While he ate and considered what to do next, Kaizen decided to explore the region further. He had an old rudimentary map of all of Midgard, a gift from Alina, and even though it wasn't very accurate, it usually helped him find important structures or landmarks in the regions he explored, there was just nothing marked in the Rokku region.

So, after eating the rubbery meat of the Harpiasaurus, Kaizen put away the remains of the meat, put out the fire with the sole of his foot, and looked at the horizon, feeling the evening breeze on his face. After leaving the cave, he looked up and saw that most of the clouds had dissipated as he ate, leaving a clear view of the sky once again. The air was cooler than before, a welcome change after spending the afternoon battling the blazing sun and exploring the mountains.

Determined to continue his exploration, Kaizen looked around and got his bearings. He knew that the best thing for him, who needed to find more monsters to gain XP, was to go down the mountain he was on to the dark valley between some other mountains. Down there, he might find the creatures whose roar he had heard, and maybe even a place with treasure.

Kaizen began to descend the mountain carefully, placing his feet on the rocks to make sure they were not loose before leaning on them. He could feel the air getting hotter as he approached the bottom of the valley, but he didn't mind. He was getting used to the extreme climate of the region. When he finally reached the bottom of the valley, Kaizen jumped in, and as his feet hit the ground, making a loud stomping sound, he immediately looked around, searching for any sign of life.

At first, all Kaizen could see was the darkness that stretched in all directions as shadows formed when the sun struck the curved rocks and mountains, but that did not discourage him. Kaizen knew from the beginning that the darkness hid many things.

Amidst the darkness, Kaizen put one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other hand held a flame of fire. At the same time, Kaizen looked in all directions around him, analyzing the scene with <Analyzing Eye>, which allowed him to see a creature's stat window even if he couldn't actually see it.

When Kaizen found nothing, he decided to start walking, feeling the ground under his feet become harder and smoother, and noticing that the ground was still a bit wet from the rain.

Why does everything seem so... quiet? Kaizen wondered as he looked around.

He had expected to be attacked by dozens of ferocious monsters, but on the contrary, everything seemed peaceful.

The only sounds Kaizen could hear now were the crackling of his own generated fire and the sound of the howling wind blowing through the valley. The place seemed desolate and uninhabited. Kaizen moved slowly forward, looking for any sign of life or danger. Suddenly, he struck something hard as a rock in front of him and was thrown backward, falling hard to the ground.

Kaizen stood up quickly, confused and surprised.

What the hell was that?" was the first thing he thought. When he looked around, he found nothing, no creature, no structure. He looked around and realized that there was an invisible barrier blocking his way.

Determined to find out what was going on, Kaizen continued walking in the same direction as before, only this time with his hand outstretched in front of him, because he had a hunch. Suddenly, the fingers of Kaizen's right hand touched something, something that even he couldn't see, something that had no shadow even with the light of the fire so close, and yet it was something solid.

He felt a tingling sensation spread through his hand.

Kaizen was confused, as he had never seen anything like it before. He looked around again, trying to find a way around the invisible wall, but apparently saw no opening or passage.

Again he tried to touch the wall, which was solid and seemingly impenetrable. He tried to walk while touching it, but he walked many meters and still it did not end.

Kaizen was perplexed. How could he pass through this invisible barrier? He wondered if there was some way to break it or deactivate it. Maybe there was some kind of device or lever he could use to get through. He scanned the area carefully, looking for any clues, but found nothing.

Determined to find out what was going on, Kaizen pushed hard against the wall. He felt an energy pulsing through his body and the wall began to vibrate.

Suddenly, the wall dissolved and Kaizen could see through it. He looked beyond the wall and saw a strange and unfamiliar landscape. It was as if he was looking at a different horizon. There were tall, pointed mountains reaching into the sky, covered with snow. The ground was covered with exotic and colorful vegetation, and small, crystal-clear streams meandered through the region. On the horizon, he could see what looked like a ruined fortress, with tall towers and massive metal walls.

Kaizen was in awe of the sight before him. He had never seen anything like it. Without hesitation, Kaizen stepped through the invisible wall, feeling an energy pulsing through his body. The temperature around him began to change as well. While it was cold and windy inside the valley, as he walked through the invisible wall, the temperature was pleasant and mild, like walking through a sunny garden on a spring day.

When he finally completed his passage, a message appeared in front of him.

[Attention! It is recommended that the player be at least level 200 to explore this area].

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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