CHAPTER 219: 219. WHY GOING TO ACADEMY?

Theo could see the expression change in the ape’s face when it saw the boar’s glowing tusks just when it was going to land.

It kept both of its hands on the boar’s head as if it were ground and jumped back. The boar squeaked in frustration at not being able to puncture the ape’s body.

When the ape had made some distance, it got no time as the pup ran fast and tried biting its leg.

The ape jumped again and kept jumping in a panic before it reached a tree again.

"My apologies, young master," Clara spoke while biting her tongue.

Theo knew this land was very unfair to the boar and the pup. The enemy, too, felt unfair because they could climb without trouble, while the boar and the pup could only fight on the ground.

But soon enough, when the boar was looking at them carefully, everyone looking at it saw a flash of white light travel to him, only to see it move past.

When the light was gone, Theo saw a glimpse of the mantis’s crimson flowers midair before he lost its whereabouts and looked at the ape who had its hand at its neck.

It was gushing out so much blood that not even the fur or anything was able to absorb or stop it. The ape went up with one hand while pressing on the wound, which was smart, before coming up to a branch and sitting down.

"Elias, get Chip to have some share in the EXP, too. Tell it to attack the ape one time before it’s too late." Theo spoke, making Elias’s eyes flash in happiness before he gave the command.

Theo saw the small bird moving fast without making any sound and while the ape reacted in time to be able to dodge, too much blood had been lost already; its movements were impulsive but also sluggish.

Chip was able to dodge its hands trying to catch it and peck at the eye of the ape, making it scream with all it had, baring its teeth in pain.

Theo felt a little bad that they had teamed up on the ape like that, but he also knew if he wasn’t this prepared, these apes were going to shred him and his team just for fun and the love of the sport.

They soon got the message of the kill, and while the EXP was divided among everyone, his main focus wasn’t the EXP but the real-life fighting experience they were getting while working together.

"Your mantis is doing really good, young master. But it’s still hard to imagine a mantis could make the mess of an ape like that." Elias spoke while he saw the other ape dead on the ground too, its face near pulp while the ape stood there screaming with all it had in aggression.

Theo looked at it and nodded, but didn’t specify the fact that he had told the mantis to attack the other ape and not this one. But a kill was a kill.

His gaze went to Clara, who had a straight face, yet from just one look of the eyes, he knew how frustrated she was.

"Clara... the forest is unfair to you. Don’t worry about it. I just want you to level up." Theo spoke in order to console her, yet she quickly looked at him in surprise and then nodded with a fake smile.

Elias saw it too, but didn’t say anything; instead, he pointed, "Look here, young master." He spoke, taking everyone’s attention.

Even the boar looked at the pointed spot and its eyes widened.

Two big apes were silently seated on a branch while baring their teeth with no sound.

Theo saw how close they were and how a single jump would make them come to him and his team.

"Please don’t worry, they have been there for a while now to try ambushing us, but since they know what we did to these two, they aren’t going to attack." Elias spoke with a smile.

The apes kept standing there, and after a few seconds, when they started noticing everyone that was on the ground had their gaze on them, they quickly jumped back to other branches before disappearing.

The ape that was on Theo’s side roared and went climbing another tree to pursue them, which got a sigh out of Elias.

Soon, it stopped in frustration and came back bored, with its knuckles covered with blood.

Theo didn’t know where the mantis was right now until Elias knew what he was thinking about and pointed at the ape that died on the branch above.

He couldn’t see anything around it until the ape went and brought the dead carcass back to the ground.

It was then that Theo chuckled, looking at the mantis deep inside the ape’s skin. Everyone saw it moving and crawling inside, making bumps on the skin which sent shivers down their spine.

Yet Theo found it alright; the mantis needed blood on its moss to make it better according to the ability.

After that, the mantis did get two more kills of its own in the forest the whole time they were there. It became surprisingly easy because their group was so big.

Theo did not get the opportunity to use his poison-laced sword.

Clara got a single kill with the help of the pup and the boar, but that was it.

And it was not her mistake; never did she ever sign up as a strong person to be an attendant. She was top class even now when it came to taking care of Theo, and he knew it.

So now it was his turn to make his people strong with him, and they were going to be the foundation for his future, as he believed.

The days went by quickly, and then another, and Theo kept completing missions.

His routine was the same: to train, to gain EXP, and to help the ants evolve.

The situation with the ants had stabilized, and now many were evolving and gaining levels in their abilities.

And now, it was finally time when he was called in to get briefed about joining the academy.