There was definitely something between the creature's legs that only males possessed.
Then why did Monkey Mom have one…?
Was this a different creature from the Monkey Mom I'd seen in Valhalla?
But their energies were definitely similar.
Don't tell me they're a married couple.
“Uldar, if we kill that creature, we'll definitely be chosen as the Best Warrior!”
“Without a doubt.”
The problem was whether we could actually hunt it.
Trans Monkey Mom was stronger than the one I'd encountered in Valhalla.
The amount of energy contained within its body was considerably greater.
“Grom, be careful. That creature is strong.”
“Understood.”
Grom pulled an axe from his waist.
Then he looked at me and spoke.
“Uldar, are you seriously planning to fight with a hammer? I'll give you one of my axes, so use that instead.”
Sadly, this was how Barbarians viewed hammers.
They didn't consider ordinary hammers to be weapons meant for combat.
“I don't need it.”
Just how pitiful must I have looked for Grom to offer me an axe out of charity?
For a moment, I was tempted to accept, but I refused.
After all, Mjolnir was also a hammer.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with getting accustomed to using one beforehand.
Besides, from the moment I became capable of wielding natural energy, I was no longer an ordinary Barbarian.
Previously, I'd been somewhere in the upper-middle ranks, but now I could be considered among the very strongest.
There was an enormous difference in efficiency between natural energy and mana.
Even when using the same amount of energy, natural energy could produce roughly twice the effect.
That was how ridiculously overpowered natural energy was.
“Well, suit yourself.”
With those words, Grom charged toward Trans Monkey Mom.
Mana flowed into his axe.
To be honest, I didn't think Grom could handle that creature alone.
Grom probably knew that himself.
Yet the reason he charged forward without hesitation was simple.
He was a Barbarian.
Barbarians were all about momentum.
No matter how powerful their opponents were, they overwhelmed them through sheer fighting spirit.
In fact, the stronger their opponents, the more fiercely they fought.
They were the very definition of being strong against the strong and just as strong against the weak.
“I'll chop that hideous thing off first!”
Grom swung his axe.
Trans Monkey Mom raised a long arm to block the attack.
CLANG—!
Although the creature blocked it with its bare hand, the impact produced the sound of metal striking metal.
Before I knew it, natural energy had enveloped Monkey Mom's hand.
SCREECH!
The creature let out a mocking laugh and moved its other arm.
WHAM—!
The thrust, infused with natural energy, was incredibly fast.
So fast that Grom couldn't properly dodge it.
“Urgh….”
He twisted his body to avoid the attack aimed at piercing his abdomen, but it grazed his side.
Blood began streaming down the wound.
‘This could be dangerous.’
True to their nature of fighting fiercely against opponents regardless of whether they were strong or weak, Barbarians always gave their all in battle.
There was no such thing as letting their guard down.
And Grom had failed to dodge an attack even while fighting with everything he had?
That meant he genuinely couldn't dodge it.
“Grom, channel energy into your eyes and look!”
“Into my eyes?”
“Then you'll be able to see its attacks!”
“Understood!”
Grom immediately concentrated energy into his eyes.
“Oh! Its movements have slowed down!”
As expected of a Barbarian, a race of geniuses when it came to using their bodies, he succeeded on his first attempt.
Now he could narrowly dodge Trans Monkey Mom's attacks.
But could he counterattack?
That was another matter entirely.
Although Barbarians were excellent at using their bodies, their limited ability to think meant they weren't particularly good at multitasking.
Because Grom was concentrating on channeling mana into his eyes, he could no longer channel mana into his weapon.
An unfortunate development.
“Grom, can you see the grain?”
“The grain? What's that?”
Hmm… How should I explain it?
I need to make it simple enough for even a little child to understand.
“Can you see the brighter and dimmer areas on that monkey's body?”
“No!”
“Huh?”
He can't see them?
Is he not channeling mana into his eyes?
‘But he is.’
Then why can't he see the grain?
“Then can't you see the mana concentrated around the monkey's hands?”
“I can't see anything. The only thing that's changed since I channeled mana into my eyes is that my opponent appears slower.”
Does that mean I'm the only one who can see the grain?
But Donar clearly said that channeling mana into your eyes would allow you to see it.
