Chapter 156: The Wastes [II]

"Several zones? What rank? Blue? Green? Yellow? Or—dare to challenge the Orange rank?"

His eyes gleamed. It was curiosity, provocation, and a desire to see something better.

He wanted to see which tier these two interesting hunters—Sylvia and Logan—were aiming for in the Wastes.

Most hunters only dared to tackle Blue or Green rank. A few tried Yellow rank.

Any higher? Then you’d need to be at least a Silver rank hunter, backed by a guild, with resources to support you and your beast in venturing into such zones.

Besides, Sylvia and Logan needed to think carefully. A Blue rank zone in the Wastes was way unsafe than the Blue rank zones in New Florence or Skull Town.

You think the Wastes is the same just because you’ve conquered the Yellow rank in New Florence? Not at all.

If you survived a Yellow rank Monster Zone in New Florence, a Yellow-ranked Monster Zone in the Wastes can kill you time and time again.

"So, are you here for quantity, picking more low-tier areas? Or quality, fewer areas, but higher tier?" the man with the Monkey-Cat said. "On the map, the more populated areas are this way, to the east. We’ll divide them accordingly. To the left, it’s empty."

"Actually, we only need your help with one thing," Scarlett said. "Take us to Nemo Point. Once we get there, we’ll find our way to the areas we need."

She explained: "Nemo Point is in the center of the Wastes, and also the most isolated place. For hundreds of miles around, there’s nothing. No shelter, no roads, no paths. It’s all dead land on all sides."

"Young lady," the man with the bird began, "did we tell you we don’t know what Nemo Point is? The question is, what the hell are you going there for?"

"Sorry," Scarlett said, pulling out cash, "you... can’t take us there?"

The men exchanged a tense glance.

"Sure, we can."

"Nemo Point is in the heart of the Wastes. It’s not like nobody’s been there. It’s just that it’s dangerous, we can’t hide it from you, Sylvia. Some say that if you stay there long enough, you’ll see a different world. Others say that’s just the insanity getting to your wits. You two, really want to go?"

"Going," Luke and Scarlett answered together.

"OK. That would be fifteen grand."

"Steep. But let’s go." Luke took out his money and paid.

Scarlett also had money, but when Luke paid first, she was stunned. Where had he gotten this much?

**********

In the Wastes, means of transportation is very unique.

Vehicles can’t go that far after the Havens’ gates, so either you need a flying beast that can carry people, or you have to rely on things like sandworms.

Anyone lucky enough to Awaken or Summon a Sandworm-type Beast was set to become a millionaire, because in terrain like this, nothing else came close in usefulness.

An hour later, Luke and Scarlett reached Nemo Point using sandworm-transportation.

Later, Scarlett employed the compass the alchemic cartographer gave her.

The compass vibrates carelessly when in use, but this time, it emanated Aeon stronger than ever before. This meant they had come to the right place.

"Listen, Sylvia and Logan," one of the men said. He was on the Sandworm-type beast’s back. "I admire your courage. Never like any, I respect it. But we’ll be heartbroken if this is the first and last time we meet. Whatever you’re here for, find it, and survive. Earth is short-handed against the Apocalypse. Can’t afford to lose a single summoner."

The other man said, "We’ll come again tonight, and again tomorrow night, to pick you up. We only make this round in two nights."

Luke and Scarlett said their thanks as the sandworm disappeared into the horizon of Nemo Pointz, kicking up a trail of mud and sludge.

Luke looked around and understood why this place was called Nemo Point.

The only thing here was nothing. Nothing at all.

Dead land, flat with no rise or fall, and the sky was murkier.

Also, the ground was more rotten. Occasionally, a bubble would rise in the distance, only to burst, and a smell fills the air with the wind.

One monster lurked nearby. Another, lurking close as well.

Right now, Luke and Scarlett were closer to the moon than to any city!

"Whoosh!"

Amigo summoned himself out and inhaled.

Amigo felt that the air had negative Aeon. Negative Aeon was nourishing nevertheless, but it was unsettling when absorbed.

Meanwhile, Scarlett was troubled by the compass.

