Thales carried his luggage and dragged his body, which had just recovered from a serious illness. He panted as he walked behind the camels of the merchant group.
Even though the sand under his feet was still a hindrance to walk on, even though his skin wrapped in sackcloth was still stuffy and uncomfortable, even though the scorching sun was still merciless, the teenager's heart was much calmer.
There was no other reason.
"I'm telling you, Kant, I'm really telling you." The rookie mercenary, Quick Rope, walked beside the camel in front and said something excitedly to Kant, the burly man from Northland, who was also in Dante's Greatsword.
"What I'm talking about is definitely something that will earn you nothing … Think about it, the work we do is very dangerous. It's the same as tying our lives to our waistbands. After we pee, we have to pay attention to the frequency when we shake our d * ck. We're worried about whether we'll shake our heads off. Maybe one day, we'll run into something tough and we won't be able to go back. Then, your wife and daughter will cry to death, and you'll be poor and depressed …"
"F * ck you, Quick Rope." Kant, who was already impatient, carried a two-handed greatsword and stepped over a piece of gravel. He rolled his eyes at the chattering Quick Rope in disgust. "Didn't your mother teach you not to curse others?"
Thales raised his head and looked at the camel caravan in front of him. He looked at the merchants talking to each other in front of the caravan, and the mercenaries patrolling on horses in the distance. He could not help but curl up the corners of his lips.
Compared to a person who had no hope, it was better to trudge painfully in the desert alone and imprisoned.
To be able to see signs of life, run into people, and hear the sounds of people talking to each other, whether they were happy or dejected …
'That's great.'
Quick Rope shook his head vigorously.
"I'm just making an analogy … But think about it, if you take out this money and place it with Tampa, if you go back alive, he'll return ninety-nine percent of the money to you. If you die, Tampa will pay your family ten times the money. Then, wouldn't your death be very meaningful? Hey, don't, don't, good Kant, good Kant, good Kant, handsome Kant, don't hit me! I'm just making an analogy, hey, don't, ah … "
Thales shook his head. He moved his feet and averted his gaze from Quick Rope, who was being beaten up.
"Looks like you've recovered quite well." A mercenary who had just returned from patrolling had a thick headscarf over his head. He dismounted from his horse beside Thales and walked so that the horse, which had been running endlessly under the scorching sun, could rest. "But you've just recovered, after all. There's no need to force yourself. You can stay on the camel's back."
Big Dion took off his headscarf, revealing his smooth head. He then tied a battle axe behind his shoulder.
Thales smiled at the bald mercenary. "I think it's good to do some restorative exercises."
"I think what he meant was …" Mickey rode behind Big Dion expressionlessly without even looking at Thales. "If you fall again, we don't have time to waste on a burden."
Thales watched awkwardly as Mickey rode past them with a face full of colors to change shifts with his companions.
"I don't think he likes me."
He couldn't help but frown, looking at McGee's back.
"Obviously, you can't turn everyone into your fans." Dion watched his companions walk into the distance with a pensive look on his face. "Especially Mickey.
"Based on his past experiences, Mickey is very vigilant.
"Before he gets to know someone, he suspects every stranger."
Thales forced a smile.
It was the third day after he was rescued by the merchant group.
'Dante's Greatsword' was a mercenary group that was neither too big nor too small. The short warrior, Breeze, who was in charge of scouting the way, fell asleep the moment he returned. Hubert, the former blacksmith from Steel City, smiled shyly. Haken, the big-bellied Arabian, politely asked Thales if he was married (if not, he wanted to introduce one of his seven unmarried sisters to Thales). Kant, the Northlander, had a gruff voice, liked to slap people's shoulders, and whistled all the time. He cast a glance at Thales before he ran off to pee. Quick Rope, Old Hammer, Mickey, Furnace, Big Dion, and the leader, Louisa Dante — at least on this journey, they had eleven professional mercenaries who took shifts day and night to protect this small merchant group of twenty people and twenty-three camels as they safely crossed the desert and headed towards the famous Tower of Eradication.
Thales sometimes found it strange. 'Is this small number of people really enough to protect the merchant group?'
"Of course, we don't have enough manpower to deal with bandits with only a few dozen members," Dion told him. "But the fact that there are armed merchant caravans is enough to answer a lot of questions. Are the bandits willing to take the risk to fight against eleven fully armed professional assassins like us?"
"Maybe they can win, but they'll definitely pay a heavy price. They don't have many people left, and the next time they rob us, it might be their doomsday.
"This is our purpose, and also the mercenaries' way of survival. Deterrence is more important than fighting with our lives on the line. After all, we're not a suicide squad. Of course, that's excluding those hundred-man groups who specialize in fighting wars." At that time, Dion shook his head.
