The Great Barbarian Ape’s eyes glittered with slyness as it lowered its voice, "Unless you help me get a fruit, I will tell you."
"A fruit? That’s easy, I have some in my bag."
As he spoke, Xiao Jie opened his backpack to offer one.
But the Great Barbarian Ape shook its head repeatedly, "I’m not talking about just any fruit. Behind that White Ape’s throne lies a perilous peak, and on its cliffs grows a strange fruit tree bearing vermillion fruits. If you can help me pick one, I’ll tell you the origins of that White Ape."
System Notification: Triggered quest [Great Barbarian Ape’s Commission]. You have encountered a strange monkey in Monkey Valley who entrusts you to find a peculiar Vermilion Fruit and is willing to exchange a secret as a reward.
Quest Details: Help the Great Barbarian Ape pick the ’Mysterious Zhu Fruit’ on the cliff.
Xiao Jie asked, "Why don’t you pick it yourself?"
"It’s not that simple. We monkeys are good at climbing trees, not mountains. The place where the Vermilion Fruit grows is extremely dangerous; one careless move could lead to a deadly fall. I wouldn’t dare try it. Many monkeys have tried to pick that fruit before, ending up either crippled or dead. Not one has succeeded. But I’ve heard you humans know ’Martial Arts,’ maybe you can do it."
After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Jie accepted the quest. After all, it was better to take on the quest first and worry about completing it later. "Alright, I’ll take on this task. I’ll help you look into it tomorrow."
After accepting the task, Xiao Jie logged off.
A quiet night passed.
The next day, Xiao Jie logged in early. Waking up in the large wooden house, dawn’s early light seeped through the doorway. He stepped out of the large wooden house, approaching the stone platform where the White Ape slept. The Nameless White Ape was still in bed, snoring away on the stone bed.
With nothing better to do, Xiao Jie began to explore Monkey Valley.
Monkey Valley was surrounded by mountains on three sides with only one exit to the north. The two sides were chains of towering mountains, generally steep, forming two connected peaks. The mountain behind the White Ape seemed particularly perilous, with steep, craggy rocks and peaks disappearing into the clouds.
Gazing up, Xiao Jie could vaguely make out a tree growing diagonally out of the cliff halfway up the dangerous peak, amidst the mist.
Sure enough, there were some vermillion fruits on the tree, likely the so-called Mysterious Zhu Fruit.
But should he really take this task? What if it displeases the White Ape?
His main reason for finding out about the White Ape’s identity was to conveniently increase rapport and learn Saber Skill. If he upset the White Ape now, it would ruin any chance to try it.
After some hesitation, an idea struck him.
Waiting patiently for a while, the White Ape finally woke up, yawning, tugged at the cotton robe it wore and shuffled over with its sleeves trailing on the ground.
"Kid, what are you doing standing here so early in the morning?"
"Senior Yuan, there’s something I think I should tell you. Yesterday while I was resting, a Great Barbarian Ape in the wooden house asked me to pick a vermillion fruit for him. I suspect there might be some issue with that, so I thought I should inform you."
"Humph, that bastard really is persistent. If it hadn’t been for the fact that it hasn’t done anything particularly bad, I might have taken its life just for that.
But let it be, it can do what it wants.
That fruit is of no use to me; if you want to pick it, go ahead. Just make sure you can reach it, heh heh heh, but I warn you, if you fall, I will not save you."
Huh, that was surprisingly easy to agree to?
Xiao Jie was a bit surprised and asked again, "Senior Yuan, you really don’t mind?"
"Nonsense, I am not as hypocritical as you humans."
Xiao Jie, looking at the bright red fruits above, felt quite tempted.
Generally, in games with high exploration , the more treacherous a place is, the more likely there are hidden rewards. These fruits must be out of the ordinary.
Even if not for the Great Barbarian Ape, it wouldn’t hurt to pick one for himself to try.
The distance was quite high, Qinggong wouldn’t be enough to jump up. Fortunately, he knew Mountain Climbing Step, which could be worth a shot.
Xiao Jie ate a piece of Roasted Meat, increasing his Energy recovery by 20%.
Then he activated Mountain Climbing Step and began to ascend the cliff.
This was his first use of the skill. He watched as his character clung to the rock wall, automatically finding footholds on the jutting stones as he climbed, which reminded him of his experience climbing in the game Genshin Impact.
It was slow but steady. As long as he maintained his Concentration, he would not fall.
As Xiao Jie scaled the cliff, finding crevices in the rocks to inch upward, the White Ape was startled and muttered, "He can actually climb up there?" A conflicted expression crossed its face, as if it was hesitating about something.
After five or six minutes, Xiao Jie reached the top of the cliff. Looking down, it must have been two or three hundred meters high; looking up, another daunting peak loomed, with no end in sight.
Xiao Jie didn’t pay much attention to that and went straight for the peculiar tree. It appeared rather pitiful, as if malnourished, with sparse leaves of a mix of yellow and green, yet it stood firm and unwavering against the howling winds of the cliffside.
A few robust branches bore several vermillion fruits, about the size of eggs, a reddish date color, but translucent, almost transparent.
Xiao Jie used the Gather skill on the strange tree!
System Notification: Acquired Red Spirit Fruit (Inferior) ×1.