Chapter 13: Veil Crystals

Kimarya, with an awful strained smile, walked forward once more. The trek was almost twice the effort it originally took, and it didn't get any easier to return to the spot she was at.

She stared straight ahead at the cracked ground with crystals trying to escape from the earth. Each of the sparse outcrops of glowing green crystals. Some reached just the height of her thighs, others towering over her. She looked down at an outcrop near her feet. If she merely reached down, she could safely accomplish this challenge without risking her being stuck in a bed for months, crippled, or even dying for overestimating herself.

"32% cell damage, Kimarya"

Kimarya almost regretted helping that kid. She coughed out a mouthful of blood. She couldn't go on much longer. I must pick a crystal even if I'm not at my 36% target. This pain is too horrible, thought Kimarya.

She looked at multiple crystals in her area; she saw more people. Her fists clenched. She wanted to pass as many of them as possible. The disdain and derision weren't something she could easily forget. Making it further than some of them was the best way to smack their faces through her accomplishments. She also felt she was partly responsible for the previous occupant of this body, whose memories she inherited and was still digesting with the help of Sunny.

"32% cell damage"

She took nine steps before she fell to one knee. Her eyes were blurry, but she still saw a few heads turn to her. They sat cross-legged, still accepting the legacies of these crystals. She imagined there were faces with more derision or shock at how far she's come.

"34% cell damage, Kimarya"

She felt nothing of her body besides the jarring feeling similar to electricity sloshing back and forth in waves through her bones. If it wasn't for this, she likely wouldn't have been able to walk this far with how numb her flesh was. She only got closer to a small group of people before falling to one knee. She didn't pass anyone, but she knew she couldn't stand up and walk much further.

The sound of a snort made its way into her ears. At first, she was shocked that she could hear anything besides the blood pumping inside her head and her heart laboring. This made her mad. Pulling at all the strength she had in her body, she tried to stand. Her legs suddenly gave out, and she completely fell to the ground. Humiliation, she felt indignant. I only wanted to get close to this group and ,show them she could do as much as them with no cultivation.

She looked to her side, and a short and shiny green crystal was within reach. Within reach was a way to end this challenge and her torture. She kept staring into the deep green crystal. Was it mocking her, too?

Her indignation only grew. She wasn't ready to give up. She couldn't accept this situation.

"Kimarya… 34% cell damage"

She couldn't accept this result. She only needed 10 more steps to reach those bastards laughing at her.

Her body suddenly shook. The pressure on her skin, organs, bones, and cells immediately alleviated itself.

As this pressure left, her chest grew incredibly warm.

Her eyes grew clear, and the crowded faces mocking her disappeared. She saw only one of them with a mocking smile. The others were mostly indifferent, and even a couple had worried looks.

"Weird? What's going on?" The pain was gone. It felt like the air grew less heavy. The mind-numbing pain from this field of crystals was no longer debilitating.

"Kimarya, the hazardous radiation isn't affecting you as much as before! Unknown bodily function was triggered, and the duration of the effect is unknown."

Kimarya shakily got to her feet. She wiped the blood from her under her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.

She walked forward. The air and her body still resisted, but it was nowhere as difficult or painful as before.

Ten steps. She stopped next to the fellow who had caused the snort and derision. She said, "Thank you. I probably would have given up were it not for your kind encouragement." There was a mocking smile on her face.

She ignored the rest, made eye contact with the two who were worried about her, and gave a small nod of her head before continuing forward.

Moving between towering crystal outcrops. She found some people in meditative stances too busy incorporating their crystals to notice her.

She later saw a corpse, and her breath was stuck in her throat. She looked towards his face, and it wasn't anyone she knew. She still froze in shock, she's never seen so many horrible things.

"34.7% cell damage"

She turned another corner and saw a very bloody Dara in a corner with a radiant smile on her face as she had her hand pressed against a crystal, her eyes closed. Her heart grew warm at seeing that she was mostly okay and that she had made it this far. She would continue and not distract her until she saw her nose twitch and opened her eyes. Shock immediately painted itself on her face! "K-Kimarya?! You need to get back from here.The pressure from this will kill you."

