Once the party ended, the four of us settled on a time that worked for everyone and agreed to meet at the slime field the next day. Before Ambrosia left, I handed her the sand for the drying compound.

“This should be enough for a small test batch,” she said. “I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Let me know how it turns out.”

After everyone went their separate ways, I made a quick trip to the mine to replenish my iron ore supply. Players could only enter once each day, and skipping an available trip felt like wasting free materials. Kevin would probably burn through most of the ore while testing new equipment anyway.

Once my inventory was full, I returned to Viridian Basin to practice with the wrist crossbow. The slimes in the beginner field were too slow and predictable to teach me much, so I moved toward the edge of the dark forest and hunted tougher enemies while staying close enough to the slime field that I could retreat if I attracted more attention than I could handle.

Twigstalker Mantises made decent targets as long as I spotted them before they blended into the surrounding branches. Their narrow bodies forced me to aim carefully, and their sudden movements punished me whenever I took too long.

Wolffang Spiders were harder.

At five meters, I could reliably hit their bodies. Around ten, I had to account for the arrow dropping and the spider changing direction before the shot reached it. Still, the wrist crossbow did its job. A short arrow would not stop a charging spider, but it could distract one, damage a weak point, or force it to react before I entered stabbing range. Having even one option beyond my dagger made fighting alone considerably safer.

The spider I fought that afternoon also seemed easier than the one our entire party had faced the previous day. I used the Assessment skill to confirm that it was the same level, but its movements were slower, its attacks felt less aggressive, and it took fewer strikes to bring down.

That supported what Zamira had said about the cockatrice. Elite enemies and bosses probably scaled according to the number of players actively fighting them. Bringing more people increased the party’s total damage, healing, and defensive options, so the enemy became stronger to compensate.

That was good news and bad news.

A smaller party might face a weaker boss, but bosses were rarely designed to be defeated by one player. Fighting alone meant handling survival, damage, healing, positioning, and every mechanic by myself. Some boss mechanics could make solo attempts nearly impossible regardless of skill.

At least the cockatrice raid would not become easier simply because we invited every available player.

Occasionally, while practicing near the forest, I felt as though something was watching me. Leaves shifted where there was no wind. A branch moved just beyond the edge of my vision. Once, I heard something heavy reposition itself behind the trees. Whenever I stopped and searched the area, I found nothing.

I decided not to chase it.

The next day, we met at the slime field. Kevin arrived carrying his hammer and wearing his plate armor. Anja had her bow across her back, and Ambrosia wore the outfit she had bought from Zamira. All three noticed the reinforced leather bracer strapped to my right forearm almost immediately.

Anja leaned closer. “Is that a tiny crossbow?”

“It’s a wrist crossbow.”

“So, a tiny crossbow.”

Kevin caught my arm before I could move it away and examined the folded metal limbs. “You bought this?”

“I needed a ranged option.”

“You have us.”

“I needed a ranged option that was always online.”

Ambrosia looked between the finger loop and the firing rail. “Does it actually work?”

I unfolded the limbs and locked them into position. “Five meters, reliable. Ten meters, questionable. At fifteen, forget it.”

Anja held out her hand. “Can I try it?”

“Don’t we have something more important to do?”

“But it’s kind of cool.”

“Fine. I’ll take you to the shop later so you can get your own.”

That was good enough for her, and since we had already wasted enough time standing around the slime field, we started moving.

This time, we followed Zamira’s route exactly. Our first expedition had turned into a mushroom chase before we reached the southern wetlands, so today we wanted to maximize the amount of time we could spend searching for fire-resistant materials.

We still collected anything useful along the way. Several giant snails crossed our route, and we harvested their shells after dealing with them. We also encountered two Forest Hermits hiding among the rocks near the edge of the dark forest, but the fights went much faster now that we understood how the creatures moved. The snails were slow as long as we avoided the acid they spat, and Forest Hermits were durable, but their attacks were predictable. Kevin stored every usable material in his inventory.

