Chapter 299: Escape the Desert 3

After picking some wild fruit, Perry Yates glanced at the sky. She wouldn’t get far if she left now, so she decided it was better to rest here for the night. She found a spot a good distance from the other people, planning to stay there before leaving in the morning.

’Since there are people here, I can’t take out the Safe House. It’s too big of a target.’ Fortunately, there were plenty of thickets around.

Perry decided to rough it in the thickets for the night.

As the sun set, the temperature began to drop. In the distance, the other people lit a bonfire.

Perry glanced over but paid it no mind.

However, just as she turned to look away, she suddenly spotted two or three points of light in the pitch-black night.

Perry narrowed her eyes. She quickly realized they weren’t just points of light—they were people with torches, and they were headed this way.

Following them were dozens of others, each balancing a jar on their head.

They moved with surprising speed. Though they were barefoot, the desert sand didn’t seem to slow their advance in the slightest.

Half an hour later, they entered the Oasis and headed straight for the water source.

As they passed the thicket where Perry was hiding, they didn’t seem to notice her.

Perry watched them pass. Their skin was dark, their bodies gaunt, and their limbs long. Despite their lean frames, she got an inexplicable sense that they were brimming with power.

When she noticed their sharp nails and teeth, her suspicion was confirmed. ’These natives are not to be trifled with.’

Sure enough, not long after they passed, angry roars erupted from the direction of the water source, followed by the sounds of a fight.

The sounds lasted for only a few minutes before stopping.

About an hour later, the natives passed by her again. The three torchbearers led the way as before, with the others following. This time, the jars on their heads were heavy, clearly filled with water.

At the very end of the procession, they dragged the players—whether they were dead or alive was impossible to tell.

Perry had no intention of trying to save them. After watching the players get dragged away, she simply noted the direction they went. Conveniently, it was the same direction she was headed.

「On the third day of the game.」 Perry set out again.

After walking all morning, a Scourland Town suddenly appeared in her line of sight.

Her first thought was of the natives from the previous night.

But she quickly dismissed the idea.

The attire of the people in town wasn’t just a little different from the group she’d seen yesterday—it was completely dissimilar. Their skin tone and features were also vastly different; one could easily believe they were two entirely separate peoples.

As she drew closer, Perry was surprised to see that the locals raised a large number of camels. Furthermore, for a town built in the middle of nowhere—dominated by a palette of earthen yellow—it was surprisingly bustling.

The sounds of animals and the calls of vendors filled the small town with life.

Because of the weather, most of the residents were bundled up from head to toe to avoid sunburn. This made Perry, with her practical outfit and simple sun hat, stick out like a sore thumb.

Perry wasn’t bothered by the frequent stares and ignored them completely. Her attention was fixed on the sturdy-looking camels.

It was the only means of transport in the desert. Having a camel to help her on her journey would save a significant amount of time.

Perry scanned her surroundings. The streets were lined with what looked like merchants, each with several camels. Just as she was debating whether to approach one and ask about prices, a strangely attired person with their head wrapped in white cloth started walking toward her.

"Player."

The stranger didn’t waste any words, getting straight to the point.

Perry didn’t play dumb. It was too obvious; denying it would only make her more suspicious.

"You’re heading to the Oasis, too?"

Perry nodded again.

’So, they know about the Oasis, too?’

’It seems they arrived here long before I did.’

The person led Perry to a wonton stall where five others were already gathered. Counting the one who found her, that made six people.

They were all bundled up, but based on their builds, it looked like a group of three men and three women.

"Why’d you bring another one?" one of them asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

The woman who had brought Perry over plopped down into a seat. "There’s strength in numbers," she said. "What’s wrong with one more? An extra person can help shoulder the costs."

With that, the woman looked at Perry and introduced herself. "My name is Yara North. Before you got here, we were discussing renting a camel caravan to get to the Oasis."

"Renting a whole caravan? That must be expensive," Perry said. Her original plan had been to just rent a single camel and go by herself.

Hearing this, Yara North explained, "The camels are the most valuable assets these people have. They won’t rent them out to us individually.

Besides, if we go on our own, we risk getting lost. The caravan masters know this route perfectly and guarantee they’ll get us to our destination in ten days. It’s just a bit pricier."

"’A bit pricier?’" Perry asked cautiously. "How much is that, exactly?"

"We’ve done the math. If the seven of us split the cost, it’s actually not that much per person. Plus, we’re not leaving right away, but the day after tomorrow. I’m going to keep looking for more people to join us in the meantime."

Perry nodded, looking relieved.

"Can I ask why we’re leaving the day after tomorrow?"

Another man spoke up. "Because the caravan we’re dealing with needs a day to gather supplies. We have to wait for them."

Perry nodded. After they agreed on a departure time and the next meeting spot, she excused herself from the group, saying she also needed to buy some supplies.

***

「2:30 PM.」

Perry changed into a local’s attire. Now, she no longer attracted any attention as she walked down the street.