Gastle [3]

When the Gehenna Tree appeared, it did not appear alone. Along with it came a number of different creatures and species that humanity had never seen before. 

They were all classified into two different categories.

The first was monsters. Monsters were otherworldly entities. They came to this world through various means, sometimes blending into society while other times remaining in their territories awaiting prey. 

The second was mutated beasts. Unlike monsters, mutated beasts came from this world. They were creatures native to the Gehenna Complex that had mutated during the Forthcoming into beasts beyond their previous stations. 

The main differentiator between the two categories was the origins of the creatures. For that reason, even creatures like the cloned beast from the mine could be categorized alongside mutated lion and bear species. Of course, further separation within those two categories made them easier to navigate, but that was beside the point.

Whether they came from a place beyond the border wall or within its bounds, they roamed the earth freely and became a part of its ecosystem. The classifications for their strength had become basic knowledge that was taught to children.

For monsters, it was a system from Grade 9 to Grade 1. A Grade 9 monster was weak enough to be killed by civilian arms. On the other hand, a Grade 1 monster was a calamitous threat that could destroy cities easily if given free rein. 

The system for mutated beasts flowed in the opposite direction. A Tier 1 mutated beast was weak, while a Tier 9 mutated beast was a disaster. 

Monsters and beasts had yet to surpass the limits of these categories, but when they eventually did…

'Compared to the Calamities, what we have to face now is nothing.'

It was now nearing the end of the third month since Gio arrived in Gastle, and he was no longer confined within the city walls. 

He wore sand-colored armored clothing and a closed helmet with a visor to shield himself from the environment. There was a pistol strapped on his right hip as part of a utility belt that he used to carry explosives. 

There was an energy sword on his left hip in case a beast came into melee range, and the rifle on his back was for ranged situations. 

He was using the bike he got from Raymond as his method of transport. It was fast enough to transport him and had a surprisingly high carrying capacity that made it better for hauling corpses back to the city than expected.

With his short stature, he looked a little comical in his full gear, but that wasn't his concern. 

'I spent almost thirty thousand credits to get all of this. It feels like a waste since I'm really only trying to hunt Tier 1 beasts, but I have to be prepared for any situation.'

The Wasteland was ruled by beasts. 

If one looked for a map of the world, one would be surprised to see how little human territory there actually was.

Several of Earth's continents had become the territory of monsters and beasts. They had been shifted from their original positions to make the Wasteland look like an entirely different world, leaving it with no semblance of the Earth one would see in higher Strata. 

The human territories were collectively called Haven. On that same map of the Wasteland, Haven would be a corner in the northeastern part. It was surrounded on three sides by water, and the fourth side led to the land where no human could survive.

Most people chose to scavenge near the border, since the beasts there were more controlled. Their strength could be estimated and understood. 

Though, if one wanted to truly make money by scavenging, the only choice was to go deep into beast territory in search of treasure, resources, or rare species. 

There were mutated beasts roaming Haven as well, but their strength ranged from only Tier 1 to Tier 3.

It meant Haven was terrible for people searching for profit. Gio wasn't searching for profit, so it was the complete opposite. 

'Tier 1 mutated beasts are perfect for the current me.'

Gio's expectations for himself weren't extreme. 

He couldn't actually evolve his body in any way yet, so the most he could do was train to the limits of an ordinary thirteen-year-old. That didn't leave him much room for improvement, so rather than direct physical strengthening, his main focus was combat training. 

'My body will develop to be more suitable for battle if it is trained in battle. That kind of musculature will be much more receptive to the Aether Core when it's formed.'

Gio tapped the side of his helmet, pulling up a display on the inside of the visor that overlapped with the world around him. With another tap, the scene in front of him zoomed, allowing him to see the distant land like it was right in front of him. 

He was already far away from any real human settlement. He passed by plenty of mutated beast packs and hordes already, but he couldn't confront so many at once. 

He was on the lookout for creatures that were separated from their groups, or even better, creatures who liked to hunt alone. 

'It's been a month since I came out. I've only returned to the city three times to turn in my prey, but that's because I haven't caught much at all.'

His luck had been terrible for the entire month, but he still came out in the name of training. He stayed still and blended into the environment, constantly searching his vicinity until…

Rumble!

A loud sound came from the east. His head snapped in that direction just to see a rolling tide of sand flying over the ground with reckless abandon. 

A sandstorm was coming. It was nothing special in terms of the Wasteland's climate, sure, but it meant great things for Gio.

Without hesitation, he revved the bike to life and charged into the rolling wave of dust and debris. His entire body was protected so he didn't need to worry about getting injured, and when it was at this level…

WHOOOSH!

The roaring winds overpowered Gio's thoughts. The image of the world he saw through his visor changed as it adapted to the haze. The world turned blue as he scanned for heat signatures.

'There are two types of beasts in this part of the Wasteland. The first has adapted to the cold temperatures, and the second has adapted to the sands and winds.'

Sure, there were those who adapted to both, but Haven's climate was nonsensical in a way. How could a desert be cold at all times?

That could only be described through an in-depth explanation of how the world's climate was affected by the creation of Strata, but that was a conversation for a different time. 

Gio's eyes caught sight of what he was looking for. In the midst of the debris were the beasts that got trapped in the sand. 

They were separated from the groups escaping in the sand, and they were not alone.

Gio wasn't the only predator aware of Haven's special characteristics. He wasn't the only one using the sandstorm to pick out prey.

So, his prey was not the helpless mutated beasts that were separated from their families. 

He was preying on the ones who would start hunting them soon enough.