As Ankeet's bold proclamation echoed throughout the forest, the Loop Monkeys started throwing stones toward us from the trees. But the Elderly Loop Monkeys step forward. With a raised hand, he silenced the frenzied attack.

"Enough!" he roared, his tone brooking no argument. "How long has it been since I last fought? Ten years? Nay, perhaps even two decades," he remarked, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

The Elderly Loop Monkey stepped forward, his gaze locking onto Ankeet. The atmosphere suddenly changed with a sudden blur of motion. He vanished and reappeared in front of Ankeet.

"You got me pumped up. Don't let me down, kid," he declared, his grin widening as he met Ankeet's gaze.

"I will Take care of him. You people can take care of the remaining." the Elderly Loop Monkey issued his challenge. The loop monkeys started surrounding me and Noah.

Ankeet looked at my eyes, "You can take care of them, right?"

With a nod to Ankeet, I squared my shoulders, meeting his smile.

"I've got this," I replied.

Suddenly, the mist thickened around us, obscuring our surroundings. I didn't see anything that happened between Ankeet and the Elderly Loop Monkey.

Fight between Ankeet and The Elderly Monkey:

The Elderly Loop Monkey looked at Ankeet and said, "How about we take this elsewhere?"

"What are you talking about?"

With a sudden surge of energy, The Elderly Loop Monkey raised his voice and shouted, "Zone" "Endless Maze!" [ ??> Dome > Zone] [Inside Zone user can't control the surroundings by will]

In an instant, the environment changed. Ankeet stood at the dense forest formed like a maze.

"That's how you are going to play it, huh," Ankeet murmured, looking at the maze forest.

Suddenly, Ankeet heard a voice, "Just follow my instructions, and you will arrive at the arena. I am waiting for you there,"

Ankeet followed the elderly loop monkeys' advice and arrived at the arena.

From Ankeet's POV:

As I stepped into the stone arena within the heart of the dense forest maze, my gaze fell upon the holographic figures of the Looping Monkeys, their eyes fixed upon me with intensity. At the center of the arena stood the Old Loop Monkey.

I approached the Old Loop Monkey. He turned his gaze towards me. As I drew near, the Old Loop Monkey spoke, "What is your name?" it asked.

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I met its gaze, knowing that was the first rule of the duel. "My name is Ankeet Losna," I replied. With my name spoken, the Old Loop Monkey also stated his name, "My name is Satori Sansei."

"Remember the rules of this duel. Do not hold back and fight until your last breadth." I nodded, ready to face my opponent.

As the tension in the arena reached its peak. Ankeet and Satori stood locked in a silent standoff, each waiting for the other to make the first move. With a deliberate motion, Ankeet drew his sword.

Ankeet pointed his blade toward Satori, ready for action. Then, with a sudden movement, Ankeet lunged forward, his sword infused with Ukti. He brought his blade crashing toward his opponent.

But to his surprise, Satori reacted with lightning-fast reflexes, blocking Ankeet's strike with nothing but his bare hand, a clash of steel against flesh. Ankeet realized the true extent of his opponent's strength.

The Loop Monkeys are known for their high intelligence and formidable abilities. The average Loop Monkey is C+ ranked, and The elders of the Loop Monkeys are usually A+ level. It takes at least two A-level hunters or One S-level hunter to beat them. Because of that, many hunters used to avoid fighting with them and never dared to challenge them.

As Satori gazed upon Ankeet, his voice dripping with mockery. Ankeet maintained his composure, his expression unreadable beneath his poker face.

"Is it all you have got?" Satori taunted. "And you were thinking of challenging me, huh?"

Unfazed by Satori's taunts, Ankeet met his gaze, "What are you talking about?" he countered. But before Satori could respond, Ankeet commanded him to Look up.

Confused by Ankeet's directive, Satori's gaze shifted skyward without a warning. A purple lightning streaked down, striking Satori with a force that sent him reeling.

As the crackle of energy filled the air, Satori's form shook with the intensity of the attack. Taking advantage, Ankeet attacked Satori with his sword.

As Ankeet's sword struck Satori's skin, the blade shattered. Shock rippled through Ankeet as he witnessed the futility of his attack, his eyes widening in disbelief as Satori's form remained unscathed.

Satori quickly regained his posture, his gaze burning with a newfound intensity as he turned his attention back to Ankeet, "Now that was unexpected," he seethed, his voice laced with anger.

Satori used, "Beast Art Chapter fourth, Poison Breath," a green smoke began to billow from his mouth, filling the air with poison. Ankeet, recognizing the danger, quickly summoned wind with a swift incantation.

"Boreas Blast!" he shouted, unleashing a powerful gust of wind. But before his spell could take effect, Satori appeared behind him with startling speed.

With a swift motion, Satori sent Ankeet hurtling through the air. His body crashed into the walls of the arena. Ankeet struggled to regain his posture because of his broken backbone. Satori's poison breath spread around the arena with each passing second.

As Ankeet forced himself to his feet, he locked eyes with Satori, his breath ragged as he murmured, "It hurts..."

Ankeet tossed aside his broken sword. With a sudden burst of speed, he disappeared from Satori's sight, reappearing before him in the blink of an eye, his fist aimed squarely at Satori's face.

But Satori blocked Ankeet's attack. But to his surprise, Ankeet Shouted "Endless Cerulean Fire" as he summoned the dark blue flame that engulfed Satori's face in a blaze of burning heat.

Satori staggered backward, his hands clawing at the flames, trying to extinguish them, but the blame started getting stronger.

Ankeet's words rang out as he declared, "That fire won't go down until I am alive."

Frustration and rage boiled within Satori, "Then I have to kill you before it spreads all over my body, right?" he spat, his voice dripping with murderous intent.

But Ankeet met Satori's gaze with a defiant smirk, "Try me, you geezer," he retorted.

Satori surged forward, intent on launching his next attack against Ankeet. But before Satori could close the distance between them, Ankeet summoned an earth spell with a swift incantation.

"Terra Thrust!" Ankeet called out, unleashing a devastating surge of earth energy that tore through the ground with unstoppable force. With a sickening crunch, the attack pierced through Satori's stomach, sending shockwaves rippling through his body as he staggered backward.

But Ankeet's triumph was short-lived. He inhaled the poison breath from Satori. Gasping for breath, Ankeet struggled to inhale, the poison seeping into his lungs and making it increasingly difficult for him to breathe.

As Ankeet lay gasping for breath on the ground, his body wracked with pain and his vision swimming with dizziness, Satori unleashed the Beast Art's seventh form, "Divine Mend," channeling healing energy to mend the wounds inflicted by Ankeet's earlier attack. However, the blue flame still did not stop.

Satori's anger still burned hot, his eyes blazing with fury as he advanced upon the defenseless Ankeet. He seized Ankeet by the head, his grip like iron, as he hurled him across the arena with brutal force. Ankeet's body collided with the stone wall, his bones crunching as he crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.

Despite his unconsciousness, Ankeet remained aware of Satori's relentless assault, the blows raining down upon him with ruthless intensity. Each strike shattered bone, leaving Ankeet's body broken.

Ankeet drifted into consciousness. He found himself enveloped in a pitch-black void. Lost in the darkness, he felt a sense of unease creeping over him, uncertainty gnawing at the edges of his consciousness.

But amidst the shadows, a warmth began to spread, a comforting sensation that eased the chill of the void. Ankeet's senses tingled as a mysterious energy enveloped him, its presence both soothing and enigmatic.

Next Chapter-The Fangthorn Forest - IV [The Awakening]