Ape of the Wilds

The guardian stepped forward, its ritual blade gleaming under the dim glow of the monolith. Every movement was precise, measured—not like a warrior fighting for survival, but like something following a pattern, a ritual, a test that had been performed countless times before.

Kuro felt the weight of the battle pressing down, not just from the enemy before him, but from the ruin itself. The air carried expectation, as if the chamber itself was watching, waiting to see if he would prove himself worthy.

His Duskrunner Claws flexed, his knuckles pressing lightly against the stone, keeping his stance low, agile, unpredictable. He wasn't just fighting a swordsman.

He was fighting something that had been forged for this very purpose.

The guardian moved first.

The blade came down in a clean arc, no wasted movement, no hesitation. Kuro twisted to the side, feeling the air split just inches from his ribs, the sheer force of the strike sending a pressure wave through the dust around them.

He pushed forward, closing the distance before the guardian could reset its stance. His right hand lashed out, claws aimed for the gap between the segmented armor at the hip—

But the blade reversed course instantly, coming back in a tight, controlled sweep.

Kuro barely had time to jerk his arm back, but the edge of the blade still caught him, slicing across his forearm.

-20 HP (Shallow Cut!)

Kuro: 95/170 HP

He ignored the pain, rolling under the next slash, moving on all fours, his body shifting between speed and balance, using the terrain to his advantage.

The guardian adjusted instantly, stepping back, raising its weapon in a defensive stance. It had studied his movements, recognized his approach.

It wasn't just fighting him.

It was learning him.

Kuro grinned. Good.

So was he.

The guardian's stance was perfect, but too perfect.

There was no instinct, no reactionary movement—only the patterns it had been trained to follow.

It could adjust, it could learn, but it still fought like something bound to rules.

Kuro wasn't.

He moved again, but this time, his attack was a feint. His claws came forward, a deliberate telegraphed strike, knowing the guardian would react—

And it did.

The blade snapped up in defense, perfectly timed—

Which left its footing open.

Kuro kicked off the ground, twisting his body mid-motion, his tail snapping out like a whip, striking the guardian's knee joint.

The impact wasn't strong enough to break anything, but it was enough to make the guardian shift. Enough to make its balance waver, for just half a second.

And that was all Kuro needed.

He launched forward, his knuckles grazing the floor for extra momentum, his left arm hooking around the guardian's weapon arm, pinning it.

The blade twisted in its grip, but Kuro didn't let go.

Instead, he used his weight to drive the guardian backward, slamming it into the monolith with crushing force.

The impact sent a deep, resonating pulse through the chamber, the monolith's golden glow flaring for a brief moment.

The guardian stilled, its body locked in place for the first time.

Then—

A low vibration filled the air.

Kuro jumped back, landing lightly, watching as the guardian straightened itself, raising its blade once more.

But something had changed.

The blade was different now, no longer a simple weapon, but a part of the trial itself. Its edges burned with the same golden glow as the monolith, its weight now carrying something beyond steel.

A second phase.

Kuro gritted his teeth.

"Alright," he muttered. "Let's see how much you can really handle."

The blade came faster now, each strike heavier, each movement sharper.

Kuro dodged left, but this time, the guardian followed, adjusting with unnatural precision, bringing the blade into a tight, whirling arc that forced Kuro to drop low, rolling backward.

His tail flicked out, knocking a loose stone toward the guardian's leg, but the figure kicked it aside without breaking rhythm.

No more hesitation.

No more testing.

It was fighting to kill now.

Kota, standing at the edge of the battlefield, muttered under his breath. "That thing just got faster."

Boru grinned. "Then so will he."

Kuro wasn't listening anymore.

He was adapting.

He moved closer again, this time not dodging—but meeting the guardian's strikes head-on.

Instead of trying to dodge every swing, he angled his movements, letting the blade graze past him, feeling the air pressure, the weight behind it.

It was predictable.

Not in its speed.

Not in its skill.

But in its pattern.

The next strike came—a downward cut, brutal, final.

Kuro didn't dodge.

He stepped inside the arc, letting the blade pass just behind him—so close he could feel the heat of the energy pulsing off it.

Then, using all the momentum he had built up, he slammed his elbow into the guardian's chest, forcing it back against the monolith again.

This time, he didn't stop.

He twisted mid-motion, grabbed the guardian's blade wrist with both hands, and used his full body to slam the weapon into the ground.

The golden energy flared, sparking against the stone, cracks spreading from the impact site.

And the guardian paused.

Not stunned.

Not beaten.

But for the first time—hesitant.

Kuro's breath was steady, his muscles burning, his body bruised but unbroken.

He stared at the guardian, and for the first time, he understood.

This fight wasn't about who was stronger.

It was about who would break first.

And Kuro did not break.

The guardian stepped back, lowering its blade.

The golden energy faded, the light in its hollow eyes dimming.

Then, in one final motion, it knelt before Kuro.

The monolith behind it pulsed one last time—

And the chamber shifted.

The test was over.

Kuro had won.

And with it—came the reward.

A deep chime rang through the ruin, and Kuro felt it—

A surge of power, a weight lifting, a presence acknowledging him.

His Status Window burned into his vision, the words clear, final.

+200 XP (Trial Guardian Defeated!)

+100 XP (Completed the First Trial!)

Total XP Gained: +300 XP

Kuro: 760/600 XP

LEVEL UP!

Kuro - Level 6 → Level 7

A flood of new strength coursed through him, his muscles tightening, his reflexes sharpening, his mind clearer.

He wasn't the same as when he had stepped into this place.

And as the guardian slowly faded into golden dust, leaving behind only the now-dormant monolith, Kuro realized the truth.

This was only the first of many trials.

And something far worse was waiting ahead.