As the baboons closed the gap, Raymond tensed, ready for the attack. The moment they entered his range, he sprang into action.

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His body lunged forward with precision, the sword in his hand following in a smooth arc.

Swish!

The blade flashed, cutting into the thick arm of the nearest baboon. A gush of blood splattered as the sword tore through muscle, but the baboon’s massive arm barely flinched. The cut was deep, but it didn’t reach the bone. Raymond’s eyes widened in surprise.

He had aimed for the baboon’s neck, but the animal had raised its arm in defense. And the thick, coarse hair that covered its body had acted like a protective armor, blocking the full impact of his strike.

There wasn’t time to dwell on it. Another baboon, fast and low to the ground, came charging toward him from the right. Its attack was swift, and Raymond knew his sword wouldn’t be enough to counter this one.

Instead of dodging, Raymond braced himself and lashed out with his leg, driving a powerful kick straight into the baboon’s chest.

Bang!

The baboon went flying, its body crashing back several feet. Raymond staggered back from the force of the impact, but his legs were steady, and he quickly regained his balance.

Despite the baboon’s strength, Raymond’s kick was enough to send it flying backward. As the creature scrambled to get up, Raymond saw that its right arm hung uselessly at its side, limp and broken.

It hadn’t been a perfect hit, but it had done its job. One less threat.

"ROAR!"

The baboon, though injured, wasn’t backing down. With a deafening growl, it charged at Raymond again, eyes blazing with fury.

’Just like the book says,’ Raymond thought, ’once a baboon enters combat mode, it’s like a wild animal with no fear, no reason.’

But Raymond couldn’t dwell on that now. The other baboons were closing in fast.

These creatures were relentless. Their thick, tough fur acted like armor, making them nearly impervious to Raymond’s sword. Even though he’d left deep cuts on their bodies, none of the baboons seemed to be seriously hurt. They were built like tanks—muscles, bones, and fur so dense that his blade might as well have been a twig.

Raymond’s mind raced. The baboons were fast, and their defenses were solid. It wasn’t just their strength and speed that made them dangerous—it was how they attacked with no hesitation, as if nothing could hurt them.

And to make matters worse, a few of them were already trying to break away, heading straight for Sylph and Lorene. Raymond couldn’t let that happen, but he also couldn’t afford to charge in without a plan.

His options were limited. Using ’Taunt’ would pull them all to him, but that would leave him surrounded with no way to defend himself—especially since his sword barely made a dent in their thick hides. And ’Swift Wind Slash’ was too risky. It could take out one or two baboons, but not enough to turn the tide, and there was no way Raymond could reach Sylph and Lorene in time if the others broke through.

’This is tougher than I thought,’ Raymond mused, narrowly dodging an attack from one of the baboons.

He took a few steps back, creating some space. For a moment, he just stood there, assessing the situation. He glanced down at the long sword in his hand and let out a soft laugh. ’In situations like this, the sword feels more like a liability than an asset. Surrounded by so many, in close quarters, it’s cumbersome.’

Just then, one of the baboons saw Raymond’s brief pause and charged, claws raised, ready to smash down on his head. The baboon seemed to relish the thought of Raymond’s skull splitting under its attack.

But Raymond wasn’t caught off guard.

In a flash, he stepped forward, closing the distance between them. The baboon’s claws swiped at the air where Raymond had been just a second before. Before it could react, Raymond lunged into its space, driving the point of his sword into the baboon’s chest.

Swish!

The sword pierced deep, the tip finding the soft spot beneath its thick chest muscles. Raymond twisted the blade with precise force, crushing its heart in an instant. The baboon’s body shuddered, then collapsed.

’Your thick fur can block slashes, but not piercing attacks,’ Raymond thought coolly, pulling his sword free. But there was no time to savor the victory. The others were already closing in on him.

Raymond had no choice but to abandon his sword. As the baboons rushed him, he couldn’t rely on it anymore—not in such close quarters. He could only use it once, and now it was in the way.

