The instant their fists collided, a catastrophic shock wave erupted from the point of impact, ripping through the dense forest like an unstoppable tide. Every early-stage entity-level being within a fifty-kilometer radius of the collision was annihilated on the spot, while most mid-stage entities suffered severe injuries.
Every seasoned beast and entity inhabiting the region understood the unspoken rule: remain at least fifty kilometers away from the king ape's territory, or pay the price with your life.
The tremendous impact forced Solanky to slide backward more than a dozen steps, while the king ape merely retreated a single step. As soon as it regained its footing, the colossal beast threw back its head and released a thunderous roar filled with savage exhilaration. It pounded its chest with overwhelming force, each strike sending brilliant sparks of flame erupting from its hide, a hide that was ten million times harder than any diamond found on Earth.
A trace of confusion flashed across Solanky's face, though his vigilance never wavered. During their exchange, he had sensed something unmistakable.
The king ape had been holding back.
The beast strode forward, its booming voice carrying unmistakable excitement.
"This is the first time anyone has matched my physical strength while I was using only the first layer of my three-layer body amplification. Yet even then, you were still restraining yourself. Splendid. I thank the transcendents for granting me this opportunity to test my true limits."
Its blazing eyes narrowed.
"Tell me. If I win, will you refine a thousand of those candies for me?"
A faint smile appeared on Solanky's face as his interest deepened.
"And if you lose," he replied calmly, "you will personally escort these travelers until they safely leave the forest. Do we have a deal?"
The king ape burst into hearty laughter that echoed throughout the mountains.
"You certainly possess a bold sense of humor for someone your size."
Without the slightest hesitation, it accepted the wager before unleashing another earth-shaking roar.
The second layer of its body amplification technique activated.
The orange flames burning around its horns flowed downward, settling into the second of the three horn segments. Watching intently, Solanky quickly realized that the ape's body amplification was directly connected to the segmented structure of its horns. Each section represented a different stage of amplification, with the flames serving as visible markers of its progression.
Moments later, the flames descended once more until they engulfed the third and final segment.
At that instant, an incomparably oppressive aura erupted from the king ape.
The overwhelming pressure swept across the forest, suppressing every living creature within it except for Solanky.
Then its body began to transform.
Its towering, monstrous frame rapidly compressed, shrinking until it stood only eight feet tall. Its hunched back straightened, and it rose fully onto two legs with the posture of a humanoid warrior.
The hideous beast from moments earlier had completely disappeared.
Standing before Solanky was a majestic humanoid figure covered from head to toe in smooth, glass-like orange fur. Only its face remained exposed, its flawless surface resembling polished jade. Two magnificent horns rose from its head, each wrapped in eternal orange flames that danced without consuming themselves.
A breastplate forged from an unknown precious metal protected its chest, while its unnaturally long arms ended in four razor-sharp claws on each hand. Behind it extended a metallic tail divided into twelve distinct segments, every section crackling with restrained flames that threatened to erupt at any moment.
Its aura surged once more.
Six hundred thousand times the power of an I.S.G.
Only after reaching that terrifying level did the pressure finally stabilize.
Then the king ape vanished.
It crossed the distance between them in an instant.
Knowing his disguised forsaken body would never survive a direct clash against an opponent of such overwhelming strength, Solanky immediately activated the body armor Commander Hanks had gifted him.
The armor increased the strength of his disguised forsaken body to four hundred and fifty thousand times amplification.
Even so, the difference between them remained enormous.
Before Solanky could devise a method of fighting without exposing his true identity to the transcendent beings observing from the shadows, the king ape's palm struck squarely against his chest.
The impact blasted him across several kilometers before he crashed violently into the side of a distant mountain, carving an enormous crater into solid rock.
Solanky immediately understood the gravity of what had happened.
Without the armor, his forsaken disguise would have been destroyed instantly, revealing his true body to everyone watching.
Lowering his gaze, he inspected the armor.
A massive palm print had been driven deep into its chest plate, while countless fine cracks spread outward like a spider's web.
The king ape's booming voice echoed across the battlefield.
"You forsaken truly possess remarkable defensive treasures. Even so, I doubt it would require much effort for me to break through that armor of yours."
Its tone carried a hint of amusement.
"Do not worry. I have no intention of killing you. I still need you alive to refine certain pills and treasures for me."
A sudden thought surfaced in Solanky's mind.
He could intentionally lose the battle, then later refine a pill capable of bringing the king ape completely under his control.
The idea lasted only an instant before he discarded it.
The ancient transcendent beings hidden nearby would immediately recognize refinement skills of that level. Such mastery belonged only to the greatest transcendent alchemists and craftsmen in existence.
Revealing abilities of that caliber was not an option.
Instead, Solanky searched through the countless techniques and combat arts inherited from his predecessors while continuously evading the king ape's relentless assault, hoping to discover something suitable for the battle.
Unfortunately, the king ape fought with overwhelming ferocity. Its style was brutally direct, savage, and relentless, leaving almost no room for error.
Against such an opponent, the inherited movement techniques Solanky borrowed proved insufficient. They simply could not match the demands of this battle.
As for the techniques he had personally created...
He could not use them.
Not yet.
Not while the transcendent beings remained hidden, watching his every move.