Claiming the Rage Ape's Essence
I dashed westward.
The forest zone. The dense thicket of lush trees drew steadily closer.
Nyx: Contractor, what is the matter?
“The Rage Ape. I need to kill the boss monster that spawns in the forest.”
Nyx: Was that not the very forest where you met me?
“It was.”
Nyx: Given your nature, you would never have let such a beast slip away. There must be another reason.
Oh, she’s sharp.
Just as Nyx said, failing to hunt the Rage Ape hadn’t been my choice.
The first day of the tutorial.
Park Jongwon’s team—the rising stars of the Hwarang Guild—had taken down the Rage Ape.
Once a boss monster on Rainbow Island was slain, it wouldn’t respawn for a full week.
“Thirty minutes left.”
Nyx: And if you miss this chance?
“Then I’ll never get to devour its essence.”
I shivered.
Once the tutorial period ended, no one could ever return to Rainbow Island.
Therefore, no matter what, I had to devour the Rage Ape’s essence.
Nyx: Contractor, that gaze of yours is rather terrifying.
“What’s wrong with my eyes?”
Nyx: To me, it looks as though your stare alone could slay any living thing.
“Our goddess is getting better with the jokes.”
Nyx: I am not joking…
I left the whining goddess behind and picked up the pace.
I chained Agile Hind Legs in rapid succession, careful not to strain my leg muscles.
In the blink of an eye I had entered the forest zone.
“How much time?”
Nyx: Fourteen minutes.
“Plenty of time.”
The Rage Ape spawned in the southern part of the forest. Unlike the Blood Mountain Lord or Talon Flame, it didn’t stay in one fixed spot.
Nyx: Then must we wander this forest without purpose?
“I have a few likely spots.”
I scanned the surroundings. Players were scattered throughout the woods. Far more had advanced into the forest zone than when I first arrived. Some of those teams were undoubtedly hunting the Rage Ape.
“This is a race against the clock.”
Nyx: I too shall keep my eyes open and search for the ape.
Nyx’s voice rang with determination. Still, even if the goddess helped, her efficiency would probably fall short of my Ultrasound. In moments like these, heart mattered more than precision.
“Thanks, Goddess.”
Nyx: If you are grateful, then defeat that wretch called Ness with all haste.
Her voice trembled ever so slightly. Wait… was she embarrassed?
I wanted to tease her about that strange reaction, but the situation didn’t allow it. I headed straight for the southern forest and used Agile Hind Legs vertically, launching myself into the branches.
Nyx: From here the entire area is visible.
“Much better than running around on the ground.”
I stayed alert, waiting for the exact moment the Rage Ape would respawn.
Three. Two. One.
“Now.”
I muttered to myself and swept my gaze left and right. The forest was already crawling with competitors. One mistake here could prove fatal.
“There.”
Nyx: Four o’clock!
Our voices overlapped almost perfectly. The instant I locked onto the Rage Ape I drove power into my legs.
Agile Hind Legs
BOOM!
Using the tree as a springboard, I launched myself toward the monster. The distance closed in a flash. A nearby team had already spotted the Rage Ape and was forming up for battle.
No. That ape is mine.
“Haaaaaaa!!!”
Roar
All creatures within 20 meters suffer a 10% reduction in Strength and Agility.
Duration: 20 seconds.
My roar shook the entire forest.
Kim Jeongho was a player who had just hit level 20. He hadn’t received backing from any major guild, but his skill had carried him into the upper ranks of the tutorial.
“If I bag the boss monster, top five is within reach.”
To compete for tutorial rankings, you had to hunt boss monsters. Repeatedly farming regular monsters eventually lowered the points they gave—first to 0.5, then down to 0.3. The system was designed so that boss kills were mandatory for serious score climbing.
That was why Kim Jeongho had led his team here to raid the Rage Ape.
“Captain, are you sure we’ll be fine?”
“Relax. Park Jongwon killed it on day one, remember?”
“But the Deep Slime was the same story.”
“I misjudged the timing.”
Disappointment washed over Kim Jeongho’s face. The Deep Slime had been easier than the Rage Ape. Physical attacks struggled against it, but its clear weakness to elemental damage made the strategy straightforward. Yet by the time his team arrived, someone else had already claimed it.
“I won’t miss this one.”
His eyes burned with determination. His teammates echoed the same resolve as they scoured the woods.
“Time’s up.”
“Hey—over there! Isn’t that the Rage Ape?”
“Nice!”
The freshly respawned monster appeared right in front of them.
“Grr… grr…”
The moment it saw the party, the Rage Ape’s face twisted with murderous rage.
“Everyone remember the patterns?”
“First attack is always frontal. Second is fire breath.”
“Don’t forget the defensive magic.”
They quickly reviewed the strategy. As long as they avoided a direct head-on collision, this boss wasn’t particularly frightening. The instant their tank, Kim Jeongho, stepped forward—
“Haaaaaaa!!!”
A thunderous roar slammed into their eardrums.
Exposed to Roar.
Strength and Agility reduced by 10% for 20 seconds.
“Ugh—what’s happening to my body?!”
“Who the hell just interfered?!”
