Black Phoenix Heir

Victor kept his head bowed.

With what felt like an eternity.

Sweat dripped from his forehead, some of it from the unbearable heat filling the chamber, but most of it came from the sheer pressure radiating from the ancient Lava Rock Monkey standing before him.

Victor didn’t dare move.

Eventually, the ancient lava rock monkey spoke.

”Lift your head, boy.”

Victor slowly raised his head.

His eyes met the ancient monkey’s.

”So you’re the new Primate, huh?”

There was something strangely casual about the ancient monkey’s voice.

Considering the overwhelming pressure he was releasing, Victor had expected something far more intimidating.

”Yes, Senior.”

The ancient monkey’s lips curled upward.

He smiled.

Then he began walking.

Straight through the lava.

Each step sent small waves of molten rock rolling around his legs.

”How amusing.”

His voice carried through the cultivation chamber.

”It seems my offspring have grown weak.”

He took another step.

”Very, very weak.”

The ancient monkey shook his head.

”But it isn’t their fault.”

His expression became slightly more serious.

”They couldn’t control what happened to them.”

He paused.

”The fault lies with me.”

Victor’s eyes narrowed slightly.

What happened to them?

Before Victor could ask, the ancient monkey suddenly leaped from the lava.

His enormous body rose into the air.

Then something incredible happened.

His body began to change.

The massive frame rapidly contracted.

The thick muscles covering his enormous body compressed inward as his bones shifted beneath his skin. His arms shortened, his legs reshaped, and his shoulders narrowed. The rough, stone-like texture of his body smoothed as his form transformed.

His massive head changed shape, his muzzle retracting as his jaw shortened and his facial features became distinctly human.

His hair was a deep crimson mixed with subtle shades of yellow and orange, like embers glowing beneath a flame.

Then his eyes opened.

They were a striking yellow-crimson.

He touched down beside Victor.

The enormous Lava Rock Monkey was gone.

In his place stood a man.

He was enormous compared to Victor.

Around six and a half feet tall, with a broad, heavily muscled physique that looked almost sculpted rather than naturally formed.

His upper body was completely bare.

Ancient tattoos covered his chest, shoulders, arms, and portions of his back, spreading far more extensively than those Victor had seen on the other members of the clan.

He wore only simple pants around his waist.

A long monkey tail extended from his lower back and curled around toward the front of his body.

Yet despite his imposing appearance, his expression was difficult to read.

There was seriousness in his eyes.

But there was also something playful.

It was a strange combination.

Victor stared for a moment.

This man looked no older than thirty.

But the pressure surrounding him told a completely different story.

This was an ancient existence.

A being who had survived for an unimaginable length of time.

The ancient monkey looked down at Victor.

”So, what’s your name, boy?”

”My name is Victor, Senior.”

”Victor.”

The ancient monkey nodded casually.

”Okay.”

Victor blinked.

That was it?

The man looked around the chamber.

”You know, this is the first time a human has ever become the Prime Ape and entered my chambers.”

Victor’s expression changed slightly.

The ancient monkey’s eyes shifted toward him.

”Let alone one who holds so many secrets.”

Victor froze.

He could feel it.

The ancient monkey was looking through him.

His gaze seemed to penetrate Victor’s body, his Core, his soul, perhaps even the things Victor himself didn’t fully understand.

Fortunately, after a few moments, the ancient monkey’s gaze relaxed.

”Interesting.”

Victor remained silent.

The ancient monkey smiled.

”Don’t worry, boy.”

He waved a hand.

”I’m not going to peer into your secrets.”

Victor relaxed slightly.

”That’s none of my business.”

The ancient monkey stretched his arms before continuing.

”Every new Prime Ape who enters my cultivation chamber is allowed guidance from me.”

Victor’s eyes widened.

”Guidance?”

”Yes.”

The ancient monkey nodded.

”It’s one of the privileges of becoming Prime Ape.”

He smiled.

Victor hadn’t expected that.

After everything that had happened, he had assumed this creature was simply some ancient guardian of the Lava Pool.

”And if you have any questions…”

The ancient monkey shrugged.

”I’ll answer them.”

Victor’s mind immediately began racing.

There were so many questions.

Victor suddenly remembered the plaque outside.

His expression became serious.

”Senior.”

The ancient monkey looked at him.

”Outside the cave entrance…”

Victor hesitated.

”There was an upside-down alchemical symbol.”

The ancient monkey’s expression changed.

Victor continued.

”That’s tied to Samal, right?”

The ancient monkey froze.

