Chapter 323

Chapter 323

Fa Meng's only consideration in the current situation was how to capture the beast intact, preferably without causing too much damage to it, lest it become useless for research after being captured.

After some scribbling and drawing, Fa Meng held a quill that seemed to have just been plucked from Lorant's wing. She carefully inspected her grimoire, nodded in satisfaction, and stood up.

Using some unknown ability, she then pulled a huge fishing net from the pages of her grimoire. From the void, she retrieved a fisherman's hat and placed it on her head.

The grimoire beneath her feet transformed into a small wooden fishing boat, swaying in the sky as if sailing on the sea.

The fisherman leaped onto the small wooden boat, treating the sky as her ocean. After sailing above her prey, she steadied the boat and leisurely unfolded the fishing net, expertly untangling it.

The net had small weighted balls in the middle to help it spread and sink, but they also tangled easily. Fa Meng patiently worked to untangle her net, bit by bit.

With preparations complete, the little fat dragon stepped onto the side of the boat with great ceremony, grabbed the net with both claws, and with a swift motion, perfectly cast the net, which spread out and hovered motionless in the air.

From a bird's-eye view, one would see the net slowly expanding, casting its shadow over the entire bubble area.

At the same time, Fa Meng adjusted her hat, pulled out a fishing rod from behind her, and cast it elegantly into the air to begin fishing.

Her cast landed the fishing rod right above the Bubble Parasitic Snail's body.

After all, the Bubble Parasitic Snail was a level 13 beast, and because it was currently in its breeding period, it was more on edge than usual.

Though Fa Meng's rules hid the net and bait, the Bubble Parasitic Snail still sensed something amiss in the air, so it hid its host beast under a larger beast's leg.

Its spiny body caused the larger beast to bleed profusely, but the larger beast seemed completely unaware and continued to walk forward, head held high.

Once hidden, invisible tentacles extended from the Bubble Parasitic Snail's body, cautiously probing the surroundings.

From Lorant's view, the energy tentacles nearly touched Fa Meng's hook several times but just missed.

Fa Meng was as patient as a seasoned angler, gently shaking the rod to stir the energy around the hook.

Finally, as the Bubble Parasitic Snail began to retract its tentacles, thinking nothing had changed, one tentacle cautiously touched the hook Fa Meng had extended.

In the next second, Fa Meng reeled in the line, the hook piercing the tentacle and tying a knot inside, firmly anchoring itself and pulling the Bubble Parasitic Snail upward with determination.

Shocked, the Bubble Parasitic Snail tried to sever its tentacle to escape, but its body floated upward uncontrollably. Even more frightening, the invisible force rapidly descended from the tentacle's far end, targeting its very core!

The energy tentacles belonged to the host beast, but the hook-like force followed them, directly latching onto the Bubble Parasitic Snail's body.

The spiny host beast showed no signs of noticing anything amiss, but a faint red glow began to surface.

It was the red shell of the Bubble Parasitic Snail, about to be yanked out!

The Bubble Parasitic Snail swiftly launched its counterattack.

Above its bubble domain, countless mature bubbles hung in the air. Now, they no longer drifted aimlessly but shot straight toward the fishing line, as if guided by an unseen force.

The sizable bubbles, like small missiles, whistled toward Fa Meng.

The round bubbles, at high speed, turned into small, powerful-looking warheads.

Fa Meng's small wooden boat couldn't dodge in time and was hit squarely by thousands of bubbles.

Instantly, a massive pink smoke spread across the sky above the bubble domain.

Lorant was far enough away to avoid the explosion, but the strong smell of blood still made him wrinkle his nose in discomfort.

To maximize the destructive power of the bubble explosion, the Bubble Parasitic Snail not only controlled the already formed bubbles to launch an attack but also drained the energy from dozens of parasitized beasts, transforming them into a multitude of blood-red bubbles.

After the explosion, the pungent smell of blood attracted many beasts towards this direction.

Except for the parasitized beasts, all other beasts in the vicinity were instantly reduced to pulp by the terrifying shockwave.

The distant outpost and Lancelot, who was searching for rockwood on the cliff, naturally heard the deafening noise.

Everyone was closely watching the scene. Although far away, the unprecedented explosion left everyone on edge. The orc race sentinels, who had witnessed the power of bubbles before, were especially nervous, breaking out in a cold sweat.

In such a high-level explosion, even an iron man would be stripped of a layer of skin!

