Just when we thought the journey would be smooth, a group of assassins dressed in black appeared out of nowhere and attempted to take Count Pera's life. I understood that many people wanted Count Pera dead due to his behavior, but I couldn't let him die right now. The enemies were only mid-tier Chrono apprentices, but they outnumbered us. We had one high-tier Chrono user among our guards, but even so, we couldn't win if we fought them head-on.

  The battle was chaotic. The guards fought valiantly, their Chrono-enhanced strikes clashing against the assassins' swift and deadly attacks. Swords clashed, arrows flew, and the air was thick with the sound of combat. Despite their efforts, the guards were slowly overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies.

  By the end of the fight, half of Count Pera's guards had fallen. Realizing the situation was dire, I decided to use my *Save and Load* ability to return to a previous save point. I went back to the moment just after I had awakened my ability in the carriage.

  [Kael] "Your Grace, there might be assassins ahead on this road..."

  [Count Pera] "Who dares to attack me, Count Pera, in this empire? Don't worry. If they come, my guards will send them to the afterlife."

  Just like the first time, the assassins attacked us.

  The battle was intense. The guards fought bravely, their Chrono clashing against the assassins' relentless attacks. However, the assassins were too numerous, and our forces were quickly dwindling.

  I knew we were losing, so I tried to load back to a previous save point, but it was on cooldown. Despair washed over me as I thought, *Am I going to die like this?*

  Suddenly, an arrow pierced through my head. The damage was beyond repair, and I died.

  But then, I opened my eyes again. I was back in the carriage, at the moment I had first awakened my ability. I immediately opened my *Save and Load* panel and realized that the *Load* function was on cooldown.

  I discovered that the *Load* panel had a one-day cooldown after use. Since I had immediately tried to load back after dying, it was unavailable.

  I thought to myself, *This is an impossible route. We can't win against these assassins.* Every time we fought, we were wiped out by the assassins' overwhelming strength. I saw no way to overcome them.

  But then, I realized something. *This isn't the only route we can take. There's also the forest route.*

  Most people avoided the forest route because of the evil creatures that attacked humans on sight. Many had died trying to use that path. But at this point, I had no choice. *Maybe facing evil creatures is better than dealing with these overpowered assassins.*

  So I tried to convince Count Pera to take the forest road instead.

  [Kael] "Your grace, I know this road is smooth and good for relaxing. But I noticeably want to know the strength of your guards and the image of your commanding guards to destroy evil creatures. If you do, the bravery of yours will be spoken throughout the empire, and people will respect you more.

  [Count Pera] "You're right; why should I go to the safe road while I am stronger than those evil creatures? Let's go, guards; change the route, and we are advancing to the forest."

  [Guards] "For Count Pera's glory!"

  When we reached the forest road, the atmosphere shifted. The dense canopy above blocked most of the sunlight, casting eerie shadows across the path. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the faint rustling of leaves. It wasn't long before we encountered the first wave of naughty monkeys. These creatures were small, no taller than a child, but their speed and agility were unnerving. Their glowing red eyes locked onto us, and they let out high-pitched screeches as they swarmed from the trees.

  The guards immediately formed a defensive circle around Count Pera and me. The naughty monkeys moved like shadows, darting in and out of the underbrush, their movements almost too fast to follow. They hurled rocks and sticks at us, their attacks more annoying than deadly, but their sheer numbers made them a threat.

  The first monkey lunged at a guard, its claws extended. The guard, a seasoned warrior with a calm demeanor, raised his sword and activated his Chrono. The blade shimmered with a faint, dark aura as he swung it in a precise arc. The monkey screeched as the Chrono-imbued strike connected, sending it flying into a tree. It didn't get back up.

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  But the monkeys didn't falter. They came in waves, their movements erratic and unpredictable. One guard, a burly man with a two-handed axe, roared as he unleashed a Chrono-infused swing. The force of the attack created a shockwave, knocking several monkeys off their feet. Another guard, a nimble woman with dual daggers, moved like a blur, her Chrono-enhanced strikes cutting through the air with deadly precision. Each time her blades connected, a monkey fell.

  Despite their efforts, the guards were being overwhelmed. The monkeys were relentless, and their numbers seemed endless. Just as it seemed like the guards might be overrun, the leader of the guard squad stepped forward. He was a tall, imposing figure with a scar running down his cheek. His presence alone commanded respect, and his Chrono was on a different level.

  The leader raised his spear, and the air around him seemed to crackle with energy. He activated his Chrono, and the spear glowed with a deep, menacing black hue. With a thunderous shout, he thrust the spear into the ground, releasing a massive shockwave of Chrono energy. The ground trembled, and the force of the attack sent dozens of monkeys flying into the trees. The remaining creatures screeched in terror and scattered into the forest.

  The guards stood panting, their weapons still glowing faintly with residual Chrono. The forest was silent now, save for the occasional rustle of leaves. The leader of the guards turned to Count Pera and me, his expression grim but satisfied.

  [Guard Leader] "That should keep them away for a while. But we need to keep moving. This forest is no place to linger."

  The guards regrouped, their confidence restored. The battle had been intense, but their mastery of Chrono had turned the tide. As we continued down the forest road, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at their strength. The naughty monkeys were a nuisance, but they were no match for the guards' skill and determination.

