Chapter 67. Apeshit

"Shit. Shit. Shit."

Adom muttered the curse with each pounding step as he retreated from the ridgeline, moving with all the stealth of someone trying very hard not to become a four-armed ape's dinner. Zuni clung to his shoulder, tiny claws digging in to avoid being dislodged by Adom's frantic pace.

John had gone back into the inventory.

"Did it see me? I think it saw me. It definitely saw me."

No, that wasn't quite right. The silverback had looked in his direction, but its posture had been one of generalized awareness, not focused hunting. If it had truly spotted him, it would have already been charging up the ridge. The fact that no twelve-foot monstrosity was currently breathing down his neck suggested he'd managed to duck away before being definitively spotted.

Small victories.

Adom only slowed once they'd put a decent patch of heavy forest between themselves and the clearing. He leaned against a massive tree trunk, pulse hammering in his throat.

"Biggins," he wheezed, "is a damn liar."

The warning had been clear enough—the silverback was dangerous. But there's "dangerous" in the academic sense, and then there's watching a creature rip another apex predator's jaw off with its bare hands.

For a brief, possibly insane moment, Adom had considered attacking right then. The beast had just finished a difficult fight. It was wounded, bleeding. Logic suggested it would be weakened, vulnerable.

Logic, in this case, could go straight to hell.

Even wounded, the silverback radiated power. Its movements remained fluid, controlled. The way it had snapped the wyrm's spine suggested it had plenty of strength to spare. If Adom had charged in, believing it weakened enough to take on, he would have ended up just like that wyrm—another trophy in a clearing already painted with blood.

Even with his full magical arsenal, this would be a difficult fight. Without it, relying purely on his physical abilities? That was suicide with extra steps.

"Okay," Adom muttered, trying to settle his breathing. "New plan."

Zuni poked his head out from where he'd burrowed into Adom's collar during their retreat, whiskers twitching questioningly.

"We're going to need a better approach."

Adom spotted a massive oak about fifty yards further into the forest, its branches thick and sturdy. Perfect for a temporary hideout.

He began to climb.

The bark was rough under his hands, providing decent grip despite his sweaty palms. He hauled himself up branch by branch until he found a solid perch about thirty feet up, hidden by a canopy of leaves but with enough gaps to keep an eye on his surroundings.

Zuni scampered up after him, settling on a nearby branch with a concerned chirp.

"Yeah, I know," Adom said, leaning back against the trunk. "Not exactly going according to plan."

His heart rate was finally returning to normal. He took a deep breath, then another, forcing his mind to focus. Panic wouldn't help him now.

The silverback wasn't just an obstacle—it was the whole point of this excursion. The creature's unique physical makeup made it ideal for the transmutation ritual Adom needed to perform.

But to do that, he needed to draw the transmutation circle, immobilize the beast inside it, and perform the ritual—all without getting torn in half first.

"So," he murmured, ticking off options on his fingers. "Can't outfight it." One finger down. "Can't outrun it." Another down. "Can't surprise it." A third finger.

If he tried to wear it down with ranged spells, it would likely just charge him before he could do significant damage.

Traps were an option, but what kind of trap could possibly hold something that had just ripped apart a Graven Scale Wyrm?

"Think, think..."

He pulled out Biggins' map, studying the dungeon layout. The silverback's territory seemed to center around that large clearing, but it likely patrolled a much wider area. If he could somehow lure it...

No, luring implied he'd be the bait. Hard pass on that.

What about poison? Doubtful. According to the notes, the silverback's metabolism processed toxins almost instantly.

Adom was running out of fingers to count failed strategies on when he noticed something on the map. A narrow canyon about a quarter-mile east of the silverback's clearing. The walls were steep, according to the topographical markings, and there was only one way in or out.

If he could somehow get the beast in there, block the exit...

But how to get it there in the first place?

Zuni chirped again, head tilted as he watched Adom think.

"I'm working on it," Adom assured him.

He closed his eyes, visualizing the problem from another angle. The silverback was territorial and aggressive. It had just killed a major predator encroaching on its space. What if...

What if he wasn't the one who needed to lure it?

A plan began forming in Adom's mind. Risky, but with a decent chance of success. His eyes snapped open.

"Bingo."

Zuni stared.

