On the journey out of the Eight Greed Kings Desert, a water shortage crisis struck. There was no avoiding it—the things they had gone through in that desert had already veered wildly off the original plan. Plans could never keep up with reality.
Luckily, Cheeko had once swallowed a small crystal from the bottom of Moonstone Pond, granting the cat extraordinary powers. It could eat sand and stone, and water would flow out of its butt.
Thanks to that ability, EeDechi and the others survived the crisis. Franco kept grumbling that he was drinking cat piss, but EeDechi was more than pleased. Other people's cows ate grass and gave milk—her own cat ate stones and gave water.
...
Ten days later, the night of the full moon.
The Sevenfold Heavens was the temple described in the ancient scrolls of the Eight Greed Kings: three spires faintly visible, forever encircled by raging sandstorms that only paused for a brief moment on the full moon night of April in odd-numbered years.
"But it's not April now."
EeDechi leaped down from the yacht. A ferocious sandstorm howled before her eyes, and behind the thick, murky clouds of sand, who knew what lay hidden.
"It doesn't matter. I can force my way in with my own power," Antilene said softly.
For some reason her voice had suddenly turned light and ethereal, yet cold and distant, startling EeDechi.
During these past days, Antilene had gotten along wonderfully with the three adventurers. Her icy personality had softened under EeDechi and the others' influence. She no longer wore that cold mask every day.
She had even learned to smile. Whenever something ridiculous or amusing happened, the corners of her mouth would lift slightly.
But now, Antilene seemed to have returned to the very moment they first met—proud and aloof, coldly distant, her lips forever pressed into a tight line, the kind of person no one would warm up to.
The only difference was that her eyes were lowered, and beneath those lashes hid an endless well of sorrow.
Antilene activated her Innate Talent and walked alone toward the raging sandstorm.
The night felt bleak and lonely. Beneath the full moon, the colossal sandstorm howled in fury as Antilene stepped deeper and deeper into it, heading straight for the legendary The Sevenfold Heavens.
Her black-and-white figure swayed unsteadily, like a withered petal that could be shredded by the storm at any second. Yet even so, her silhouette gradually melted into the swirling sands and vanished completely.
EeDechi and Barrett watched Antilene's back until that small, delicate figure disappeared from sight. A sudden chill of melancholy settled over them both.
...
Three days later.
EeDechi was dozing against the side of the yacht when Barrett shook her awake and pointed toward the distant sandstorm.
From within the murky yellow clouds of sand, a tiny black-and-white figure slowly took shape. Antilene had finally returned.
She hadn't come back empty-handed. Cradled carefully in both arms was a short blade, its edge safely sheathed. The weapon was breathtakingly ornate, covered in intricate, twisting ancient runes.
The characters carved along the hilt writhed like worms, giving off a sinister, shadowy aura.
She hugged the short blade to her chest and gave EeDechi and the others a faint, sorrowful smile—completely without any joy of success. "I've finally found it."
...
The Ride the Wind and Break the Waves yacht surged forward, racing across the desert. They could finally leave this savage, blistering wasteland behind.
Throughout the journey, Antilene stayed pressed against the yacht window, staring out at the passing scenery without saying a single extra word. She looked lonelier and more desolate than ever.
EeDechi had tried asking what the short blade actually was. Antilene refused to answer, only brushing it off as a secret of the Slane Theocracy that she could not share.
"Antilene, I really envy you. You'll be heading back to the Slane Theocracy soon. You have a home waiting for you, while the rest of us keep wandering out here. That's just the fate of adventurers, I guess."
Barrett felt the mood had grown too heavy, so he deliberately spoke up to Antilene.
"Envy me?" Antilene sighed. "If there's a next life, I'd want to be an adventurer too."
"Being an adventurer isn't worth envying," Barrett said with feeling. "We're all homeless drifters, living a life of licking blood off the blade's edge. Who knows when we'll drop dead on some adventure trail, never to wake again—or maybe not even a bone left behind. If we had any real choice, who wouldn't pick a safe, steady life instead?"
