System's POV

Chapter 598: Retreat Wasn’t An Option [Part 2]

Five hours had passed since Thirteen had appeared on the 12th Floor, and the flurry of activity among the Monkeys and Apes had intensified.

For the first time in a while, the two groups avoid clashing with each other, prioritizing the search for the invaders.

The Apes wanted to find Thirteen because their Lord had ordered it.

The Monkeys wanted to find Thirteen because they wanted to disrupt whatever the Apes wanted to do, out of spite.

Since both groups were like oil and water, the smallest spark could usually trigger a skirmish between the two parties.

But this time, both sides held themselves back and focused on looking for the intruders in their domain.

"There!" one of the Monkeys shouted, alerting his comrade.

Kesari, who was skidding across the ground at great speed, frowned when several Monkeys started to head in his direction.

However, the Ratman simply burrowed deep underground with its ability, Unblocked Passage, allowing it to pass through anything like walls and the ground, like a ghost.

The only downside was that in this state, any kind of magic or elemental attack would kill it instantly due to the skill's weakness.

Even so, it was one of the most used abilities among the members of the Parade of a Hundred Demons because of its flexibility.

"Damn! We lost it again!" another monkey complained.

"Just spread out and make sure to monitor their movements!" a Rank 6 Feral Monkey commanded. "They can't hide under the ground forever!"

The Monkeys and the Apes had already discovered that the invaders were dozens of Rank 1 Monsters, which didn't pose any threat to them.

However, they were nearly impossible to catch because they were fast and liked to hide under the ground whenever they were surrounded.

Out of annoyance, the Apes decided to no longer hold back and went for the kill.

This caused the deaths of dozens of Tiona's army.

But Thirteen could just summon them again anyway, so this was not a major concern.

However, their exploration of the 12th Floor was delayed since everyone seemed to be out for their heads.

A few hours later, the Monkeys and the Apes had reached their limit and started to fight against each other in order to vent out their frustrations.

This scene, which had been seen by Thirteen through the eyes of his subordinates, caught his attention.

'So the Monkeys and the Apes are not on good terms with each other…' Thirteen mused. 'I thought that they were on the same side.'

The teenage boy pondered for a bit as he watched the brutal battle between the two factions.

Both sides had casualties, but the monkeys suffered more compared to the Apes.

Twelve monkeys lay dead on the ground, while the Apes only lost half that number.

The main reason for this was the Rank 6 Steel Ape, who didn't hesitate to destroy the trees the Monkeys were using as footholds, forcing them to fight on the ground.

And on the ground, the Apes had the upper hand, resulting in the Monkeys' deaths.

The two sides fought for nearly half an hour before the Rank 6 Feral Monkey ordered a retreat.

Thirteen, who was watching this battle from the start, ordered his subordinates to follow the monkeys.

Since the Monkeys were the enemies of the Apes, he decided to see if he could secure an alliance with them.

Also, since his first host was the Monkey King, he was quite fond of monkeys as well.

After following the monkeys for quite some time, they finally arrived at a cluster of trees, with tree houses built on them.

Even though Rocky and Thirteen were still a distance away from the city built by the monkeys, the teenage boy was still able to observe the surroundings through Kesari's eyes.

'Should we give it a try?' Thirteen pondered for a bit before ordering Kesari to enter the Monkey City and show himself out in the open.

"I came here to talk!" Kesari shouted with his hands raised in surrender. "Take me to your leader!"

The Monkeys, who had been looking for the intruders, looked at the Rank 1 Monster in disdain.

But before they could do anything, something fell from the highest tree and landed a few meters away from Kesari, sending dirt flying in every direction.

"Hoh… a Ratman," the leader of the Monkeys, who goes by the name Harahon, said with a smile. "It's been decades since I saw a Ratman. Although you guys are ugly, seeing an unfamiliar face still makes me feel that a new wind is blowing here on the 12th Floor."

Kesari, who had just been called ugly, reined in his emotions as his ability, Versatile, kicked in.

This allowed him to remain calm in all situations, allowing him to make logical decisions that would ensure his survival.

