Chapter 73: Golem Kong!
The jungle went silent. Even the wind seemed to stop moving. The Rock Monkeys that had been fighting moments ago had already retreated deeper into the trees. Not a single one remained in sight.
Then....
CRAAASH!
A massive tree snapped in half. Another followed. And another.
The ground trembled with every step.
BOOOOM.
BOOOOM.
Something enormous was approaching.
Julias slowly raised his sword. "...That’s not a monkey. Is it?"
Ethius narrowed his eyes. "No. That’s something worse."
Mayra tightened her grip on her staff. "...I don’t like the sound of that."
Nobody stared into the forest ahead.
Then..it appeared. A gigantic stone-covered gorilla stepped out from the dense jungle. Its body was completely armored in rough, cracked rock. Veins of glowing red mana pulsed through its stone muscles. Its chest expanded and it beat both fists against it.
THOOOM!
THOOOM!
The sound echoed across the valley like a war drum. Then it screamed.
KRAAAAAAAGHHHH!!
The roar was so powerful that nearby trees shook violently. Leaves rained down like a storm.
The system immediately flashed in front of Nobody.
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[MONSTER IDENTIFIED]
Entity Name:
Golem Gorilla King
Classification:
Ancient Jungle Titan
Threat Level:
VERY HIGH ⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎
Skills:
• Stone Body Evolution
• Ground Shockwave
• Apex Roar
• Brutal Leap
• Mana Reinforced Muscles
Description:
A jungle apex monster formed from condensed earth mana and primal rage. Capable of destroying terrain with raw physical strength.
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Nobody stared at the screen. "...Golem Gorilla King." He blinked. "...What the golem kong is this?!"
Ethius immediately turned his head. "Don’t give it nicknames!"
Julias slowly stepped forward. "This one... is different."
Mayra nodded. "Much different."
The Gorilla King beat its chest again.
THOOOM!
A visible shockwave spread outward. The ground cracked beneath its feet.
BOOOOM.
Nearby stones lifted slightly from the force.
Then it moved in a blur.
BOOOOM!
Nobody’s eyes widened. "...It’s far..."
Before he could finish the creature vanished from its original position.
Julias’ eyes widened. "MOVE!"
BOOOOM!
The Golem Gorilla King landed directly in front of them.
The impact created a crater instantly. DUST, STONE, SHOCKWAVE. Everything exploded outward.
Nobody barely managed to jump back.
FLASH!
He teleported mid-air using Zigzag Teleportation. He reappeared on a nearby tree branch. "...That was a hell of a big jump."
Ethius rolled across the ground, narrowly avoiding a crushing fist.
BOOOOM!
The Gorilla King’s punch shattered the ground where he had been standing.
Ethius gasped. "...Okay. That’s unfair."
Mayra immediately raised her staff. "Wind barrier!"
FWOOOOOOSH!
A protective shield formed around her.
Julias blocked another incoming strike with his sword.
CLANG!
The force pushed him back several meters. He skidded across the ground. "...Heavy."
Nobody pointed from above. "Guys! Stop standing in front of it!"
The Gorilla King turned its glowing red eyes upward.
It noticed Nobody. Then..it crouched. The ground cracked beneath its feet.
BOOOOOM!
And it launched itself upward.
Julias’ eyes widened. "Above!"
Mayra shouted. "Dodge!"
Ethius already moved.
FLASH!
Nobody activated Zigzag Teleportation again.
FLASH!
He vanished just as the Gorilla King slammed into the branch he was on.
CRAAAASH!
The entire tree exploded into splinters.
Nobody reappeared on the ground. "...Okay. That thing targetting me personally."
The Gorilla King landed again. This time slower.
He turned toward them. Its chest glowed brighter.
The system immediately flashed a warning.
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[WARNING]
Apex Skill Charging Detected
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Nobody looked at the screen. "...That sounds bad."
Julias tightened his grip on his sword. "It looks really bad."
Ethius stepped beside him. "We need a plan. Fast."
Mayra nodded. "It’s building up energy in its chest. If that hits us.." She didn’t finish the sentence.
Nobody already understood. "...We become smash potatoes."
