The moon is showing half of its light, Is already the 8th night of their expedition, About one fourth of the max day-time distance they can go. Most of the beasts they’ve encountered so far are still within their expectations.
That specialized formation enables them to go faster. Usually, it takes them about 9-10 days to cover this distance, about 2 days faster than they usually take. Throughout their journey, they walked until midnight and started again in the early morning. With this pace, they should’ve reached the gate within 12 days and go back before day 24th, with 4-5 days to spare just in case something unexpected happens.
That night, they decide to stop in a grassy landscape before they enter a shard forest because it’s relatively safer to rest there. Most of the area is just a huge field with not many trees or rocks to be seen, there’s no creature that is that dangerous in particular, And since the grasses are not too tall, it is much easier for them to scout most creatures near the resting area.
They begin to set up a rest formation, where two of the relic specialists cast a simple defense barrier - detection around their areas.
Andi stretched his body, “I can finally take a break” Andi mumbled, whose jobs have never really changed since the very beginning.
Carlyn notices him saying that, “Yeah, especially your job looks really boring.” She commented on him.
Harold overheard their conversation and walked toward them, “But his job is… I believe, one of the most important in pretty much every kind of expedition.” He reminded them.
Harold paused for a moment, “Back then, early when i was still a class 3 adventurer, i was in a squad where we just doing expeditions for the sake of adventuring”
“There’s a several moments where we just get too carried away of what we found, or simply lost in our conversation about anythings”
“And in every one of those moments, we sometimes forgot to cover our blind spot.”
"The worst thing about this adventure is that sometimes it only takes one moment for us to be slaughtered by the ruthless nature of this world" Harold said.
He looks at Andi "So, don't even think about not doing your job for a second."
"Your job is to keep us all safe."
"(So this is maybe why he keep doing that things to us…)" Andi remembers many moments when he’s able to snuck on his back sometimes.
As it keeps getting late, they finally begin to rest.
----------------------------------------------------------II----------------------------------------------------------
In the early morning right, they enter the shard forest. The forest where the shards are usually harvested by the class 1 adventurers to power their equipment.
The soil is dark gray colored, muds are all over the forest, but it’s not that sticky or too deep that it bothers their expedition, especially for the cart that’s already designed specifically to that kind of terrain. The trees sometimes produce a crystalite shard branch. Most of the tree’s parts have a gray color to it, except the leaves that grow on the crystalite branch, where the colors of the leaves follow the color of the crystalite shard branch.
Although they are not planning to mine the shard this time, Antares can easily pluck some of the shard branches as they move to not only give it to their parties, but also consume some of it or replace the shard in his mouth that is already beginning to lose its energy.
As Carlyn sees him consuming the shard, a question pops into her mind, “Hey Antares, what does the shard taste to you actually? I once tried to eat it, but it’s just tasteless, and then I got sick for the next 3 days.”
Their parties hear Carlyn ask that question and they are actually pretty glad that someone is finally able to ask him that question because he is not that chatty as they know. No one really expects too much for Antares to answer the question.
But then as he saw Carlyn face, his mouth somewhat moved.
“I don’t really understand how this taste, but it does taste good”
Everyone drops their jaw, including Harold, except for Carlyn who is just starting to get more curious about how it tastes.
“Oh, maybe I can help you with that!” Carlyn said to him, “like, what combination that you get in your mouth, does it taste like salt? Or maybe it tastes like sweet candies! Or perhaps it tastes like coffee… with a little bit of sourness?”
“Tell me! Tell me!” Carlyn leans to the side of the wagon
“It doesn't taste like any food that people usually call edible.”
“It just tastes different, but I can't find any word or food to compare what this tastes like.” While putting some shard crystal again into his mouth.
Everyone looks so confused, especially Carlyn that makes a face that she had never made before.
An idea comes into Anesh’s mind, “So it’s like a new taste then?” he asked Antares.
He glanced into Anesh for a moment, “Maybe.” he answered.
the sky is starting to brighten, the next area has started to be less explored.
