Golden Desert

Their journey continued the next day under a sky filled with rain, each drop falling like a silver thread onto the night-black cape Leylin had worn ever since he fled the Poolfield Kingdom. The cool sensation of the rain was a welcome relief from the heat of the day. The Seated Lupin Wolves, their muscles rippling under their wet fur, moved with a steady rhythm, their paws splashing in the puddles that had formed on the ground.

As they moved further into the sandy landscape and away from the ashy rocks of the wasteland, the weather began to change dramatically. The rain ceased, and the clouds parted to reveal a sky of dazzling blue. The scorching sunlight poured down, transforming the landscape into a sea of golden sand. The desert stretched out before them, an endless expanse of undulating dunes shimmering under the intense heat.

The sudden rise in temperature was palpable even for a Magus. Any mortal who set foot in this desert would surely die within a couple of minutes. Leylin could feel the heat seeping through his cloak, causing beads of sweat to form on his forehead. This was understandable considering this heat could melt steel, given enough time. With a swift movement, he removed the cloak and stripped off some of his dark plate armor, seeking relief from the oppressive heat.

The Seated Lupin Wolves, showing remarkable adaptability, also began to undergo a transformation. Their black fur gradually faded, changing to a pale ice blue color. An icy breath emitted from their bodies, creating a cooling aura around them. This icy breath was a stark contrast to the scorching desert heat, providing a much-needed respite for Leylin and his group. They were indeed the best mode of ground transportation to get across the canyon.

As they entered the Golden Desert, the danger level escalated along with the temperature. This was a place ten times more perilous than the Limestone Wasteland they had previously traversed. Leylin, with his enhanced vision and detection capabilities, could see the dangerous creatures hidden in the sand dunes. Six-Eyed Poison Snakes, Golden Scorpions, Toxic-Compound Eye Lizards, and other grotesque predators lay in wait, their bodies camouflaged by the golden sand.

This was a stark contrast to the relatively safe journey they had experienced in the Limestone Wasteland. But Leylin and his group were prepared. They knew that this journey would test their strength and resilience. But they also knew that they had each other, and together, they would face whatever the Golden Desert threw at them.

Well, this much was true for the rest of the party. As for Leylin, he would only trust in his own strength when it came to his survival. But still, it was reassuring to know he had five meatshields he could throw at the monsters if need be.

'The Mana Energy density in the air here is even higher than in the outside world, which explains the abundance of troublesome creatures.' Leylin gasped slightly as he analyzed the energy particles that filled the air.

"Everyone, stay alert. The dangers in the Golden Desert far surpass those in the Limestone Wasteland!" Lancey, a female Magus, shouted. Even without her reminder, the other Magi had already regained their focus. 

While one could occasionally let their guard down in the Limestone Wasteland, doing so in the Golden Desert would be foolish and potentially fatal. Only an idiot would be so careless, and those who had advanced to a Rank 1 Magus were rarely such individuals.

Suddenly, Lancey's mount howled, raising its massive claws and slashing down a sand dune with a cold glint of light. A black, dog-sized scorpion with a single eye appeared before the giant wolf, writhing and hissing as it was pinned down by the wolf's sharp claws.

The Seated Lupin Wolf opened its bloody maw and crunched the scorpion with its razor-sharp mandibles, the sound of snapping bones echoing in the air.

"Creatures like this can be handled by the Seated Lupin Wolf. However, we must personally deal with dangerous creatures such as the Kary Vultures!" Lancey nudged her mount forward and addressed the Magi behind her.

Leylin spotted several grains of gold in the sand where the Seated Lupin Wolf had attacked. He used a green vine that came out from his sleeve to reach out for a handful of the golden sand. Amidst the normal grains of sand, several golden grains were mixed in, noticeably heavier than the rest.

'Interesting. This is actual gold dust.' Leylin looked at the alluring gold and was momentarily speechless. 'If this were the secular world, it would undoubtedly cause chaos. Wars might as well be fought over it. However…' With a look of contempt, Leylin tossed the gold sand back onto the ground.

To sorcerers, only magic crystals, ingredients that could stimulate Spiritual Force, and various advanced information were considered real currency. Gold, while useful as a basic ingredient, was no different from regular minerals in the secular world. In other words, this gold dust was the same as common dirt.

Moreover, the Golden Desert was located within the Great Canyon Margaret, an area off-limits to regular humans. Traversing it required the use of the highly expensive Seated Lupin Wolves. The cost of excavation alone would terrify even the richest of dukes.

Leylin appeared nervous on the outside, while in truth, he was eager for the Vulture King to appear at any moment. He had activated Aralis' detection and was surveying the surroundings. In the Golden Desert, one must always be on alert.

