Chapter 176 : Desert
Chapter 176: Desert
Inside the carriage returning to Narvik.
The four of them saw flashes of light glittering in the distance and began to talk.
“Those flashing lights look like fireflies.”
“If we can see it even from here, it doesn’t seem like something ordinary.”
“Is that the fireworks I’ve only heard about in stories! We should’ve left a little later!”
Serena reclined lazily across her seat.
Sigbard regretted missing a good spectacle.
“What do you think, Aelin.”
“Hmm… It feels like someone is fighting.”
“You’re saying that’s the aftermath of a fight?”
“That’s just the feeling I get.”
A green light crossing with blue light.
Was it really fireworks, just as Sigbard had said?
Judging by the state of the city before they left, the possibility seemed low.
“If it were the Knight Commander’s Aura, it might look like that…….”
“Then someone really is fighting!”
Sigbard shaded his eyes with his hand and widened them.
Robin also stared thoughtfully for a moment, but no definite answer came to mind.
“Anyway, it’s a relief we left before it got more troublesome.”
They had accomplished everything they had come to do in the capital.
Though he had ended up participating in the Arena by chance, not only had he obtained a fine sword,
he had also acquired Floating Stones needed for exploring the Uncharted Area.
Sigbard, Aelin, and Serena had thoroughly enjoyed sightseeing and were in high spirits.
‘It feels like I’m the only one who worked.’
Still, things had turned out well in the end, which was fortunate.
His encounter with the Butcher and Nelson’s death.
The Emperor he had seen with his own eyes, even from afar.
So many rare events had occurred in succession that his mind had been in a whirl, and he intended to rest well at least on the way back.
“I’ll get some sleep.”
“Sleep without worry. I’ll wake you when it’s time to switch.”
Rumble, rumble……
The distant flashing lights and the faint sound of wind.
Setting aside what lay ahead for a while, he fell into a deep sleep.
A month had passed since they returned from the capital.
The restriction that had prevented return from the Uncharted Area had been lifted,
and the number of Adventurers heading out to the Safe Area had noticeably increased.
Their next goal was the Extreme Region.
Robin’s party made preparations by circling the Safe Area twice.
“Near Narvik, I could walk the Safe Area with my eyes closed now.”
Aelin gathered dozens of small maps and completed one large map.
Perhaps because it had been made by passing through the same zones multiple times,
it was incomparably more precise than any commercial product.
A month spent preparing the necessary items to cross the Dangerous Area.
It had been enough time to shed their rookie image and step forward as proper veterans.
“Let’s go.”
The farthest Uncharted Area they had reached so far was Fog Canyon in the Dangerous Area.
To reach the Extreme Region, they had to pass through Fog Canyon and go another 100 kilometers.
“I hope we don’t run into a Lich this time.”
“We won’t. It’s not a Monster you run into easily.”
Three days after passing through the plains and jungle of the Safe Area and entering the Dangerous Area.
To avoid the same threat as last time, they had been careful in selecting their exploration route.
Even considering that, crossing Fog Canyon in three days could be considered fast.
Squish. Squish.
The sand sank deeply with every step they took.
The dry wind left their mouths parched whenever it brushed past.
The scorching heat.
What greeted Robin after leaving Fog Canyon was the desert.
Known as the Burning Desert.
A name given because crossing its dunes, where no shade could be found, made one feel as if their whole body were burning.
“Gather over here.”
When the three gathered, Serena lightly waved her staff.
Beads of water formed in the air, and water gathered above each of their heads.
The water, shaped into thin discs, gradually hardened and turned into pure white ice.
“Ice! It’s cool above my head.”
Sigbard tapped the ice Serena had made.
True to its thinness, it easily cracked.
“This is why I was able to cross the desert alone.”
“That’s amazing. If you had a skill like this, why didn’t you use it before?”
“It consumes a lot of Ether to maintain.”
“There are four of us—will you be alright?”
“No. You’ll have to protect me.”
For an hour or two there would be no issue, but maintaining it for the entire desert crossing seemed to be quite a burden even for Serena.
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to conserve your strength?”
“Well. If it’s your first time, it’ll be pretty tough.”
If they avoided the heat during exploration, Serena would not be able to actively participate in combat.
Convenience or stability.
Sigbard and Aelin did not want to give up the shade of ice.
“Let’s do as Serena says.”
“Good choice. At our level, we can cross it just fine.”
The Monsters that appeared in the Burning Desert were all troublesome.
Yet the fact that Serena evaluated her companions so highly was practically high praise.
“If things get bad, at least I can run off on my own. So let’s do our best.”
“…We can’t let our guard down.”
It had been said as a joke, but for some reason, it felt like Serena might really do it.
‘It’s a joke… right?’
Her languid eyes, no different from usual, made it impossible to tell whether she was serious or not.
“Ha! Don’t worry. Whatever shows up, I’ll cut it down!”
“I’ll let you know immediately if anything approaches.”
Encouraged by Sigbard and Aelin’s words, Robin nodded.
Objectively speaking, his companions were outstanding.
Robin and Sigbard could use Fighting Spirit, and Aelin had long since taken her first steps as well.
They should be able to cross the desert without issue.
Rustle. Rustle-rustle.
No sooner had they steeled themselves and stepped into the desert than a cactus burst out of the ground.
It was no ordinary cactus.
Karolion, with a hard green surface and sharp spines protruding from it.
A Monster about the size of a human.
“How lucky.”
“Lucky?”
Serena pointed at the Karolion with her staff.
“Karolions contain water.”
“If it’s water, you can just make it, Serena.”
It wasn’t that water wasn’t important in the desert.
But the way she spoke as if she had forgotten her own ability was unsettling.