"Wait, how did you even make it this far? I almost died getting here!" She glanced at the blood on Kimarya's body and sleeve. "You aren't ok, but you shouldn't be this casual, so deep into this!"

Kimarya responded," I don't know what happened. I reached my limit earlier, and suddenly, all the pain and pressure fell off of my body. It's still hard, like I'm walking under a waterfall, but it's manageable."

Dara mumbled to herself and then asked, "Your chest, does it have something to do with your chest?" "My what-?" Kimarya lifted her shirt and saw that underneath her skin, a glowing green and brown circle was present.

"There's a glowing circle at the center of my chest under my skin!" Dara responded, "That's it; you somehow activated your Heart Spirit!"

"You don't have too long, especially if this is your first time. Leerum shouldn't be too far if you go further, and he'd help you get back safely!"

Kimarya nodded her head and sped up her pace.

She walked 23 more steps in a winding path between crystals, and before she saw four silhouettes up ahead, one of which was Leerum!

As soon as she turned the corner, all three turned around. Shock immediately showed itself on Leerum's face. The other three frowned.

"How did this trash make it this far? Don't tell me her parents are helping her cheat."

"It would make sense, considering she lived through the first trial and even got the trashy ape with no cultivation."

"You, what treasure are you using to make it this far? If you let me reach the nexus, I can overlook your cheating and not report it to the elders!

"Kimarya, go back… it's not safe over here…" Leerum whispered.

Kimarya looked closely at Leerum and saw blood leaking from his lips. He looks exhausted. She also looked at the other three, who looked equally haggard as Leerum. She looked ahead and saw a red haze in front of the four people.

Alastair roared, "How dare you ignore me! Hand over the treasure, and I won't report this to the elders!"

Zeal snorted and looked at him with disdain. Leerum flinched but moved to get between Alastair and Kimarya before he said, "You need to go! Whatever item you are using, he might take it, and you'll die from the pressure of this area. Pick a crystal and go!"

Zeal snorted once more and turned away before selecting an exceptionally bright crystal on the outskirts of the red haze in the center of this treacherous domain. The other two people looked at her, blood running from their eyes, making them look terrifying. She could see the temptation in their eyes before they glanced at Leerum. She frowned and said, "Alright, I'll hand it to you!" Alastair was surprised and smirked toward Leerum, "Nice try, worm, she knows better." He continued, "Girl, I'll help you get a good crystal for making the right choice, hehehe."

She walked towards Alastair. She saw the two people with Alastair and Leerum glance at each other, then shook their heads after looking at Alastair before choosing their own crystals nearby. They couldn't endure this pressure, knowing they couldn't take the treasure. She knew it. They would try nothing against the overwhelming Alastair.

Leerum frowned with a confused look, but he got out of Kimarya's way. Looking at him as she passed, she winked. His face paled, and before he could get out a word, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. She stopped and told him to choose a crystal before walking in front of Alastair and handing him something. He smugly smiled before rage filled his face. He looked up but saw that Kimarya had already dashed into the red haze. He still didn't take one step forward, even though he was fuming with rage as he threw the dirty stone in his hand to the ground.

He wasn't an idiot with a death wish. He wouldn't dare follow her into that.

Leerum, who looked back right at that moment as he touched a crystal, shouted, "KIMARYA NOOO!"

Immediately after she saw all white, she screamed so hard her vocal cords might have even torn. Every part of her consumed her consciousness with unimaginable pain. Dreadful pain, she couldn't even escape to unconsciousness to escape from it.

She writhed on the floor, making guttural screams.

"56% cell damage KIMARYA. GET BACK OUT OF THIS!"

Sasquatch said, "Huhuhu. Let this great one help you with smacking some stupid child faces."

Light shone and covered Kimarya from head to toe.

Kimarya's eyes, wet with blood, could see. She once again had control of her body. She knew her clothes were drenched with blood. She was just now uncontrollably vomiting blood till now.

Sasquatch interrupted her, "This magnificent one can't maintain this transformation for long. Get the crystal!"

She woke up from her daze and, with long strides, reached the crystal. It was tiny, blood-red, and had golden light at its core.

As she touched the crystal, everything went dark!

Chapter 14: Vision of Doom