Chapter 324

Chapter 324

Monte, the City of the Desert.

The moment Jacqueline and Lorant stepped out of the teleportation array with the Windbreaking Horse (a type of desert-adapted horse), Lorant was immediately struck by the city's harsh climate.

He frowned in discomfort, as if he had been punched in the face.

Due to its proximity to the desert, the city's climate was extremely dry, with almost no moisture in the air.

The entire city was draped in a yellow haze from the swirling sand, and the people passing by all wore light-colored scarves on their heads.

The scarves were worn to block the sand that filled the air, and the light color was chosen because black scarves could cause overheating under the scorching sun.

Even the Windbreaking Horse lifted its hooves restlessly, as if the sand-covered stones were too hot.

"Please follow me," said a member of the Holy Shield Knights, who had been waiting at the entrance of the teleportation array. Like everyone else, he was wrapped in a light yellow scarf, revealing only his eyes.

Following him, Lorant and Jacqueline soon arrived at the Holy Shield River's outpost in Monte.

The city's architecture was fascinating, with buildings shaped like upside-down eggs, which made Lorant take a few extra glances.

The arched domes were skillfully constructed.

If such structures were needed in the future, skilled craftsmen from here could be considered!

The lord, frustrated by his territory's construction, couldn't help but muse.

"Here are our best guides in Monte, Harvey," the Holy Shield Knights' local leader introduced after letting Lorant and Jacqueline rest in the reception room.

Lorant couldn't help but look curiously at the guide.

This 'Child of the Desert' (a native desert dweller) looked quite similar to ordinary people, but he had yellow eyes and deeply tanned skin, whether from prolonged sun exposure or natural pigmentation.

His features were no different from ordinary humans, suggesting the 'Children of the Desert' were a human variant.

"Harvey, right?" Lorant gave him a warm smile. "No need to be nervous, just treat me like any other guest."

He could see that the guide was somewhat nervous, probably due to the Holy Shield Knights emphasizing their status.

Harvey nodded, still visibly restrained.

"By the way, I've heard that the Children of the Desert have a strong sense of direction and perception in the desert. I read in a travelogue that you can even sense the approximate locations of 'sand gold' and 'desert gems,' is that true?" Lorant asked curiously.

"Yes, sir, I can sense the general presence of those desert treasures, but pinpointing their exact location is beyond me," Harvey replied nervously, his yellow eyes occasionally glancing at Lorant. "I can also sense the presence of the Desert Reaper (a feared desert entity), which is how I've managed to survive in the desert until now."

Harvey's pride flickered briefly before he looked down.

Harvey was unsure why these powerful warriors needed him as a guide, but he was well aware that being a desert guide was not a safe profession.

The stronger the adventurers he led, the greater the danger he would face.

He once guided a powerful level 12 mage (a highly skilled magic user) into the desert to find a legendary plant that bloomed every century.

It was during that expedition that he caught a distant glimpse of the true master of the desert. Luckily, the mage didn't abandon him during their escape, but since then, Harvey had refused to take on such jobs.

That experience earned Harvey the title of 'the strongest guide' in the city, but no one knew of his fear of the desert.

If it weren't for his son, who had been discovered to have knightly potential and was now enrolled in the Holy Shield Knights' academy, Harvey would have avoided such powerful figures entirely.

"My lord, are you two entering the desert this time in search of something?" Harvey asked cautiously.

From Lorant's demeanor, he could tell that this distinguished guest wasn't the arrogant type of noble; on the contrary, he seemed quite amiable, which gave Harvey the courage to ask.

Lorant did not hide it: "Oh, indeed, I suppose I should tell you."

"Of course, I think this shouldn't be too difficult for you, after all, I heard you've seen the Giant Sandworm with your own eyes!" Lorant said with a smile: "This time, we're here to find that pesky bug. Your task is to lead us to it."

Harvey was momentarily stunned, not immediately grasping what the 'Giant Sandworm' was.

