Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
After pushing through for a while, they finally arrived at the Sand Ridge Mountains just as dusk began to settle. The mountains resembled a giant turtle, and as they reached this point, the group paused to catch their breath. They knew that just three more miles ahead lay the oasis marked on their map.
Speaking of the oasis, it was impossible not to mention the nearby town, which made them grit their teeth and press on despite their thirst.
According to the map, they were now in the territory of the Carrion Sand Turtle, a predator classified as a Danger Level creature. While it wasn't particularly aggressive, its defenses were incredibly high; even modified bullets might not penetrate its tough shell. This was its domain, and within it resided the lord of the Carrion Sand Turtles, the Corpse Turtle King, an even more formidable threat. If it set its sights on them, there would be no escape.
"Should we take a detour or cut straight through?"
Everyone held their breath in silence. They stood at the entrance of the Sand Ridge Mountains, where gusts of wind carrying sand whipped through the gaps, causing them to involuntarily spit out grains of sand. Every ten seconds or so, another blast of sand would assault them.
Predators had one defining characteristic: they were fiercely territorial. Even if a predator from another race intruded upon their territory while hunting, the moment they stepped in, they would be pursued by other predators until death. Their bodies would then be dragged back to be consumed.
"If we cut straight through, we could save at least one and a half miles."
"But we can't take that risk. The longer route may add three miles, but it's safer."
Within the group, two individuals were clearly engaged in a heated debate, nearing a conclusion. Some stood aside without saying much, watching as these few argued. They understood that mere arguing wouldn't yield solutions; their throats were dry from shouting. Initially fierce in their exchanges, their energy waned when stomachs began to rumble.
Freyr remained silent, observing from the sidelines. He recognized that even if there was a way for the entire team to survive—albeit with some danger—finding the most suitable decision between these two options was crucial.
Many turned to him for guidance. Throughout their journey across the desert, too many had come to appreciate Goatee's usefulness; he had taught them how to use cacti to stave off hunger and thirst. Biting down on his clothing helped retain moisture in their mouths during desperate times. At this critical juncture, everyone’s words became increasingly heated.
One side argued that taking risks to escape this deadly area was worth it; losing a few members didn’t matter as long as most survived. The other side countered that such reasoning was absurd; they were comrades and should take the longer route for safety—even if it meant walking further.
Both sides contained stubborn personalities, making consensus impossible.
"Then let's split up."
After a long silence, Freyr raised his head slightly and cast a sharp glance around at everyone.
His companions were taken aback; they hadn’t quite grasped what he had just suggested.
Some understood but still wanted to hear his thoughts on the matter. This approach sparked dissatisfaction from both factions; each side sent a representative forward. One shouted loudly, "Weren't you quite capable along the way? Giving orders here and there—what does your word mean now?"
Another quickly responded, "I just want to hear your choice! Whatever you decide, I’ll follow you. We’re comrades; if we die, we die together."
"Well..." Freyr sighed lightly. After a long pause, he said, "In my opinion, both sides have their own ideas and believe they are right. I would rather take a longer route; at least that gives us a better chance of getting out of here." As he finished speaking, a smile appeared on one of the faces.
"But you know, I also feel that since we’ve come all this way, if we just leave safely, wouldn’t that be missing something? Compared to safety, I want to see those powerful creatures. I’ve only read about their might in books before, and now I have the chance to witness them in person, not just as specimens in a lab. Such a great opportunity shouldn’t be missed."
At the same time, impatience surfaced on both sides, with dark lines forming on their foreheads. After listening to his words, both parties engaged in a fierce argument before each began to gather their weapons for self-defense. Having an Iron Tool in hand was certainly better than listening to someone ramble on. They planned to go their separate ways. Duan Shuai, originally the hero of this group, found himself pushed aside by both factions, leaving him in an awkward position.
"You’ve really annoyed them. We need to decide where we’re going," Duan Shuai said, rubbing his forehead.
Freyr glanced at Duan Shuai and then turned to the three others willing to follow him. His gaze settled on the man behind Froth. He immediately asked, "Which way should we go? Honestly, I have no idea how to choose. Nosty, can you still hear us? Which direction do you think we should take?"