----------------------------------------------------------II----------------------------------------------------------
It is the 9th day of their journey and they are entering the hilly area where the shard trees are starting to be more scarce. Most of the trees there were tall and widely spaced. From there they should keep being able to see the top of Mount Amaia throughout the rest of their journey.
“Oh, that's Amaia's mountain right?” Darsha shouts for her team to confirm it.
Anesh used a telescope extended from his wagon, "Yes, that's Mount Amaia," Anesh replied.
That mountain reminded Carlyn of the gate that Andi had once told her about.
Carlyn approached Bennett, "Bennett, what exactly happened to you that time? About the gate." Carlyn asked him. "Andi told me, but I don't fully understand it just yet." Carlyn whispered.
"Maybe it's better if you don't answer her question." Anesh said to Bennett, somewhat still worried about his emotions.
Carlyn looked at Anesh's face and seemed to get a hint from him, "Ah, sorry for being insensitive," Carlyn said reflexively.
Bennett smiled at their manner. "It's all right, I feel much better already.”
“In fact, I thought it might be better if I told you about it.”
Bennet looked at the mountain from there, then he began to remember the scenery of that day when he was separated from his team in the forest trees of Amaia mountain.
"That evening a flock of about 18-25 vicious Avialae Dinosaur-like creatures tried to attack us".
"They are smart creatures, when they started attacking us, their movements were clearly different from the wild animals we usually fought."
"The battle was unavoidable."
"After some time fighting, we realized these creatures were not as strong as the beasts we typically encountered, especially compared to other wild animals in the area." Bennett clenched his fist, "We thought we had the advantage."
"However, without us knowing, our formation had been broken by them.”
“They started by creating strong winds with their wings to destabilize our formation, or like me who got lured and got overextended while trying to attack them."
"And when I realized I was out of formation, suddenly more birds kept me from returning to my team, making me move further away from them."
"But I realized I couldn't keep running. Eventually, I gathered my courage and tried to fight them alone."
"After killing four of them, the rest decided to retreat."
"It was the toughest battle I've ever fought in my life. Their formation, coordination, and agility to keep always finds my weak point is something that’s almost too much for me to handle"
“One mistake i might already done for that day”
"Then, I walked back to search and return to my team, but they were no longer there."
"I tried to climb a hill to get a better view, but there were no signs of their presence at all. Not even other beasts"
“It really feels unreal all that just happened, but all of the sudden there’s just nothing to be seen, as if that fight were just a dream”.
“But I knew for sure it wasn’t a dream, and there’s a high chance that I actually will be left behind in that kind of situation, knowing that it’s almost half of the maximum distance we could travel and they should leave that area immediately.
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"But, given my condition after fighting those birds, I knew it was impossible for me to rush and find my team alone."
"And as the sky began to darken, I decided to look for shelter. That's when I found the cave.
“The cave is quite hidden among the trees, the entrance is also very small, and it is hard for light to actually reach inside of the cave.”
“I try to check it a bit with my enchanted sword to light the cave for a while. And I believed it should be pretty safe for me to not be found by some creature in that area.”
“There, I'm finally planning to wait for the next month until the other squads can find me.”
“After surviving for two weeks, the full moon arrived.”
"I tried my best not to be detected when the fog began to rise.”
"The activity of the creatures was clearly increasing. For two days, I restrained myself from making any noise, even from eating and drinking."
"And I was very fortunate because this cave really protected me at that time."
"I was very happy because the hardest part was over. I started making some markers around the cave for the next squad to find me, even though it might take another two weeks."
"I did everything I could to survive."
"Day after day passed until I was in the time frame for another squad to arrive."
"Every second felt like forever.”
“After a few days, I realize it’s already the 18th day since the full moon, understanding that I pretty much have to survive for another 4 weeks.”
“It’s really hard for me to believe that, but it actually makes a lot of sense for them to not come in this area again.”
“Not in a few month i thought to myself”
"So, like the previous month, I kept trying to survive, praying to God that they would find me."
"Day after day, week after week."
"Month after month..."
"There were no signs of any humans except for me."
"I've lost track of how much time has passed."
“Still, i’m hoping for someone to come and find me”
"One day, on the full moon when the fog started to rise, as usual, I hid in that cave."
