Chapter 173: The Mirage of the Mitra Great Desert (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173: The Mirage of the Mitra Great Desert (1)
According to the Water Tail Tribe, the Red Tiger Tribe was currently running rampant across the Beastman lands.
The Red Tiger Tribe had always been prone to looking down on other races, but recently, they had gone as far as extorting "passage fees" from any Beastmen or adventurers traveling through their territory.
"If, caught, by those, evil, bastards... no, answer."
"A passage fee? A warrior race of that caliber is acting like back-alley thugs."
"Anyway, lucky, you are. Because, met, us."
Jin had originally intended to enter the Beastman lands by following the forest path where the Kinzelo branch had once stood. If he hadn't crossed paths with the Water Tail Tribe, he likely would have stumbled straight into trouble.
"I take it the Red Tiger Tribe doesn't know about the path you use?"
"Never, know. Follow, me."
The Water Tail Tribe was renowned for being the best at evading predators, second only to the Catfolk.
Jin engaged in small talk as he followed them. Most of it consisted of Jin offering vague excuses whenever the Water Tail Tribe asked why he was heading to the Mitra Great Desert.
After about two hours, they reached a burrow they had dug. After squeezing through it, Jin couldn't help but let out a gasp of admiration.
Beyond the burrow, a single stream of water was cascading down like a miracle.
"Refill, water."
After filling his canteen and passing the waterfall, they entered another tunnel. It was a cavern filled with rocks, but unlike a typical cave, it contained countless branching paths.
"Did you dig this as well?"
"No. Catfolk, dug it."
"Ho."
The tunnels carved by the Catfolk were a true labyrinth, a reflection of their reclusive nature and their disdain for all other races, humans included.
The path changed depending on which fork one chose. Out of thousands of possibilities, there was likely only one that led to the Catfolk’s hidden settlement. They passed dozens of forks as if playing a game.
At the end of the tunnel, another group of Beastmen—roughly the same height as the Water Tail Tribe, barely reaching Jin’s waist—were huddled together taking a nap. They were fluffy bundles of fur with mouse-like faces: the Gold Snow Tribe.
"Whoa, hey, hey! Why would you bring something like that here?"
True to their reputation as a race skilled in trade, they spoke rapidly with clear pronunciation, unlike the Water Tail Tribe. A conversation soon ensued between the Water Tail and Gold Snow tribes, mixing the Continental Common Tongue and the Beastman Common Tongue. Jin found the sight rather adorable.
The discussion concluded when the Water Tail Beastman handed over a small gemstone.
"Fine, fine. We don't care why you're going to the Great Desert, but good luck, human."
Passing the Gold Snow Tribe, they suddenly came upon a large wooden door.
"Open, this, door... comes, general store."
"A general store?"
"Gold Snow Tribe’s, store. Outside, is, Yuka Yuka, Market."
"Ah, so the tunnel led all the way there."
The Yuka Yuka Market was a place where peaceful Beastman tribes gathered to trade. All sorts of goods were exchanged, not much different from a human market. The only distinction was the presence of "guides" who solicited adventurers. Since many human travelers visited every year, every market in the land of the Beastmen had guides catering to them.
"Guides... Gold Snow Tribe, will, recommend. Gold Snow Tribe, guides, pathetic. Ignore, them... use, Dogfolk. Dogfolk, diligent, and, don't, scam."
"I'm grateful for many things. Before we part, shall we exchange names?"
"I am... Dark Flame."
"Pardon?"
"Dark Flame. My, name."
Jin almost asked, What kind of name is that? but held back, fearing it might be rude. Regardless, it was a name that didn't suit the creature's appearance at all.
"Right. Dark Flame of the Water Tail Tribe... I am—"
"Jin, Runcandel."
"How did you know?"
"Back then... on, robe... saw, Black Sword, emblem. Day, I, gave, fish."
"Still, I could have been just another ordinary cadet, couldn't I?"
"Feeling... Runcandel. You... are, leader."
"Impressive. You won't go around talking about this, will you?"
"Don't, worry."
"Good. Then the next time we meet, I shall repay this favor as a Runcandel. I'm off."
Creeeak.
As soon as he opened the door and stepped out, he found himself inside the general store, just as Dark Flame had said. A Gold Snow Tribe member, presumably the owner, immediately began his sales pitch.
Jin ignored him and walked straight toward the area where the guides gathered. Since humans were not an uncommon sight in the market, he kept his hood pulled low. It wasn't difficult to find a reliable Dogfolk guide.
Fortunately, he did not encounter the Red Tiger Tribe while traveling to the edge of the Mitra Great Desert with the guide. Instead, he frequently spotted humans who were clearly members of Kinzelo. They wore clothing emblazoned with the "Broken Sun" symbol, the emblem of Kinzelo.
If one were to walk around the continent in such attire, they would surely be detained by the guard or dragged away. Though they weren't famous yet, most nations had already designated Kinzelo as a terrorist organization. Seeing them operate so openly in the land of the Beastmen created a strange sense of cognitive dissonance.
Perhaps it’s not just the White Wolf Tribe, but most of the Beastmen who have ties to Kinzelo.
Upon reaching the entrance of the Great Desert, the Dogfolk guide returned to the Yuka Yuka Market. Jin stood for a moment, staring blankly at the desolate wasteland. Walking into a desert alone required courage.
