The Hero Turned Into A Potato And The World Fell To Ruin

Two hours after picking the seaberries, Osar, carrying Yaine in his back basket and followed closely by Liu Ji, finally approached their departure point.

In the distance, Osar spotted a dark figure standing on a sand dune.

He quickened his pace and strode over, patting the figure on the shoulder with a grin. "Hey, Brother, sorry for the wait. The trees were much farther than we thought…"

Before he could finish, the figure turned its head. Its face, however, was featureless, just a round, dark void.

With a "poof," Osar's fur stood on end, making him look significantly puffier.

"Ah? This fellow actually went ahead." Yaine peeped out from Osar's back basket and tugged the fur on Osar's cheeks. "Speaking of which, how many times have you been scared by Mervant's clones?"

"Uh… Haha, this thing just looks so creepy that I can't help it." Osar awkwardly scratched his chest. "Um, since he left a clone, then we should follow the direction it's pointing."

With that, he started to move in the direction which the clone was pointing.

"No, stop." Yaine tugged Osar's fur hard. "The direction is wrong. That is the way out of the desert. That idiot must have encountered a serious issue. He must have been in such a hurry that he forgot I left a guide beacon before entering the desert."

"Ah? Eh? Then we need to find him quickly!" Osar panicked. "We should… Ah, crap! The compass is with him!"

"Stop! Don't panic! Why do you guys all act the same? Can't you stay calm?" Yaine slapped Osar's big face. "We entered the desert in a straight line, and now he's pointing in the direction we started from. Which way do you think we should go?"

"I… Eh? Oh, right, it must be this way," Osar suddenly came to a realization and was about to start running off.

"That's why I told you not to rush, you big fool!" Yaine quickly clutched his large furry head, reining him back with great effort.

"Huh?" Osar looked at Yaine with wide, innocent eyes that were filled with confusion.

"Mervant is no lone wolf. If he didn't want us to follow him, it's not because he's trying to show off," Yaine frowned while thinking aloud. "Firstly, there must be a compelling reason for him to act alone without waiting… Hmm, most likely something related to Calidora.

"Secondly, if he doesn't want us to follow, it means… he doesn't want us to travel the same path as him. What sort of scenario in such a barren desert do you think could call for this?"

Osar paused, frowning in contemplation. Finally, he asked, "Are you saying it's the Tyrant's minions?"

"Yes, and probably more than one squad." Yaine nodded. "Either he's being chased… But with his stealth abilities, it's unlikely he'd be discovered. Most likely, those scoundrels are heading toward Calidora, and he's gone ahead to find her. He doesn't want us to run into them while following after him."

"That's… Damn, if that's the case, it's really tricky. "Osar rubbed his temples. "We can't just follow him directly."

"No other choice, we can only take a detour." Yaine shrugged.

"But without a compass, it's easy to get lost in this desert where everything is the same," Osar retorted in worry, exasperated.

"No, don't misunderstand, I don't mean a detour above ground," Yaine said while pointing to the sand around them. "We'll go underground."

"Underground? But we can't breathe under… Oh!" Osar stopped mid-sentence and came to a realization as he saw Liu Ji.

"Yes, exactly," Yaine said, smiling as gazed at Liu Ji. "We have him."

Liu Ji, who couldn't understand anything and was suddenly on the receiving end of stares from his companions, was bewildered. He could only scratch his head with a silly smile and tilted his head as if trying to make a question mark pop out.

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Beneath the ancient desert city, Mervant lay on a wooden bed. Beside him, Calidora, wielding her staff, moved her other hand glowing with white light over Mervant's rib cage.

"Ah, it hurts. Yes, the bone there seems to be slightly fractured." Mervant winced and grimaced.

"Sorry, Merv, I got too excited…" Calidora said, sniffing.

"No, it's not your fault. I was flying too fast and accidentally crashed into the city walls," Mervant said while he struggled to lift his hand and gently pat Calidora's head.

"Looks like this is the companion you ladies mentioned previously?" Myza came over.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Myza. This is Mervant, one of our companions. Also, he's…" Calidora took Mervant's hand and smiled. "He's also my lover."

Girunini, seated at the side, shivered and quietly turned away. For an innocent lalafell, or rather, for the Miffy race, such a scene was a little too much.

"Oh, that explains it. No wonder you were willing to brave the desert again to find him." Myza leaned against the wall, smiling at Mervant. "Hello, I'm Myza, the master of this place."

"Ah, hello," Mervant greeted. "Are you saying you are the master of this city in the desert?"

"Mm, yes. Why? Do I not look the part?" Myza quipped.

"No, no, no. I just never imagined… Um, honestly, I never thought that there would actually be a city in this desert." Mervant laughed sheepishly.

"Everyone who stumbles upon this place says the same thing." Myza shrugged. "But despite the city's concealment measures, you are the first to crash right into my city walls…"

"Ah, that's because I was in a hurry… Oh, right!" Mervant suddenly remembered why he had rushed over. "Mr. Myza! There's trouble! The Tyrant's minions are heading this way!"

"Yeah, they've been coming for a few days now," Myza said dismissively, the corners of his lips curling. "First there were twelve, then twenty-four, then forty-eight. How many are there this time? Let me guess, around a hundred and twenty?"

"No, it's different this time. The ones coming aren't those grunts," Mervant exclaimed agitatedly. "This time, it's an elite squad, led by a black-armored commander! They're dangerous, far more so than even two hundred grunts!"

"Oh… Haa, I thought it was that fellow himself when you said it's different. But it's still minions as always." Myza smiled, still completely unbothered. "Oh right, when will they arrive?"

"Very soon. I think they…" Mervant was interrupted by a sudden, intense rumbling from above the underground space.

"Oh, looks like you don't need to tell me. They're already here." Myza chuckled.

"Mr. Myza, you…" Mervant began, but seeing Myza's complete calmness, he didn't know what to say.

"Relax, kid. Enjoy some time with your lover. I'll handle them," Myza said, patting Mervant on the shoulder before heading to the door. "No need to trouble that guy today. It's time I stretched my legs a bit."