Chapter 19: Endless Chaos (3)
The battlefield was one-sided.The mountain apes were too many—too wild, too bloodthirsty. They were beasts born from madness itself, and anyone who faced them would tremble in terror.
All of this… because of one man.Julien.No one knew how he became their king. Not even he did.
It was bizarre—one ape had challenged him, he had won, and suddenly the others bowed before him. Hundreds of them.Julien couldn't understand it. But he could feel it, deep down—a suffocating tension, an instinct that screamed: you cannot lose.
The feathered cloak around his shoulders must be a treasure. Ever since he wore it, the apes obeyed him without question.He didn't dare take it off to test the theory. But if this really was a treasure, it would lead him straight to victory.
Still… the contest was supposed to have a single theme for its treasures.Last year's was Separation.The year before that—Teleportation.So what was it this year?
If Julien's cloak was real, then maybe the enhancement relics that Jax and Emma used were fake.Or perhaps it was the other way around.
But in the end, did it even matter?If he couldn't tell the difference, then why not claim both?Whether real or fake, nothing would stop him.
"Catch him!!" Julien roared, pointing at Jax, who was still struggling against the apes.
"GRUU!!"
The beasts that had been attacking others turned in unison, lunging toward Jax. The tide turned instantly against him.
Jax moved like a shadow, flickering in and out of sight. Each time he appeared, blood sprayed into the air.He leaped forward, body parallel to the ground, driving two short blades into the eyes of a towering ape.
Both blades sank deep—but before he could pull away, a massive hand clamped over his head.
"Kuh!"
Jax teleported behind the ape, slashing hard. The bloodied eyeballs flew free, splattering the ground.
"Damn it…"He looked at his swords—once gleaming silver, now dulled and cracked, more like iron rods than blades.The realization sent panic through his chest.
"Ha… ha…" His breaths came ragged and heavy. Blood blurred his vision. The gray mana mist surrounding him began to fade away, leaving him exposed on the chaotic battlefield.
"RETREAT WITH ME!!" Jax shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Before the mist vanished completely, he stepped forward—his body split into two—and both figures disappeared into thin air.
Slash!
A spear pierced through the abdomen of a mountain ape. Blood poured out, the weapon stuck deep in its flesh.
Rip—!"KRUUU!!"
Its roar echoed across the cliffs, but its expression remained eerily blank.
The attacker yanked the spear free. Blood, intestines, and half-digested remains spilled out onto the ground.The ape raised its fist for a final blow, but the man dodged, spun, and drove his heel into its jaw.The beast's head snapped sideways with a crunch. The man leapt onto its back, shoved two fingers into its eyes, and tore them out.
When the creature finally collapsed, the man removed his hood.
"HAHAHAHA!"
It was Marcus—his calm demeanor replaced by complete insanity.
His grin stretched too wide. His bloodshot eyes glowed with frenzy. He looked like a demon wearing human skin—a psychotic killer reveling in blood and chaos.
He looked toward the cliffs in the distance—majestic, shrouded in mist, breathtaking in their vastness.But Marcus didn't care about beauty. He only cared about one thing: fulfilling the order.
Then he could finally rest.
"But… what was I supposed to do next?"
He stood still, trying to recall, but the harder he thought, the more his skull throbbed.
"Whatever… if I forgot it, then it doesn't matter."
With that thought, he turned his gaze toward the distant chaos where Jax was leading the survivors—and smiled once again.
"Let's have some fun, shall we? Isn't chaos exactly what we wanted?"
Around him, black threads began to drift in the air, shimmering faintly.They were connected—to something far away.Something watching.
Jax was at the front, leading the group through a maze of cliffs and jagged rocks.Every few steps, new apes lunged out from the shadows, forcing them to change course again and again.
"Jump across! Hurry!!" Jax yelled.
Without hesitation, everyone followed him.For a fleeting moment, it seemed safe—until another wave of apes came crashing toward them.
"No…""Damn it…"
They were exhausted. Some could barely stand, their faces pale and hollow, eyes filled with despair.
"Everyone! Form barriers! Don't let them through!" Jax's shout snapped them back to reality.
"ASFSAFASF!""AJKF!!"
Arcane chants echoed across the canyon. Magic circles flared to life as glowing mana barriers surrounded the group.
"UGGOOO!!""UKKKKR!!"
Ten mountain apes leapt across the ravine—only to slam into the barriers.
BOOM!CRACK!
Explosions rang out one after another.The beasts tumbled into the depths below, their screams fading into the void.
"Ha… finally…""We… we made it…"
The survivors collapsed, some drinking potions, others simply sitting on the cold stone, gasping for air.They were utterly drained, yet relieved. A strange sense of peace filled the silence.
Looks like we're safe for now, Jax thought, turning to check on everyone.
But he didn't notice it—The thin black thread rising from the crown of his head,reaching higher,and higher,into the darkened sky.