2784 Leaving Safe Zone
We completed the trade with the werewolf before browsing the market again but did not find anything. This is a little disappointing, but we are not sat and even be said to be happy.
We have obtained three arrows, which made it nine in Rachel’s quiver, which she had covered in cloths. The nine arrows would be lethal for any enemy that we face; they will make dealing with the Grimms much easier than before.
After browsing the market, we found an open spot around the big fire and began to set up our tent. I set up the tent while Rachel talked to the people who came.
Many of them have come to invite us to join their team, and many have come to exchange, but these people also do not have the things we want. We want weapons or things like shoes that will aid us in combat; we will even exchange a weapon for simple binoculars, but nobody is willing to make that trade.
Binoculars in one of the most important things here, and not all tables have them. It would have made the journey far easier if we had something like the binoculars.
Soon, I finished setting up the tent and started cooking with the stows. It did not take long for food to cook; within ten minutes, it was ready.
“It is better than I thought,” said Rachel as she took the first bite, and I couldn’t help but nod. It tastes much better than we ate it dry during the afternoon; maybe eat is because we are eating by the war fire, and there is not a blazing sun over our head that will make even gourmet taste like shit.
“Do you want to take the first shift, or I do?” I asked as we finished eating. “I will take the first shift,” she said; I nodded and walked inside the camp.
Even with this camp filled with humans and here is a safe zone, it will be highly irresponsible because looting is always an option. It is not looting of weapons and tools but also of the food, as the mid-point only provides the water and nothing else.
So, everything other than water, like clothes and food, is on the table for looting.
I fell into sleep within seconds; I was very tired after a day of walking in the blazing sun and the battles that when sleep took me, I felt like I had entered heaven.
“Micheal,”
Four hours later, I was woken up by Rachel; while the four-hour sleep is not ideal, it is enough for us to operate.
Rachel laid down in the ten, and I walked and sat outside, the desert has become quite cold, but thankfully, there is enough wood and fire here to keep everyone warm.
I could see many people awake by their camps, guarding their friends and colleagues. Unlike before, there was barely any conversation; everyone was waiting for time to pass. I could see many people trying to stay awake and some failing to do so.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I said as I got up; for a few seconds, there was nothing before the sound of receding footsteps appeared beside camp and sat down.
This is not the first time someone has walked near my camp sneakily, and every time, I have warned them gently. It is good they listened because even if this is a safe zone, it would be very bad for their reputation if people knew their identity.
The tag of a thief will be attached to them, and even if they became a Grand Lord, they would not be able to wash away.
“Rachel,” I said and shook her gently, and she woke up with alertness, ready to stab anyone who might threaten her with an arrow in her hand. She had slept with it and never let it go, even in sleep.
With her waking up, we folded our tent and softly walked toward the huge fountain and drank as much water as possible before filling our canteens to the brim and started walking toward the complete darkness, as even now, the moon is hidden under the clouds.
There is still an hour before the sun begins to come out, and we want to make a good distance before that; we are not the only ones thinking that; many humans and teams have left before us; some had even left two hours before.
“It is very cold,” said Rachel within a few minutes of walking; without the protection from the campfire, it is very cold; thankfully, we will only need to suffer it for an before the sun comes up and begin baking us in its barely survivable temperature.
SAFE ZONE END
A little more than half an hour after we had left the camp, we heard the message and immediately became cautious as from now on, we are on our own again; there are no invisible laws that will protect us against danger.
“Six more days, and then we will be finished with this test,” Rachel said softly, “I still don’t understand why there is a test like this here? I don’t see any of its uses?” she asked, and it is not the first time she is asking me this question, it is not just her, many people have this question in their mind, including me.
“Maybe it is to show us our own fragility,” I offered, but she did not seem convinced by it.
We silently walked, and the silence lasted till the first rays of dawn before we abruptly changed our direction.
Earlier, we did not directly follow the direction on the map but took a roundabout way; given the Grimm’s nature, those who left early would definitely set up the trap to hunt humans.
I have been looking at all the humans and Grimms who left, my clone referenced that with the map and through, this direction seemed safest to avoid the initial traps, but now that the sun came out, we will follow the map route, though we will stay away from the exact route.
Others might get lost using such risky ways, but with a clone, we will be fine and will be able to take some of the shortcuts that will help us reach our destination quickly.
Soon an hour passed by, and now the sun was completely out; we walked as quickly as we could, trying to cover as much distance as possible before the sun came out in its full glory.
We still have around two hours more before the temperature of the sun and sand become blazing, and I hope till then, we will not come across any attack.
Another one and half hours passed, and in these two and half hours since the dawn, we had covered double the distance. We are making good progress, and if everything goes according to plan, we will be able to reach the second midpoint, even before dawn.
Though, the chances of that happening is very low.
Hun!
A few more minutes passed, and the temperature became even hotter when suddenly, I felt an intense feeling of danger and looked in its direction, only to see a big rock approaching us with high speed and incredible accuracy.
It was thrown at us by the Bark Skin Bearman, who was hiding behind the huge dune.