RB Chapter 108 The next level!

"Boy, I do know that I am no match for you if you choose to activate that form of yours, but, I think there are certain conditions for its activation. I wouldn't want all of us to gang up on you, so...obediently hand over the fruit." Monki said, trying to sound arrogant. His gaze had shifted towards Eric. A look of greed had taken over his facial features, but hesitation and fear were deep in his eyes. He didn't want to push Eric into using that form as he was sure that all of them including himself would die. He could never forget that horrifying pressure!

His words caused everyone's face to shift, with most leaning towards greed. Of course, for the people who had managed to witness that form, only fear, curiosity and terror was in the gazes that they threw towards him.

"Who here doesn't want the fruit? Raise your hands if you want the fruit!" Monki became worked up. He didn't want to attack alone, but wanted the others to join him. It would be even more preferable if it was those who hadn't seen that form, like those savages and the monkeys.

Eric's expression had already become so dark that it was like a storm was brewing, not to mention Chloe. Their energy had been spent and even making their way towards the place where the fruit was hidden was going to be hard.

"Don't try to goad us. We don't even know of the fruits' effects. Making an enemy out of that guy. According to logic, even if we manage to acquire the fruit from him, killing him...I thinly you are the one who knows best. I can see the fear in your eyes." Sally interjected causing what he was going to utter next to stay in his throat.

"Bitch! Are you trying to antagonise me?" Monki's brown eyes narrowed at her. A dangerous aura started to build around him.

"I have never been scared of you." Sally said. The intimidation didn't faze her. Her genes alone were suitable for taking on Monki. No matter how rational she might be, a predator at the top of the food chain always had its pride. It shouldn't retreat in the face of a challenge!

Monki too didn't back down causing their standoff to devolve into a sort of staring contest.

"Now that you know that such fruits exist, I believe you can search for them. I believe you managed to at least keep a few of those loyal to your clan, right? There is no need for you to try and get this unripened fruit." A hand, clad in a white armor with splashes of red, Mugumivu's, sank into Monki's shoulder while his words entered his ears. His voice was calm and firm. No greedy expression was visible on his face, just like miss Njibwa. Monki felt the bones in his shoulder creak from the stress. 

"Tch!" Monki broke away from the staring contest. He wanted the fruit, but that would lead to a clash with Mugumivu. Monki picked up his intentions from his words. It basically meant that Mugumivu was protecting the boy. But why!

"Boy. This is in return for you teaching us energy channeling. I don't like owing people favors. But of course it doesn't extend to these savages and the monkeys. Those are my limits." Mugumivu had the natural air of a leader. His words alone managed to prevent the others from making any moves even though their expressions were ugly. His words also reminded them of that particular matter. He was essentially pressuring them since they too owed a favor.

"Well...thank you." Eric had a note of sincererity added to his voice. Mugumivu's image in his mind improved a bit.

'Now that only leaves the monkeys and the savages. These are the two groups where negotiations are either pointless or can bear fruit.' Eric analysed. In his vision, the monkeys appeared to be deep in thought while the savages had changed their expressions from raging to greedy.

'It looks like he wasn't well liked.' Fumu led with an iron fist, something Eric didn't know, so of course they didn't like him.

The savages were still keeping themselves in place since they didn't know how the other group was going to react...the group with those city dwellers had already taken a stance so all their gazes were focused towards the monkeys.

"Boy! What can you tell me about the next level. You must have an inkling of what it is, right?" One of the monkeys asked, its voice grating on the ears.

"The next level..." Eric sighed. The attention of all the intelligent lifeforms on the scene was piqued.

"If I provide information, can you promise not to demand the fruit, or attack us?" Eric's eyes brightened. An idea had just popped up in his mind. It could get them out of this predicament.

'If they agee, I will only be left with those barbarians. That alone would be a good thing.' 