The six giant, icy-blue wolves seemed like small boats in the Golden Desert, plodding on continuously. As the sky darkened and the desert temperature dropped, the Seated Lupin Wolves radiated warmth, their fur turning black as if storing the daytime heat.

"Tonight, I shall stand guard," declared an official Magus after Leylin had set up his tent. The group consisted of six individuals: Leylin, Lancey, the old leader, a large man, and two others who mostly kept to themselves. The one who had spoken was one of these two.

These two Magi, always clad in grey robes, seldom spoke and were extremely antisocial. So far, Leylin had managed to exchange only two sentences with one of them. 

"We're counting on you..." Lancey's countenance was far from reassuring. Her face bore the marks of exhaustion as she retreated into her tent.

Throughout the day, she had employed her Spiritual Force to monitor the vicinity for any signs of activity. Now, she was in dire need of rest and meditation to replenish her depleted Spiritual Force.

Leylin, with the assistance of Aralis and his innate powers, was still in perfect fighting form. However, he maintained a facade of fatigue. He would always hide his true strength if possible.

"Are you not considering taking a break?" Leylin casually inquired, appearing before one of the antisocial official Magi.

"I have no need for rest. I have these. Emerge, my little ones!" The Magus on guard duty responded with a hearty laugh, his arms performing an odd gesture. A surge of Earth element particles began to radiate from his body.

The sand around him rose, forming a layer that quickly crumbled, revealing a dozen yellow slates.

These muddy yellow slates each bore a human face. Some were youthful, others aged. They even had slender arms and legs, resembling gingerbread men.

"Father! We await your commands!" A dozen stone slate beings knelt on one knee before the night duty Magus.

[This must be some kind of joke.] Aralis pointed out, but Leylin ignored her. While he agreed with the unimpressive appearance of these summons, they were designed to be useful, not awe-inspiring.

"Excellent, you all shall stand guard for me tonight. You are responsible for…" The night guard Magus nodded approvingly and began issuing orders without restraint.

"Sentinel Slates, huh?" Leylin queried with a half smile.

These beings bore a striking resemblance to the Sentinel Slates in Aralis' database, yet they seemed to be of a higher tier.

"It's a Rank 1 Sentinel Slate, but I've made some modifications to the spell formula." The night duty Magus announced proudly.

Upon becoming an official Magus, magicians often endeavored to enhance and refine some Rank 1 spells and even the Rank 0 spells of acolytes. Successful modifications could potentially become a unique trump card or be sold for a substantial amount of resources. Unfortunately, these endeavors were akin to finding replacement potions. Unless one was extraordinarily fortunate or conducted a plethora of experiments, results were elusive.

"It's indeed a remarkable spell..." Leylin's face displayed a hint of fake admiration, softening the spell caster's gaze towards him.

Naturally, Leylin viewed this spell as beneath him. He would not find it necessary to cast detection spells unless Aralis' capabilities fell short, and if he ever found himself in that situation, he still had various combat and utility potions. To Leylin, wasting so much Mana Energy and Spiritual Force in a bunch of gingerbread men was like using gasoline to start a barbecue. 

"The Sentinel Slates were originally designed for warning purposes. After my modification, their detection range extends to a dozen miles…" The night duty Magus explained.

Leylin observed the Sentinel Slates, which, upon receiving orders, swiftly moved to the outskirts of the camp, using the sand to camouflage themselves. As the sand continuously trickled down, the energy waves of the slates diminished, eventually transforming into an undetectable spell. Leylin silently expressed his feigned approval with a nod.

Every Magus possessed their own trump card. Disregarding them would undoubtedly result in a regrettable experience. But to Leylin, this rule was not universal. In this case, he would laugh at this pitiful display of sorcery if he could.

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Deep into the night, Leylin, who was doing light meditation, was jolted awake by a shrill scream.

"Quick, rise! We have a situation!" The earlier Magus, who had been on guard duty, entered each of the individual tents, his face a picture of utter frustration.

"What's the matter?" Lancey's expression was the most distressed. Her robes were haphazardly arranged in several places, revealing her enticing skin. Regrettably, no one at the scene spared a second glance.

"A Golden Giant is advancing towards us!" exclaimed the Magus on night duty, his voice laced with urgency. "One of my Sentinel Slates has already been consumed by it!"

Upon hearing the words 'Golden Giant', Leylin was quick to pick up the startled exclamations of the nearby Magi.

The Golden Giant, a type of elemental Mysterious Entity, possessed a power level comparable to a fully converted elemental Magus. It also boasted unique racial talents. Only a Magus of Rank 2 had the capability to thoroughly eliminate or banish it.