Thales was grateful for their help and shelter, especially after they encountered the terrifying sandstorm the day before yesterday. His vision was so gray that he could not even see his own fingers, and the shrill sound of the wind beside his ears was frightening. Thales could not even hear his own words clearly. He could only desperately cover his head and hide. The howling and whistling sand was even more terrifying than blades. It desperately attacked everything that was exposed to the air, and crawled into all the gaps that could be crawled. The force was so great that it almost cut through Thales' flesh and skin. Fortunately, the experienced merchant group hid in a shelter, and they managed to survive the crisis with the help of the camel group that had formed a circle around them. Thales then understood that it was all thanks to the Desert God that he could walk for four whole days in the terrifying Great Desert before he fainted, and when he was rescued, the side effects were just a little dehydration, mania, and desert hallucinations.
When he thought of this, Thales smiled at Dion. "Thank you, Dion. You saved my life, even if I'm a stranger and possibly a spy for the desert bandits."
Dion paused for a moment before he smiled softly as well.
He hung the horse on the hook of a camel in front of him, and purposely lengthened the rope to prevent the camel's scent from affecting the horse.
"Taking care of each other is the creed of us merchants and mercenaries who rely on the desert for a living."
Dion exhaled and felt a little sentimental. "Many years ago, Wya, I was like you. Of course, at that time, I was much older than you are now. I was at the end of my rope, and I was alone in the desert, struggling at death's door, waiting for death in despair."
He shook his head. "It was Dante, I mean Louisa's father, Old Dante. He was the one who used his passion and persistence to redeem me from the hands of the ferrymen of Hell's River, even though they themselves were in a terrible state at that time.
"People have to rely on each other, Wya. This is what Dante told me.
"A person cannot survive alone in the Great Desert."
Thales nodded as if he was deep in thought.
'I see.'
"So you entered Dante's Greatsword and relied on each other," Thales said quietly. "That's why you saved my life, even if it was very risky."
Dion looked at the sand dunes in the distance and nodded slowly.
"In the Great Desert, if we do not help each other, we will only be devoured by the desert." The bald mercenary patted his steed.
"You have seen the sandstorm, and in the face of the most terrifying Black Sandstorm, even enemies who fight to the death must find a chance to coexist and escape. Don't worry, Wya. We can get along well during this journey, and you will definitely be able to return home and to your loved ones. You will be able to let go of your worries."
Thales sighed. "Thank you."
Dion smiled and did not say anything.
'Yes,' Thales said quietly. 'I have no other choice.
Drought, heat, sandstorms, and cold. If I leave the group alone, I will die in a few days in this merciless desert. In comparison, this merchant group has experience, supplies, protection, and a clear route. Following them is undoubtedly the right choice.
'I can only make plans after I reach their destination.'
Thales sighed secretly in his heart.
'They have to return to Blade Fangs Dune and Western Desert, right?'
Thales, who was in a daze, paused and almost crashed into the camel in front of him.
The teenager then realized in shock that the merchant group had stopped.
"What's wrong?" Thales craned his neck to look at the camel group in front of him, but he could not see clearly. He could only ask Dion, who was beside him, in puzzlement.
But Dion only furrowed his brows and did not answer.
"Dion!
You have to come and see this! "
As the unique muffled sound of horse hooves stomping on the sand rose, the mercenary pathfinder, the short Breeze, galloped past many confused merchants and anxiously stopped his horse in front of Dion.
He said anxiously, "Louisa found something in front of us!"
Dion's expression changed.
The bald warrior picked up his single-edged battle axe and got on his warhorse with a solemn expression.
"Mickey, Quick Rope, grab your weapons, get on your horses, and follow me!
Kant, stay where you are with Schubert. Stay alert, and pay special attention to the back slopes of the sand dunes on both sides! "
His orders were decisive and swift. The mercenaries obeyed and acted without hesitation.
'What's wrong?'
Thales clutched the Crossbow of Time nervously and watched the serious-looking mercenaries ride past the merchant group and head in another direction.
He was not the only one who was puzzled. The other people in the merchant group whispered to each other in bewilderment. Thales even saw someone with pale faces unload their goods and get on their camels. They looked like they were ready to run if anything went wrong.
Around ten minutes later, Mickey and Quick Rope returned, but their faces were a little gloomy.
The merchant group continued their journey.
"Dion and Louisa went to look for the leader of the merchant group. They have to discuss this."
Under Thales' indirect questioning, Quick Rope pulled a long face and whispered to the teenager, "We found a small camp not far away.
But the people in there are all dead. "
Thales was horrified.
"How did they die?"
Quick Rope led his steed forward with the merchant group gloomily. "They were killed."
Thales frowned and looked suspiciously at the uneasy Quick Rope. "What?"
"Who did it?"
"I don't know. That's why I'm worried."
But Quick Rope immediately rolled his eyes and looked at Thales with a smug look in his eyes.
"This is your first time in the desert, right, lucky Wya?" Quick Rope sighed and coughed, pretending to be experienced. "Apart from temperature, drought, and of course, sand, there are two well-known threats in the desert."
He moved his head closer and said mysteriously, "Orcs and Barren Bone people."
