IRM Chapter 47

In the center of the Fren Desert.

Wave after wave of travelers appeared under the scorching sun, with rising heat and fine sand making the air shimmer and distorting their vision.

It was only seven o’clock in the morning, but the temperature in the desert had already reached a level that even warriors could barely endure.

Bard took off his hat and fanned himself with it to dispel the sudden stuffiness. “It really hasn’t changed at all. Hey, little guy...cough cough, Ji Chi, it’ll take some time to get to the underground city from here. Are you sure you can handle it?”

He put his hat back on his head to shield himself from the sun, but when he glanced sideways, all his doubts suddenly became unvoiceable.

The Eastern youth was standing on the sand dune where the teleportation array was located, gazing into the distance. The gray, dusty winds seemed to consciously avoid him, and the blazing sunlight appeared particularly gentle as it fell upon him.

In such harsh conditions, his shirt collar remained snow-white and crisp, and his face under the hood remained refreshed and calm.

His dark eyes turned toward Bard, as if he hadn’t heard clearly what was just said, looking at him with a questioning expression. “Hmm?”

Bard pulled his hat brim down to cover his exposed skin and the uncomfortable expression on his face. “Never mind, it’s nothing…”

He straightened his cooling jacket and walked forward against the wind and sand with his head down. Confusion flashed through his mind countless times – this was the first time in hundreds of years that he had felt somewhat fearful of a young person… The last time he had experienced such emotion was when he glimpsed the remnant shadow of the Forging God.

The remote center of the desert should have been sparsely populated, but the area around the teleportation array was quite lively. Not only were there travelers from afar, but also coachmen who tamed desert giant lizards to provide transportation services for travelers.

Bard seemed to have prepared everything in advance and walked toward the southwest of the teleportation array without hesitation.

In that corner, an inconspicuous man in black was sitting cross-legged on a giant lizard, casually tossing small pieces of dried meat forward while resting his chin on his hand, watching the giant lizard shake its head trying to catch them.

The man and lizard hid in the shadow of the sandstone. Many travelers hurried past nearby, but not one noticed him.

The man seemed to be swallowed by the shadows, silently melding into the darkness.

“Tang, I’m here.” Bard slightly lifted his hat, revealing his deeply wrinkled face. After all, he was advanced in years, and walking such a short distance under the blazing sun had already shown some signs of fatigue.

The man in black named Tang turned to see them and jumped down from the giant lizard with agile ease, supporting himself with one hand. He walked into the sunlight and pulled down the face cloth that covered most of his face. “Yo~ Master Borg, you’re finally here! I remembered the time wrong and thought you’d arrive at six, so I waited for over an hour. During that time, I almost mistook several dwarves for you, and I also…”

Bard raised his hand dizzily to stop him from continuing, saying weakly, “How long have you been doing missions again…”

Tang patted his head and laughed heartily. “Am I babbling again? Sorry, sorry. Last mission I was in stealth for three whole months without being able to speak – it was truly a nightmare… Too bad the lord who hired me thought my mission was easy and refused to pay. Later, when I grabbed him and talked for over ten days, he couldn’t stand it and died by crashing into a stone pillar. How funny, haha!”

After Tang finished his chatter, he didn’t mind that no one was responding. He looked up and shifted his gaze to Ji Chi.

Only then did Ji Chi see Tang’s appearance clearly.

He was very young, appearing to be only in his twenties, and surprisingly also had black hair and black eyes, though his features leaned more toward the deep-set characteristics of Westerners. When he slightly narrowed his eyes, he looked like a black panther lurking in the bushes, ready to strike.

Tang quickly scanned and marked several weak points on Ji Chi’s body – all unguarded areas that would be fatal with one strike. He raised an eyebrow slightly. “This is the mascot you brought? Hmm… A little mage from the East, quite cute, like a little kitten~”

Ji Chi looked down at Bard. “Mascot?”

Bard pretended not to hear and coughed, introducing to Ji Chi. “This is Tang. He’s an excellent rogue, and he’ll ensure our safety along the way.”

Ji Chi blinked. “Isn’t it supposed to be me protecting your safety?”

Bard obviously hadn’t heard about the rumors from the Magic Academy yet. He rather disdainfully stole a glance at Ji Chi’s small frame and coughed again. “Tang is the chief mercenary of ‘Nidhogg.’ He’s very powerful…”

“Nidhogg” was a mercenary organization on the Demon Sword Continent, also the name of a legendary dragon. Both symbolized unparalleled power.

Ji Chi tilted his head. “So I’m here for the bidding auction?”

Bard felt inexplicably guilty and coughed again. “I have prepared enough gold coins…”

Ji Chi crossed his arms and brought the topic back. “So what am I here for? To be a mascot?”

Seeing he couldn’t hide it anymore, Bard sighed and said, “Yes… that was my original purpose in finding you. You might not know a saying that circulates among engineers – only those favored by the Forging God can possess legendary items.”

Bard looked at him seriously. “Whether you believe it or not, there’s an attraction between legendary items. Mysteriously, they will guide those favored by the gods to find lost legends. We both have legendary items on us, which will greatly improve our luck in finding the components.”

Ji Chi chuckled. “Then I’m really getting a good deal – I don’t need to do anything and can still obtain the promise of a master engineer.”

Bard couldn’t tell whether he was happy or unhappy about this.

In the past, he would never have given a “mascot” a pleasant face, but ever since he discovered this thing was practically a treasure magnet, Master Borg had also surrendered to money.

Tang stepped forward and put his arm around Ji Chi’s shoulder familiarly. “Hey! Little guy, do you know who has the most important role in a mercenary team? That’s right! The mascot! So you just need to be cute and adorable, and of course, chat with me anytime – that would be the best!”

