136 Going in the fores (1/2)

Palpul Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary was a large forest covering an area of about 1000 sq kilometers, which was about twice the size of Delhi.

At least it did cover that much area once.

Since the start of the apocalypse, the large forest has gone through drastic changes as many dangerous Mutant Trees took over the forest and found a silent battle underground with their roots, trying to gain dominance over one another.

The ones who won gained larger areas with fertile lands while those that lost grew weak and died or sought to search other places for more food to sustain themselves.

In this case, the other places meant lands that were outside the forest.

Lands that were filled with civilization and brimming with life, something that was highly tempting to the mutant trees.

So by the time we arrived in Angai, a town that was supposed to 60 kilometers away from the forest, we found the whole town devoid of any form of life and covered in a green carpet made up of leaves and grass.

A very dead carpet underneath which thousands of roots wriggled and twisted around each other, searching for some form of food.

I looked at the scene and wondered once again if this was not some sort secret plot to get me killed. But then I looked at Netra standing beside me and all such thoughts melted away, left only with a warm feeling in my heart.

Netra would never betray me. And I was not saying that just because I was blinded by love but also because if she truly wanted to kill me, she could have just done so with her sword.

Still as I looked at the numerous large mummified mutant beasts trapped under the green carpet, I could not help but ask.

”Do you really, really want me to go in there?”

She looked at me with a serious expression and nodded ”If you really want to become strong. Then you must take some risks.”

”Right now you're very close to your 4th evolution. Every evolution is a battle of will and anyone who loses this battle ends up dying.”

”You've survived 3 battle of wills so far but those battles will only be harder from now on. And just because you've survived so far doesn't mean that you'll survive the next one.” She said in all seriousness and I nodded at her words.