"Man, that was good," Jinhwan muttered with a satisfied smile, licking the last bit of juice from his fingers. He let out a long yawn and stretched his arms overhead, joints cracking slightly. His body felt a little lighter, a little more alive.
He turned toward the monkey, who was still sitting there quietly, staring at him like some curious kid.
"So.. what do I do about you?" Jinhwan mused aloud, eyeing him. "Hmm. Alright. Take me to the place you found those fruits, and you're free to go. Deal?"
The monkey tilted his head, clearly confused again.
Jinhwan groaned and rubbed his face. "Right. Sign language…"
He reached out and gently grabbed the monkey's hand.
'Take me-"
He tapped his own chest, then pointed to the ground.
"-to the place-"
He gestured toward the black fruit seed still lying beside them.
"-Where did you get that?"
He released the monkey's hand and ran his fingers across the dirt, mimicking a walking motion.
"And then I'll let you go."
He sat back with a sigh.
"These signs are dumb.. there's no way you'll understand any of that."
But to his surprise, the monkey looked at him, paused, and then nodded.
Jinhwan blinked.
"Wait… seriously?"
A grin tugged at his lips as he stood up, giving one last stretch before picking up the axe and resting it on his shoulder like it was second nature.
"Alright, monkey. Lead the way."
The creature stood and began walking, moving with surprising ease through the dried-up forest. Jinhwan glanced once toward the direction of the distant walls, now behind him.
Wrong direction. Of course.
But food meant survival, and if this place was going to test him, he needed every advantage he could get. Water, fruit, shelter, it all came before hope.
And so, he followed.
Through the quiet graveyard of trees, under a dead crimson sky, man and monkey walked together, alone in a world long forgotten by life.
They'd been walking for nearly thirty minutes now. The dead forest was long behind them, replaced by cracked, rocky ground that stretched endlessly under the crimson sky.
Suddenly, the monkey stopped.
Jinhwan, a few steps behind, noticed and caught up, halting beside him.
"What's wrong? Why'd you stop?"
But the monkey didn't respond. His gaze was locked ahead, unblinking, focused.
Jinhwan followed his line of sight... and then he saw it.
A massive hole in the ground.
So wide, it could swallow an entire house.
Curious, Jinhwan stepped forward, cautious but drawn in. He approached the edge and looked down.
His eyes widened.
Below the surface, hidden beneath the desolate wasteland, was something unreal.
Trees.
Green, living trees.
And a clear lake that shimmered with untouched water, reflecting soft purple light.
A village lay nestled there, small, simple, but alive.
Dozens of monkeys moved about, taller than the one who had brought him here. These weren't scrawny scavengers. No, these ones stood as tall as Jinhwan, with bodies like trained athletes broad-shouldered, muscular, sharp-eyed. Warriors.
Some patrolled the village edges, gripping axes and curved swords like trained guards. Their clothing wasn't refined, but it was clean, well-worn.
At each corner of the village stood glowing purple stones, mounted like lamps. They pulsed gently, casting a soft lavender glow that lit the underground sanctuary like a dream.
Jinhwan stood frozen, eyes still wide from what he'd just seen. A hidden village beneath a dead world... trees, water, life. All tucked away in this hollow scar in the land.
He turned to the monkey beside him.
"You've got a whole village down there?" he said, raising a brow.
"Judging by the height difference, I'm guessing you're a teenager compared to them."
He smirked and took a step toward the slope leading down, which curled around the hole like a rough, natural staircase.
But before he could take another step, the monkey suddenly grabbed his wrist and yanked him back.
Startled, Jinhwan turned.
"What's your problem now?"
The monkey let go and pointed toward the village below. Then, with an exaggerated motion, he raised both hands near his face, opened his mouth wide, and made a mock roar, repeating it a few times like he was trying to act scary.
Jinhwan narrowed his eyes, watching carefully.
"..So you're saying they're the bad guys?"
The monkey nodded slowly, serious now.
Jinhwan tilted his head.
"Alright.... so they're the problem."
He raised his axe and made a slicing motion through the air. "What if I just kill them?"
The monkey quickly shook his head, then turned to face Jinhwan fully. He thumped his fists together once, hard then pounded his own chest like a drum. After that, he just stood there, staring.
Jinhwan got it.
"..You're saying they're stronger than me?"
The monkey nodded again, firm this time.
Jinhwan scoffed.
"That's bullshit. Even if they are stronger, they're still monkeys. I've taken down worse."
With a smug grin, he patted the monkey on the shoulder.
"Relax, just wait here."
[Episode 26 End]