Chapter 394 – Punk Entering the Great Desert

“The desert… This must be the Raging Wave Desert. They say this desert ranks among the top fifty largest deserts in the Faerûn Plane. Looking out, it truly is magnificent.”

Passing through the last stretch of jungle where the Raging Wave Desert met the Hoth Mountains, an ocean of sand finally unfolded before Punk. It was early morning, with sunlight slanting across the golden dunes. Under the sun’s rays, the undulating sand dunes in the distance truly resembled waves about to crash ashore—a feature that lived up to the desert’s “Raging Wave” name.

Feeling the noticeably scorching sun now unobstructed by the jungle, Punk tugged his hood down in displeasure. Unconsciously, the year’s winter season had passed once again, giving way to the warming “Sprouting Season.” During this time, due to earth element’s affinity for absorbing fire element and accumulating heat, the temperature in deserts—permeated with abundant earth element—was not to be underestimated.

However… this was a good thing for Punk, as it meant Ovakain would be in a difficult situation.

Sensing Ovakain’s presence through the “Soul Mark,” Punk narrowed his eyes in silence.

During the eruption of the Sleeping Dragon Volcano, the terrifying elemental turbulence was far beyond what ordinary master-level magic items could withstand. Even the black dragon himself had nearly perished in the crater, let alone his less durable storage equipment.

Punk could now rationally conclude—Ovakain had lost most of his magic items except for Legendary Equipment. No matter how much he had stored in his Storage Ring, Ovakain was now a mage poorer than Ben Lajie. Needing to flee urgently, the black dragon wouldn’t dare return to his Mage Tower for supplies. Thus, Ovakain likely had very few resources left. As a dragon, even Ovakain couldn’t go too long without food or water. Well aware of this, Punk wasn’t overly anxious, firmly believing that Ovakain—with such severe injuries—couldn’t possibly cast spells to travel swiftly.

But lack of worry didn’t mean Punk would slow his pace. Maintaining extreme vigilance toward this black dragon, he didn’t dare relax even slightly:

“As the saying goes, ‘Long nights invite many dreams.’ No matter how destitute, Ovakain is still a bona fide peak Master-Level Caster at level 19. Best to catch up quickly.”

With this thought, Punk swiftly cast another layer of “Super Swiftness” on himself and pressed on into the desert, braving the blowing sand without pause.

Unlike Ovakain’s stumbling escape, Punk’s pursuit was far more relaxed and effortless. Though he had to frequently use Divination Spells to track Ovakain’s location—draining his mana at an unprecedented rate—and maintaining “Super Swiftness” for long periods was also a major mana drain, forcing Punk to rest for a few minutes every three hours of continuous pursuit… at least he was eating and drinking well, thanks to the abundance of delicacies from Ben Lajie’s Storage Ring.As noon arrived, Mila and Chikasa once again began to suffer under the desert’s scorching heat. The sand grains that had been cool in the early morning now grew warm. Walking across this blazing desert, all one could see was sand, sand, and more sand. After traveling for so long, Punk couldn’t help but grow irritable.

Sitting down on a rock protruding from the ground, Punk took out a fresh juice from his Storage Ring and drank. He had no need to conserve water resources whatsoever. The coffee, alcohol, and juices stored in the ring by Ben Lajie were practically limitless—enough supplies to sustain several ordinary people in the desert for three to five years.

Of course, for Punk, who commanded a vast arsenal of spells, an abundance of ordinary supplies was nothing to rejoice over. At times like this, when he had no choice but to rest and recover his mana, a deep sense of worry would resurface in his heart:

“Ovakain set off about five days ahead of me, but logically, given his condition, he shouldn’t be able to move quickly. Yet, after all this time, although the distance to the ‘Soul Mark’ has shortened, Ovakain is, after all, one level higher than me. The ‘general direction’ provided by the ‘Soul Mark’ is far too vague. Master-Level Divination Spells are unlikely to have much effect on a level nineteen Archmage. Moreover, Ovakain can evade me by sensing my location… It’s entirely possible that I might overshoot by a great distance and not realize it for a long time… This is so inefficient!”

Casually tossing the half-finished juice onto the ground, Punk irritably rubbed his temples with his fingers. Complaining was one thing, but the troublesome pursuit had to continue. Besides, Ovakain was no fool. Once he regained some mobility, he would undoubtedly keep changing his route to evade pursuit. By then, capturing this cunning black dragon would become exponentially more difficult. For now, all Punk could do was close the distance bit by bit…

Still… although the situation was somewhat tricky, Punk remained confident about catching up to Ovakain. After all, he was the pursuer. Following the battle in the Hoth Mountains, Punk was not only in peak condition but had also significantly improved his strength. With no further concerns about Anya’s side, he had full confidence in his ability to “smoothly” outlast Ovakain.

As long as he persisted in the search, barring any unforeseen circumstances… Ovakain, marked with the “Soul Mark,” would have nowhere to hide.

Of course, the premise for a smooth pursuit remained the same—no surprises.

————————Break——————

The desert scenery was monotonous, yet it teemed with a variety of life. Creatures perpetually on the brink of thirst and starvation never missed an opportunity to replenish their water. Soon after Punk discarded the juice on the ground, a small, rabbit-like creature emerged from the sand.

“Huh? A desert rat-rabbit. Do such little animals still exist at the edge of this desert?”

Watching the rat-rabbit’s tiny nose poke out from the dune, sniffing around, Punk couldn’t help but feel somewhat amused. Though this cautious little creature had sharp instincts and was adept at hiding and fleeing, it was still lured out of its burrow by a mere splash of juice—something utterly insignificant to Punk.Before the sand rat could burrow out, Punk yanked the small creature straight from the sandy soil.

Sand rats were utterly adorable little creatures. Their pink noses twitched intermittently in the air, enormous ears swayed gently in the breeze, and four fluffy paws scrambled frantically beneath their bellies. In this lifeless desert, such a little fellow inexplicably infused the boundless wasteland with a touch of vitality and energy.

“After all this rushing around with nothing but annoyances, catching such a rare little animal at least adds some amusement.”

Lifting the sand rat higher, Punk watched as the acrophobic creature curled into a fluffy ball. Having subsisted on dry rations for so long, he suddenly recalled that “Rock Rabbit Creek specialty stew” Kangkai had once prepared.

“Stew… not bad. There are plenty of spices and seasonings left in the Benlajie Ring. Perfect for making another delicious meal. Tonight’s dinner shall feature this sand rat as the main ingredient.”

Releasing a minor Mage Hand to grasp the fresh, lively sand rat, Punk once again embarked on his pursuit. Perhaps from spending too much time with that fellow Ben Lajie, or perhaps because the military rations invented by the Netherese Civilization had finally become too unpalatable even for Punk to endure, he now found himself entirely unopposed to indulging in fine cuisine during his leisure moments.

The great desert hunt begins. Seeking votes, mwah~

(End of Chapter)