Soul Devourer Chapter 4 Episode 32 — The Brawler of The Withered Forest
Passing through the silent plaza where not a single hunter could be sensed, I stepped straight into the dungeon entrance.
My vision shifted instantly, revealing a somewhat desolate world. Withered trees stood in rows, and not even fallen leaves remained on the ground.
It was a field best described as the “remains of a dead forest”.
Just to be certain, I surveyed the surroundings both visually and with my detection skills. As expected, there were no hunters in the middle of a clear.
Crunching over dry branches, I moved between the trees. Then, from a high branch ahead, a single monster dropped down.
Thud!
With a sound that betrayed any sense of weight, a lone ape blocked my path.
Roughly two meters tall. A lean, muscular body covered in black fur. At the center of its red face, two golden eyes gleamed, eyes that held intelligence far beyond that of a mere beast.
At first glance, it appeared smaller than the S-Rank monsters I had defeated so far, and its presence was not overwhelmingly oppressive.
But it was not to be underestimated.
The reason was simple. The status displayed by【Discernment】, its level, ability values, and skill levels, all surpassed my previous enemies.
Most astonishing of all was the skill【Martial Arts】, the level of which was, unbelievably, Level 10.
The summit of a single discipline. This ape stood at that pinnacle.
“…Infight Monkey, huh. True to its name… no, even beyond it.”
The corners of my mouth lifted.
With an opponent like this waiting for me, how could my heart not race?
I faced the Infight Monkey under the same restriction,【Martial Arts】 only.
♦︎♢♦︎♢♦︎♢♦︎♢♦︎♢
A gust of wind whooshed between us. The moment a nearby dead branch fell-!
We both dashed forward at the same time.
For two beings with physical abilities surpassing even Hero-class standards, distance meant nothing. The gap vanished in an instant, and our fists crossed.
If our fists had collided head-on like that-
The Infight Monkey’s fist would have shattered to pieces.
There was that much of a fatal gap between us.
I was just about to think, “Did it end in one blow?”-
And then my eyes widened.
At the last moment, the Infight Monkey had opened its clenched fist. Placing its palm against my fist, it yielded to the flow of force and gently redirected it.
At the same time, its left leg lashed sharply toward my now-exposed right temple. I instinctively grabbed its ankle with my left hand to block-
But in the next instant, its right kick pierced straight into my jaw.
The Infight Monkey planted both hands on the ground, recovering its stance with fluid motion. The follow-up attacks did not stop.
A precise front kick struck my solar plexus, which had been left completely open.
My body was blown backward, tumbling across the ground several times. I landed on my back and let out a sighing laugh.
“…Hahaha, not bad.”
Despite being sent flying in flashy fashion, I had taken almost no damage. Brushing off the dust, I rose and stared at the Infight Monkey standing at a distance.
“A true prodigy of close-quarters combat. Your technique is superb, and that kick just now was perfect… but it’s nowhere near enough to hurt me.”
I had devoured the souls of countless monsters and hunters, pushing my ability values into the inhuman realm.
Even a high-tier S-Rank monster could not bridge that gap.
But technique was another matter.
From that brief exchange alone, I understood. In pure “fighting skill”, it was completely superior to me.
It was frustrating, and that was precisely why it was interesting.
Since I was already restricting myself to【Martial Arts】, honing my technique here wouldn’t be a bad idea.
The Infight Monkey’s attacks couldn’t harm me. Even if I were blown away, it didn’t matter. There were few sparring partners this ideal.
“Now then…! Let’s begin our training bout!”
As I took my stance, the ape quietly clenched its fists as well, its golden eyes flashing sharply.
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E/N:
Dear Readers, please keep popcorn and soda ready for coming chapters, 'cause the upcoming fights are gonna be 🔥!!!
Stay tuned!
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Check out my other translation -
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