While we walked, I glanced at Anja. “So, you said you came into Project Babel with other friends. What happened to them?”

“They’re busy playing Forty-nine. The new battle pass just dropped.”

“That battle royale game?”

“Yep.”

“And they chose that over this?”

“They’ve already spent too much money on skins to quit.”

“Well, I guess you’re stuck with us.”

“Good. I was getting tired of that game anyway.”

“You were good at it?”

Anja shrugged. “Maybe.”

“That sounded suspiciously humble.”

She smiled. “I mostly play it when I feel like killing things.”

Kevin glanced back at her with an uneasy grin. “Remind me never to make you angry.”

Anja gave him a sweet smile. “You already told me I couldn’t try the crossbow.”

“That was Cloud.”

“I know,” she said, still smiling. “And you didn’t say anything.”

Kevin looked at me. “I’m being threatened for something you did.”

“It is what it is,” I said.

The dark forest gradually began to thin. Closely packed trees, twisted branches, and the shadowy canopy gave way to a brighter, wetter landscape, where warm sunlight spilled between tall palms and broad-leafed trees before reflecting off the shallow water that covered most of the ground ahead.

Brown-green water stretched between patches of mud and tangled vegetation. Mangrove-like trees rose directly from the flooded ground, their exposed roots twisting above the surface like wooden cages. Vines hung between the trunks, and clusters of wide leaves crowded every patch of land that remained dry.

Each step brought a new sound. Water rippled around our boots, insects buzzed somewhere inside the foliage, and unseen creatures splashed away whenever we approached. The air felt heavier here. Humidity clung to my skin beneath my armor, carrying the smells of wet soil, stagnant water, crushed leaves, and unfamiliar flowers.

Kevin looked down at the water surrounding his armored boots. “This is going to be terrible for my equipment.”

“At least nothing is crawling on the ceiling,” I said.

Ambrosia glanced upward. “Why would you say that?”

We passed beneath a low branch, and something golden flashed through the space behind her. It moved so quickly that I only caught it from the corner of my eye. Leaves shook above us, followed by the soft rustle of something moving deeper into the branches.

Ambrosia stopped. “Wait. I just received a notification that one of my potions was stolen.”

We all turned around.

A small monkey crouched on a branch several meters behind us, holding a glass potion bottle between both hands.

[Lv10. Golden Snubby]

Its thick fur shifted from gray along its back to bright orange around its head, arms, and legs. A pale mane framed a strange white face with dark eyes and a tiny upturned nose. Its tail curled around the branch as it stared down at us without the slightest hint of fear.

“That thing robbed you?” Kevin asked.

The Golden Snubby wrapped its tail around the potion bottle and bounded into the next tree.

“Get it!” Ambrosia shouted.

We splashed after it through the shallow water while the monkey raced above us, leaping between branches with insulting ease. Every time we gained ground, it climbed higher or vanished behind another curtain of leaves.

A second golden blur dropped behind Kevin.

He spun around too late. “Hey! Something just stole from me!”

More shapes moved through the canopy.

Golden Snubbies appeared on branches all around us. Some clung to trunks, while others sat with their legs dangling over the water. Several made sharp chattering sounds that came suspiciously close to laughter.

“I swear they’re making fun of us,” Kevin said.

One monkey raised Ambrosia’s potion above its head, pulled the stopper free with its hand, tipped the bottle into its mouth, and drank the entire thing.

Ambrosia stared at it. “Hey!”

The monkey smacked its lips, examined the empty bottle, then threw it back at us. I swatted it aside with my hand, sending it into the water, and the monkeys erupted into another round of chattering.

Kevin looked up at them. “Yeah. They’re definitely laughing at us.”

“Should I shoot them?” Anja asked. She raised her bow, then hesitated. “They’re kind of cute.”

“Fire a few warning shots,” I said. “Monkeys are usually skittish.”

