Chapter 3: Monkey Business

You are who you chose to be.

{TenaciousJay}

But his mind lingered on the unsettling thought: what had happened to him? His body, mutilated and reformed, bore the marks of interference—intentional and deliberate. Someone or something had done this to him, and he didn’t even know who. Granted, he’d been unconscious, but still... what the hell?

“Another thing to worry about,” he sighed. Shaking off the thought, he took a step forward and decided to look around.

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This was an intriguing place. Wherever he had been summoned, it seemed to be a vast open field, completely exposed with no shade or cover. Strangely, this clearing was surrounded on all sides by dense jungle, its towering trees forming an imposing natural barrier.

“I can only see the forest around me and nothing else,” he muttered, his voice breaking the eerie silence.

He pondered his next move. Should I use my map? Or simply wander and let fate guide me?

Fate—a concept as fleeting as it was illusory. This time, he decided to embrace it. No plans, no destinations, just the raw freedom of moving wherever the path might lead.

“Let’s see where fate takes me,” he said with a faint smile, setting off.

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As he left the patch of open ground behind, the terrain shifted dramatically. Before him lay a dense jungle, cloaked in shadows. Only thin beams of light filtered through the canopy, illuminating patches of the forest floor wherever they fell. Despite the darkness, the path ahead remained traversable—manageable even for an ordinary traveler.

Standing at the edge of the forest, he paused. Shouldn’t one know where they’re going before plunging into the unknown? He didn’t have an answer.

“Well,” he muttered with a shrug, “when in doubt, use the oldest trick in the book.”

He placed a finger in his mouth, wetting it thoroughly before pulling it out with a soft pop. Raising his hand high, he waited, feeling the faint brush of a cool breeze against his index finger.

“So, the wind’s coming from this direction.” Let’s see where it leads, What’s the worst that could happen?”

With that, he stepped forward. A crisp crunch sounded beneath his foot, the dry foliage snapping under his weight. A sudden gust of air swept past him, but he paid it no mind, already shifting to his next step.

As he moved deeper into the forest, something stirred within him—a restlessness, a desire for freedom. On impulse, he squatted slightly and then launched himself into the air with a powerful leap.

The ground fell away beneath him as he burst through the trees, breaking into the open sky. The vast expanse unfolded around him, and for a brief, exhilarating moment, he was weightless.

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“Haahaha!” he laughed, the sound raw and unrestrained. “It’s been so long since I’ve traveled like this... alone and free.”

He floated in the sky, savoring the moment, lost in its trance-like simplicity. But the sky couldn’t hold him forever. Gravity, relentless and inevitable, began to pull him back.

He descended rapidly, cutting through the air like a comet streaking toward the earth.

As he landed, the ground beneath him caved slightly under the force, only to rebound moments later, leaving no trace of his impact. It was as if the forest refused to acknowledge his presence, resetting itself to an unbroken state.

Curious. The thought flickered through his mind. How and why? Questions worth pondering, but not now.

For now, he was surrounded.

As he focused, his senses sharpened, revealing the forest's inhabitants—creatures that seemed as ancient as the land itself, their forms steeped in a timeless menace.

From the shadows emerged monkeys, though to call them such felt woefully insufficient. Their tongues slithered like snakes, darting out with unsettling precision. Their hands, devoid of fingers, bore sharp, curved claws that gleamed faintly in the dappled light. Most unnerving of all were their eyes, constantly shifting through a kaleidoscope of colors, each transition hypnotic and disorienting.

To meet their gaze was to risk losing oneself entirely, falling into a trance so deep it might claim your life. For a normal person, the sheer oppressive aura of these creatures would have been enough to end them.

But the boy was far from normal.

“Aa... umm... hello?” he ventured, his tone deliberately casual, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Maybe they’re friendly, he thought, his gaze sweeping over their strange forms. Look at them—so unique, so… Snaeky?

The claws, the serpentine tongues, the ever-changing eyes—they all contributed to a kind of haunting allure.

“Truly beautiful creatures,” he murmured, unsure if he meant it or was merely trying to convince himself.

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Moments later, one of the largest among them stepped forward. His sheer size and commanding presence made it clear—this one was in charge. He motioned for the others, perhaps his mate or companions, to stay back, asserting his authority with a guttural sound that was an unsettling blend of monkey-like hoots and snake-like hisses.

“Ook ook, ssss-psss!” he barked, the strange cadence reverberating through the air.

And within moments the others obeyed, forming a loose circle around the boy, their shifting eyes glinting with intent. The leader seemed to deliberate for a moment before striding toward him, exuding both menace and curiosity.

“Grrrraaaasssshh!” he growled, his tone guttural yet oddly articulate.

“Huh…” the boy muttered, raising an eyebrow. “Is he... trying to talk to me?”

But… ‘I can’t understand Monkey.’ Truly a shame.

They stared at each other for a moment, the silence stretching into something almost comical.

The boy tilted his head slightly to the left, squinting in mild confusion. The leader mimicked the gesture, tilting his own head to the right, his expression equally puzzled.

Intrigued, the boy leaned to the right. The monkey leaned to the left.

“Hu hu!” the leader hooted again, his tone rising as if asking a question.

“Sorry, but I don’t speak Goril... uh?” The boy paused mid-sentence, his senses catching the subtle shift in the air. From behind him, another monkey crept closer, its movements eerily silent, claws poised to strike.

Sneak attack? The boy smirked inwardly. Impressive. These aren’t your average animals.

The leader’s eyes flickered with understanding, realizing his comrade had been noticed. With a sharp hiss, he lunged forward, coordinating the assault.

The boy didn’t flinch.

“Clank!”

In one fluid motion, he caught both attacking monkeys by their clawed hands, their momentum useless against his grip. Twisting deftly, he flung them into one another, disrupting whatever strategy they’d been concocting.

A piercing shriek erupted from the circle—a high-pitched, “Eeeeeek!”—that resonated through the forest.

Ah, a war cry, he thought, amused. How very theatrical. This place keeps getting more interesting by the second.

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