The team panicked. The Rage Ape’s own stats had dropped too, but its eyes had already rolled back in fury. It charged straight at Kim Jeongho without hesitation.
Danger!
Though it was one of the weaker bosses, its raw attack power was monstrous. Kim Jeongho raised his shield a beat too late. The club swung faster, hurtling toward his skull.
Black-and-white memories flashed through his mind.
Is this the life-flashing-before-your-eyes moment?
The shadow of death loomed. Kim Jeongho couldn’t move a single finger.
Then—
“Spacing out at a time like this?”
A third party’s voice came from directly above. A figure clad in gray armor. Jinho wore a faint smile as he swung his hand toward the Rage Ape.
Sharp Claws
Blessing of Greed
Dark-red claws sank deep into the Rage Ape’s shoulder. The club that had been flying toward Kim Jeongho’s head clattered harmlessly to the ground.
SPLURT!
Crimson blood gushed from the severed stump. Jinho’s single strike had torn the monster’s right arm clean off.
“KRRRRGH!”
The Rage Ape drew in a massive breath—its second attack pattern. A torrent of flame breath roared toward Jinho.
“Watch out!”
Kim Jeongho cried out in horror. That flame was far deadlier than the charge. Without any defensive gear, a direct hit would reduce a person to charcoal.
“With just this much?”
Jinho laughed, completely at ease. At the same time he thrust his right hand forward. The ring on his finger emitted an eerie glow.
Mana Absorb
A scarlet barrier unfurled and devoured the incoming flames whole.
“Huh…?”
A weak groan escaped Kim Jeongho’s lips. The Rage Ape’s flames were supposed to be undefendable without an opposing water-attribute shield. That was common tutorial knowledge. Yet Jinho had shattered that common sense without breaking a sweat.
“I’m in a hurry, so let’s wrap this up quickly.”
Jinho closed the distance in a straight line. His extended claws carved countless arcs through the air. The beast-mimicking martial art—Blood Claw Technique—unfolded in a relentless chain of forms.
“KRRRRGH!”
The Rage Ape swung its remaining arm in a furious arc, but the instinctive attack couldn’t even graze Jinho. Instead, its reckless swings only exposed more openings, adding fresh wounds with every miss.
The rear team members gripped their weapons.
“We’ll help—”
“If you don’t want to die, stay exactly where you are.”
The ice-cold voice froze them in place. Blood droplets scattered through the air. Less than a minute after respawning, the Rage Ape collapsed, face-first into the dirt.
“I almost missed it.”
Jinho let out a long sigh of relief, then placed his hand on the monster’s head. Kim Jeongho’s team watched in stunned silence.
“By the way, this guy’s loot rights belong to me, correct?”
The party exchanged blank stares.
If we say no, we’ll end up torn apart just like that.
Player crime is common inside the Tower anyway. Who could trace it?
I can’t even look at those eyes. They’re terrifying.
They rapidly traded opinions through glances alone. As if on cue, the entire team took a synchronized step backward.
Jinho flashed a bright smile.
“Good. You’re quick learners.”
Crunch.
The Rage Ape’s corpse crumbled into powder. Jinho’s unique ability, Devour, had activated.
“Lucky me.”
Whose luck, exactly? Jinho left the eerie remark hanging in the air and vanished from the battlefield.
“Wasn’t that Yu Jinho?”
“Yeah… those eyes of his were just…”
“If we had contested ownership, I swear he would’ve killed us to cover it up.”
The team had gone deathly pale. Kim Jeongho, who had been closest to Jinho, felt his legs give out. He sank to the ground.
Tutorial ranking? Forget it.
Excessive greed only invited disaster. In that moment, Kim Jeongho learned one of life’s hard truths.
Berserk
Grade: ★★
Type: Active
Surrender the body to madness. Wounds will not stiffen the body and fear will vanish.
However, sanity is lost for the duration.
• Strength +30%
• Endurance -60%
• Duration: 60 seconds
• After use, all stats -20% for 3 minutes.
I shrugged.
“Just as I expected.”
Nyx: Is that not a skill with far too much risk?
“Yeah. Classic high-risk, high-return.”
Nyx: Not only does it lower defense, the penalty after the duration is severe as well.
“Means I have to rip out the enemy’s throat before it wears off.”
All or nothing. Either the opponent dies, or I do. Skills with risks this heavy should only be used when I’m ready to force a decisive outcome.
At least I obtained a useful skill before facing Ness.
Nyx: Hmph.
“Goddess, if something bothers you, just say it. Don’t sulk.”
Nyx: I simply hope a situation where you must use Berserk never arises.
Fair enough. Relying on a near-gambling skill was proof that the situation had grown that dangerous.
“It’s not like I can control that.”
Nyx: Even so, promise me. You will not do anything too reckless.
“Are you worried about me?”
Nyx: As if. If my contractor disappears, I will lose any path to fulfilling my wish. That is all.
“Sure, sure.”
I answered half-heartedly.
Now that I had the Rage Ape’s essence, only one boss monster remained on Rainbow Island—Ness.
I wondered what kind of essence the giant serpent would give me. I licked my lips.