READ WEBNOVEL Umm… Monkey!
*Vol. 1: Tales of a God.
Chapter 45 - Umm... Monkey!
Here's the new chapter!
Without further ado, enjoy the chapter peasant!
- Location: East coast of future China.
Pov. Thor.
Months have passed since I departed from Sumeria and my arrival in the land of the 'young master', my journey turned out to be quite uneventful.
Which was strange.
After all, I've walked these lands and I haven't been approached by any god or goddess directly...
Emphasis on 'directly'.
I couldn't be on this earth without anyone noticing me, the thing is...
Who noticed me, and why didn't show up yet?
Even during these months, I could not find the 'twin dragon' of the eastern sea, the original holder of the Ruyi Jingu Bang, the monkey god's weapon.
I expected the monkey to be famous already, unfortunately, no mortal has ever heard of a 'monkey god'...
Although some travelers coming from the southwest of where I was, what would one day be known as India, claimed of a monkey god...
An insanely strong monkey god that I suspected was in the double digits.
Hanuman.
Which I suspected was an avatar of the Trimurti due to the insane force of the stories, but which god of the Trimurti I wasn't entirely sure.
While I would like to meet this guy it will be a journey to another time, for the monkey god I wanted to meet at the moment was the guy who would teach me the technique that most eastern gods had, and that I learned from his existence through from my mother Frigg.
Touki.
While I was lost in thought, I noticed my traveling companion and... A corpse of a monster that I recognized immediately.
"...Igris, I've already told you that you can't just kill any supernatural being in foreign lands," I said, sighing.
Igris seemed to consider, before leaning a little towards me.
"My lord... The creature... It's a nuisance," said Igris.
Oh? We weren't close to the 'new year' for this creature to be on land... So what did Igris do?
"... Why do you say that?" I asked curiously.
Igris seemed to consider, although he took the 'vow of silence' I asked him to at least respond to me, otherwise, our communication would be impaired.
But that made him still speak a few words.
"I was... scouring the bottom of the sea... Looking for the dragon... This creature spotted me and tried to devour me," said Igris, pointing to the corpse.
Ah, that was a very... anticlimactic reason.
Again, the race of the Nian is a plague on these seas so far to the east of the world. Although the 'four twin sea king dragons' keep them at a minimum population, it is possible to come across a young Nian now and then, but never an adult one.
Although once a year the Nian have such a large population that some end up escaping the sea and heading for land.
I just looked at the creature.
"Well… It was defensive I suppose, but what do you want to do with the corpse? Don't even look at me, it's your kill after all" I said.
Igris then looked at me and back to Nian's corpse.
It was then that Igris unsheathed the simple sword, which I had forged a short time ago to assist him in combat until I had a worthy weapon or I forged another sword from better materials and decapitated the corpse.
"... Trophy," said Igris, simply.
I could only sweat in response.
Well, each with their quirks I suppose.
And it looked like Igris is starting to develop a quirk of collecting trophies... Perhaps this is the result of a cross between a dragon of fury and a god from a war-prone clan?
"My master..." said Igris.
Another thing that bothered me was the fact that even though I had said he was my family, Igris still insisted on referring to me as 'master' or 'lord'.
I suppose old habits take time to die.
I just waved in his direction and asked him to continue.
"Why... Are we still here?" asked Igris.
A valid question I suppose.
"As you already know, our objective is to learn Touki, but I think I owe you an explanation as to why we have remained in the western terrestrial limits of this great land for so long... We have a secondary objective, which will depend on you mainly" I said. said.
Igris seemed to react as he quickly knelt.
"What…the orders?" asked Igris.
Such devotion was what made me a little worried... After all, I don't want a fanatical sect in the future.
"What separates two of the most influential pantheons in the east is only the eastern sea, the armor I forged for you was made of blood copper and pure Sumerian gold, mixed with corrupted ice, which nullifies magic... Including detection magic of simple, intermediate, and advanced presence" I replied.
Of course, it wasn't cheap stuff, but it would be worth it. Even now, if an alien god performed a detection spell where we are, it would only show 'my' presence and Igris would remain camouflaged.
While I would have liked to carry out this quest myself, I was disappointed that the amount of ice corrupted in the armor was not enough to 'camouflage' the presence of a full deity.
Although, apparently if you were a demigod it was possible.
