RPAGF Chapter 151 Aru Village (1)
Chapter 151 Aru Village (1)
As dusk fell, the desert twilight briefly appeared, like a sandworm eroding the land, before quickly disappearing into the descending night amidst the hazy, windswept sky.
The yellow clouds on the horizon darkened, and the scorching desert cooled suddenly, like a volcano that had just erupted. The sand dunes that stretched out during the day solidified into black lava in the distance.
The desert night deepened.
However, in this cold and silent place, the desert wolves are about to begin their hunt.
"Hey guys, perk up!"
"Come and live!"
A low, beeping sound rang out, and behind the crooked, withered tree, several pairs of eyes, gleaming with an eerie light, suddenly appeared.
The gilded brigade, lurking beneath a withered tree, stared at a lone torch on a path not far away, and quietly drew their gleaming weapons from behind their backs.
Judging from the expensive silk robe the other party was wearing, it seemed like a big fish was coming today.
"Let's do it."
The leader of the gilded brigade's squad wore a red silk brocade covering his face, and a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.
This is the first order we've made recently. If we can make a good profit, the members of the group can enjoy themselves for a few days.
In the darkness, three gilded guild members formed a triangle and quietly surrounded the lone traveler.
Travelers carrying packs walked slowly along the path, torches in hand, still wrapped in thick hoods and robes, seemingly unaware of the impending danger.
It seems he is an inexperienced adventurer.
The leader felt much more at ease, and the slight hesitation he had felt earlier vanished completely. He suddenly drew his sword, leaped from the shadows where he was hiding, and pointed the tip of the sword directly at the traveler's back.
In a flash, the cold blade sliced through the air and precisely pierced the opponent's body.
Stab!
Seeing that the sneak attack had succeeded, the leader was overjoyed, but the next second, his pupils suddenly dilated.
Contrary to expectations, the traveler did not experience the expected rupture and splatter of blood where the blade pierced his body. The blade itself offered no resistance as if it were penetrating flesh, as if…
It was as if he had only pierced a wisp of air.
As if to confirm his conjecture, the traveler's figure, pierced by the weapon, quickly became faint, so much so that the leader, unable to control his movement, passed straight through the traveler's body.
When he turned around again, the spot was empty.
Is it...haunted?
The two brigade members who gathered around were also pale-faced, their weapons trembling incessantly, and their minds involuntarily recalled all sorts of supernatural legends from the desert.
rustle……
An eerie sound of sand rubbing against each other rang out, accompanied by a sudden flash of green light, adding an eerie touch to the desert night.
"Don't panic, it's just a desert scorpion."
In contrast, although the leader's face was grim, he was relatively calm. He reached out to touch the long sword that had just been sheathed, but found nothing.
His expression changed drastically, and he turned to warn the remaining members to guard their weapons.
However, when he turned around, he was shocked to find that the remaining two members had collapsed unconscious on the ground, and their weapons had also disappeared.
The big fish has been caught, but it appears to be a shark.
Cold sweat trickled down the leader's forehead.
The rustling sound rang out again, followed by a cold hand patting his shoulder, and a faint voice came from behind him, carrying wisps of chill.
Where is Aru Village?
……
The next day, as the morning sun shone on the cold desert, a spirited Mu Feng packed his bags and prepared to head to Aru Village for a temporary rest.
"Sigh, young people sleep so well."
Before leaving, Mu Feng shook his head, thoughtfully hung the three gilded troupes, who were still in a deep, infant-like sleep, on a withered tree, then clapped his hands and left satisfied.
Although the sleeping posture is a bit awkward, at least it won't get eaten by monsters, right?
Another day of doing good deeds anonymously.
The real-world Sumeru Desert is completely different from the map in his previous life's game. He traveled day and night for two days and only just managed to leave the area of Kawan Post Station.
Thus, without any directional items like teleportation anchors or treasure compasses, or the World Tree navigation tool, the Sage gloriously got lost.
Left with no other choice, the highly skilled entrapment operation that took place last night finally began.
Mu Feng took out a small piece of breakfast from his bag and ate it as he walked, heading southwest along the sandy road.
Someone expressed strong disapproval of the lack of a wake-up alarm clock personally run by Nilu.
When I finally get the chance to see Yingmei, I have to make her pay a hefty sum for the main storyline boosting service—well, maybe... a month's worth of Paimon's food expenses.
Mu Feng secretly made a plan in his heart.
Oh right, and we also have to add the cost of his family's Nasita personally working on the Forest Book.
Poor Yingmei, little did she know that while she was still sleeping peacefully in the seal, an enormous debt had already fallen upon her.
In Mondstadt, I started with a huge debt.
As Mu Feng was secretly taking notes in his notebook, it gradually came to noon. The scorching sun baked the golden sand dunes, sending up waves of heat.
Along the way, travelers were few and far between. Apart from a small caravan with a few pack animals, only three adventurers on a quest to subjugate the enemy appeared.
At the end of the path, a small triangular pyramid stands alone beside a small oasis.
The mausoleum complex of the Red King.
Mu Feng glanced at the gold and red triangular pyramid building from afar, intending to temporarily escape the midday sun by that small oasis.
The ancient Sumeru was also the site of a brutal war between demons and gods. Although it was not as intense as the war in Liyue, it was far from being a peaceful and carefree place either.
During the war, the three demon gods formed an alliance.
"The feast belongs to the hostess of flowers and moonlight, authority belongs to the king of the desert, and life belongs to the sustenant of plants."
The grass god Buyer, the flower goddess Marikata, and the red king Ahmar made a pact, and the silver moon, the golden sun, and the emerald oasis pledged their vows in a sea of dew-covered flowers.
Until, the finite joy ends in bitterness.
When the crimson Patishalan withered, the mistress of the flower sea pointed out the knowledge leading to the stars and the abyss with her life. The God-King refused the bestowal of Sky Island and touched the dark taboo beyond the world.
From then on, the alliance of the three kings collapsed, and the Red King and the Tree King ruled their respective territories separately.
However, the knowledge from beyond the world turned against its host, bringing with it a plague and calamity that engulfed the desert.
The remorseful king removed his shattered crown and assisted the Lord of Plants and Trees, who came to his aid, in suppressing the catastrophe. The Tree King exhausted his divine power, and the Sand King fell into eternal slumber.
In the king's tomb, only unfathomable mechanisms and secrets remain; the merits and demerits will be judged by posterity.
After that, the business of writing "Desert Books"—which was essentially tomb raiding—emerged.
When the opportunity arises, perhaps we can persuade Director Funina to film a Teyvat version of Tomb Raider at the Red King's Tomb, with Yingmei and Jade as the leads. Maybe we can even make a considerable amount of money at the box office.
The title of the film is "Rebirth: My Book in the Desert of Sumeru".
Just as someone was happily envisioning his Teyvat Hollywood project, a barely noticeable white figure near the distant mausoleum suddenly caught his attention.
……