"I see! They were all here!" Mamadou exclaimed.

He couldn’t understand how he had missed all those monsters. Normally, that should have been impossible.

"I thought you would be more comfortable if they weren’t within your field of vision. After all, the last time, you ran away like a madman."

Mamadou thought that if this old monkey was responsible for that, then it might be possible that he had been unable to sense all those monsters because some sort of ability was at work.

He still felt embarrassed. After all, the very first thing he had done upon arriving at this mountain had been to run away.

But who could blame him?

It wasn’t the kind of situation people woke up to every day.

Cough!

Cough!

He coughed to hide his embarrassment.

"But if, as you say, they aren’t sapient beings yet, why are they acting differently today?" Mamadou asked. After all, based on that explanation, he would have expected them to be fighting endlessly. What were such monsters doing standing back?

"I think you’ve more or less guessed it already. It’s because of me!"

I expected nothing less from a monster I can’t even analyze. He has all the characteristics of a game boss.

"Have you finished inquiring about the situation of Mount Meru? Don’t worry, you’re free to ask your questions."

Mamadou couldn’t help but notice that this monster seemed surprisingly patient with him. Either he wanted something in return, or it would contradict some of his actions so far.

That led Mamadou to his next question.

"The last time, you told me you’d been watching me from the very beginning. Even when I almost lost my life against that monster. Why didn’t you show yourself then? Why now? What’s your goal?"

"Was I supposed to help you?" the Great Ark Monkey asked indifferently.

"Ah!"

"Of course, there’s a difference between wanting to and being able to. It changes nothing, since I still wouldn’t have done anything, but know that I couldn’t help you the moment you left Mount Meru."

"But the situation changed. That’s why I watched over you when you were at death’s door."

"While I understand that you had no intention of lifting a finger from the beginning, why weren’t you able to do so once I left Mount Meru? You seem far stronger than every monster I’ve encountered so far."

"You see, the answer to your question is quite simple. We cannot leave Mount Meru. None of us can. You understand, then, that even though I can observe the territories surrounding Mount Meru, I cannot interfere. That is my limit. A seal around Mount Meru prevents us from leaving."

Everything suddenly made sense in Mamadou’s mind.

The fact that this monkey had appeared the moment he returned to Mount Meru.

Although there were still mysteries left to uncover, he chose to accept that explanation.

In any case, he had no desire to openly doubt the words of a creature vastly stronger than himself. Since it had shown so much goodwill, it would be wise not to offend it.

"I see. We can’t leave Mount Meru... we?"

"I see you’ve finally noticed."

Yes, Mamadou immediately understood what the monster was referring to.

After all, they were supposedly of the same species. If those monkeys couldn’t leave Mount Meru, then how had he managed to leave without any difficulty?

He wondered whether it was because he hadn’t originally been a monkey but a human. After all, he possessed the Human class. Maybe it was an effect of that class.

"A very long time ago, we were sealed here. And after all this time, you’re the first one capable of leaving Mount Meru."

"The others are so afraid of approaching the boundary between the forest and Mount Meru. Yet that day, you rushed straight into the forest. I didn’t stop you because I wanted to see whether you could cross the boundary. Unlike the others, you no longer seemed afraid of it. Something else was frightening you."

"So I began watching you from here. I knew you would eventually return."

Mamadou wanted to stand up politely and leave.

He had no idea what would happen from now on. Since he could enter and leave Mount Meru freely, what was this monster planning to do with him?

"Have you traded your warrior’s talents for dramatic flair? I won’t do anything to you. However, I do have a proposal."

The monster made the remark as though every thought Mamadou had was written across his face.

Then, before presenting his offer, it asked him a question.

"Tell me, young Ma, what is your objective? What do you wish to accomplish?"

Mamadou thought for a moment about how he should answer under the scrutinizing gaze of the Great Ark Monkey.

"I want to leave this forest. I want to explore new horizons, meet other beings, and accumulate knowledge. I want to go home."

Mamadou expected to receive a barrage of questions from the monster.

Instead, the Great Ark Monkey accepted his answer exactly as it was.

"I see. As for returning home, I don’t know. But if you wish to leave this forest, you need strength. In seeking strength, you were already on the right path."

"The nature of my proposal is quite simple, if you accept it. Break the seal that prevents us from leaving Mount Meru. In exchange, I will answer all of your questions. I know you’re hiding things from me because you don’t trust me, and depending on the nature of those matters, I may be able to help if I can."

"I can also help you acquire the power of our species. It’s not a bad deal for you, is it?"

"After all, your strange ability requires you to fight and devour all kinds of enemies, and I know where to find them. Playing around with the small fry below won’t get you anywhere. If you choose to cooperate, you’ll certainly become far stronger than you are now."

After laying out all the advantages of helping them break the seal that bound them, the Great Ark Monkey fell silent.

Mamadou was stunned by its words.

This monster was anything but simple.

"What do you decide, young Ma?"

The answer to that question should have been obvious.

Not because Mamadou feared the monster.

No.

Because the System had done something it had never done before.

The situation was so strange that even Mamadou was caught off guard.

[Quest: Destroy the seal that restrains your species on Mount Meru.]

[Y/N]