Monkey.

Clang!!

The beast lunged forward, its arm extended and claws bared, looking to slash me in one motion. But I was quick and I managed to parry the attack with a swift movement of my longsword.

My sword intercepted the monkey's claws just in time.

The Monkey's arm jerked backward from the collision. Within that time I seized the opportunity, swinging my sword at the monkey's belly, the edge of my sword aimed at the monkey's vulnerable abdomen.

Slash!!

Unfortunately, Sam had to retract his sword and defend against the monkey's other limb, which was moving towards him with a swift and deadly slash, aiming to cut his neck.

I felt a jolt of pain as my sword collided with the beast's nails and I stumbled backward. My hands momentarily went numb.

I looked at the monster, who was sneering with an eerie smile.

'It was baiting me….'

Sam finally realized the true nature of the monkey-like monster. Not only had it pretended to be angered by Sam but also it was willing to endure a grave wound just for the opportunity to kill Sam.

Sam realized this was no ordinary monster. This creature possessed a cunning intellect, making it much more dangerous and difficult to defeat. So he needed to employ a more strategic and intelligent approach if he wanted to defeat this monster.

With a surge of mana going through my body, I made my move, lunging forward with my longsword which was covered with lightning.

The sharp tip of my sword tore through the air as it targeted the monkey's heart.

.....

Clang!!

The sound of the sword clashing against the monkey's nails was so loud it reverberated throughout the jungle. Sam and the monkey fought violently, they stumbled backward after every single clash.

Despite the setback, they quickly regained their footing. Both locked their eyes, their gaze was intense with a fierce determination.

In a flash, they again charged toward one another, their weapons were ready to strike. They both were targeting each other's necks.

"Why don't you die you stupid monkey!!"

Frustration was boiling inside me. My hands were trembling from blocking so many strikes from the monkey.

The monster had an advantage over me in raw power.

Even though my sword was covered with lightning, the monkey's raw power put me at a disadvantage.

The monkey charged toward me, I met the monkey's charge with a calm head, and I positioned my sword for a decisive strike. With a swift motion, I slashed the monkey. The monkey screeched in surprise, it got caught off guard.

Seizing the opportunity, I drove my sword forward with all my might. The weapon, which was covered with lightning, found its mark, slicing through the monkey's fur, and drawing blood. The monkey recoiled in pain, but I did not stop. I pushed forward, pressing my advantage and determination to end the monkey with another strike.

Unfortunately, Sam's momentum came to a sudden halt as a solid object collided with his forehead, sending his world into a dizzying spin. Sam stumbled, disoriented and confused, as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

"What the…..!!!!"

I muttered, struggling to regain my balance. As I shook my head, I felt the warm trickle of blood flowing down my face. It blinded my right eye. I quickly regained my composure and glanced at the monkey, who was touching its wounded belly.

I narrowed my eyes, as I noticed the pebbles clutched within the monkey's palm. After nothing, the realization hit me, how the monkey caught me off guard and injured me. It looks like the monkey had a few tricks up its sleeve.

The monkey was confident in its advantage, it was preoccupied with assessing its wound. It failed to keep a watchful eye on its opponent, believing that Sam was too far away to pose a threat.

I saw this chance, planting my feet firmly on the ground and leaning forward. With a swift motion, I extended my arm, throwing my sword towards the monkey as a spear.

Swish!!

The weapon arced through the air, its sharp point aimed directly at the monkey's heart.

The monkey's expression changed from confidence to shock then fear as it realized the danger it was in. But the monkey realized it too late.

In an attempt to save itself, it extended its hand forward, trying to block the incoming sword. But it was a fraction of a second too slow, the sharp head of the sword which was covered entirely with lightning, found its mark impaling the monkey's palm.

AHHHHHHHH...….

The monkey let out a blood-curdling screech, a mixture of pain and anger. Its eyes were wide open with shock and disbelief.

It used its other limb to extract the sword.

I observed as the monkey's cries grew increasingly frenzied, its movement became more and more erratic. I took out a dagger from my storage ring and approached the creature that was on its knees.

As I approached the monkey with steady strides, I noticed that its golden eyes were fixed upon me.

Suddenly, the monkey made a sudden move, with its remaining hand it snatched up the sword that I had thrown and hoisted it into a throwing position.

My eyes widened as I watched the monkey slowly retreat towards the forest, holding the sword that I had thrown in a throwing position. I knew if I followed the monkey then I had to take the risk of being hit by my weapon.

The monkey slowly backed away, not showing any signs of throwing the sword.

"It is trying to escape!!!!!"

I let out a curse, seeing that the monkey was fleeing into the forest. There was no way I'd let it go with my sword. I covered the dagger with lightning that was in my hand and raised it above my head, acting as if I was about to throw it.

Seeing this the monkey shrieked in terror, its eyes were wide in fear, as it turned and ran as fast as it could.

"You gave in to your instincts!"

Sam shouted as he let his dagger fly, aimed at the monster retreating. Sam knew it would it his target, ending the fight and killing the monkey.

….

I watched as my dagger found its target, the monkey crumpled to the ground. As I approached the monkey, I saw it was still moving.

I pulled out my sword from its hand and pushed the sword into the monkey's chest.

Killing it instantly.

I scanned the surroundings, ensuring there were no lurking predators and swiftly wiped out the blood from my sword.

I retrieved the dagger and went on my way to go back to my cavern.