Return to the Desert

Though the guildmaster had transformed into a tentacled monstrosity, he remained a pinnacle figure of the world. Anbaixiu was skilled at duping others into working for him—an iron rooster of a miser from whom one could hardly pluck a single feather. Even if he had to give something up, he would first fleece the other party thoroughly. The guildmaster, however, was far more generous. He suppressed the slaadi with immense power, then promised them a mountain of benefits. Balancing mercy with might, he turned these giant toads—creatures even cleverer than humans—into his lackeys. Precisely because the slaadi possessed sufficient intellect, they knew when to compromise in the face of an irresistible force. Though these slaadi merely paid lip service rather than instantly becoming devout believers, the guildmaster at least gained what he desired: a minuscule trickle of the power of faith. After his transformation, the guildmaster existed in an extraordinarily peculiar state: like a deity, yet not entirely one. This power of faith would assist him in continuing his evolution toward becoming a true god. Perhaps the next time they met, the guildmaster would genuinely have become a brand-new divinity. Naturally, Anbaixiu was also eager for the guildmaster to achieve godhood by their next encounter. From every perspective, the guildmaster made for a rather excellent ally. Anbaixiu was a lich. Even if his mentor was the God of Alchemy, he was destined to stand in opposition to the lawful gods—and since the guildmaster had also been banished by them, they were natural allies in that regard. More importantly, the Slaad Lord had revealed that spatial ritual to the guildmaster, meaning Anbaixiu could finally leave this divine dumping ground. Yet the Slaad Lord could not help but chime in, "The spatial portal created by this ritual cannot let you leave at all. Those banished by the gods are bound here for all eternity." Anbaixiu asked, "Then what purpose does this ritual of yours serve? Merely hunting?" "Yes, merely hunting. Any creature transformed into a slaad contracts the same curse as us, and once the spatial portal collapses, they are all sent to our realm." This aligned with what Anbaixiu had deduced earlier: even the corpses of dead slaadi would be teleported back. Sure enough, the gods had left them no way out. "No matter. I am not among the banished. So long as you open the spatial portal, I can depart. However, your ritual seems rather unstable. Can you stably connect to a specific location?" If the slaadi opened a path that connected back to a dead end like the underground tombs, Anbaixiu's efforts would have been completely in vain. The Slaad Lord shook his head. "Impossible. I know nothing of your world, nor do I know where the location you speak of is. Furthermore, the seals of the gods are not so easily breached; establishing a spatial portal at all is already a feat. More than once, we have connected to places devoid of any trace of life. Our clan has steadily dwindled due to such ritual failures." This was a prison of exile, not a holiday resort. To find even the slimmest chance of departure was already fortunate. Anbaixiu sighed helplessly. "Alas, if probability is lacking, I shall make up the difference." Every time he harnessed the power of fate, he was essentially submitting a request to the Goddess of Fate. *O Goddess, can things go smoothly for me going forward? You'll allow it? Wonderful.* It was roughly like that: as long as Anbaixiu's Dice of Fate still functioned, it meant the Goddess of Fate was still on his side. The slaadi's ritual was already prepared, so a new spatial portal soon began to manifest. Scenes flickered into view one after another as the spatial portal extended steadily forward like a flowing brook. Anbaixiu began rolling his Dice of Fate as well, arresting the shifting scenes upon a location he recognized. Before long, Anbaixiu had tossed out several hundred Dice of Fate. Finally, the spatial portal stabilized, revealing boundless yellow sand glittering like gold under the sun. This was it. Anbaixiu stepped directly into the spatial portal and indeed returned to that realm of golden sands. Turning his head, he waved to the guildmaster on the other side of the portal, then flew into the desert without looking back. The spatial portal slowly faded away. The guildmaster stared at Anbaixiu's retreating figure with his single eye until the portal had completely closed. Then, the guildmaster took control of those chaotic tentacles once more, dismantling the slaad marsh and shoving it back into the void. The chaotic tentacles sank entirely into the ruins, leaving behind not a single trace. "The gods... we shall meet again eventually. But before I am ready, they must not find out." The guildmaster planned to first digest the power of faith from these slaadi, then snare the next landmass to gather more worshippers. Yet to prevent those deities from casting a backward glance upon their trash heap, the guildmaster did not intend to merge all the landmasses into one—at least not until he became strong enough. "Whatever scheme that lich might harbor, what he gave me is genuine... Hmm? What is that? A living soul still remains in the City of Alchemy?" The guildmaster flew toward a barely intact tower, and there he saw Naomi, her throat slit, the breath of life entirely