Kale wasn’t even surprised at this point, as he asked in an exhausted tone, "What do you mean?"

There was a long stretch of silence until David started speaking once more, "Because an Ancient-rank Beast is residing there. No one knows what that Beast is either. But if anyone who is Apprentice rank or above goes there, they are killed without even realising it."

"Meaning only mundane humans can go there. And using mundane humans, Greenroot Guild occasionally places eggs of many rare species there to incubate, and before hatching, the eggs are again retrieved by mundane humans."

"Of course, even if mundane humans go to that place, they have to be extremely careful and in no way cause even the most minor disruption," he cautioned the Cursed Tamer.

A grave look appeared on the faces of Rando and Echidna as they both looked at Kale.

But Kale’s expression remained unchanged; of course, the existence of an Ancient-rank Beast was still a greatly shocking fact. Yet, he was on death row either way.

So, this prospect took away all fear from him.

Kale said resolutely to David, "I don’t care, I’m going..."

Echidna slammed his fist onto the table and said in anger, "Stupid kid, why are you throwing your life away.... have you lost your mind in desperation?"

Kale did not respond, but the calm look on Kale’s face was more than enough of a response.

Rando asked tentatively, "Are you sure of this, Artificer Kale? There is a 99% chance that you will absolutely die...."

Kale chuckled, unfazed by the gravity of the atmosphere; he stated, "David, when can I go? Can I go now?"

The man serving the wine stood up and said nonchalantly, "If you want to die so bad, who am I to stop you?"

Led by David, Kale left the Outer Zone HQ of the Greenroot guild, about 1 kilometre to the north, a distance that Echidna and Rando followed.

David raised his hand, and everyone stopped. He turned to Kale, signalling towards a certain line far ahead, "You see the point where the ground starts to look like it’s filled with white stones. That’s where it starts."

Kale said respectfully, "Thank you, Grandmaster David."

He also gave a grateful nod towards the other two who accompanied him on this journey, "Thank you, Master Rando and Grandmaster Echidna."

Kale added, looking somberly toward his destination, "If I don’t come out within a week, then please go back to the capital."

After that, Kale did not look back; with slow but steady steps, he ventured towards the line that marked the border of the Swamp Hatchery.

Only when there were three steps left did he say mentally, ’System, can you make me seem like a mundane human?’

[Host’s presence can be altered slightly, but completely sealing the Host’s all Awakened powers is detrimental to the current situation.]

[Host will need his mana and supernatural senses.]

Kale nodded, and the system altered his presence to that of a mundane human; he understood what it was trying to imply. Whether it would be enough to fool the terrifying Ancient Beast or not, no one knew.

The instant Kale crossed the separation line, entering the territory of the Swamp Hatchery, another shift in the world occurred, similar to how he felt after leaving the borders of the Empire.

But his feet did not stop; he continued. The further he walked, the more the scenery changed. Strangely, though, he saw no Beasts roaming around, except for extremely small mundane ones, not even Feral rank.

The ground became increasingly white, filled with beautiful, glittering white crystals. Without him even realising it, the scenery in front of him changed abruptly; his heart filled with shock, he was staring at the beach, from which an endless expanse of sea stretched.

Kale’s mind raced; it was impossible. There were no seas anywhere near the Tigerwood forest, so this was utterly impossible.

The Cursed Tamer looked closely at the ground made of crystal and gems he was walking upon, and he realised that they were not in fact gems, but mostly eggs.

Eggs of countless species and creatures, many of whose patterns he recognised immediately, but for most, he did not.

Suddenly, the sea in the distance stirred, and the shape of a titanic figure tore through the seabed.

The sheer amount of water that exploded from that act alone caused a small tsunami to crash down on the shore- water poured from the skies.

Kale mumbled in terror, "A sea dragon, how can this be?"

His mind sped at lightning speed as a possible realisation dawned on him, "Am I in a Mental Haze"

He asked the system promptly, "System, protect me from being harmed despite whatever happens in this illusory space."

Then he said coldly, "Give me the Nemesis Dagger."

[Evaluating Host’s request....]

[Request is permissible.]

[Providing Nemesis Dagger.]

[Providing Mental Protection]

[Your title Dragon Bane is in effect]

The pitch-black dagger appeared in his hands, a weapon that took the life of a Dragon two times consecutively.

An antithetical presence spread from his figure; the darkness of the Nemesis Dagger seemed to enshroud Kale’s right hand, turning it black and filling it with harrowing symbols and patterns that none could recognise.

The Sea Dragon screeched in boundless fury, sensing the Dragon killer’s presence and a blade that was bathed in the blood of two dragons. The creature flew into the air despite possessing no wings and slithered towards him like a snake.

The Beast opened its titanic maw, shooting a ray of energised acidic water capable of destroying a small town. After all, this was a genuine creature of Ancient rank, but that was not important because Kale already believed that he was in an illusion.

So, he had no fear, despite every inch of his body and instincts stating otherwise, and since this was the effect of a mental Haze, he could use the full power of the Nemesis Dagger, and the system could empower him to his fullest.

That’s exactly what happened, with a mighty swing of his dagger.

He cut through the devastating water attack and jumped high into the skies. The Sea Dragon swung its tail to swat him away, but Kale stabbed his dagger right into its green scales.

Already having been experienced with killing a dragon twice, he did not let go of the creature, no matter how hard it tried to fling him off.

A burst of water pressure escaped from the gaps of the scales, but Kale did not let go. The Dragon dove into the seas. Kale’s expression twisted. If the damn thing drags him too deep, he won’t be able to win.

Grabbing onto the scales of the Dragon, he climbed higher and higher, closer to the reverse scale. With one stab into that weak spot, the Dagger pierced right through the core nervous system of the Dragon.

The Water Dragon screeched beneath the deep blue seas.

And the scenery changed abruptly once more; he stood on the same crystalline beach filled with eggs of Beasts, while far ahead was the same expanse of seas from where the Sea Dragon burst forth. It gave a sense of deja vu.

Kale frowned, though he was only more assured of the mental haze’s existence by this shift. He did not know exactly how to get out of it or what the right path forward would be.

The sea surface bubbled once more, Kale’s heart racing, thinking of the worst possibility of something even worse appearing.

But what manifested from the bubbling seas was something else entirely. The creature was a ginormous jellyfish, its body completely transparent and crystalline, glittering in the sunlight’s reflection.

Kale was stunned; he doubted if he had seen a creature so incredibly beautiful in his life.

A discombobulating voice echoed in his mind, like a thousand needles being forcefully injected into his mind...

"Thou hast passed the trial, human. I would have slain thee, as I have slain any of thy kind who dared trespass here, wielding the currents of mana."

"But thou hast the blood of the dragons upon thy hand, which shouldst have been impossible... and yet thou dost. It was for this that I tested thee, to be certain."

"Yield unto me five drops of thy Dragon Blood, and I shall permit thee to hatch the eggs thou hast brought."

"But thou art to never return hither again..."

The voice was monstrous, insidious. The pain was unbearable....

Blood came out of his nose, mouth, and eyes.

[Warning!! Warning!! Mental power of the Beast is too strong.]

[Failing to protect the Host mind properly.]

Kale held on through gritted teeth; he looked at the Beast on the seas and asked, "What’s the guarantee that you will not try to harm me after I give the drops of blood?"

"I promise thee upon my bloodline... that I shall not harm thee in any wise, nor take hostile actions against thee, neither directly nor indirectly."

Kale hesitated for a moment, but eventually relented under the growing mental pressure; he had no other choice but to give in; otherwise, he would definitely be killed.