“Fine.” Ji Chi – the mascot – looked at them and raised the corner of his mouth. He felt this mission was starting to become interesting.

Ji Chi smiled as he looked at the two who were truly mascots in the real sense, and cutely sat on the sled behind the giant lizard.

Desert giant lizards were creatures that ran year-round in the Fren Desert. They had gentle temperaments and extremely fast movement on sand, making them the most excellent mounts in the desert after being domesticated.

The giant lizard Tang controlled was in very good condition, with strong limbs and agile movements. While running rapidly through the desert, it could still maintain the stability of the sled behind it.

The sun rose higher and higher, and the desert temperature climbed sharply. Sweat flowed down Bard’s face like a stream to his chin. He continuously sipped from the water pouch in his hand, but his lips still cracked and peeled severely.

Tang sat on the giant lizard controlling the direction. His endurance was much better than Bard’s, but he was also wilted by the sun and couldn’t even speak nonsense anymore.

Tang turned back to look at Ji Chi, who was still clean and fair, and couldn’t help but poke his face. “Are you a real person?”

Ji Chi slapped his hand away and looked at him coolly. “No, I’m a mascot.”

“Hahaha!” Tang was amused. “Well then, mascot, it’s time for you to start working. Welcome to the dwarven city-state~”

After the giant lizard climbed over a towering sand dune, what lay ahead was no longer the unchanging reddish-yellow sand. A lush desert oasis appeared directly in front, and just looking at it brought a refreshing coolness to the travelers’ hearts.

This oasis was crescent-shaped, surrounding a clear, blue lake in the middle. At the other end of the crescent were sheds built with hard rock, with many figures moving about inside and quite a few giant lizards resting nearby.

Ji Chi had been in a good mood, but as they got closer to those sheds, he discovered something was wrong.

All those bustling figures were laboring under the blazing sun. They wore the most tattered clothes, hunched their backs, and carried baskets of ore from distant mines all the way to the sheds.

Along the way, many people knelt on the ground gasping because they couldn’t endure the high temperature. At such times, a supervising dwarf nearby with a strange instrument would harshly beat them with the device.

These instruments didn’t leave wounds when they struck exposed skin, but those who were hit rolled on the ground wailing continuously, their screams carrying far across the empty desert.

Bard also saw this scene. A flash of anger first appeared in his eyes, then turned into deep helplessness. He sighed softly and turned his head away, unwilling to look anymore.

Ji Chi watched that scene with an unchanged expression and asked, “Are those all slaves?”

Tang seemed long accustomed to such scenes. He looked straight ahead, but his tone turned cold. “Not necessarily. There are slaves and also common people, but there’s no difference really – they’re all just desperately trying to stay alive.”

This was just a small episode on the road. They quickly passed the stone sheds and came to a more spacious and grand area.

It was a square paved with granite. In the center of the square stood a tall, magnificent stone gate carved with ancient totems. The gate remained open, with a row of well-equipped guards standing on both sides.

Bard got down from the sled and walked toward the gate carrying his leather case.

Before the guards came to intercept him, he lifted his cooling jacket first, revealing an ancient, gold-embossed badge underneath, carved with a hand holding a seven-pointed star – a symbol of the highest honor among engineers.

The guard was startled and immediately put his weapon behind him. He bowed deeply to Bard. “Welcome back to the city, Master Borg.”

Beyond the gate was a broad stairway leading straight down. At the bottom of the stairs, countless bright flames from burning ore illuminated the entire magnificent underground structure like suns.

On both sides of the flat streets, buildings, markets, and facilities were no different from any prosperous nation above ground.

The only difference was that the constant clanging of metalwork was the main melody of this city.

Bard looked at this scenery with nostalgia and walked into the cool, comfortable underground city, taking off his sand-covered jacket.

Tang left the giant lizard at a specialized animal pen and leisurely caught up, smiling at Ji Chi. “Little cutie, remember to stay close, okay? It would be troublesome if you got lost.”

As Tang spoke, he stepped into the shadows. The moment his tall figure disappeared into the darkness, he was like a drop of ink spreading across the night sky, making it difficult to notice his traces anymore.

However, Ji Chi looked up and gazed accurately in Tang’s direction, smiling slightly. “Don’t worry, how could a mascot get lost?”

After speaking, he lifted his foot to follow Bard’s steps.

Behind him, Tang looked at Ji Chi’s retreating figure with some surprise, touched his chin, and muttered to himself, “Really sharp… to notice me so quickly, is it coincidence?”

“Eh hey~ Things seem to be getting interesting…”

The dwarven underground city had no distinction between day and night. Time in this eternally lit city was just a string of symbolic numbers.

Ji Chi didn’t like it here much. The underground city was mainly dwarven territory, and all the buildings were constructed to be small and delicate. What might be spacious and comfortable for dwarves seemed rather oppressive to other races.

Just when his patience was about to reach its limit, the auction was finally about to begin.

Bard, dressed in a sharp formal suit, stood in front of a silver mirror by the door, speaking to the mirror and Ji Chi, “The underground city’s auction is held once every five years. It gathers precious ores and materials from all over the continent, and also auctions some top-level artifacts created by masters.”

“Even such a grand auction has never seen a single legendary item appear, so…” Bard sighed and asked him, “Do you know what we’re about to face?”

Ji Chi imagined that scene and couldn’t muster any interest. “A gathering of tycoons?”

Bard looked at him with disappointment. “Isn’t that obvious!”

He became serious and said gravely, “In this place, regardless of your status, when a treasure’s importance far exceeds your own, your life is no longer important.”