"Their bodies will change shapes. Their organs will bloat and explode. It was a drastic sight. The other hungry beasts can't feed on this mutated species after they explode because the poison is contagious. "Once a beast eats the flesh of the other beast that was poisoned, they will be poisoned too. "
Kyra nodded in understanding."So we need to keep an eye out."
"Yep. Fancy taking a bath again or should we get going?"
"Quick dip."
Kyra raced back to the magical lake. Crimson witnessed as Kyra jumped into the lake to wash her sword and clothes before coming out. The familiar jet of water sprayed with warm air and Kyra emerged as if she hadn't been dragged into the hole earlier.
"Let's go."
Crimson and Kyra resumed their journey. It must be because of the whole night fight, but no other beasts appeared in front of them.
The morning dew reflected on the surface of the leaves, but there was no sun, making it difficult to tell if it was already noon or afternoon.
When Crimson saw the boundary of the Void, he called for Kyra's attention and explained where they were.
"It seems Verdant was right when he said this dangerous spot is a shortcut."
Crimson took out the map hidden in his sleeves and stretched it for Kyra to see. His finger pointed to the land across from where they were and to the small spot on the map.
"This is where we are. If we cross the sea and manage to slip in with the Level 10 beasts, then we can go to the Palace of the Beast King where the Half Peak Mountain is located."
"So starting from here, we go around and hide. If there's a group of mercenary Level 10 beasts, we can join their ranks. From there, we can cross the boundary of their continent. I will take some of their blood and mix it into our bodies to get past the invisible barrier."
Kyra raised an eyebrow at this. "Their blood does not have poison?"
Crimson shook his head. "No. The only thing that's dangerous about these beasts is their breath. If we're lucky, we can slip right into the hearth of their palace safely."
Kyra nodded. "We need a disguise."
"Exactly."
"How do we find these mercenaries?"
Crimson smiled broadly. "Easy. The Mercenaries of the Beast Realm are a group of hunters. They hunt prey lower than their levels to sell their meat. They are not strict with who they invite into their ranks. As long as they display good fighting skills and are expert at hunting, they're good as in. But for you, my dear little fairy, you need to disguise as a man to be considered qualified."
"Oh,"
Kyra did not refute him, and Crimson proudly continued.
"With my magic, I can definitely alter your appearance to make you look handsome. Like me. And then we can kill one of those mercenary beasts and infuse his blood with ours for disguise. What do you think?"
"Good," Kyra affirmed.
"Let's go."
It's somewhat strange that they were able to reach consensus. The moment they reached the Beast realm, Kyra and Crimson did not have any arguments, which can be considered a miracle after what Kyra did to Crimson.
Kyra can't figure out if it's intelligence or if Crimson just doesn't know how to bear a grudge. She vaguely remembered how demons don't stay loyal to one ruler. As long as someone stronger than their current leader appears, they will bend their horns towards that new comer, ignoring their previous king.
Kyra did not mind this attitude. Maybe Crimson didn't bear a grudge against her after what she'd done and chose to cooperate to complete the task. Or it's possible that after he mass control the demons in the demon realm, he was overwhelmed by his power and is willing to go to any length to regain it.
A thirst for power is not bad. As long as she can work with him to complete the tasks from the tower, nothing else matters. It took a few hours before Kyra and Crimson saw the limelight they were searching for.
A patch of clear frozen sea stretched in front of them for miles, without showing any signs of ending. Kyra and Crimson looked at each other, puzzled.
"Did Verdant mention any frozen sea?" Crimson stupidly asked. Kyra looked incredulously at him.
She was about to ask him why the sea was frozen when the forest they just came out of was covered in forest dew and fog. There wasn't any sign of snow or ice in the area. Hence, where did this expanse of ice come from?
Kyra frowned at the strange natural occurrence in the sea. Was it because the beast realm's weather is odd or some unknown species did this? The boundary between the forest and the sea is an invisible wall.
Crimson stopped Kyra before she could touch it.
"Don't. This invisible wall is tricky. We can't cross it. Not unless we are beasts."
Kyra remembered Crimson's warning earlier and nodded. The two hid deep in the thick bushes and tried to look out in the area. Waiting for the beast mercenaries to appear. But after hours of waiting, no one appeared.
The two clashing elements almost blew Kyra's mind. The hotness she felt from the forest was causing thick sweat to form on her back. But the cold wind coming from the sea pierced her skin.
It was like standing between two polar seasons. At her side, Crimson was extremely bored and started to play with his sword. Yawning and stretching his long legs in the dirt. He did not mind how greasy and unsightly he appeared.
For a few hours, no one spoke. The only sounds are the rustling of leaves and the groaning of heavy branches.
It wasn't until the sound of wheels broke the silence that both of them looked up. They peered through the thick bushes and gazed at the wide expanse of sea.