Thales' expression froze.
"They usually gather in their own tribes, have their own livestock and territories, and migrate throughout the four seasons. When they encounter threats, they move out in groups."
Thales subconsciously tightened his grip on the Crossbow of Time under his armpit. "You mean, the ones who killed those people were —"
"No, no, no."
Quick Rope shook his head, looking very experienced. "Even if you're unlucky and fall into the hands of a slightly larger tribe, you might not necessarily die. Based on experience, the Barren Bone people will estimate your value, and the orcs will weigh you before they decide whether they want to f * ck you or sell you, or if they want to f * ck you before selling you."
'Based on experience?'
Thales stared at Quick Rope with a strange expression on his face.
"Sell?"
Thales coughed and repeated, "Sell to where?"
Quick Rope flashed a happy smile.
"Do you know Caligri?"
"Caligri?" Thales was slightly stunned. He felt like he had heard of this place before.
"Yes."
When he spoke of this, Quick Rope's eyes lit up. "Caligri, the legendary desert city … Some people say that it's a fortress that's difficult to attack in the depths of the desert. Some people say that it's a large camp formed by several tribes that migrate according to the seasons. Some people even say that it's an ancient underground city that has existed for thousands of years and was occupied by the people of the desert. Some even say that Caligri is the playground of some evil dragon in the desert. It likes to watch people kill each other there."
Thales was completely stunned for a moment.
"There's … a dragon in the desert?"
However, Quick Rope just waved his hand impatiently. "Don't interrupt me … In short, Caligri is the most mysterious, lively, and dangerous place in the desert. The Barren Bone people and orcs are frequent visitors there. Legend has it that Caligri has a close relationship with a few large tribes in the desert."
"Once you're captured, whether it's the Barren Bone people or the orcs, they will sell you there and turn you into a slave. You'll become someone else's property. Before you can move, they will make you fight, prostitute, and do anything that can earn you a profit to please the important people in the desert …"
"But …"
Quick Rope's gaze became stern, and he suddenly changed the topic. "Whether it's the organized orcs or the Barren Bone people, they're not the biggest worry of the desert merchant groups. At least they have order and their own rules, no matter how inconceivable those rules seem. Sometimes, some tribes even welcome merchant groups to visit."
Quick Rope narrowed his eyes and raised his index finger. "But what if you run into desert bandits …
"Outlaws who have fled into the desert from the outside world, scum and lunatics who are already at the end of their rope and have nothing to lose."
Quick Rope's expression became very scary. "Then pray to the Desert God or Sunset and Bright Moon. They don't know what it means to be soft-hearted, to be captured, and to be merciful."
Thales looked at him anxiously.
But Quick Rope was not done yet. "Or worse, if you run into exiles …"
"Exiles?"
Quick Rope narrowed his eyes and nodded. "The Barren Bone people and orcs are the most dangerous existences in the desert.
"They were exiled by their tribes because they made mistakes, and they have to walk alone. But don't forget, these people were trained in large tribes. They are powerful, experienced, and terrifying warriors. Walking in the desert is like taking a walk in their own home. After they lost the protection of their tribes, they gradually lost their principles and rules. They were tortured by the scorching sun and sandstorms all year round, and they became cruel, vicious, and tyrannical. To survive, they had to band together, and they even worked with desert bandits. But the threat they posed was far greater than that of ordinary desert bandits. "
Quick Rope's expression and tone rose and fell as he spoke. He looked vivid and lively.
His voice became gloomy. "They often have no bottom line. To survive, they can even do things that are beyond imagination."
"Things that are beyond imagination …" Thales muttered, "Such as?"
Quick Rope's face tensed up.
He took a deep breath, shrank his neck, and said a few words in front of Thales in an extremely mysterious manner, "Cannibalism."
Thales' breathing froze.
"So, the rumors that people have been spreading about cannibalism in the desert, and that children are even sold into the desert to be eaten by Barren Bone people or orcs …"
"It's true." Quick Rope looked at him coldly. "Or at least part of it."
"Wya, the desert is very dangerous. A well-behaved person might not be able to breathe tomorrow." Quick Rope's voice was filled with melancholy. "The fear of death occupies our bodies and minds all the time.
"So, to overcome this fear, Wya, we have a way …"
Thales stared at him in a daze. He suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Quick Rope coughed. "Let me tell you, there's a tavern owner named Tampa in Blade Fangs Dune. He promises that as long as you deposit a sum of money in his place, if you return alive, he will return ninety-nine percent of the money to you. If you don't return alive —"
At this moment …
* Slap! *
A woman armed to the teeth suddenly appeared behind them and slapped the back of Quick Rope's head!
"Argh, Louisa!"
"Quick Rope, you brat!"
The leader of the mercenaries, Louisa Dante, angrily slapped Quick Rope's head, causing him to cover his head and scurry away.
"Stop messing around with your crooked ways to make money whenever you see someone!
"Also!"
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