Global Survival: I Have Endless Skeletons-Chapter 116: No One Leaves Alive

Stanley was covered in blood.

His breathing was ragged, shallow, and uneven, each inhale scraping painfully through his lungs.

His armor had been torn apart, metal plates bent and cracked as if they had been struck by a giant hammer.

Across his chest was a deep gash, so wide and severe that the torn flesh beneath was clearly visible.

Blood gushed out continuously, soaking his armor and dripping onto the ground in thick, dark splashes.

His legs trembled violently, threatening to give out at any moment. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest as he forced himself to remain standing.

A few feet away from him stood the Redmane Ape.

The beast was equally injured.

Its massive body was covered in sword wounds, deep slashes crisscrossing its thick hide. Its once-glorious crimson fur had been dyed a darker red by its own blood.

Several deep gashes marred its sturdy arms and broad chest, some so severe that muscle fibers were exposed beneath the fur.

A deep, guttural growl escaped from the ape’s throat. Its breathing was uneven and labored, yet the fighting spirit burning in its eyes refused to fade.

Despite its injuries, its gaze was sharp, feral, and filled with unrelenting aggression.

The man and the beast stared at each other for several long seconds.

Neither moved.

Neither blinked.

The air between them felt heavy, suffocating, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.

Then, without warning, both charged forward at the same time.

Stanley had tried many times to escape from the Redmane Ape, but every attempt had failed. No matter which direction he fled, the beast pursued him relentlessly, crashing through trees and terrain with terrifying speed.

In the end, he had been cornered deep within the forest, far from any chance of outside interference.

Finally, Stanley let go of his plan to escape and decided to battle it out with the Redmane Ape.

He had never believed the ape could defeat him, let alone kill him. In his mind, all he needed to do was overpower it, defeat it decisively, and prove who was stronger.

But he had underestimated the madness of the Redmane Ape.

Even after sustaining grievous injuries that would have driven most beasts to retreat, it refused to back down.

Instead, its fighting spirit burned even more fiercely, as if pain only fueled its rage.

It was as though pain meant nothing to it.

The two clashed once more, locking themselves into another brutal round of combat.

Bang!

Bang!

Each collision sent shockwaves rippling through the ground. The earth trembled violently beneath their feet, craters forming where their blows landed.

Trees were uprooted or shattered, trunks snapping like twigs as debris flew through the air.

The man and the beast continued their life-and-death struggle, trading blow after blow with neither willing to yield.

Until one of them died, the fight would not end.

For ten relentless minutes, Stanley fought frantically, using everything he had. He poured every ounce of strength, skill, and willpower into each strike.

He had already consumed all of his healing and recovery potions, draining every last resource at his disposal.

If not for those potions, he would have fallen long ago under the Redmane Ape’s terrifying tenacity and endurance.

But now...

His body was at its absolute limit.

With a final roar, Stanley gathered what little strength he had left and plunged his sword deep into the ape’s chest.

The blade pierced through flesh and muscle, driving straight into its heart.

The Redmane Ape froze.

A strangled sound escaped its throat before its massive body finally collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash.

The forest fell silent.

"Hah... hah..."

"Finally..."

A heavy sigh of relief escaped Stanley’s lips as his sword slipped from his grasp.

His legs gave out, and he fell backward, landing heavily on the ground. Exhaustion crashed over him like a tidal wave, leaving him barely able to keep his eyes open.

He felt as though he could fall asleep at any moment.

He lay there motionless, his chest rising and falling rapidly as sweat covered his body.

His wounds burned, and every breath sent a sharp pain through his ribs.

"When I’m strong enough..." he whispered hoarsely, his voice barely audible, "...I will make sure to kill every Redmane Ape in this forest."

The hatred in his voice was raw and intense, greater even than the hatred he held for Thoren.

As he lay there attempting to recover his strength, he failed to notice the presence approaching from the distance.

They emerged quietly from between the trees.

They stopped and stared at him for several moments before slowly walking toward him.

Creak... creak...

Twigs snapped underfoot.

The sound of footsteps echoed loudly, each step pounding against Stanley’s ears like a war drum.

Stanley’s eyes snapped open.

He raised his head with difficulty and turned toward the source of the noise.

"T-This..." His heart skipped a beat, and every hair on his body stood on end.

The Redmane Apes had gone deeper into the forest. No one should have been able to find him here.

Yet now...

When he saw the boy with silver hair and deep blue eyes, his heart leapt straight to his throat.

Stanley swallowed hard.

His hand instinctively reached toward his weapon, but the sharp ache in his muscles told him the truth before his mind could fully process it.

Even if he managed to grab his sword, what could he do?

When he had been at his peak condition, he had barely escaped under the terrifying might of the boy standing before him.

And now, exhausted to his core and barely able to move, resistance was meaningless.

He let out a bitter sigh.

"I thought I’d escaped..." he murmured weakly, "...but who would have known..."

His eyes dulled, filled with unwillingness and despair.

Among the five undead servants standing behind Thoren, Stanley recognized three familiar faces. They had once been his teammates.

But now...

"You’re from the Slave Trade Guild, right?" Thoren asked calmly, stopping a few feet away.

"That’s right..." Stanley nodded, offering no resistance. There was no point in denying it.

"Tell me," Thoren continued, his voice cold and measured, "what is the relationship between the Federation and the Slave Trade Guild?"

Stanley remained silent for a moment. He slowly raised his head and stared into Thoren’s deep blue eyes for several seconds before answering.

"I don’t know much," he said honestly. "I only know that both organizations are trying to find a permanent pathway to the second floor."

"Have they found it?" Thoren asked.

Stanley shook his head weakly. "No... every attempt has failed."

Thoren was not surprised.

If the barrier between the first and second floors could be broken so easily, it would not have existed for so many years.

"Why do you harvest human blood and organs?" Thoren asked.

"For sacrifices..." Stanley’s voice faltered. "As for what those sacrifices are for... I don’t know."

"The leaders wouldn’t let anyone near the hidden chamber," he added quietly.

"So the Federation also supports the use of human organs and blood for sacrifices?" Thoren pressed.

Stanley did not reply.

But the answer was already obvious.

"How many leaders do you have, and how strong are they?" Thoren asked.

"Our Slave Trade Guild has two Level 18 Awakeners," Stanley replied. "The Federation only has one. As for Level 17... there are fewer than five in total."

Thoren asked a few more questions, extracting every useful detail.

When he was done, he killed Stanley.

It was quick and simple.

Unlike Nyssa, Stanley had cooperated from beginning to end.

With all the information gathered, Thoren finally understood what was truly happening behind the scenes. He turned away, his gaze shifting as he walked in a specific direction.

As for the Federation and the Slave Trade Guild...

They could only wait for his wrath.