Chapter 651

Chapter 36: Sandstorm – Part 2

The yellow dust raged, obscuring the sky and turning the entire world into a gloomy shade.

A terrifying storm stirred up a massive sand curtain over a kilometer high in this arid land. The dust, carrying an alarming force, rolled from west to east across the desert. Wherever it passed, plants were snapped and almost uprooted. The flying sand and stones grew fiercer as they rolled, gradually spreading further east until even at a great distance, one could still feel the heart-stopping power of the tempest.

This brutal sandstorm lasted until dusk approached. As the sky gradually took on a reddish hue, the swirling yellow dust began to settle, disappearing somewhere unknown.

And soon after, night would fall.

…

In the endless sea of sand, one might occasionally spot a solitary purple tree.

The trunk of the purple tree was broken, and its branches were bare. The fresh white sap flowed down from the break, blending with the yellow sand.

At that moment, there was no wind. A small creature, resembling a lizard but with six legs, emerged from the sand. It slowly and cautiously approached its prey: a large-eyed insect resting on a yellow dune.

The insect was leisurely grooming its wings, completely unaware of the impending danger. One step, two steps… The lizard seemed about to catch its prey when suddenly, the sand beneath it trembled slightly. Sensing something amiss, the insect stopped its actions and “buzzed” into the air, flying away. The strange lizard tilted its head left and right, its sharp claws digging rapidly, and then “whooshed” away, burrowing back into the sand.

After a moment, the sand in that area started to move more violently, and a small head abruptly emerged from below.

“Puhah—”

It was a girl with black hair. She poked her head out of the sand, took a deep breath, and shook her lustrous black hair like a tambourine, flinging away much of the sand caught in her hair. Then, she struggled to extend a hand and began pulling herself out of the sand.

So uncomfortable, so uncomfortable, so uncomfortable…

I nearly suffocated here!

I gritted my teeth, using all my strength to crawl out. With my left hand buried in the sand, I clung tightly to Betty’s collar. After clawing and pulling for a while, I finally managed to drag myself out of the thick sand. Once out, I turned around, grabbed the little girl’s hand with both hands, and pulled her out too. Then, I lay sprawled out under the setting sun, gasping for breath.

“Hah, hah, hah—”

Oh…

This is just terrible!!!

If not for the protective layer created by the white branch, we might have been buried here, forgotten and alone, slowly turning into mummified corpses…

I don’t want to become a mummy…

My mouth is so dry.

After catching my breath, feeling the heat on my back, I sat up again. I rummaged through my satchel, which I had hugged close. Fortunately, I hadn’t lost it, though many things inside were missing. Only one water bag remained, but it was full.

I uncorked it, raised it to my lips, and drank several large gulps. Warm water slid down my throat into my stomach. Only then did I feel like I was truly alive again. I exhaled deeply and shook the water bag, listening to the sound inside. Wanting to drink more, I hesitated.

“Betty…”

I crawled over to the little girl on my knees. Seeing her eyes closed and her face covered in sand, I frowned for a moment, confirming she was still breathing and her chest was rising and falling. I used my fingers to pry open her mouth and gave her a few sips of water.

The girl swallowed, but showed no signs of waking. So, I put the water bag back into the satchel, extended my hand, and slapped her face gently: “Hey, wake up, wake up…”

She still didn’t react.

This is going to be troublesome…

I stood up, brushing the sand off my face. As I did, the sand poured out of my clothes and shoes like water.

, inside the lining, it felt like there were countless grains of sand sticking to my skin with sweat. The gritty feeling was very uncomfortable.

But what could be done about it?

I could only endure it.

I rubbed my forehead and looked east towards where the sun was setting.

Before my eyes stretched an endless desert.

The crimson sunset cast the distant undulating dunes in an orange hue. The far-off sky seemed split by the sunlight, with the upper half being burning red clouds and the lower half an endless expanse of orange earth. The wind seemed to have stopped; the previously yellow sky had become as clear as a painting. The light of day no longer felt scorching but rather warm.

What a beautiful sight…

I couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

But such emotions didn’t last long. I soon realized that we were facing a very serious problem.

Where the hell are we?

Where should I go now?!

Damn…

I felt a headache coming on. I tugged at my black hair, feeling sand in every strand, unable to clean it thoroughly, which only added to my frustration. I couldn’t hold back and squatted down again, slapping Betty’s face a few more times with slightly more force.

“Wake up! We’re lost!”

“Hey—”

As I called her, I took out the water bag and gave her a few sips, then tried to rummage through her shoulder bag, only to suddenly realize that the little girl’s waist was empty, with nothing left. My mood instantly plummeted.

It’s over, even the compass is gone…

What should we do now?

I was hoping to get back early for dinner and sleep…

I sat there somewhat dazedly for a while, seeing that the little girl wouldn’t wake up anytime soon, realizing that just staying put wasn’t an option. So, I picked her up and closed my eyes, choosing a direction away from the sunset, walking slowly towards it.

I remember the direction of Messe Town is west…

But I’m not sure how much we’ve drifted off course. I remember the sandstorm carried us a great distance. Even if I could ensure the direction is correct now, it would probably take one or two days to walk back… Yes, running would be much faster, but I dare not run. What if we get even further away?

Our water supply is completely insufficient…

I’m so frustrated…

Forget it.

Let’s just find somewhere to rest and sleep for a while. I feel a bit sleepy…

We’ll discuss what to do next with Betty when she wakes up… Though she’s young, she has much more experience surviving in the desert than me…

I don’t feel overly panicked, even facing harsh conditions. As long as basic survival is ensured, I still have Dabai. If worst comes to worst, I can return to the Dragon Homeland for a while. Although the environment there is also quite harsh, there are plenty of fairies around, so there will always be food and drink, albeit a bit hard to swallow.

Only Betty…

She was brought out by me, and I must safely send her back.

…………

Night fell.

I carried the little girl for a while and arrived at a place where large and small gray rocks stood tall. The rocks varied in height and shape, roughly the size of one or two people, and their surfaces were severely eroded by the wind. However, they made for a makeshift resting spot.

The night sky in the desert was brighter than usual in West Continent. Two crescent moons hung behind the clouds, and dense stars seemed within reach, but such a beautiful scene did not interest me at this moment.

Because I discovered an even more troubling issue.

The temperature began to drop.

Initially, due to the revival of the Frost Order, I didn’t feel much change in temperature, merely noticing it wasn’t as hot. The wind felt cool against my face. It wasn’t until I noticed the tiny body trembling behind me, her head leaning against my shoulder, that I saw her pale face and lips turning slightly blue…

Only then did I realize how serious the situation was.