  We were so close to escaping the forest. The naughty monkeys had been a nuisance, but nothing we couldn't handle. The guards were battered but confident, their Chrono-imbued weapons still glowing faintly from the earlier skirmishes. I allowed myself a moment of hope, thinking we might actually make it out alive. But that hope was shattered the moment we saw *him*.

  The Gosa monkey emerged from the shadows like a nightmare come to life. He was massive, standing almost seven meters tall, his thick fur matted with dirt and blood. His eyes glowed with a malevolent intelligence, and his fangs were as long as swords. The guards froze in place, their confidence evaporating in an instant. Even the leader of the guards, a man who had faced countless battles without flinching, took a step back.

  [Count Pera] "Attack it! Kill that beast! Protect me at all costs!"

  The guards hesitated, but they were bound by duty. Three of them stepped forward, their weapons glowing with Chrono. They charged at the Gosa monkey, their movements precise and coordinated. The first guard swung his Chrono-imbued sword at the creature's leg, but the blade barely scratched its thick fur. The Gosa monkey roared and swatted the guard aside like a fly, sending him crashing into a tree with a sickening crunch.

  The second guard leapt into the air, aiming a Chrono-enhanced spear thrust at the creature's eye. The Gosa monkey caught the spear mid-air and snapped it in two. With a single, brutal punch, it crushed the guard's chest, killing him instantly.

  The third guard, a woman with dual daggers, tried to flank the beast. She moved with incredible speed, her daggers glowing with Chrono as she aimed for its throat. But the Gosa monkey was faster. It grabbed her mid-strike and slammed her into the ground repeatedly until she stopped moving.

  The remaining guards, including the leader, tried to form a defensive line. The leader activated his full Chrono, his spear glowing with a dark, menacing aura. He charged at the Gosa monkey, aiming for its heart. The creature roared and swung its massive arm, but the leader dodged and thrust his spear into its side. For a moment, it seemed like the attack had worked until the Gosa monkey grabbed the spear and yanked it out, along with a chunk of the leader's arm.

  The leader fell to his knees, blood pouring from the wound. The Gosa monkey loomed over him, its eyes filled with cruel amusement. With a single stomp, it ended the leader's life.

  [Count Pera] "Buy me time! Delay it!"

  He turned and fled toward the carriage, leaving the guards to their fate.

  The guards, though terrified, obeyed. They charged at the Gosa monkey, their weapons glowing with the last remnants of their Chrono. But it was no use. The creature tore through them like paper, its strength and speed far beyond anything they could handle.

  As the last guard fell, Count Pera turned to me, his face pale with fear. He shoved a dagger into my hands.

  [Count Pera] "Stop it! Do whatever it takes!"

  Before I could protest, he kicked me out of the carriage and ordered the driver to flee.

  I landed hard on the forest floor, the dagger clutched in my trembling hands. The Gosa monkey turned its gaze toward me, its eyes narrowing as if amused by my defiance. I stood up, my mind strangely calm despite the terror coursing through my veins.

  The Gosa monkey lunged at me, its massive fist aimed at my head. I dodged just in time, rolling to the side and slashing at its leg with the dagger. The blade barely pierced its thick fur, and the creature roared in annoyance. It swung its arm again, and this time, I wasn't fast enough. The blow sent me flying into a tree, the impact knocking the air out of my lungs.

  I struggled to my feet, blood dripping from my mouth. The Gosa monkey approached slowly, savoring the moment. I raised the dagger again, but it was futile. The creature grabbed me by the arm and lifted me off the ground. I screamed as it bit into my shoulder, tearing away flesh and bone.

  The pain was unbearable as the Gosa monkey devoured me limb by limb. It started with my arm, then moved to my legs, each bite accompanied by the sickening sound of bones crunching. I could feel my life slipping away, but my mind remained eerily clear. The last thing I saw was the carriage disappearing into the distance, retreating toward the forest entrance, Count Pera's relieved face visible through the window.

  As the darkness closed in, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of peace. At least I had put up a fight against the Gosa monkey. The creature's final bite ended my suffering, and everything went black.

  Once again, I settled to the save point, the carriage where I had first awakened. The reason I couldn't run away from Gosa as soon as I got kicked out was the order of Count Pera. There was a parasite-like centipede wrapped around my heart, so if I tried to disobey, the centipede would squeeze my heart. And I had completely forgotten that I could control my body now. I had suffered for nothing. Anyway, I decided to try to get rid of this centipede around my heart first. The problem was, how could I get rid of it? Right now, I had complete control over my body, so I broke my rib bone and made it into a sharp needle. I moved that bone toward the centipede to kill it. My plan was perfect, but the reality was harsh. When I first tried it, the centipede sensed something coming toward it and immediately crushed my heart, killing me. The second time, I moved the bone needle very slowly so that the centipede couldn't sense it, but it reacted to the vibration and I also lacked the power to penetrate the centipede, and I died. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth attempts also failed. But on the nineteenth attempt, I moved the bone needle just right before the centipedes head by controlling the vibration and also positioned my big rib bone near the bone needle and pushed it with all my might, like hammering a nail.Finally, this time, the bone needle penetrated its head.