Chapter 288: Aftermath
“Good grief… Did we actually defeat it?”
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Rest felt the heat of the flames surrounding him. The hunt for the Crazy Ape had mostly gone according to plan. In front of him, the pitfall he had set lay filled with the defeated creature, impaled on the wooden stakes he had driven into the earth at the bottom.
The strategy Rest employed to take down the Crazy Ape was known as “Surrounding the Enemy is Essential.” This traditional tactic had been in use since the Spring and Autumn Period of ancient times. The magicians from the Rosemary Marquis House, who had accompanied him thus far, unleashed flames from three sides surrounding the Crazy Ape’s nest—except for one direction. Driven by the raging fire, the Crazy Ape had sought refuge in the only safe spot, which happened to be the pitfall Rest had magically created. In its frantic escape, it fell straight into the trap, meeting its end on the stakes below.
Had they completely surrounded it with flames, the desperate Crazy Ape might have attempted to leap through the wall of fire, trying to break free by sheer force. By intentionally leaving an escape route, they had successfully led the creature into their trap.
“I was a bit nervous when it tried to jump over,” Rest admitted.
“You’re glad I was here, aren’t you, Rest?”
Yuri chimed in with a bright smile. She had been by Rest’s side, kicking the Crazy Ape back down into the pit when it attempted to leap over. It was impressive how she managed to send the massive beast flying, despite the weight difference being threefold.
“We won’t let a single one escape. It’s time for the cleanup.”
To ensure there were no survivors, Rest cast the spell “Life Search” to locate any remaining Crazy Apes. He dispatched the one feigning death at the bottom of the pit with a finishing blow, and he remained vigilant for any that might be hiding underground or attempting to flee up into the trees. The magicians from the Rosemary Marquis House were likely conducting a similar sweep, as he had instructed them to do.
“While it’s great that we won without any casualties… this smell might haunt me for a while,” he remarked, grimacing at the stench of burning corpses.
Why did the scent of charred flesh linger so unpleasantly in his nostrils? Rest glanced again at the lifeless body of the Crazy Ape at the bottom of the pit. One of the creatures had spoken in human language, begging for its life. It was shocking enough that a monkey could articulate human words, but the realization of why it could do so filled Rest with discomfort.
If it could speak human language, then it meant there had been a human who taught it. It was unlikely that the intention was to educate the creature. More likely, it had merely memorized the words of pleading from a human it had captured and devoured.
“Rest, are you okay?”
“Rest-sama, are you unharmed?”
Viola and Primula approached him, having been part of the group that had unleashed flames to drive the creatures back.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Did you two manage to avoid any attacks?”
“Yes, we were unharmed.”
“There were no monsters that came our way. Thank you for your hard work, Yuri.”
“Ah, you two did well too.”
Yuri waved at Viola and Primula, acknowledging their efforts.
“Still… it ended too easily. I was expecting at least a more delicious monster to hunt.”
“Don’t even think about it. Eating monkeys is dangerous.”
Eating monkeys is indeed perilous. In ancient China, there was a delicacy known as “Monkey Brain,” which involved consuming the brain of a monkey. This posed risks such as the onset of prion disease, making it genuinely hazardous. Rest wasn’t entirely sure of the details, but he recalled reading somewhere that the genetic closeness between humans and monkeys was a contributing factor.
“I’m not going to eat it. It looks disgusting anyway.”
Yuri shook her head vigorously. It seemed she had enough sense to choose her food wisely. Rest felt relieved that she had the wisdom to avoid the Crazy Ape.
“Well then, once the flames die down, it’ll be time for cleanup… Dealing with the corpses is going to be a hassle.”
Since they had already dug a large hole, it would be best to bury them all there. It seemed that the aftermath would be more challenging than the hunt itself. With a resigned sigh, Rest shrugged his shoulders.