Chapter 317: Escape from the Desert 21

The card was called Sand Table Simulation, and it was a three-star card.

"This card can create a complete simulation of our environment and map out the optimal route based on my needs."

As he spoke, the man activated the card, and a sand table materialized in front of them.

Thankfully, Perry Yates had already put up a barrier. Otherwise, the sudden appearance of such a large sand table would have undoubtedly drawn a lot of attention.

After all, the crowd wasn’t just full of natives; there were other players hiding among them, too.

The terrain of the desert quickly took shape on the sand table.

"This is our current location, and our destination is over here."

Perry Yates looked where the man was pointing. It was a stretch of rocky desert, somewhat similar to the town they had passed through earlier, but much larger.

Then, two dotted lines appeared on the sand table—one red and one green.

"The green line is the optimal route the simulation has calculated, while the red line is the path we’re currently on."

Perry Yates studied the two dotted lines carefully.

’If what he’s saying is true, then we’ve really gone off course... but...’

"Even if we’ve deviated, we can still reach our destination by following this path, right?" Perry Yates asked earnestly.

"True, but if we take this route, we’ll have to cross a stretch of flowing sand. It’s even more terrifying than quicksand."

Perry Yates fell into a contemplative silence after hearing the man’s explanation.

’If he’s telling the truth, then I really can’t follow the main group anymore.’

"I have one more question."

Hearing Perry Yates’s question, the man instantly puffed out his chest. "What is it?"

"Why choose to partner with me?"

At her words, the man scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. "To be honest, it’s so I can have an easier time from now on. I only reached the Oasis yesterday. I noticed your Safe House when I was crossing a patch of desert."

With that, the man pointed to his own eyes. "My eyes can see things ordinary people can’t."

"My only Space Card is a three-star, and I couldn’t bring it in with me. The system inventory is locked, and I’ve used up almost all my supplies on the way here. That’s why I want to work with you. I’ll provide a safe route, and you’ll cover my food and drink for the journey. Of course, I’ll also split any cards we find along the way with you."

Perry Yates hadn’t expected his reasons for wanting to partner up to be so... straightforward. ’How refreshingly unpretentious.’

The man could have just robbed other people for supplies, but considering he had no storage and no camel, he’d have to carry everything himself even if he succeeded. That would be exhausting and would slow him down.

So, after wrestling with the idea for a while, he decided to latch onto a powerful backer.

And the person in front of him clearly didn’t look like someone who was short on supplies.

"Alright," Perry Yates said with a nod.

’I’ve already memorized the route, but this is the desert. It’s easy to get lost if you’re not careful. Of course, the most important thing is still the cards.’

’Other than the one the camel brought back yesterday, I haven’t seen a single card on this whole trip.’

"A pleasure to work with you." Perry Yates extended her hand and introduced herself. "I’m Perry Yates."

Seeing this, the man excitedly grasped her outstretched hand. "Victor."

Once they’d confirmed their partnership, Perry Yates didn’t hold back. She immediately took out enough food for two, gave one portion to Victor, and even provided fruit for dessert afterward.

Victor was so moved that his eyes welled up with tears. God only knew what he had been through these past few days.

He had finally managed to reach an Oasis, only to find it completely deserted—and without a drop of water. He hadn’t even had a chance to restock.

He was carrying plenty of Gold, but there was nowhere to spend it.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Victor somehow procured a camel, and the two of them quietly slipped away from the main group.

On the road, Victor demonstrated his ability to Perry Yates.

His normally black eyes suddenly turned a brilliant blue, scanning the sand-covered ground like an X-ray.

"Found one."

Victor dismounted from the camel, walked over to a specific spot, and squatted down to dig.

Once he had cleared away the surrounding sand, a yellow card appeared.

"So the cards are hidden in the sand?" Perry Yates asked, surprised.

Victor expertly picked up the card, wiped the dust off on his clothes, and said with a smile, "We got lucky this time. It’s a one-star card."

He handed the card to Perry Yates. His movements were fluid, without a hint of reluctance.

Perry Yates didn’t stand on ceremony either, taking the card directly.

The face of the card showed a pile of yellow sand—no, it was gold dust.

"This card should sell for a good bit of money back in the real world," Victor said, climbing back onto his camel.

"Are you talking about the gold dust or the card itself?"

"Both."

It was common knowledge that one-star cards were reusable, but that wasn’t true for all of them—like this one, for instance.

The gold dust it produced was real, but once you used it all, it was gone for good.

After that, as if to prove his usefulness, Victor acted like a human scanner, constantly searching the desert for any trace of cards.

It was only then that Perry Yates realized just how much she had been missing.

She learned from Victor that the cards found in the desert during the day were different from those that appeared at night.

The daytime cards were mostly related to sand and gold, while the nighttime cards featured cacti and other desert plants.

"It’s a shame these plants aren’t edible."

The two of them traveled in fits and starts. Finally, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, the temperature plummeted.

A cold wind swept past, making the two of them, who had been sweltering just moments before, shiver.

Perry Yates brought out her Safe House, and Victor came over with his haul for the day.

Victor’s eyes lit up the moment he saw the Safe House. "I only caught a glimpse before. I never thought this Safe House would be so beautiful! It even has a small courtyard."

Their two camels were tethered in the courtyard, munching on grass. For dinner, they had sand potatoes, roasted meat, and fruit.

Victor picked up his food and began to wolf it down.

"By the way, what star level is this Safe House of yours? It seems really high-class. I heard a while back that a Croupier held an auction where a lot of Advanced Cards showed up. It’s a shame I was stuck in a game at the time and couldn’t go."

As he said this, his voice was filled with regret.