"You have defeated our champion inbat, a rare feat; even more so, you showed benevolence in sparing his life," the macaque told him, "therefore, you are now our new champion, Ren."


    "...Pardon?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Forgive me, I haven''t introduced myself," the macaque bowed his head, "I am Rohan, one of the elders of the Umber Cloud vige."


    Even with an introduction, it only left him with more questions than answers as he now found himself helplessly perplexed. The injured ape lifted himself back up, standing beside the much smaller elder as the other primates joined alongside them.


    "Umber Cloud vige…?"


    Rohan nodded, "Yes, it is our home in the Bareaminon jungle. It is where all of our kind live together to survive the harshness of this cruelnd. We''re the ''Velren'', we''re not monsters of Purgatory."


    Before he could ask any further questions, his stomach interrupted his mouth with an audible grumble.


    Holding an embarrassed hue to his cheeks, he chuckled as he held his stomach, though Rohan simplyughed with his hoarse, old voice.


    "Come, new champion, there is plenty of food in the vige."


    Just the allure of something to eat was enough to convince him to at least humor the mysterious, intelligent primates.


    "Food…? Lead the way, old timer," he replied.


    Once again, he found himself in another, fantastical situation in the cruel realm--though it seemed for once, he found a fortunate respite.


    Let''s see what this vige of primates is all about…"Umber Cloud vige", yeah? He thought.


    Following the primates through the jungle, he was forced into a foreign way of travel as he leapt from branch to branch. It wouldn''t normally be such an imposing task, except for the fact the trees of the Bareaminon jungle were exotic, to say the least.


    Though they assured him it was necessary to avoid the "awaiting predators" below—a vague warning he listened to wholeheartedly.


    Compared to the things I''ve done in Grandueve…this is no biggy, but my stomach isn''t really helping, he thought.


    He followed directly behind Rohan, who despite his wrinkled appearance, moved nimbly by using his tail to swing swiftly.


    Meanwhile, he was forced to hop with reinforced jumps while feeling the swift monkeys following behind him as well.


    "Are we close yet?!" He asked in a yell, having to shout to surpass the howls of the wind in their speedy travel.


    Rohan answered without looking, "Just a bit further, yes."


    Looking forward as he hopped continuously, he questioned how the elder macaque could even tell the difference between any of the sections of the colorful jungle.


    Around him, he couldn''t help but feel a bit ufortable by the dozen of primates that traveled alongside of, most of which didn''t seem capable of speech like the elder. The entire time, they looked at him with beady eyes, curious of him, though he couldn''t exactly me them as he felt the same way himself.


    This is definitely in the top five weirdest situations I''ve been in here…He thought.


    "I imagine you''re famished. Don''t worry, you will be presented with a proper meal when we arrive," Rohan assured him.


    "That''s good…" He replied while finding a rhythm to his jumps, "but what''s this vige of yours like? Just want to know what to expect, you know?"


    I can''t let my guard down. I don''t really feel any bad intentions from them, but it''s better safe than sorry. But, the primorelves were nice enough so…I don''t doubt a vige can exist on the third floor, he thought, if i''m beingpletely honest with myself though…I probably need to take a risk like this if i''m going to back it through thesest five days.


    Rohan came to a sudden stop, standing on a t, moss-covered branch as he turned to look up at the young man whonded on the branch right beside him.


    "Well, you''ll find that out for yourself by guiding your view upwards," Rohan told him with a soft smile.


    "Look up…?" He repeated, slowly bringing his gaze up.


    He found himself in awe as above them, the high-reaching trees inhabited a civilization of its own. A series of bridges connected the trees, with dome-like living spaces made out of wood, vines, and sometimes soil were attached to the bodies of the tall trees.


    It was impossible to notice without looking up, due to the obscuring nation of the dense foliage of the jungle. But once he saw it, he was enamored by the mystical, natural territory amongst the trees. A wholemunity existed there; young, old, small, andrge--he found himself speechless for a moment.


    "Is this…?" He muttered.


    "Wee to Umber Cloud vige, Ren," Rohan told him.


    As he was busy taking in the view, he witnessed the primates that returned with them to the vige climb up the assortment of lengthy trees, returning to their homes in swift fashion.


    Rohan motioned for him to follow, looking back at him as his fluffy, sable tail swayed. Of course, the elder macaque was climbing thergest tree of them all within the vige, sitting in the center with a thick, verdant trunk that possessed the width of a sports stadium.


    "Well, I''m no stranger to climbing at this point…" He muttered, holding his stomach as it growled.


    Taking in a breath, he followed Rohan as he hopped a few branches before beginning to climb the grand tree, finding it rtively easy as the protruding bark and vines made it easy to find holds.


    With the prospect of sustenance awaiting at the summit of therge abode positioned high on the verdant tree, he climbed swiftly while looking past his exhaustion.


