After encountering a few desert scorpions, Sakeer and the Barghest pressed forward. The presence of living creatures, no matter how few, at least suggested a possibility—somewhere in this desolate land, intelligent beings might exist.
If he could gather even the most basic information, his journey here wouldn't have been in vain.
But this place was too barren.
The air was dry, and by noon, temperatures soared past forty degrees. Beyond the endless expanse of sand and gravel, there was little else to see. Even the desert scorpions were rare—throughout an entire day of exploration, Sakeer was fortunate to encounter just one or two. It seemed that even the most resilient creatures struggled to survive in this land.
More concerning, however, was a crucial detail: so far, he had not discovered a single water source.
Since his arrival, the sky had remained clear, devoid of clouds. The sun burned relentlessly overhead, with no sign of rainfall or moisture. The desert scorpions likely survived by accessing underground water sources hidden deep beneath the surface.
Fortunately, Sakeer had stocked multiple water pouches in his inventory, so there was no immediate concern. Even if those ran dry, he still had the Great Wine Pot he had obtained from the Lizardmen—an item that could generate an endless supply of liquid.
The Seventh Day in the Gobi Desert
Brushing the dust from his clothes, Sakeer took a sip from his water pouch. His throat was parched from the relentless heat. After drinking, he passed the pouch to the Barghest beside him.
"Huff~"
The beast panted, its tongue lolling from its mouth as it eagerly drank from the stream of water pouring out.
As a creature covered in thick fur, adapted to life in dense forests, the Barghest was clearly ill-suited for the scorching desert.
"You've worked hard. Keep searching."
After letting the beast drink most of the water, Sakeer reached out and patted its head.
"Woof."
The Barghest licked the remaining water from its muzzle before its body began to shrink and morph. In seconds, it transformed into a goshawk, flapping its wings and soaring into the sky to scout ahead.
Sakeer put away the water pouch and surveyed his surroundings. Spotting a half-meter-tall black rock nearby, he walked over and pressed his palm against its surface.
"Mark Magic."
To avoid getting lost in the vast Gobi Desert, he had been leaving magical marks on conspicuous stones at regular intervals. Through these marks, he could retrace his steps and determine the direction of his travels.
Boom!
The moment Sakeer lifted his hand, the black rock trembled.
A deep rumble spread outward, shaking the ground beneath him.
His gaze sharpened. With a swift leap, he retreated several meters, distancing himself from the rock just in time.
Boom! Boom!
The surrounding sand began to sink, forming a vortex-like quicksand that spiraled toward the rock's center.
Then—
The black rock moved.
It quaked violently, as if something deep within it had awakened from slumber.
Before Sakeer's eyes, the half-meter-tall rock began to rise. Its form twisted and expanded—until what had once been a simple boulder transformed into a massive stone head.
Rumble!
With a resounding crash, two enormous arms burst forth from the desert, slamming into the ground.
A towering rock giant, more than five meters tall, emerged from beneath the sand. Its body was entirely black stone, its facial features vague, save for two hollow eyes that seemed to study Sakeer from above.
Thud!
Without warning, the colossal creature raised its thick, stone arm and brought it crashing down toward him.
Sakeer's eyes flickered with a mix of surprise and intrigue. A living creature.
Without hesitation, he shifted his weight onto his right foot and dodged sideways just as the massive arm slammed into the ground.
Boom!
A deep crater formed in the sand where he had just stood.
Sakeer wasted no time.
"All-Race Charm!"
The spell activated instantly.
This was the first intelligent creature he had encountered since arriving in this land. Unlike the northwest corner of the continent, where humans ruled, the majority of the continent was controlled by subhuman and non-human races.
In this uncharted region, encountering unusual races was to be expected.
The ripples of magic spread outward, briefly illuminating the rock giant's massive form.
Hm?
Sakeer's brows furrowed as he instinctively leaped backward. A deafening roar echoed through the air as the rock giant's other arm came crashing down, narrowly missing him.
