Chapter 3: Chapter 3

When I return to consciousness, I still feel the heat of my dream holding on to me tightly. Its penetrating sting reminds me of what I once was and what I once had. Now the place in my core where my directive once was is empty and vacant.

Is it a curse or a blessing to possess new life, but no directive to live by?

I extend my senses in order to determine my surroundings, and perhaps even figure out how much time has passed without resorting to using my ever-increasing age counter, but what I find surprises me even more than what I found last time I woke up.

I am not alone.

Not only am I not alone, but I am surrounded. Immediately, I count thirteen demonic monkeys, with more beyond my perception radius. They are, as I expected, of various species. From their body types, I recognize ordinary monkeys, chimpanzees, an orangutan and even a gorilla.

Their eyes blaze red with light, which I find rather fascinating, but now I can also feel the movement of Qi in their bodies, and even determine the depth of their cultivation.

They are all, with no exceptions, in the Mid to Late stage of the Qi Refinement realm.

Between myself and the demonic beasts is a stone slab which has a flattened, but still uneven, surface. The blood on the slab reminds me of a sacrificial altar — the kinds that primitive civilizations would use to appease their tyrannical gods.

Though, in the defense of these primitive civilizations, if the choice was between everyone dying of hunger, or sacrificing a few dozen individuals for a good harvest, the choice seems rather obvious. If only that choice actually mattered or had any meaningful impact on the outcome of the season.

There is a technical exception to the gathering of Qi Refinement realm demonic monkeys, and only because its form resembles very little of what I know about primates.

Currently holding me in its hand is a gigantic ape, with snow white fur, and three eyes. This ape towers over the other monkeys at over three meters tall, and is half that wide. In its hand, I look like a toothpick. With the exception of the eye on its forehead, its eyes are blue and radiate a cunning, oppressive cold and disdain.

With my spiritual senses, I can discern that this specimen — Wukong I shall call him — is at the very Peak of Foundation Establishment, ready to form a Golden Core, if not in the process of doing so already.

I do not comprehend such things as fear or intimidation, but looking upon Wukong, the Demonic Ape King, I immediately know that there is such a vast difference in power between us that I likely do not even register as a threat or a weapon.

Wukong holds me in his hands because he finds me visually appealing. Nevermind that I could cut through his stone slab with ease — at least if I was not so structurally compromised at the moment.

Still, that in itself gives me a sense of relief. Wukong finds me appealing even in this run-down state. I would find it difficult to consider myself in a shape that currently resembles a reliable tool, but what does a primate know about tools or tool condition?

I have a fleeting concern that Wukong might try to test my sharpness or reliability against the stone slab, ending my existence in an instant, because, again, what does a primate know about tools or their condition?

Two more primates suddenly enter my perception radius, dragging behind them a monkey who is howling and resisting with all his might, but his shallow cultivation compared to the other two is of no difficulty to them.

Under the watchful eye of Wukong, the two Late Qi Refinement realm monkeys press their terrified captive against the stone slab and while one of them holds him, the other grabs the monkey’s arm, and sets its on the surface of the slab.

It occurs to me then that the slab is not a sacrificial altar, but rather a punishment slab.

The terrified monkey howls and screams, finally looking up at Wukong with an expression that reflects his internal turmoil.

Wukong is not impassive either; his expression shows anger. He waves me around in the air, and even points at me with his finger.

The monkey shakes his head and closes his eyes as if to deny the accusation.

Wukong then roars angrily, his shout so loud it shakes me to the very core.

In reply, the monkey squeals and then stops resisting against the other two monkeys.

After observing this exchange, I realize two things:

First, their body language seems to suggest that the smaller monkey either found me first, and did not hand me over to Wukong immediately, or that he attempted to steal me from Wukong.

Second, and this is rather shocking: the primates have a rather unusual and high level of intelligence. This demonstration of hierarchy and, most notably, primitive justice is indicative of organized society.

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Imagine that.

A nascent demonic ape society.

Without much warning, Wukong lifts me in the air, aims me at the monkey’s wrist and then slashes down.

I feel the impact of the stone against my body ring through my entire being, and though I cannot feel pain I understand that this has caused me only a slight bit of damage. It seems I was quite a bit more durable than I initially thought.

I did not so much feel going through the monkey’s flesh and bones, as I severed his left hand at the wrist — a classic punishment for thieves.

While the monkey howled in pain, its blood drenched my blade and its life force revitalized my aging, worn out vessel. Where the blood touched my blade, it evaporated away into black ash and smoke, absorbed into my metal skin.

Immediately, the cracks and fractures on my blade began to heal.

Wukong noticed this also, and lifted me closer to his face to observe this healing process in greater detail. And though it was only a slight improvement to my overall state, it was certainly noticeable.

Wukong’s eyes widened — all three of them — as he understood what this meant.

That’s right, dumb monkey. The red stuff makes my ugly stuff go away, I tried to tell Wukong, but I had neither the ability to communicate nor to gesture such meaning.

Still, Wukong seemed to understand, and with a triumphant roar, he stabbed me into the monkey’s chest, and then for good measure, he stabbed the other two monkeys holding him down, impaling all three of them like a primitive primate shishkebab.

[ Life consumed: 12 BP ]

[ Life consumed: 28 BP ]

[ Life consumed: 32 BP ]

Their bodies shriveled away, twisting and breaking, as they howled while I absorbed their life force. I felt my damaged vessel repair itself and immediately and automatically begin to use this newfound life force to compress into what will become black jade one day.

[ Early Vessel Refining progress: 12.8% ]

 

 

As the bodies evaporated into my vessel, the soul cores dropped to the ground and rolled towards the other monkeys. They stared at the orbs, wearing expressions of fascination.

Wukong also wore such an expression, but not towards the soul cores, but rather towards me.

He raised me over the newly blessed altar of sacrifice and regarded my fully repaired body with admiration.

I reached out with my spiritual senses, focusing on the eye on his forehead. A sliver of my sentience implanted itself into his third eye, and Wukong’s smile froze on his face, and the color drained.

After a moment, Wukong seemed to understand what it was that I wanted and slowly set me down on the stone altar.

Then Wukong howled, and all the monkeys looked up at him, shocked.

One after another, they all threw themselves to the ground, and kowtowed to me three times, howling and chanting.

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