Chapter 16

Ruben found himself in a dense jungle after crossing the gates.

With the two daggers in hand, he stood on guard while studying the surroundings.

Although he couldn't see too well due to the darkness, he could sense something watching him.

Quickly looking up, he found many pair of red eyes among the trees staring back at him.

Focusing his eyes, he checked the creature's discription.

White Jungle Monkey

- Health: 700/700

- extremely agile and fast

- uses its sharp claws and teeth to attack

- lives and large groups and extremely aggressive to outsiders

As soon as Ruben adjusted his eye and was able to see clearer in the dark, he sensed something jumped towards him from the back.

Without looking, he blocked the attack with Assassin's Blade and stabbed it in the head with the Demonic Wolf Fang Dagger.

{White Jungle Monkey killed, 300 exp obtained}

Since it was a lethal blow, it died instantly.

As soon as he killed the first one, many started jumping towards him with the intention of killing.

He immediately parried the attacks and killed as many as he could with a quick lethal blow.

{White Jungle Monkey killed, 300 exp obtained}

{White Jungle Monkey killed, 250 exp obtained}

{White Jungle Monkey killed, 300 exp obtained}

{White Jungle Money killed...}

{White Jungle ...}

Notifications kept popping up as he continued killing the moneys dropping from the trees above.

He could see the consellation chats next to the system as well.

[The Lord Of The Desert sponsored 200 Stream Coins]

[The Third Lotus Prince sponsored 100 Stream Coins]

[Father Of The South sponsored 200 Stream Coins]

[The Mistress Of Animals sponsored 100 Stream Coins]

[Reader Of....]

Ignoring all the words appearing at both sides of his view, he continued slaughtering the monkeys.

After more than an hour, the monkeys finally stopped comming.

Realising they won't stand a chance, the remaining White Jungle Monkeys ran away leaving Ruben alone.

Looking at the corpses all around him covering the floor, he checked his notifications.

{For slaying for than 100 White Jungle Monkeys, Title: Monkey Slayer has been obtained}

Monkey Slayer

- increase the damage by 5% for all primates

Equipping the title, he checked his status.

Name: Ruben Hilston

Level: 25 (0/8950 exp)

Title: Monkey Slayer (equip), Spider Slayer

Race: Human

Health: 1987/3820

Stream coins: 23,000

Exp stored: 787,200

Stats:-

Strength: 30

Agility: 32 (+3)

Stamina: 31

Perception: 32 (+2)

Mind: 31

Stat points: 10

Looking at the wounds all over him, he felt that the monkeys were too fast for him to block all their attacks.

Even with the added stats from the Assassin's Blade, he felt that he couldn't react quick enough in some instances.

As he was just thinking of distributing his stat points, he saw a new message on the Stream chat.

[Lord Of The Desert sponsored 1 Agility stat]

'He really knows what I need the most' Ruben though, grateful to Lord Of The Desert.

Looking at his stat points, he still decided to allocate 1 in Strength, 2 in Perception, 1 in Stamina and 1 in Agility.

Name: Ruben Hilston

Level: 25 (0/8950 exp)

Title: Monkey Slayer (equip), Spider Slayer

Race: Human

Health: 1987/3820

Stream coins: 23,000

Exp stored: 787,200

Stats:-

Strength: 31

Agility: 34 (+3)

Stamina: 32

Perception: 34 (+2)

Mind: 31

Stat points: 5

He then went around to explore the dungeon.

Before calling it a day, he ended up encountering another 2 groups of While Jungle Monkeys.

After distributing his stats, he found it easier to defend against the monkeys.

After eating dried meat jerkies he stored in the space ring, he slept on a branch of a tree.

He wasn't worried of being attacked while he was resting as he would automatically wake up if he sensed something nearby.

Ruben spent the next week killing all the White Jungle Monkeys he encountered and collected all the exp he gained as well as Stream Coins from the consellations.

During his rest, he thought of The Forgotten Ruler $# %$# ?&%@$% and felt that he might get some answers from the consellations.

He asked the empty space in front of him, "Do you guys know of a consellation who's name starts with The Forgotten Ruler?"

