"What the hell was that?" Koby shouted, catching his breath, clearly shaken by the surprise attack.
I cast a glance in the direction where the menacing shadow had emerged just moments earlier.
"I think we just ran into the infamous Sabor mentioned in the dungeon announcement… Some kind of mid-boss, or maybe a scout."
Beside me, Usopp was still watching the foliage, shivering slightly despite his admirable composure. He had drawn his weapon at the first suspicious sound and taken down the attacker without a moment's hesitation.
I turned to Koby.
"Tell me, could you pass your Apprentice Ring to Usopp for this run? I think it would be far more useful to him in this environment."
Koby blinked, surprised, then nodded as he rummaged through his pouch.
"Of course. He could definitely learn a lot here."
He tossed the small silver ring to Usopp.
"A ring?" the sniper repeated, catching it mid-air, curious. He examined it with his fingertips, as if afraid he might break it.
"It's a magical item, a piece of dungeon equipment. This one accelerates learning—it helps absorb experience faster. If you wear it during the exploration, you might gain new skills or sharpen your fighting style."
Usopp's eyes widened, then he slowly slid the ring onto his middle finger.
"Whoa… It's like free fast-track training? I'm in!"
I smiled before stepping toward the exit of the treetop cabin.
When I opened the door, a wave of warm, humid air brushed against my face. The view was breathtaking. From this height, the jungle canopy stretched endlessly, a vast emerald sea shifting with the wind. Distant animal calls echoed like the drums of an ancient world.
"Let's go," I said, bending my knees slightly before leaping into the air.
I glided gently above the trees, guided by wind and magic. Koby and Usopp followed by their own means, each focused, their eyes fixed on the winding path ahead and slightly to the right.
As we made our way down the trail, we emerged into a vast suspended clearing. Here, the trees formed a complex network of thick branches and hanging vines, weaving an aerial labyrinth with no path on the ground. There was only one way forward: swinging from vine to vine through the treetops.
I scanned the area. Scattered throughout, hanging from branches or hidden behind foliage, were the fifty Patrol Primates waiting for us. All of them were stationed high above, their glowing eyes tracking our every move. It was a perfect ambush.
I glanced at my companions. Koby looked tense, his gaze fixed on the void between the vines. He was sweating slightly, his hands clenched around the hilt of his dagger. Usopp, on the other hand, seemed strangely at ease—likely a mix of his forest experience and natural agility.
"Koby, stick close to Usopp. Try to cover his blind spots or warn him of incoming attacks. If you both try to swing across now, they'll jump you the moment you're midair. I'll keep them busy."
Without waiting, I shot into the air above the branches, immediately unleashing a storm of magical projectiles. Unlike the other primates, these didn't use stones or arrows. Instead, small blue energy spheres formed in their palms and launched toward me with uncanny precision.
Eyes closed, I surrendered to pure instinct. My Observation Haki spread out slowly but surely, guiding me through the incoming salvos. The magical bullets danced around me, zigzagging under the primates' influence, making their trajectories nearly impossible to track without heightened perception.
Usopp had already reacted, drawing his slingshot and targeting the nearest primates. His accurate shots picked them off one by one as I distracted them, while Koby, true to his role, intercepted the blue projectiles aimed at his teammate. His movements—initially broad and hesitant—became increasingly tight and refined. He was learning to optimize, trimming away every unnecessary motion to increase efficiency.
We held out for a solid thirty minutes in that aerial dance. When the last Patrol Primate fell from its branch in a burst of shadow, I felt a vibration inside me. My Observation Haki had reached its first threshold. I'd try to test its usefulness after the dungeon, maybe by letting Eisah out to experiment. A clearer sense of danger now pulsed around me.
I descended to my companions, my hands glowing faintly with green light. "Nice work, both of you." I cast a healing spell that made the scratches on their arms and faces disappear.
Koby stepped forward, a little embarrassed."Jordan… could you help me across? Or at least stay close, just in case I slip?"
I gave him a gentle smile, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder."No problem, Koby. Asking for help isn't a weakness—it's the opposite. Recognizing what you're not ready for yet is already a sign of courage. And it helps keep your teammates safe."
Usopp nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, don't worry about it. It's better to train together than fall alone. Here, take your ring back. You could still improve more if you wear it while we swing across the vines."
Koby nodded and slipped the ring back onto his finger, taking a deep breath.
