Explosions sounded incessant.
It was brief but I could still feel my eardrums almost splitting.
The next moment, I felt my body separate from my head. However, I could still perceive the world around me.
Is this death? Did the dragon blow me up into pieces?
My eyelids started to feel heavy and I heard the monkeys crowding over.
I started to lose consciousness.
When I woke up, I found myself on the ground.
I had a long dream about a journey to the west and treasure seeking in a cave.
In the dream, I had no control, as it was simply a movie playing out in the cinema.
I heard the monkeys calling out in slow-motion and just as I was about to pick up a precious gold band, my eyes flew open.
The moment they saw that I was awake, they started jumping up and down frantically.
I touched my torso and my head subconsciously. I definitely felt them ripping apart, but it was as if nothing happened.
It doesn"t matter, though. The memory was still fresh in my mind. I remembered everything.
"Where"s my booklet?" I asked the monkeys.
One of them picked it out from his behind and handed it to me.
There was a funky smell but I took it anyway.
I made sure to rub it against the bullet-proof vest of the monkey closest to me.
The booklet started vibrating and the LV2 became LV4.
I was stunned. Getting rid of an LV8 upped me two levels?
The opponent"s planet started shattering, as did all the corpses.
I couldn"t wrap my head around the game system, but I let it go. I should not complain about gaining two levels, considering that the boy had to go through 63 battles to reach LV8.
It was just probably going to get increasingly difficult to level up from now on.
I had won two battles, but how many more were there going to be?
How was I supposed to leave this place?
Those were questions for the future, though.
What I needed now was to make more concrete plans.
I opened the booklet and got the burnt branch ready.
It was already somewhat blunt and the charcoal was almost used up.
Was it time to ask for a pen?
No. I had more important things to do.
"Turn them into Sun Wukongs," I wrote.
I believed these monkeys to be the best creatures, all they needed now was an upgrade.
The blue light of the LV4 flickered as golden staffs started plunging down.
The monkeys quickly went forward to catch them.
"Go. Be my monkey kings," I shouted.
"Monkey kings."
"Kings."
...
Upon getting ahold of the staffs, the monkeys started swinging them around fancifully.
That looks about right.
With a smile, I waved. "Come over."
A monkey ran over and handed his staff to me.
The instant that I took it, I was thrown to the ground. With my left hand crushed, I shrieked.
Startled, the monkey quickly retrieved his staff.
I sat up as the monkey stared at me in shock.
My left hand was a mess.
Something was definitely broken inside.
This has to be Sun Wukong"s staff... 500kg staff!
I drew in a cold breath.
13 monkeys, 13 golden staffs.
The realization gave me a sense of security, but I still worried about accidental injuries. It wouldn"t just be my hand but my life at stake.
I observed my monkeys in their bullet-proof vest, helmet, and golden staff.
It was not the best outfit choice, but who cares as long as they win?
At least they wouldn"t be shooting blindly with their guns anymore.
Of course, I would need them to become even better with time, just like the boy"s dragons.
My booklet had turned black for the time being, so I had to wait for the next day to arrive.
I needed 13 monkey kings behind my back. The real monkey kings and not this bunch of easily frightened monkeys.
I slept peacefully that night since I had already gotten used to the quake that occurred before a battle.
We got up after the shaking stopped.
I removed the lens of the 98K and used it as binoculars.
The enemy was a foreign-looking and enormous monster, standing on the opposite planet.
It charged toward me, its mouth wide open. There was a boy with two heads behind it.
I turned around and as usual, my monkeys had run into the mini forest.
I looked at my booklet; it had turned golden again.
"Get rid of their timidness," I wrote.
A blue light appeared and the monkeys immediately came down from the trees, bearing their teeth, and sprinted toward the monsters.
Things were going as planned.
The golden staff was no joke. My left hand was still hurting like crazy.
The scene quickly turned b.l.o.o.d.y as these monkeys killed relentlessly.
It took them three minutes to wipe the other planet out.
I couldn"t figure the opponent"s level but this victory did not give me a level up.
Days pa.s.sed and my monkeys became stronger.
I rebuilt a big tree for the monkeys and also gave them golden armors and red capes.
"Who are we going against today, Master?"
"Yeah, Master."
"I don"t wanna be 8th in line any longer. Switch 7th brother with me, will you?"
...
3 years later.
Just as the opposite planet was about to connect with ours...
"Do you see it with your fire eyes, Third Brother?" I asked.
"All monsters, no human. They"re speaking some kind of bird language. Should we get rid of them or should I explore that mountain?" a monkey reported.
"Get rid of them if there are no humans," I instructed.
"Alright, Master."
He raised his golden staff and it instantly increased in size.
It grew wildly, almost comparable to the size of the opponent"s planet, before smashing down on it.
There was nothing to see; the whole planet shattered.
I looked at the golden LV8 on my booklet. No level up.
I was different from the boy who fought 63 battles in five years.
I had fought 80 battles within three years.
The enemies I met were mostly of lower levels.
Even after 80 battles, though, I was still stuck at LV8.
Do I need to win against an LV9 before getting promoted?
These monkeys were becoming increasingly similar to the Sun Wukongs I had imagined, my fear growing alongside them.
I was worried that the pages in the booklet would run out, so I seldom used it to write wishes.
I was afraid that a more powerful planet would come along and destroy us in seconds.