[The Mistress Of Animals shook her head]

[The Third Lotus Prince says it sounds familiar but can't remember]

[Father Of The South says he hasn't heard of a consellation with that name]

[Many consellations shook their heads]

Seeing all the consellations who doesn't seem to know, he felt slightly regretful.

As soon as he thought of giving up on asking his channel, he noticed a new chat panel next to the usual Stream chats.

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks has opened a private chat]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks ask how the Marked know of that name]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says he has temporarily blocked all the consellations view]

As soon as he read that, he noticed the consellations asking of his dissapearance.

Thinking he was using the ability temporarily, the consellations in his channel stopped harassing him without realising the culprit was someone else.

Slightly shocked by what was happening he focused back to the private chat.

"I received a gift from him before becoming a Marked" Ruben explained hoping Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks will be answering the questions in his mind.

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks is agitated]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks is getting angry]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks tells the Marked to not deceive him]

Confused, he said, "I really got a gift from him, although I can't show it but it appeared in my mind similar to a skill but different."

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks is confused]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says its impossible]

"Why is it impossible?"

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks sighs]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says because he is dead, his star extinguished eons ago]

Ruben's thoughs become complicated when he read the message.

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks ask how the Marked got the gift]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says maybe the Marked got something he left behind]

Nodding his head in understanding, Ruben started explaining.

"I was given a chest on my birthday which I opened by dripping my blood on it. It immediately dissapeared as soon as I received the gift."

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks is dumbfounded]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks looks at the Marked with a complicated expression]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says you have received a premeditated gift]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says that it was a gift meant to be opened when the specific receiver provides a prove of their identity, which happens to be the Marked's blood]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks ask where the Marked got the gift]

Ruben was wondering how the mysterious consellation knew of him and why did he chose to give him the system when he saw Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks' question.

"My father's brother brought me along with the chest when I was a newborn. He asked my father to give me the chest when I turned 19 which I received recently having reached that age. He passed away right after." He explained.

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks is deep on thoughs]

{WARNING: an ancient consellation is trying to look into Host}

{System has automatically blocked the consellation}

{The consellation has stopped trying to look into host}

{System has stopped all actions to block the consellation}

Ruben was immediately on guard when he was the system notification. He relaxed after seeing the system reacting.

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks apologises to the Marked]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks has gifted a Trickster's Ring]

{Host has aquired a Trickster's Ring}

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says its a token of apology for the intrusion]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks hopes it will save the Marked's life in the future]

Understanding that the system's warning was because of Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks, he accepted the apology and looked at the ring.

• Trickster's Ring (0/3)

- limited numbers of activation

- made with the powers of a consellation, all the stats will be multiplied by 100 for a minute.

Ruben was speechless when he saw the discription.

'This is just too OP, why give it to me though?'

Confused by Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks' reaction, he asked, "Why give me this? An apology would have suffice plus you weren't able to do anything in the end."

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says because the Marked were chosen by him]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says to be careful in the future]

Ruben now had more questions than when he first asked about the mysterious consellation.

"Who is he though? How come no one else has heard of him?" Ruben asked.

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says only the older and more powerful consellations would remember him]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks warns the Marked not to let anyone know of the gift the Marked got from The Forgotten Ruler $# %$# ?&%@$%]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says that the Marked would be in danger if some consellations found out]

Looking at the warning, Ruben swore in his heart.

'Looks like the origin of the chest is getting complicated.'

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks warns the Marked to never become an apostle of any consellation in the future]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says to reject all contracts no matter how enticing]

Ruben took the warning to heart and noted to never sign a contract with a consellation eventhough he wasn't planning to in the first place.

However, since Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks has warned him specifically, he took it more seriously.

"Alright, I don't really plan to be an apostle anyways. I don't like being chained to someone." Ruben assured Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks.

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks nod his head in relief]

[Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks says he will return to the public chat and resume the streaming]

Ruben confirmed his return when he saw some consellations asking him of his temporary dissapearance.

Ignoring the chat, he processed all the information he just received while he rested.

'Looks like Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks is more than what he shows on the surface.'