Chương 44: King Kong

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The primitive people fled a great distance, crossing mountains and canyons, until they reached the base of a towering mountain. Suddenly, they all came to a halt, knelt on the ground, and began to bow. The eldest among them leaped about, fervently shouting something.

Arnold led a group to catch up, but upon witnessing this strange scene, he felt momentarily perplexed. In the face of the enemy, no matter how powerful they were, he could muster the courage to confront them. However, in the presence of a group of primitive people who knelt, defenseless, he found himself incapable of taking action.

Soon, Arnold's embarrassment shifted to a matter of life and death, rather than his ability to deal with the primitives.

At that moment, a wild beast's roar echoed from the mountain. A colossal creature, more than 20 meters in height, leaped down from the mountaintop and swiftly approached the base of the mountain.

Upon closer examination, it appeared to be a dark-furred gorilla. Reflecting on the primitive people's peculiar actions earlier, it dawned on Arnold that they were signaling for the gorilla's help.

"Quick! Everyone, retreat immediately" Arno realized the immense danger posed by the massive gorilla. Its colossal size meant it could easily crush them, and its ability to leap dozens of meters with explosive force made it a formidable opponent even for those armed with weapons. Fleeing for their lives seemed the wisest course of action.

Even without Arnold's command, a group of elite fighters had already begun to flee. These elite individuals possessed remarkable reaction speed. As they fled, they continued to drop a few bombs to slow down the gorilla's pursuit.

Ivan, who was also among them, was well aware of the gorilla's might. It was as formidable as the one that scaled the Empire State Building in the King Kong movie.

Arnold and his group were the fastest, but they were still outpaced by the gorilla. The immense creature closed the gap in just two leaps. Seeing his young master in danger, Arnold was gripped by a profound sense of responsibility. Letting Ivan die here would be an unforgivable dereliction of duty. Without a second thought, he turned to face the danger and charged to save Ivan.

Unbeknownst to Arnold, Ivan was confident in his abilities. Moreover, Red Devil was nearby, ready to assist if necessary. However, Arnold's protective instincts kicked in, prompting him to rush back and attempt to save Ivan.

Arnold suddenly felt a change behind him. When he turned around, he discovered it was his young master. This realization spurred him into immediate action. If Ivan were to perish here, it would be Arnold's most profound failure. Without a moment's hesitation, Arnold charged back to rescue Ivan.

Arnold wasn't aware that Ivan had complete control of the situation. Nevertheless, the sight of his young master in danger was more than he could bear. He had to act to protect Ivan at all costs.

Seeing Ivan confront the massive gorilla, the soldiers were left in awe. They had no idea that Ivan possessed such power. Even the nearby primitive people, who had earlier been in despair, were taken aback. They had never imagined that anyone could stand up to the deity they worshipped. Panic ensued among them, and they began shouting in fear.

King Kong, too, was taken aback by the sight of such a small being who seemed unafraid. However, he didn't dwell on it. He clenched his fist and struck down.

Amid Arnold's desperation, he witnessed a startling spectacle. Ivan gently raised his palm and met King Kong's colossal fist, several meters high. Contrary to everyone's expectations, Ivan didn't get pulverized. He effortlessly withstood King Kong's punch, appearing calm and untroubled.

Arnold and the group of soldiers were in utter disbelief. They had never realized the extent of Ivan's power. Even the primitive people, watching from a distance, were astounded. It was inconceivable that anyone in this world could stand up to the gods they revered.

The collision of two fists, one large and one small, yielded unexpected results. King Kong, the colossal beast, let out a deafening roar as he was sent flying, crashing into the mountain wall with a cloud of dust billowing around him.

The soldiers narrowly escaped death. Witnessing Ivan's incredible power, their admiration and awe were palpable. They looked at him as if he were a deity. For a moment, they forgot they were on a battlefield.

Seeing their reactions, Ivan grew irritated and shouted, "What are you staring at? Are they all dead? Quick, return fire!"

Only then did everyone snap out of their daze. They opened fire with their weapons: machine guns, rocket launchers, and explosives. They targeted King Kong, who had just risen and regained his composure.

King Kong, the island's sole ruler, proved resilient. Despite being bombarded with artillery and projectiles, he sustained only a few injuries. While he roared in pain, it was evident that the attacks were not life-threatening.

Despite initially being stunned, King Kong quickly adapted. He leaped into the air to evade the artillery fire and hurled huge stones at Ivan and his allies.

