Language. The alpha and omega of civilization.

If we applied human standards directly to animals, we could say that animals had no language. But what if communication itself counted as language? Could we really say they had none?

They simply lacked a linguistic system as complex and compartmentalized as ours. Still, the greatest difference between humans and animals was intelligence, and that gap showed just as clearly in language. That difference had many consequences.

When humans encountered another language, they could readily understand it to some extent if they made the effort to learn. Not animals. Language reached its full potential only when it was completely understood, rather than simply memorized. You could say animals had yet to grasp its essence.

And right now, all that common sense had come crashing down, straight from the gorilla chief's mouth.

"..."

Was this what it felt like to have a universe unfold inside your head?

Human speech had come out of the gorilla chief's mouth. Language, nothing like an animal's cries. Had whoever taught it martial arts also taught it to speak? But regardless of who had taught it, the point was that it had acquired a human means of communication.

Offering bananas as an apology. Bowing its head politely. The gorilla chief clearly possessed intelligence on par with a human's.

'Now that I look closely, it has a lot of wrinkles, too.'

Its face was more wrinkled than the other gorillas', giving it an air of age and experience. Who on earth had taught this creature to speak?

After some thought, I decided to pick up the bananas first. Judging by its polite tone and manner, they were definitely an apology. Even if it launched a surprise attack, I had the speed-sloth with me, so I wasn't worried.

"Ni chou narira?"

"... What are you saying?"

As I picked up the bananas, the chief spoke in human language again. But I couldn't understand it. I didn't know a single language in this world.

'The intonation sounds sort of Chinese...'

This world had a country called the Central Plains, something out of a martial arts novel. If it was anything like the martial arts fiction I knew, speaking something resembling Chinese wasn't strange. But that didn't help me understand it. This was exactly when I needed the forum.

I accessed the forum and started recording a video, planning to upload it.

"Um... could you say that again, please?"

I circled my hand as I asked it to repeat itself. I'd slipped into polite speech without thinking, but I didn't dwell on it.

Fortunately, it seemed to understand my gesture. The chief stared at me, then repeated what it had said before.

"Ni chou narira?"

"One moment, please."

I posted the recording straight to the forum. Please let it be the language of the Central Plains. Then Heavenly Demon could translate it immediately.

EMERGENCYYYY!!! A gorilla is speaking human!!!

Wild Grylls

(Video of the gorilla chief speaking human language)

I'm getting really scared. Does anyone know what it's saying?

Gorillas speak human in the Forest of Four Seasons. Can anyone translate?

└Heavenly Demon: ??? Why is a gorilla speaking the language of the Central Plains? Is this truly happening?

└Wild Grylls: I'd livestream it if I could, but that's not an option. Yes, it's really happening.

└Heavenly Demon: Hmm... Wherever that gorilla learned it, to think it speaks our language. An old form of it, no less.

└Wild Grylls: An old form?

└Heavenly Demon: I mean the way the older generation speaks.

└Sword Masta: Aren't you an old fossil yourself?

└Heavenly Demon: Did I not tell you I only recently reached the flowering age?

└Sword Masta: Not with the way you talk, you haven't...

└Allfather: Oh. My. Good Aragon. What did I just watch?

└Wild Grylls: A video of a gorilla speaking human language.

└Allfather: Oh. Fuck. It's a sign of the apocalypse.

└Wild Grylls: Are you okay...?

└Allfather: I'll be back after I go satisfy an urge.

└Wild Grylls: Dude...

└Wow, but seriously, a gorilla is speaking human?

└Some monsters speak human, though. Orc shamans, goblin witch doctors, that sort of thing.

└Sure, but have you ever seen a gorilla do it?

└Nope lmao. What even is that? lol

└And it seems to have learned the language of the Central Plains, too lmao

└Who the hell taught it?

└Listening to it, that sounds old as fuck. That way of speaking belongs back in the Righteous-Blood War.

└When was this Righteous-Blood War thing?

└About sixty years ago, I think?

└And why's it wearing clothes? lol

└Maybe it's wearing a dead person's clothes?

└Gorilla fashion lmao

Countless comments poured in within less than a minute. Most expressed disbelief or claimed I was using ventriloquism. They offered all sorts of wild guesses, but this was my reality.

'Anyway, it asked where I came from, right?'

Time to answer that. Keeping it waiting could ruin my first impression. But I didn't know its language.

Heavenly Demon. Heavenly Demon.

Could you help me?

Heavenly Demon

Are you asking me to teach you what to say?

Oh. How did you know?

Heavenly Demon

Given the circumstances, that much is easy to deduce.

But while the forum can convey writing, it cannot convey speech.

Unless I knew your native tongue, it would likely be difficult.

Then could you show me how to write "the Republic of Korea"?

Heavenly Demon

That is easily done.

Wait a moment.

While Heavenly Demon wrote it out, I tried talking to the chief. Naturally, it only gave me a look that said it had no idea what I meant, and I got nowhere. I was only laying the groundwork to buy time anyway, so I waited patiently.

Heavenly Demon

(The Republic of Korea written on paper in the script of the Central Plains)

Will this do?

Thank you!

Heavenly Demon

Ask whenever you need.

It seems you will continue to need my assistance.

I copied the characters from Heavenly Demon's photograph onto the ground. I'd have preferred to write in the notebook inside the cave, but who knew what might happen while I went to get it? As I began writing, the chief shifted its gaze to the ground. Then it tilted its head, looked back up, and spoke.

