The Branch Monkeys are ANNOYING!

Leon crouched low as the first monkey soared through the air, branch aimed directly at him. He twisted sideways, letting the sharpened tip whiz past his ear.

"Too slow," he muttered, then immediately attempted to punch the monkey away.

But…

~FWISH, SLAM~

That very same monkey blocked the punch with his stick by placing it vertically, then pushed Leon back.

[These things can actually defend themselves, it's a first,] even the principal, which was the boss of the pre-selection trial, had just taken all the hits without doing anything.

Though, Leon for some strange reason wasn't surprised to see this.

"Maybe because of the dummies…" these wooden shits were actually defending themselves like crazy, so something like this was nothing to Leon.

[You'll just have to get creative, I guess.]

The second monkey lunged, its eyes wild with excitement, and the third followed closely after.

"HIKHIKIHK!"

But yet again, Leon just sidestepped.

[Do not let it recover, idiot!] EGO advised, it was basically Leon's coach, and the boy couldn't say he hated him for it since he was right.

Sensing an opportunity, Leon grabbed its wrist and redirected its momentum.

With a swift twist, he hurled the creature into the third one, and they both collided with a grunt, their branches clattering to the ground, and one of them actually broke.

"Not so tough now, are ya?" Leon taunted, his heart racing with adrenaline, he was proud of himself for that.

And right as he smiled…

~DING~

[You have received a QUEST!]

[Quest: "Basics of Countering"]

[Objective: Counter monsters 10 times.]

[Progress: 1/10]

[Reward: 25 Stat Points!]

"Oh?" Leon had the time to read since all the monkeys were out of it, but it was interesting as it seemed like his talent itself was aiding him.

The first monkey, still recovering from its missed attack, screeched and scrambled back to its feet, then without wasting time it charged again, eyes blazing with fury.

But Leon met its charge head-on, actually quite amused at the thought of figuring out different ways to counter.

Technically speaking, EVERY attack in this world should be counterable, meaning that there is ALWAYS a way to do it.

He noticed the monkey jumping vertically, its stick pointed in his direction.

"Bring it!" but Leon was ready.

He ducked low, letting the monkey fly over him, then with a quick motion he grabbed the monkey's foot, and span around, sending it toward its third colleague who was just getting up.

[+1 progress for 'Basics of Countering'!]

[Nice one! Keep it going!] EGO cheered, flickering with excitement.

The monkey Leon countered had actually not stopped holding its piercing position, meaning that once the third monkey got up, he was immediately pierced by the sharp stick straight in the head, landing against a tree as the stick was attached to it now.

"Does that count as me making the kill?" he questioned, since it wasn't REALLY him that killed it.

[Yes, it is a human that needs to deal the final blow, and this time you indirectly killed it by causing a precise action, meaning that you get the kill,] EGO smiled as he immediately got out of his position and flew toward the dead monkey's corpse.

But before he could use [Devour]…

~SLASH~

The second monkey also got up, grabbed the stick that wasn't broken, and slammed it against the small ball of fire, sending it away.

[HEY!] EGO was furious, [How dare they… kill them, partner!]

As said before, EGO could actually be physically attacked, but not killed as long as the host was alive, meaning that those monkeys were stopping him from devouring.

"Just getting warmed up," Leon replied, keeping his eyes on the second monkey who just got up, and the first who grabbed his bloodied stick from his companion's head, almost as if what he did was nothing.

"GARAAWAAA~" it screeched as it yet again began to run on its legs (and arms?) toward him.

"Not today!"

But instead of trying to pierce like they did until now, which revealed itself to be a terrible plan, the second monkey actually its very small brain to instead try to slam Leon, by attacking with the edge of the stick that was no sharp.

~SLAM, SLAM~

It did take Leon aback as he was forced to block with his arms, receiving some damage since the monkey's strength was higher than his endurance.

"Ouch, ouch-" Leon was quite literally getting comboed, and yet the monkey kept striking over and over.

When Leon's arm began to hurt, he removed them for a split second, and then his head was hit.

~BAM, BAM, BAM~

He took a step back, but he was just met with another blow of the hard stick right at his cheek, blood pouring out from his noise and mouth.

[You're gonna let him do this to you?] EGO raised his eyebrows, [COUNTER HIM!]

"I'm…"

~SLAM~

"Trying…"

~SLAM~

"To…"

~SLAM~

"HIKIKHIHIHI~" the monkey was laughing as it kept striking Leon, thinking that he was now way too bruised to do anything to it.

~FWISH~

It raised the stick using its two hands, then turned it around, the sharp edge of the stick now facing the boy as he was staggering.

And then…

~SWISH~

It swung down horizontally, trying to pierce Leon's head from above.

And yet…

"Should've kept hitting, not gonna lie…" Leon could be seen smiling as his eyes' pupils stared at the monkey.

~SLAM~

He used both his hands to block the sharp stick right before it was about to hit him, then with a swift motion he took it away from the monster.

"Hik?" the monkey was confused: it had lost its weapon, now bare-handed, "HIIIIIk-" but before it could even be mad, Leon immediately pierced its head with the sharp stick, right between the eyes, making it fall to the ground as crimson blood came out of its head.

[DEVOUR!] EGO immediately sucked the soul of that monkey, since the last one was pretty far.

[You have devoured a 'Branch Monkey', gaining 7 stat points!]

[+4 souls!]

[+400 HP from 'Partial Healing', thus back to full health!]

And…

~DING~

[EGO has leveled up to level 7!]

[You have leveled up to level 7!]

[Obtained 5 stat points!]

[Souls (Experience): 1/20]

He wanted to assign his stat points now, but the final monkey rushed at him as well, wanting to kill the human once and for all.

"Dumbass," but Leon just grabbed the bloody stick from the second monkey he killed, then swiftly deflected the attack from the monster and pierced its head as well, "Do the thing, EGO," he said as soon as he confirmed that they were all dead.

[On it =)]

[You have devoured a 'Branch Monkey', gaining 7 stat points!]

[You have devoured a 'Branch Monkey', gaining 7 stat points!]

And so with that, he finally defeated that group, although it revealed itself to be harder than expected.