"When I tried to lean against the cave wall, I fell backward, as if there was a corner that had never been there before."
"To my surprise, there was a way in that cave that I had never noticed."
"The cave was very dark, but not knowing there was a path was odd."
"I tried to make a light from the leftover shards I had used before."
"I went deeper into the cave until I finally found a gate."
"And when I approached it, the gate opened by itself. No light came out or went in from the gate. I couldn't see inside."
"Beside it, there is a stone with inscriptions that is beginning to light up"
"Gate of desire, with a description about the desires and the price that must be paid to enter the gate."
"I didn't know what to do, so I decided to go back toward the cave exit."
"But when I was about to reach the cave exit, I heard the activity of monsters there."
"I couldn't go back, I thought."
"I felt like I had no choice but to return to that place. Finally, I followed the instructions from the engraving to strengthen my deepest desire and enter the gate."
"The only thing on my mind is that I wanted to go home."
"As I entered the gate, I couldn't see anything and was judged by an unknown entity. It was about a miracle and a curse. I really believed that God would save me as I entered the gate."
"And it did..."
"As my surroundings started to light up, I saw the village. Still, I couldn't believe it had already been 23 years."
"But I couldn't understand the curse it was talking about."
"Until I realized that the line is expanding toward our world."
"That's why I believe I should join this expedition. That's something that shouldn't have happened."
"I have to make sure the gate is closed again, even if I have to get to that door again, to wish that the gate would be closed."
As usual, Harold is already there. "No, you will not enter that gate again," he said while looking sharply at Bennett.
"You don’t have to worry... For me, being able to meet my wife is already more than just a miracle."
Bennett smiled kindly while looking down, "You wouldn't understand."
Harold moved closer to him. "You'll stay, that's an order," he said with an intimidating look.
Bennett looked into his eyes, then looked down and thought for a bit.
"Death..."
"A dreadful feeling that is incomparable to any other horrible feeling."
"You won't understand what it feels like until you face it yourself," he continued, "a kind of feeling that I know you won't be able to handle."
"I will enter that gate no matter what you tell me," he looked so sure.
"Hey, if you guys are really that scared, why don't you just let me be the one to go there?" Carlyn carelessly asked while looking a bit confused.
Bennett and the others also started to look confused as well.
----------------------------------------------------------II----------------------------------------------------------
In the midst of the conversation, Darsha, who was on Antares' shoulder, realized there was a mysterious creature lurking from the shadows of the trees, watching them. But as it felt observed, the creature hid again.
"Something is watching us," Darsha told the team.
"Darsha, can you tell what type of creature you saw?" Harold asked.
"Since we're still in the mountain forest area, it's still hard for me to tell. It's still pretty far away, about 2 kilometers from here."
"About 2 kilometers... There are a few possibilities for creatures that like to watch from a distance. It could be either that bird-like creature or Komodo…" Harold mumbled to himself.
Then, he realized something.
"Change to formation B!" He commanded his team.
Antares and the tankers quickly took the move to the front, with Albert and Andi starting to cast an unseen medium defensive barrier on the front side of the formation. The archers prepared to shoot.
After a few moments, the sound of trees collapsing could be heard in the distance. There, a creature resembling a rhinoceros with a shield-shaped head, a giant four-legged dinosaur about twice the size of Antares, awoke and looked at them.
As that happened, a sudden, high-density acid shot was blocked by their barrier
“That’s …”
"Andi, Albert!, expand the defense cast area to also cover the sides of our squad."
"Kelsey, Wymond, stop them from surrounding us."
The fighters immediately go opposingly to the side of their squad.
“So it’s the Komodo-Tameng Mutualisme…” Anesh said to himself
"Komodo-Tameng mutualism?" Bennett asked.
"In this area, there's this mutualism between the Komodo and Tameng creatures."
"The Komodo lizard has great vision but is quite weak and lacks the agility to hunt on its own. They can paralyze many targets from a distance by shooting a high density acid from a distance, even medium-sized ones.
“But as they get close to their paralyzed prey, it's usually taken by other creatures. So they can only hunt smaller creatures and have to constantly position themselves not to be hunted by medium or larger creatures."