The spell "All-Race Charm" had no effect.
Is it immune?
Certain unique races possessed natural resistance to psychic magic that influenced the mind. This could be one of them.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed your slumber."
Dodging the erratic attacks of the frenzied rock giant, Sakeer attempted to communicate.
"Can you tell me where this place is? Perhaps we could have a proper conversation?"
Rumble! Rumble!
The rock giant showed no sign of comprehension. It continued its relentless assault, swinging its thick arms down in an attempt to crush him.
"Can't speak? Or is it not even a sapient creature, just some kind of animated monster?"
Sakeer frowned slightly. Not only was the giant unresponsive, but it also seemed devoid of any emotion—like a mindless construct following an instinctive directive.
Boom!
Realizing its attacks had failed to land, the rock giant suddenly withdrew its arms and shrunk in on itself.
Before Sakeer's eyes, the massive figure compressed into a gigantic black stone sphere.
Then—
With a deafening rumble, the stone ball charged forward.
Like an unstoppable force, it barreled toward Sakeer, kicking up a trail of sand and dust in its wake.
"Since you can't communicate..."
Sakeer stood firm as the enormous shadow loomed over him. In the blink of an eye, an iron sword materialized in his hand.
Just as the stone ball reached him—
He swung.
Hiss—
Sparks erupted upon impact.
The terrifying momentum of the rolling boulder instantly plummeted, its force disrupted by the precise slash. The massive stone rolled past Sakeer before coming to a complete halt behind him.
He remained standing, completely unharmed.
With a casual flick, he sheathed his iron sword.
"Only about level 20. Just a hollow body—though its rock-hard exterior is decent."
[XP Gained: 3,271]
[XP Gauge: 11,162/120,000]
Boom!
Crack—!
A loud fracture rang out as the enormous boulder split in two.
The shattered halves crashed onto the rocky terrain, scattering debris everywhere.
Sakeer turned, eyeing the remains of the rock giant. Unlike normal creatures, there was no blood—just jagged fragments of lifeless stone.
But something within the rubble glowed faintly.
A brown light pulsed from within the creature's shattered chest.
Curious, Sakeer stepped forward and picked it up.
It was a fist-sized black stone, pulsating with distinct magical energy.
"Item Identification."
—
Item: Stone Man's Heart
Level: Intermediate (21–30)
Effect: A magical material infused with earth-element energy. If buried underground, there is a chance that a rock giant will be reborn.
Description:I'm not dead yet!
—
Sakeer scanned the details before stowing the item in his inventory.
A rare material… not bad. An unexpected gain.
"Better leave a new Magic Mark."
Now that the rock giant was dead, the previous Magic Mark had vanished along with its body. He would have to find another stone to mark his path.
Whoosh—
Above, a dark blur streaked across the sky.
The Barghest—still in its goshawk form—was returning swiftly from its aerial reconnaissance.
Sakeer noticed something almost immediately.
His eyes lit up.
Five kilometers ahead.
A wooden cart was struggling through the desert terrain.
Five figures accompanied it—three dragging it from the front, and two pushing from behind.
They were short, standing only around one and a half meters tall, but their bodies were incredibly muscular.
The wooden cart was piled high with various ores.
After traveling some distance, the group came to a stop, panting slightly from exertion.
"I wonder if the war at the Oasis is over."
A rough voice broke the silence.
"Hah! Against those weaklings? They barely have any real weapons!"
Another voice sneered.
"Don't joke. That wasn't even a war. Those lowly, foolish races don't deserve to live in the Oasis."
A third scoffed in agreement.
"Exactly. Our real enemies are the bastards beyond the Valley of Shadows. We need to rebuild our kingdom and reclaim what's rightfully ours!"
A brief pause.
Then, one of them hesitated.
"Well… I've heard old rumors...""Shut up!"
A sharp reprimand cut him off.
"Idiot. You still believe in those fairy tales?"
The conversation faded into tense silence.
Sakeer remained still, quietly observing from a distance.