The compass worked fine all this while. But the closer they got to the destination, the fuzzier the reading turned, because once close enough, the compass assumes you have arrived, unaware that you are just in the area of the destination, not the destination itself.

"Luke, could you let your tortoise look at the compass and show us where the Origin Realm is?" Scarlett asked.

Luke looked at Amigo and pointed to the compass: "Amigo, can you locate the Origin Realm?"

"Finding the Source Realm? The Compass has already done its job," Amigo said, on all six legs, walking and inspecting the Wastes. "An Origin Realm disturbs its surroundings way worse than any Alpha-Tier Dungeon can. I should be able to feel its pulse, and then just follow it straight there."

Amigo closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and his body glowed.

Then, using Environmental Assimilation, the Heavenly Immortal Tortoise assimilated as far as he could until he had 99,999 monster zones in his awareness.

During assimilation, the Heavenly Immortal Tortoise encountered something different than the other monster zones.

A discord of energy.

It was like a rift leading to another world. That’s why it trembled so violently.

"Master, quick! Use the Olympus Serpent’s ’Rooting Witness’ to pave a path, lest we forget."

FWOOSH!

Luke summoned the Olympus Serpent Bodyplate and did as instructed.

He put his palm on the ground, and then roots exploded from Nemo Point to the rear of the Wastes.

Then, Luke made one root the strongest. It was the one leading to the Origin Realm. Meanwhile, he dismissed the other roots.

Following the root, they slayed monsters along the way.

Scarlett used her flaming sword.

The blade blazed with orange flames, and arcs of fire trailed every time she swung it.

A flying monster came at her erratically and spat something venomous.

Scarlett blocked the venom with her sword, then she cut the monster in two by doing a backslash.

While in the middle of that, a land monster wanted to sneak attack, however, Scarlett showed some remarkable reaction time and cleaved off its arms, and left it bleeding to teach it a lesson.

The earth where the flaming sword passed was baked hot!

Meanwhile, Luke’s spear killed most of the monsters.

These monsters were like paper in their hands.

"This is a good opportunity; perfect for training the Dark Dragon Lord Primordial Twin Forms," Luke thought, so he summoned the Dark Dragon Lord Primordial Twin Forms.

Now, the two dragons were each six feet tall, almost shoulder-high to Luke and Scarlett. They were "eye to eye" with them now.

However, Luke forgot that Scarlett knew that he had a Mythic tortoise, but she didn’t know that he had two Mythic dragons. Thus, the appearance of Bo and Lan left her in so much shock, she may never recover.

"Luke, what’s going on? You have dragons?!" Scarlett asked frantically.

"Yes," Luke replied, "they’re called Bo and Lan. The red one is Bo, the male. The blue one is Lan. Their fire breath matches their colors."

Scarlett swallowed.

One Summoner, three Mythic-Rank Beasts?

A Heavenly Immortal Tortoise— legendarily a bridge between immortals and mortals. And now two Dragonkin on top of that.

How much more was there about Luke that she didn’t know?

Meanwhile, the dragons, Bo and Lan, were very cute in the way they surrounded Luke like he was their father.

Especially Bo. He was like Luke’s bodyguard. Bo had black horns and blood-gold eyes. He was very handsome. His female counterpart, Lan, was elegant and lovely. She liked to hover and circle in the air around Luke.

"Luke, why did you pretend to be weak at the academy?" Scarlett asked sincerely. "You’re not. Adrian, the principal, your father, even my father—everyone should’ve bowed their heads before you. Everything could have been different."

"I never lied, Scarlett," Luke said. "Everyone misunderstands what constitutes strength and weakness. I Awakened a Gauntlet, and nobody bothered to look twice to see what it was actually worth. They just wrote me off as worthless. But this Gauntlet alone lets me punch through bedrock, and with its skills, I can kill anyone and anything instantly. So, unfortunately Scarlett, it’s not my fault that people got the wrong conception of what looks strong to them. It’s not every time it must be flashy.

Scarlett crossed her arms.

"Hey. Is that a jab at me and my Phoenix?"

Luke laughed and came closer and put his arm around her waist.

Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck too, her eyes increasing brightness.