"Do you want me to kill you where you stand? Don't try to negotiate with me. Right now you lack the cards." All the monkeys had their eyes narrow dangerously. Did this human think that he had the power to negotiate with them? He was a spent force, useless to all the people here. His only value laid in the fact that his partner had the fruit and appeared to have hidden it.

"Oh, I am 100% sure that none of these people have any of the information that you seek...are you truly sure you want to pass on this chance?" Eric asked calmly. He was betting that this information was more important to the monkey than the fruit. 

"...okay, I promise." One of the monkeys answered.

"Heh...don't try to play with me here. I need all of you to promise." 

'He wanted to make a promise with one then have the others attack? Naive! I am not naive enough to believe him!' 

'He managed to see through that ruse?' Chloe wondered. Even she hadn't managed to see through that trap.

"I don't know much about the next level, but I will tell you my speculations..." After the other monkeys also promised, Eric started. All the others perked up their ears. This was important information after all!

"The next level is about the mind, in other words, the brain, but to me, I don't think its the next level." Eric took a pause. He was arranging his words carefully.

"This level can be reached before any of the other stages, like energy channeling and genetic slotting. You just have to find a way to agitate a certain area of the brain...even I don't know what it is...but, once you do, energy channeling becomes as easy as breathing even without prior knowledge." Humanity had just started figuring out these levels or stages, so no one knew what comes after what. Everyone could only speculate.

Eric had managed to figure out that, but since he hadn't met any person or beast which started off with unlocking its brain's potential, he wasn't sure.

With his pause, he gave the crowd time to digest the information, while he too was thinking of how to continue.

The place sank into silence with the only sound being the crackle of electricity within the anomaly. At five meters in diameter, it had ceased its expansion and was even showing signs of contracting. The sense of danger which had been emanating off it had vanished.

"If it isn't the next level, then could it be taken as the pre-level, in other words, the fundamental starting level?" Sally broke the silence. The sun's heat was raging through the clearing, a sign of it being around 2:00 or 3:00pm. But no one had any care about the the heat, which was causing them to sweat, and for rosy smells to waft into the air from the females.

"Fundamental... Yes! You might be right! If it is the first level, then the others would only become the second levels!" Eric had an excited gleam appear in his eyes. He even gave Sally a thumbs up for figuring that out. If that was true, then they were jumping levels currently. 

"But, here comes the question, can only the fruits found in the wild be used, or should it be possible to create a solution or serum?" At Mugumivu's question, the rest of the crowd had their eyes light up! If that was true, then they would all benefit immensely!

"I don't know if its feasible, but we should try it. I will even pledge the fruit to such a cause." Those words from Eric caused a few raised eyebrows. Of course this wasn't just the reason, but he still thought that it would be more beneficial if it was first researched.

"Boy, you are straying from the topic. Continue with the explanation." The monkeys shouted in their ear piercing voices.

'Listening to them talk is uncomfortable.' Such a random thought appeared in Eric's mind before it was tossed away.

"Anyway, once that area has been agitated or awoken, you gain the ability to control your brainwaves and the magnetic field they produce. For now, I am only certain up to that point." Eric concluded.

"You must at least have a vague idea of the abilities brought, right?" This time it was Leah. She had faded into the background. Eric had even temporarily forgotten her existence. He shifted his eyes towards her and saw that she was standing faintly close to Elena.

'Even though they don't get along, they seem to have a certain attraction towards each other.' He thought. He himself was still leaning on Chloe, as she, was to him.

"...let's see...first, any electromagnetic wave that enters the domain in which your brainwaves are active can be controlled, like that guy..." He pointed towards Fumu's body which was now visible. It had burnt to cinders and was on the verge of collapsing due to gravity. What was left was just ash.

"...but since he lacks knowledge like us city dwellers, he tried to make all the waves work together...in other words to merge, creating a strain on his mental capabilities."

NOTE;

Today am releasing these two, but the others will be bundled with the ones for next week.