Michael seized the opportunity.
“Griffin, pin it down!”
The undead griffin dived with a deafening screech, its massive talons latching onto the ape’s shoulders, digging deep.
The sheer force sent the mountain ape stumbling backward, its balance faltering as Lucky’s fangs clamped tighter around its leg.
Michael moved swiftly. He raised a hand, dark energy gathering around his fingers.
“You! Return to the fight!”
The undead mage, though battered, obeyed.
It launched itself back into the fray, closing the distance in seconds.
This time, Michael gave a new command.
“Break its arm.”
The High Human wasted no time.
With eerie precision, it caught the ape’s massive wrist mid-swing and twisted violently.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bone echoed.
The mountain ape let out an agonized roar, its arm hanging limply at its side.
Michael’s expression didn’t change. He knew it wasn’t over. Even injured, the beast was still incredibly dangerous. But now, its attacks would be slower.
“Lucky, don’t let go.”
The wolf obeyed, clamping down even harder. The ape tried to shake it off but failed—Lucky’s jaw strength was beyond that of a normal beast.
“Griffin, one more Wind Slash—straight at its face.”
A gust of razor-sharp wind tore through the air. The moment it struck, the ape howled, reeling backward, momentarily blinded.
“Now!”
Michael’s High Human moved in for the finishing blow.
With both hands raised, it brought its fists down on the ape’s skull with all its undead strength.
Boom!
The impact sent a shockwave through the ground. The mountain ape staggered once, twice—then collapsed.
Michael let out a slow breath, watching as the massive beast twitched before falling completely still.
Victory.
He didn’t waste time celebrating.
His eyes flickered toward the other fight—Mage Lian’s battle.
The Grand Mage was locked in combat with the second mountain ape, his flaming spear clashing against the beast’s relentless assault.
However, he was clearly on the defensive, forced to dodge more than he attacked.
Michael analyzed the situation.
Mage Lian was strong, but his attacks didn’t seem to do enough damage to truly hurt the creature.
It seemed like the mountain ape was a creature that needed brute force to take it down effectively.
This or a gang up.
Without hesitation, Michael barked an order to his undead.
“Assist him.”
The Griffin launched forward and was followed closely by Lucky.
As for the high human, Michael placed it back into his storage space.
The undead monsters can be lied about but a human corpse seemed a bit too sensitive.
Mage Lian twisted his body mid-air, narrowly avoiding the mountain ape’s massive fist as it crashed into the ground, sending debris flying. He landed a few feet away, breath steady, flames still crackling at his fingertips.
His attacks had landed, but the ape barely seemed fazed. Even with its fur scorched, the beast continued its relentless assault, swinging its powerful arms with terrifying force.
Michael wasted no time.
“Griffin, strike from above! Lucky, go for the legs!”
His summons obeyed instantly.
The undead griffin screeched, diving at the mountain ape, its razor-sharp talons slashing at the beast’s face. The attack momentarily blinded the creature, forcing it to stagger back.
At the same time, Lucky darted in low, its fangs sinking into the ape’s ankle. With a powerful twist, it yanked the beast off balance.
Mage Lian didn’t miss the opportunity.
“[Scorching Lance]!”
A spear of searing white-hot fire materialized in his palm. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it straight at the mountain ape’s exposed chest.
The lance struck true, piercing through the beast’s thick hide. Flames erupted on impact, searing flesh and sending a wave of heat rolling outward.
The mountain ape howled in agony.
Michael watched intently, calculating. Even with the combined attacks, the beast was still standing. They needed to cripple it—fast.
“Griffin, another Wind Slash!”
The griffin obeyed, wings beating furiously as it sent another razor-sharp gust of wind toward the beast’s face.
The attack struck, slicing into the mountain ape’s left eye. The beast roared, clutching its bleeding face, momentarily blinded on one side.
That was their chance.
The Grand Mage didn’t need to be told twice.
With a sharp breath, he gathered every ounce of mana he had left. Flames surged around him, brighter than before, licking at the air like a living inferno.
He raised both hands.
“[Inferno Spear]!”
A massive, burning spear formed above him, radiating intense heat. Unlike the previous lances, this one burned with streaks of gold, the sheer force distorting the air around it.
With a single motion, Mage Lian hurled it forward.
The blazing weapon shot through the air like a meteor, crashing into the mountain ape’s chest.
BOOM!
The impact sent a shockwave through the ground. The flames erupted violently, engulfing the beast in an inferno that burned hotter than anything they had unleashed before.
The mountain ape let out one final, agonized roar—before it collapsed.
Michael exhaled slowly, watching the beast’s massive form go still.
Silence followed.
Mage Lian wiped the sweat from his brow, his breathing heavy but steady. He glanced at Michael. “I’ll admit… that was harder than I expected.”
Michael nodded. “They were tough. But now…”
His gaze shifted toward the glowing fruits hanging from the tree far away from him.
The Soul Pool Fruits were finally within their grasp.
However, Michael didn’t immediately head toward the Soul Pool Fruit tree.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to—he simply didn’t want to seem indifferent to Mage Lian’s current weakness, which he truly was.
Fortunately, despite his labored breathing and clear exhaustion from the battle, Mage Lian seemed just as concerned about the fruit.
Without hesitation, he started making his way toward the tree.
Michael didn’t need to be asked to follow—he did so immediately.
“What about the monsters”
Michael asked.
With Mage Lian’s existence, Michael spared little thought for the corpses.
The fact that they were too large to fit in his storage space, combined with his lack of contract slots, only made them more undesirable.