Chapter 109: The Meteorite Mountain Range

“Do you want some?” Simon held up the water bottle and turned to look at Huxius.

“No, thanks!” Huxius was too preoccupied to respond to Simon, his mind still lingering on the words Simon had just spoken.

Seeing Huxius decline, Simon said no more and took large gulps from the bottle himself.

“Do you really think you’ll be safe just by passing through the Meteorite Mountain Range?” Huxius was merely passing through the range, according to the map Gekali had given him. He needed to cross the Meteorite Mountains and reach the Black Sea Desert before arriving at his destination.

“Of course. Otherwise, why would we travel so far? The Meteorite Mountains are like the Elven’s Eternal Forest, and it’s where most of the Arkli orcs gather!” Simon spoke as he drank, though his words were somewhat muffled.

“The elves have their Eternal Ancient Tree, but what about your orc tribe...?” This was what truly concerned Huxius.

“Well, that’s something I can’t tell you. It’s a secret known only to a few orcs, and humans don’t understand it!” Simon hesitated briefly before refusing to answer Huxius’s question.

“Do you know about the Black Sea Desert?” Huxius gave up pressing Simon after seeing his reluctance.

“Of course, it’s near the Meteorite Mountains, right? You want to go there?” Simon looked at Huxius with surprise. Huxius had come to Arkli without understanding anything and now wanted to go to a place everyone there knew about—the Black Sea Desert. Simon just couldn’t figure it out.

“What’s the problem?” Huxius wanted to learn more from Simon.

“Oh, I forgot you know. The Black Sea Desert is... well, quite dangerous. Not many Arklians go there, but with your strength, it shouldn’t be a problem!” Simon thought for a moment and decided to tell Huxius.

“Dangerous? What’s in there?” Huxius kept probing.

“Just some wild beasts, but much larger and more aggressive than those outside. There are also elemental sand creatures. If you go, be careful!” Simon warned kindly.

“Understood.” After saying this, Huxius returned to his vehicle and fell silent.

Simon continued to survey their surroundings to ensure no surprises.

Three days later, Simon led his people officially out of the empire’s borders, heading toward the Meteorite Mountain Range.

“Looks like we’re fairly safe!” Simon breathed a sigh of relief, having noticed no imperial troops tailing them these past few days.

Along the way, Huxius gained a true understanding of Arkli. Though vast in area, most of it remained undeveloped. Except for a few settlements of various races and the empire’s gathering points, much of the land was desolate.

Huxius came across only one town, but it was undeniably more prosperous than any other place he had seen before. Perhaps it was because there was little interference from supernatural forces.

After traveling with Simon’s tribe for two months and nearing the Meteorite Mountains, Huxius parted ways with Simon. After all, as a human, going to an orc settlement would be awkward.

Simon understood Huxius’s plan and didn’t try to persuade him. After giving Huxius some food and water, he left.

Huxius walked alone across the barren land, preparing to venture into the Black Sea Desert.

His eye condition was worsening. The chip had warned him multiple times already. He knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to see Gekali soon and find out what was wrong with his eyes.

Huxius moved quickly and was glad he hadn’t traveled with Simon. Although Gekali’s map showed the Black Sea Desert beyond the Meteorite Mountains, Huxius’s actual path deviated significantly. Had he gone with Simon, he would have had to take a much longer detour.

“Let me go! Let go of me!”

“Release my sister!”

“Get lost! This kid dares to bite? Get him out of here.” Noel glared at the bite marks on his arm and kicked Roni, who lay on the ground.

Roni doubled over from the kick, unable to rise, groaning on the floor, but his eyes were fixed intently on Noel.

“You dare glare at me? Believe it or not—” Noel’s words were cut short as he suddenly collapsed.

Roni was stunned by the sudden turn of events. He had no idea how Noel had fallen so quickly, especially since he had been the one attacking moments before. Judging by the scene, Noel appeared dead.

“You—” Noel’s companion panicked seeing Noel collapse and suspected Roni had used some trick. Before he could finish, he too dropped to the ground.

Lacy, seeing both men dead, rushed forward and embraced the fallen Roni, trembling uncontrollably.

Their father ran a tavern that saw all kinds of people every day. Although they didn’t know why these two had suddenly died, Lacy’s terror only deepened, and she clung tightly to Roni.

The one who had intervened was none other than Huxius. Initially, he hadn’t intended to get involved, only glancing from afar. But seeing Lacy’s delicate features—the pointed ears, slender neck, and infantile porcelain skin—he felt compelled to act, despite her tattered gray cloak marring her beauty.

Huxius noted that Lacy’s elven appearance was indistinguishable from that of the elves. After some thought, he decided to step in.

Approaching the trembling Lacy and the incapacitated Roni, Huxius said, “I won’t harm you.”

Scanning them with his chip, he confirmed they were ordinary humans. Even Lacy, aside from her elven looks, showed no extraordinary traits.

“Th-thank you!” Roni, struggling to endure the pain, managed to thank Huxius and lifted his head to see the face of his rescuer.

That glance left both Huxius and Roni speechless.

Roni and Lacy had been different from others since childhood. Their mother was an elf, and Lacy had inherited her mother’s appearance beautifully. Roni, however, had a pair of unusual purple eyes. After their mother died unexpectedly, their father moved them to the edge of the Black Sea Desert and opened a tavern.

People often stared curiously at Roni’s eyes. Lacy, while elven in appearance, hid beneath a gray cloak, so others paid her little mind. Roni’s strange eyes marked him as different, but he looked otherwise ordinary, often dismissed after brief remarks.

Roni hadn’t expected his rescuer to share the same peculiar purple eyes. However, he sensed that the stranger’s eyes shone even brighter than his own.

Huxius was also taken aback by Roni’s eyes.

He instructed his chip to rescan the man before him, but the result remained the same: an ordinary human with no special attributes.

“Is it a coincidence? Or...” Huxius was unsure if this person’s eyes were the same as his.

“Wait, psychic power!” Huxius suddenly recalled that he had been able to manifest psychic abilities early on, likely connected to his eyes.

“Should I...?” Huxius eyed Roni carefully, pondering whether to administer a concentration-enhancing serum to gauge his reaction.

Startled by Huxius’s gaze, Roni recognized the look of a predator eyeing its prey.

“Ah!” Lacy, still shaken by the day’s events, quickly covered her face with the gray cloak as strangers approached.

“Who are you?” Huxius asked, curious about these two. This desolate place was clearly not their home.

“We’re from the Great Sword Tavern, not far from here. Can you let us go?” Roni asked cautiously, uncertain how Huxius would react, especially toward Lacy.

“A tavern? Are you lying? Who would open a tavern here?” Huxius had seen no one else along the way; this was hardly a place for business.

“It’s true. Our father runs the tavern, right at the edge of the Black Sea Desert. You can check for yourself!”