"Wasn't it said that the Golden Giants from the Golden Desert are extinct? Yet, one appears conveniently in our path," the old leader muttered, his jaws clenched in frustration, his eyes emitting a green glow.

"Can we evade it for now?" Lancey suggested. "The Golden Desert is vast; it might not be able to locate us."

"I'm afraid not," Leylin interjected. "Golden Giants have a natural instinct to pursue species with high energy levels. The energy radiating from our bodies acts like a beacon in the darkness for the Giant. The more we move, the more likely we are to be attacked."

"What should we do, Leylin?" Despair crept onto Lancey's face. "Unless we have a Rank 2 Magus within our group, we won't be able to escape the Golden Giant's assault!"

There was a significant disparity in power levels between Magi of different ranks. Leylin and his party of five were only marginally stronger than a Rank 1 Magus. They would struggle against a semi-converted elemental Magus, let alone survive an encounter with a fully converted elemental Golden Giant.

Semi-elemental conversions referred to Magi whose Elemental Essence Conversion had reached a level of 50% and above. At this stage, their increase in magical power due to the EEC became quite noticeable. They held a significant advantage when faced with budding Magi or Warlocks.

When he was on his journey to reach Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, Leylin had an encounter with a semi-converted storm elemental sprite while on the dirigible. If not for the large gathering of Magi from various academies, death would have been the only outcome.

In the current predicament, Leylin faced a creature far more powerful and dangerous than the semi-converted storm elemental sprite.

"Perhaps we should scatter and escape in different directions!" suggested the large bloke after some hesitation.

Upon hearing the suggestion, the Magi present fell silent, their eyes flickering nonstop.

"Are you all mad?" The old geezer interrupted the large bloke in a fit of anger. "If we fled in different directions, can you guarantee your luck in escaping the Golden Giant's assault? And what will you do once you reach the Kary Vultures' territory?"

His sharp questions brought about a deeper silence.

After scattering in different directions, they could head towards the intended destination again. If lucky, there was even a chance of returning to the Broken Axe Pub. However, this was only the last resort. The Magi were not ready to accept their grim fate just yet.

"Whatever it is you're going to do, do it quickly! Another three of my wards are dead!" The night-shift Magus said, his breath heavier than before.

"If I may, I have the solution to our predicament." Leylin spoke up in a surprisingly calm tone that cause everyone to turn their heads in his direction. "We could use the Sentinel Slates along with a rune that continuously gathers Mana Energy to distract the Golden Giant. While it's distracted, we will try our best to restrain the energy emitted from our bodies and sneak away. If that fails, we could scatter in different directions as previously mentioned," Leylin proposed amidst the silence.

"Despite the uncertainty of this plan, it seems we have no better alternatives…" The elderly man exhaled a sigh of profound resignation and gestured towards Leylin. "We will follow his lead! I happen to possess the materials for a few Sentinel Slates…"

Subsequently, he distributed vials filled with grey powders to the Magus on night duty.

Upon examining the materials provided by the elderly man, the night-shift Magus exhibited a hint of reluctance. Nevertheless, he accepted the materials. "Alright, let's give it a shot! But I won't be responsible if this plan fails!"

Shortly after the incantations from the night-shift Magus, several Sentinel Slates, akin to the destroyed ones, emerged from the sands.

At this juncture, the camp's inhabitants could distinctly perceive a golden radiance appearing in the eastern direction. This radiance was akin to the sun dispelling the darkness, ushering in a hint of warmth.

In front of the solar disk loomed the enormous silhouette of a giant. The giant's form emanated a golden light. It was simply armored, with a leather cuirass on its upper body, connected by an iron hoop in the middle to the two shoulder pads.

Resting on the shoulders was the giant's head, with rigid facial lines that appeared to be the result of weapon scrapes and slashes. The tangerine hair atop its head seemed to blaze fiercely.

"Hurry! Hurry!" The urgency was palpable in the elderly man's voice.

"I'm familiar with a few energy concentration runes, hopefully, they'll prove useful!" The other antisocial Magus stood up and declared. He then applied what appeared to be a blend of circular and triangular runes on the Sentinel Slates.

Once the runes were inscribed, they shone brightly, and a powerful energy surged from the Sentinel Slates. This massive energy fluctuated wildly, provoking the Golden Giant to roar and hasten its approach.

"Excellent! They have attracted the Golden Giant's attention!" Lancey exclaimed joyfully.

"Let's further enhance them." Leylin uncorked a red test tube and poured its contents onto the inscribed Sentinel Slates.

After the liquid from the red test tube fully integrated into the Sentinel Slates, they emitted furious growls and underwent a transformation, becoming larger and developing stronger limbs.

