Chapter 137: Social Magical Beasts

After a few minutes of warm-up, Catherine felt she had reached her peak. Feeling the explosive power surging within her, she grew confident, perhaps a bit over-inflated, as she said to Ling Mo:

"Master, now should you tell me the specifics of this 'excellent cultivation ground' ahead?"

"I would have told you even if you hadn't asked," Ling Mo said with a smile. He pointed toward the dense, seemingly peaceful forest before them and asked, "Observe carefully: what is the biggest difference between this forest and the one on the other side of the canyon?"

Catherine squinted, examining the woods closely. Having survived seven days in the beast-infested rainforest, her sensitivity to her environment had sharpened significantly. Within seconds, she replied with certainty: "Humidity! The biggest difference is the humidity. This forest lacks that lingering, freezing mist. It doesn't feel like a rainforest at all; it’s more like a deciduous forest in a temperate zone."

Ling Mo was very satisfied with her answer. He praised her: "Excellent. Your time in the rainforest hasn't been in vain. As I mentioned earlier, due to the 'enigma' beneath the canyon, this side is constantly washed by dark-element energy. As a former high-level mage, you should know that the two primary characteristics of dark elements are 'corrosion' and 'adsorption.' Consequently, most of the moisture here has been siphoned away, creating a rare, dry forest within this humid, stifling environment."

"A rare, dry forest? That sounds familiar... Oh! Master mentioned that when we were hunting the Unicorn Forest Sheep, didn't he?" Catherine’s face turned slightly pale. "I think I know what Master is going to say next. Does this mean weak magical beasts can't survive here, and the forest is filled with incredibly powerful, elite beasts?"

"...No," Ling Mo said, giving Catherine a strange look before shaking his head. "While your guess is logical, this forest is unique. Besides tiny, harmless creatures like insects and birds, there is only one type of magical beast here: the Dark Ape."

"Dark Ape?!" Catherine and Vayne exclaimed in unison. Vayne, in particular, frowned, searching her memory for a long time before slowly saying, "That creature isn't recorded anywhere. It isn't in any of the thirty-five versions of the Encyclopedia of Magical Beasts I've read. It must be unique to this rainforest, right?"

"Correct. This is the only place on the entire continent where these apes exist. They were first discovered and named four years ago by 'Kasa Brandon,' the chieftain of the 'Dadazala' centaur tribe in the rainforest. Since the centaurs are generally very tall, they called them 'pygmy apes,' but in reality, their height is comparable to a normal human. From a human perspective, 'Dark Ape' is a more appropriate name."

This was the third time Ling Mo had mentioned that mysterious centaur tribe. Catherine was burning with curiosity and desperately wanted to ask, but Ling Mo didn't give her the chance. He paused and continued: "These apes are highly social, pack-dwelling animals. While their individual strength is generally between level three and four, the influence of the 'enigma' has given them intelligence far beyond that of equivalent beasts—almost equal to a human child of three or four years old! Because of this, they possess immense cooperative ability. Their collective combat power is so formidable that they have driven out all other competitors to claim this territory for themselves."

Upon hearing this, Catherine’s face turned as dark as a pot. She said sullenly, "Wouldn't it be better if there were a variety of different beasts? If the whole forest is filled with these Dark Apes and they all swarm me at once, even if I were made of iron, I couldn't hold them off. Master, you aren't planning to put me through such a brutal trial, are you?"

Ling Mo waved his hand. "How could that be? A gentle master like me wouldn't put his apprentice in such a mortal trap. That wouldn't be a trial; that would be murder. Trust me, when a humanoid like you walks into the Dark Apes' territory, they will mistake you for one of their own. Not only will they not swarm you, they’ll offer you all sorts of delicious treats and even share their prized 'monkey wine' to welcome you. They are incredibly friendly!"

"...Then what kind of trial is this?" Catherine relaxed for a moment, but recalling the various traps this unscrupulous master had set for her over the past few days, she immediately grew tense and asked warily.

"The physical strength of a Dark Ape isn't particularly high; both their speed and explosive power are inferior to the 'Explosive Flame Apes' you encountered earlier," Ling Mo said, bypassing her question to explain their combat style. "However, their upper limbs are well-developed, allowing them to leap through the trees like flying creatures, so their speed shouldn't be underestimated. Their only special ability is 'Shadow Imprisonment,' where they throw a ball of shadow energy from their hands to completely bind their target. As for the content of the trial..."

Here, Ling Mo smiled with a strange expression: "Perhaps due to the influence of the shadow energy and their isolated society, these apes lead incredibly licentious lives! They only do three things: eat, mate, and sleep! They mate anywhere, for any reason, and regardless of gender. To them, mating is just like a 'handshake' among humans—it’s a social greeting!"

"They meet in the morning? Regardless of gender, they mate!"

"They finish a big lunch and have nothing to do? Regardless of gender, they mate!"

"They get into a fight over a banana? 'Brother, we’re good friends, let’s not ruin our brotherhood—let’s mate!'"

"Oh, look, those brothers over there are busy? 'Mind if I join in? Let’s mate!'"

"Hey, Chief, out on patrol? 'Hard work, boss—let’s mate!'"

"So, once you enter their territory, seeing you as a 'new tribe member,' they will not only treat you to all sorts of delicacies, they will also be sure to welcome you with their most 'solemn' etiquette. To show their respect, they’ll probably choose at least ten of the strongest apes. If you don't want to lose your chastity, you’d better use all your strength and fight them off!"

Vayne couldn't stop laughing on the side. With every word Ling Mo spoke, Catherine’s face grew uglier. By the end, her features were twisted in disgust. Before she could protest, she felt a kick to her backside, sending her flying through the air like a gust of wind. She landed squarely in the center of a forest clearing!

Instantly, countless dark, furry heads popped out from tree branches, hollows, and roots. They stared at Catherine with pure, wide eyes, filled with curiosity and friendliness. They were radiating goodwill, hoping to make her feel the warmth of their tribe. But Catherine felt no warmth—only a chilling cold that made her skin crawl. She could sense very clearly that the gaze of every single ape, regardless of size or gender, was fixed firmly on her backside!