Chapter 75 - 75. The 7th Gate (1/2)

Mack turned his head and as usual a small plaque was there giving instructions.

# If the cold is not for you, may the fire burn in your heart #

”Weird, I was expecting something like 'become the iceberg' or something”

Said Mack, using a grave voice for the words as if imitating someone in a mocking tone.

[...]

”It seems you can't help me on this one.”

[indeed]

Mack looked around and saw the red ground, a very familiar red ground but with gray sand covering parts of it..

Mack lowered his body and lightly touched the gray sand and put on his mouth.

The sulfur taste was easy to spot.

Mack raised hia head and looked to the horizon.

He could see nothing different for miles and miles.

All ahead of him was the same scenery. Just like the trial before, not even a a tree could be seen.

”So, its a volcano. That will be my second.”

The memories of when he went up the volcano at atacama desert resurfaced his head.

It seemed like it was memories from another life, the odd feeling that the passing of time gave to his memories only served to reinforce how much he changed since then.

His personality became more calm but his actions more decisive.

He now thought much more before doing something. But when he decided. he acted as if had no tomorrow. Even in the small things.

That's what he thought of himself at least. But in true, Mack always planned his actions very carefully even before meeting the book.

”Ok, lets go and have a barbecure of Mack today.”

Said Mack aloud as if to reafirm his own will that he needed to keep going foward.

The heat was not so intense as he expected when entering the gate, but he knew it was just a matter of time before his lungs feel like burning with the dry and hot air.

Mack walked the arid land and each day he drank a few mouthful of water from the ice ball in his backpack.

After walking for what seemed like ten days Mack stopped. He felt something odd today.

There was a feeling buging him for a few hours, as if something was watching him, but was not quite that, it was a calling.

Mack closed his eyes and waited for the feedback from his passive scan.

”Nothing. What is happening?”

Mack kept having this weird feeling as if something was close to him or following him, but his scan showed nothing all the time.

Mack looked around, even knowing that there was not a single soul in miles.

The dry land now had a few magma pools from time to time and smoke raised from them.

The rest was covered in gray ashes.

He looked behing and his footsteps seemed to go in a straight line but they disappeared after a few miles.

”Nothing unusual, expect this creep feeling that something is close to me.”