Ivan was unfazed by the incoming boulders, but he knew the others lacked his capabilities. He quickly shielded the soldiers from the projectiles, deflecting or returning them, causing King Kong to howl in pain.

In the process of dodging boulders, the soldiers' artillery attacks diminished. King Kong exploited this and became more agile, using his long-range attacks. He hurled stones and attempted to hit the others, avoiding Ivan.

In this situation, Ivan was forced to reposition himself continually to shield the soldiers from the onslaught of boulders. The scene resembled a giant eagle chasing a chicken. King Kong, the eagle, and Ivan, the protective mother hen, with the soldiers, looked on in astonishment.

The primitive people, previously demoralized after King Kong's earlier defeat, regained their confidence and cheered. They fired a barrage of bullets in support.

Though these warriors were no match for King Kong, their advanced weaponry allowed them to hold their ground against the primitive people. Ivan recognized that they couldn't defeat the primitives today, given King Kong's presence. He ordered a retreat, while King Kong, at a safe distance, continued to hurl boulders.

At this point, Ivan realized a major weakness in his abilities - a lack of powerful long-range attacks. His powers relied on physical contact for strength absorption, which was now a significant liability. It became apparent that he needed to develop long-range attack methods in the future.

Ivan led the soldiers to retreat a few miles and rendezvoused with the troops behind. When hundreds of them opened fire simultaneously, the artillery assault intensified tenfold. King Kong, overwhelmed, was forced to retreat, and Ivan and his group safely regrouped at the primitive people's village.

Back in the village, tents had been erected in the open space using materials from the ship. After leaving a contingent for defense, the group rested. The elite soldiers, who had fought alongside Ivan, regarded him with admiration and respect. They also felt a touch of fear, yet were sincerely grateful to Ivan for saving their lives. They agreed to keep today's events a secret, as instructed by Ivan.

With the primitive people driven away, they could now transform the village into a base and establish a foothold for exploring the island.

At night, Ivan rewarded everyone, except alcohol. They feasted on various delicacies until the crowd dispersed. Afterward, Arnold approached Ivan and inquired, "Master Ivan, about the power you used today..."

Ivan sighed. Arnold's relentless pursuit of power was one of his prominent flaws. It had its roots in his upbringing, which involved fighting, territorial disputes, and survival. When he was adopted, he was trained as a warrior and learned that might make right. Given his background, his fixation on physical strength was understandable. Witnessing Ivan's incredible power today left him eager to gain similar abilities.

"I used a unique ability today, which is inherited genetically and cannot be taught. It can only be innate. Therefore, I can't bestow it upon you..." Ivan paused, considering that Colonel Stryker might eventually take an interest in his abilities. He added, "At least, I can't do it now, and it's uncertain whether it will be possible in the future. Perhaps with further research, it can be transferred or traded."

Hearing this, Arnold felt a tinge of disappointment. But ultimately, he voiced a glimmer of hope, saying, "If, in the future, you possess the ability to grant supernatural powers, please help me."

Ivan nodded in agreement. Arnold was a trusted ally, and he was determined to fulfill his request.

Then the two delved into the subject of their encounter with King Kong.

"Master Ivan, those primitive people seem to have control over the gorilla in battle. It's quite strange. Do you have any idea how they achieved it?"

Ivan shook his head with a hint of disdain. "It's not control. From their perspective, it's the other way around. In their eyes, the gorilla is their deity, their master, and they are mere insignificant beings. The gorilla likely views them as its property, and it's a mutual relationship."

"Property? Mutual relationship? But does the gorilla eat people? I thought orangutans were herbivores?" Arnold asked, horrified.

Ivan smiled and clarified, "Don't judge these gorillas by the standards of typical orangutans. They might not be strict herbivores, but it's unlikely they resort to cannibalism. Otherwise, those primitive people wouldn't revere them. There may be some form of mutual benefit between them."

"What kind of benefit?"

"Who knows? That gorilla is intelligent. It adapted its tactics during our fight. Initially, it charged at me, but when it realized it couldn't harm me, it switched to long-range attacks. It's a tactical thinker."

"That's right. How smart! Could it be related to the primitive people? Some sort of cooperation?"

"It seems unlikely. This intelligence isn't typical of these gorillas. I doubt the primitive people are that clever."

The two discussed it for a while but couldn't uncover the reason behind this unusual relationship. They decided to investigate further when the opportunity presented itself.