“It’s tasty.”
“What?”
“Karolion water is sweet.”
In short, she was suggesting they drink the Monster’s bodily fluids.
“…Let’s kill it first.”
“Just cut off the head cleanly. It’d be a waste if it spills.”
Leaving Serena’s detailed request behind, Robin drew his sword.
The sword once used by the Demon Tribe Worshipper Black Mask flashed under the sunlight.
“Krrrgh!”
Sigbard drew its attention, and Aelin shot an arrow at its leg.
‘We’ll cross safely… right?’
Hoping to cross the desert as quickly as possible, Robin slashed his sword toward the Karolion.
* * *
Night fell, and the sunlight that seemed ready to scorch everything vanished.
Unlike the sizzling daytime, a chilly wind blew in.
If they had worn long clothes during the day to avoid burns, at night they put on outer coats to maintain body temperature.
“Kh! This water is really delicious!”
Sigbard gulped down the Karolion water in one go.
Serena wore a triumphant expression as she watched him.
Robin also drank the Karolion water and admitted it.
“It’s good.”
“When have you ever seen me lie?”
“I thought it’d be something like a sardine sandwich.”
“What’s wrong with sandwiches.”
If he said any more, only his mouth would hurt, so Robin stood up.
“I’ll go get Aelin.”
Aelin had climbed up a dune, saying she would look over the surrounding terrain.
It had already been an hour since she said she would draw the map.
It was good that she was diligent, but it was about time to call it a day.
The elf lying prone at the top of the gentle slope stared intently at the paper.
“Aelin.”
“Yeah. Just a moment.”
She said just a moment, but there was no sign she would stop.
Wondering what on earth she was doing, Robin sat beside her and observed.
“Is this the nearby terrain? It’s unusual.”
The map Aelin had drawn was different from usual.
Multiple contour lines overlapped, creating geography that could not exist in reality.
“I drew it by predicting the movement of the dunes.”
“That’s possible?”
“The direction the wind blows from is consistent, so you can roughly estimate it.”
Hearing it put that way, it almost seemed plausible.
But there were several X marks, and those were precisely the spots Aelin found questionable.
“It makes no sense. No matter how I think about it, this part couldn’t have formed naturally.”
The place she tapped with her finger was none other than their campsite.
Near where Sigbard and Serena were sitting.
Glancing down, nothing stood out.
“We’re moving again tomorrow anyway. Let’s head back.”
“Phew… You’re right.”
Aelin let out a regretful sigh and stood up.
It was the reaction of someone who had failed to solve a problem she wanted to crack.
“Let’s stop by again on the way back. Then we might see something we can’t see now, right?”
“That’s possible. But something doesn’t sit right.”
“What is it?”
Her long finger traced along the dune before stopping at the campsite.
“It’s like something diverted the sandstorm.”
“It could’ve been a Monster, or maybe a headwind.”
“No. It’s not something that could be blocked to that extent.”
“Did someone bury an Artifact or something.”
Just as Robin finished speaking, they arrived at the campsite.
Sigbard suggested they decide the order for night watch, and Serena finished off the remaining Karolion water.
“…That would make sense.”
“What?”
“Unless magic was used, that’s far more likely.”
He had spoken without much thought, but Aelin was serious.
Still, who would bury an Artifact in the ground?
Artifacts were difficult to obtain and uniformly expensive items.
Unless it had been hidden there for some reason.
“Robin, Aelin. What are you two talking about? Let us hear it too.”
“Yeah. Something interesting?”
Just as they were about to explain to Sigbard and Serena.
A faint vibration traveled through the ground.
The three, excluding Serena, sensed the anomaly and stepped back.
Serena, not entirely oblivious, quietly slipped behind Robin.
Shing.
A sword reflecting moonlight pointed into the air.
Tension settled over the campsite that had been filled with trivial chatter moments before.
About ten seconds passed.
A hole opened in the middle of the ground, and sand poured down with a rustle.
It was large enough for four or five people to pass through.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Soon, something emerged from the hole.
They thought it might be a Monster, but that guess was wrong.
It was a person.
“What is this. Move aside.”
A bearded middle-aged man waved his hand dismissively.
As if accustomed to situations like this.
Looking closer, he was armed.
He too was an Adventurer.
“Who are you?”
“Who, you ask? Can’t you tell by looking?”
“You suddenly rose up in the middle of the desert. How did you do it?”
The middle-aged man stared at Robin, then tilted his head.
“You, is this your first time here?”
“It is.”
“No wonder. I see…….”
The man looked over Sigbard, Serena, and Aelin as well, then nodded.
“For now, put away your weapons.”
“If you promise not to attack first, we will.”
“I promise.”
A hollow laugh escaped at how easily he answered.
The greed in the man’s eyes was plain to see.
“Why aren’t you lowering your sword?”
“You. Weren’t you planning to rob us from the start?”
“I thought I’d found an easy mark, but you’re not completely clueless.”
The man leisurely drew his sword while standing before Robin.
“You intend to face us alone? I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Who said I was alone.”
Tap. Tap.
When the man struck the ground, men similar to him crawled out from the hole.
One, two, three……
In an instant, they numbered over forty, and the man curled up the corner of his mouth.
“What? Do you finally realize what kind of situation you’re in?”
“…….”
“Let’s give the newcomers a little lesson.”
The forty men charged all at once.
If they had come this far, it meant they were at least Silver-Ranked Adventurers, not to be taken lightly.
“Aelin, protect Serena! Sigbard!”
Robin and Sigbard rushed forward without retreating.
The campsite was thrown into chaos, and the clashing of steel rang out without pause.
In the middle of the desert, a sudden battle erupted.