"On the other hand, this other beast, Tameng Pasuryan, is a very sturdy and strong creature. It can even defeat creatures larger than itself with its charge or its bite. Maybe the reason there aren't many large creatures in this area is because they have been preyed upon by it or have left the area.”
“But this creature can't find food on its own and isn't agile in hunting prey of its own size or smaller."
"That's why this kind of mutualism happens. The Komodo finds a target for the Tameng while paralyzing their target, a kind of mutualism that enables them to take down pretty much any creature in this area.”
“If the prey is larger, it's a prey for Tameng”
“If it’s a small creature, the Komodos can usually just treat it like a snack.”
“And everything in between is targeted by both. They are basically the top of the food chain in this area."
"In this case, we are that in-between-sized meal for them, the worst creatures we can meet in this area”
The Tameng creature began to charge at them.
"Harold!" Anesh reminded him.
"Yeah, it's beginning," he replied.
"1800 meters!" Darsha shouted.
"Darsha, tell the battlefield, 'There's more Komodos. They're starting to appear and aim at us.'"
"Archers! Prepare to attack. Connor, make sure to enchant their arrow to make it less visible!."
The Tameng looked like it was charging faster than before.
"The charge is accelerating!" Darsha announced.
"I know…" Harold replied.
"1300 meters!"
"Archers! Begin the attack." Harold commanded them.
their arrows began to dart, and even though Anesh had already enchanted the arrows to make them less visible, some of the Komodos were still somehow able to dodge the attacks, while continuing to fire the dense acid.
“Three of the Komodos are on top of the Tameng! It looks like it’s their leader!” Darsha said to him
Harold stares at those three komodos and begins to analyze them.
One of those Komodos begins to charge an attack, a special one, a highly concentrated acid shot that draws lines from its mouth to pierce their barrier and injures one of the archers.
As that happened, Harold saw that komodos to the far rear side of their squad had already been taken by the fighter he commanded earlier, they stopped the Komodos from surrounding them from afar.
“Andi, Albert, Change your defensive shard relic focus to cast a type 1 defense barrier to the front of our formation!”
As Andi and Albert finish casting it, it's just in time to block the special attack of the leader Komodo's next attack.
Harold begin to prepare his weapon
The sound of trees falling grew louder as they shot down the Komodos.
“600 Meters!” Darsha shouted panicky.
The rumbling grew louder.
“Harold! We can’t shoot the Komodos that are on top of Tameng, They are way too agile!”
“Darsha, Antares, Carlyn…”
Darsha gets off Antares shoulder as He starts to run toward the Tameng to prepare for the impact, Carlyn also begins to prepare her weapon.
Harold looks like he has finished his final calculation.
~100 meter
“Perception analysis”
Every living creature has its own way of perceiving information. Understanding that, he could find the gap in any creature's perception when they were not using it.
A blind spot.
Every Komodo has very sharp vision and strong distance calculation for survival, but when they shoot their acid spit, they become momentarily vulnerable.
And at that very moment, when the third Komodo was about to shoot its acid simultaneously with the other two Komodos, he is already there, slashing all three Komodos on top of the Tameng, then continued to slash both of the Tameng's eyes and jumped off.
As Antares finally meets contact with it trying his best to stop its charge from hitting their wagon while screaming from the bottom of his lungs.
But the Tameng didn't really stop its charge, it’s already way too fast for them to stop the momentum and there’s no relic or attack that could stop its charge.
Except for one.
15 meters...
Harold finally commanded her to attack it, "Carlyn!" indicating for her to use her relic.
Suddenly, terror and desperation filled the battlefield.
Bennett couldn't believe his feelings as a wicked smile emerged from her.
She jumped high into the battlefield with her scythe.
A loud clanging sound was heard, like thunder striking the earth.
It was her, attacking the Tameng with a full-force strike.
The Tameng split into two uneven parts starting from its head to the side of its body in an instant.
A scythe that symbolizes death.
At that moment, Bennett immediately remembered what it felt like when he was all alone on the other side of the world.
Chapter 2 - What it feels like - End