Dimension Weaver: My Wife Is The Dragon Empress!-Chapter 247 - - A World Of Endless Dunes (Part 4)

"Hmm… How eatable is this thing I wonder?" After closing the status window, he approached the dead monster as he inspected its body curiously. "The blue blood is worrying me a little to be honest but I need some food to carry with me."

From what he brought along with him, he had food enough for a day or two at most and he knew that won't be anywhere near enough for his journey. He can stay without food for 5 or 6 days with ease without losing much of his performance but he didn't want to bet on whether he could reach the city by that time or not.

So, collecting anything useful was necessary.

"It's not poisonous from what I can see. Though, avoid the blue blood since it could have a negative effect." Acrypha replied. "These sand eaters are actually quite delicious from what I heard."

"... Really?" Talon frowned. "Their appearance tells me otherwise."

The disgusting worm seemed way too repulsive to be delicious. But, since Acrypha told him that it was good then he had no reason not to believe it. So, with that in mind, he pulled his spear out and started slowly cutting a part of the monster to get a good chunk of meat.

"You aren't too bad at skinning monsters." Acrypha said curiously as she watched her human slowly cutting the tough hide and then dissecting the meat skillfully.

"I have worked in a butchery before a few years ago and I dealt with animals. This isn't much different." Wiping the blood off his face, he continued his job.

By the end of it, a chunk of blue meat rested on his hand. "This would at least last me a few days." He smiled before putting it in his storage. Then, he dug his hand into the monster's body again as he pulled a rather big monster core.

"Hmm, this is an energy core, huh? I wished it was a weapon or a skill. But well, I will leave it for my future spear." He murmured before he put it away too.

With that put behind him, Talon sat down to rest for a while. The injury he sustained wasn't light and he was already exhausted beyond comparison. A few minutes were essential for him to gather his mind and body for the trip ahead.

'If one of these sand eaters appeared then I should anticipate another appearing or even multiple ones.' He thought to himself as he stared into the distance wistfully and sipped some water.

"I wonder what kind of ecosystem this place has. With no actual water and food, how does anything even survive in such an environment." He spoke as he turned to look at Acrypha.

"You underestimate how much monsters can adapt to conditions like this or even worse than this. We still don't know much about this place so perhaps when you reach the city, you can learn more about this world."

Even with her vast knowledge of all kinds of worlds that she harvested across her lifetime, Acrypha wouldn't know everything about everything so even she was curious to know what this world was.

'Especially because this has been chosen by the Core Dimension specifically for Talon. It definitely has something special about it that it wants him to see.'

So far, everything Talon has done had been almost meant to happen which proves that the Core Dimension was specifically moving Talon toward something. Entering his first gate was perhaps the first most important pivotal point in his path so it had to be very special.

But, Talon was still unaware of all of that as he sipped his water. "Yeah, the first thing I want to do is get as much information as I can about this world and then I will see what I should do. I'm sure things will clear up once I know what the hell is going on."

After that, he stood up and dusted his clothes before picking up his stuff. "Ugh, ok, time to start walking again. I barely did any distance today. Off we go!" Lifting his hand, he started walking again.

The distance he crossed so far was negligible compared with what is left so he had to hurry up. With more pace, he knew that he could reach his destination in a few days at most.

'I don't have to worry about getting lost either since I have the best compass in all dimensions.' He thought to himself as he looked at Acrypha with a smile.

Just seeing her next to him made him feel like he can face anything no matter what it is. Aside from the valuable information she provides him with all the time, knowing that she was always there no matter what situation he was in filled him with even more confidence than ever.

Perhaps that was the most important thing he got from her and he was deeply grateful for it.

'But, I can't tell her that since I know she will just have the worst smug face ever.' Rolling his eyes as he imagined the image of his otherworldly companion just embarrassing him for complimenting her.

With that, the journey continued.

Talon walked through the vast expanses of sand as he talked to Acrypha. Even though there was no change in the scenery, he still found this rather calming. After all the ridiculous stuff that happened so far, simply walking with no actual need to think or strategize was freeing in a sense.

He didn't have much to think about except his worry for his loved ones that he left back on earth without any warning. He knew that there situation back there was still very delicate and his absence might put them in trouble.

'I know Hyun-Jae and the others can handle themselves well enough without me. I gotta believe.' He shook his head. 'I simply need to get out of here as fast as possible so that I can go back.'

"By the way, Acrypha. How long does the first test take usually?" He decided to inquire.

"Well, it depends on the individual themselves. Those who are particularly talented take a lot more time to pass their test then those who are inherently inferior. But, in general, we are talking about a few months to a year give or take. Some might go for longer too."

"A year?!" Halting his steps, he stared at Acrypha. "A whole year?"

"Yeah, this is actually nothing compared to the second, third, and fourth gates. The last one can usually take a few hundred years or more."

"..." Talon stood there completely stunned. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he sighed and looked down. "A few months to a year huh… Well, that fucking sucks."

'How am I supposed to leave them for a year? All hell will break loose in such a period of time.'

Even with his deep worry, Talon wasn't even concerned about that. He simply didn't think he wasn't going to see his loved ones for such a long time. A year wasn't short by any means. He would probably lose his mind simply by not seeing or hearing about them for this long.

"It's ok, Talon. I know you're worried. But, who knows how long this one will take. It could be way shorter. If anything, with how strong you are, I can only imagine that it will be a breeze for you." When she realized what he was thinking of, Acrypha panicked slightly

As he stood there, he took a few moments to get his composure back. After that, he ran his hand through his hair.

"Sigh, ok, let's keep a positive mindset. You're right, it all depends on how good I perform here. If I can do everything right and do it fast enough, it shouldn't take too long to come back. I can definitely do it."

'Yeah, there is no need to feel bad when I barely started. It's all about being ready.' Looking up, he coughed.

"Sorry, I had to take a moment to regain my composure."

"It's ok, I should've not told you that anyway. You just need to do it at your own pace and things will be fine." She tapped his shoulder.

Nodding his head, Talon started walking again. Now that he knew that he should hurry, his steps naturally quickened as he started striding.

***

In the desert, one's worst enemy by far isn't the lack of resources nor the long distance of walking. It was the weather. The sun's effect on the body for a prolonged period of time is far worse than one could imagine.

The heat coupled with the monotone and repetitive scenery could easily affect one's mental state and make them hallucinate. However, the same can't be said for a certain person.

From a distance, one could see Talon walking at a speed compared to that of an average man running or even faster. He kept going up and down the vast dunes of sand. His eyes were focused in a single direction and nothing else.

A few more hours passed in the same way. No more sand eaters appeared after the first one for one reason or another.

The second thing he noticed was that the two suns in the sky had already reached the horizon and turned the entire world a beautiful orange color. Eventually, darkness settled on the desert and the temperature started dwindling really quickly.

"You should stop here for today." Acrypha said as she floated near him.

"Huh? But I can still continue. The darkness ain't a problem."

"It's not about the darkness, it's about you. Your body is already in a poor state. You need to get some rest." She replied as she pointed at his wound.

"... But…"

"No buts. You will continue tomorrow morning when you're better. Listen to me."

"... Ok, fine." Sighing, Talon stopped and sat down. "I will spend the night here."

Acrypha smiled before she nodded her head. "That's my good Talon~"

"Tsk…"

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