This ancient relic with weather-beaten remnants and ruins, was suddenly projected in front of Slark, within Heroes’ Prison, through the Projection Mirror in Huang Yi’s hand.
Slark opened his eyes as wide as buckets, carefully observing the images within the Projection Mirror, his attention fully engaged. This was the first time he had seen the outside world since he had been captured and imprisoned in Heroes’ Prison, countless years ago. Although it was only a dilapidated relic rather than a beautiful scene, to him, even a mere second of viewing the outside world was incredibly precious.
Bewildered by the fragmented sight, a trace of confusion emerged in his eyes as he seemed to carefully recall something. Then, his frame trembled slightly as he exclaimed, "Sand Thief King’s Relics!" Fear then filled his gaze as he recoiled slightly.
Just then, the scene in the Projection Mirror abruptly changed, morphing into a Dragon Head, which was unmistakably the entrance to Heroes’ Prison, and after that, the Projection Mirror went completely dark. It seemed that Huang Yi had gone back to Heroes’ Prison.
Slark frantically wiped the mirror, but no matter how much he wiped, the mirror no longer showed any images, and the beautiful world vanished before his eyes.
"So, do you recognize this relic?" After a while, Huang Yi came back in front of Slark’s cell and asked through the bars.
"I recognize it, this is the Sand Thief King’s Relics!" Slark’s towering frame heaved, "It truly is part of the Ancient Ruins. In the Distant Ancient Era, there was a powerful figure in the desert who led his people to establish a flourishing and vast Desert Empire, and half of the Desolate Sands were within his domain. People called this powerful figure the Sand Thief King. When I was young, I grew up listening to stories about him. But by that time, the Desert Empire had already vanished, the once-prosperous imperial capital had turned into ruins, and yet, the Sand Thief King had not died. He remained hidden somewhere in this desert, occasionally causing trouble. Anyone who encountered him was doomed to die! Even at the peak of my strength, I was no match for him."
"If he was that powerful, why did his empire vanish?" Huang Yi asked with a frown.
"Because, just like me, he also fell from grace," Slark took a deep breath, "In the Distant Ancient Era, this desert was not known as the Desolate Sands but as Hope Gobi, a name bestowed by the Sand Thief King, meaning a place filled with hope. At that time, the empire was full of vigor, with everyone cultivating the barren land, and the desert was filled with a spirit of innovation. But later on, the Sand Thief King began to lose himself in the lavish royal lifestyle, forgetting his original beliefs. He aged day by day, and his children gradually grew strong and began to earn the love and admiration of the people within the empire, just like he once had. Fearing death and the prospect of his children taking his throne, he desired to live in this world and rule as king forever. Eventually, he fell under the spell of eternal life from Biliev, the King of the Fallen, and he signed a Master-Servant Contract, becoming a corrupted lackey."
At this point, Slark’s tone became slightly awkward, seeming to compare the Sand Thief King’s fall with his own, "After signing the Master-Servant Contract with Biliev, the King of the Fallen, the Sand Thief King gained unprecedented strength, and the aging of his body miraculously stopped. He developed ninety-nine ice-cold hearts, which he hid throughout various locations in the Desolate Sands. As long as these hearts continued to beat, he would never die! The once torrid Hope Gobi also turned ice-cold due to his ninety-nine ice-cold hearts, subsequently becoming what is known today as the Desolate Sands, scattered with icy stones."
Continuing, Slark took another deep breath, "His personality also changed due to his corruption. He became incredibly cold and ruthless, no longer showing any love for his children. Anyone who slightly disobeyed his wishes would be brutally killed. The once great empire started to turn cold-blooded, and eventually, the number of royals dwindled as he killed them off, one by one. The once lively palace became deserted, turning into a Ghost Domain. The citizens of the imperial capital fled, and just like that, the previously thriving empire crumbled at his own hands. Having lost his sanity, the Sand Thief King became a puppet only capable of slaughter, constantly wandering within his former empire’s borders, hunting down those poor travelers, turning into a nightmare within the desert."
"Was your hometown also within the territory of the Sand Thief King’s Empire?" Huang Yi inquired.
"Yes! That’s why we fear the Sand Thief King the most. He is the nightmare ingrained in our very bones, an inborn terror that cannot be dispelled or forgotten," Slark said, with a hint of fear still evident in his tone.
It seemed that the Sand Thief King was indeed a nightmarish presence in the Desolate Sands, instilling fear in even a hero like Slark after countless years, as if it had become an instinct.
"So how do I get to your homeland from here?" Huang Yi touched his chin and asked, "Give me a safe route, one that doesn’t lead me straight to the Sand Thief King, because if I die, you won’t be able to see your homeland again."
"Setting out from here, if you travel approximately two thousand kilometers in the northeast direction, you’ll find a river. Follow the river upstream, and you’ll reach my homeland," Slark explained, adding, "However, I can’t be certain you won’t encounter the Sand Thief King because no one knows where he hides or when he might suddenly appear!"
"Alright then! I’ll be off! After I arrive at your homeland, I’ll call you again," Huang Yi said, and immediately left Heroes’ Prison.
Back at the Sand Thief King’s Relics, Huang Yi’s heart was in his throat. He looked around warily, at walls worn by the wind, at piles of Seaberry Grass.
At this moment, the Sand Thief King’s Relics were still a scene of ruined walls and untended plants. The countless Seaberry Grass whispered in the night wind, desolately, like the howling of myriad lost souls. If a player with low psychological tolerance were here, they would probably log out immediately, too scared to play any longer.
Huang Yi had no idea where the Sand Thief King was. The chances of encountering him in the vastness of the Desolate Sands were very, very slim, almost negligible, but an encounter would surely be a death sentence. If Slark in his prime was no match for the Sand Thief King, then he, a level 36 newcomer to the game, would probably be instakilled by a flick of the King’s finger.
Huang Yi ran as fast as he could towards the northeast. His gaze seemed to penetrate layers of darkness, traversing over Seaberry Grass crawling with rattlesnakes, envisioning the river two thousand kilometers away.
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I asked the editor today, and this book is expected to be shelved in the middle of this month. So, for those with Monthly Tickets, please hold on to them for now. Let’s make a dash for the new book’s Monthly Tickets ranking when the time comes. Although I know I can’t compete with the famous authors, I want to see how big the gap is. Whether I am short by ten thousand Monthly Tickets or just a few thousand, I want to see just how many Monthly Tickets I can get for my book... Thank you...
Also, this is the Chapter for 18:00 that I have just finished writing, sorry about that. I will have to postpone the 00:00 Chapter until tomorrow! The editor told me the approximate time for the launch, so I spent a lot of time designing the plot for the coming period, trying to create a big bang!
Thank you, Yun Sihai, Pitiful Nameless, Dragon Dominates The Worldcai, Dong Huang, Stained with Memories, Little Riddler, Sikong Langya, Star-Slaying Heart, Purple Rookie, and Phantom V Dazzling, for your generous rewards!