"If you want to be an adventurer, you don't have to wait for the next life—you can start right now!" EeDechi encouraged her. "Come on, I'll take you straight to the Adventurer's Guild. Sign the contract, grab your badge, and boom—you're officially an adventurer!"
"Thank you." Antilene lowered her head, her lashes trembling faintly, her eyes brimming with endless sorrow. "I carry responsibilities. The Six Scriptures and the countless people of the Slane Theocracy are still waiting for my return."
"Then once you finish your mission, go become an adventurer. We'll be waiting for you! I'm sure you'll become a top-tier Adamantite adventurer!" EeDechi cheered her on.
"Thank you all, but you don't need to wait for me." Antilene's eyes were lowered, her smile bleak and sorrowful.
"Hey, don't look so sad. It's just a short parting—we'll definitely meet again!"
"Have you ever heard of Equivalent Exchange?" Antilene suddenly brought up a strange topic.
"Equivalent Exchange?" EeDechi paused for a moment.
"The rules of magic—or rather, the laws of this world—are Equivalent Exchange." Antilene spoke the four words slowly and clearly.
"Gold ore and fire are traded for gold coins. Gold coins are traded for grain. And grain comes from exchanging water, air, earth, and the sweat of farmers. Simply put, to gain something, you must lose something."
After she finished speaking, Antilene leaned back against the window and said nothing more.
She was a half-elf living in the Slane Theocracy, a nation that loathed other races. As an outsider among humans, she had never suffered bullying or rejection from her companions, yet no one truly understood her. Her life had always been deeply lonely.
This had shaped her into a reclusive and eccentric person, which meant even fewer people wanted to get close to her. Her isolation deepened, and she sealed her heart away more tightly. It became a vicious cycle, dragging her step by step into the abyss of solitude.
Everyone around her knew that Antilene was a half-elf outsider, but also the strongest fighter. People feared her, admired her, and revered her—but no one could truly understand her.
Recalling the journey through the Eight Greed Kings Desert with EeDechi, Barrett, Cheeko, and Franco, Antilene found those days to be the warmest and happiest of all.
The ever upright and optimistic captain EeDechi, the steady and reliable adventurer Barrett, even the crude-talking, perverted mage Franco with all his lewd remarks—they all felt so warm. Of course, there was also the most adorable chubby kitty Cheeko.
Cheeko hopped onto Antilene's lap, meowing softly and nuzzling into her arms, trying to comfort her.
Antilene pulled Cheeko close, and her lips, which had stayed tightly pressed together, unknowingly curved into a smile.
"You really look beautiful when you smile," Franco said, gazing at Antilene with a rare note of sincerity in his voice.
"Thank you all."
Antilene lowered her head. Her voice came soft and ethereal, light as floating duckweed.
The silver-white yacht shot forward in a cloud of sand, racing across the vast, endless desert.
...
Deep in the murky heart of the desert, a dark elf stood atop a burrowing beast, heading out of the Eight Greed Kings Desert.
The dark elf had mismatched red and blue eyes—it was Mare, who had successfully escaped EeDechi's clutches.
"Sister!"
"Mare! I finally found you. I thought you'd gotten lost."
Aura Bella Fiora swooped down from the sky and wrapped the raggedly dressed Mare in a tight embrace.
"Mare, you've been through so much!" Aura's heart ached at the sight of Mare's bedraggled state. "Lord Ainz sent word that Demiurge's mark suddenly went dark. It's very likely he was killed. I was so worried about you!"
"Don't talk about that right now," Mare said, eyes brimming with tears. "Quick, give me paper and a pen. I have something to offer Lord Ainz!"
"What is it? Where?" Aura asked.
"The World Item Fusion of the Eight Greed Kings. Even though all the records were destroyed by EeDechi, I memorized every single detail! Now I'm going to write it all down from memory!"