"Don't worry," Adom said, reaching over to scratch behind the quillick's ears. "This'll work. Probably."

Zuni's expression suggested he found this less than reassuring.

*****

Adom spread Biggins' map across his lap, the parchment crinkling as he smoothed it flat against his thigh. Zuni peered over his arm, occasionally trying to taste the paper.

"Okay, the silverback's territory is here," Adom muttered, tapping a circled area near the center of the map. "What we need is something big enough to give it trouble, but not so big it'll kill the silverback before I can complete the ritual."

His finger traced outward from the silverback's domain, following Biggins' neat annotations. The old dragon had marked most major monster territories with small symbols and brief notes.

"Spinejaws? Too small. Acid Hoppers? Too unpredictable. Blood Moss colony? Can't exactly herd plants..."

Zuni chirped impatiently, as if to say hurry up already.

"I'm looking, I'm—" Adom stopped mid-sentence, his finger hovering over a spot about a mile east of their current position. "Well, hello there."

The area was marked with the a reptilian symbol, but drawn multiple times in a tight cluster. Beside it, Biggins had written: "Graven Scale breeding ground. AVOID."

Breeding ground. Which meant multiple Graven Scales. Which meant...

"Exactly what we need," Adom said, a slow smile spreading across his face. "If one gave the silverback trouble, what might three or four do?"

Zuni did not look convinced.

"It's perfect," Adom continued, already folding the map. "We provoke the Gravens, lead them to the silverback, let them soften each other up, then use John to teleport the silverback to our prepared circle."

He slid down from the tree, Zuni scampering after him. The quillick seemed less enthusiastic about this plan, but Adom was already mentally calculating the fastest route to the Graven breeding ground.

The trek through the deepening forest took nearly an hour. As they approached the coordinates, the vegetation changed. The ground became marshy, the air thick with mist and the sweet-rot smell of decaying vegetation. Massive ferns unfurled in every direction, their fronds beaded with moisture.

"Should be just ahead," Adom whispered, crouching low.

He crept forward, parting the last stand of ferns to reveal a wide, swampy clearing. At its center, a shallow pool of murky water steamed in the afternoon heat.

And there they were.

Three full-grown Graven Scales lounged at different points around the pool. Each was similar to the one the silverback had killed, though varying in size and coloration. The largest had an oily black hide crossed with deep red markings, while the other two were more greenish-brown.

[Identify]

Graven Scale Matriarch (Deadly threat)

The dominant female of a Graven Scale pack. Her scales contain concentrated mana crystals.

Graven Scale Bull (Deadly threat)

Male Graven Scale with territorial instincts. Slower but more heavily armored than females.

Graven Scale Hunter (Deadly threat)

Faster and more aggressive than other Gravens. Specializes in ambush tactics.

"Three deadly threats," Adom whispered. "Perfect."

The monsters seemed relaxed, almost lethargic as they basked in the afternoon heat. The Matriarch occasionally dipped her massive head into the pool to drink, while the Bull gnawed lazily on what looked like the remains of some unfortunate creature. The Hunter was the most active, patrolling the far edge of the clearing with deliberate steps.

Adom studied them, formulating his approach. But seeing the creatures in person, their massive jaws and powerful limbs, made his plan suddenly seem less brilliant than it had when he was safely perched in a tree.

Would they actually follow him for nearly an hour's trek to the silverback's territory? These weren't mindless brutes—they were apex predators with territorial instincts. And speaking of the trek, could he realistically outrun them for that long? Sure, he could move faster than his leisurely walk here, but still. The Hunter especially looked built for speed.

And what if, after all that effort, they simply caught sight of the massive silverback and decided discretion was the better part of valor? Territorial or not, most creatures had a healthy sense of self-preservation.

Maybe he had it backward. Perhaps bringing the silverback to them made more sense? The canyon with his carefully prepared transmutation circle was roughly equidistant between both territories. He'd previously spent nearly an hour carving those runes into the stone walls, positioning markers on trees and arranging river rocks to complete the pattern. It would be a shame to waste all that preparation.

But how to lure a silverback? The beast had just eaten, so hunger wouldn't motivate it. Territorial aggression seemed the most reliable trigger, but that meant Adom would need to find something the creature valued and threaten it.

