Beyond The Crimson Gate-Chapter 38: Kale’s Odyssey(2)

Kale shot up and gasped for air, he removed his helm to take in a deep breath.

Beads of sweat ran down his head and his body felt warm and sticky.

He looked at his forearm where he had been stung. The area around the wound had turned an ashy color.

’It’s either infected or still poisoned. Possibly both.’ Kale shifted slightly before pushing himself to stand.

Barely a day in Dimension Zero and he was already close to death’s door.

He picked up his blade and helm, then took in a deep breath. He needed as much energy as possible.

Putting the helm on, a prompt made his situation clearer.

[Estimated Battery Life: 5 hours]

Kale cursed his luck. He had left his crystal cannister in the base so if his suit ran out of energy, he would have to accept death.

Or he could use a raw beast crystal and turn into a beast himself.

’Wait! How didn’t I remember this since?!’ Kale’s breathing became ragged.

He was in Dimension Zero and had barely any equipment with him, that was one of the conditions for someone to turn into a beast.

Toby’s words replayed in his mind and Kale’s eyes wandered to his forearm, ’Is this because of the stinger or because I am in Dimension Zero?’

Putting those thoughts on hold, Kale steeled his resolve and took his helm off.

It was still damaged and was affecting his vision.

Kale started his march into the forest. The purple leaves seemed very alluring for an odd reason.

Without thinking, Kale plucked one and was about to place it in his mouth when he caught himself.

He threw the leaf on the ground and stabbed it with his sword. The leaf screeched and convulsed as the sword pierced it.

Kale’s eyes widened and he took a step back as he doubted one leaf was a beast in itself.

But that meant that the trees were beasts that took nourishment from other beasts foolish enough to consume them.

His eyes trailed to the carcasses of the beasts he had slayed. Faint roots had pierced the bodies.

He hadn’t even noticed amidst the chaos of his situation.

’Thank God I had seen that Tier 3 beast.’ Kale considered himself quite lucky to have noticed that some beasts have an influence over desire.

The Tier 3 beast had made him want to give up and die just like the trees had made him want to consume its leaves.

The dangers of the beasts weren’t limited to mere physical effects but seemed to extend to mental fields.

Kale gritted his teeth because he knew that even his idea to move around might not be his own, but nonetheless, staying in one place was a bad idea.

While he had no idea how the fauna of the Dimension worked, he knew that the amount of dead beasts would attract more.

And as the beasts fought and killed one another, it would eventually attract the attention of the lords of the forest.

They could be Tier 2 or even Tier 3 beasts, and he wasn’t equipped to face even the former, not to mention the latter.

Kale resumed his march and soon discovered how hopeless his situation was.

He hasn’t run into any beasts, and that was more worrying than anything, and to make matters worse, he still didn’t know how to go home.

A strong wave of nausea washed over Kale and he bent over and emptied out the contents of his stomach.

More beads of sweat ran down his head and a brief dizzy spell made him fall to his knees.

Both eventually faded but Kale still didn’t get up.

He wasn’t a fool.

The painkillers administered by the suit were powerful enough to stop him from feeling pain for up to two days.

Yet that didn’t change the fact that he was poisoned.

He didn’t know how long he had to live but he wouldn’t spend that time loitering about.

Instead, if he was going to die, he would die killing the very creatures that killed his parents.

Kale pushed himself to his feet and walked even deeper into the forest until he came across a burrow.

It was roughly the size of six adult men placed end to end

He observed it for a good moment before picking up a stone and chucking it into the entrance.

After waiting for a good minute, he chucked another, then another, yet nothing came.

Kale reluctantly came close and placed his hand into it.

His fingers grazed something cool and smooth and he jerked it back.

He confirmed that nothing was coming out before he put his hand back in.

The surface of the object was immensely smooth and cold. Kale held onto it and pulled it out.

A dull grey egg lay in his hands, and Kale was already considering eating it.

Its shell took on glowing blue patterns that seemed similar to his suit’s.

Kale tilted his head and placed the helm on, immediately receiving a prompt.

[Battery Life Drained by foreign entity]

[Estimated Battery Life: 2 hours]

Kale’s eyes widened, "What the fuck?!"

The egg in his hand responded by shaking a bit.

The blue patterns faded away and the egg started to crack.

Kale dropped the egg and it landed with a heavy thud. The cracks spread until they covered the entire egg.

He gripped his sword and swung at the egg; it hatched as his sword was descending, and a small figure crawled out at an unnatural speed.

It dodged his sword and climbed the blade, then its handle, then Kale’s arm before stopping.

Kale looked at the small pale white lizard that was staring at him.

It licked its eye and tilted its head. Kale flung it away from him yet it ran back to him and stayed at his feet.

He tried to attack it, but it kept on dodging, and Kale soon gave up.

Letting out a sigh, he tried to leave, but it kept following him.

Kale tapped on the side of his leg and brought out his laser blade. He was about to try using the laser blade when a low hiss resounded.

A dread unlike any other permeated his body, even the lizard stilled and climbed his body, yet he didn’t react.

’A Tier 2 beast!’