The smoke from the explosion quickly dissipated. Lorant, being the closest, was the first to spot Fa Meng at the heart of the explosion.

During the explosion, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a colossal dragon-like beast, as if Fa Meng had revealed her true power, reverting to her astonishing true form as a giant beast.

However, it was just a fleeting moment. Under the cover of smoke, Lorant guessed that no one else should have seen that scene.

Indeed, when the smoke cleared, everything remained unchanged.

The small wooden boat was violently swaying in mid-air, as if it were struggling against a stormy sea.

But the little fat dragon aboard the boat refused to give up. It vigorously paddled the boat's oars with its stubby arms, keeping the small boat afloat even in the raging sea.

In front of it, a conch-shaped beast encased in pink bubbles was struggling fiercely.

The Bubble Parasitic Snail twisted its body back and forth, trying to break free, but could only flop around on the boat like a lively fish.

After a while, the shockwaves from the explosion finally subsided, and the surroundings of the small boat returned to calm.

The fisherman was visibly pleased with his catch. He didn't just catch this 'big fish'; behind the small boat, a net brimming with catch was being dragged.

Thousands of beasts lay motionless inside, seemingly knocked out, allowing themselves to be dragged away.

This success was partly due to Fa Meng's efforts and partly thanks to the Bubble Parasitic Snail, which expended all its energy in a bid to escape, inadvertently triggering a massive explosion.

Even though these beasts were part of the bubble domain and wouldn't be directly killed by the explosion, they were nearly rendered unconscious by the powerful shockwave.

It was the Bubble Parasitic Snail's last-ditch effort.

Upon sensing the overwhelming force it couldn't resist, the cunning beast made a snap decision.

It didn't hold back but used all its strength to try to escape.

However, the Bubble Parasitic Snail's attempt ultimately failed.

Although it had some impact on Fa Meng, it was no match for the terrifying creature.

With countless beasts now in tow, Fa Meng's small boat no longer hid its presence. It ascended slightly higher, gliding slowly through the sky, out of the beasts' reach.

It sailed to Lorant's side, looking at him with a hint of pride, puffing out its chest.

"Lorant! Look! I caught them all!" Fa Meng jumped lightly from the boat, landing steadily in Lorant's open arms, happily seeking praise.

"All the parasitized beasts and this guy itself, I didn't let any escape! Impressive, right?"

"Impressive!" Lorant looked at Fa Meng's harvest with delight. "Fa Meng is the best. I knew you could do it. This was no challenge for you!"

Fa Meng proudly raised its head, its little demeanor making Lorant chuckle. He couldn't help but pick up its head and give it a few kisses.

A faint blush showed through the little fat dragon's short green fur, and it shyly wagged its tail, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Actually, it had also been hurt by the explosion, but being praised like this, the little fat dragon suddenly didn't want to cry about the pain to Lorant, lest it affect its great image in his mind.

Lorant climbed onto the small boat that the grimoire had transformed into, looking at the Bubble Parasitic Snail that, although seemingly simply placed on the deck, was actually tightly bound by countless energy threads, and he couldn't help feeling a surge of emotion.

Even he was surprised at how effortlessly Fa Meng handled a level thirteen beast.

This led Lorant to reconsider the strength of his beast companions.

If same-level practitioners can't defeat same-level beasts, it seems now that same-level beasts should also be unable to handle same-level beast companions.

Physically, beasts and their companions are nearly indistinguishable, but each beast companion is carefully raised with a balanced diet of specially formulated beast food, so beast companions naturally have a nutritional edge.

This means that even in the physical attributes that beasts pride themselves on, beast companions are not only not weaker but might even be superior.

Additionally, beast companions are remarkably intelligent. From a young age, trainers at beast companion shops intentionally develop their combat intelligence, ensuring they're not just brutes but tacticians in various combat scenarios.

Whether it's better to attack together or to fight alone, whether to use ranged attacks or close combat, and even the weaknesses of each common beast, are all things beast companions learn from a young age.

Lorant even reached out to several high-level knights, retired adventurers due to severe injuries, through the connections of the knight order, hiring them specifically to be responsible for the training of beast companions.

Guided by these seasoned knights, the young ones at the beast companion shop have begun mastering tactical play.

This tactical edge is something instinct-driven beasts can only dream of.

While high-level beasts do possess intelligence, it's of the most rudimentary kind, akin to 'wolf children'—born with intelligence but lacking the development to apply it effectively.