Zuni suddenly let out a high-pitched squeak and grabbed Adom's ear with his tiny paws, tugging frantically.

"Hey! What are you—" Adom turned to look at the agitated quillick. "What's wrong?"

Zuni squeaked again, more insistently, then pointed his nose deliberately toward the far side of the pool.

Adom followed the quillick's gaze, adjusting his position slightly to see past the Matriarch's massive bulk.

And then he saw them.

Nestled in a depression at the edge of the pool, partially hidden by reeds, were seven or eight smaller shapes. Much smaller. Baby Graven Scales, their scales still soft and iridescent, tumbled over each other in play. One was trying to catch a dragonfly, snapping ineffectually as the insect darted just out of reach. Another was curled up asleep, its tiny tail twitching with dreams.

"Oh," Adom said, the spell dissipating from his fingertips. "Those are..."

Zuni nodded solemnly.

Oh, for God's sake. Adom sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Ten feet away, she stopped. Her nostrils flared again as she scented the air.

Adom maintained his focus, pouring more energy into the empathic projection. The tendrils of mana stretched further, wavering in the space between them.

"I mean no harm," he said, trying to infuse the mana with that intention and carry it. "I share your concern."

The Matriarch tilted her head slightly, an eerily familiar gesture that reminded him suddenly of Zuni. She made a low sound—something between a growl and a purr.

The Bull and Hunter fanned out behind her, clearly ready to attack at the slightest signal. The babies remained hidden, though Adom caught glimpses of curious eyes peeping from behind their mother's massive bulk.

Adom felt sweat beading on his forehead. His mana reserves were draining quickly—maintaining the projection was far more taxing than he'd anticipated. He needed to establish a connection soon or retreat.

Zuni chose that moment to wake up. The quillick stretched, yawned, and then froze as he realized what was happening. To Adom's surprise, instead of panicking, Zuni moved to his outstretched hand and placed his tiny paw against Adom's palm.

Immediately, Adom felt a surge of energy. Zuni was amplifying his projection, stabilizing the wavering tendrils. The blue glow intensified, becoming more structured and defined.

Right. Quillicks were empathic creatures.

The Matriarch's eyes widened slightly. She lowered her head until it was level with Adom's position, bringing those enormous jaws uncomfortably close. Her breath was hot against his face, smelling of raw meat and something earthy.

"Please work," Adom murmured desperately. "Please understand."

He pushed an image into the projection: the silverback ripping apart the wyrm. Then another: the silverback moving toward the breeding ground. A third: multiple silverbacks spreading throughout the territory.

The Matriarch's eyes narrowed. A deep, rumbling growl emanated from her chest.

For one terrible moment, Adom thought he'd made a fatal mistake. But then he felt it—a response. Not in words, but in emotional impressions. Anger. Territoriality. Fierce, unwavering protectiveness.

Yes, Adom thought, seizing on that connection. Protect your young.

He sent more images: the Graven Scales confronting the silverback together. The silverback weakened. Adom performing his ritual. The silverback gone. The territory secure.

The Matriarch pulled back slightly, her expression—if such creatures could be said to have expressions—thoughtful. She turned her head toward the Bull, making a series of complex sounds. The Bull responded with a short bark, then moved closer to the babies.

She turned back to Adom, and this time, when their eyes met, he felt the connection strengthen. Not friendship, not exactly, but a mutual understanding. A temporary alignment of interests.

These weren't solitary predators like the silverback. They were social creatures with complex family structures. They understood cooperation, coordination, the strength that came from numbers. It made them capable of comprehending concepts like temporary alliance.

An impression formed in Adom's mind: the Graven Scales moving through the forest, Adom leading the way. The silverback, surrounded. Not killed—the ritual required it alive—but subdued.

"Yes," Adom nodded slowly. "Together."

The Matriarch made a final, decisive sound, then backed away, returning to her young. The Hunter and Bull remained wary, but their posture was less aggressive now.

Adom lowered his hand, the green glow fading as he released the projection. His arm felt like lead, and a dull headache throbbed behind his eyes—evidence of how much mana he'd expended in the exchange.

But it had worked. Somehow, against all odds, it had worked.