"We stay on this side so that I can identify and evaluate the best place for you to continue your journey further east, on some islands close to the land of the 'rising sun', it will be your first mission as my 'hunter' while I learn Touki. I have full faith that you will succeed in it under your abilities," I said smiling.
There was something else that caught my attention.
And I would definitely capture it at some point.
"You will go to those islands that I suspect are the habitat of the being I want you to look for, I suggest you get information from the local people about 'the four fiends', I don't care about three of them, only one caught my attention. .. Look for any legend about the 'fiend of gluttony', you can get information from both the people of the land we are in and the people of the land of the 'rising sun'" I said.
The being I sent Igris to hunt was a well-known creature for its unique power and ability.
I learned about this while learning Thoth's healing technique, which kept records of various things in the 'library'.
In addition to the standard advanced regeneration ability of the 'four fiends', 'Gluttony' had the ability to devour and consume everything in an infinite capacity, no matter if they are living creatures, objects, or special abilities, including magic...
I couldn't help but wonder if this ability would be valid for the 'holy gears' that would appear in humans in the future.
But, he was a secondary objective; after all, not even I would know the limits of its ability... Even Thoth hadn't that kind of record.
"…understood," said Igris.
Igris then stood up and seemed to consider before leaving.
"When… should I leave? And how soon should my return be?" asked Igris.
I thought briefly.
I'm sure Touki will be simpler to learn compared to Thoth's healing technique... The hardest part was finding a teacher willing to teach.
"We'll be here for ten years, that's the longest… After we're done here, we'll head west, but further south," I said with finality.
India, the cradle of spirituality, was my next destination.
The place I would find out whether or not it was possible to replicate Haki to some degree.
"Oh! By the way, Igris, the side quest, while important, is not necessarily my priority at the moment, as I'm sure I will have other opportunities... Consider the side quest as your 'test' in this new body, as you now have dragon flesh and blood of a god, if you can't complete the quest, don't worry so much," I said casually.
That was the truth.
'Gluttony' was said in Thoth's records to be a powerful existence, but due to its unique abilities, it was difficult to know the exact position between the three- or double-digit ranking of powerful beings.
The only thing Thoth was sure of was that no 'fiend' was definitely in the top 10.
Or... Has not shown the ability so far to be in the top 10.
I sent Igris to test his new body, as well as learn the capabilities of the 'Gluttony' which was the most powerful of these 'Four Fiends'.
If Igris is on the brink of death, the armor will react and he will immediately teleport to me.
Also, if Igris fails the mission... I can always hunt 'Gluttony' during the Great War personally.
Igris seemed to think for a while before answering.
"…understood," said Igris.
... I think I should ask him to relax.
Why is he so serious?
I could only sigh before heading to the ocean.
I think it's time to fish again...
- Location: Sumeria/Kur (Kingdom of Erishkigal).
Pov. Erishkigal.
I was always feared by many, loved by few, but undoubtedly all beings, mortal and immortal, respected me...
That's the result of being a goddess of death I suppose.
I thought it would be like this, forever.
The love of my friends Husbishag and her husband Namtar.
Nergal's fanatical love.
And the fear and respect of the others.
But then, a few days ago something happened that changed things a little...
I gained another friend... Wait, should I really call you my friend?
... No.
"My baby!" I said, caressing the being's belly in my lap.
I knew it was a dragon.
But in my eyes...
"You're the cutest thing I've ever met!" I said pulling the little dragon into my embrace.
My little baby just squeaked in response.
I took it from my embrace and looked into those bright blood-colored eyes that had been staring at me since the moment the egg hatched a few days ago.
The muzzle suddenly quivered.
"*Achoo*" sneezed the little dragon into my hands.
With emerald-colored fire shooting from its nostrils, and purple lightning flashing from its beautiful little wings.
"Ah! Is my baby okay?" I asked, worried.
He's never sneezed since the moment he was born, and I've never let him out of my sight... Maybe Kur is too cold for him?
Should I take him to see the sun for a bit?
He also refuses to eat any food.
Looks like he's not hungry...
Or maybe my food is so bad that my own child refuses to eat it...
Ah... What a pathetic mother I am...
I could feel my eyes watering.
It was then that I felt something wiping my eyes.
I looked and saw my baby's tail.
I looked at him and realized he was showing his concern for me.
"Oh~ Thank you!" I said, pulling my son into a hug again.
It was then that my friend Husbishag appeared in my throne room, accompanied by her husband Namtar, I think the meeting of the gods ended earlier than expected.