"Bu chidao."

I recorded that and sent it to Heavenly Demon, who told me the answer meant "I don't know." Of course it didn't. The Republic of Korea was a country in another world.

"Yao. Shabi?"

"Bu."

"Kai. Jama. Jubeo?"

"Jwinja tungpeo."

The chief began conversing with the spear-carrier beside it. The spear-carrying gorilla seemed to be something like a personal guard. Unlike the fluent chief, the guard spoke haltingly, with gaps between its words. I recorded their conversation and sent it to Heavenly Demon.

Heavenly Demon

:

That monkey is asking whether it can kill you.

It says you are their kin's murderer.

What?

Heavenly Demon

The chief monkey says there is no need.

Finding their kin's bodies comes first.

Their kin's bodies. They probably meant the ones I'd killed yesterday. Even after learning a language, an ape was still an ape, I supposed. They were discussing this openly right in front of me. Or perhaps they wanted me to hear it. I waited to see what they'd do.

"Sseuchi dorenma?"

According to Heavenly Demon's translation, it was asking where its dead kin were. They'd stolen my food, so I wasn't inclined to tell it readily. Besides, I needed to be careful, or it might take me lightly.

Scritch—scritch. I traced characters across the ground, writing something along the lines of, "What if I don't want to tell you?"

The chief studied my writing carefully, then spoke to me.

"Hwiurulseda."

Apparently, its answer meant, "There will be blood..." I'd more or less guessed from the half-threatening tone.

'It even uses figurative language?'

More surprising than the figurative language was its use of tone. Just how intelligent was this creature?

Facing the chief's narrowed, ferocious gaze, I glanced to the side.

'Assuming the chief is as strong as the speed-sloth...'

There were about five other gorillas, including its guards. We were outnumbered. We'd lose if we fought. Better to avoid a fight with such poor odds whenever possible.

In particular, the fact that it had tossed me bananas suggested a willingness to resolve this peacefully.

'Let's avoid a fight.'

I set a condition: once they found their kin, they were to leave immediately. When I wrote that on the ground, the chief monkey nodded. I didn't know whether it would keep its promise, but an agreement like this was better for now.

"They're here."

When I showed them where the gorillas were buried, the chief jerked its head. A gorilla I took for a regular soldier rather than a guard stepped forward and started digging. Bare-handed, at that. Given a gorilla's physical capabilities, though, it dug as fast as an excavator.

Before long, it pulled the buried bodies out one by one. Since I'd only buried them yesterday, they were intact, without a trace of decay.

'Will that do it?'

I watched the gorillas carry off the bodies, then glanced at the chief. It remained in place, watching without moving as they headed into the forest. Once its subordinates had all disappeared, it spoke to me.

"Shincha."

"Huh?"

"Shwishwin pangeol raotera."

Once again, I had no idea what it meant. But I kept the forum open at all times. I sent the recording of its words straight to Heavenly Demon.

Heavenly Demon

It says it is time for a personal conversation.

A conversation?

Heavenly Demon

That is not a good sign.

In the martial world, drawing a distinction between public and personal affairs usually leads to a fight.

Was I really going to have to fight this thing? I began backing away a little at a time. Watching my reaction, the chief spoke impassively.

"Chinpalli rwishi eomeon kweoeo."

"..."

"Sunjeu shwi billa. Ni shwie jeungpandeo."

We were at fault for invading your territory.

My grandson behaved rudely. You were justified.

"Keoshwi baenjju join shwien shin. Haio sso kong."

But I, in my supremacy, am the leader of this troop. And the boy's grandfather.

Hearing it refer to itself with that claim of supremacy left me a little dazed. Heavenly Demon apparently felt the same, laying those feelings bare immediately after translating.

Heavenly Demon

How arrogant.

A mere monkey, referring to itself as supreme.

Who on earth taught it?

Maybe whoever taught it used that expression?

Heavenly Demon

Whoever it was taught it utter nonsense.

No one but the Greatest Under Heaven may speak of themselves that way.

More importantly, the gorilla's presence was growing increasingly ominous. Even its guards were backing away little by little. A fight looked ready to break out any second. I began circulating mana through my body and feeding aura into Heavenly Demon's sword. Without a surprise attack, I doubted I could take the chief down.

"Sseuai."

Therefore.

"Na joi ikeubeo."

I will take one of your arms.

The instant Heavenly Demon finished translating, I charged. Aura rose from Heavenly Demon's sword like a heat haze. No, it went far beyond an ordinary heat haze. Fire. The sword's aura surged like raging flames.

Now, if I slashed at the chief with this, its body would split in two. Don't call me a coward. This was the best I could do. What wouldn't I do to survive? In this place, the survivors were the strong.

'Good. I've got you!'

The chief didn't react even as the blade drew within point-blank range. Perhaps it hadn't managed to react in time. This was my chance. If I could just slice through its torso...

THUP

That didn't happen. Instead, an unbelievable sight unfolded before my eyes. Aura blazing like fire. Heavenly Demon's sword, filled with that aura. A strike that could slice effortlessly through an animal's flesh and bone with the lightest touch.

"..."

Yet the chief had caught that strike with ease. Not with a whole hand, but with just three fingers: its thumb, index finger, and middle finger. As I reeled at the utterly unbelievable sight, the chief spoke with a serene expression.

"Hao chil reo."

I didn't know what it meant. But one thing was certain. The gorilla chief was stronger than I'd ever imagined.