"I come here to represent my Master, Zion Leventis," Kesari said. "He wants to know if you and the Apes are allies or enemies?"

The Monkeys, who heard the Ratman's question, all screeched in anger, making it apparent that they and the apes couldn't co-exist under the same sky.

"You speak on behalf of your Master, so does that mean he is nearby?" Harahon inquired.

"He's on his way to this location," Kesari answered. "As you may already know, our goal is to proceed to the 13th Floor. In order to do that, we need to defeat the Grievefoot. Are you interested in an alliance?"

Harahon smirked. "You plan to use a borrowed knife to kill your enemy? Your Master is really bold. While I do admit that we and the Apes are enemies, that doesn't mean that we will simply throw our lives for your Master's sake, no?

"Besides, I am not a match for Khan," Harahon stated. "Unless your Master is as strong as him, there's no possible way for us to work together."

"Are you sure about that?" Kesari asked. "Although my Master might not be as strong as Khan, he has powerful subordinates under his command."

"Oh? Powerful subordinates?" Harahon rubbed his chin. "How powerful are we talking about?"

Suddenly, the ground trembled as the Magma Bal-Boa emerged from the ground.

Harahon narrowed his eyes when he felt that the monster in front of him was of the same Rank as him.

Rocky and Harahon stared at each other for nearly half a minute before the Magma Bal-Boa opened its jaws.

At first, the leader of the Monkeys thought that the Magma Bal-Boa was going to attack, but when he saw a teenage boy emerge from the monster's mouth, the monkey's eyes widened in shock.

"My name is Zion Leventis," Thirteen introduced himself. "I believe that if we work together, we can do something about this Khan fellow. What do you think, Lord Harahon?"

The teenage boy looked at the Umbrafang with a faint smile on his face.

If the Monkeys of this floor joined hands with him, then the possibility of winning against the powerful Peak Rank 8 Sovereign wouldn't be as slim.

In fact, the chances to succeed were very high.

However, when the surprise on Harahon's face faded, it was replaced with a solemn look, which made Thirteen feel that something was wrong.

"We won't wage war against the Apes," Harahon declared. "Small skirmishes are fine, but an all-out war is out of the picture. If that monster is your strongest subordinate, then the chances of winning against Khan are just a pipe dream.

"Just go back to where you came from if you want to keep your life. You have no idea what kind of monster you are dealing with."

"Then please enlighten me?" Thirteen inquired. "With our forces working together, we have a possibility to win, but you are saying that it won't work. You must have a reason for saying this, yes?"

The Umbrafang chuckled before nodding.

"The reason I don't dare to burn bridges with Khan is because he isn't just an ordinary Grievefoot," Harahon stated. "He can actually raise his Rank and become a Peak Rank 9 Sovereign in an instant.

"He can maintain this form for an hour before regressing to his original Rank. However, the scary part is that there's no side-effect. Usually, if you are forced to raise your rank in that manner, you will suffer a backlash when the effect of the ability fades.

"But Khan has no problems with that. I only managed to escape because I had superior mobility compared to him. In a frontal battle, I'd be lucky if I can last for more than ten exchanges."

Thirteen quieted down after hearing the Umbrafang's words.

But instead of being deterred or intimidated, the teenage boy's desire to eliminate the threat to the Wanderers only grew.

"Thank you for the information," Thirteen said. "But I will still be fighting against Khan after a few days. I will send a messenger here to inform you about that battle, so feel free to watch from the sidelines."

After saying what he had to say, Rocky closed his mouth and started to burrow on the ground.

Kesari gave Harahon a brief nod before he, too, merged with the ground, vanishing from sight.

Harahon stared at the location where Thirteen had vanished before shaking his head helplessly.

'A foolish human,' Harahon thought. 'Retreat is an option, yet he still chose death.'

What Harahon didn't know was that, for Thirteen and his comrades, retreat wasn't an option.

If they couldn't even defeat the Boss Monster of the 12th Floor, it would be impossible for them to enter the 13th Floor, which would complete the trial that had been given to them by the God of Wanderers.