The copper watering can helped eliminate nearly one hundred enemies but dozens survived. Jinyo lunged at them with weapons in hand. The wooden sword enhanced with Sword Spirit slashed at high speed. The black curved sickle precisely pierced through Martial Apes' windpipes.

  All agricultural equipment had attack power values. Suitable for use as weapons even without entering combat mode. Durability values barely decreased at all, unlike the watering can that lost durability with every shot fired. The only thing that seemed problematic was that it wasn't a sword.

  "SCREECH!" Martial Apes jumped to create distance. They gathered together, jumping to kick at the surrounded Jinyo. Strong planar from mountain training combined with human martial arts. The techniques they used were probably kicking skills from a manual some hunter dropped. Fast and agile, befitting creatures designed to emphasize agility to escape from predators.

  Eye of the Sage

  Jinyo's eyes changed to blue. Martial Apes' information and the martial arts they used appeared on the system window. Jinyo gathered force at his feet, jumping skyward with the family footwork technique, Blossom Step Technique. A technique that helped increase footwork propulsion.

  Jinyo jumped up to three meters high. All Martial Apes floating mid-air couldn't stop their own movements. They kicked each other.

  "Peach Blossom Dance." Jinyo drew his wooden sword, diving down into the encirclement. The wooden sword slashed muscles and tendons from eight swings. The sweet scent of peach blossoms spread. White-pink petals floated, drifting to cover the entire area. The struck Martial Apes' eyes widened. Spun mid-air into a tornado, kicking Jinyo from a blind spot.

  Jinyo took the full kick. He jumped back, creating distance. Other Martial Apes reached out to grab rocks. Threw them at Jinyo from long range by the dozens or hundreds. Every rock shot toward Jinyo very fast. The mountain apes' daily routine was enjoying throwing things. Knocking down fruits or throwing to injure birds and make them fall. Whether for entertainment or finding food, their throwing skills were honed until deeply rooted in daily life.

  Jinyo raised sword and sickle to deflect large rocks that reached him. One Martial Ape jumped and kicked, lunging in. Jinyo kicked his feet, spinning to dodge but was blocked by three other Martial Apes running to intercept. They worked as a team and knew coordination timing well. However—

  The sound of stepping on a bomb exploded again. The few Martial Apes that went to intercept became meat pieces in the blink of an eye. Dust, smoke, and shrapnel scattered. Martial Apes all turned pale because it seemed they'd forgotten underground bombs were still buried. If they were reckless, they'd be blown apart by explosive force. The Martial Apes' movements halted. They were cautious and didn't chase Jinyo easily.

  Blossom Step Technique increased jump distance by 1 to 1.5 meters each time. Jinyo was the only one who knew where bombs were buried. Who knew—they might be lured to step on bombs.

  This human was very cunning!

  Jinyo focused on his sword. Lunged at one Martial Ape. Its eyes widened when Jinyo chose it as prey. It shifted its long arms, palms sending impact waves to attack. Jinyo's feet touched ground, suddenly changing direction to get close to it from the side.

  Song of a Hundred Flowers, Second Movement: Mirror Flower

  The sharp blade cut the major blood vessel at the throat until severed. Surrounding apes jumped when in attack range. They exerted more force in the lower section to jump higher than before. Height level blocked Jinyo's path so he couldn't use Blossom Step to lunge away as he'd done before.

  "Use 3 spirit coins, activate combat mode." Jinyo sacrificed spirit coins to the system. The black sickle expanded in size, becoming larger and wider. The aura of slaughter surged from what he held in his left hand. Wind formed around, merging with pink planar. Creating the sweet scent of peach blossoms drifting to the forest. The young man focused, imagining a dancing scene.

  Don't think what you're holding is a sickle, but a sword with a strange appearance.

  [Copper Sickle has entered combat mode. Attack Power 250, Durability 300, Usage duration 3 minutes. Attack range increased 10 meters. Weapon skill (Wind Sickle) Use 150 planar. Create wide-area damage in 20-meter radius to all enemies]

  "Peach Blossom Dance." Jinyo exploded pink aura. Both arms swung in all directions. Peach blossom petals swirled, obscuring vision. Their minds were attracted by blooming flowers until consciousness wasn't with it. They fell in love with those peach blossoms until forgetting they were exchanging lives with a human. Though just a few seconds, it bought time for Jinyo to gather planar.

  "Wind Sickle." The sickle exploded accumulated planar. When he swung it with sword song movements, Wind Sickle became one with Peach Blossom Dance. Sharp wind madly attacked all lives in radius. Its violence wasn't equal to being slashed by sword. But Wind Sickle left ten wound marks on every one of their bodies.

