The brown ape whose blow Draven had blocked earlier raised both hands, preparing to strike down again. But before the blow could land, Draven swung his hammer in a powerful arc, smashing into the beast's torso and sending it flying through the horde of surrounding creatures.
Several unlucky monkeys were crushed into a meat paste under the brown ape's massive body. Seizing the moment, Draven drove his spear through the chest of a second ape charging toward him.
"Let's finish this quickly," Draven muttered to himself. Deep within his inner world, the second head of the three-headed statue opened its eyes.
In an instant, Draven's muscles swelled, transforming his lean frame into a body of corded, copper-like muscle. With a fierce howl, he charged the encircling beasts, his two swords now returned to his hands. His speed, strength, and every aspect of his combat prowess were now ten times greater than before. The outcome was predictable. Within half an hour, over four hundred beasts lay dead by his blade.
Little Su floated above the ground in her miniature dragon form, a look of satisfaction on her face. By now, no more beasts dared to charge; they merely watched from a distance, frozen in fear.
Draven's face and beard were matted with blood, making him look like a maniac. He offered the distant beasts a harmless smile, a stark contrast to his appearance. His white shirt was now completely dyed red, a sight that made the remaining creatures shiver from head to toe.
"Stupid monkey! Come out and meet your grandma! Where are you hiding?" Little Su shouted once more toward the city, her voice echoing with full force.
"Oh? You didn't die last time? It seems your master has some skill in medicine," a deep voice replied this time.
Little Su shivered at the sound and fluttered down to Draven's shoulder for support.
Draven smiled lightly and began walking toward the source of the voice. The beasts in his path scrambled to move aside, clearing a way for him.
Ahead stood a ten-foot-tall, muscular monkey with a nonchalant expression. Unlike the other beasts, its features were more human-like, and its entire body was wreathed in flames, a stark contrast to the other orange-furred monkeys who only had fire on their tails.
"I've lived for more than ten thousand years in this world. Having some skill in medicine is hardly surprising," Draven said with a light chuckle, stopping a short distance away from the monkey.
The orange-furred monkey nodded. "For a mortal to live so long is indeed more interesting. Unparalleled in battle arts and medicine, even in ancient times, I've never seen a creature like you. It's a pity you are trapped in this cage."
"A cage, huh? Cages can be destroyed. To be frank, I'm curious to see what's outside this place now," Draven replied.
The orange-furred monkey shook its head. "You are still inferior to us Origin Gods. Hurry and transform into that Kalsimha form you used last time. I am itching for a battle. Don't worry, I won't kill you like last time, but your bloodline spirit will have to die today for her insolence."
Little Su stuttered, pointing a claw at the monkey, she said to Draven angrily. "Papa, kill this stupid monkey! It's the one who destroyed Little Su's magic cores!"
The orange-furred monkey ignored her, its focus entirely on Draven.
"You want to see my god transformation?" Draven said with a faint smile. He recalled his two swords, which merged back into their ring form. Deep within, the third head of the statue in his inner world opened its eyes.
"Roar!" Draven let out a long, bestial roar. His head morphed into that of a lion, and his nails elongated into dagger-like claws. Intricate golden tribal tattoos appeared across his bulging form, and his expanding muscles tore through his already bloodied shirt.
The orange-haired monkey's expression shifted drastically as it felt Draven's aura climb to a terrifying level. A chill ran down its spine when it met Draven's ruby-red eyes.
But before it could react, Draven vanished and reappeared directly in front of it. In a single, fluid motion, his claws swept across the beast's neck.
With a look of pure confusion frozen on its face, the monkey's head toppled from its shoulders. Its headless body remained standing for a moment like a macabre statue.
"Roar…!" The surrounding beasts went into a frenzy at the sight of their king's death. Overwhelming their instinctive fear, they charged towards Draven as if possessed.
Answering with his own long howl, Draven met their charge like a savage beast.
His claws were relentless, each strike a killing blow. Even the elephantine brown apes were felled by a single slash to the head. He moved like a starved lion amidst a herd, pouncing and tearing his enemies apart. The spectacle was so brutal that even Little Su who was watching from the sky, shuddered in fear.
For the beasts on the ground, it was a slaughterhouse. Their courage broke as quickly as it had come. Soon, they abandoned their fallen king and fled in every direction.
Draven's body then shrank back to its original form. With a cold snort, he walked over to where the monkey's head lay on the ground.
"Didn't anyone teach you martial virtue?" the head spat out, its teeth gritted in fury. Even severed from its body, it could still speak, a testament to its nature as a godly beast. "Attacking when your opponent is unprepared, only a coward will stoop to such a low level.."
"Like I said, I've lived for over ten thousand years," Draven replied nonchalantly, as he opened his pouch to retrieve a set of needles. "The only virtue I've concluded from my long life is that the one who laughs last is the winner. Rules don't change the fact of who wins."
The monkey's expression shifted again when it saw the needles. "The Three Hundred and Sixty Needles of Ghost Hands? This artifact was destroyed long ago. Where did you get it?"
Draven split the needles into two groups and began carefully inserting the first one hundred and eighty into specific points across the monkey's body, his fingers moving with practiced precision as he calculated the acupoints.
"I am asking you a question! Answer me!" the monkey bellowed, though its voice cracked at the end.
Draven continued his work undisturbed. "I saw diagrams of them on the walls of the shrines where I studied medicine with the other villagers. I forged these needles myself. They have no connection to anyone else."
The monkey was stunned into silence for a moment. "You... you actually recreated them... Wait, don't tell me all your weapons are also reverse-engineered by you?"
Draven gave a simple nod.
Little Su flew down and returned to her human form. With a jumping kick, she sent the monkey's head rolling across the ground. By now, the flames that had wreathed its body had almost entirely vanished, a clear sign it was at the end of its strength.
"Stupid monkey! You kicked me like a ball back then, remember? What godly beast? You still died without even getting a chance to squeak!" Little Su laughed, her hands on her waist.
Draven shook his head and continued inserting the needles into the monkey's body. Since he didn't know the exact acupoints of this divine beast, the process required patience and careful probing to locate them.