Chapter 18 Lost Items

After contemplating for a while, Harry shook his head and decided it wasn't worth the risk. He thought it would be better to go back and grind other monsters, even though it would yield less experience. Safety was paramount, considering the difficulty of acquiring his current equipment.

As he made up his mind and was about to turn around, suddenly, he heard a few "squeak" sounds coming from behind him. The sounds were unusually loud in the forest, startling him. 

Harry quickly turned his head and saw a monkey sitting on a tree not far ahead.

The monkey had fiery red fur, even its eyes were crimson red. It was small in size, like a child, but it carried a large pouch on its back, which was twice its own size. 

Harry frowned and was surprised. Each area had its own specific monsters, and this was the spider area, where monkeys didn't belong. He couldn't understand why a monkey suddenly appeared. Feeling perplexed, he quickly hid behind a large tree.

Being at a distance, Harry couldn't use his Insight Spell, so he had to silently observe without making any rash movements.

The monkey seemed to have noticed Harry. It turned around and looked straight at him.

When their gazes met, Harry's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

"Chee, chee!" 

The monkey let out a scream, seemingly delighted to have spotted Harry. In an instant, it turned into a streak of fire and disappeared from Harry's sight. 

Thinking that the monkey had left, Harry was about to heave a sigh of relief when suddenly, from above him, came a sharp scream.

Harry's face turned pale, and he quickly looked up. On the branches above his head, the monkey was perched, its red eyes fixed on him.

Locked in a stare with the monkey, Harry felt his scalp tingle. In a moment of panic, he immediately used the Insight skill.

[Name: [Unknown] Treasure-Picking Monkey]

[Level: 0]

[HP: 0/0]

[Attack: 0]

[Defense: 0]

[Skill: Monkey's Treasure-Picking (Can plunder any items held by monsters, NPCs, and players.)]

...

Could plunder all items of players...

As soon as Harry read the skill description, a sense of impending doom washed over him. Before he could react, a flash of red light appeared before his eyes, and several system sounds echoed in his ears.

Ding!

[Lost item: [White] Blackwood Staff]

[Lost item: [White] Black Robe]

[Lost item: [Blue] Starfire Ring]

[Lost money: 43 copper coins]

...

"F*ck!" Harry had never cursed before, but at this moment, he couldn't hold it in anymore and blurted out a curse.

Harry's face was ashen as he looked down at himself, realizing he was left with only a pair of underpants. His robe, weapon, and even the coins and potions in his backpack had all been plundered.

Regaining his composure, Harry glanced around and saw the monkey happily jumping and frolicking on a distant tree branch. The pouch on its back had grown even larger than before.

"Chee, chee!" Looking at Harry's stifled expression, the monkey seemed immensely joyful, hopping around on the tree branch.

Staring at the monkey in the distance, Harry gritted his teeth, his face contorted with anger, and looked a little ferocious.

Harry's reaction made the monkey even happier. It let out a cry and jumped up and down on the tree, looking extremely excited.

Seeing this scene, Harry forced himself to calm down, taking deep breaths. He knew that getting angry would only make things worse. The most important thing now was to stay calm and think of a strategy without acting rashly.

However, it seemed almost impossible to retrieve his equipment. The monkey's speed was too fast for the naked eye to track, let alone catch up to it or land a successful skill.

This type of monster exceeded Harry's knowledge. In the games he had played before, he had never encountered such a creature.

Observing the monkey's expression and mocking actions, it was evident that it possessed high intelligence. It seemed unlikely to be able to fool it with words.

However, there was one thing that made Harry very puzzled. The monkey was actually a level 0 monster, which made him very surprised.

Moreover, the monkey's attributes were also strange, as only the name and skill were introduced, with all other attributes listed as 0.

There was no information about its level or rank.

However, judging from its name, the Treasure-Picking Monkey should be a monster specialized in plundering items. It also carried a large pouch on its back, and no one knew what was in it.

But Harry didn't care about what was in the monkey's pouch at the moment. His sole focus was on how to retrieve his equipment.

However, as Harry t pondered various strategies, cold sweat began to form on his forehead. He couldn't think of any viable plan. The monkey's speed was incredibly fast; in the next second, it might disappear from his sight.

Was he really going to let his hard-earned equipment be given away to that monkey?

Harry's eyes turned red and his breathing became rapid. He felt an intense sense of injustice, but he had no means to deal with the monkey.

"Hello!" Harry forced a smile and waved at the monkey in the distance, hoping it could understand and engage in some form of communication. Perhaps he could persuade it somehow.

This was the only idea Harry could come up with. Other than language, he had no other means left.

"Chee..." The monkey made a few sounds, turned around, and rapidly twisted its backside, seemingly mocking Harry.

Seeing this, Harry's expression darkened even more, but he continued to force a smile.

"Hello, little Fire Monkey. I know a place with treasures. Do you want me to take you there?"

Harry waved his hand and spoke gently.

As he uttered these words, Harry felt his face flush, feeling as if he was trying to deceive a three-year-old child. However, he had no other options. He aimed to attract the monkey's attention while slowly moving closer to it.

As long as he could close the distance, there was still a glimmer of hope. If he couldn't even get closer, there was no way he could reclaim his equipment.

Perhaps the mention of treasure had genuinely piqued the Fire Monkey's interest. It froze on the tree branch, displaying a hesitant expression. Harry felt a flicker of joy as if he had glimpsed a chance.

However, it was short-lived. The monkey let out a sharp scream as if it had lost interest. It turned around, preparing to leave with the pouch on its back.

Seeing the monkey that was about to leave, Harry was anxious. If he really let this monkey leave, where would he find it?

"Wait!" Harry became anxious and shoudly.

This sudden shout, surprisingly loud, had an effect. The monkey scratched its head, turned around, and looked at Harry.

"I... I…" Harry saw that the monkey had stopped; he paused for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"I saw you jumping around on the tree. You must know how to dance, right? Well, I can dance too!" After struggling for a while and thinking hard, Harry, with a bright red face, Managed to blurt out the sentence.