Chapter 58: Section 59: I Will Do My Best to Save Everyone


    The exploration team had barely left the gold mica stone cluster when someone discovered in panic: the scorpion swarm was following them again.


    Hope was dashed.


    It turned out that what Lord Zhenjin had done earlier was correct.


    The young knight sighed inwardly, Cang Xu’s speculation made him anxious, but he appeared calm and collected on the surface.


    “Don’t worry, the scorpions just ate, and we are not on their food list.”


    “The scorpion king will continue to battle with me alone.”


    ...


    “As long as I don’t fall, you all will be safe.”


    Everyone was successfully reassured by Lord Zhenjin.


    The group continued to move through the desert.


    They had to cherish the morning, which was an excellent time to travel.


    Logically speaking, this was just an island.


    There were various terrains on the island, and the desert should not be extensive.


    As long as they maintained a firm direction and kept moving, they could escape this nightmarish land.


    But for those within it, the experience was different.


    Yellow sand, endless yellow sand.


    Dunes, continuously rolling dunes.


    The monotonous scenery could easily make people think they hadn’t traveled far.


    The desert seemed boundless, no matter how much they walked, the end was never in sight.


    Physical strength was quickly depleted; just after the morning, the explorers felt hungry.


    The food was really too scarce.


    Feelings of aimlessness and despair inevitably and uncontrollably sprouted in everyone’s hearts.


    Whenever this happened, the explorers’ eyes would turn to Lord Zhenjin.


    Lord Zhenjin led the way at the very front.


    He was just a youth, not taller than the others.


    But from Lord Zhenjin’s slender back, the explorers drew courage.


    This courage helped them combat the confusion and despair in their hearts.


    The sun rose higher, and the desert’s temperature quickly climbed.


    Sweat began to appear on the explorers’ foreheads. sea??h thё ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    About two to three hours later, the Silver Spear Scorpion suddenly issued a piercing shriek and quickly scuttled the sand beneath its feet, leaving the scorpion swarm and charging towards the exploration team.


    “It’s coming!” The exploration team stirred momentarily, then calmed down again.


    Because Lord Zhenjin was prepared, he immediately stopped and turned, facing the gun scorpion.


    The two parties engaged in fierce combat, just like the day before.


    After a while, the Silver Spear Scorpion voluntarily withdrew from the battle.


    Lord Zhenjin, panting heavily, did not pursue.


    The young knight’s mood grew heavier.


    “Is it my imagination?”


    “I keep feeling that the scorpion’s shell is harder than before.”


    “Is it because my Spider Blade is too worn out, or has the scorpion’s shell thickened after it fed?”


    Lord Zhenjin was increasingly running out of options for dealing with the Silver Spear Scorpion.


    Every slash he made on the scorpion’s shell merely left a white mark.


    And these marks were getting fainter.


    “Unless I mutate and sprout sharp bear claws, with just the weapon in my hand, I’m absolutely no threat to the Silver Spear Scorpion.”


    “Besides, my physical strength is also weakening.”


    Lord Zhenjin could clearly feel this.


    In previous battles with the Silver Spear Scorpion, he was agile and enduring.


    Now, he would be out of breath and weak-limbed after just a short duration of combat.


    These days, Lord Zhenjin hadn’t eaten well or rested properly, he was as worn out as his Spider Blade.


    Humans and fierce creatures like the gun scorpion had inherent differences and weaknesses. Lord Zhenjin’s battle against the Silver Spear Scorpion was a case of attacking the enemy’s strength with his own weakness.


    Fortunately, as the leader of the scorpions, it seemed very cautious. Each time it battled Lord Zhenjin for a while, it seemed to realize it couldn’t defeat him and would then retreat temporarily.


    According to Cang Xu, this was probably the scorpion’s hunting tactic. Each fight weakened Lord Zhenjin a bit; cumulatively, it aimed to exhaust him to the limit, making it difficult for him to burst forth when death loomed.


    This was perhaps a survival tactic of the scorpion swarm when hunting.


    But for Lord Zhenjin, it was a fortunate thing.


    The scorpion’s nature gave him a chance to catch his breath.


    After such encounters occurred four times, the sun rose to its highest point in the sky.


    At noon, the sunlight was fiercely intense.


    The sand beneath their feet steamed with heat, making the explorers feel like fish and shrimp on a hot iron plate.


    Thinking long-term, everyone had to avoid the sunlight, taking a breather in the limited shade provided by the back of a sand dune.


    The scorpion swarm also feared the harsh, scorching sunlight and ceased their attacks.


    As the exploration team members watched, the scorpions brandished their pincers, twisted their bodies, and burrowed deep into the sand.


    This method of escaping the heat was enviable to the team members.


    “Do you think these scorpions might attack us from underground?” someone expressed their concerns.


    “Let them come then. I’m sick of these dreadful days!” someone else said listlessly, sitting on the ground.


    Cang Xu, still maintaining his rationality, analyzed, “Considering the scorpions’ size, if they try to emerge, it would definitely cause a great disturbance. We’ll surely notice it first.”


    “This isn’t their way of hunting.”


    “Think about how they dealt with those green-skinned lizards.”


    The people then relaxed.


    Zi Di began distributing food, which counted as today’s lunch.


    Each person received only a small portion of dry provisions, smaller than half a palm.


    Fortunately, they still had a relatively ample supply of water.


    However, under Cang Xu’s reminder, everyone nearly pursed their lips, taking just two or three small sips before stopping.