To me, everything was perfectly clear.
The natural energy glowing around Trans Monkey Mom's hands and the grains within it were impossible to miss.
Come to think of it, Donar had said that you needed to channel energy into your eyes to see the grain.
He might not have said that everyone would definitely be able to see it.
In that case, the ability probably varied from person to person.
“Urgh….”
Grom still seemed completely occupied with dodging attacks.
Every now and then, he glanced at me.
He was probably asking for help.
The reason he only looked at me instead of saying anything was his pride.
Just say it out loud.
What's the point of being so ridiculously proud?
“Grom! Want some help?”
I asked teasingly.
“I don't need it.”
“You look like you're struggling.”
“I-I'm perfectly fine! Y-You can just sit down and watch.”
There he goes with that damned pride again.
He had so many wounds that he looked ready to collapse from excessive blood loss, yet he was still acting like that.
“Are you sure? I'll really sit down and watch, you know?”
“Huh? W-Well… if you're that eager to fight, I suppose I could allow you to fight alongside me this once!”
“Sure.”
That was probably the closest he could bring himself to asking for help.
Besides, we'd reached the point where I couldn't afford to stand around watching any longer.
Grom's movements had slowed down.
That probably meant his wounds were getting worse.
Trans Monkey Mom concentrated a large amount of energy into its left hand and thrust forward.
Grom tried to dodge, but he'd lost so much blood that he staggered, apparently dizzy.
At this rate, he was about to become a human kebab.
CRUNCH—!
Instead of the sound of something being pierced, there was the sound of something breaking.
SCREEEECH!
Trans Monkey Mom shrieked while clutching its left hand.
“Nice shot!”
I'd infused my hammer with mana and thrown it at Monkey Mom.
I aimed for the grain, and the hammer struck precisely where I'd intended.
If it had been Mjolnir, the hammer would've returned to my hand.
A little disappointing.
SCREECH!
I'd drawn the creature's aggression toward myself.
Enraged, it charged straight at me.
“Grom, I'll keep this creature occupied, so find a good opening and attack.”
“Understood!”
“Oh, and throw me that hammer lying over there.”
It's my only weapon, after all.
I can't afford to lose it.
SCREEEECH!
Monkey Mom infused its legs with natural energy and leaped high into the air.
It clenched its fist and prepared to smash down with its enormous arm.
If that hit me, I'd be flattened on the spot.
Just a few days ago, it would've been an attack I could never hope to dodge.
But not anymore.
I could now wield natural energy, and I'd learned the Heart of the Beast.
Ah, wait. Didn't I already possess the Heart of the Beast from the beginning?
Anyway, now that I'd acquired those abilities, I was confident I wouldn't lose to something like Trans Monkey Mom, even if it had returned with that thing between its legs and become stronger.
CRASH—!
The powerful downward strike gouged a hole in the ground, sending dirt flying everywhere.
“Hammer!”
SWISH! TAP!
Grom threw the hammer at exactly the right moment.
Now then.
Its left hand was already useless, so I might as well do the same to its right hand.
It wouldn't be fair to spare one side.
“SCREECH?”
“Back out?”
That's right, that's right.
You should've known when to butt in and when to back out.
WHOOSH! CRUNCH—!
I aimed precisely at the grain in its right hand and struck.
The hand bent at a grotesque angle.
“Huh?”
Monkey Mom suddenly began creeping backward.
The Monkey Mom I'd encountered in Valhalla was the sort of creature that never gave up, no matter what happened.
But this one lacked fighting spirit, despite coming here with that thing between its legs.
A real man should keep fighting with his legs if his arms are useless, and with his body if his legs give out.
This won't do.
You don't deserve to carry that thing around.
“Grom!”
Unfortunately for the creature, someone who absolutely despised the sight of that particular appendage was already waiting behind it as it retreated.
By the time Trans Monkey Mom realized this, it was too late.
SLASH—!
SCREEEEEECH!
That particular part was cleanly severed.
Oh, damn.
A shiver ran through my entire body.
I suddenly felt terribly sorry for it.
It must have discovered its gender identity and evolved from Monkey Mom into Trans Monkey Mom.
Unfortunately, the attitudes of this era weren't suited to such a thing.
