Chapter 105 - The Denzin Plains

After the battle, we all headed to sleep and woke the next day to the dreadful smell of rotting corpses. Instead of eating near the stench of death, I sent Lilah and Leone back into storage then summoned Rath who I ordered to take off as quickly as possible. Asara and I ate on the back of the wyvern which wasn't that hard since Rindo had packed all sorts of meals and we indulged in a wrap full of ingredients that blended together to create an otherworld flavor. I was really getting sploit with her cooking, not that I was about to complain. This was the best food I'd ever had.

As we traveled across the mountain range and to the Denzin plains, I looked over the gains from yesterday. A few of my summons had leveled up, though none by two, which wasn't a surprise. Those beasts may have looked intimating, but the fight had been no challenge, and there had never really been any real threat to us. They could have been a few hundred more in number and they still wouldn't have been able to od anything since I still had others to summon. Esdeath alone could take all of them on.

I'd hoped I'd leveled up, but I hadn't, although I was probably close.

The mountain range was a desolate place with no signs of activity, though with what had happened last night, I knew that the beasts were probably just not visible from the sky. I wouldn't be surprised if most were like the beasts we'd fought yesterday, sleeping in the day and then hunting at night. Being nocturnal was a common trait among certain animals back on earth and no reason that couldn't be the same here, especially when it came to beasts who shared the same environment.

"I think we're almost here, your majesty," Asara announced as she pointed up ahead.

I looked to where she pointing and indeed, she was right. I saw a wide stretch of what seemed to be sand or at least that's what it looked like. However, as we drew closer i quickly saw that it was grass but its color was similar to that of sand. The landscape definitely fit the description of barren wasteland. From the color of plants and dead trees to the scatted rubble that seemed to dot the land. There also seemed to be weapons and other pieces of man-made metal lying around as though a battle had taken palace, which I guess had, if the outer plane incursion story was to be believed.

Even the air seemed off like it was stale and there was also the smell of ash in the air, which was odd since I couldn't see anything fire or remains of a fire.

"This place truly is a wasteland," Asara said as she pressed a hand to her nose. "What is that stench?"

I sniffed deeply and then winced. Accompanying the smell of ash was a smell similar to that which the dead beasts had given off. It wasn't as powerful, but it seemed to mix with the ashy smell to create a lasting effect, and even when I pinched my nose shut, the smell didn't subside, not to mention the taste of ash in my mouth.

"As much as we need this place," I noted. "I don't think I'm going to enjoy it here. Isn't this place like hundreds of years old? How have things not regrown by now?"

"Must be something left behind by the inclusion," Asara suggested. "Or perhaps a curse placed upon the land. I wouldn't be surprised if it was so. It seems so jarring how we went from the verdant lands of Larra to this hell hole."

"I think the rotting plains is a more suitable anime for this place," I said as I tried to ignore the smell. I knew I would get used to it over time, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

"What's the plan, your majesty?" Asara asked. "Will we roam until we spot a pack of beasts?"

"I want to find an area full of them," I explained. "Then find a location close by for Knov to create a portal. We have a term in my homeland when you need to do something over and over again. We called it farming. I need to farm the beasts of these plains."

Asara tilted her to the side. "An odd saying, but I suppose it makes sense."

We continued on, flying over deeper into the Denzin plains and as we witnessed more and more of the land, I couldn't help but wonder just how big the battle must have been for it to affect this much land. I knew the mages and kords of this world could grow to scary levels, but hearing about it wasn't the same as seeing. The land truly felt like is in a perpetual state of rotting and burning.

We saw a few beasts here and there, but nothing like what I wanted. Not until Asara spotted something in the distance.

"Your majesty look!"

I followed her line of sight, and I gasped when I saw the giant herd of beasts running across the land. There were bulky-looking quadrupeds with spiky spines covering most of their bodies which were also covered by brownish fur. I couldn't see their eyes from where i was, but i did notice their horns. Long pointed things, like that of unicorns rather than bulls. Weapons that were made for piercing, and they looked like they were in the middle of trying to pierce something.

I moved my gaze to see where they were running to and frowned as I saw what seemed like people riding beasts running from the herd.

"A herd full of beasts to farm, and people to save," I muttered under my breath. The experienced I'd gain for that would be immense especially since I had the unexpected helper title that gave me fifteen percent more experience when saving people.

"Rath, take us down," I said with a grin. "Get us in front of that hoard and do it fast."

Rath let out a roar as he increased his speed and rocketed towards the herd.

"So I take it we are aiding them, your majesty?" Asara asked.

"Yes, but first we kill the beasts," I replied as I set my sight on the upcoming battle. "Experience thy name is Denzin Plains."