Thunder Embrace required a week to be usable. Before that, Nathan had to wait to collect more essence water from the Thunder Crystal Frog. Fortune, however, had turned its back on him—he couldn’t find another frog in the area.
The environment of Storm Peaks greatly aided Thunder Embrace by limiting unwanted bacteria. However, the real challenge lay in surviving in this accursed place. Nathan never slept soundly, even when he found a secluded spot with no monsters nearby. Lightning would randomly strike him every few minutes. His longest stretch of sleep barely reached fifteen minutes. Without [Efficient Sleep], he would have been constantly groggy and unstable.
Food, at least, wasn’t an issue. Sustenance came from the Bolt Ravens and Lightning Striders, whose meat provided ample nutrition and energy. He even developed a technique of curing meat between lightning strikes, creating dried meat provisions for his daily needs.
Most of his remaining time was spent in training. His Titan bloodline blessed him with rapid muscular growth, yet he knew that potential alone was meaningless without effort. He returned to a grueling routine he had adopted back at the Verdant Spire Sect when he had first realized his inability to absorb mana naturally. He ate and trained, trained and ate, letting lightning strike him and recovering according to Berserker's red-letter instructions.
Two weeks passed, and the results were unmistakable. His frame was lean, muscular, and well-defined. His abs, arms, and legs bore sharp, sculpted lines from his relentless discipline. Alongside his physical progress, his stash of fermented essence wine was finally ready.
He raised the bottles for inspection. A strong, spicy aroma wafted through the opened caps. Blue, crackling energy glowed in the liquid, reflecting the power of the storms.
Now, he stood before the Vermilion Apes, the creatures gathering in numbers just as they had before. The apes hadn’t strayed, keeping their watchful eyes on him, ready to strike.
Upon seeing Nathan, the monsters communicated with each other through howls. Those dispersed for guard duty along the perimeter returned.
Nathan smiled, realizing his decision to prepare instead of rushing headlong into these maniacs earlier had been wise. He could have conducted hit-and-run attacks from Storm Peaks. But that would have been nearly impossible. First, avoiding dangerous situations would make his cultivation progress crawl like a turtle. Evidence showed his progress increased by only 0.1 after engaging the Vermilion Apes during his Life Spring reconnaissance, and the monsters at Storm Peaks only added another 0.1. At this rate, he'd never gather enough strength to face Lunar Shadow. Second, these monsters had a leader. A large force would certainly be positioned to cut off his retreat, preventing him from withdrawing—even if that meant putting themselves in Storm Peaks' dangerous environment.
Once combat became inevitable, only a fool would enter unprepared. Nathan refused to truly be the fool he often claimed himself to be.
He stretched his neck, cracking it in preparation. Countless strikes were queued for [Amplifying Strike]. He had spent time fine-tuning PsiLink to include counters for [Flowing Strikes], [Internal Trauma], and [Rebound] skills. To ensure success, his training had accustomed his body to various rhythms.
Your today's talent is Swinging.
[Random Talent] finally proved useful. Today, it provided something he lacked—the ability to move through trees.
The Vermilion Ape army had assembled completely. Before him stretched a sea of red, all wearing identical angry expressions, their ear-splitting screams filling the air. Birds and other animals scattered in panic.
The Vermilion Ape Leader narrowed its eyes at Nathan, retreating to the back. It knew the human was dangerous. Better to let its subordinates wear him down. Then would come its time to exact sweet revenge.
Nathan understood the alpha's strategy but didn't care much. His target for this campaign was the entire horde, not any individual. They had pursued and tormented him relentlessly; now it was time they learned that payback wasn't sweet at all.
The tension between the two sides stretched taut as a bowstring while Nathan advanced step by step. His thundering footsteps were answered by chest-beating thumps. Determined eyes met crazed gazes. A smile of excitement contrasted with eager fangs hoping to prove themselves.
With a crouch that tensed his leg muscles, Nathan shot forward.
Several Vermilion Apes roared, leaping from trees, plunging toward him.
With a swing of his Ironbark shield, he sent three flying aside while beheading another with his Armor Scarab sword. He had spent time resharpening this colorful shield, as it had become dented in many places and was no longer needed in Storm Peaks.
A few remaining apes landed direct hits on him. He barely noticed them; his Blood Thirster armor was weakening but still sufficient to reduce the impact. He recognized the intent behind their reckless attacks when several tried circling behind him, using their massive arms to throw him toward the forest. Taking advantage of their throwing force, he slammed his shield and swung his sword, cutting down more apes in his trajectory.