So in your next life, either be born a real macho man or be born into a more tolerant world.
SLASH—!
Grom severed one of the thrashing Monkey Mom's legs, sending it crashing to the ground.
Just as I was about to finish the creature off, a question suddenly occurred to me.
The energy possessed by Trans Monkey Mom had definitely been greater than that of the Monkey Mom I'd encountered in Valhalla.
Yet judging by their actual combat abilities, the Monkey Mom in Valhalla had been stronger.
Perhaps demonic beasts were like humans in that the total amount of mana or aura they possessed wasn't the sole measure of their strength.
Still, the difference was rather considerable.
CRUNCH—!
I finished the creature off cleanly and left the remaining work to Grom.
To prove that you'd hunted a demonic beast, you needed to extract the magic stone contained within its body.
Magic stones were divided into eleven grades, ranging from Grade 10 to Special Grade.
I figured a creature as powerful as Trans Monkey Mom should be at least Grade 8.
Considering that most Barbarians participating in previous coming-of-age ceremonies had only brought back Grade 10 magic stones, this was an extraordinary achievement.
Occasionally, a genuinely promising young Barbarian would bring back a Grade 9 magic stone.
But there were usually only one or two such individuals in each generation.
And they were generally the ones chosen as the Best Warrior.
“Uldar! It's a Grade 8 magic stone! We're definitely going to take first place! Hahaha!”
Grom was so delighted that he jumped up and down while holding the magic stone.
Perhaps because his father was the chieftain, Grom had received plenty of attention ever since childhood.
To prevent him from becoming arrogant, the chieftain had raised him harshly.
I'd heard that if Grom failed to prove himself during this coming-of-age ceremony, he wouldn't be allowed to learn the chieftain's secret technique.
“Grom, once you learn the chieftain's secret technique, can't you teach it to me, too?”
“Huh? No! Only members of my family are allowed to learn the secret technique!”
“Tch!”
He would've died without me, yet he refused so firmly.
I'm starting to feel a little hurt.
“Grom, you're sleeping down below tonight.”
“Why?!”
“Because you were supposed to be standing guard earlier, but you fell asleep and didn't even notice the Gibbon Queen approaching.”
“T-That's…!”
Grom lowered his head.
“I admit it. I'm sorry.”
To be honest, I could've simply let the matter slide.
But it was important to establish proper discipline from the beginning.
This wasn't a safe world.
Our lives could be threatened anywhere, at any time.
“Grom, standing guard doesn't simply mean staying awake. When someone stands guard, the person resting is entrusting their life to them. So failing to carry out that duty properly is the same as betraying their trust.”
Grom looked astonished by my words.
Then he slammed his forehead against the ground.
THUD—!
“Uldar, I'm truly sorry! I never intended to betray your trust! I was just sitting there, and before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep… No, I won't make excuses! You can give me any punishment you see fit for betraying your trust!”
Why does he have to be so extreme?
I suppose that's what happens when you're dealing with a Barbarian.
Still, one good thing about traveling with Barbarians was that you never had to worry about being stabbed in the back.
Barbarians valued trust and loyalty above all else.
They were always dependable companions.
“Grom, just come back up with me. You can stand guard inside the cabin.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah. But you have to do it properly this time.”
“Understood! You can count on me!”
We climbed back up the tree where our cabin stood and settled down to rest for a while.
“I'm going to sleep first, so wake me when it's time.”
“Understood. I'll stand guard twice as long to make up for failing my duty earlier.”
“Sure, sure.”
He'll probably do it properly this time.
I mean, after everything that just happened, surely he won't make the same mistake again.
I put my worries aside and closed my eyes.
Before long, I fell asleep.
***
How much time had passed?
BZZZZ.
I could hear a mosquito buzzing somewhere.
Grom, kill that mosquito.
BZZZZ.
Ugh, that irritating sound.
Doesn't it bother Grom?
BZZZZZZ!
“Argh!”
I opened my eyes and abruptly sat up.
“Those damned mosquito bastards.”
They were flying around outside the cabin, yet they were still this noisy.
“Grom! Let's kill those mosquitoes… Huh? Grom?”
GRRRRRR.
“Ugh….”
That bastard Grom.
He's sleeping again.