Majid looked at Fiery, but it was too late. A hand caught her before her body slammed against the ground. She let out a shrieked as her bones cracked from the pressure. The Gray Ape was hell-bent on finishing her this time. Enduring the flames on her body, and her clawing as she struggled to free herself. Aura manifested around its right hand, as huge amounts of Qi gathered on it. It descended with great power, intending to split her head open. Majid wasn't confident he could make any difference, he didn't hesitate though as he sprung like a fish toward them. The ape pumped its chest, giving the impression that it has grown in size. Its right hand was descending like a meteor. Suddenly, The hand before Fiery jerked. The ape lost its balance, his hand hit the air. Majid's body flung in the air, his leg shot like an arrow, and implanted on the Ape's armpit. The ape's right hand turned around its body crossing with the other hand as if hugging itself. Its body lunged forward, head first crushing on the ground. Phew, it worked! Relying on the unbalance in the Ape pose, he attempted to shake off the ape's hand, to give her a chance to escape. Or at least make it mess the mark. The result was better than he expected. Unrestricted now, Fiery distanced herself, she gasped for breaths with her eyes bulged. The ape stood up, its eyes fixated on Majid, it growled before it launched at him. Fiery attacked its side forcing it to give up on him. The fight continued, but the rhythm of their exchange fell, they faltered after each clash. The ape kept losing blood, used its Qi to stop the bleeding, but it gushed sometimes as the ape moved. On the other hand, fiery was limping between each clash, forcing herself to continue. Her stamina dwindling by the second. Majid wasn't any better. Though he didn't receive any damage, he was exhausted, this pace was out of his league. Still, whenever he got a chance, he disturbed the ape or broke its momentum. He made surprise attacks targeting its balance, interrupting its moves. He thrust its sides deepening the wounds. The Ape drops its guard sometimes, a stun was laying in wait, opening a chance for Fairy to strike. He perfected his role as time goes. Little by little the ape's Qi and stamina dwindled, turning the tides in their favor. 'Why it won't fall yet, just fall damn it!' the ape persistence frustrated him though, he started to doubt their chances. But when he caught sight of the ape eyes this time, he knew they were close. There was no malice, arrogance, or ferocity on those eyes. He saw fear. He knew that fear. He saw it many times before, in the eye of a sheep before it was slaughtered. not because it saw the knife, no one knew if it recognizes it but the knife must be hiding from it. Maybe because it recognized its ends, with an unusual mood. People gathering around, taking it down, and stretching its neck. Even though he come of age where he should make his own sacrificial. He didn't have the heart to. Since he was single, it was the best excuse. He spent the holiday with his family. no matter how many times he was present, at that moment he never stepped up to do the last move. Leaving it for his father do the deed! He felt sad looking at the ape. 'If only it chooses to escape.' He wouldn't have to kill it then. After all, he's the aggressor. But he was in a jungle now, and the jungle has its rules. When in Rome do as the Romans do. Since it chose to stay, he has to do it, otherwise, he would be the sacrifice. No one knew which gonna fall first though, but the ape started to look away from its enemies from time to time. Majid didn't care less, he was exhausted. At some time though, he felt it was odd. He followed its gaze nonchalantly, but he was stunned at what he saw. It was the worst of his nightmares, it was the cave. 'No, that can't happen.' If they allowed it escape three, all their effort would be for nothing. They would have to fight inside. If they retreated, Fiery is doomed. While the Ape could recover, or even get stronger after this fight, with the spirit source inside. "It wants to run inside the cave!" The ape took that moment of distraction to escape, but it found Fiery right in front of its way. Fiery wasn't about to let go of all her efforts, even Majid harried to the front. The Ape was adamant though, it let go of any idea of defending, as it rampaged forward. Fiery attacked but was unable to stop it, Majid stuns didn't badge it either. The ape easily broke through them with sheer power. They followed after it on each side hacking at it. Majid retreated behind when Fiery overrun the ape again. She stood in the way like a gatekeeper from hell. Her body burst into fire whooshing like a torch. The flames dancing to the waves of wind. She was going all out. This was her last chance, if it goes past her everything is lost. The Ape channeled Qi on its limbs, radiating with an intense white glow. Likewise, it was going all out. Its eyes glared at the darkness of the cave with sparkling eyes, it would break through the fox no matter the cost. There, it could use its wits, and the terrain advantage to finish these parasites. Given they dare to follow. The first to move though was Majid. Even if not looking the part, he attempted to go all out too. He absorbed Qi around him. A faint vortex circled him as he exerted his soul. He darted toward the beast, entering its soul range, then its attacking range, the ape ignored him completely with a real threat if front. 