    "Impressive, you''re a fitting champion for the vige," Rohan greeted him once he reached the wooden tform high up.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He pulled himself onto the flooring, huffing a bit as he stood himself up, wiping the sediment from his coat, "So, is this your home?"


    In front of him, a domal abode made of orange-wood stood without a door, bearing an entrance lined with a carpet formed of some type of brown animal fur.


    "It''s the home of all five elders of Umber Cloud. Come, I''m sure they will be ecstatic to meet the first new champion in two years," Rahon said as he waddled through the entrance.


    ck symbols were engraved in the exterior, likely anguage he didn''t have any clue about. What he did have a clue on was the nice scent emanating from the interior, weing him with avender aroma.


    Guided by the emptiness of his stomach, he entered the enigmatic home of the elders. Passing through the initial corridor, he realized the true nature of the abode.


    It''s not just some cottage...the actual house is the inside of the tree itself. I''m getting some major deja vu right about now, he thought.


    Stationed in thevender-scented hall, chimpanzee guards wearing shoddy, metal armor stood taut and silent with spears pointed upright like statues. There was even art; perfectly made vases, pots, and even paintings of abstractndscapes.


    It all felt uncanny, yet incredibly intriguing to him.


    Pretty official, aren''t they? He thought.


    After ascending a brief staircase of smoothly-mended y, he was led by Rohan into a room filled with the smoky aroma of lit incense.


    Sitting in the middle of therge room, which was mostly upied by art and bedding, four primates sat in a circle, each seated on a cushion. It definitely felt reminiscent of human architecture, but was clearly not; the leaf-made veils that spiraled over the ceiling, it had its own vor of something not man made.


    The only empty seat was filled as Rohan lowered himself onto it, raising his gaze to the young man who stood still at the entrance of the toasty, humid chamber.


    "Five elders, today I present to you a momentous figure--Ren, the new champion of Umber Cloud!" Rohan presented.


    On the far left, arge, yellow-haired orangutan sat quietly with a smoke-exuding stick between his lips.


    "Momo, the chief of hunting-and-gathering!" Rohan introduced the orangutan.


    Next to him was a stone-faced gori d in crimson fur that was further d in white-metal armor. By the corneal scar inhabiting his eye, it was clear he was one well versed in warfare.


    "Goroba, the chief of the vige soldiers!" Rohan introduced.


    In the center, Rohan sat, holding his weing, soft smile as he held little presence of his own inparison to the other four elders.


    "I, Rohan, the chief of warfare!" The macaque smiled, presenting his role unfit of his small appearance.


    To the right of Rohan was a ck howler monkey, wearing a hooded robe that entuated their dark, beady eyes as they stared intently at the human.


    "Yon, the chief of magic development!"


    Last, and certainly notst, on the far right, a pale-furred baboon sat with an expression that looked as if he was one moment away from assaulting the snowy-haired adolescent.


    "Perrei, the chief of education!"


    That guy is the teacher around here?! He thought.


    Even knowing their names, he didn''t feel any morefortable as all of the eyes of the primates were locked on him, and sealed behind their mysterious gazes were their thoughts. Though by Rohan''s gesture, he forced himself to sit across from the elders as he settled himself on arge, beige cushion.


    "...This one defeated Makabar?" Goroba asked, keeping his metal-armored arms folded against his protruding chest.


    Rohan nodded a few times, "Indeed. He stepped onto our territory and promptly defeated Makabar with a single stroke of his de!"


    The tiny, ck-furred macaque made a motion as if swinging an unseen sword, reenacting the earlier battle with an entric smile.


    Wait, I trespassed…? I guess that exins why that ape fought me...He thought.


    "It''s been many...years since a Purgatory entrant has managed to stumble...into our territory, and even longer...since one has been our champion," Momo spoke slowly with a deep, bellowing voice, removing the smoking twig from his lips to speak.


    Yon nodded as her hood bounced slightly, "Be it as it may, it''s our one tradition we must upkeep for Togae if we inhabit his world. Any who defeat our champion be the new champion during their stay here."


    The name caught his attention as he tilted his head slightly, looking at the dark-furred howler, "Togae?...I feel like I''ve heard that name before."


    It was the angry-faced baboon that answered in ce of the chief of magic, "Togae is the creator of Purgatory. He created this vige for us to live and grow in. We all owe our lives to Lord Togae."


    Rohan nodded to further confirm Perrei''s words, "He is all-powerful, but not unfair. I believe it is the one condition for those residing in Purgatory to assist the challengers as much as possible."


    "...That doesn''t sound right," he muttered, clenching his fists.


    "Mm?" Rohan looked at him.


    He slowly shook his head, whispering, "Nothing. Forget it."


    No way the one who made Purgatory is "fair" or "kind"--no way in hell.. Whoever it is that made this ce is a sick, depraved bastard, he thought.