Barbed Abyss

"Jane," Renik scolded while Jane was still busy packing her things for them to wander. The girl just muttered quietly in response to Renik's call, "Have you ever been to the Thorny Abyss?" she asked slowly.

Jane glanced at her briefly, then reassembled some weapons to make them easier to use. She also prepared some medicine for them and some snacks that could keep their hunger at bay for a long time. Luckily, in Yamani, there are so many types of food that have unlimited benefits. They don't need a lot of concoctions; sometimes there are foods that can keep them energized for days. Jane often uses this type of food if she wants to venture into dangerous places where there are few sources of clean food and drink.

"At the top of the Salak garden?" asked Jane quietly. The area is still on L-07. Many humans often fled there in the past to avoid the pursuit of the wrena before the place was completely sealed. "Now it's an isolated place," Jane muttered quietly.

Many runaways have gone there to commit suicide, or simply escape their destiny in the city. There were so many deaths and corpses being eaten carelessly by the wrena soldiers, it was said that the place was also the headquarters of people who did not obey the law in Yamani. The place ended up being very disgusting and was said to be often used for immoral places. Many traitors live there, or illegal traders who want human meat at low prices.

"It used to be a sacred place," Renik muttered quietly. "People who want to approach the Candrasas, who want to become Candrasas, and who want to gain power many times over, will go and meditate there."

"Is that true?" Jane asked for a moment before finally turning to look at Renik with furrowed brows, trying to blend in with each other, "Where did you get such information from?" she asked in surprise.

"From that dead friend of mine."

The girl fell silent. She had only realized one thing, all along, during her frequent wanderings. She never knew what Renik was doing in the forest, nor did she know what Renik was doing before meeting her. She had never asked such a thing, because back then she was not that curious, nor did she suspect Renik.

"You… lived in this forest before I came here, right?" asked Jane, confirming again. Renik nodded casually, "How long have you stayed in this L-07, Renik?" asked the girl at last, trying to feed her curiosity.

The little girl was silent. She never thought Jane would end up asking her such a thing. She thought Jane never cared about her life. Was it because she's been talking a lot lately? Her new ability to separate her own body and soul did make Renik very happy. She was finally able to be of use, something she had never thought of a long time ago.

After three years of training herself to do so, she was finally able to use this secret skill of the human race.

"It's going to be a long story if I tell you now, Jane." The little girl gave Jane a straight smile and said, "I'll tell you, I don't mean to hide anything from you. But not now. We may not have much time if we want to go there. After all, they're busy right now, aren't they?"

"What do you mean?"

"They, the Candrasas, are busy preparing to return to Earth. Open the Blue gate. It had been two weeks since the announcement. They had six weeks to go. It is very likely that the place we want to enter is currently lacking guards."

What Renik said was true. She could contain her curiosity about Renik's past life, and how the little girl had come to know of this type of ability, and the past of the Thorny Abyss. The most important thing right now was to go to the territory and enter L-03. She really wanted to know its contents. Maybe she won't be able to get this opportunity next time either, because at this busy time, it's impossible for the Candrasas to pay more attention to this 'little flea' they have considered dead.

"Okay," Jane replied casually as she tucked all her gear into her backpack. "Let's go, and explain more about the Thorny Abyss. I've been there, but haven't really looked into it. So maybe we have different knowledge about it."

Renik nodded casually and then moved to hear that. Thankfully, Jane was able to figure it out, so she could relax a bit and begin their journey. The wilderness behind the city is the farthest part of a beach that faces the ocean. There is no island at the end of the ocean, only a large blue gate that Jane used to assume was the entrance and exit for the Candrasas. No one was able to open the giant gate except the Candrasas.

She knew this fact because she used to say, when humans were placed on Earth, many giants tried to open it but never succeeded. Even Candrasa's men did not have the strength to open the giant gate. But the Candrasa, with bodies as small as humans and one hand, were still able to open the gate.

After leaving the forest area, if they followed the road on the coast to the east, at the end, they would find a giant barking plant. The thorny garden will climb upwards, with giant thorns getting bigger and sharper. No giant was able to pass through the forest without injuring their bodies. But for humans, the giant thorns are only limited to tall trees without twigs and leaves. It doesn't harm them.

"At the end or peak of the thorny forest, you will find an abyss." Renik briefly explained the path to get to the Thorny Abyss. "The reason they is called the Thorny Abyss is, because the walls of the abyss are also filled with thousands of giant barking trees. Creatures that don't know how to jump in there will only die from being stabbed by those needles."

"What do you mean?"

"That Bark Abyss is the portal to enter L-03's front yard, Jane." The girl explained, curtly, "There is a way to get there."

Jane fell silent upon hearing this. She was beginning to understand what Renik meant, and the path they might have to take to get to the outermost part of L-03.

"You're saying that the way we can get to L-03 is to—"

"Yes," Renik replied, as if he could read Jane's mind. "Jumping into the Barbed Abyss, many say, the way to enter L-03 is to 'suicide'."