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’Close combat, huh?’ Raymond smirked. ’I can do that too.’

He pushed the lifeless body of the fallen baboon away with a forceful shove, sending it tumbling backward. The next baboon lunged at him, but Raymond’s legs moved faster. He sidestepped, ducking under a powerful punch aimed at his side, just narrowly avoiding it.

For the first time since the battle began, Raymond let go of his reliance on the sword. Now, it was all about his body.

As the baboon’s claws missed, Raymond didn’t hesitate. With a swift twist of his body, his right fist became a blur, crashing into the baboon’s exposed chin with a brutal punch.

The baboon’s head snapped back, and it staggered, disoriented by the force of the blow. Raymond didn’t give it a chance to recover, he was already moving on to the next attack.

Bang!

Raymond’s punch hit the baboon squarely on the jaw, and with a sickening crack, blood and shattered teeth flew everywhere.

"ROAR!"

Just as Raymond was about to follow up with another attack, the baboon whose arm he had shattered earlier saw an opening. It rushed toward him again, moving in that familiar Iron Mountain Leaning posture, determined to strike.

Raymond didn’t have time to dodge. He barely managed to raise his arms in time to block the charge.

Bang!

The collision sent Raymond staggering back, the force nearly knocking him off balance. But he wasn’t about to let up.

"Hyaa!"

With a fierce shout, Raymond planted his legs firmly, halting his backward momentum. Using all his strength, he drove his elbow into the baboon’s spine.

Snap!

The sickening crack of breaking bones rang out, and the baboon crumpled to the ground, motionless.

Raymond took a deep breath, sweat trickling down his forehead. The fight had been brutal, but he had already taken down two baboons. Of the remaining three, one was seriously injured, and the others were bloodied from his sword strikes.

But the baboons weren’t backing down. If anything, they seemed even more enraged.

’They really live up to their name…’ Raymond thought wryly. ’They’re crazy, but at least they’re just regular baboons. None of them have mastered ’Rage.’’

The ’Rage’ skill was a warrior’s ability, something only a few baboons ever learned. When activated, it boosted strength and defense, making the user even more dangerous. But it was rare, Raymond had yet to see a baboon use it.

One of the baboons lunged at him again, snapping him out of his thoughts. Raymond decided it was time to finish this.

As the baboon closed in, Raymond didn’t hesitate.

Bone Crusher!

His right fist glowed with a faint blue light, charged with an invisible force. He threw a punch with all his might.

Bang!

The baboon’s chest caved in under the blow, and it was sent flying backward, crumpling to the ground, clearly out of the fight.

The next baboon; still reeling from Raymond’s earlier punch, was already charging in, but Raymond wasn’t about to waste any more energy. He ducked under the attack and delivered a swift punch to the baboon’s throat.

The baboon staggered back, gasping for breath. It struggled for a moment, but then collapsed, unable to make a sound.

Raymond turned toward the final baboon, his focus sharpening. But to his surprise, the last one didn’t charge at him like the others. It stopped where it stood and let out a roar, louder and fiercer than any of the others.

"ROAR!"

This was the baboon he had wounded at the start, the one whose arm he’d slashed. Its body was now covered with multiple cuts, each one a reminder of Raymond’s skill. But instead of attacking, the baboon stood its ground, glaring at him with fiery eyes.

Raymond took a cautious step forward, but just as he did, something strange happened. The baboon’s eyes, once a dull yellow, began to turn blood-red.

"ROAR!"

It howled again, and Raymond froze, sensing a shift in the air. Just as he was about to react, a panel appeared in front of him:

’Learnable Skills Detected: Rage [Warrior]’

Raymond’s heart skipped a beat. The baboon was activating ’Rage’ its power was about to explode.

"Looks like I won’t have an easy time finishing this one off..." Raymond muttered to himself, ready for whatever came next.