Ape of the Wilds

The jungle held its breath.

Kuro perched high in the canopy, his eyes locked onto the Tzalik warband moving below. Their painted bodies blended into the undergrowth, their weapons clutched tightly, their voices hushed but eager for battle.

They thought they were the hunters.

They had no idea they were walking into their own graves.

Kuro's grip on the rough bark tightened. His heart beat steadily—not from fear, but from anticipation. This was no longer about survival.

This was his war now.

He turned his head slightly, his strike force hidden among the leaves around him. Five Maw'Tanu warriors, each poised like shadows, their eyes gleaming with the same hunger for battle.

Kuro met Kota's gaze first. The lean assassin's fingers danced over the hilts of his twin daggers, his expression calm, his breathing controlled.

To Kuro's left, Sia crouched with her bow drawn, her sharp gaze locked onto her first target. She didn't blink.

Further along the branch, Varek, the grizzled veteran, already had a throwing spear in hand, the weapon balanced lightly in his grip. His muscles were relaxed, but Kuro knew that the moment he threw, someone would die.

Beneath them, nestled among the roots, Boru shifted his weight. The massive brawler flexed his clawed fingers, rolling his neck, the anticipation clear in his smirk. Unlike the others, he didn't carry weapons. He didn't need them.

And finally, Ruka, the brute with a spiked club, gave Kuro a slow nod. His grip on his weapon was firm, his patience impressive for someone of his size.

They were ready.

Kuro raised one clawed hand—the signal.

The attack had begun.

Kuro dropped from the tree.

The air rushed past his face, the jungle a blur as he descended—

And landed directly behind a Tzalik warrior.

The unsuspecting warrior barely had time to turn before Kuro's claws sliced across his throat.

A quick, wet gurgle—then silence.

The Tzalik's body crumpled, blood pooling into the earth.

Before anyone could react, Varek's spear shot through the darkness.

It struck another warrior in the chest, impaling him cleanly. He let out a strangled gasp, stumbling before collapsing beside his fallen comrade.

Still no screams.

Still no alarms.

Two dead.

Kuro moved instantly, lunging into the nearest cluster of warriors before their sluggish minds could process what was happening. He ducked low, swiping his claws at the legs of a spearman—

The Tzalik stumbled, crying out as he collapsed.

Kuro's foot came down on his skull before he could rise. A sickening crack echoed in the air.

A heartbeat later, Kota slipped past Kuro's left flank, moving like a shadow. His daggers flashed, carving through an exposed Tzalik's ribs, then spinning to bury the second blade into another's spine.

The warriors finally reacted.

A shout of alarm rang out.

The jungle erupted into chaos.

A Tzalik captain roared, his blade swinging wildly through the air as he called for reinforcements.

He wouldn't get the chance.

Sia's arrow pierced his throat, cutting his scream short.

Another whistle through the air—second arrow, straight into his eye.

The captain fell backward, his lifeless body crashing into the dirt.

But the warband had finally realized—they were under attack.

The Tzalik warriors turned on their unseen assailants, their weapons raised in panic, their eyes darting wildly.

Too late.

Boru exploded from the undergrowth, his massive frame barreling into two warriors. He grabbed the first by the throat, lifting him clean off the ground—

And slammed his skull against a tree.

The impact left a dark red stain where the warrior's head had been.

The second swung wildly, but Boru grabbed his wrist, twisted it—snap—then grabbed the fallen spear and drove it into the warrior's chest.

Ruka charged in beside him, his spiked club swinging. The metal spikes tore through flesh, caving in a Tzalik's ribcage in a single blow.

More warriors rushed forward, realizing the danger.

But Kuro was already on the move again.

He weaved through the chaos, his speed unmatched, his claws flashing as he tore through unguarded throats.

A warrior lunged at him with a machete—

Kuro twisted sideways, the blade missing him by inches.

In an instant, he gripped the warrior's wrist, twisted—another snap.

The Tzalik screamed, his weapon falling—Kuro caught it mid-air.

He flipped the machete in his grip, then buried it into the warrior's stomach.

He ripped it free, sending a spray of blood across the jungle floor.

His breath was steady.

His movements were precise.

He was winning.

The warband's formation was falling apart.

Their leader was dead.

Their warriors were panicked.

The air was thick with the scent of blood, the jungle floor littered with bodies.

But some of the Tzalik tried to fight back.

A warrior with a greatsword let out a desperate war cry, swinging his blade in a wide arc, forcing Kuro and Kota to dodge back.

A second warrior rushed in, spear aimed at Kuro's chest—

Boru intercepted him, catching the spear mid-thrust, snapping it in half.

The warrior's eyes went wide.

Boru grabbed his head—and twisted.

A lifeless body hit the dirt.

The greatsword warrior turned to run—

Ruka's spiked club caught him in the spine.

He fell, motionless.

Silence.

The battle was over.

Almost.

One last Tzalik warrior stumbled backward, eyes darting between the bodies of his fallen kin. His weapon shook in his hands.

His face twisted in horror as Kuro stepped forward.

Kuro didn't attack.

Instead, he let the moment sink in.

He wanted the last survivor to understand what had happened.

He wanted him to remember.

"Run," Kuro growled, his voice low and lethal. "Run back to your people. Tell them what happened here."

The warrior hesitated.

Kuro bared his fangs.

"Tell them the jungle belongs to me."

The warrior turned and fled.

Kuro watched him go, his claws still dripping with blood.

The jungle was silent again.

The warband had been annihilated.

Kuro turned to his warriors.

They stood among the bodies, breathing heavily, but victorious.

They had fought as one, striking from the shadows, using speed and power to overwhelm their enemies.

And they had won.

But Kuro knew this was only the beginning.

The real war was coming.

This had been a warning.

And the Tzalik would not take it lightly.

LEVEL UP!

Kuro - Level 5 → Level 6

(New XP: 40/600 XP)

Stat Increase:

• Strength: 14

• Dexterity: 14

• Endurance: 12

Kuro exhaled.

They had drawn first blood.

Now, they had to prepare for the war ahead.