Victor’s heart tightened.

For the first time since Victor had met him, his casual expression completely disappeared.

”…How do you know of Samal?”

Victor remained silent.

He suddenly wondered whether he had overstepped.

The ancient monkey stared at him.

Then something unexpected happened.

A smile slowly spread across his face.

It wasn’t his previous playful grin.

It was something warmer.

Something nostalgic.

He looked away for a moment, as though seeing someone who had disappeared from the world long ago.

”Samal…”

The ancient monkey whispered the name.

He hadn’t heard it spoken by another person in thousands of years.

Then he looked back at Victor.

”How do you know about him?”

Victor hesitated.

The ancient monkey noticed.

”Don’t worry, boy.”

His smile returned.

”Samal and I were very good friends.”

He paused.

”No.”

His eyes softened.

”We were brothers.”

Victor’s eyes widened.

Brothers?

He had finally found someone who had actually known Samal.

For a moment, Victor almost forgot how old the ancient monkey standing before him must have been.

Samal had lived thousands upon thousands of years ago.

At least seven or eight thousand years, perhaps even longer.

And this monkey had known him personally.

Victor swallowed.

”I’ve seen traces of him throughout the forest.”

He began explaining.

”In the cavern. There were statues.”

His voice became more animated.

”Paintings. Ancient writings. Places that seemed to be connected to him. Every time I found something, I learned a little more about who he was.”

The ancient monkey listened.

Victor continued.

”But I still don’t understand what happened to him.”

The ancient monkey remained quiet for a moment.

Then he smiled.

”Yes.”

He looked toward the lava pool.

”No matter what anybody says…”

His voice became softer.

”Samal was a very good man.”

Victor listened carefully.

”He cared about his family.”

The ancient monkey smiled.

”He cared about his friends.”

His smile grew.

”And his enemies…”

He suddenly laughed.

”…well, they usually didn’t last long enough to become a topic of conversation.” 1

The ancient monkey threw his head back and laughed.

”HAHAHAHA!”

His laughter echoed throughout the massive chamber.

Victor stared at him.

He was completely stunned.

This ancient being had gone from discussing an ancient friend with almost melancholy nostalgia to laughing like a man remembering the funniest story of his life.

Victor couldn’t help but smile slightly.

He waited.

Eventually, Monklalusa’s laughter began to fade.

He shook his head.

”That idiot.”

Victor raised an eyebrow.

Idiot?

He had never heard anyone describe Samal that way.

Monklalusa looked down at him.

The playful expression remained on his face.

Victor took a breath.

There were still so many questions he wanted to ask.

Victor stared at Monkalusa for several seconds.

There were countless questions he could have asked.

But one question rose above the rest.

Victor lifted his head.

”So you knew Samal?”

Monkalusa’s expression shifted slightly.

Victor continued before the ancient monkey could answer.

”Then you must have been around near the end of the Beast War. What happened?”

For the first time since Victor had entered the chamber, Monkalusa became quiet.

His playful expression disappeared.

The ancient monkey lowered his gaze toward the lava.

”To be honest…”

He paused.

”I don’t really know.”

Victor blinked.

Monkalusa sighed.

”The war was… strange. For a very long time, neither side could truly break the other. The beasts had their Monarchs. The humans had their strongest warriors. The great powers constantly fought for territory, resources, and influence.”

He scratched his chin.

His eyes became distant.

”It was a stalemate.”

Victor listened carefully.

”Then, at some point…”

Monkalusa’s voice slowed.

”Something changed.”

He looked toward the far end of the cavern.

”I don’t know what caused it. I never found out. One day, Samal suddenly recalled his forces.”

Victor’s eyebrows rose.

Monkalusa’s expression became solemn.

”And the order wasn’t optional. It was immediate. Samal wanted every one of his forces back in his territory as quickly as possible.”

Victor remained silent.

”But we were scattered across the world,” Monkalusa continued. ”Some forces were close enough to return quickly. Others weren’t.”

His fingers slowly curled into a fist.

”My clan was one of those groups.”

The ancient monkey’s eyes narrowed.

”We were too far away.”

A moment of silence passed.

Monkalusa looked down.

”I still don’t know what happened to Samal during those final days. I don’t know what he discovered. I don’t know why he suddenly called everyone back.”

His voice became quieter.

”I only know what I personally witnessed.”

There was melancholy in his eyes now.

Victor understood immediately that pressing him further would accomplish nothing.

Monkalusa himself wanted those answers.

Perhaps more than anyone.