NOVPUB[Monkey Emperor's Divine Bangle]
[Description: A legendary bangle crafted from a fallen meteorite and personally forged by the Monkey Emperor over the course of ten years. Infused with spiritual minerals and rare materials gathered from every corner of the Murim World, this artifact embodies the pinnacle of craftsmanship and power. Though once a prized possession, the Monkey Emperor outgrew its usefulness after wearing it for merely ten thousand years. Now, it rests as a forgotten relic in the depths of his vast collection of treasures.
Grade: MythicalType: Accessory
Attributes:
Strength +100
Stamina +100
Defense +100
Agility +100
Mental Capacity +100]
...
Kisha shot to her feet the moment she finished reading the item's description, her heart pounding with excitement. She felt antsy—she wanted that item, no doubt about it.
It may have lacked any flashy additional effects, but the sheer stat boost it offered as an accessory was incredible. Strength, stamina, defense, agility, and mental capacity—all increased by 100? That kind of raw enhancement was rare, especially for a single piece of gear. And the Monkey Emperor was offering it for just 1,000 bottles of Scarlet Honey?
She did a quick mental calculation. At 2,000 system points per bottle, the trade would cost her 2,000,000 system points in total. But for a mythical-grade item with such stats, it felt like an absolute steal.
Kisha bit her lip, tapping her foot anxiously as she weighed the decision. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't realize the entire room had gone quiet, with Hugo and the others now staring at her.
When she finally turned and met their curious gazes, Kisha let out a small, sheepish chuckle.
"Alright, everyone," Kisha began, her tone calm but firm, "since you've all signed the contract, I believe you're ready to see the reason why it was necessary in the first place. So, if you could please follow me."
With that, she closed the holographic map of HOPE Base, along with the trade request—she'd deal with that later. As she stepped out of the conference room, Duke was already waiting for her just outside. His eyes flicked past her to the group trailing behind, and he gently took her hand.
"Are you guys heading somewhere?" he asked softly.
Kisha gave a small nod, lowering her voice in response. "Yeah. I'm going to show them the territory space—just without making it obvious that it belongs to a different dimension."
A mischievous smirk tugged at her lips, and Duke instantly understood. With a knowing smile, he patted her head affectionately, his expression warm and proud.
"My wife is really smart. I'm coming with you," Duke said with a proud smile as he happily walked beside Kisha.
By then, the people who had been lounging in the entertainment room began dispersing—some returning to their rooms to rest, others heading to the gym to train. Meanwhile, members of the Winters unit from HOPE Base, led by Sparrow and Vulture, started making their way toward the portal that led to the territory space.
They had come to realize how much more productive their training was inside the territory, and now, eager to grow stronger, they were determined to spend as much time there as possible.
Kisha didn't restrict anyone's movements within the territory space, so she let them do as they pleased. Together, the group began walking in one direction. Although Hugo and the others didn't fully understand what was happening, they followed without question.
Before long, they left the building and made their way down a quiet path through the forest. A cool breeze swept past them, and Duke, ever attentive, immediately pulled a coat from his space ring and gently draped it over Kisha's shoulders. She gave him a sweet smile, nuzzling her nose into the fabric that still carried the faint scent of detergent.
As they moved deeper into the woods, those with awakened abilities like Kisha and Duke, whose enhanced vision made the dim forest easy to navigate, had no trouble. But for Hugo and the others, who were still ordinary humans, keeping up without stumbling in the dark was more difficult. Noticing this, Kisha handed each of them a flashlight before they continued their journey.
It took them a while to finally reach the portal. When Hugo and the others saw it, memories of the first time it had appeared came rushing back—how Kisha and her group had suddenly emerged from it as if out of nowhere. The sight stirred a wave of nervousness among them.
They watched as Sparrow and the rest calmly entered the portal one after another without any issues. Then Kisha turned to them and said with a reassuring smile, "Come on. Just step through—you'll see."
With that, she and Duke entered the portal hand in hand, disappearing into the light.
Hugo hesitated. He glanced around at the others, seeing the same uncertainty mirrored on their faces. But behind that nervousness was a flicker of courage. After a moment's silent agreement, they each nodded and stepped forward together.
As they crossed the threshold, a sudden brightness made them squint—the shift from the dark forest to the bright light ahead was stark and disorienting. It took a few moments for their eyes to adjust. And when they finally opened them fully, what they saw left them speechless.
Sparrow and his group were no longer in sight—they had already dispersed to continue their training. So when Hugo and the others opened their eyes, aside from Kisha and Duke, the place seemed eerily quiet. Or so it seemed.
In the distance, someone was crouched in the fields, harvesting crops. The man stood up and stretched his back, clearly absorbed in his work. It was Marcus. Hugo had never met him before and, unsure of who he was, said nothing. Instead, he silently walked toward Kisha, who stood waiting for everyone to emerge from the portal.
Once they had all arrived, Kisha began to speak. "Welcome to my hidden farm," she said with a calm smile. "This land spans several hundred acres and includes an orchard, an animal farm, and a complete irrigation system. It's hidden within the territory by a barrier and illusion, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to find. That's to protect it—and ourselves—from anyone who might get greedy or try something underhanded."
She paused before continuing, her voice steady. "I asked you to sign the slave contract so that you could work here while ensuring the secrecy of this place. It wasn't to control you—but to protect what we're building together. I hope you understand."
Duke, standing beside her, couldn't help but smile warmly. Kisha was lying through her teeth without even blinking—yet with such grace and confidence that none of Hugo's group suspected a thing.
She had become so skilled at weaving half-truths and believable explanations that her audience fully accepted her words. After all, she had already briefed them on awakened abilities, so to them, this was just another product of that so-called powers.
Even knowing it was the result of an awakened ability, the sight before them left Hugo and the others in quiet awe. The sky above was a vivid blue, with the sun rising gently over towering mountains—mountains they didn't recognize, because such peaks didn't exist anywhere near the hidden base they had come from.
