William frowned when he heard the Diabolical Hell Ape's request. If he was only going to deal with one or two Myriad Beasts, he would definitely lend a hand to his old acquaintance. Afterall, the Guardian of the Forest had helped him in the past.
Unfortunately, more than a Dozen Myriad Beasts were aiming for the fruit. William was sure that all of them wanted to acquire it in order to evolve into a Pseudo-Demigod with a powerful bloodline.
"Your Excellency, it isn't that I don't want to help you, but it is extremely difficult for me to do so," William replied. "The Black-Striped Terror Rats, as well as the lurking Myriad Beasts in the shadows could easily kill us with a single slap. The battle for the golden fruit is way beyond our league."
The Diabolical Hell Ape sighed. He understood that his request was too hard for Humans that still hadn't stepped into the Saint Rank to accomplish. If he was in William's shoes, he might have already ignored the idiot who was asking them to risk their lives for his sake.
Even so, he was hoping that William could help him snatch the fruit in this free-for-all battle, so that he could make his dream a reality.
The young man eyed the Half-Elf whom he hadn't seen for a few years. When he first saw William, he was but a fragile child that would die if he were to accidentally step on him.
Now, the red-headed teenager was famous all over the world for the accomplishment that he had achieved in the Tower of Babylon. Because of this, the Diabolical Hell Ape thought that the Half-Elf would be able to help him achieve his lifetime wish to become human.
"Understood," the Diabolical Hell Ape said. "Sorry for asking for too much."
William scratched his head helplessly when he saw the disappointment on the young man's face. However, he wouldn't risk Chiffon's and Lilith's lives in a struggle where they were at a great disadvantage.
"I'm sorry, Your Excellency. If I can assist you in any other way without endangering our lives, I will be more than happy to help you." William stated.
After pondering for a while, the Diabolical Hell Ape then thought of something.
"Do you have any means that can temporarily restrain these beasts?" the young man asked. "Even if it will only last for a few seconds, that will be more than enough for me to grab the fruit and flee. Whether I succeed or not, I will owe you a favor. How about it?"
William rubbed his chin as he eyed the fruit from a distance.
"Delaying them for a few seconds is not impossible," William answered after a minute of observation.
"Really? That's great! I've been here for two months, and during that time, I have been paying close attention to the fruit. According to my estimate, it will reach maturity sometime tomorrow."
"Good. That will give me enough time to prepare. By the way, Your Excellency, is there some place where we can rest? We just entered the Forbidden Ground and we're still a bit tired from our journey. I was wondering if you can help us with this problem."
The Diabolical Hell Ape nodded his head in understanding. "I have made a temporary residence near this area. I guarantee that it's safe. All of you can rest there for the time being."
"Thank you, Your Excellency."
"No. It is I who should be thanking you. With your help, my chances of getting that fruit will increase by a good margin."
The Diabolical Hell Ape glanced at the fruit in order to ensure that he hadn't miscalculated the time when it would ripen. After two minutes of observation, he decided that the time that he had estimated needed some adjustments.
After ensuring that everything was in order, he made a gesture for William and his group to follow him.
Ten minutes passed and they arrived at a tree that didn't stand out from those beside it.
The young man then knocked on its trunk thrice then stopped for five seconds before knocking twice.
Suddenly, a two-meter tall door appeared in front of them, which the young man opened with ease.
"Come in," the young man invited. "I apologize if it's messy inside. I didn't anticipate that I would have guests."
William nodded and entered the door while holding Chiffon's hand. Contrary to what he expected, the interior of the tree was very spacious. This reminded him of "Eternity", the artifact that Celine possessed and used during their training.
"There are three floors in this house," the young man said. "The bedrooms can be found on the third floor. Please, follow me."
The three glanced at each other before following behind the young man. Soon they arrived at the third floor where several doors could be seen.
"There are a total of nine bedrooms here," the young man explained. "All of them are the same, so it doesn't matter what room you choose. Feel free to take any room you like. If you need me, I'll be on the first floor."
After the Diabolical Hell Ape left, William approached the nearest door and opened it. The room was quite spacious as well. If he would give a rough estimate on how big it was, it was at least twice the size of his dormitory room back in Hestia Academy.
The bed was big enough to fit six people, and Chiffon happily jumped into it to check how comfortable it was.
Seeing the pink-haired girl roll over the bed, William could tell that she was very satisfied with it.
"We will be taking this room," William said as he looked at Lilith. "How about you?"
Lilith pondered for a bit before making a decision.
"I'll be staying with the two of you," Lilith replied. "Just in case something unexpected happens, it will be best if the three of us are together."
William didn't find anything wrong with Lilith's words, so he nodded his head in agreement. He then took out a few baskets from his storage ring and placed them on the table.
"Are you hungry?" William asked. "Let's have an early dinner before we rest. Although we won't be actively participating in the battle for the golden fruit, we still need the strength to escape if the circumstances turn for the worse."
Lilith glanced at the food on the table and nodded her head. Since she had emptied her stomach a while ago, truth be told, she was very hungry.
At the mention of food, Chiffon stopped playing on the bed and approached the table to eat.
While the three were eating, the Diabolical Hell Ape sat cross-legged on the first floor with his eyes closed. He had left a magical ward near the tree which allowed him to observe the Golden Fruit, as well as the Beasts that were slowly gathering around it.
He felt a bit anxious because the number of monsters that were gathering at the blood-red tree had increased. A Fifth Black-Striped Terror Rat even joined its comrades in order to increase their chances of securing the fruit.
"I only have one chance…," the young man muttered.. "I just hope that William's restraining plan will work."