  Martial Apes floating in kicking postures lost directional control. Jinyo gripped the wooden sword, jumping cheerfully through their blood mid-air. He kicked lifeless bodies, bouncing them toward herd companions. Lunged in with wooden sword and sickle in combat mode.

  They had to learn that mid-air combat couldn't defeat Jinyo.

  The way to defeat Jinyo was ground combat combined with aerial clashes. The only thing holding them back from victory was one thousand bombs buried who-knows-where. When movements were framed within limited boundaries, hesitation in deciding opened opportunities for Jinyo to get close and slaughter.

  If fighting many together on the ground at once, Jinyo had no confidence he'd win. But if fighting close range one or two at a time, with the copper sickle's power and sword technique skills, killing Martial Apes wasn't difficult. Every minute that passed, a Martial Ape had to be injured and fall dead. Explosion sounds rang out in another wave. This time not from Jinyo's intention.

  When he turned to look, he saw Martial Apes holding branches or club weapons. Chasing to strike and pound the ground around the garden. Bombs that were struck until they exploded. But the bombs didn't severely injure Martial Apes. Only scattered shrapnel hit their bodies. Damage wasn't enough to claim their lives to the afterlife.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  They pounded the ground relentlessly. Not fearing death. Because of the humiliation of being driven. Their numbers were superior. The white-clothed human's power wasn't that abundant. The pain from explosive shrapnel was just dust floating to cling to callused hearts. Flames of vengeance blazing, releasing raw wild animal instincts.

  Explosion sounds rang out ten more times from hundreds of strikes.

  No more explosion sounds from then on. Jinyo stood gasping after killing about 20 Martial Apes without the copper watering can's power. Gazes dyed blood-red swarmed to tear Jinyo's body to pieces. When his deception was revealed, it was no different from pouring oil on fire.

  Caught already, huh. Jinyo smiled at the corner of his mouth. The heat from combat pumped blood from his heart to nourish various organs. Continuous planar use made meridians burn until almost scorched.

  "How would anyone prepare a thousand bombs in just this time, right? How is it? The feeling of being fooled by a stupid human until dizzy?"

  "SCREEEEECH!!" Martial Apes exploded with power, lunging to attack Jinyo from all directions. Both ground and mid-air. When devoid of fear from explosive objects under their feet, Jinyo's position was completely sealed off. No channels to escape or slip away at all.

  "Wind Sickle!" Jinyo swung his left arm, creating sharp wind currents up to attack Martial Apes floating, blocking mid-air. However, the hatred they had for Jinyo overcame all pain. Torn skin and muscles refused to yield to the humiliation of giving enemies a chance to escape.

  They used martial techniques to enhance strength. Learned from mistakes herd companions paved the way for. This was the survival method from hunter pursuits. Power-enhanced kicks. Swords and clubs held in hands from ground Martial Apes. Everything stabbed and swung at Jinyo at the same time.

  I see it. Jinyo saw flaws in the surrounding attack through Eye of the Sage skill. The wooden sword flicked, creating blooming peach blossoms. Sent power, stomped feet, flicking himself to the gap he saw. Jinyo was stabbed by Martial Apes' blade edges. Blades slashed skin until the white suit had red-seeping marks. He flipped, using one of them as a stepping platform to break free from the encirclement.

  The first thing Jinyo saw after rolling out from the swarming attack was a shadow of an ape holding a head-sized rock. His eyes widened. A loud thwack sound by his ear. Brain jolted until he couldn't think for a moment. Jinyo lost balance in air, immediately falling to the ground. Red blood flowed to the temple corner. Emerald green eyes went blank for a moment.

  Didn't know. Eye of the Sage didn't give information that there was another Martial Ape.

  The gap that occurred didn't come from mistakes but was a strategy Martial Apes used to ambush.

  Eye of the Sage calculated equal to information Jinyo's brain received. Jinyo who didn't see the other ape meant the system found no flaws.

  Worst timing! To encounter a bug at a time like this. Jinyo lost body control but thoughts still raced. The instant any part touched ground, all demons swarmed at the off-rhythm Jinyo.

  "SCREECH!! (Die, human!)"

  "SCREECH!! (We're the winning side!)"

  "..." The sickle was dropped to the ground. The wooden sword was transferred from right hand to left. Aura covered the blade again but there was something different from before. Power currents like being honed tens of thousands of times were displayed through Sword Spirit. Something that slumbered was awakened from slumber. The calm heart beat frantically, pumping power to the left hand.

  Yes. This feeling exactly.

  If not pressured, it's not fun.

