I had the impression that monsters always played solo.
Most of the monsters I’d met so far were like that.
But it seems that was also a prejudice.
At least the monsters here moved together in groups.
Finding common ground, the primates with hands grouped together.
And the creepy bug friends gathered together.
Looking at the current situation, it seems the bug army attacked the friends with hands.
Fortunately, the gorilla escaped in the chaos.
This was war.
And Mrs. Giant Centipede seemed to be an executive in the bug army.
“Kekekekeke!”
When she roared, the other bugs passed by without attacking me.
Thanks to that, I could fully enjoy the touching reunion with Bowingie.
‘You’ve evolved to white, a bright white! I wonder who you take after!’
Affection welled up in my heart.
Although centipedes and snakes are different species, Bowingie and I now have the same color.
Isn’t it natural for those of the same color to bond in spirit?
‘You can be my son.’
“Huh, with that eye-catching color. It’s hopeless for surviving in the wild.”
Pelerian cursed.
I tried to ignore it, but I did become a bit worried.
White has many disadvantages in the great forest.
It should be fine now with Centipede Mom next to us, but…
“You’ve ruined your prospects because of one snake.”
‘Ah, eat this and grow big.’
I quickly took out a small magic stone from my subspace and fed it to Bowingie.
Pelerian screamed.
‘Go back now.’
I didn’t want to show favoritism in front of the other two siblings.
Bowingie munched on the magic stone and returned to Centipede Mom’s back.
Just then, glasses monkeys jumped onto my body.
They tried to scratch and bite me.
「Using Poison Scales lv2.」
But it was useless.
My crystal-hard scales hurt the monkeys instead.
And once the poison is injected, it’s over.
They collapsed one after another, and I jumped into the full-scale war.
I swing my sword to cut down monkeys.
I spew fire and shake the ground.
I physically steal the heart of a proboscis monkey that pounces on me.
And the sage orangutan who ordered to kill me.
“Retreat, re-treat!”
He shouted so.
At a glance, that orangutan must be the commander.
He was holding a staff, wearing something that could be called clothing made of leather rags, and had a patchy bag-like pouch around his waist.
──────────────
[Elder Orangutan lv51]
[Title] Sage
──────────────
Oh, this is almost the highest level among the monsters I’ve seen.
He doesn’t look that strong, but he even has a title.
In other words, he looks like a very delicious prey.
I stealthily crawled towards the orangutan.
The orangutan was just shouting, not even noticing my approach.
“Woo-! I called the boss- Woo! Retreat first!”
The boss.
He meant he called that silver-furred monkey.
Come to think of it, that one is also of the White tribe. He might indeed be strong.
“Kegegege.”
It was then.
When Mrs. Giant Centipede gave the retreat signal.
I could immediately tell it was a retreat signal.
Because the bugs started to withdraw like the ebb tide.
This isn’t good.
The orangutan also turns to flee.
I won’t just let him go.
「Using Leap of Heart-eating lv1.」
I flew like a beam of light.
But it seems he wasn’t just an orangutan who had only grown old.
“Eek!”
Sensing the killing intent from behind, he crouches and dodges.
It wasn’t a position where I could aim for the heart from the start.
Instead of his back, I could only bite into his smelly leather pouch.
Rip!
The leather pouch was torn.
And its contents started to spill out.
What kind of stuff is he carrying around?
Various pretty stones, bananas, and tree fruits spilled out.
“Ah, no!”
The orangutan made an expression as if he had lost a country.
There was a reason to be so flustered.
Among the spilled odds and ends, I immediately recognized the most precious thing.
──────────────
[Unripe Root Fruit of the World Tree]
──────────────
Two orange fruits the size of a fist.
For a moment, a brief silence fell.
The orangutan, I, and a small spider that had been beside us at some point looked at each other.
I moved the fastest.
I instantly put the two fruits into my subspace.
To the orangutan’s eyes, it must have looked like the two fruits disappeared into thin air.
“No-o!”
‘Yes!’
I immediately turned and started to flee.
Fleeing with the other bugs, I swiftly climbed onto the back of Mrs. Giant Centipede who was waiting for me.
The three siblings, including Bowingie, welcomed me.
“Uwaaa-!”
The orangutan’s anguished scream echoed from behind.
==
Once upon a time, there was a pack of hyenas that freely roamed the fields.
The Fang Hyena, who wasn’t afraid of even large monsters when together, had a leader.
The hyena pack that happily played in the fields must have been happy.
But the happiness of (former) Fang Hyena leader (current) Spot was shattered one day.
Because shadow fairies appeared and captured the entire pack.
How terrible things happened in the cramped iron cage.
Spot remembered every single thing.
The hyenas of the pack who died miserably.
When Spot alone survived and was waiting for the day to die, the white snake appeared.
In conclusion, Spot liked the current life.
The white snake feeds well and lets him run outside.
Of course, it’s merciless to monsters who don’t obey, but that was a natural virtue that a leader should have.
The snake’s order to wait in this field.
Spot was quietly waiting.
While sometimes picking up and eating plump bugs that came out when digging the ground with his long fangs.
Thud thud thud-
The ground shakes as something approaches.
For a moment, Spot thought his new master, the snake, had returned.
But it wasn’t.
What was coming was a bug army.
With a giant centipede at the lead, various bugs were pouring out of the forest.
“Keeng keeng!”
The frightened Spot whined.
The white snake had entered the forest just before.
He must have been eaten by those scary bugs. Spot was about to run away crying sadly.
That’s when it happened.
The white snake leaped up from the back of the centipede.
The snake landed precisely on Spot’s back.
Before he could even be happy, the snake tapped its tail three times.
It means run.
Spot ran hard.
The giant centipede ran alongside him.
When the monkey forest was far away and the swamp area came into view, the snake stopped Spot.
Then the centipede, who seemed to be the leader of the bugs, also stopped.
The snake stood in front of the giant centipede, seeming to have a proud conversation.
Spot realized at that moment.
‘Ah, the master has finally come to control even these bugs.’
He clearly remembers that when the master reappeared, it was riding on the giant centipede.
How powerful the bug army is here.
And it’s clear that the giant centipede is an executive in the bug army.
A deeper loyalty began to take root in Spot’s heart.
==
「Your bond with Fang Hyena Spot lv31 deepens.」
「Spot becomes more loyal to you.」
Huh, what’s this?
I was expressing deep gratitude to Mrs. Giant Centipede and wagging my tail when suddenly such messages appeared.
I think I get it.
Spot must have been moved by the fact that I’m close friends with the strong and excellent Mrs. Giant Centipede.
I would feel the same if I were him.
My evaluation of the giant centipede in my heart went up one more notch this time.
I already knew she was strong, gentle, and an excellent mother of three siblings.
But I didn’t know she had leadership as well.
She seemed to play an executive role even in the bug army that opposes the primate monsters.
However, the giant centipede didn’t make a recruitment offer to me.
It can’t be helped, I guess, since I’m not a bug but a Crystal Double Horn Python.