By the time he touched ground—no longer the black dust or charred vegetation of Storm Peaks—his PsiLink counter showed seven dead apes. Looking up, he saw monsters surrounding him. They held spears and boulders raised high. As if on signal, they hurled their weapons.
Nathan shot sideways, right beneath a tree where a Vermilion Ape stood above. A boulder flew toward him. With a twist of his arm, he planted his Scarab sword into the ground, reaching out to catch the rough surface. The momentum pushed him back, but the tree behind provided support, preventing him from being overwhelmed. The wood beneath his feet cracked as he tensed to absorb the boulder's speed.
Then with a slight flick of his wrist, the boulder hung suspended in mid-air. He unleashed a punch with all his strength. The rock rocketed through the air, smashing into a leaping Vermilion Ape before continuing toward the one who had thrown it initially. The monster tried to flee but its feet got caught; it shrieked as its bones and flesh were crushed.
Nathan pulled his sword free and jumped up, swinging onto a branch as more boulders struck his previous position. His shield deflected several spears. Like a master acrobat, he spun around the sturdy branch before launching himself higher. When he landed, he stood beside a Vermilion Ape.
The monster raised its joined hands to slam down at his position, making their perch shudder violently. He jumped up, spinning to kick the ape off the branch and down to the ground.
More spears and rocks flew at him. Nathan slid behind a tree trunk. When he felt his center of gravity shift upward, he noticed the apes' bombardment had nearly broken the tree.
Using his swinging talent, he skillfully swung to another tree, dropping kick from above onto an ape. When he landed, blood covered his feet, the tree behind had fallen, rocks crashed down with thunderous sounds, and spears still flew relentlessly.
Now, the Vermilion Apes split into two squadrons—one gathering ammunition, one launching a coordinated attack on Nathan.
They swung from branches with their arms. They climbed up from the ground. Nathan stood there, roaring to accept their challenge.
Shield and sword in hand left him fearless. These monsters, merely Phase 6 or 7, weren't enough to frighten him. One hand deflected punches while the other swung his sword in lethal arcs. His strength was sufficient to fell a monster with each strike. Around him, everything turned crimson—the apes' fur and blood alike. The metallic scent and high temperature of the fresh red liquid clung to him, only to be evaporated by his own body heat, creating a thin mist.
CRACK!
The branch he stood on finally gave way, weakened by the Vermilion Apes swinging up or applying pressure. As he fell, the combat didn't cease. Nathan kicked one ape downward, using the opposing force to slow his descent, then swung his sword to decapitate another, forced his shield's edge to shatter one's jaw into a gaping mess. Then, he trapped another's neck between his legs, using his full weight to drag it down as a cushion. A thunderous crash marked his landing, the Vermilion Ape beneath him completely crushed, its body grotesquely deformed.
More thuds of landing apes surrounded him. Without hesitation, Nathan continued the fight.
But at this moment, as if receiving a signal, the apes surrounding him leaped backward on all fours, creating distance. Looking up, he saw the other squad had finished gathering spears and boulders, ready for another ranged assault.
As Nathan prepared to move and fight as before, a system signal made him spin around.
Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.
Triggered [Adrenaline Boost]. One credit given.
A mighty punch landed on his shield. The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward. His feet sank slightly into the ground, his fingers and palm numbing.
Through the gap, he saw a Vermilion Ape standing a head taller than him. Its hands were as big as his chest. Moreover, its fists were covered in crude crystal gauntlets. More terrifying was its sneering grin.
[Tingling Sense] warned continuously. With strength enhanced by [Adrenaline Boost], he gritted his teeth, blood vessels bulging beneath his skin, and pushed hard to make the High Vermilion Ape stagger backward. Then with maximum speed, he rotated his shield. He was greeted by continuous impacts of spears and boulders. Some wooden spears shattered on impact, others deflected away. The rocks pushed him back before falling right in front.
Before he could catch his breath, he had to duck, dodging a punch from the High Vermilion Ape. He spun into a kick that connected with the monster's chin, sending it airborne with several teeth flying from its jaw. Then his Scarab sword plunged into its stomach.
The scene froze for a moment. His sword had impaled the monster. It thrashed wildly in mid-air.
Realizing death approached, the High Vermilion Ape howled, ignoring the pain as it grabbed the sword embedded in its gut. Nathan frantically tried to withdraw his blade, but the monster wouldn't allow it. With its dying strength and final desperation, it squeezed its crystal gauntlets tight.