    Then they carefully resealed the stoppers and tied their water bags tightly around their waists, cherishing them immensely as if they were the most valuable treasures in the world.


    Among them all, Zhenjin had the most food.


    After all, he consumed the most and was also the greatest guarantee of everyone’s safety.


    Even so, this food was far from enough for Zhenjin.


    The young knight could only eat little by little, as if by doing so, he could give his stomach the illusion that he was eating more.


    During the meal, Zhenjin also quietly observed the team.


    For now, although everyone looked gaunt, exhausted, with cracked lips and lifeless eyes, their mood was still relatively stable.


    Bai Ya’s complexion was the palest. His arm had been broken while fending off a lizard and was now tied up and secured, but the pain continuously tormented the young man.


    The old Scholar Cang Xu was gently tapping his own calves, relaxing his muscles. Truth be told, it was surprising that he had managed to hold on this long with his physique.


    In the end, Zhenjin approached Zi Di.


    “How are you?” he asked softly.


    “I’m fine.” Zi Di shook her head, her Purple Crystal-like eyes filled with resilience.


    She wore a Magic Robe, which theoretically should have regulated her temperature, but on this island, it seemed ineffective at blocking the heat.


    This caused beads of sweat to form on Zi Di’s forehead, her hair dampened by the sweat, sticking together in strands.


    This was not a good sign.


    Excessive sweating could lead to a rapid decline in body water. Over time, a person could die from dehydration.


    A feeling of tenderness and sympathy arose in Zhenjin’s heart; he knew why this was happening.


    Everyone carried water and dry food, but most of the food was concentrated in one place, on Zi Di.


    This burdened Zi Di, increasing her physical exertion as she walked.


    There were many reasons for this.


    While fending off the scorpion swarms, Zhenjin was also wary of those travelling with him.


    Hunger and thirst can be unbearable, and the powerful instinct to survive can drive people to madness, taking reckless risks.


    The storage of food and water sustained this small team, as well as Zhenjin’s authority.


    He didn’t trust others with it. Zi Di was the most trustworthy to him.


    Also, the potions Zi Di possessed had great dissuasive power.


    “Lord Zhenjin, I will not let you down,” Zi Di said, looking at him with concerned eyes.


    The girl was clever.


    She knew that when they had traveled together before, Zhenjin had carried most of the luggage.


    But now that he had entrusted these things to her, it was evident that the battle with the Silver Spear Scorpions had exhausted him greatly.


    “I’m fine, I can still endure,” Zhenjin smiled, his voice slightly elevated, “Don’t forget my strength, you all will fall before I do. I will be the last one to fall.”


    Hearing this, everyone naturally felt assured.


    But just then, a member of the exploration team suddenly collapsed on the ground and did not get up again.


    Everyone was alarmed and hurriedly checked.


    The person who had fainted was Bai Ya.


    “Bai Ya!” The nearest exploration team member rushed over, trying to wake him.


    When he touched Bai Ya’s forehead, he immediately exclaimed, “He’s burning up! He has a high fever.”


    Having a high fever was not good.


    Especially under these circumstances, where there was a lack of Divine Arts and potions for treatment.


    A group gathered around Bai Ya.


    Bai Ya was very popular, in fact, the most popular in the group.


    This hunter’s son had greatly helped everyone when they were poisoned. Not only that, but during the hunting of the Flying Squirrel beasts, his archery also greatly assisted the team.


    But now he had passed out and couldn’t be awakened no matter what.


    “Make way,” Cang Xu walked over, and people immediately cleared a small space.


    “Let me try,” Zi Di quickly took action.


    Not until Zhenjin brought his water bag to Bai Ya’s lips and gave him a good amount of water did Bai Ya finally open his eyes a crack.


    He didn’t have the strength to speak but pointed at his chest.


    He appeared very weak.


    Cang Xu was the first to understand what Bai Ya meant, and immediately reached into the pocket on Bai Ya’s chest and pulled out several letters.


    Seeing the letters in Cang Xu’s hands, a spark seemed to flicker in Bai Ya’s eyes.


    He pointed at the letters again and then passed out once more.


    “Bai Ya, Bai Ya!” This time, no matter what, Bai Ya had completely collapsed.


    “Is he not going to make it?”


    “Damn it, just at this critical moment.”


    “I bet the kid knew he was done for, those letters must contain his last will.”


    “This kid could read? Wasn’t he just a hunter’s son?”


    Generally, only Nobles, Mages, clergy, Scholars, etc., could read. These people only made up a very small portion of the Empire’s population, with most people being illiterate.


    People discussed, their faces showing worry, confusion, and uncertainty.


    “Bai Ya is strong; he’s collapsed purely because he was injured. He collapsed because of what happened to Cang Xu!” someone else spoke.


    Thus, many eyes turned to Cang Xu.


    Cang Xu remained silent, seemingly unaware of the anger around him.


    “It’s okay,” Zhenjin nipped the potential conflict in the bud before it could even start.


    He looked up at the sky, “Though the sun is still strong, it’s best if we move nearby. Let’s not stay in one place for too long, the scorpion swarm is still hiding underground.”


    “Yes, sir.”


    “Understood, Lord Zhenjin.”


    “What about Bai Ya?” someone asked.


    Zhenjin didn’t hesitate to respond, “Of course we take him with us. I am a Holy Temple Knight, I’ve said it before, I won’t abandon anyone, I will do everything in my power to save everyone!”


    Everyone was touched, and suddenly all was calm.