Chapter 319: Escape from the Desert 23
In contrast, Perry Yates was almost excessively fair-skinned.
At his words, Perry Yates glanced at the exposed skin on her arm.
She hadn’t paid much attention to it before, but now that she looked, her skin tone truly hadn’t changed much since they first entered the desert.
No, that wasn’t right. It wasn’t that there was no change—it seemed she had actually gotten paler.
As the owner of The Card Tavern, Perry Yates would sooner neglect anyone else before herself. Her current body wasn’t just for show, but this recent development still piqued her interest.
After comparing herself to Victor, Perry Yates quickly identified the main reason for the difference: their clothes.
Victor’s clothes were just ordinary, while Perry Yates’s outfit was made from the silk of desert spiders.
"Maybe I’m just exceptionally gifted," she said. "Some people are just born with fair skin."
Victor reluctantly accepted her explanation, but he was still hung up on how tan he had become.
Though he was still bothered by it, Victor didn’t forget his duties. After they finished eating, he began to make a circuit of the area, digging up all the cards hidden beneath the sand.
"Have you noticed? I think the temperature just dropped a little," Perry Yates said to Victor as he returned.
Victor wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced up at the sky. The blazing sun was so bright he could barely open his eyes. "Really? I didn’t feel anything."
Perry Yates subconsciously reached for her waist, intending to grab a thermometer, only to come up empty and remember she didn’t have one.
Still, she was certain the temperature had just dropped, though she didn’t know why.
"Forget it. Even if it cooled down, it’s still incredibly hot. We should get moving."
This game didn’t have a time limit, but all the players had mentally set themselves a deadline: thirty days.
That evening, when Victor took out the sand table again to check if they had strayed from their route, he discovered they were already less than halfway to their destination.
The joy on Victor’s face was plain to see. "I knew teaming up with you was the best decision I’ve ever made."
Even Perry Yates was shocked at how fast they were moving.
’But it made sense,’ she thought. ’Our group is small, so there are fewer complications. And even though we have a lot of camels, every one of them is strong and healthy, so they don’t slow us down at all. Of course we’re fast.’
"At this rate, we’ll reach our destination in another two days," Victor said. "This will be the first time I’ve ever finished a game early."
Hearing this, Perry Yates asked curiously, "Finish a game early? You can do that?"
Victor looked at her in surprise. "You don’t know?"
Perry Yates shook her head. "I really don’t."
"Then it seems you haven’t been a Croupier for very long. You’ve probably never spoken with other Croupiers, much less entered The Dealer’s Domain."
Victor’s words left Perry Yates a little stunned. It was true she hadn’t been a Croupier for long—less than a year—but she had interacted with other Croupiers before. As for The Dealer’s Domain, this was indeed the first time she’d ever heard of it.
Seeing the faint confusion in her eyes, Victor became even more certain he was right. ’She must have just recently become a Croupier.’
He didn’t look down on her for being new, however. Every player who became a Croupier was one in a million. Underestimating them was a good way to die a horrible death.
"The Dealer’s Domain is actually a five-star item. It’s said to come from a top-ranked Croupier from Cerulea. No one knows who, exactly. They deliberately hid their identity, and out of respect, no one pried.
"Everyone who can enter The Dealer’s Domain is a Croupier from some planet. Inside, we exchange information about Executors and keep a tally of members who’ve been killed. It’s also a marketplace for trading cards.
"However, a place called The Card Tavern has popped up recently, and it’s drawn the attention of a lot of Croupiers. I heard the last big auction was hosted by its owner.
"We’re guessing the owner of The Card Tavern is probably a Croupier, too. It’s a shame she hasn’t shown herself yet."
Listening to Victor’s complaints, the corner of Perry Yates’s mouth twitched. ’Could it be,’ she thought, ’that the reason the owner of The Card Tavern hasn’t appeared is because she didn’t even know The Dealer’s Domain existed?’
"You’ve said all that, so how do you actually enter The Dealer’s Domain?"
"It’s actually very simple to enter The Dealer’s Domain. Just think the words ’The Dealer’s Domain,’ reveal the Croupier number on your wrist, and you’ll be able to enter. See? Easy, right?"
Perry Yates was speechless. "...It is easy."
「The twenty-second day of the game.」
Eager to reach their destination sooner, the two decided to speed up their pace. They stopped looking for cards and even ate breakfast and lunch on the move, unwilling to waste a single moment.
Perry Yates didn’t take out the Safe House for them to rest until the sky was completely dark.
Before they rested, Victor took out the sand table again.
"At our current pace, we should reach our destination tomorrow afternoon, barring any surprises."
Hearing this, Perry Yates let out a sigh of relief. It felt as if a great weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders.
Previous games had focused on survival, where you could pass simply by finding a safe place and holding out for thirty days. This game, however, clearly involved a mission on top of just surviving.
’Escape the barren desert. What if we don’t make it out? Will we be trapped here forever?’
「The twenty-third day of the game.」
Knowing they were about to leave the desert, the two were exceptionally excited. They set off before dawn, hoping to reach their destination as early as possible.
In the afternoon, when a stretch of yellow city walls appeared before them, their eyes lit up with joyful surprise.
’This is great! We’re finally here!’
They were at the final hurdle, but instead of rushing forward, they slowed their pace to observe the situation. They didn’t want anything to go wrong now.
At this, Victor used his ability for the first time.
His shadow suddenly began to stretch, and soon, a figure with his exact likeness emerged from it.
"Go," he commanded. "Scout out the situation for me."
The shadow nodded and turned, heading toward the city walls.
At the same time, Perry Yates also released her Spiritual Body, preparing to probe the situation on the other side of the walls.
With her sharp vision, she could clearly see soldiers patrolling the top of the ramparts. Various ranged weapons were positioned along the walls, including cannons.