White is Beautiful

Everyone knows I'm an orphan who lost both parents. But that doesn't mean I'd be dumb enough to accept a gorilla's adoption offer. I'm not that desperate for affection.

Of course, I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to meet the father I've never seen. Seeing what Deshunan wrote about him in his journal only made me more curious.

-A very special species of serpent. If I get the chance, I'd love to see it myself. Unlike the Medusa Serpent, it's said to be quite docile.

Pellelian had said as much. But if I joined the gorilla's family, how would that even work?

'Are you female or male?'

I asked her that. Naturally, since I couldn't speak, communicating with the gorilla was a real ordeal. It took all sorts of bizarre shapes and lewd drawings before she finally answered.

The gorilla was female.

So she'd be like my big sister? Her massive build had me convinced she was male. Shocking.

"If you become... my baby... will you... let me go...?"

No, you idiot!

After much deliberation, I made my decision.

"Thank you... really... thank you..."

She could speak, and I'd gotten her out of the iron cage.

Up close, the gorilla looked pretty emaciated. Her cage was littered with the dried corpses of other beasts—ones she'd been locked up with, but there were no signs she'd eaten them.

"I eat... fruits... love fruit... bugs too..."

Her diet sounded surprisingly mild. How did she build all that muscle eating just that?

I gave her nape a slight squeeze—not affection, but a threat. A cold warning that I'd kill her if she was lying.

"I'll keep... my promise... Saw a big, cool snake... Sage knows... where it is... Sage knows... everything."

Reason number one for freeing her: She'd seen my dad. And she was convinced her kin knew where he was.

"Festival... I'll teach you... how to pick fruit... on the way..."

And she'd tell me about the festival happening here.

-I know that the Great Forest sometimes has 'Fruit Week.' That's when flowers bloom on the World Tree's branches and fruits ripen on its exposed roots. I also know monsters grow stronger then, and named monsters are born.

Pelmu Wiki didn't have much on it.

-But it's hard to pin down exactly how the monsters behave when they swarm the roots. Access gets restricted once Fruit Week starts.

Deshunan's knowledge seemed more detailed on monster behavior and ecology. But even ransacking his room only turned up vague clouds about the festival.

"For fruit... monsters... unite... us too... bugs too."

Monsters of different species rarely formed packs. Even same-species ones killed each other all the time. It was the instinct of creatures born with the imperative to grow stronger.

Yet the monsters in this Shadow Forest had banded together. Per Deshunan's records, there were two groups now: ones with hands, probably primates. And an insect legion.

Maybe my separated King Centipede Mom had joined the insect legion.

'Why are the monsters grouping up?'

I tapped the gorilla's forehead twice, signaling her to spill everything she knew.

She was smarter than I'd thought. Pellelian said only a few high-tier monsters could speak. This gorilla wasn't that elite, but her primate intelligence let her manage broken words.

If it was a skill, I could've borrowed it with Borrowing Horn. Her language was surprisingly close to human speech—different accent and vocab, but Pellelian could follow.

He explained it was the common tongue, passed down from ancient times. Even instinctively language-learning monsters and long-extinct dragons used it.

"Eat fruit... get strong... but eating fruit... stops you. Must guard... someone."

Stops you? Like paralysis?

Makes sense—I'd need reliable allies to guard me then.

I glanced back at Dotbakyi following us. She wagged her tail when our eyes met.

But trusting just her to eat the fruit felt risky.

Not that I planned to become the gorilla's family. I'd trust King Centipede Mom more.

Still, worth checking out her pack while staying here awhile.

Come to think of it, did Dad belong to no pack?

"There was... another pack... gone now. Leader... died."

Ah, the story behind it. Each pack had a leader.

"Our boss... silver monkey... very strong..."

The primate leader sounded like Sun Wukong, Monkey King. Dangerous.

I headed with the gorilla toward their forest, past some hills.

Something caught my eye.

'What the hell is that tree?'

-A root. Like a smooth baobab trunk, massive.

A giant pillar sprouted in the hill's center.

-The World Tree's exposed root.

What root was that big? Branch-like subroots spread out, but leafless—definitely roots.

More dotted the path to the forest beyond. That's where fruits ripened. Even before full Fruit Week, some unripe ones had fallen.

"There... our forest."

A dark woods loomed ahead. Primate territory.

'Dotbakyi!'

I halted the gorilla and stationed Dotbakyi here. We'd ride back on her—her sprint was too fast for primates to chase.

Getting back here was the issue, but I'd borrowed a useful escape skill from a zoo beast.

I drew my sword. That was the secret to her 'adoption' offer.

Even invisible, I definitely had a hand.

'Try anything funny, and you're dead. You and your kin.'

I bristled my scales with a charrrk.

Monsters found the sound pretty threatening. The gorilla nodded as I pressed the blade close, getting the message.

We entered the forest. Monkeys swung through trees, watching us. Small and weak-looking—hard to tell beast from monster. Sentries?

They chittered urgently and fled deeper in.

"They'll... welcome us..."

Joy tinged the gorilla's voice. I tightened slightly around her neck.

Just try it.

