After leaving 30 million mora as the budget for building the library in Aaru Village, Shao Yun and Sethos arrived at the village entrance, preparing to head north, cross the Land of Upper Setekh, and make their way into the Desert of Hadramaveth.
At this moment, Sethos was busy fastening all the necessary supplies tightly onto the back of the sumpter beast.
Suddenly, the sound of hoofbeats approached.
Sethos's heart tightened, and he immediately stopped what he was doing, leaping down from the beast's back.
As expected, when he focused his gaze, he saw Shao Yun riding a tall chestnut-colored horse appear before him.
Seeing this, Sethos kindly advised, "Are you sure you want to ride a horse in the desert? Horses are already rare in Sumeru, and they're definitely not suited as mounts in a desert environment."
Riding on the horse, Shao Yun patted the mare's neck and spoke with full confidence: "This girl is perfect at everything except flying and diving!"
Watching Shao Yun's stubborn posture, Sethos tried to warn him again. "The desert punishes every stubborn fool equally. I don't want to see you get your horse killed."
Shao Yun fully understood Sethos's good intentions, but Sethos clearly didn't realize just how astonishing the endurance and capabilities of Shao Yun's horse—Boadicea—really were.
"Trust me. No need to worry."
Seeing this, Sethos shook his head helplessly and decided not to persuade him further.
Still, before giving up, he left one final reminder: "Fine, but here's some friendly advice—digging a grave in the desert isn't an easy task. It burns through water and strength, and in the end, the pit you dig might end up being for yourself."
…
Along the way, Shao Yun and Sethos proceeded on their respective mounts.
Shao Yun cast a glance at Sethos lying comfortably atop the desert beast and took the initiative to begin a conversation. "Can you tell me about that Abyss Mage you read about in the ancient texts?"
Hearing the question, Sethos slowly opened his eyes from his resting state and sat upright.
He organized his thoughts before beginning the explanation.
"That Abyss Mage, according to the ancient texts, could manipulate at least three elements. The records mention Electro, Cryo, and Pyro. A very troublesome one."
Hearing Sethos's description, Shao Yun found it strange—was this some kind of fluffy Abyss Mage?
"The way you put it… that doesn't sound like an ordinary Abyss Mage."
Sethos nodded to show agreement.
"Exactly. From what I've gathered, it's anything but ordinary. But fortunately, there is only one clearly documented location of its appearance."
After saying this, Sethos did not ask why Shao Yun was searching for an Abyss Mage.
Shao Yun felt as if he were about to find one of his big brother-in-law's elite employees, and said with embarrassment, "Maybe. I'll know once I see it."
…
Over the next few days, they traveled through the vast desert.
Along the way, swirling sand filled the air, making their journey far more difficult.
Especially in the region known as the Land of Upper Setekh, where fierce sandstorms frequently struck.
The raging winds lifted fist-sized stones, and getting hit would definitely leave bruises in shades of blue and purple.
With no other choice, Shao Yun and Sethos stopped at the Tanit Camps to rest for the night.
It was worth noting that during the night, when Shao Yun got up to use the restroom, he happened to pass by the place where Babel lived and heard the alluring sounds coming from her and Azariq.
Shao Yun was not the type to eavesdrop, but at that moment he couldn't help thinking, Will this tribe get wiped out by Jeht and Lumine one day…?
…
After three days and four nights of travel, at dawn, Shao Yun and Sethos finally reached the Gate of Zulqarnain region within the Desert of Hadramaveth in Sumeru.
At the entrance of a cave, Sethos glanced down at the ancient text in his hands, confirming that this passage was the very place where a scholar from the Silent Hall once recorded the sighting of that strange "Abyss Mage."
Closing the book, Sethos pointed toward the cave entrance and said to Shao Yun, "According to the records, that strange Abyss Mage appeared inside here last time."
Shao Yun looked into the winding passage before him, nodded, and instructed, "Good. You stay outside and keep watch. I'll go in."
Hearing that Shao Yun intended to enter alone, Sethos asked, "We're not going in together? That way we could look out for each other."
Shao Yun immediately gave a flawless excuse he had rehearsed for some time.
"If I die, you'll need to go back and report it."
Sethos thought about it and found the statement reasonable.