The Scarab sword snapped in two. Nathan had anticipated this possibility when his shield, made from Armor Scarab wing, had taken too many impacts. He just hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
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He stumbled backward, still pulling with momentum. The monster crashed to the ground, gurgling blood with the sword's tail protruding from its back.
With no one blocking his path, Nathan swung back into the tree branches while moving. He maintained constant awareness of enemy movements.
Several monsters left the attack formation to approach the fallen High Vermilion Ape. They didn't mourn their comrade but displayed their inherent bestial nature. One thrust its hand into the wound, then used brute force to tear the corpse apart. Blood sprayed everywhere, exactly what they craved. They reached in to extract still-warm organs, cupping their hands to catch the blood. They ate and drank as if enjoying a small feast mid-battle.
Nathan felt uneasy but couldn't find an opening to strike. The remaining Vermilion Apes, following their leader's orders, grew more frenzied in surrounding him. Most fell quickly to his attacks, either dying or becoming crippled.
The PsiLink counter showed thirty monsters killed or paralyzed. The essence they provided was negligible. Only the High Vermilion Ape had given enough essence to be noticeable.
After a while, the monsters withdrew and their ranged attacks ceased, yielding the battlefield to those who had just cannibalized their comrade. Ten Vermilion Apes in an enraged state with blood-red eyes charged at Nathan. According to PsiLink's analysis, one had changed in size and mass. It had eaten the heart to evolve into a High Vermilion Ape. This meant it must have been Phase 8 before, which was why the leader allowed it to advance to Phase 9.
Another heavy punch landed on his shield. The enraged Vermilion Apes moved in a circle, striking intermittently to disrupt his rhythm. Above, they occasionally threw spears or rocks to break his tempo.
He focused on the newly evolved High Vermilion Ape, not overly concerned about the number of monsters at this level. Excluding the leader's guards who hadn't shown themselves, he was fairly certain the tribe had few Phase 8 members. A Phase 7 eating a heart and evolving wouldn't lead to both qualitative and quantitative changes sufficient to earn the title of High Vermilion Ape.
Having lost his sword, he gritted his teeth and traded punches with his opponent. A shockwave erupted as both his fists and the monster's stopped mid-air. The monster withdrew first, its face contorted with pain, confusion, and disbelief. To it, High Vermilion Apes were absolute, the strongest below the leader. Its primitive mind only understood from its tribe that no monster could withstand a High Vermilion Ape's punch. Yet after that collision, the bones in its arm had shattered, going limp and useless.
Nathan's lips curled into a smile. His basic damage output, even without skills, could match these musclebound monsters. Add in the effects from his passive skills, and it was like having bombs at his fingertips.
The monster that had just evolved into a High Vermilion Ape hadn't recovered when a small knife with Blood Thirster's green coating grazed its throat. It staggered, clutching its neck to stem the blood flow. Its glory had been fleeting.
It had wanted to prove to the leader its worth as a guard for both him and Crimson Lotus. As frenzied as it had been in life, in death it feared its heart would be devoured by its companions. This thought made it more afraid of its own kind than the human. Its vision dimmed, the final image before death being the human crushing other enraged Vermilion Apes. Blood sprayed into its eyes, turning everything into a crimson canvas that gradually blackened with a final thought, as if its mind evolved just before death: Why didn't the leader fight instead of letting them sacrifice themselves?
Nathan felt a large amount of essence pour into his body. He realized this was like a bug in the program. A few more High Vermilion Apes and he'd surely level up. Thanks to his training, he could now fight while converting essence for Physical Cultivation. Though not efficient and wasteful of essence, he could still maintain 10 to 20% conversion. Not bad at all considering the prolonged battle and numerous enemies. Especially since there was no stagnation like before. The Berserker absorption method might eat a lot, but its appetite was very particular. If enemies fell too easily or he wasn't in enough danger, the skill itself would refuse to accept the essence.
Joyful as he was, Nathan maintained intense focus. After escaping the enraged Vermilion Apes, he ran while opening a bottle of wine to drink. The spicy Thunder Embrace flowed down his throat, exploding with energy, instantly recovering his stamina. As for fear of intoxication, he wasn't concerned at all. Since receiving [Titan's Descendant], he was like a hardened drinker—the alcohol in the wine was metabolized before he could even feel its effects.