Anja drew an arrow and deliberately aimed beside the nearest Golden Snubby. The arrow struck the branch beneath it, making the monkey jump before it looked down at the shaft. Anja fired another past a second monkey and buried it in the trunk behind it.

Every Golden Snubby began shrieking.

They jumped up and down on the branches, shaking leaves into the water. One threw a half-eaten fruit at Anja. Another hurled a stick at Ambrosia. Within seconds, seed pods, pieces of bark, clumps of wet moss, and whatever else they could grab rained down around us.

“So much for skittish,” Anja said.

“That’s it.”

Kevin splashed toward the nearest tree and swung his hammer into the trunk. The impact shook the entire tree, knocking loose leaves and branches, and two Golden Snubbies lost their grip and dropped into the water.

They resurfaced almost immediately and scrambled onto the mangrove roots while screaming at Kevin. A few others launched themselves from the lower branches.

One came at my face. I caught it against my shield and shoved it aside. It twisted in midair, landed in the water, and fled toward the nearest root. Another bounced off the upper edge of my shield before I knocked it away.

The monkeys retreated into the branches and began making a different sound. Their shrill cries rose and fell together, carrying deeper into the swamp.

“They’re calling for help,” Ambrosia said.

The ground began to tremble beneath our feet.

At first, I thought something large was moving through the swamp. Then a deep, gorilla-like roar rolled between the trees, sending birds and smaller creatures scattering from the canopy. The Golden Snubbies above us immediately stopped shouting.

Branches snapped somewhere ahead.

A massive shape forced its way through the vegetation and stepped into the shallow water.

It was another Golden Snubby, except this one stood roughly twice the size of an adult silverback gorilla.

Thick orange-gold fur covered its broad shoulders, back, and massive arms. As it moved, the muscles beneath the fur visibly tightened and flexed. A pale mane spread around its neck, while heavy ridges of dark, scale-like skin protected the gray face and upturned nose it shared with the smaller monkeys. A tall ridge of orange hair rose from the top of its head like a mohawk, ending in a bright blue tip. Two long fangs curved from its open mouth as it released another roar.

A name tag appeared above its head, accompanied by a medium silver crown icon.

[Lv20. King Snubby]

The creature dropped onto its knuckles with enough force to send muddy water splashing across the surrounding roots. Behind it, several smaller Golden Snubbies gathered along the branches. One still held the potion it had stolen from Kevin, while another pointed down at us and resumed its excited chattering.

Kevin slowly raised his hammer. “I think they called their boss.”

The King Snubby bared its fangs and charged.

“Cloud, look what you’ve done!” Ambrosia complained as we scattered.

“How is this my fault? Anja shot at them, and Kevin hit their tree.”

“You told her to shoot!”

“Warning shots. Monkeys are supposed to run away from warning shots.”

“This game doesn’t care what monkeys are supposed to do!”

The King Snubby crashed through a cluster of mangrove roots behind us.

“Argue later,” I said. “Move somewhere more open.”

I pointed toward a stretch of deeper water with fewer trees, and we retreated through the swamp while the King Snubby pursued us on its knuckles. The water slowed it slightly, but each stride still sent waves rolling around its arms.

Once we reached the open section, the smaller monkeys stopped following. The water was too deep for them to cross without leaving the safety of the branches, and the nearest trees stood too far apart for them to jump between.

Now we only had to fight the enormous one.

“Wait,” Ambrosia said. “Look at its tail.”

The King Snubby’s thick tail curled behind it, wrapped tightly around the stem of a green mushroom. Its swollen cap shimmered between emerald and turquoise whenever it caught the sunlight.

“It’s holding a mushroom,” Ambrosia said.

The King Snubby glanced back at the mushroom, then snapped its head toward us and released another furious roar.

Kevin tightened both hands around his hammer. “Great. Now it thinks we want to steal it.”

“Not wrong,” I said.