Coming back to reality, he realized he needed to consult Nosty’s response. After all, Nosty belonged to the category of Telepaths known for their precognitive abilities; this decision depended entirely on Nosty's judgment of danger. On one hand, Freyr didn’t want to get caught up in the conflict between the two factions.
He deliberately positioned himself as neutral or perhaps Freyr was simply more selfish and wanted a team of his own.
Suddenly, from behind Froth's pile of clothes, a bluish arm emerged weakly pointing toward the opposite direction of the Sand Ridge Mountains. A voice resonated through their minds: "Crossing territories means facing strength with strength. I sense the same dangerous aura from everyone here; danger is everywhere. Perhaps there is no safe path at all—don’t forget this is the territory of predators. The choice is yours; if you believe you are right, just move forward without looking back—a road that leads into darkness."
The words were delivered calmly. Freyr and the others sat down together and finished off their remaining rations; even if they were to die, they preferred to die full rather than starving. Of course, some couldn’t eat at all; with no drinking water left, dry rations were hard to swallow. Aeros would rather die of thirst than drink urine.
Duan Shuai chuckled and said, "Come on, brother! Don’t choke; drink mine—it's pure water, not urine." He placed his water bottle on the ground beside him.
"Thanks, but I'm not one for gratitude," Aeros replied. "Still, I should thank you now."
Aeros took a big gulp from the water bottle and then patted his chest before forcing down the food in his mouth. He shook the nearly empty bottle; Aeros still had some decency left and saved some water for Duan Shuai.
"No need to thank me; I'm not one who enjoys helping others either. Right now we're all in this together; if we make it out alive, we'll be good rivals—even if we die now, I’m content."
Duan Shuai shrugged it off and focused on finishing his rations before washing it down with some remaining water without chewing much.
The sky above turned dark red like flames spreading across the horizon. It took them about a quarter of an hour to finish eating; aside from their earlier exchanges, they fell into deep silence as if no one wanted to speak. They communicated through glances and gestures.
"Let’s go!" Freyr suddenly stood up.
The others nodded silently and tossed their water bottles onto the ground before following Freyr into the depths of the Sand Ridge Mountains.
"Listen! It sounds strange," Freyr perked up his ears as his acute hearing caught distant noises coming from afar.
A strange sound was rapidly approaching from afar, resembling a ghostly howl that sent chills down one's spine. However, Freyr quickly calmed himself; he knew that the noise was merely the sound of air rubbing against the crevices of the rocks.
They moved slowly deeper into the area, careful not to run, as that would be tantamount to seeking death. Predators were extremely sensitive to sound and scent, especially those of the Carrion Sand Turtle species, which could detect movements within a hundred meters while staying close to the ground. Therefore, they had to tread lightly.
"We need to walk slowly; it might take some time, but this method will be effective. There's a chance we might not encounter any predators and safely cross to the edge of the oasis," Duan Shuai remarked with a hint of concern.
The others nodded in agreement. As they ventured deeper, the dim light began to fade into twilight, and soon darkness enveloped them. They would have to rely on a faint glimmer of light to guide their way forward. The sound of their hurried breaths filled the air, and due to the lack of light, the oppressive atmosphere made everyone hold their breath.
Not long after they began walking,
"Hey?!"
One of them suddenly let out a soft gasp. Froth sensed that he had stepped on something hard and instinctively stopped. Cold sweat broke out on his back as he bent down to dig around in the Sand Domain. When he uncovered a protruding rock at his feet, he took a deep breath, patted his chest repeatedly, and whispered, "It's just a stone. Alright, we can continue."
"Uh!?" Suddenly, Aeros froze for a moment before laughing, "So it was just a stone! I think I stepped on something hard too; there are so many stones here!"
He looked down, but when his gaze fell upon the hard object beneath him—a black Exoskeleton shimmering with spiral patterns—he froze. In that instant, a pair of blood-red lights burst forth from the Exoskeleton, and fangs squeezed out from its shell. The next moment, an eerie howl erupted, causing the surrounding sand mounds to writhe violently as spiral-patterned black shells emerged from beneath the sand!
Comment 0 Comment Count