Then someone appeared ahead—a bipedal monkey, unlike the gorilla.

Precisely...

'A chimpanzee!'

Just like the ones I knew. But no ordinary animal—long claws for slashing.

"Ooh! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Oo!"

The chimp bounced in place, greeting the gorilla but wary of me, keeping distance.

"Snake... saved me... thanks. Want to meet... Sage."

The chimp spat on the ground, unimpressed by her return.

Cheeky bastard.

"Ooh!"

She barked and led the way.

Primates had gathered: bonobos, gorillas, spectacled monkeys, pot-bellied orangutans. Planet of the Apes much?

Not just primates—bipedal bears, owlbears. All hand-having monsters.

The 'Sage' was obvious: a burly old orangutan with a shaman staff.

"Gorilla Lady..."

Gorilla Lady? The one I rode bowed shyly.

"First... welcome back alive."

"Thank... you."

The orangutan was smarter, spoke clearer.

Suddenly, he pointed his staff at me.

"Snake evil... bad. Why together?"

"This snake has hands. Good snake... saved me."

I waved the sword, showing my hand. Some monkeys flinched back—maybe not the best move.

But the orangutan recognized it.

"Transparent Hand... magic!"

"Yes... good snake."

The gorilla earnestly explained, praising me as strong and her savior.

"Make our new family."

Recruitment pitch. I hadn't agreed yet.

"Hmph..."

The orangutan didn't nod eagerly. Then he sneered.

"Gorilla Lady caught by fairy... weak."

"Fairy... strong. Dead now. This snake killed."

"Lies, weakling. Not family."

Family my ass. Love and all that.

Definitely a dysfunctional ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bunch.

The gorilla slammed the ground in rage.

Kwaaang!

Dirt erupted despite her starvation.

"I strong! Krraaang!"

Her roar got the chimp growling. Fight imminent.

Good job, gorilla.

"If want... prove it!"

She glared between chimp and orangutan. Tensions rose.

The orangutan pointed at me.

"Magic hand. Not real hand...!"

True enough. Sage was sharp.

"Can't accept. Weak gorilla too!"

"Grrraaah!"

"If really want back, kill that snake...!"

From the long-legged monkey grudge, primates and I didn't mix.

He demanded she kill me for reentry.

Then—

-Attack first now.

The Reverse Heaven Mage whispered via starlight.

-My... er, fellow traveler... er, companion wouldn't fear monkeys, right?

Pellelian fumbled my title before settling on companion.

'Of course.'

His wicked mage's companion was ready to be a bad snake. My blade already hummed zing-zing.

Scanned around—no status-visible threats. No silver monkey leader. Plus, I'd borrowed a special skill from a zoo beast.

Worth a shot. Stab gorilla's throat, then orangutan...

"Can't do that."

The gorilla said firmly.

"Snake... saved me. I'm good gorilla... no betrayal."

Wait, weren't good monsters just centipedes and goblins?

I gently stroked her head.

The orangutan scoffed, proclaiming like a martial villain.

"Then die—!"

The glaring chimp lunged first, claws like blades at us both. Brutal assassin strike.

Shhliaaak!

I knew it from wuxia—Nine Yin White Bone Claw, forbidden art.

I countered with basic Three Realms Swordsmanship.

Kagak!

Fairy-made blade sheared the claws. Pre-sharpened payoff.

Chimp stared at her hands, stunned.

I didn't miss.

Leap-boost-bite combo was fast before. Now light-speed.

"Kweeeek!"

Chimp screamed, collapsing. Chest hole gaped.

Monsters gasped at me clutching her red heart.

"Attack—!"

Orangutan bellowed again. I swallowed and readied.

Rampage time. Use the borrowed skill first...

"Ooh, Sa—ge!"

A hefty bonobo rushed up, yelling.

"Bugs—bugs invading—! Ack!"

Final word a scream. Fist-sized spider clung to its throat.

Then deafening buzz.

Whiiiiiine—

Like giant hornets by your ear. Actual giant bees appeared—one boar-sized snatched a fleeing spectacled monkey, crunching with mighty jaws.

Wajak wajak wajak.

Monkey head thudded down.

"Invasion—invasion!"

Orangutan roared in fury.

Not my scenario.

"Kekekekeke!"

Familiar cry echoed. Massive centipede crushed monkeys emerging.

Our eyes met.

"Ke?"

Didn't expect King Centipede Mom reunion so soon.

"Ke ke."

"Ke."

"Ke!!"

Just days apart, grown Kkubugi, Wangnuni, and Daegari rode her back.

Hey kids.

I snapped a long-legged monkey's neck lunging at me, wagged tail in greeting.

Excited Kkubugi leaped to hug me. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠If she had a tail like a dog, it'd spin propeller-style.

I petted her wildly.

'Dangerous now, back to Mom—hngh!'

I froze in shock. The centipede triplets had grown. Larva evolution.

Second and third on Mom:

Cool reddish-brown like true centipedes.

But the one hugging me, bonded deep and influenced by me—eldest Kkubugi was different.

Pure white.

The white lineage. W's will, passed on here.