A notification appeared in Adom's awareness, blue text scrolling across his field of vision:

[New Path Discovered]

Through natural talent and successful experimentation, you have achieved true understanding of fundamental druidic principles.

Path of the Druid (Novice) has been recognized.

Current Paths:

• Runicologist (Expert)
• Alchemist (Novice)
• Druid (Novice)

Adom allowed himself a small smile as the text faded. "Apparently we've just discovered our hidden talent for talking to extremely dangerous creatures," he said to Zuni, who chirped in what sounded suspiciously like self-satisfaction.

The quillick bumped his head against Adom's jaw and pointed toward the Graven Scales with an eager squeak.

"Yeah," Adom agreed, straightening up. "Let's go hunt a silverback."

Flesh tore. Bone splintered. Blood painted the clearing in abstract patterns.

The silverback, realizing its predicament, unleashed a roar that seemed to shake the very ground. It lashed out with its sole remaining arm, catching the Bull across the face with enough force to send teeth flying.

But the damage was done.

Its upper left arm came free in the Matriarch's jaws, torn completely from the socket in a spray of blood.

Three limbs down, the silverback still fought with manic intensity. It slammed its head forward, the bony ridge of its forehead catching the Matriarch under the jaw. The impact sent her staggering backward, momentarily dazed.

John moved in for the final strike. The golem's Fluid-enhanced strikes targeted the silverback's right leg, hammering the knee joint with mechanical precision. The first blow cracked bone. The second shattered it. The third collapsed the joint entirely.

The silverback crashed to the ground, a broken, bleeding titan still trying to rise on its single remaining limb. Blood pooled beneath it, steaming in the afternoon sun. The flaming sword still protruded from its ruined eye, the flames now dimmed to a sullen glow.

The Bull and Hunter circled cautiously, while the Matriarch stood her ground, watching. John approached, no hint of mercy or hesitation.

The silverback's chest heaved with labored breaths. Four amber eyes—one ruined, three intact—glared with undimmed hatred and defiance. Even broken and dismembered.

John stopped directly before it. The golem's hand reached out. He touched the crown of the silverback's head with almost gentle precision.

There was a sound like air being sucked through a small opening.

And then...

Blip.

One second, empty space. The next, twelve feet of enraged ape monster crashing to the ground in a spray of blood. The impact shook the canyon walls, sending pebbles skittering across stone.

Adom stood at the edge of the circle, unmoving. The runes carved into the canyon floor pulsed with a steady blue glow, illuminating the carnage from below. The circle was much larger than his previous attempt - nearly thirty feet in diameter, with concentric rings of symbols flowing outward from the center.

"Thanks, John," Adom said without taking his eyes off the silverback.

Zuni scrambled from Adom's shoulder to John's, settling on the broad metal pauldron with a chirp as they made their way out of the circle.

The silverback tried to rise, but its injuries were too severe. Three of its four arms hung useless - one completely severed, the others mangled beyond function. Its right leg collapsed under its weight, the joint shattered by John's precise attacks. Blood pooled beneath it, dark and oily in the magical light.

Still, it fought. Still, it refused to surrender.

With its one working limb, it pulled itself toward Adom, leaving a glistening trail across the stone. Four amber eyes - one ruined by Adom's flaming sword - fixed on him with primal hatred.

Adom watched its approach without satisfaction or arrogance. This wasn't personal. There was no room for such petty emotions in the dungeon. The strong survived; the weak became resources. It was as simple and as brutal as that.

Once John and Zuni were clear, Adom raised his hand. The silverback was still dragging itself forward, still trying to reach him, to kill him. Even maimed and dying, it remained dangerous.

"I'd explain what's about to happen," Adom said to the creature, "but I don't think you'd particularly care."

He closed his fist.

The circle ignited.

What had been a gentle blue glow erupted into blazing white light. The runes transformed from simple carvings to channels of pure energy, connecting tree to tree, stone to stone. The air smelled like blood and ozone.

A very curious mix.

A barrier rose around them, sealing the circle completely. No escape for either of them now.

Unlike his hasty work with Helios, this transmutation circle was a masterpiece of planning and precision. Each symbol had been carefully measured, each line carved to exact specifications. Biggins had been surprisingly forthcoming with his knowledge - as if the old dragon had expected Adom to attempt exactly this.

Then it began.