'God bless you!' he got to the side of the beast. Fiery made its move, waving its way toward the ape, making it hard for it to prepare. Majid's hand full of energy, moved like a snake, thrusting his hand to its side, pierced deep in the wound. The ape ignored the pain, preparing to receive the fox. Majid channeled all the power he could muster converting it into the strongest arc. He shot it out of his spread fingers, bypassing the long fur, and thick skin into the body fluid. The result was entirely different. The Ape body spasmed, as the current wreck havoc through its nerves. Majid smiled at his success 'Well, my scientific knowledge can't go to waste.' Fiery capitalized on the opportunity, lunged like an arrow. The claws in one of her hands glowed like hot steel. The Ape eyes bulged, it struggled against the electric current, to get control of its body. Not before the fire spear reflected on its eyes, before it flushed down, sinking into its chest. Majid's heart boomed in his ears, as the fire reflected on his eyes, gushing out of the apes back like a flame thrower. He dacked reflexively before he backed away. The ape faltered a few steps before it got on its knee, and crashed down, its eyes bulged staring at him indignantly. 'Its all over!' fatigue descended on him like waterfall bringing him down. The ape fall dawn and so does fiery, he crawled toward her. She endured a lot, she looked so frail unlike herself. He rubbed her fur, his hands froze, as her chest convulsed throwing blood. His heart ached at her pain, somehow these foxes become important to him. "Can you move!" He looked at the ape, then back at her. "forget it I will carry you" She can't recover anymore, he wasn't sure even the water source could help. Nevertheless, he carried her and dashed inside. The cave was dark, waving like a snake, taking them left and right, forking and spreading endlessly. Fortunately, Fiery was awake, she gave him directions following her senses. At the end of the way, a small lake was glowing. It looked divine. Nothing like the artificial light in ponds. The faint light reflected on the roof made the ambiance serene. He approached the lake and put her down gently. After she drank a bit of water, she dived inside. Making sure she was fine, he found his way out much easier. Nothing changed outside, he roamed his eyes around the area. This place was his home now. 'Is there any way to make it safer here.' He looked toward the ape. 'Yeah, let's take care of that first.' He carried the ape and brought it inside the cave. Then he went around the battleground covering the blood with dirt. He couldn't smell the blood anymore, he wasn't sure though, he wasn't an animal. 'It should count for something.' He hopped no other trouble find its way here before they even recovered. He looked at the cave 'Is there any way I can hide it.' He distanced himself and looked at it. He was like he was a photographer trying to find the perfect angle. 'This might work.' He moved around carrying boulders and placing them between it and the clearing until most of its view was hiding. Next, he climbed the hill. He looked around cutting vines and throws them down. 'That should be enough.' He went back to the cave, he collected some dirt in his robe and climbed above it. He put dirt on cavities and surfaces he founds. And he planted the vines there, he was inspired by the cave, it already has some of them. The vines dangled covering the entrance. He didn't overdo it, lest it ends up backfiring at him, looking more eye-catching. 'Ok this would do for now, I'm gonna build a wall later.' After some back and forth, between the cave and the photographer position, he was satisfied. He goes back to the spirit source, he took a look at Fiery, she was peacefull, recovering in the source. 'Should I dive as well!' upon looking at himself he decided against it. He was stinky as a sophomore in homeless studies. He gonna spent a lot of time here, he doesn't want to turn it into a swamp. 'Yeah let's go to the spring.' He started to get used to this place, he found his way to the spring in no time, he drunk his fill first. Looking around like a thief, he took his clothes off. He cupped the water and started to rub his skin. The cold water gave him shills, but soon he enjoyed the cool sensation. His body breathed for the first time. Since he was born out of that hole, he got baptized in the holy water. 'Am I a Christian now, heh!' he smirked before he grabbed his clothes. He looked at them for a while. 'Yeah! that's a great idea, but let's do it later.' He dipped his clothes in the water, rubbed them for a while. The robe didn't lose its dirty color, he cares less though. All he wanted is to take off the sweet and germs. He stood up and shook his clothes before he put them on, he strolled away, along with a warm smile. It vanished as he froze in his place. He looked to the side. Many animal-like footprints were on the grounds. It was a special footprint he knew, he created it himself. 'There no way some random guy did this!' they must have discovered his little trick. 'Let's leave now!' he rushed away his heart booming, his head roamed around from time to time in a paranoia. ------------------------ "Are you sure?" said Lee Xugi dressed in a purple robe! inside the guest room, in from of him sat 2 men, dressed in white robes. "Yeah, even Lao bo think the same" Lao Ji looked at his fellow. The latter nodded his head. "Hmm, whatever! what can they do with the corpse, it has nothing to do with me!" Lee Xugi smirked "Instead I would like if they make their move, I'm eager to know who's it, who dare to oppose me!"