Tiresome Apes

As we continued up the mountain stairway, we've had various throwing weapons tossed our way, but the monkeys never once came down to face us again, running off the moment it looks like we'll fight back.

"Cowardly monkeys, they know they can't beat us, so they just throw things to harass us. If I had the luxury of moving off the stone stairway, then I would chase them all down until I got their skills," Aurelia says.

"What's stopping you from doing so?" I ask.

"Leaving the path is dangerous. The stairs act as a guide, if you take one step off the path you might not be able to find your way back and will likely cause you to return to the beach. This was something the previous expeditions of the Empire noted. They would continually get lost while trying to climb the mountain and find themselves back at the camp they made on the beach. I didn't fully understand at first, but seeing the path here for myself, it is likely the only way to climb the mountain without trouble."

"Good thing you mentioned that now, I was honestly real close to trying to chase after the monkeys myself. They've been taunting us for a while now before running off, it's gotten to be quite infuriating," Lia says.

"I for one, want nothing to do with them until I get my health back. Hey look, there's I clearing up ahead," I say, picking up my pace.

The stone stairs come to an end as we pass under another arch, like when we first walked up here. It isn't large, but there is enough space for a small campsite, perfect as the sun has started to set. As Aurelia and Lia begin to set up camp, I forge us some light fortifications, just in case the monkeys decide to pay us a visit.

With everything finished, as usual, I'm the one who keeps watch while Aurelia and Lia sleep. Feeling a little bored I take a walk around the fortifications and as expected I can see several monkeys watching from the trees just outside the clearing. But other than watching us from afar with those creepy eyes, they never once did anything to us over the course of the night, however, there was something I noticed. The monkeys had been moving around through the night, but they avoided the area that leads further up the mountain as if it there life would be at stake if they went further up.

After a few more hours pass, Aurelia and Lia wake up and I tell them about the things I noticed over the night. Rather than continuing up the next set of stairs immediately, Aurelia wanted to take a bit of time to look around, specifically the arches above the stairway's entrance and exit.

"I didn't pay it much mind when we passed by it the other day, but the first arch we passed under had two short horizontal lines, and the arch we went under to enter the clearing also has these two lines. But the arch above the next set of stairs has three horizontal lines," Aurelia says.

"What are you getting at?" I ask.

"It goes back to what Lia was saying a while ago about how the crossing the strait may have been some kind of test. Although I don't know the details behind what each of these tests, but it would seem as though we've passed two of them and a third awaits on this next trail. I would think that the second one had something to do with the monkeys since as you said, they don't have any inclination to keep moving up the mountain. So we can probably assume they aren't involved with future events. Anyways I've gotten as much information I think I can get from here, so let's move on."

Proceeding through the next arch and up the new flight of stone stairs, we go on for a while as Aurelia's thoughts were right as the monkeys don't dare to follow us up. As the midday approaches, my health gradually begins to return. Unfortunately, we can't just have a nice and easy time climbing the mountain as this time a few trees fall in our direction. Looking over for the source, instead of monkeys, we find three large gorillas instead. As expected of a gorilla, their bodies are large and as with most things in this world, larger than the similar species on Earth. But despite their large frame and oversized muscles, their movements have a sense of serenity and grace to them, giving us a bow before taking a fighting stance.

As they rush towards us, looking for a punch, we use Aurelia's barrier to create some space and give us time to inspect their status. They something called a 'War Gorilla', and it seems that they aren't exclusive to this continent, but according to the description given by the System, the gorillas here have undergone tutelage from the continent's inhabitants, learning their fighting techniques. Although we've been calling it Mons, the name of the continent in the System's description is just a bunch of question marks, makes sense since Mons was a name given to this land by the people of Lausiel.

We should have expected as much, but their stats are leagues ahead of those monkeys, with their highest stat being their STR, the strongest of the three reaching 12,000. If it were only these stats they would be much of a problem, but like the monkeys the make quick work of the barrier and continue their assault by making use of Diven Energy.

"We needed to be much a little careful against thee guys, unlike the monkeys they can generate their own Divine Energy!" Aurelia yells.

So she says, but despite seeing that they have for more direct combat skills than the monkeys, including the one hundred strike kill technique, they have only been attacking in a simple and straightforward manner. Due to the nature of the one hundred strike kill technique, we've been focusing on avoiding their attacks, but it feels like they aren't really trying to fight with us, rather, it feels like they are teachers trying to administer a test. Although I personally wasn't one, I knew several other teachers who were very enthusiastic about their job and guiding others. These gorillas give me the same feeling as my old co-workers.

"Hey, I have an idea, try meeting their attack with one of your own."

"So that's what your thinking, not bad, that might be what we need to do, but I'd rather not let them hit me," Aurelia says.

"What makes you think I can properly meet their attacks!? I use magic! Why should I have to take a melee fighter in melee combat!?"

"I don't mean to literally let them hit you and punch back, just thrown your own attack at their fist," I say as I meet the fist of the gorilla in front of me with my own. Using my full strength, I send the gorilla into the air, but he remains mostly unharmed as he returns and gives another bow before lifting up one of the fallen trees and pushing it aside.

Aurelia does the same but covers her arm in a barrier to avoid the effects of the one hundred strike kill. Much like the gorilla I was facing, he bows and removes another of the trees blocking our path.

Lia, on the other hand, meets the gorilla's first with magic. Although he too was sent flying, after getting up he scratched his head and tilted it to the side as if to express in confusion. But ultimately, the gorilla bows and clears away the final tree as they then all bow once more and leave our sight.

"So I take it we passed, right?" Lia asks.

"Most likely, and now that that's over, you saw their description from the System, right? If that's anything to go by, then Mons has not only a proper name but also a civilisation here as well," Aurelia says, excitedly.

"Do Either of you feel strangely exhausted?" I ask.

"This is a byproduct of fighting with those gorillas. With Divine Energy running through their body, we would naturally feel tired. The hidden strength it provides them allows their full strength to match your own, Cordelia. To combat this you need to have Divine Energy yourself or the opposing force, Demonic Energy. It's thanks to that I'm still in top shape, unlike the two of you. Given your physical conditions, why don't we rest a bit before continuing onwards."

After a short break, I gained most of my strength back, but Lia was still tired so I carried her over my shoulders as we continued to climb the mountain only to meet another group of gorillas. Overcoming the same test again, left us even more tired, causing us to have another break, with the notable exception of Aurelia who was perfectly fine. As we once again started moving up the mountain, over the course of six hours we went through the gorilla's test seven more times until we finally managed to reach the mountain summit as pass by another arch.

Despite having passed under another arch, marking the end of the tests, the stone stairs continued toward upwards leading to a large temple complex. As we proceed forward up and get a closer look at the buildings, there is a clear resemblance between the architecture here and on the outpost at the Strait of Ponte Mare, indicating the people built that Pavillion also built this temple.

On either side of the stairway right before another arch is a pair of stone dog looking statues, similar to the ones found at those old places in East Asia. As we enter the temple grounds, the front door of the main building opens as an old-looking man walks out with what appears to be a teenage boy following behind him. Save for the long grey beard of the old man, both of them are bald and the clothing they wear reminds me of a Buddhist's robes.

"Congratulations on passing all three trials. It has been ages since a foreigner has managed to enter our land properly. Although I can't help but feel as if you cheated by bringing an Eithgar with you, you still cleared the trials of perception, perseverance, and endurance, thus you are granted access to enter the heartland of this land. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Immortal Sacred Land, Shengdi."