gone from her body. Her flesh had not yet fully cooled, but her soul was long nowhere to be found. The guildmaster hovered in silence before Naomi's corpse. After a long while, the quiescent chaotic tentacles stretched out anew, seizing another nearby landmass. A moment later, this little realm—banished by the gods for reasons unknown—was utterly annihilated, completely converted into energy for the magic circle. The guildmaster's deep voice resonated: "I wish... that you return to life!" *** Anbaixiu naturally had no idea what was transpiring within the chaotic void, but he was unconcerned, for whatever was meant to happen would happen. Upon returning to the desert, Anbaixiu released Catherine. Seeing the Golden Desert, Catherine exclaimed in surprise, "We're back already? So quickly?" Though Anbaixiu had not frozen her time, less than two hours had passed from entering the City of Alchemy to returning here. Anbaixiu briefly explained the sequence of events, then warned Catherine, "Get ready. Next comes the most critical juncture. We must find Harvey, and when the moment is right, concoct a false prophecy for him." Catherine interjected, "Wait. Since you went back to the City of Alchemy, why didn't you look for Naomi and save her?" "Save her? What kind of joke is that?" Anbaixiu said, bewildered. "But you convinced the guildmaster, so taking Naomi away wouldn't have been a problem, right? If you had rushed over then, you should have been able to reach her before she committed suicide..." Anbaixiu retorted, "Setting aside whether destiny can be altered, if I saved her back then, where would we find a time dragon to send us back into the past?" Catherine countered, "If fate has already arranged it, saving Naomi would surely leave another way to return to the past, wouldn't it? Just as you said before, so long as the Goddess of Fate permits you to save Harvey, it will come to pass regardless of the method you use." Anbaixiu sneered. "What do you take fate for? Some lazy patch tossed in by a hack novelist when they realize the plot doesn't make sense?" Seeing that Catherine still looked completely mystified, Anbaixiu did not explain further. Instead, he scooped up a handful of sand from the ground and handed it to her. "Do an experiment and you'll understand. Here, take this sand. Grip it in your hand, stash it in a pouch, do whatever you like. See that city over there? Harvey should be in there. If you can carry this sand into the city, I'll grant whatever request you make." Catherine had no idea what he was getting at, but the offer was unimaginably tempting. "Are you serious? Any request at all?" Catherine asked. "Yes. Even if it's demanding that I give you money," Anbaixiu said resolutely. *That* was truly proof of immense resolve. Catherine hurriedly said, "Then it's a deal!" "Indeed, a deal." Having said this, Anbaixiu traced several bizarre arcs in the air with his hands and told Catherine, "Go on. Enter the city. As long as you bring the sand inside, you win." Catherine quickly tucked the sand into her magical pouch. This was surely foolproof. With the sand stowed away, she flew resolutely toward the desert city. Meanwhile, Anbaixiu floated leisurely above the desert sands, trailing far behind Catherine. Before long, Catherine arrived before the city gates. She hesitated for a moment, unsure whether flying straight over or passing through the gates was the better option. The city wall was not high; one quick leap over it, and that detestable lich would lose. However, just as Catherine prepared to fly over the wall, lizardfolk soldiers below spotted her in midair. A piercing blare rang out. Brilliant magical glows immediately flared across the ramparts as magitech cannons rose one after another, training their barrels directly on Catherine. "Flying is prohibited in Sweetdew City! Land immediately for inspection! Warning: land immediately for inspection, or we will open fire!" Looking at the glowing barrels beginning to charge, Catherine had no choice but to land meekly. Lizardfolk soldiers encircled her, leveling their spears at her. Although most of the lizardfolk were dazzled into a daze by Catherine's enchanting beauty upon laying eyes on her, one steadfast soldier tightened his grip on his spear and barked, "State your identity and purpose! Surrender all your belongings for inspection!" Catherine froze. *They want to inspect personal belongings too?* Subconsciously, Catherine clutched her magical pouch—a gesture that unquestionably drew the lizardman's attention. "Elf lady, please hand over your belongings!" Though his heart shrank ten thousand times from acting against this gorgeous elf, duty demanded a thorough search. Only then did Anbaixiu arrive at his leisure. Seeing Catherine surrounded, he merely flashed her a grin and strolled into the city on his own. A few minutes later, bundled up tight from head to toe, a crestfallen Catherine found Anbaixiu drinking in a tavern. Catherine said sullenly, "You win! When they inspected my things, they dumped everything out of my pouch, and the sand got mixed in with the desert sand on the ground. But I don't accept it! If I had just entered normally through the gates from the start, I would have won!" Smiling, Anbaixiu held out his drink to Catherine. "You don't accept it? Then let's go again. Take this cup. Bring it out of the city, and you win."