Fa Meng's displayed abilities lead Lorant to believe no legendary beast could match such feats.

At least, legendary beasts lack the finesse to orchestrate events so seamlessly.

Despite the level thirteen beast's efforts, Fa Meng emerged nearly unscathed, save for a few holes in its fisherman's hat.

From pre-battle strategies to cunningly luring the enemy, Fa Meng showcased its intellectual superiority over the beasts.

Of course, the most crucial role was played by Fa Meng's terrifying power—the Power of Rules is a truly formidable ability.

Fa Meng's fishing net was enchanted with rules such as 'Paralysis', 'Sleep', 'Restraint', 'Indestructibility', among others, while the fishhook had rules like 'Confusion', 'Inescapable', 'Alluring Energy', and so on.

Empowered by these rules, Fa Meng adeptly captured the level thirteen Bubble Parasitic Snail alive.

Of course, this is also because the main body of such a high-level beast is relatively fragile among beasts above level ten, its abilities more manifested in parasitizing other beasts and large-scale domain control.

Yet, domain control is trivial before Fa Meng, the grimoire's embodiment of the Power of Rules, whose mastery over domains is unparalleled.

And the 'human wave tactics' of the beast army parasitized by the Bubble Parasitic Snail seem so powerless against high-level beasts.

Thus, the Bubble Parasitic Snail's defeat was sealed the instant it confronted Fa Meng.

Not only was its own strength inferior, but it was also unfortunately countered by Fa Meng. If the Bubble Parasitic Snail could speak, it would probably curse in its beast cage for several years.

As the small wooden boat moved, the beasts below finally began to stir.

They couldn't sense the small boat, but they could feel the presence of thousands of beasts moving above their heads, which made the beasts start moving following Fa Meng's footsteps.

However, neither Lorant nor Fa Meng cared about this.

They were high enough not to worry about being attacked by the beasts below, and as for the aerial beasts, Fa Meng transformed its fishing rod into a very agile and dashing flying rope rod.

The long, soft rope swayed in the air, but its target was not the aquatic beasts.

The long rope whipped through the air, either knocking down attacking beasts or hooking them to be stuffed into the net below as new trophies.

The small wooden boat slowly sailed to the front of the first outpost. Lorant crafted a paper crane with a flick of his fingers, sending it drifting gently towards the outpost. Then, the boat turned around and began heading towards Griffin Ridge Fortress.

Although Lorant was not a practitioner with experience in fortresses, and indeed did not know many of the rules, he had been close enough to hear Jacqueline scolding Pepe earlier, so he naturally understood that the outpost here could not be easily exposed.

Moreover, even if this place could be exposed, it would be meaningless to Lorant.

Landing at the outpost to transport these beasts back was out of the question.

The small wooden boat towed not just a few beasts, but thousands. The sheer size of these creatures was more than the outpost's platform could handle, not to mention the terrifyingly narrow passages connecting to the outpost.

Without hesitation, Lorant turned the boat around, aiming straight for the steel fortress.

That place was originally the cause of the Beast Tide that had drawn the attention of these beasts, so he wasn't worried about leading the beasts following him there.

The small paper crane magically flew into the outpost, landing gently in Jacqueline's palm before unfolding to reveal Lorant's message.

'Capture complete, I'm heading back to Griffin Ridge first. Aunt Jacqueline, remember to bring Lance back, don't forget him!'

Jacqueline tucked the note away silently, her heart racing with shock.

The earlier explosion had been so intense that even the outpost trembled slightly. After the explosion, there was a brief void in the Beast Tide, undoubtedly the Bubble Parasitic Snail's killing move!

But now it appeared that Lorant and Fa Meng had not only emerged unscathed but had also resolved the crisis with astonishing speed.

Jacqueline had considered the possibility of Fa Meng capturing this beast, but she truly hadn't expected the speed to be so shocking.

From the explosion to Lorant's arrival, the elapsed time was almost negligible!

This implied that the battle's outcome was decided the instant the explosion occurred.

You must know that a normal battle between formidable warriors is calculated in days, yet now, before evening, Lorant had already ended the battle and even captured a large number of parasitic beasts in the process.

This outcome was an unexpected boon for Jacqueline.

The parasitic beasts were in a peculiar state, harboring eggs of high-level beasts. These eggs were of immense research value, making them rare treasures in the Beast Tower.

Once secured, these specimens would significantly bolster the Beast Tower's reserves.