"This will enable them to resist longer." Leylin discarded the empty test tube.

Forthwith, the energy emanating from his body diminished from that of an official Magus to an ordinary individual. This was achieved using the Shapeshifting Spell. It diluted the level of energy emanating from his body.

Subsequently, he approached his Seated Lupin Wolf, placed a cover over the wolf's mouth, and patted its head. The Seated Lupin Wolf seemed to sense the impending arrival of the Golden Giant. It crouched low to the ground, limbs trembling, awaiting Leylin's command.

The other Magus emulated Leylin's actions. They also utilized the environmental protection to conceal their entire bodies.

Finally, the Golden Giant neared the camp. It was less than 500 meters away. At this proximity, Leylin could clearly discern every single hair on the giant.

"Now it's your turn, my brave ones, attack!" Yelled out the night-shift Magus.

"Attack! For our father!" The muscular and enhanced Sentinel Slates roared. Some of them charged headlong towards the Golden Giant while others scattered and ran in various directions.

Whether it was the courageous Sentinel Slates who confronted the Golden Giant directly or those who dispersed in different directions, their bodies radiated a substantial source of energy. These energy waves were almost comparable to that of a new Rank 1 Magus.

[I stand corrected. This wasn't a joke at all,] Aralis chimed in.

The Golden Giant emitted a roar of an indescribable nature, akin to a curse. Its massive palms stretched out, creating an illusion of obscuring the sky and enveloping the earth. It exerted force against the ground, causing the earth to upheave.

A few Sentinels found themselves ensnared by the Golden Giant. The Sentinel Slates cried out, their small fists pounding relentlessly on the giant's enormous arm.

With a sound reminiscent of crunching biscuits, the colossal Golden Giant tossed the captured Sentinels directly into its mouth. After devouring the Sentinel Slates, the Golden Giant bellowed loudly and pursued the fleeing Sentinel Slates with enormous strides.

"Now!" The old man's voice was barely a whisper. The six men surreptitiously led their Seated Lupin Wolves away from the camp area.

Everyone strained to suppress the energy radiating from their bodies. Even the Seated Lupin Wolves were covered with spells to conceal them. Like moles, they stealthily vacated the area.

The Golden Giant bellowed at the fleeing Sentinel Slates and gave chase. It paid no further attention to the camp.

"Go for it!" Someone murmured softly after the golden glow vanished. Without a moment's hesitation, everyone bolted at breakneck speed.

The wolf pack sprinted past, stirring up a cloud of dust, sand, and stones. The dust shimmered with a faint golden glow.

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Leylin and the party had been on the run non-stop since he was roused from his rest at the camp. This, coupled with the incident involving the Golden Giant, had left Leylin looking rather pallid.

From the pitch-black darkness of the night to the break of dawn, they had been on the run for nearly half a day. However, the thought of the Golden Giant spurred the party on, and no one complained about the lack of rest.

'We were fortunate enough that the Golden Giant doesn't possess high intelligence. It only knows to mindlessly pursue high-energy life forms. Otherwise, our stealth attempt yesterday would have failed miserably…' Leylin mused with a lingering sense of dread.

Despite having advanced his magical powers and being considered a formidable figure in the Magus World, the Golden Giant was a force beyond Leylin's possibilities.

'However, the Golden Giant is an elemental species. It lacks a bloodline. Were it not the case, I would have made an effort to obtain a few drops of the Golden Giant's blood for my experiments…' Leylin's eyes reflected a hint of bitterness.

There were countless mythical species in the Magus World. The Golden Giant belonged to the elemental species. Its entire body was composed of various elements and minerals. It didn't have a drop of blood in it, and naturally, there was no bloodline to extract.

In ancient times, there were many paths to becoming a Magus. The Warlocks chose the path of the bloodline. Clearly, the Golden Giant chose a different path.

"Should we not pause for a moment of respite? Without meditation, our Spiritual Force remains depleted…" Lancey's voice reverberated from the vanguard of the group, her words carried on the wind. She was astride the Seated Lupin Wolf, keeping pace with the elder.

Every Mage harnessed both their Spiritual Force and Mana Energy to weave their spells. The encounter with the Golden Giant the previous day, coupled with their relentless journey, had left the sextet of Magi bereft of opportunities to meditate and recover. The fatigue etched on their faces was a testament to their exhaustion.

"Disregard that for now, we are still in perilous territory. The Golden Giant could be hot on our heels at any moment…" The elder's retort, swept along by the breeze, echoed among the group.

Upon hearing the old man's reply, the party fell into a solemn silence and continued their hasty escape. The Magi feared the Golden Giant more than any other dangers in the Golden Desert.