Chapter 320: Escape from the Desert 24
"If you got hit by that, you’d probably end up in pieces, wouldn’t you?" Perry Yates said, putting on a joking tone.
Victor, standing beside her, was left a little speechless by her comment.
Soon, the shadow Victor had sent out returned with the information it had gathered.
"According to the information I just gathered, there’s a city behind this wall. It connects to the mainland, so we’re in the right place. Once we get past this wall, we’ll have officially completed the mission.
However, the inspection at the gate is extremely strict. In addition to a Pass Token, we also need an identity card."
"Identity card? What’s that?" Perry Yates asked.
Victor shook his head. "I’m not entirely sure either. But according to the information I got back, the ’identity card’ isn’t an actual token, but a piece of paper, likely used for identification.
The people inside the walls seem very reluctant to let people from the desert enter."
Hearing this, Perry Yates looked at the long line of people. "If they don’t want to let people from the desert in, then who are all these people?"
"They’re probably adventurers. My shadow heard the guards in charge of inspections at the gate calling them that."
The two of them had thought they were about to finish the game, but they hadn’t expected to be tripped up at the very last step.
Now, there were only two paths before them: first, use their own abilities to sneak in, or second, get an identity card and walk in through the front gate.
Victor decided to go "borrow" an identity card from someone, while Perry Yates couldn’t be bothered to waste time on that.
Since they had decided to go their separate ways, they parted ways immediately. As per their agreement, Victor gave Perry Yates half of the cards he had collected, and she, in turn, gave him half of her camels.
After they separated, Perry Yates herded all the camels into the courtyard of her Safe House, then put the Safe House away.
Once all that was done, she headed toward the city wall.
With the Silver Cross in her possession, Perry Yates walked right past the line of people and then strolled past the guards at the gate.
The moment she passed through the city wall, a cold system notification sounded in her ear.
[Congratulations to player Perry Yates for completing the mission "Escape the Desert." Total time spent: twenty-two days and fourteen hours.]
[As you have completed the mission ahead of schedule, you may now choose to remain in the game or leave immediately. If you choose to remain, the flow of time in the game will synchronize with real-world time.]
Hearing the system’s message, Perry Yates hesitated for a moment before choosing to stay.
’This is the first time I’ve ever chosen to stay after a game has ended. There might be some unexpected rewards.’
[Player Perry Yates has been detected to be a Croupier with the ability to make this instance Concrete. Do you wish to make the instance Concrete after all other players have finished the game?]
"Yes."
’If for no other reason, the vast amount of Gold buried beneath this desert makes it worth making Concrete.’
’Even without the Gold, it’s a huge piece of land. It’s bound to be useful for something.’
Having finished the game early, Perry Yates felt much more relaxed.
As she passed through the city wall and into the city proper, a bustling scene greeted her.
The streets were smoothly paved, flanked by all sorts of vendors hawking their goods.
Among the wares, besides the sand potatoes Perry Yates had seen before, there were many plants she had never encountered.
There was Sand Soil Fruit, which could enhance one’s strength; Sandalwood Grass, whose juice could quench thirst; and other herbs unique to the desert.
It was only then that Perry Yates realized just how many good things were hidden in this desert.
Aside from these plants and animals, Perry Yates discovered something else.
While passing by the market stalls, Perry Yates noticed a party of adventurers, who had just returned from outside the city, all enter a shop together.
They went in looking happy and came out looking even more ecstatic.
Driven by curiosity, Perry Yates entered the shop as well to see what was going on.
The moment she stepped inside, Perry Yates was captivated by the various Crystal Stones on display.
The Crystal Stones were stored individually in small bottles, which were then placed in separate cubbyholes. They were mostly sorted into two colors: yellow and blue.
Although there were only two colors, each Crystal Stone contained different patterns within, making them look exceptionally beautiful.
The owner was a shrewd-looking, middle-aged man wearing glasses.
Seeing Perry Yates walk in, he adjusted the glasses on his nose and asked, "Buying or selling?"
"Buying."
Perry Yates replied instinctively.
"What kind of merchandise are you looking for?" the owner asked in a low voice.
Perry Yates’s eyes swept around the shop, her gaze gliding over the bottles behind the owner. A faint smile touched her lips as she said, "The best you have, of course."
Hearing this, the owner looked up at her, a shrewd glint in his eyes.
"Big words for a little girl."
Perry Yates met his gaze directly, a faint smile on her lips. She knew that now, of all times, was not the time to be timid, otherwise he would just dismiss her as a little girl there to cause trouble.
In fact, the owner was startled when he met her fearless gaze. ’Could I have been wrong?’ he thought. ’Is this young lady actually a major customer?’
After a moment of contemplation, the owner came out from behind the counter, closed the shop door, and headed into the back room.
Seeing this, Perry Yates didn’t rush him.
Soon, the sound of slow, heavy footsteps returned, and the owner reappeared. This time, he was carrying an antique-looking wooden box.
He placed the box on the counter and slowly opened it, revealing what was inside.
Inside were two irregular Crystal Stones, one yellow and one blue, each as large as a person’s head. They emanated a faint fluorescent glow, and deep within them were two completely different patterns that looked like blooming flowers.
"These two are my shop’s greatest treasures, little lady. Are you sure you can afford them?"
The moment she saw the two Crystal Stones, Perry Yates’s heart skipped a beat. ’These things,’ she thought, ’they seem to have some connection to the cards.’
Perry Yates suddenly took a piece of candy from her pocket and offered it to the owner. Then, she casually popped another one into her own mouth. Sucking on the candy, she said, "Owner, these two Crystal Stones of yours are certainly impressive. What’s your asking price?"
At her words, the owner held up one finger. "One hundred pounds of Gold. Non-negotiable."
"A hundred pounds for the pair? That’s not too expensive," Perry Yates said calmly, though she was inwardly cursing the owner. ’A hundred pounds of Gold? Why don’t you just go rob someone!’