NOVEL NEXT Chapter 62: Red Sand Desert.
Chapter 62: Red Sand Desert.
There is a famous quote in The Broken Kingdom: Work until you die. The merchants like that quote, while the citizens are already used to it.
At the town near the Red Sand Desert border, Tom has been working as a guide for the last few days. Sometimes, if he does a good job, he can get a tip. Today, like usual, he is waiting near the gate for a customer.
While waiting, he sees a group of people with a horned bear. However, the other guides don’t even bother to go there.
"Why are you not going to get a customer?" Tom asked the middle-aged man that he is close with.
"They look like mercenaries."
"What's wrong with mercenaries?"
"In the past, the guide asked for payment from the mercenary but got killed instead." The people that enter the red sand desert by land usually don’t have money to go by flying ship, transporting something illegal, or being a wanted person that tries to escape from someone.
"What does the town guard do?"
"According to them, it was an accident; if it happens one time, it’s a coincidence, but it's happened many times since then, and being a mercenary is considered a red flag for a guide."
Tom is hesitant, but thinking about saving enough money to marry his girlfriend, he soon musters up the courage to go.
The middle-aged guide can only shake his head. Let’s hope the mercenary is honest.
"Hello, do you need a guide?" Tom was nervous but still spoke.
Levi turns his head and sees a short man with tan skin talking to him. After that, he hired him as a guide.
The first place that they go is the magic shop. He has bought potions in the city, but he likes to check if there is anything new. For learning alchemy, he doesn’t have enough time and will do it in the mage nation. But he manages to learn the basics of magic formation; if only he had mana stones, setting up formation would be easier.
Mana stone is considered a strategic resource, is hard to get, and is controlled by authority.
In the magic shop, there are various types of magic devices and potions. Nothing is interesting here; the only difference is that the price is more expensive. Because the Red Sand Desert is dangerous.
After that, Tom guided them to several more places without any problems so far. It looks like they are going to the red sand desert.
"Do you have any information about the Red Sand Desert?" Levi asked.
"What I know is that there are many monsters and native tribes," Tom replied. The information about the native tribe is not a secret. If he does a good job, he might get tips.
"What native tribe?"
"There are human barbarians that hate outsiders."
"Do you have any other information about the tribe?"
"Although we called them a tribe, they have a large population. However, because of the constant war in the Red Sand Desert between native tribes, it’s hard for them to become a kingdom."
"How do merchants pass through the desert?"
"By paying a protection fee in each tribe's territory, but some of the native will get greedy and become a bandit."
"How does the merchant deal with the native bandit?"
"You need to have a strong escort; if you want to enter, it's better to move together with other caravans. You are lucky; the next caravan will be leaving tomorrow."
Levi asked about the caravans along the way to the inn.
"Here is your payment." Levi gives Tom a gold coin.
"This is too much." Tom's hand is shaking as he holds the gold coin. But still put it in his pocket. Normally he will only get a few silver coins if he is lucky; 1 gold coin is equivalent to 100 silver coins.
"If you need anything, you can find me." Tom smiled and left. He feels his body is light today.
At night, in one of the famous restaurants in the town, Tom is having dinner with his girlfriend.
"Why are we suddenly eating at this restaurant?" Tom's girlfriend is concerned because the food here costs several silver coins. For them, just spending a few bronze coins on bread is already enough.
"Don’t worry, I've got a generous client today." Tom feels a little bit proud. He always dreams of bringing his girlfriend here.
Tom ordered two steaks and drinks. When dishes arrive, both of their mouths become watery after seeing and smelling the steak. He cut the juicy meat and put it in his mouth. It was delicious.
They normally eat dried meat if they have enough money. That night, both of them were eating happily.
-
Late at night. There are several people in the inn's dining room who are drinking or drunk.
Clara, wearing a half-face mask, and Otis are discussing their next move.
"Are you sure the mage nation had the record about master-rank primitive mage?" Clara asked.
"I am sure they have researched primitive mages that can help us break through to the next stage; if we follow the old path, it will take a long time, and I don’t have much time left."
"It is impossible that you should have several more decades to live."
"You should know that primitive poison magic consumes the mage's vitality; if I don’t advance to master rank soon, my lifespan is nearing its end.
"Should we tell Levi our plan?"
"Yes, once we arrive, we will move separately. What we are going to do might cause conflict with many mage towers."
-
Inside an inn room.
Levi mediates on the bed, and the mana in the air begins to be absorbed by him. He only stops when the mana in the air becomes thin. This is one of the problems with advanced mana breathing techniques. Although the absorption is faster, it is useless if the environment doesn’t have enough mana.
"If only I had mana stones." Magic mana gathering formation required mana stones to gather and to let the body absorb mana from mana stones.
The magic formation can also help Levi improve his warrior path. The only difference in his body after mutation Although right now he is an adept rank, once he transforms into a blood venom dragon, his strength will reach the peak of an adept rank.
While he is thinking, several undead birds return throughout the night and land on the open window.
Levi closed his eyes and could see. Since he is joining the caravans of unknown people, it’s better if he can gather some information.
-
Red Sand Desert.
People can only see yellow sand and dried earth. Most plants can’t survive here except for those that adjust to the hot climate.
A long caravan convoy is moving on the hot sand.
Levi and others ride a beast that looks like a camel but is larger. They are at the back of the caravan queue because they were the last to join. If there is an attack, the safest place is in the middle. But it’s already being occupied by the richest merchant caravan.
What surprises Levi is that Ben's black fur changes to a brown color like sand. Maybe it’s the horn bear's natural ability to adapt to any weather, or he got the ability after evolving into a three-horned bear.
In front of Levi is a caravan belonging to Peter Waldo, a merchant.
The owner is a man in his twenties named Peter.
"Mr. Levi, I also don’t know how you can procure mana stone; the only place you can buy it is at Mage Nation." Most kingdoms had strict control over mana stones." Peter said.
"Do you know where they mine mana stone?"
"It's better if you forget about it; most people die trying to find the location of the mine."
"How do mages get mana stones?"
"Most kingdoms had a mage tower; if you do not work with the royal or aristocrat, it will be impossible to get the mana stone."
"How does someone want to enter the mage tower?"
"The Brusan Kingdom required a test to become a kingdom mage; for the details, I don’t know. However, the mage nation had many mage towers; maybe you can try asking them."
"Thank you."
"You are welcome." Peter is friendly toward everyone in the caravan. The reason is simple: in a place that can kill you, it is better to make friends than enemies. Of course, he is not so naive as to think that the others will save him if they are in danger.
For some people, it’s their first time coming to the desert, and they sweat a lot.
Levi, Clara, and Otis are mages and had a way to keep themselves cold in the hot weather.
The rich merchants had a magical device to make cold air enter their carriage on a large sand elephant.
Levi once took apart a magical device to find the source of mana energy. He found out the mana stone had been converted into liquid and made into a battery tube. Because of that, after the liquid comes out of the tube, the mana will quickly disappear before more testing can be done. The cost of buying the magical device just to take out the mana liquid is too expensive. In the end, he gives up.
The caravan moves deeper into the Red Sand Desert, and no one notices the camouflaged human head covered in clothes the same color as the sand. Come out of the sand and burrow back in.