The Gorilla King roared again.
KRAAAAGHHH!!
The sound alone rattled their bones. Then it slammed both fists into the ground.
BOOOOOM!
A massive shockwave began spreading outward. The terrain started breaking apart in waves. Cracks raced toward them like lightning.
Ethius shouted. "Jump!"
Julias jumped. Mayra lifted herself with wind magic.
Nobody teleported again.
FLASH!
The shockwave passed beneath them.
BOOOOOM!
But the Gorilla King wasn’t done. It started pounding the ground repeatedly.
THOOOM!
THOOOM!
THOOOM!
Each strike created overlapping shockwaves. The battlefield turned into chaos.
Julias gritted his teeth. "This thing is trying to flatten the whole area!"
Ethius looked around. "We can’t keep dodging forever!"
Mayra shouted. "We need to interrupt that chest charge!"
Nobody stared at the glowing chest of the Gorilla King. The red energy was growing brighter. Faster and more unstable. "...So we hit it there."
Ethius nodded. "That’s the weak point."
Julias raised his sword. "Then let’s go."
The Gorilla King suddenly stopped pounding. It lifted its head. And locked onto them.
Then...
it inhaled deeply. The air around it trembled.
Mayra’s eyes widened. "...Guys...It’s starting."
The system flashed red.
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[APEX ROAR: ACTIVATION IN PROGRESS]
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Nobody clenched his crowbars. "...Yeah. Let’s stop that before it finishes."
Julias stepped forward. Ethius vanished into a low stance. Mayra prepared her wind magic.
And Nobody looked at the giant monster. "...Alright, big monkey. Let’s see if you can roar without a mouth left standing."
The Gorilla King’s chest glow intensified. The red mana inside it began swirling like a storm trapped under stone.
CRRRRRRACK...
The ground around it started to fracture in circular patterns.
Julias narrowed his eyes. "...We don’t have much time."
Ethius already moved. "Then we don’t wait."
FLASH!
He dashed forward, daggers low, aiming for the Gorilla King’s legs.
Mayra followed immediately. "Wind boost!"
FWOOOOSH!
A burst of air launched Ethius forward at unnatural speed.
The Gorilla King reacted instantly. It swung its arm down.
BOOOOOM!
The impact shattered the ground, but Ethius slid underneath it at the last second.
"Too slow!" He struck one of the stone joints.
CLANG!
Sparks flew....but cracks appeared.
Nobody saw it. "There!"
Julias charged in. His sword glowed green again. "Mountain Breaker....!"
BOOOOM!
He smashed into the Gorilla King’s side. The impact forced the creature half a step back. The chest glow flickered.
Mayra seized the opening. "NOW!" She unleashed a concentrated wind blast.
FWOOOOOSH!
The airflow compressed and slammed directly into the Gorilla King’s chest. The glowing core stuttered.
For a moment the golem monster hesitated.
Nobody grinned. "Got you." He activated Zigzag Teleportation.
FLASH!
He appeared mid-air above the Gorilla King’s chest. Crowbars raised. "Let’s cancel that roar!"
The Gorilla King looked up.
"You guys look too late!!!" Nobody dropped straight down.
BOOOOM!
The crowbars smashed into the glowing chest core. A deep crack echoed through the entire jungle.
CRAAAAACK!
The energy inside shattered slightly and the Apex Roar stopped building.
Nobody landed hard on the fractured ground, sliding back a few steps as dust rose around him.
He slowly straightened up, crowbars still in hand. "...Is it over?"
For a brief second, the Gorilla King didn’t move. Silence stretched across the battlefield.
Then....
CRACK... CRACK...
The broken stone on its chest began to regenerate. The cracks sealed themselves like living rock pulling itself back together.
Ethius’s eyes widened. "...No way."
Mayra stepped back slightly. "That thing is healing?"
Julias tightened his grip. "It didn’t go down."
The system window immediately flashed in front of Nobody.
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[WARNING] ⚠︎
Golem Gorilla King has NOT been defeated
(ó﹏ò｡)
Second Phase Detected
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Nobody stared at the message.
"...You’ve gotta be kidding me."
