As I suddenly took to the air, the monkeys didn’t stay still either.
The strength of monsters is incomparable to ordinary beasts.
As they threw stones, the rocks whizzed past me with a swoosh.
‘Go higher!’
When I raised my tail to point upwards, the owl seemed to understand and increased our altitude.
In an instant, we rose higher than the tree roots.
‘Now!’
The owl loosened its grip.
I fell back into the grasp of gravity.
A snake has no wings, so there’s no way to properly glide.
I had to rely solely on the owl’s instinct.
Fortunately, despite it being the first attempt, the owl roughly matched the trajectory.
But, just a little.
A little short.
‘If I just fall from here, won’t I die?’
“That would be quite a spectacle.”
I couldn’t die from falling just because Pelerian found it unpleasant.
「Using Basic Elemental Magic: Wind lv3.」
I summoned a gust of wind with maximum output.
It pushed my body forward.
The lacking inch was filled.
Then what remains is my capability.
I stretched my body fully in the air.
The blue fruit didn’t move from its spot.
It seems it can’t teleport consecutively after all.
Pak.
I bit the fruit.
At the same time, I couldn’t avoid falling.
Thud, thud!
The small roots that had sprouted like tree branches acted as a buffer.
I landed on the ground, rolling.
The area was full of monkeys.
They had gathered to get the blue fruit that had moved to this tree.
I quickly put the fruit I had in my mouth into my subspace.
Come on, bring it on.
“Saaak!”
“Ukkieek!”
But there were no brave ones among the monkeys.
They immediately turned and started to run away.
As soon as they realized they couldn’t snatch the fruit, they retreated.
Quick judgment.
As expected, their leader must have ordered them to ‘steal the fruit’.
“Boss!”
“Wang! Wang!”
The gorilla and Spot ran over to guard me.
How reliable.
As the monkeys retreated, they also relaxed their tension.
Phew, it was a great battle.
“My strategy has worked once again.”
Pelerian looked pleased.
After eating the Crown fruit yesterday and becoming the leader, Pelerian acted as if he had become a strategist.
Seeing the fruits that bloom during the festival period show incredible effects, his eyes went wild.
“Indeed, the power of the World Tree is omnipotent.”
‘The monkeys weren’t much.’
“These ones probably aren’t their main force.”
I nodded.
The insect army was relatively far away, and the monkeys were close enough to be seen from the cliff.
This morning, we saw silver monkeys and some strong-looking ones leaving the monkey forest towards the swamp area.
As soon as we confirmed that, we headed towards the roots that had sprouted on the other side.
‘Advisor.’
“Yes, boss…”
‘Don’t you think that silver monkey will start targeting us soon?’
The king of the monkey group.
It’s about time for him to get upset.
“Maybe… If the king comes, we have to run away…”
The gorilla’s expression was filled with fear.
Despite having dad on our side, she’s this scared.
I wonder how strong that guy is, I’d like to see for myself.
“The balance of power is important.”
Pelerian intervened.
“That monkey’s match would be the insect monster in the swamp. We, no, you need to maintain the balance of power appropriately because of that.”
Surprisingly, what Pelerian explained was similar to one of the most famous strategies in the world.
“You shouldn’t act too wildly. Now is the best time when the two groups are fighting each other, so it’s good to let them tear each other apart and be consumed.”
It could also be expressed as a strategy of fishing in troubled waters.
“Also, you shouldn’t appear too weak. If so, they might think to sweep us away in one go.”
Pelerian raised his finger as if dividing an invisible map into three parts.
“Divide the hegemony among the three.”
He’s clearly talking about the Three Kingdoms strategy.
How could this be, wasn’t I supposed to be the Zhuge Liang here?
I admired Pelerian as he nodded his big head.
‘Big-headed Kongming.’
“Stop talking nonsense and quickly find out the effect of the fruit!”
I was thinking of doing that anyway.
I went into Deshnan’s house and took out the fruit from my subspace.
I wonder what this deep blue thing tastes like.
Crunch.
I chewed and swallowed it in one bite.
「You have consumed the ‘Root Fruit of Emergency Mobilization’.」
Along with a sweet taste, its effect was revealed.
「You have acquired the temporary skill ‘Emergency Return lv20’ from the fruit.」
A skill?
Although the name seems ordinary at first glance, it’s a level 20 skill.
I looked at the effect of the first level 20 skill I’ve obtained.
──────────────
[Emergency Return lv20 (Temporary)]
Once a day, you can teleport to where your group is immediately upon using the skill.
──────────────
Oh my!
I explained the skill to Pelerian.
“Level 20 Emergency Return! Unbelievable.”
‘Is this an existing skill?’
“Originally, it’s a type of magic. It’s spatial movement magic. Do you remember when I explained how high-level teleportation magic is?”
Pelerian had said so.
According to Pelerian, magic that instantly moves long distances is very difficult.
“Emergency Return is magic developed by magicians who fell into the magic realm for safe return. However, the preparation process usually takes a full day… To be able to return immediately.”
‘Indeed…’
“It’s no different from having an extra life.”
It truly was so.
I can’t use it if I’m in danger with my group, but if I’m alone, I can withdraw anytime.
As long as my neck isn’t cut off before I realize it, I could survive even if I encounter Gunter.
An idea suddenly flashed in my mind.
I opened the door and went outside.
‘Gorilla!’
The resting gorilla jumped up in surprise.
“What…”
‘Is the swamp area where your boss went far from here?’
From what I heard, if we ride Spot at full speed, we should arrive quickly.
“Are you really going…”
The gorilla trembled in fear after hearing my plan.
I told her to stay here and guard the place.
“Be careful… The old boss… and the insect.”
How strong those named monsters are.
I wanted to see with my own eyes how delicious it would be if I ate them.
Now might be the chance when they might clash.
‘Spot!’
“Wang!”
I climbed onto Spot’s back.
As the great strategist Sun Tzu, who was superior to Zhuge Liang, said in The Art of War, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
To know the enemy, I ran with Spot.
==
‘You go back first.’
Spot kept licking my face as if it was candy.
When I flicked its nose, Spot turned back and left.
I had already stopped before entering the swamp area.
Not only did I need to camouflage and infiltrate from here.
Boom- Bang!
This thunderous sound shaking heaven and earth was clearly the noise of a battle.
The monkey boss and the insect boss are fighting.
I could instinctively sense that.
Of course.
‘There it is!’
Suddenly, a silver chimpanzee leapt up and landed on the treetop.
Its jumping power is extraordinary.
Thinking this was a good chance, I focused my eyes.
──────────────
[Silverback Chimpanzee Akims lv???]
──────────────
Its size seems similar to an average human.
As for its opponent on the insect side…
Grrrrr!
What appeared, splashing the damp water, was a huge brown insect.
It looked somewhat similar to a cricket or grasshopper.
It was a monster with sharp teeth and sturdy carapace.
──────────────
[Insect King Grand Riokku lv???]
──────────────
A terribly shaped giant insect.
Facing this monster, the silver chimpanzee wasn’t intimidated at all and swung its fist.
Towards Riokku’s mouth.
Kwaaaaang!
The sound of thunder burst out.
I seriously considered.
Emergency Return, should I just use it now?