All Fissures have a Catalyst responsible for keeping the dimension alive and steady. This Catalyst is also the one providing energy to the Chaotic Space—a broken, mirror-like realm that produces Behemechs for the Fissures and is a place Primers avoid whenever possible.
The Catalyst can take any form, and most of them are located in the center of a Fissure. In the Grey Fissure Kael and the others found themselves in, the Catalyst took the form of a spire.
The sound of a cable line zipping through the air echoed, followed by the sharp crash as the hook penetrated the top of a cliff. Moments later, came the sound of the cable pulling someone up.
Kael climbed the cliff as the hook retracted into the utility belt around his hips. Though the utility belt he had "borrowed" from one of the dead Primers was mediocre compared to what he used when he still had his suit, it carried all the basic essentials—including a grappling hook that allowed him to scale the mountain effortlessly.
Once atop the mountain, he scanned his surroundings. A forest stretched out below, just as he'd seen earlier, while a jagged hill loomed nearby, its rocks sharp and broken, distorted by fragmented space.
Dead Behemechs littered the area. Some were massive, towering ten meters tall, while others were no larger than dogs. The ground bore the scars of battle—craters from grenades, scorch marks from lasers, and the aftermath of heavy gunfire.
"Looks like they already took the loot," Kael muttered as he approached the nearest fallen Behemech. Only the remains of its metal and flesh carcass were left behind. Whoever had killed it had stripped valuable parts—and, of course, no Growth Orbs remained. That had likely been the main reason anyone had come here.
In the past, when Kael still had his suit and powers, he wouldn't have cared about these "small" Growth Orbs. But now, reduced to an ordinary human, he had no choice but to care. Growth Orbs were key to regaining his strength, reaching his peak once more, and perhaps going beyond it.
Saving Milan's father and familiarizing himself with his new body had been his primary goals. But along the way, Kael also wanted to collect as many Growth Orbs as possible.
Thinking of his body, Kael raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. Although his current stats were far below average, his decades of experience allowed him to fight and kill lower-grade Behemechs with precision. That same experience had helped him adapt quickly to this weaker form.
It wasn't just his experience, though—it was also his knowledge. For instance, the Breathing Technique he'd been employing since entering the Fissure had helped him recover quickly from fatigue. Without it, a technique he'd learned from Red, his body would've given out long ago.
As he began reminiscing about Red Aegis Primeval, the sound of a crash rang out from behind him, followed by a high-pitched whistling.
Even without turning, Kael knew what—or rather, who—was approaching.
"Ah!" Trey shouted as he climbed up the cliff, his face drenched in sweat, as if he'd just stepped out of a shower.
After hauling himself onto the mountain, Trey started pulling the rope attached to his body while the grappling hook retracted into his utility belt.
"Argh!" Trey gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging as he used every ounce of strength to pull the rope.
After a moment, someone else emerged—climbing the cliff with the help of Trey's puller.
Bach Ponce collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, and Trey soon followed, both of them lying flat as they gasped for air.
"T-thanks," Bach managed to say, his voice breathless.
"W-why... are you tired? I... I'm the one who... pulled you up!" Trey snapped, pausing between words to catch his breath.
After fleeing the cave where RhinoFlocks were being produced, they wasted no time climbing the mountain. Though they desperately wanted to rest, they couldn't afford to stop. The Behemechs below had become highly agitated, emerging from the intense vibrations caused by the Rhino Behemechs and relentlessly attacking as they ran.
Since only Trey and the lunatic had utility belts, one of them had to carry the miner.
As he expected, Trey had no choice but to assist the old man, as the lunatic was the first to start climbing the mountain.
The grappling hooks had a limited range and couldn't reach the summit in a single go. They had to use them repeatedly, climbing in sections.
Moreover, the hooks lacked an automated pulling system, forcing them to climb manually. The hooks served mainly as support, preventing falls rather than aiding ascents.
With the miner weighing him down, Trey had to exert all his strength, leaving his entire body sore.
"I don't know… maybe… adrenaline?" Bach said between labored breaths.
"You could… lose some weight, old man," Trey muttered.
After a while, once they had rested enough, they sat up—only to find Kael missing.
"He's gone…" Trey muttered, as if he'd expected it.
"What's he like?" Bach asked.
"What do you mean, what's he like? You don't know him?" Trey replied, confused, staring at the old man.
"I know him—sort of," Bach said, standing up. He extended a hand to Trey.
"He's a d*ckhead," Trey answered as Bach helped him to his feet.
"Oh," Bach raised an eyebrow. "But he's a good man."
"Good man?" Trey sneered. "Wait until you—" He stopped abruptly. "Nothing. We should go and find him. I still need to hunt Behemechs in this area."
Trey didn't mention that the lunatic had saved Bach because he supposedly wanted to f*ck his daughter. He didn't believe that was Kael's real motivation.
"Oh, okay," Bach nodded, though he was curious about what Trey had been about to say.
Suddenly, a noise echoed from the distance, resembling the sound of a dying beast.
Hearing it, Trey immediately realized someone had just killed a Behemech.
"Let's go," Trey said.
Although the two were still tired, they had to keep moving. Staying in one place too long could be dangerous. Unfamiliar with the terrain, the miner followed Trey, relying on his experience as a Grey Hunter.
Soon, they located the source of the sound.
Behind a cluster of jagged rocks, Kael stood atop a five-meter-tall frog-like Behemech.
Three of the monster's eyes had been destroyed, and the Ultra-frequency sword was still vibrating in its mouth.
"Did he kill that thing?" Bach asked, surprised.
"Y-yeah," Trey stammered, his eyes widening as he recognized the monster.
Even though Kael had already proven himself a formidable fighter—capable of killing Primers with suits—Trey couldn't help but be impressed.
Shaking his head, Trey and Bach approached Kael, who had landed on the ground, holding a head-sized Growth Orb.
Seeing the Orb's size, Trey couldn't help but feel envious. They'd only just arrived on the mountain, and within thirty minutes, Kael had already killed an almost Second-Grade Behemech—a feat that would normally require two or three suited Primers.
Trey's curiosity grew. What would happen if Kael fought that fat, round fox Behemech alone? A single team of Rank One Primers could take it down without much effort. Yet here Kael was, a normal human without a suit, armed only with a sniper rifle and basic weapons.
As Trey stared longingly at the Orb, Kael suddenly held it out to him.
"Here, you can have this," Kael said casually.
Stunned, Trey stared at him with wide eyes.
"A-are you really giving it to me?"
"Yes, unless you don't want it?" Kael replied, pretending to toss the Orb aside.
"No, give it to me!" Trey hurriedly snatched the Orb.
Kael then turned to Bach. "Once we're out of here, can you take me to that mine?"
"Sure. I figured you were going to ask me that," Bach nodded. "And I still have questions for you."
"Once we're out of here," Kael said.