With renewed strength, he plunged back into the rain of projectiles. He laughed heartily as if on a casual stroll, deflecting flying rocks and sharp spears, launching punches that shattered monster skulls, hurling kicks that caused bones to snap with crisp sounds throughout the forest.
Vermilion Apes fell continuously, and even when more entered the enraged state, they couldn't match Nathan's speed. Thunder Embrace carried effects similar to drinking pure essence water. Electric sparks crackled around his body, empowering him to move faster. Being a weaker version meant [Living Resistor] completely eliminated any potential side effects. So when another Phase 8 Vermilion Ape ate the fallen one's heart and evolved, he dispatched it swiftly. A single One-inch punch stacked with four passive skills made its stomach cave in as if creating a void. It died gasping for breath.
The two sides continued this deadly dance until midday. The surroundings were littered with Vermilion Ape corpses and blood. Trees and green leaves were stained red. The ground had turned to mud, saturated with the crimson liquid. The monsters' screams now carried less anger, mixed with trembling, sobbing, and resentment. Though frenzied and prone to fighting among themselves when together, they had never tried to kill each other. Yet today they witnessed their kind falling like wheat before the scythe, one after another. All because they followed the leader's orders.
Half a bottle of wine consumed, and 132 monsters defeated. Now, the lower-ranked Vermilion Apes began showing resistance. They had expected a quick battle, but harsh reality proved otherwise. Even their mass attack strategy of swarming down together became unusable because the human moved too fast, only engaging them in small groups. They couldn't understand that Nathan had deliberately been splitting them up.
Only the leader understood. Thus, it signaled its army to retreat, climbing trees to await orders. It brandished its spear, then pointed it directly at Nathan.
The apes seemed to regain their morale, stomping and beating their chests in tribal rhythm, mouths roaring encouragement.
Nine High Vermilion Apes jumped down to surround Nathan. They wielded crude weapons—wooden spears, claws, and gauntlets.
These higher-ranked monsters, unlike their lower-ranked brethren, attacked in silence.
Nathan raised his shield to block a spear thrust from the front. Simultaneously, he ducked his head and launched a right uppercut at the monster advancing from behind. It blocked his attack with its gauntlets, only being pushed aside by the residual force. At that moment, from the remaining directions came two pairs of claws, either stabbing or slashing at him. Using his shield as a pivot point, he jumped up, spinning in mid-air to slam both feet down onto two fur-covered backs, sending the monsters crashing into the ground in a cloud of dust.
Ducking his head to avoid two spears whizzing past, Nathan leaned forward into a roll, creating distance from the monsters. But one final High Vermilion Ape had been waiting. Unable to react mid-motion, he felt claws graze his flank.
Coughing from the disrupted breathing and pain, Nathan still regained his balance. Gritting his teeth, he took out a small pouch containing healing solution mixed from Blood Moss and Blue Cap Mushroom, smashing it onto his wound. As the solution splashed out, he quickly spread it over the four deep claw marks that reached bone. The monster had been clever enough to attack where the Blood Thirster armor offered no protection. Even if it had, he doubted the low-grade armor could have withstood the sharpness of crystal claws. Undoubtedly, they were crafted from Crystal Mauler remains, and he knew firsthand how sharp their claws were.
Enduring the stinging as the medicine worked on his right flank, Nathan faced the second wave of attacks. The bleeding had stopped, making his movements much easier.
He gathered strength and jumped forward, curling behind his Ironbark shield. He became like a boulder smashing into a High Vermilion Ape. It grabbed his shield with its crystal gauntlets, trying to stop him. After leaving a long furrow in the ground, it succeeded. But the human had already abandoned his shield, flipping over it from above, his knife drawing a line from its neck to shoulder. Blood fountained as it collapsed.
Retrieving his shield, Nathan began moving in circles, defending and dodging. In his peripheral vision, he could see over a hundred remaining Vermilion Apes had blocked the path back to Storm Peaks. However, he had no desire to retreat. If he could overcome today, he would never need to fear Moirath Forest again. Naturally, excluding that bastard Lunar Shadow.
Using the swinging talent, he moved through trees as well as the apes. Utilizing the momentum of a flying motion, he shot down from above with an extremely powerful shield bash. The impact shockwave made the earth tremble, causing the monsters to stagger backward. In that moment, Nathan kicked up at a spear-wielding monster's bicep. Screaming in pain, it dropped its weapon. A second later, that same spear had pierced its throat. It leaned forward, the spear's shaft braced against the ground, creating a grotesque scene.