I can finally introduce them to my son!
"My lady, it's good to be – BY ENLIL, WHAT IS IT?!" shouted Husbishag, pointing at me and, more specifically, my baby.
Well, I suppose those who have never seen my baby, they will find him a little different... But you don't need that reaction!
"Hey! It's my son you're talking about!" I screamed in response and pulled my baby closer to me to comfort him.
He might be hurt by your words, you know?!
I looked to Namtar for support, but...
Namtar seemed to be frozen and thinking about the world itself...
My eyes could see that his eyes gleamed with an unearthly tone.
Oh? Is he having a vision of fate again?
He seemed to come to himself and whisper a few words that I heard perfectly.
"It's not just two anymore...but three?" said Namtar, in disbelief.
Eh? Three?... Three what?
Anyway, my precious son, you need a worthy name!
Um... But I don't think it's fair that I decide alone, even though it's normal for the mother to be the one who names the child...
Also, the father...
I felt my face heat up in embarrassment.
"How am I supposed to explain the situation to him?" I asked, looking at my son.
My beloved son seemed to sense my mood as he tilted his head in confusion.
It was then that my son looked at the gate and narrowed his eyes.
It was then that I saw someone else coming after Husbishag and Namtar.
"My love! For many moons, I don't see you, the woman who lights up my night and guides me to tomorrow! Today, I came – Ah! What has this disgusting creature done in my future place – I mean – in my lady's lap?!" shouted the person, in indignation, and pointing at my son.
It was Nergal.
I hoped he would never show up here again out of fear...
Unfortunately, it appears that was not the case.
Also... 'DISGUSTING CREATURE'?! My son?! The nerve of him!
But before I could even respond, my baby didn't seem to like the tone and broke out of my grip and growled at Nergal.
It was then that I saw Nergal do the unthinkable.
He raised a battle ax and threatened to hurt my baby.
"Nergal! Don't you dare! Or will I—" I said quickly before being interrupted.
*BAM*
Nergal didn't even hesitate.
But...
My son was fine.
It actually looks like my son's beautiful scales glowed an amethyst color.
My son then attacked Nergal with his tail and...
*BAM*
Threw Nergal out of the throne room!
Oh! Just like his father!
"Oh~ Come here my little one! I'm so proud of you!" I said, stepping down from the throne.
And walked quickly to my baby and gave him another hug.
"Come on, it's time for you to rest, I'll tell you some stories about your father," I said.
I then leave the throne room, right after I wave goodbye to Husbishag and Namtar, who are still looking at my baby in fear...
Oh, maybe in the future they'll see my baby's cuteness just like I do.
Pov. Third-person.
As soon as Erishkigal left the throne room, Husbishag glanced at Namtar.
"…Clarify what that was?" asked Husbishag, pointing to where Nergal was thrown.
Namtar just smiled.
"A future emperor, my love… The dread dragon… The dark emperor. Its scales are unbreakable and its 'rage' will reflect any power" said Namtar.
Husbishag sweated cold, there were only two emperors a long time ago, who was stronger than dragon kings, except for Tiamat.
"...What did he do to Nergal?" asked Husbishag, curious.
Namtar looked at his wife and replied.
"... Counterattack," said Namtar, with a nervous smile.
- Location: Future Canada / Lake Huron / Manitoulin Island.
Pov. Loki.
Finding my lost son was a headache, and to think he would go so far from home...
Perhaps Thor is no longer a viable option to solve Asgard's problems more 'ultimately'.
Besides, he's already caused me more trouble than I expected.
I didn't expect Thor to be so protective of Hel.
My original plan was to make Hel lonely enough so that when I showed up, I'd take advantage of her possible loneliness and turn her into being totally dependent on me.
It would be simple to blame my foolish brother for his delusions of peace.
With Hel obeying me in exchange for 'love' and 'recognition', giving me command of an 'endless' army of Draugr, me freeing Fenrir and luring Jörmundgander into war would be ideal.
After that, it was the war to take that 'boy' off the throne.
I would never let Asgard fall into the hands of someone as soft-hearted as Balðr.
Although Balðr has the potential to be a ruler, he prefers diplomacy... It doesn't matter how many times I tell him that we are a warrior society and 'force', like it or not, is our main 'argument'.
Unfortunately... Thor spoiled most of my plans.
He took Hel and became quite protective of her well-being...