In fact, the moment she saw the net full of beasts, countless interesting research topics had already formed in Jacqueline's mind.

With these thoughts, Jacqueline lost all desire to remain at the outpost. She quickly located Lancelot, futilely searching for rockwood on the mountainside. Grabbing the unsuccessful knight, she took flight towards the fortress, the roars of enraged beasts echoing around them.

...

Everson emerged from his quarters, heading to the Griffin Ridge platform to refresh the totem poles he had set up at dawn.

Totem poles are a unique ability of shamans; different totems possess different energies, some of which can enhance the mental strength of people within a certain range, while others can provide healing, making it a very comprehensive ability.

This versatility is why shamans are revered as the most powerful within the orc race.

As the tribe's grand shaman, Everson's primary duty was to empower the adventurers on the platform with his totemic enhancements.

While Pokara teems with adventurers, Griffin Ridge's steel fortress, stretching several hundred meters, can host only a select few.

Only those who pay a hefty fee and endure long waits can ascend here.

Therefore, once they arrived here, these practitioners were constantly battling the beasts that were being pulled up, not willing to waste a single second, eager to exhaust themselves completely before leaving.

That’s why when Everson stepped onto the platform and saw the practitioners not fighting but instead huddled at the front, chatting, he knew something was up.

He looked up into the distance, and with a small spell called 'Eagle's Eye', he instantly saw what the people were looking at.

In the distance above the beast tide, a strangely shaped wooden object was slowly floating through the sky towards the fortress, with a huge net dragging beneath the small wooden boat, filled with an astonishing number of beasts.

Seeing this strange sight, Everson was naturally shocked.

His first thought was of the two strong warriors who had headed to the first outpost.

A legendary mage and the owner of a beast shop, these two were definitely capable of creating such a situation.

But Everson couldn’t be sure.

Those two had only gone to the first outpost yesterday, and logically, even if it didn’t take a week or two, it should at least take three to five days.

Going on the first day and dealing with a level thirteen beast on the second day?

That was just too crazy.

Without distinguishing friend from foe, the grand shaman immediately commanded the raising of the barrier on the north side of Griffin Ridge fortress.

"Everyone! Leave the fortress platform immediately; it will be temporarily taken over by the fortress warriors." With a glance from Everson, the guards on both sides immediately began clearing the area.

Soon, the fortress platform was packed with guards from the fire lion tribe, standing ready, waiting for the unknown arrival.

It might be nothing, but Griffin Ridge could be in for a rough time.

Because they were slowed down by the thousands of beasts, Lorant and Fa Meng’s small boat was not moving fast, just slowly sailing along.

By the time they could see Griffin Ridge castle, Lancelot and Jacqueline, who had set off later, were already on the deck.

"It’s amazing! Truly amazing!" Jacqueline sat very properly, with Fa Meng sitting opposite her on her lap, staring wide-eyed.

"I don’t know how you did it, but I don’t care!" Jacqueline excitedly looked up at Lorant: "With this level of ability, we can indeed consider going to the southern desert."

"By then, not only could we get the insect eggs and the teeth of the Giant sandworm, but if I call a few more people, we might have a chance to kill that damn beast outright!" Jacqueline looked at Lorant with a hint of fanaticism in her eyes: "What do you say, little Lorant? Give me some time, I’ll find a few old-timers, and we’ll do something big, okay?"

In her long life, Jacqueline had been part of several hunts for legendary beasts.

But none of these hunts were successful; the cost of killing a legendary beast was simply too high.

This was why the beast tides at the various mountain passes of Lopulo were almost never-ending, but Lorant found it so hard to get dragon bones.

Out of ten legendary beast invasions, only one would be killed at the mountain pass.

And most of the time, it was a win if the legendary practitioners could badly hurt and chase off the legendary beast in time.

To personally kill a legendary beast was the lifelong wish of many high-level practitioners.

Jacqueline was no different; killing a legendary beast was also the witch’s greatest dream.

In Jacqueline’s view, Lorant definitely couldn’t resist such a temptation, and she had even started thinking about who to call to join her in this great feat.

But to her surprise, Lorant shook his head right away: "No, Aunt Jacqueline, I don’t want to kill the Giant sandworm outright."

Jacqueline, who had been smiling and making her plans, looked up in surprise, her eyes wide with disbelief: "What? No, why would you think that, Lorant? That’s a Giant sandworm, a legendary beast!"