  Jinyo opened his eyes wide. Eye of the Sage displayed opponents' movement patterns as slow-motion images. Jinyo exploded with power, swinging his arm with all his might. The blade edge severed blood vessels. Hundreds of white-pink lotus flowers bloomed, disturbing vision.

  Song of a Hundred Flowers, First Movement: Peach Blossom Dance, Original Version

  The wooden sword moved to strike continuously 16 times in all directions. Every movement pumped all available force. Dozens of bodies bounced in different directions. Red blood gushed in fountains of gore. Jinyo saw nothing but red scenery he painted on the empty land.

  Survival instincts combined with thoughts through rapid logic. Became fierce responses. In the blink of an eye when the sword was held in the left hand, the brain returned crystal clear as if the rock striking his head didn't affect thinking speed.

  Martial Apes used clubs to pound his body. Stabbed with sharp blades. Left wound marks on the white-clothed body. But emerald green eyes didn't waver or show fear. They didn't understand why this human could still move. Plus movements were fiercer than before. The sharpness of the sword striking to broken bones was completely different from before.

  All their movements were seen through as if knowing the future. Jinyo avoided fatal attacks. Received unavoidable attacks but affecting the body minimally instead. It was combat that went through thorough analysis. In Martial Apes' eyes, it was frightening that the other side still maintained coolness to the end.

  But finally, the body reached its limit.

  Jinyo used up all planar. The movement just now was his last gasp struggle.

  But he had nothing to fear. Because the combat's purpose was already accomplished.

  "Back off, you dirty scum!" Naho's voice floated from afar. The young woman ran, lunging low until almost crawling on the ground. She jumped, swinging her fist down with full force. The fist pounded on the ground until creating a tremor. No Martial Ape was crazy enough to stay still and get crushed. Her appearance created terror for all Martial Ape herds.

  Naho swept her gaze at them backing away when catching a stronger aura.

  "Brother Yo, why did these guys come down?"

  "The system is testing. If the land is destroyed, they'd probably get rewards. Something like that, maybe."

  "Huh... came down the whole mountain already? But never mind. With me here, you won't die."

  "That's right. Thanks for coming in time. Because just now I almost died." Jinyo laughed cheerfully. If he didn't have a buffalo-baiting strategy, he probably couldn't have lasted until Naho came home. The distance from the pharmacy in town to this village was quite far. If not Martial Apes that were clever, he couldn't have used this strategy.

  "Naho, use this." Jinyo got up to grab a hoe and threw it to his younger sister. Paid coins to activate combat mode, changing the hoe into a spear. Naho received it in hand. She felt surging power.

  [You have given Copper Hoe of the Nameless God to Naho Southerncross, your blood-related younger sister. Your sister will receive all status buffs 7.5%]

  "Can totally feel power increasing. Is it some kind of magic weapon or something?"

  "Yes. I'm counting on you because I can't anymore."

  "Trust in this little sister!" Naho hummed cheerfully. Holding the spear, walked toward the Martial Ape herd brandishing weapons. Naho stomped her feet, accelerating. The copper spear in hand was gripped with both arms. A medium-range weapon designed to pierce through enemies. Was swung like a stupid club. Struck Martial Apes' heads. Creating a loud crack sound like skulls breaking.

  "Hooray!" Naho gripped the spear tightly. Struck the middle of another Martial Ape's head that couldn't steady itself. Because the spear's attack range was too wide. No wait, they'd fought hunters who used spears. But having to deal with a spear that didn't stab was something they'd never encountered before.

  Jinyo's mouth gaped.

  Tremendous physical strength with the weapon's attack power... Naho's power values as a hunter for many years. One-sidedly crushing Martial Apes wasn't impossible.

  "Naho! Spears are for stabbing, not clubs!"

  "If it can kill monsters, whether stabbing or striking, who cares!"

  "It defeats the purpose."

  "Stabbing every time requires aiming. I'm not good at aiming. Striking is easier. Plus this thing seems to be durable!" Naho ignored warnings from her brother. Used the spear to chase and pound, striking like an iron club. Martial Apes gritted teeth, cooperating again. But just one swing of Naho's arm—whether with superior power or attack range beyond boundaries—every ape was blasted away until bones ached all over. Left the fly-in-mouth brother to regain consciousness. He'd forgotten his younger sister was strange.

  Born into a swordsman family but not good at sword movements.

  Received the best level of education but regularly skipped classes.

  Was taught manners by Grandmother to be a young lady but could only be a monkey.

  Even proper weapon use methods, she still didn't care.

  The twin sister who crawled along behind him was truly a woman who defied common sense.