led the way.

This pyramid was ridiculously steep, so it took us nearly ten minutes just to ascend to the top. Eventually, we reached the surface, but the two monkeys were panting from the climb—clearly exhausted.

My eyes were then drawn to the large boulder that was blocking off the entrance to the chamber. Six-Tails wasted no time as he threw himself at this boulder, his muscles bulging as he strained himself in his attempts to dislodge it. However, even after a long minute of trying, it wouldn’t budge even an inch.

“Hey, Six-Tails. Let me try, back up.” I said, prompting the monkey to stop his efforts and step to the side.

Looking at this boulder that blocked off the doorway, I didn’t know what the best method would be to remove it. I eventually settled on trying to push it, for it took less effort to push something than to pull it.

I sent a powerful wave of aether towards the boulder, smashing into it with resounding force. This blast collided with the boulder with such force that it shook the entire pyramid, and stray stones and bricks fell from around the doorway from the impact.

Although this certainly was doing something, the boulder still sat firmly in place.

I resolved myself to try a second time, and I sent another wave of my aether towards the boulder. This time I strained my powers to their fullest extent, and when they slammed into the boulder it began to creak and groan from the invisible force bearing down upon it.

Even as I felt myself growing lightheaded, I continued to push my aether against the rock, straining my powers as I pushed them to their limits.

Eventually, something gave. Stone shattered with a resounding crack as the boulder abruptly flew into the depths of the pyramid, sending shards of rocks flying in every direction.

The boulder was lodged in a way that suggested it was placed from the outside, for it was much larger than the doorway itself. Nonetheless, my aether had blasted the boulder through the opening, destroying the doorway in the process.

As soon as the boulder was pushed inside, a shimmering golden glow spilled out, bathing us in a warm, ethereal light. The boulder continued inwards for several meters before the sounds of stone smashing into metal rang through my ears.

“Flying pup, you did it!” Six-Tails exclaimed, looking towards the depths of the pyramid with eagerness.

I was inwardly pleased with myself as well, but the blood that was suddenly pouring from my nostril made me realize that I had overdone it. In the future I would need to be more careful when using my powers, it seemed that even half an hour of intense combat was my limit. Wiping my nose with my hand, I followed Six-Tails and his companion into the pyramid’s chamber, just as excited as them to see what riches we would find within.

As we crossed the chamber’s boundary, our eyes were greeted with a mesmerizing sight. The walls, hewn from ancient stone, rose high into the darkness above, their rough surfaces catching and reflecting the glint of treasure piled high within.

Mounds of golden coins, each one a tiny, gleaming sun, formed a glittering landscape of untold wealth. Jewels the size of a man's fist lay scattered amidst the treasure, their vibrant hues casting a kaleidoscope of colors that danced upon the stone walls.

The stone boulder from earlier sat perched atop the middle of this treasure trove, no doubt crushing many treasures beneath it. Even still, there was more than enough riches to go around.

Here and there, ornate chalices and goblets, encrusted with precious gems, peeked out from the piles of gold like tantalizing beacons, whispering tales of ancient feasts and forgotten kings.

Amidst the mountains of treasure, mystical artifacts lay strewn about, their intricate carvings hinting at the arcane powers contained within. A staff, its length adorned with strange runes, leaned against a chest overflowing with priceless gems. A mirror, its surface swirling with an otherworldly mist, was propped against a stack of gold bars, offering glimpses of realms beyond our own.

The air within the chamber hummed with latent celestial energy, the combined energy of countless enchanted items creating an atmosphere that was almost suffocating.

Just from my initial impressions, this chamber seemed to possess more wealth than Six-Tails’ by several orders of magnitude. My eyes darted across the chamber as I took in the beauty in front of me.

I spotted an ancient tome, its pages brimming with words long forgotten, perched atop a mound of golden coins—its bindings crackling with power. Another pile held a sword, its hilt encrusted with jewels that seemed to radiate a palpable energy, hinting at the legendary power it contained.

The sheer magnitude of the wealth and power contained within the stone chamber was overwhelming, a testament to the might of Seven-Tails and the monkeys that came before him. Each glimmering coin, each gleaming jewel, and each enchanted artifact told a tale of ambition, conquest, and the unyielding desire for more—more wealth, more power, more glory.

At the end of this chamber sat a massive golden throne, its surface adorned with jewels and rubies. I noticed that there was something sitting atop the throne—it looked to be some type of strange fruit.

The fruit was blue in appearance, and when I peered closer, I saw that it was actually some sort of banana. This fruit stood out because it was the only thing in the entire chamber that wasn’t made out of precious metals.

In this sacred space, time stood still, the treasures and their stories waiting patiently for us to sweep them into our pockets.

The momentary silence was broken by the sounds of Six-Tails and his companion hooting with elation as they dove towards the piles of gold. They each jumped into a mountain of gold as they tossed and turned, sending glimmering coins flying around the chamber.

I merely shook my head with a wry smile, for I would have done the same thing if I wasn’t trying to keep up my appearance as an enigmatic baby.