Chapter 709 Arrival
After the convoy disappeared over the horizon, Erik remained kept going forward. He had many thoughts in mind.
"Could there be a threat to the city?" His gaze glancing back to the spot where the convoy had vanished. "Or perhaps a lucrative job that's drawn them out here?" The possibilities were endless, and without more information, he could only guess. He sighed.
Erik grabbed his radio, urgency etched on his face. He adjusted the dial, attempting to establish a connection with Noah and the other clones.
His fingers worked swiftly, rotating the knob back and forth, seeking a clear signal. Static crackled through the speaker with each twist, a cacophony of white noise filling the air.
He pressed the device closer to his ear, listening for any sign of a response. He called out into the radio, his voice tinged with concern, "Noah, can you hear me? Respond, please." Silence hung heavy on the other end, the usual buzz of communication eerily absent.
Erik's brow furrowed in frustration and worry. He tapped the radio, hoping to coax it into life, his actions growing more frantic with each passing second. The lack of response from Noah and the clones was unsettling, leaving Erik with a growing sense of unease about their welfare.
He continued to try different frequencies, his persistence undeterred by the silence. Each attempt was met with the same lack of success, the silence from the radio speaking volumes about the situation at hand.
"Fuck… Something is really going on back in the city…"
Despite the circumstances, he found himself in a situation where he had no control, and if he were to return to the city, it would only result in squandering a valuable opportunity.
Considering all the effort he put into securing his freedom for the sole purpose of being able to go training, it would be such a shame to let this opportunity slip away, unused.
"Speculations won't get me anywhere. I'll find out what's going on in Testrovsc's Rest as soon as I get back."
"But for now," he said, his breath forming small clouds in the cold air as he picked up speed, "I have my own things to do."
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After half a day of relentless travel, Erik finally reached the outskirts of the White Desert. The transition from the sparse vegetation to the vast expanse of white sand was abrupt. The sand dunes, as white as snow, stretched out as far as the eye could see, undulating like waves frozen in time.
"I'm finally back here." He stood at the edge of the first dune, his eyes scanning the horizon.
The desert stretched out before him, a vast expanse of endless dunes and shimmering heat.
Its beauty lay in the unyielding terrain, where the golden sands met the azure sky in a seamless horizon.
The sun blazed overhead, casting deep shadows in the hollows of the dunes.
Yet, for all its mesmerizing beauty, the desert was a ruthless environment. The scorching heat during the day could sap the strength of even the hardiest traveler, while the nights brought a biting cold that crept into the bones. The air was dry, leaving a persistent thirst that was hard to quench.
Mirages shimmered on the horizon, teasing with illusions of water that were never there. The desert was a place of survival, where every drop of water was precious, and every step was a calculation against the unyielding elements.
Erik brought with him rations, but also seeds, so that he could at least eat some vegetables.
His Plant Master brain crystal power was of such magnitude that it had a profound influence on everything around him, and he had no concerns about lacking food. The problem was finding a shelter.
Since he had been here before, he already knew that there were none available. No cave, no rock formation, no nothing. In addition, it was risky to stay on the sand, especially during his sleep, as there was always the possibility of being ambushed.
The system would warn him, but if the Thaid attacked him was strong, or worse, flying, he could put his life at risk. He was not deterred by this setback and came up with a straightforward solution.
He brought along seeds that possessed the remarkable ability to survive in desert environments, and he intended to use them in building a shelter.
He looked up at the sky, the clear blue expanse dotted with the silhouettes of flying Thaids.
They were a common sight in this part of the world, their presence a constant reminder of how insignificant were humans in this monster-laden world.
"Seems like they're waiting for me," Erik said with a wry smile, his gaze fixed on the circling Thaids. He knew all too well how dangerous they could be. His previous encounters with them had been challenging, to say the least.
As he stepped onto the white sand, it shifted beneath his weight. The desert was a harsh mistress, its beauty hiding deadly threats. Erik knew he would have to tread carefully.
"Same old White Desert." He looked at the sky again, then at the sand. "Let's get to work…"
Wasting no time, Erik got straight to work. He had something in mind that he wanted to do, and it would serve two purposes at once: providing shelter and attracting Thaids.
With the second, the monsters would go to him, and he would have nothing to do, aside from killing.
However, he still needed to tread carefully. Who knew what monsters roamed around that no one knew about and that could be hard to kill?
Besides, he was well aware of his shortcomings when it came to mana and thaids with ranged brain crystal powers were still very dangerous.
"I need to level up." His gaze fixed on the circling Thaids in the distant sky. "The more mana I get, the better chance I stand against those with elemental and ranged powers later."
Though his main reason for being there was to train, he had other motives as well. Besides his primary goal, he was also on a mission to find the Thaid, who had destroyed the cargo plane he had been assigned to locate previously.
The reason behind his actions was not solely driven by his desire for the brain crystal power, but also by his intention to neutralize a potential threat or gather valuable information about it.
With a deliberate motion, Erik extended his hand towards his pocket, skillfully retrieving a small seed from within.
At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but he was well-informed and knew otherwise. He tossed it onto the ground, watching as it disappeared into the white sand. The start of his plan began at this point.
"Time to make some noise." A determined look appeared in his eyes. Thaids had a reputation for being unable to resist the lure of a commotion, and he knew this well.
The greater the chaos, the stronger their attraction to him would become, and he was planning on changing the landscape.
Erik, having that thought in mind, focused and channeled his mana through the neural links, redirecting it towards his Plant Master Brain crystal power.
While he focused on channeling his mana, an intense surge of energy flowed through his body, establishing a deep connection between him and the seed he had recently sown.
His senses were attuned to the pulsating life force and boundless potential for growth that it possessed. It was a unique sensation, one that reminded him of his connection with these living beings.
"This should get their attention." A hint of amusement was in his voice. He had the awareness that his planned actions would not only attract the Thaids, but also result in a remarkable spectacle within the human world.
The moment Erik redirected his mana, he witnessed a remarkable reaction from the seed hidden beneath the glistening white sand. It was as though a spark had been ignited, a spark that was exploding into a roaring flame.
At first, the seed quivered with anticipation before erupting from the ground, transforming into a small sprout that grew at a rate never seen before. Erik was pouring all the mana he got into that seed.
As Erik looked on with great fascination, he witnessed the sprout progressively growing thicker, eventually developing into a robust trunk with bark that matched the pure white hue of the sand that surrounded it.
The synchronization of his own heartbeat with the pulsating life force of the tree was a testament to the deep connection they shared.
As time went on, the trunk of the tree grew taller and thicker, with its girth expanding at a rapid pace. The branches of the tree emerged from it, extending in various directions, resembling the massive arms of a colossal creature.
The branches, which were thick and sturdy, had the capacity to support the weight of multiple grown men, but they quickly became capable of holding more, of holding giants.
As Erik watched, the tree continued to grow, its height increasing by leaps and bounds.
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