He then found a shaded, comfortable spot to sit and rest, offering a blessing to Shao Yun as he prepared to head into danger.
"In that case, I hope to see you walk out alive."
With that, he gently closed his eyes to conserve his strength, ready for whatever unexpected situation might occur.
…
Shao Yun walked straight into the cave and followed the path deeper inside.
At first, it was dark, with only some softly glowing flowers providing faint illumination.
As the saying goes: At first the path is narrow, only allowing one person through. Walk several dozen steps, and the space suddenly opens up.
Soon, Shao Yun entered a vast, empty cavern.
At the center of this enormous space stood a massive platform, clearly artificially constructed.
On the platform, three glowing orbs of different colors slowly orbited each other in a peculiar pattern.
The three orbs emitted violet, blue, and silvery white light.
Shao Yun stepped onto the platform. The moment his foot touched it, something astonishing occurred.
A deep purple rift split open between the three orbs—a portal of the Abyss.
A tall Iniquitous Baptist slowly emerged from the rift.
Muttering under his breath, he spoke in a low, raspy voice: "Lost traveler…"
But when he clearly saw Shao Yun's face, he paused in confusion and murmured, "Huh? Why is it someone else?"
Seeing that this "elite employee of his big brother-in-law" could communicate normally, Shao Yun immediately greeted him.
"Hello. Can we talk?"
The Iniquitous Baptist examined Shao Yun from top to bottom—first his clothes, then up to the hat he wore. Once he recognized the style and details, he realized who this was.
"You? I remember you now. You're the one who kidnapped our Prince!"
Hearing that this employee's information was still stuck at the time before he and Lumine went to Inazuma, Shao Yun spoke irritably. "Your intel is really outdated. That was ages ago."
"Forget it. It's rare enough to meet an employee who can actually talk. But your colleagues here in Sumeru… it's like their mouths are welded shut! They refuse to answer anything!"
Shao Yun complained while shaking his head helplessly.
The Iniquitous Baptist retorted, "Our internal communication is actually quite good. I heard from Enjou about you. Thank you for helping our Abyss Order open the path to Byakuyakoku."
Hearing that, Shao Yun's expression grew awkward.
"You call that good communication? …Whatever. Back then I just helped Enjou out because it benefited both of us."
After some brief talk, the Iniquitous Baptist asked, "What do you want?"
Seeing the chance, Shao Yun didn't hold back. "I need to see 'Aether,' your Prince. It's urgent."
Upon hearing this, the Iniquitous Baptist immediately refused. "Hmph! Don't even think about it! With the crime of kidnapping our Prince, I would never let you meet him. Begone!"
Realizing this employee was also a stubborn blockhead, Shao Yun shouted, "You fool! If we keep wasting time like this, Lumine will die!"
Just as Shao Yun finished speaking, a strange light flashed beside the Iniquitous Baptist, and an Abyss portal suddenly formed.
The next second, Aether burst out of the portal, anxiety written across his face.
"What!? What did you just say!? What happened!? What's wrong with my sister!?" Aether questioned urgently as he rushed toward Shao Yun.
But before Shao Yun could reply, the inflexible Iniquitous Baptist blocked Aether.
"Your Highness, you must not trust this man! He is ruthless and extremely dangerous—please be cautious!"
Shao Yun completely ignored the Iniquitous Baptist. Seeing his brother-in-law Aether appear, he felt like thanking the heavens.
"Great! Brother-in-law, you finally showed up!"
At that moment, the Iniquitous Baptist blocking Aether raised a hand in a halting gesture and sternly warned Shao Yun, "Stop. Please maintain some distance."
Just then, several deep violet flashes lit up as more Abyss portals opened.
In an instant, a dozen fluffy Abyss Mages filed out one after another.
Among them, the Abyss Herald: Frostfall stepped out of one of the portals—one of the more significant members of the Order currently on shift.
Meanwhile, the Abyss Herald: Wicked Torrents was clearly eager to appear as well, stepping halfway through his own portal.
"Your Highness, watch out!"
The moment Wicked Torrents poked his head out, Enjou's large hand suddenly shot from within the portal, grabbed Wicked Torrents by the collar, and yanked him back mercilessly.
"What are you doing out here!? Did everything I told you go in one ear and out the other!?"
===BREAK===
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