How could anyone resist the temptation of killing a legendary beast like that!

"Precisely because it's the Giant Sandworm, I don't want to kill it outright," Lorant patiently explained to Jacqueline. "As the only legendary beast inhabiting the northern side of the Lopulo Mountains, I believe the Giant Sandworm has its own value."

"Although it's a legendary beast, the desert's constraints mean the Giant Sandworm doesn't pose much of a threat to us."

"At the same time, it can lay precious Giant Sandworm eggs and transform sand into powerful desert gems, which are important resources in the southern desert." Lorant had done a lot of research after learning he had to deal with the Giant Sandworm.

The more he researched, the more he understood the crucial role the Giant Sandworm plays in the southern desert.

Although its existence has claimed the lives of many adventurers who sought to venture deep into the desert, from another perspective, without the Giant Sandworm, what value would that desert have for adventurers to explore?

Without such a legendary beast, the vast desert would become nothing more than a barren wasteland.

It would neither yield any resources nor be of use to the goblins or humans, and would just be wasted, a stark contrast to its current value.

At the same time, although there are no records of any gaps in the Lopulo Mountains within the southern desert, Lorant believes this is not impossible.

The reason is simple: although many adventurers fall prey to the Giant Sandworm each year, for a huge legendary beast, these 'foods' are not enough to sustain its life.

Without a steady supply of beasts, this terrifying legendary beast would likely have starved to death in the vast desert.

Since it's still alive, it means there's sustenance in that desert to keep it alive.

And that sustenance is obviously not sand.

So in Lorant's view, directly killing the Giant Sandworm doesn't serve human interests.

At the same time, he needs 'living beast teeth,' so at least until he breeds the Magic Devouring Fairy, Lorant absolutely cannot let this creature die!

If it must die, it should only be after he completes his breeding and secures the second S-level beast pet!

The shopkeeper thought rather unreasonably.

Perhaps persuaded by Lorant, Jacqueline didn't bring up the matter again until they reached Griffin Ridge Fortress.

Since Fa Meng had warned them from afar that Griffin Ridge was now teeming with hostile presences, Lorant also realized that their return might make some people nervous.

So he had Fa Meng prepare a massive banner to float above them.

The large Blue Star emblem fluttered above their heads, visible even from afar, ensuring the orcs on Griffin Ridge could clearly see the azure symbol.

This naturally brought Everson great relief.

He had all the fire lion tribe orcs stand down from alert, though he kept the guards on the top platform.

Even from this distance, Everson could clearly see, through his magic, the net dragging beneath the small wooden boat.

The number of shadows inside was quite astonishing.

When Lorant and the others unloaded the net full of beasts onto the fortress platform, the prepared fire lion tribe orcs assisted Lorant and his team in organizing everything efficiently.

According to the beast levels, each beast was tightly bound, like crabs tied up and waiting to be cooked.

After thanking Everson, Jacqueline eagerly transported these beasts back to the Magic Council via the teleportation array.

The teleportation array at Griffin Ridge Fortress could only connect to the Magic Council and not directly to the Beast Tower, so when coming, Jacqueline naturally chose to come from the teleportation array in Griffin Ridge city to avoid seeing the faces of those at the Magic Council.

But now, on one hand, she was impatient to settle these special beasts, and on the other hand, Jacqueline had returned fully loaded today and naturally wanted to show off these spoils at the Magic Council.

Just like how fishermen who catch a fish as tall as a person would definitely not want to go home without parading around the city to show off.

Lorant and Lancelot weren’t in a rush. They didn’t follow Jacqueline back. After getting rid of all the legendary beasts and explaining the situation of the beasts ahead to Everson, they felt at ease and decided to explore the city beyond Griffin Ridge.

The orc race boasts a very unique mixed juice shop. Most of these shops are set up in pleasant street-side locations, allowing people to order a cup of juice and spend the afternoon.

Lorant saw a juice shop decorated in a distinctive Griffin Ridge style on the way, so he wanted to try it with Lancelot.

Lancelot, of course, had no objections.

He came here originally to accompany Lorant, whether it was outside Lopulo or in a juice shop at Griffin Ridge.

As long as he was by Lorant's side, the knight felt as if he was on cloud nine.

Speaking of which, he hadn't felt the urge to fight for a long time. Even now that he had come to the Lopulo Mountains, he didn't plan to engage in a thrilling battle.

Without realizing it, something had shifted entirely.