He freed Fenrir, who turned my 'god-killer' son into a mere guard dog.
It traumatized Jörmundgander, to the point that my son, considered 'the weight of the world' and a dragon king, fled from his own land.
Fortunately, there are other ways to get what I want. Also, the bat Valefor owes me a favor... I just need to find other ways to achieve my goal.
I saw some humans making some kind of sacrifice on the edge of a big lake.
"/Hail N'ha-a-itk, grant us safe passage through your domain/" said an old-looking man, then slitting an animal's neck and letting the blood drip into the lake.
Hmm? Perhaps I may have found a clue to my son's whereabouts...
Pov. Third-person.
Loki then walked towards the small family who was ready to board a raft.
Loki then made a magic circle and shot a simple fireball that went towards the raft, which had a child inside, waiting for the rest of the family.
As soon as the fireball made contact with the raft, the small improvised boat caught fire... Only the screams of a child could be heard in the fire.
"/Aniibir!/" cried the woman in despair, holding a baby, who began to cry.
The older man turned toward Loki in fear of the magic, but the anger at the death of the man's daughter was still noticeable.
Loki glanced briefly at the burned boat.
"Oh, I didn't notice your other offspring on the boat, just wanted to get your attention… Anyway, now that I have your attention, tell me more about this N'ha-a-itk, will you? In return, you can meet your offspring again," said Loki.
The man remained cautious as he had just witnessed 'magic' for the first time in his life.
But the woman, that was holding a baby, soon replied when she saw a ray of hope. After all, to the human family, Loki was a god or at least a powerful shaman... By all means, he probably could bring the dead back to life.
"/N'ha-a-itk is the water spirit of our land, we come from the land where the sun sleeps! Legends passed down by our ancestors say that it is a giant serpent that lives in the great lake! That's all we know, now, please bring my daughter back! Whether you are a shaman or a god, we will praise you too, but bring my little one back, I beg you!/" the woman said quickly, with a desperate tone.
Loki remained impassive.
"Why, thank you for your cooperation... As a god, let me fulfill my part of the exchange" said Loki, creating a magic circle.
But what appeared... It was another fireball.
"...Now you will be 'gathered' again..." said Loki.
Then the fireball shot out of Loki's hand and set the family on fire.
Loki stared impassively at the fire as he listened to the screams.
"So fragile... So noisy... Well, where the 'sun rests', huh... West then," said Loki.
It was then that the Norse god walked back in the determined direction, in search of the water serpent spirit N'ha-a-itk, who Loki suspected was what the locals were calling his son...
Jörmundgander.
- Location: East coast of future China.
Pov. Thor.
Well... This quest is more complicated than I thought.
No sign of the dragon, even if I search the bottom of the ocean, I'm starting to give up on finding this dragon...
I had sent Igris on the side quest, along with a few things that might help him capture 'Gluttony', as well as the 'Water of Life' I made with one of the Immortality Plants I got in Sumer.
Now, I was heading towards the nearest village in search of more reports of any supernatural beings.
That's when I saw a kid with a... Monkey's tail?
"Hmm?... Monkey?... Is my luck smiling on me again?" I asked, in disbelief.
I saw the child running along the path I knew led towards a specific mountain.
I may have found the god I was looking for, but...
It's just a kid.
You can't teach me anything I expect.
But... I couldn't help but be curious.
Where is he going in such a hurry?
Pov. Third-person.
The monkey-tailed child was actually an orphan, who was born by specific means in a mythical stone formed by the forces of chaos, which resulted in a playful and adventurous personality.
He initially had no name.
After all, he didn't know what a name was.
And so, he lived at the place of his birth on Huaguo Mountain.
During the early stages of his life, he lived on this mountain that was home to ape species.
At the age of five, he earned the respect of the local monkey clan when he proved his worth by jumping down a waterfall and finding a new home for the monkeys through it, and thus became the 'king'.
The monkey king.
But respect was not enough, the young king became aware, after the death of one of his 'subjects', that his time would come someday.
Mortality was never so terrifying for the young king.
Therefore, he decided to go in search of the long-awaited immortality, dressing up in human clothes so that he would be accepted into sects.
The monkey king's plan was a complete failure, as all the sect's masters and apprentices saw through the 'disguise', which generated mixed reactions.
The so-called apprentices mocked the young king for the stupidity of the 'disguise'.
