Chapter 65: Brawling with the Crazy Gorilla
The panda was not losing even though it was fighting both animals at the same time without showing any obvious disadvantage.
The once peaceful park had been almost completely destroyed.
Several trees lay broken across the ground. The playground had been crushed beneath the fighting, while deep depressions covered the soil where the three enormous animals had repeatedly collided.
The Level 41 gorilla charged first.
Its fist descended toward the panda’s head.
The panda raised one paw.
A layer of dark green wood suddenly spread across its forelimb.
The material thickened within moments, forming something resembling natural armor.
BOOM!
The fist collided with the reinforced paw.
The panda slid backward several meters, tearing furrows through the soil beneath its feet.
Before the gorilla could continue attacking, the hippo rushed from the side.
Its massive body slammed into the panda.
Bang!
The panda rolled across the ground.
Ron winced. "That must hurt."
Cain remained silent as he continued observing the battle.
A long wound had opened across the panda’s side.
Blood stained its white fur.
However, something strange happened almost immediately.
A faint green glow appeared around the wound and within seconds, the bleeding slowed considerably.
Cain narrowed his eyes.
’Healing ability?’
The panda pushed itself back onto its feet as the green patterns across its body brightened again.
The soil beneath the gorilla suddenly cracked.
Several thick wooden growths burst upward.
Crack!
They wrapped around the gorilla’s lower legs.
The evolved ape roared and pulled.
The wood broke almost immediately beneath its enormous Strength, but that brief resistance disrupted its movement.
The panda was already in front of it.
Green wood extended along its claws, lengthening them into curved blades.
Shhk!
The reinforced paw struck across the gorilla’s chest.
Blood sprayed through its dark fur.
The gorilla staggered for a moment, but at this moment, the hippo charged again.
This time, another layer of wood spread across the panda’s shoulder and side moments before impact.
BOOM!
The collision still knocked it backward, but most of the attack had struck the wooden armor instead of its flesh.
Cain watched carefully.
"So that’s how it’s fighting both of them."
Ron looked toward him.
"What?"
"It can heal itself."
Cain pointed toward the green markings.
"And that Wood ability is versatile."
The panda did not possess the overwhelming physical Strength of the gorilla or the terrifying mass of the hippo.
Instead, it compensated with everything else.
It reinforced its body when taking attacks.
Its claws became sharper whenever it countered.
Even the wooden growths it created beneath its opponents were useful despite being unable to restrain either creature for long.
A second of interference was enough to ruin a charge or create an opening.
Cain watched for a little longer, then he stepped forward.
Ron noticed.
"You’re joining?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
Cain looked toward the panda.
"We basically owe that lazy bastard one."
If the panda had not attacked the gorilla and hippo earlier, Ron’s Advancement Mission might not have been completed so smoothly.
Cain did not know whether the creature had intentionally helped them.
It probably had not.
However, that did not change the result.
Cain began walking toward the battlefield.
"Besides..."
He continued as his gaze shifted toward the gorilla. "I want to test something."
Ron understood immediately.
Cain had become much stronger after disappearing with Evelyne earlier.
Ron still had no idea what exactly had happened, but the change was impossible to miss.
Cain suddenly charged forward.
The gorilla had just broken another wooden growth around its ankle when something entered its side.
Bang!
Cain’s fist struck directly against its ribs.
The impact lifted the massive ape partially from the ground.
Its enormous body was thrown sideways.
However, instead of flying through the park like Cain expected, the gorilla was only thrown several meters before crashing onto one shoulder.
Cain stared at his fist.
"Oh?"
That punch contained almost all of his current physical Strength without using Ruin Dragon Force.
Yet the gorilla had taken it remarkably well.
The evolved ape rolled once before immediately pushing itself upright.
Cain’s smile widened.
’This crazy gorilla is strong.’
The evolved bear they had fought earlier had already shown him that animals seemed to possess greater physical ability than zombies at a similar rank.
The gorilla made the difference even clearer.
Its body was absurdly dense.
Cain looked toward the panda.
The animal had just forced the hippo back with another wooden-covered paw.
Then its eyes shifted toward Cain for a moment.
"What?" Cain raised an eyebrow.
The panda continued staring.
"I’m helping you." Cain chuckled. "You helped us earlier, so consider us even."
He had no idea whether the panda understood a single word.
Speaking aloud simply felt more natural than silently standing there beneath its gaze.
The panda eventually looked away as it turned back toward the hippo as if Cain no longer mattered.
Cain laughed.
"Fine."
A violent roar immediately came from his side.
The gorilla had recovered, its attention was now completely fixed on Cain.
The wound across its chest no longer mattered.
It beat one fist against the ground and charged.
Cain’s eyes brightened.
"Come."
The gorilla crossed the distance quickly.
Its right fist swept toward Cain’s upper body.
Cain raised both arms.
Bang!
The impact pushed him backward.
His shoes scraped across the ruined pavement.
Cain immediately answered with a punch of his own.
His knuckles struck the gorilla’s abdomen.
Bang!
The evolved ape took two steps backward.
Cain frowned slightly.
Even after all his recent improvements, the difference in pure physical power between them was not overwhelming.
That made things much more interesting.
The gorilla roared and attacked again.
Cain avoided the first fist before another came from the opposite side.
He crossed his arms and blocked it directly.
Boom!
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
Cain slid backward.
His smile widened further, since it had been a while since something could force him backward using pure Strength.
He wanted to feel the difference properly.
Dark gray energy began flowing from his chest as Ruin Dragon Force spread through his body.
Cain did not push the Skill anywhere near its maximum output.
He circulated enough energy to increase his physical capabilities by roughly half.
The gorilla reached him again.
Its fist descended.
Cain stepped forward and threw a punch.
BOOM!
Their knuckles collided.
The gorilla’s arm snapped backward.
Cain remained where he stood.
The difference had changed completely.
"Much better."
The gorilla did not care as it attacked again.
Cain slipped beneath one arm and drove his fist into its ribs.
Bang!
The evolved ape staggered.
Then a second punch struck its abdomen.
Subsequently, Cain stepped around the answering swing and hit it across the jaw.
The gorilla’s head twisted sideways.
Ron watched from outside the battlefield.
His expression gradually became strange.
Most people would have used a weapon against something whose arms were thicker than their entire torso.
Cain seemed to be having fun punching it.
The gorilla roared and rushed him again.
Cain met it directly again.
The creature grabbed toward his shoulders.
Cain responded as he caught both wrists.
Their bodies stopped. The soil beneath Cain’s feet compressed as both sides pushed against each other.
For a brief moment, neither moved. Then Cain’s arms slowly forced outward.
The gorilla snarled.
Its muscles bulged beneath the fur as it tried to overpower him.
"That’s it?" Cain grinned.