Nathan reached up to catch a High Vermilion Ape using gauntlets. The crystal outer layer of the gauntlets tore his palm's skin. He had no time to experience the pain. Using [Martial Art Mastery]'s stance like during the outer sect tournament, he threw the monster into the air, falling backward, right as it took a claw strike from another High Vermilion Ape. The victim had four holes punctured from chest to jawline, making gurgling sounds as if in reproach.
Before the clawed monster could recover, Nathan's shield edge had already shattered its head.
The remaining five showed no hesitation, inhaling deeply the blood scent of their kind. They entered the enraged state. Their eyes turned red, their bodies seeming to grow larger.
Nathan hastily collected a set of claws, fitting them to his hands. Though smaller than the monsters' hands, the crude straps still allowed him to grip firmly.
The difference became immediately apparent, proving these were truly Crimson Lotus's guards rather than ordinary Phase 9s. The remaining five's speed and precision far exceeded the others.
The High Vermilion Apes moved as if rehearsed, attacking in perfect rhythm. Two thrust with spears; as they withdrew, two sets of claws came crashing in from opposite sides; while they were recharging their attacks, the final one would launch into a frenzy. Then the cycle would repeat. Sometimes there were variations, but the overall pattern maintained three beats. [Improved Pattern Recognition] helped Nathan analyze this much faster.
But knowing was one thing, managing another. Their speed now matched his, making reactions more difficult. He succeeded in wounding three who attacked at close range, but simultaneously suffered injuries from spears that always struck at points unprotected by armor. Sometimes they deliberately stabbed at his shield to throw him off balance. This led to several claw wounds on his left thigh.
The crystal-coated Ironbark shield sparked continuously. The High Vermilion Apes weren't just using their companions' blood but were also absorbing their essence to maintain stamina. Nathan discovered this when he noticed the natural flow of essence into his body had decreased significantly. Clearly, these monsters were natural Physical Cultivators requiring little to no training. Highly likely, ancient humans had learned from them to step onto the path of cultivation.
Backed into a corner, Nathan deployed his trump card. In his mind, he partitioned off a section to activate one-tenth of the Berserker state. With the environment full of blood scent and pressure, he could easily achieve this. The consequence would be losing some mental clarity, significantly reducing his current essence absorption capacity. But he deemed it worthwhile.
Upon successful activation, his skin gradually reddened. Using only ten percent meant his body didn't deform like in Darkan's cultivation chamber. However, the effect was just enough.
Blood vessels appeared in his eyes, darting back and forth continuously. Baring his teeth, he roared. The sound from his throat made the leader jump as if it too faced another monster rather than a human.
The High Vermilion Apes weren't much affected, continuing their relentless assault. Nathan dodged an incoming spear while using his shield to knock one monster aside, simultaneously using his claws to hook into his opponent's claws. This action trapped the monster, preventing it from withdrawing its hand. He took advantage of the moment to pull it forcefully toward himself, parallel with a jump to avoid another spear thrust by a hair's breadth.
From mid-air, he slammed his forehead down. The monster receiving the attack had its skull instantly shattered. Its brain splattered like mush.
Seeing this happen, the leader stood up straight. It realized Nathan's speed had changed yet again. First after drinking that strange spicy-smelling solution. Now when his skin turned bright red. It recognized the similarity between Nathan's transformations and the Vermilion Apes. More importantly, it concluded a harsh truth that its plan had failed. Initially, it had sent low-ranked ones to wear Nathan down, planning to deliver the finishing blow itself. Easy and energy-efficient. It had worried that fighting the human would weaken it, and others would use the opportunity to usurp its position. Eat its core. Or worse, be attacked by other Vermilion Ape tribes. Now, everything had spiraled out of control. Only one choice remained if it wanted to avenge its child. Whatever the consequences, they could be dealt with later.
The Vermilion Ape Leader raised its staff and struck down. The remaining High Vermilion Apes immediately withdrew. But one unfortunate one remained caught under Nathan's partial Berserker state. He launched a punch through its chest, squeezing its heart in mid-air. He smirked at the leader, then squeezed until the heart exploded, spraying red fireworks that pattered onto the ground.
The Vermilion Ape Leader accepted the challenge. It ordered everyone to stay back. It advanced with steady, heavy, authoritative steps. In its hand, it gripped a spear with crystal glinting at its tip. Its muscles bulged, accompanied by small popping sounds.
Nathan lowered his stance, ready to fight.
His first Tier 2 monster.