Adom felt the familiar build of pressure in his chest. He braced himself.

Chains of mana erupted from the ground, wrapping around the silverback. It roared, trying to break free with its remaining arm, but the magical bindings were unyielding. More chains emerged, ensnaring Adom as well, though with considerably less force.

The silverback's struggles intensified as it probably realized what was happening. Its roar became deafening within the confines of the barrier, echoing off the walls of energy. The flaming sword still embedded in its eye socket flickered and died as the circle's power overwhelmed it.

"The Law of Conservation channels our essence."

Lines of light began to flow between them - from the silverback to Adom, back and forth, creating a circuit of energy. Fire and Water balanced each other. Earth and Air maintained form. Mana bound it all together.

Pain exploded through Adom's body.

[-5 Life Force]

He gritted his teeth. Unlike the desperate improvisation with Helios, he'd had time to prepare himself mentally for this. He knew it would hurt. Knew it would drain him.

The silverback's roars became screams as its essence began to flow more rapidly into the circle. Its body glowed from within, as if something was being extracted from its very cells.

[-7 Life Force]

Adom's muscles seized, vision blurring at the edges. This was the critical phase - both creatures had to remain conscious for the transmutation to complete. The silverback was fading fast, its enormous vitality draining into the pattern.

"Keep fighting," Adom gasped, unsure if he was addressing the silverback or himself. "Just a little longer."

[-10 Life Force]

His bones felt like they were being crushed, reformed, crushed again. The price of taking on aspects of another creature. His body was changing at the cellular level, adapting to new patterns, new strengths.

The silverback gave one final, defiant roar. Its remaining functional arm went limp, crashing to the stone floor. Its four eyes - even the ruined one - blazed with golden light, energy pouring from them like liquid sunlight.

That energy flowed into Adom.

[-15 Life Force]

He could feel it happening now - the change washing through him in waves of fire and ice. Unlike with Helios, there was no disease to cure this time. Just raw power being channeled, contained, transformed.

The runes pulsed faster, brighter, the entire circle becoming a storm of light. The canyon walls reflected it back, creating a dazzling, disorienting display that would have been visible for miles if anyone had been watching.

Adom forced himself to remain standing as agony tore through every nerve. This was the price. This was always the price.

[-8 Life Force]

The silverback's form began to dissolve, not into death but into pure essence. Its physical shape losing cohesion as the transmutation reached its final stages. Its hatred had faded, replaced by a strange acceptance - or perhaps just exhaustion.

Adom's vision tunneled, darkness creeping in from all sides.

[Indomitable Will]

He held on, channeling the flow, directing the transformation.

The light reached its zenith, blinding even through closed eyelids. For one eternal moment, Adom felt like he was being torn apart and remade, molecule by molecule. The silverback's essence merged with his own.

Then, abruptly, silence.

The light vanished.

Darkness fell over the canyon, broken only by the faint glow of embers where the runes had been. The transmutation circle was burned into the stone, a permanent record of what had occurred here.

Adom stood alone in the center, swaying slightly. Where the silverback had been, nothing remained - not even dust. Just empty space.

He took a breath. Then another. His lungs felt... different. Stronger. His heart beat with a steady rhythm that seemed to resonate through his entire body.

John approached, Zuni peering from his shoulder. The quillick's eyes were wide, reflecting the dying embers of the circle.

"It's done," Adom said, his voice rough. "It worked."

[New Skill Acquired!]

[Silverback's Might (Very Rare) (Passive) - Level 1]

Description: Your physical strength has been enhanced beyond human limitations. At Level 1, you are approximately ten times stronger than an adult human male. Strength increases with skill level. Progress achieved through physical exertion.

Adom looked down at his hands. They appeared unchanged - still the hands of a thirteen-year-old boy.

He bent down and placed his palm against the canyon floor. Then, slowly, he pushed.

The stone cracked.

Not dramatically - no spider-web fissures or explosive breaking. Just a small, precise fracture where his hand had pressed too hard.

"Huh," He muttered. "That was apeshit crazy."

Adom winced. That was terrible. He wasn't sure why he said that. It sounded better in his head.

Maybe Valiant was right, Adom thought as his eyes widened at the horrific realization. "I talk like an edgelord."

More wincing.