We began the crossing. The first few swings were hesitant. I had to catch Koby twice in the beginning—some landing spots were slippery from damp moss. But he quickly gained confidence. After five swings, he was almost enjoying it, moving like he'd done this his whole life.
When we reached the other side, I came to a sudden stop. My Haki kicked in, sending a chill down my spine. Without even turning, I raised my Keyblade and struck behind me.
A heavy thud echoed. The body of the female leopard, Sabor, slammed into a tree trunk before vanishing once again into the vegetation. She had tried to ambush us, but my blade had stopped her cold. Still, the blow didn't seem to have been fatal.
We descended further via a natural tunnel—a hollow inside the trunk of a massive tree. Our bodies slid at high speed along the smooth, damp bark, gravity propelling us for a good hundred meters before we landed in a darker clearing, where only a few beams of light pierced the dense canopy.
Ahead of us, two shallow ponds dotted the clearing. Around thirty Coastal Primates splashed around in the water, grunting and shrieking joyfully, seemingly unaware of the looming threat. Above them, perched on thick branches, about thirty Cheeky Primates waited for us, still and alert.
Koby returned the Apprentice Ring to Usopp before taking the initiative. He leapt from vine to vine with a newfound ease, dodging obstacles and deflecting stone projectiles launched by the Cheeky Primates using his dagger. His movements were fluid, instinctive—a clear breakthrough in his growth.
Usopp, true to himself, covered his friend with surgical precision. He dodged flying rocks almost unconsciously, as if this rain of projectiles had become second nature. Every shot found its mark, and the enemies fell one by one under his watchful aim.
As for me, I took advantage of the distraction my companions had created to engage the Coastal Primates in close combat. I released my Heartless Gorilla form and charged into the shallow water, sending shockwaves with every step. My brutal, heavy fighting style allowed me to knock down multiple enemies at once. I could feel the Heartless Gorilla evolving—it was getting faster, denser, almost alive, as if it were learning from each battle. But I didn't yet understand the rules behind its growth. I reverted to my human form before continuing onward.
Once the area was cleared, we proceeded cautiously through the vegetation until an opening led us to what looked like an old campsite. Torn tarps, remnants of furniture, and a main tent—still relatively intact—dominated the clearing. But the place was teeming with Heartless.
And suddenly, a piercing scream ripped through the air.
"AAAAAH! HELP!"
A young woman in a scientist's lab coat came sprinting out of the trees, running for her life, chased by the leopard we had seen earlier—Sabor. Its claws slashed through the air with a rage-filled roar, ready to strike her down.
I didn't hesitate.
"Ice Wall!"
I raised my arms, and a thick wall of ice burst forth between the beast and the woman, halting the deadly strike that could've ended her life. The impact was brutal, but the wall held.
I leapt over the barrier and faced Sabor head-on. The fight was quick but intense. I struck with precision, exploiting the openings in its feline style. My Keyblade pierced its chest at the perfect moment, and Sabor was consumed in a swirl of twisting shadows.
This time, the beast didn't come back. The area was clear.
Usopp and Koby, meanwhile, had taken care of the remaining Heartless in the area—about thirty more Cheeky Primates, the same number of Coastal Primates, and several Green Requiems. We now had only sixty enemies left and one final boss to defeat.
I approached the young woman, who had fallen to her knees. I extended a hand to help her up.
"Thank you for saving me… My name's Jane Porter," she said, breathless but grateful. Her eyes briefly shifted toward the tent, from which an old man with round glasses emerged, his hat askew and eyes wide with panic.
"And that's my father, Archimedes Porter."
"Thank you for protecting my daughter, sir," the elderly scholar said sincerely. "We had a guard, but he vanished the moment we arrived in this forest… It's become horribly dangerous here."
Before we could ask any questions, Archimedes rummaged through his pockets and handed me a small leather pouch. Then, without another word, he guided his daughter into the tent. As soon as they stepped inside, the canvas glowed with a soft light, and both of them vanished in a flash, as if swallowed by a magical portal. When I entered the tent after them, it was empty and silent. There was nothing left, as if they had never been there.
"You think those two are like Alice?" Koby asked.
I nodded slowly."Yeah… They're probably souls tied to this dungeon. Visitors we're meant to help. There's a pattern here."