The young couple were inseparable and didn't think about going back. They simply stayed in Moon Estate and rested among the orc race.

Naturally, many prominent orc figures wouldn’t pass up such an opportunity. Every day, high-profile visitors would visit Moon Estate.

Still, Lorant didn’t find these interactions bothersome.

Some of them could be handled considerately by a trusted aide, while others who required his presence were dealt with by Lorant quite calmly.

The orc race is known for its very straightforward personality. Although as leaders of their race, those orcs are quite shrewd and tough negotiators, compared to human politicians or merchants, Lorant preferred to face these orcs.

The orc tribe is indeed also traversed by the Holy Shield River. Lorant seized the chance to settle the Floating Giant Duck matter with the orcs.

Now, the hatching of Floating Giant Ducks in the Beast Pet Shop has also entered a steady rhythm, with many big little cuties coming into the world every day.

Naturally, finding them a suitable home became one of Lorant’s top priorities.

It didn't take long, with the help of the advisory team at the Beast Pet Shop, the Floating Giant Duck dock and the part of the route within the orc race territory were tentatively decided.

As for cross-species routes, Lorant planned to consider them after the Floating Giant Ducks had filled all the internal routes.

Fortunately, Jacqueline didn't keep Lorant waiting too long. After she went back to settle those beasts, she with great reluctance handed them over to the equally ecstatic others at Beast Tower, resisting the urge to stay and study the characteristics of these parasitic beasts.

She then made her way back to Lorant, albeit reluctantly.

"Lorant, my boy! Let's go quickly!" Jacqueline said with rare enthusiasm, acting like a real young girl.

"Aunt Jacqueline..." Lorant sighed and looked out the window, where the night was as thick as unmixed jam: "It's late at night! Twelve o'clock!"

But Jacqueline was too excited to care: "It's okay! We'll go to Monte now, and we can set off early tomorrow morning!"

Lorant helplessly pushed the witch towards the guest room of Moon Estate: "Tower Master, my dear! We're not planning to walk there! There's a teleportation array! Why stay in Monte for a day?"

"It's not as comfortable as Moon Estate."

"Alright! Go and rest. I guess you haven't slept since you came back from Griffin Ridge, right? I can't trust my safety to you like this! We're going to face legendary beasts, and no one can afford to be careless!"

Hearing Lorant say this, Jacqueline finally calmed down. She realized Lorant was right. Having not slept for almost a week, she needed rest now, needed to recharge her energy. Tomorrow, they would face the most terrifying existence in the world.

A legendary beast.

After ushering Jacqueline into the guest room, Lorant stayed up instead of resting.

He wasn't a formidable fighter, so he wasn't worried that staying up late would affect his condition.

Lorant sat in his study, the warm fireplace crackling with the sound of burning wood, and diligently studied records about the Southern Great Desert.

The Southern Great Desert is an immense, immeasurable expanse, where almost no living creatures exist except for the legendary and most terrifying Giant Sandworm.

Yet, it is a sacred ground for adventurers.

At the edge of the Southern Great Desert lies a city called 'Monte', which is as chaotic as Kamkuo. As a city at the intersection of multiple racial territories and on the edge of a forbidden zone, Monte is a place where various races maintain their own territories.

Despite such chaos, its order has always been maintained in a superficial peace by multiple organizations.

The reason is simple: beyond Monte's southern gate stretches the endless desert. This is the last outpost of civilization in the wilderness, a place where adventurers can recuperate. No adventurer wishes to see this place descend into true chaos.

And without realizing it, major organizations have already begun to be unwittingly swayed by public opinion.

To move freely in such a place, it's natural to seek out a local power.

The Holy Shield Knights, as the most powerful knight order in history, guard the Lopulo Mountain Pass, which is actually not far from the Southern Great Desert.

Therefore, in Monte, the name of the Holy Shield Knights carries more weight than anything else.

Lorant had already contacted the Holy Shield Knights, and they were quite willing to assist Lorant.

Only with the aid of such local powers could the best guides be found; otherwise, even legendary practitioners such as Jacqueline would have to go it alone.

Those guides are native to Monte, referred to as the Children of the Desert, with an extraordinary sense of direction in the vast desert.

Only with their guidance could Lorant successfully track the Giant Sandworm.

After closing his notebook, Lorant glanced at the time, got up, and carried the softly snoring Fa Meng back to the room.

Tomorrow would bring a new challenge.