Chapter 31: The Desert’s Deceptive Calm

“Master, look at that.”

The two of them were currently on the 46th floor, having spent roughly seven days since their arrival, battling monsters and gathering materials along the way.

The natural environment of this floor had transformed into a desolate desert and Gobi terrain.

Elara followed Hilvyn’s gaze, her lamp illuminating a cluster of motionless turtles.

More precisely, they were Spiked Rock Turtles.

She pulled her foot from the sand, unable to suppress a complaint. “Honestly, this desert terrain is truly exhausting to traverse.”

This desert was not only difficult to move through, but it was also utterly devoid of light. The path ahead was pitch-black, with only luminous ore embedded in the cavern’s dome, twinkling like scattered stars in a nighttime desert.

However, there was no moon, and these ‘stars’ offered no illumination to the ground below.

“Master, should we fight them?” Hilvyn clenched her fists.

Elara waved a dismissive hand. “No, we won’t.”

Spiked Rock Turtles were B-rank monsters, known for their high defense. They rarely initiated attacks, but when provoked, they would retract into their shells, which would then sprout or launch rock spikes to fend off enemies.

For Elara and Hilvyn, dealing with them would be troublesome, and the time invested wouldn’t be proportionate to the rewards.

Nevertheless, having come all this way, a gathering spot for these Spiked Rock Turtles surely indicated a higher concentration of magic. It was worth approaching to check if any valuable materials were growing nearby.

Hilvyn picked up a stone, and the lamplight reflected off tiny, sparkling specks on its surface.

She swept her lamp across the cluster of Spiked Rock Turtles, revealing many more such stones.

“Master, what kind of stone is this?” Hilvyn held the stone up to Elara, excitedly pointing at the turtle group. “There are so many more over there!”

‘Identify.’

[Name: Spiked Rock Turtle Feces]

[Effect: Contains crystalline rock fragments, no effect.]

“Pfft~”

Elara couldn’t hold back her laughter. She pointed at the Spiked Rock Turtles, struggling to suppress a giggle as she replied, “Those are their droppings.”

Hilvyn’s expression shifted from initial excitement to utter stupefaction. Her pupils suddenly dilated, and she violently dropped the stone, frantically shaking her small hands as if something still clung to them.

The child was so flustered that a few tears even welled in her eyes.

Elara, still fighting a smile, poured water for her to wash her hands.

After this incident, the Spiked Rock Turtles would likely ascend to the top of Hilvyn’s most disliked monster list, vying for first place with the Dryads.

Observing the area again, Elara noted that the droppings contained crystalline rock, which was quite valuable, on par with Mana Grass.

Elara circled the area, using Identify, but every result pointed to Spiked Rock Turtle droppings.

It seemed these Spiked Rock Turtles had consumed everything else.

Elara sighed in regret. Unlike the luck with the Mushroom People a few days prior, some monsters would eat materials, causing them to be continuously depleted over time.

According to the Guild’s records, the desert layer was safer than other lower levels. Monsters on the desert’s edge generally had lower aggression and strength, making it an excellent place to rest.

“Let’s rest for a while first.”

“Alright~”

Elara set up the tent, and Hilvyn started a campfire.

The roasted bread was already gone. For the past few meals, they had eaten ordinary bread and dried meat, but since they would be sleeping soon, Elara decided to add a stew to their dinner.

With the stew bubbling and the bread propped by the fire to toast, a warm glow illuminated a corner of the desert, casting two closely intertwined, flickering shadows.

“Master, look at the sky,” Hilvyn said, pointing at the star-like minerals on the dome. “It’s so beautiful.”

Elara looked up to admire it as well. “Indeed.”

They were more numerous and vibrant than the stars in the actual sky.

Her gaze caught a denser cluster of minerals in the distance, prompting an involuntary gasp. “It’s as dazzling as fireworks.”

“What are fireworks, Master?”

Fireworks did exist in this world; Elara had seen them before.

“Fireworks are like a ‘Blast Flame’ spell that flies into the sky, then explodes into a magnificent, colorful burst of sparks.”

Elara pointed at the dense cluster of minerals she’d just noticed. “Just like that cluster of ‘stars,’ but they move, and they’re even more beautiful.”

Hilvyn’s anticipation soared just from the description.

“Where can I see fireworks?”

“I’ll take you someday.”

“Yay!”

While Elara and Hilvyn waited for their meal, a female voice echoed from the direction they had come. “Captain, I think there are people ahead.”

Elara found the voice somewhat familiar.

This was the sixth squad they had encountered in the past few days.

As the voices drew closer, the glow of their lamps revealed the faces of the approaching adventurer squad.

“Black Rose?”

The newcomers were the Thundercloud Squad. Rex glanced at the stew Elara was cooking, a look of impatience on his face; he seemed to be in a foul mood.

Their squad had faced no dangers on their journey, but their gains were meager. The corpses of Mushroom People, Dryads stripped of their skin, packs of Direwolves… it was clear they had followed a route already traversed by others.

Thus, Rex didn’t want to waste any more time and wished to descend to the lower levels quickly.

Before leaving, he tossed out a remark. “Black Rose, we are both adventurers. I’ll give you a warning: the desert holds potential threats.”

Elara was puzzled. ‘Isn’t this supposed to be a relatively safe resting area?’

“Captain, you’re just too kind.”

“Yes, Captain, we paid a hefty price for this dungeon guide, and you just told her about it.”

“You’re thinking too small-mindedly. We’re all adventurers; telling her this much is no big deal.”

“The Captain is too generous!”

The Thundercloud Squad’s chatter and lamplight slowly vanished behind the next sand dune.

‘A hefty price… for a guide?’

Elara couldn’t be bothered to think further. She took the crispy toasted bread, preparing to spread jam on it.

“Master, did you hear that?” Hilvyn pointed in the direction the Thundercloud Squad had gone. “They just said they paid money for a guide, hehehe.”

“You just met them for the first time, and you’re already laughing at them.”

Elara spread the jam deliberately, then handed the bread to Hilvyn.

“Thank you, Master,” Hilvyn took the bread, then explained, “It’s because I felt that Master didn’t like this squad either, so I…”

“Indeed.” Elara pondered the squad’s behavior. “They are quite annoying.”

Still, they hadn’t done anything truly outrageous. Ignoring them would suffice.

As for paying for a guide—and buying one with incorrect information—Elara admitted it was indeed quite amusing.

“Here, your stew.”

Elara dished out a bowl of stew for Hilvyn. “Be careful, it’s hot.”

“Mm.” Hilvyn swallowed her bread, then asked, “Are we sleeping together later, or separately?”

For the past few days, they had slept in shifts. In places with monsters, precautions were necessary, even if no emergencies had occurred yet.

Hilvyn’s question implied a desire to sleep close to Elara.

“Let me think…” Elara wiped the jam from her fingertips, recalling the monsters that might appear in the desert layer.

The most dangerous areas were in the center, where B-rank monsters like Desert Worms and Sand Arm Kings could be found.

Initially, when Sevia warned her that monsters were random, Elara had mistakenly thought that monsters from different environments could appear together, such as aquatic monsters in the desert.

Now she realized her misunderstanding. Each floor had a specific natural environment, and only monsters suited to that environment would appear. However, where exactly they spawned was entirely random.

They were currently on the edge, where the strongest monsters were theoretically the non-aggressive Spiked Rock Turtles. Yet, they still needed to be wary, just in case a worm or Sand Arm King appeared.

So, she made her decision.

“We’ll still sleep in shifts.”

Life was precious, and Elara had no desire to lose hers.

“Once you’re done eating, you can go to sleep.”

“Alright~”