While sect masters refused to teach a 'monkey' in the arts of cultivation, as they believed that due to the nature of Falun Dafa cultivation practice, the young monkey king would never learn due to his own personality.
No master wanted to waste his time with a 'useless apprentice'.
It was then that the young monkey king met a peculiar master.
Puti Zushi.
And after much insistence, Master Zushi took the young monkey king as an apprentice and gave him something the king didn't have until now...
A name.
Sun Wukong.
Master Zushi was impressed by the young Sun Wukong's determination and his ease in learning. However, young Sun Wukong was very... Sly.
And Master Zushi was losing patience in the face of such a personality of his most renowned apprentice.
Another problem that worried Zushi was the growing vanity displayed by Sun Wukong.
Young Sun Wukong made a point of demonstrating that he was the best apprentice for everyone, especially those who had previously mocked and denied him guardianship.
Although Puti Zushi was worried, he still continued to teach the young man more rigorously, in the hope that his student's growing ostentation would be lessened.
Did not work.
And now, at the age of ten, Sun Wukong was returning to his master Puti Zushi's sect after almost successfully performing one of the most advanced lessons.
The ability to transform.
The 'almost' success was kind of obvious...
No matter how much Sun Wukong wants to if he turns into a human... His ape tail would show.
But to Sun Wukong, it didn't matter, due to the simple fact that not all masters could transform 71 different things perfectly.
Just a single transformation wasn't a complete success... The transformation of a human.
And then, as soon as young Sun Wukong arrived at Puti Zushi's sect, he shouted.
"Master, master!!! Look! I achieved!" shouted young Sun Wukong, as he jumped excitedly towards a tree in the middle of the sect.
Master Puti Zushi was sitting in the form of the lotus position with his eyes closed and seemed unaffected by the excitement of his most prestigious student.
Sun Wukong looked upset.
"Teacher! Look! Please!" said Sun Wukong, in front of Puti Zushi.
Master Puti Zushi then opened one of his eyes and saw Sun Wukong, who stretched out his arms in display and gave his master a giant smile.
Puti Zushi, however, didn't smile and just closed his eye again.
"Congratulations my student, you transcend many masters in terms of skill and persistence, including me... But remember that the person who keeps calm proves that he has –" Puti Zushi began before being interrupted.
"Wisdom, I know, I know, you said the same thing when I mastered the advanced art of 'jumping' in a week, now... What's next?" asked Sun Wukong.
Puti Zushi was silent before standing up and opening both eyes.
"Sun... If you don't change the path you're on now... You'll end up right where you started," Puti Zushi said seriously.
Sun Wukong didn't seem to understand, and when he went to question his master, Puti Zushi widened his eyes and positioned himself in front of Sun Wukong, and assumed a defensive posture, looking towards the exit.
Puti Zushi didn't feel anything... This was strange since he had reached the limit of Falun Dafa cultivation, having full mastery of the vital energy that was QI, being able to manipulate and detect.
Thus mastering senjutsu.
Thus achieving the grail of Xian, a sage.
Puti Zushi only noticed that someone was approaching because he was always manipulating his QI to heighten his senses.
That was how Puti Zushi heard heavy footsteps approaching the sect.
What worried Puti Zushi was the scary reason behind it...
He didn't feel the aura, so he didn't detect anyone approaching.
For Puti Zushi, who was a Xian in his own right, and had full knowledge of the supernatural, he considered only two possibilities.
The first possibility was that someone with mastery over QI of his level or higher was masking their life energy with the environment, an extremely advanced technique and the only technique necessary for a transcendent master to become a Xian.
That possibility would put anyone on the defensive… But it wasn't the scariest possibility.
No... The scariest possibility was definitely the second.
The second possibility was that the person approaching the sect had an aura that transcended the limits of Puti Zushi's own understanding of senjutsu...
Both possibilities put Sun Wukong's master on the defensive.
It was only a few seconds before a figure could be seen through Puti Zushi's eyes.
An extremely tall man with long blood-colored hair that reaches past his waist, golden eyes with sclera the color of the night sky, and wearing a sort of winter coat, with a strange-looking hammer attached to a golden belt, plus something like gloves covering the hands.
The man approached Puti Zushi, who had not let his guard down and was still protecting Sun Wukong, and spoke for the first time.
"... Hello there," said the man, with a smile.
Well... That's it, folks!
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Forgive me in case of grammatical errors... I tried. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I still haven't figured out how to link the paragraph images... Someone, please help me!