As he left his first footprint on the sands of the Mitra Great Desert, Jin felt a heavier sense of pressure than ever before. He was confident in fighting strong opponents with his life on the line. However, the sea of sand stretching endlessly under a murky sky, devoid of anything else, possessed an overwhelming presence that seemed to choke the life out of him just by looking at it.
If I die here, they won't even be able to find my corpse.
It was a place where even native Beastmen would leave nothing but bleached bones if they lost their way. Suddenly, a sense of awe for the great adventurers known to have crossed the Mitra Great Desert welled up within him.
The heritage site of the Spirit Sword...
That sensation he felt when he cut through Myuron’s Hell Gate and when he sliced through Goltep’s hammer. The feeling of the sword, the spirit energy, and himself becoming one as if chanting a spell—the true nature of that sensation was what they called the "Spirit Sword." It was a special swordsmanship permitted only to Runcandel magic swordsmen.
The Pluto Tribe, who were thought to be extinct, were the true masters of the Spirit Sword. Somewhere in this desert remained the land left for them to carry out their mission of passing on that legacy. Why did the Pluto Tribe become the successors of the Spirit Sword? There was a secret history behind it that remained unknown to the world.
— The Pluto Tribe didn't believe in the power of the gods. So they challenged them, and they were miserably defeated and wiped out. That's why they, who enjoyed their golden age half a millennium ago, perished overnight.
— Overnight?
— Kid, remember when you fought Andrei? How did Quicantel react the moment she saw the Demon God Stone?
— She was paralyzed with fear.
— Even the Demon God Stone, a mere imitation of the Origin Stone, is that powerful. But the Origin Stone was made by gathering the power of the gods. That is what divine power is. Even though the Origin Stone had been destroyed by the time the Pluto Tribe challenged the gods, they were still no match.
While the gods had joined forces to crush the Pluto Tribe and make an example of them, there was only one god who took pity on them.
— Solderet saved a tiny fraction of the Pluto Tribe and made them his own. I don't know the exact details of the contract, but the Spirit Sword cannot be learned from anyone but them. Temar learned it from them as well.
This was the conversation he had with Murakan before leaving Tikan. Jin once again recalled the fact that Temar Runcandel had learned the Spirit Sword from them.
I might even hear stories about the First Patriarch from the Pluto Tribe.
Temar Runcandel. Despite being the First Patriarch, not many records of him remained in the Garden of Swords. Aside from the fact that he founded the clan by giving the name "Runcandel" to himself and his followers, the anecdote of him defeating Murakan a thousand years ago, and the name of his beloved sword, Barisada, there was almost nothing else. Even though he was the progenitor of the clan and its greatest hero, there wasn't even a place for him in the Mausoleum of the Garden of Swords. It was because the Zipple had erased every single record related to Temar.
Step, step. Slosh...
With every step, the water in the canteen at his waist sloshed. It would last him a few days, but it was uncertain whether he could find an oasis or a spring within that time. He hadn't brought a compass. If a compass worked properly in this land, there would be no reason for native Beastmen or veteran adventurers to get lost. Thus, he had to walk looking only forward.
How many hours had he been walking? By the time his mind began to grow hazy, he looked back to find the same scenery as what lay ahead. The forests and trees that had stood at the entrance of the Great Desert had completely vanished from sight.
Not even a footprint remains.
The sands of the Great Desert shifted with the slightest breeze. Hills seen in the distance often collapsed by the time he reached them, and footprints vanished as quickly as ripples on a lake. Even if he were to give up right now, could he return the way he came? It was impossible.
Having reached that conclusion, Jin gave a light shrug. It was finally starting to sink in—the fact that death was a very natural and common occurrence here.
Whew.
Jin took a deep breath and began walking again.
The first night he spent in the Great Desert was surprisingly harsh, and the sun that rose the next day was irritatingly hot. He walked for a week, until December 1st, 1796. The canteen no longer sloshed, yet there was no sign of an oasis. An ordinary person, or even a moderately trained adventurer, would have died by now. The memory of how he had felt even more despair right before Klam’s descent in Colon, and how he had ultimately succeeded then, kept Jin from losing heart.
— When the third mirage ends, release your spirit energy. If you do that, the Pluto Tribe will appear.
Enduring the Mitra Great Desert was, in itself, a trial to inherit the Spirit Sword. Fighting nature was synonymous with defying the gods. Jin was beginning to vaguely realize the meaning behind this "trial." Only a few drops of water remained, and his steps were as heavy as if he were dragging a thousand pounds. Still, he pushed forward steadfastly.
"Heh."
The first mirage appeared just as he tilted his canteen to drink the last remaining drops. But could that really be called a mirage?
"Long time no see, youngest. We finally found you."
"Man, you have no idea how much we missed you. Thanks to you, our life at the main house has been absolute hell lately..."
The voices that suddenly reached his ears belonged to none other than the Tona brothers. The voices were so vivid that it was impossible to dismiss them as mere auditory hallucinations.
But it's a mirage. It's fake.
Until just a few seconds ago, there had been nothing but sand in every direction. It was impossible for the Tona brothers to appear so suddenly unless it was a mirage. However, as they strode toward Jin, they were clearly leaving footprints in the sand. Even the greatsword and chain sword they held were overflowing with brilliant aura. There was also an unmistakable murderous intent directed at Jin.
I see. So it's not just an ordinary mirage... It'll be troublesome if all three mirages are like this.
Jin slowly drew Bradamante and began to manifest his aura.