Opening the small pouch they had left me, I found two compartments: one held fine black powder, and the other, perfectly round lead bullets.
I turned to Usopp with a smile."Here. I think these will be far more useful to you than to me."
The sharpshooter took the pouch, stars in his eyes."This is amazing! These bullets look perfectly forged. And the powder… I could do some crazy stuff with this. Thanks!"
We proceeded cautiously into the depths of the dungeon, our breathing in sync, our steps soft against the warm, dense forest floor. Ahead of us opened a wide, empty clearing, at the center of which sat a blackened, cracked stone—so out of place it seemed almost alien amidst the vibrant jungle.
No movement. No sound.
No monkeys. No Requiems. Nothing.
I frowned, wary."Stay sharp," I murmured.
We crossed the clearing slowly, wary as if each blade of grass could hide a trap. But nothing came. No cries, no rustling branches, no hostile vibrations in the air.
That silence… was the real danger.
After crossing the clearing without incident, we entered a new area—more rugged. The trees were sparser here, replaced by strange natural rock formations. The ground was uneven, scattered with crevices and crumbling stones.
And this time, the place was full.
Dozens of Coastal Primates, fists clenched, growled at our arrival. High above, the Cheeky Primates were already swinging in circles, shrieking loudly. Overhead, Green Requiems slowly circled, their luminescent wings humming softly in the air.
But I felt something else… a blurry presence.
My Haki flared up sharply, like a mental alarm.
I looked to the sky—too late.
"GET DOWN!!!"
My body instantly fused with the Heartless Gorilla, growing several meters tall. I raised my arms at the last second, interposing my massive forearms between the ground and an invisible mass crashing down on us like a meteor. A shockwave echoed out, sending dust in all directions.
The Stalker, the dungeon boss, had entered the fight.
Invisible. Massive. Fast.
I growled, holding the pressure, my body rumbling from the strain.
"Koby! Usopp! Do what you need to do! I'll handle this one!"
Both nodded and split off immediately.
Koby charged head-on toward the Coastal Primates, dagger in hand. With his newly gained agility, he weaved between their limbs, delivering rapid, precise strikes—finishing each ape with clean hits to the throat, eyes, or under the arms.
Usopp, meanwhile, leapt back, used a rocky ledge as a platform, and began shooting at the Green Requiems. Each projectile brought down a Heartless with a single shot.
Each strike seemed enhanced by newfound accuracy. He already had sharp instincts, but the ring appeared to amplify his combat style.
As for me, I wrestled with the invisible enemy. Thanks to my Haki, I could sense its movements—even if its camouflage concealed its shape. Each of the Stalker's blows was powerful, destabilizing. It was weak, but its size, weight, and especially its speed made it hard to manage.
I took a risk. I opened my arms for a split second, baiting it to charge.
It took the bait.
I dove to the side and slammed my Keyblade violently onto its skull, forcing it to crash headfirst into the ground—breaking its invisibility.
I launched into the air, concentrating my Keyblade above my head.
"Let's finish this!"
I came crashing down like a meteor, the Keyblade plunging into its back. The shadow exploded in a burst of dark light.
The Stalker was defeated.
Below, Koby had finished his battle—exhausted, covered in dust, but still standing.
Usopp had taken down the last of the Green Requiems, loosing one final shot that shattered one of them mid-flight.
Only the Cheeky Primates remained, and together, we swept through them in under five minutes—combining our efforts to clear the zone.
Then, a series of messages flashed through my mind, like a mental reward screen:
• Usopp receives: Standard Infinite Ammo Pouch and 2 Potions.• Usopp gains the skill: Energy Bullet (Skill of the Patrol Primates).• Koby receives: Fang of the Beast (Slightly improves learning, attack, and defense).• Jordan receives: 200 Coastal Primates, 200 Cheeky Primates, 50 Patrol Primates, 200 Green Requiems, and 1 Stalker.• Bonus: Physical Attributes of Sabor (Easy Mode).• You have unlocked: Deep Jungle – Normal Mode.
"I loved that hunt," Usopp said through a tired but satisfied smile.
"Same here. Oh—and you can keep the ring, Usopp. I just got something even better," Koby murmured, staring down at his hands, where a necklace hung, a single fang dangling from it.
(Author's note: I'll stop here for now, but I'll try to post the next chapter on Monday. See attached images of the three new primates Jordan obtained.)