But in a flash, his face turned pale, because he realized that the 'pesky bug' mentioned by this formidable warrior was the 'Desert Reaper' he deeply feared in his heart.

Despite Harvey's evident panic, Lorant only gave him half an hour to prepare. In this arid city, he didn't want to linger a moment longer.

The things needed to enter the desert had actually been prepared in advance by the Shield Knights, so after half an hour of prayer, he walked out of Monte's south gate with Lorant and his companion, his legs still shaky.

To ensure their speed wasn't hindered, Lorant also provided Harvey with a Windbreaking Horse.

As soon as they entered the desert, Lorant was relieved that his Windbreaking Horse possessed such remarkable abilities.

Moreover, when running, it could tread on the wind, and not having to touch the ground was a significant advantage in this desert.

Without the Windbreaking Horse, any other creature would likely struggle to move under these conditions.

Once in the desert, partly due to the familiar surroundings and partly because of the Windbreaking Horse's novelty, Harvey's fear began to wane.

More importantly, during the time he was praying, he finally learned the true identities of these two distinguished guests from the Shield Knights.

The owner of the beast shop and a respected Legendary Mage from the Magic Council!

What ultimately reassured Harvey wasn't the Legendary Mage at the world's pinnacle, but Lorant, an ordinary man, which brought Harvey some comfort.

The beast shop owner, Hogwarts' headmaster, and the wealthiest person in many people's eyes—these titles without exception gave Harvey a strong sense of security.

Harvey knew that by following this amiable wealthy man, even if he died, his family would be well cared for, and his children might even get into Hogwarts!

This noticeably bolstered the guide's courage.

"My lord, at nine o'clock, I sense some desert gems," Harvey cautiously guided his horse closer to Lorant, eager to prove his worth. "It's not far, shall we go and take a look?"

Lorant gazed at the endless sand dunes in that direction. They hadn't ventured far into the desert, so it was relatively safe. Plus, he was somewhat curious about the abilities of the Desert Child: "Alright, let's go take a look."

Jacqueline had been meditating with her eyes closed since entering the desert, sitting still on the Windbreaking Horse. Lorant knew she was always on guard to avoid being ambushed.

But relatively speaking, the desert was still quite safe.

The dangers here, apart from the harsh nature, were only the Legendary Beasts, completely two extremes.

It could be said that the desert is either calm or, once danger appears, it's a desperate situation. Facing a Legendary Beast, for most people, there's no need to consider escaping.

Thinking about how to end their lives quickly and painlessly is what they should worry about at that time.

As Harvey said, the location of the desert gem was indeed not far. After crossing a sand dune, Lorant saw the gem with a yellow glow among a pile of rocks.

Holding the fist-sized desert gem, Lorant couldn't help but marvel at the abilities of the Desert Child.

Later, perhaps he should find someone to try and study what kind of power works in these magical people. If it could be analyzed, adventurers would find it much easier to explore the treasures in the desert.

But these were just things to do in passing. After obtaining a gem and a small piece of desert gold, Lorant didn't waste any more time. Under Harvey's excellent sense of direction, the three Windbreaking Horses quickly galloped towards the center of the desert.

Led by Harvey, the three found a suitable spot to set up camp for the night. After resting briefly, they continued their journey deeper into the desert the next day.

This went on for three days until Harvey, who had been leading the way, suddenly pulled on the reins of his Windbreaking Horse.

He stared intently at the vast, empty desert ahead, his gaze hollow, as if he had seen something terrifying. His entire body trembled uncontrollably: "S-shopkeeper, I feel the presence of Death!"

Jacqueline suddenly opened her eyes, and a beam of light shot straight out from her pupils, blasting a sand dune about five or six kilometers away into a cloud of yellow sand.

Simultaneously, the entire desert began to tremble, as a violent earthquake erupted at the center.

Lorant watched as the sand dunes on both sides began to collapse forward.

If someone could view the desert from above, they would see that the desert's center seemed to have formed a black hole, continuously sucking in the surrounding sand dunes.

The desert's master had finally taken notice of these intruders.