“This is better, isn’t it?”

Christopher, along with Evelyn and Aerin, sat on the back of the giant scorpion. In the end, Arthur had to act like a literal mount and carry them using the new host.

Their traveling pace increased and the sand worms from before didn’t dare attack in the presence of a predator like the Black Scorpion.

The journey through the Desert continued for two more days, in which there were no attacks.

The lack of action was boring for Aerin, who would stop them every once in a while to examine any peculiar things they stumbled upon.

It didn’t matter if it was a strangely-shaped sand hill, a big stone erected in the middle of nowhere, or a cluster of dry plants. The self-proclaimed explorer was thirsty for any discovery.

On their 5th day in the Desert of Peace and Commerce, something finally happened.

And again, it happened at night. While Chris was explaining the ‘hilarious’ goose joke to Aerin, Arthur detected some movement coming from the West.

Amidst the darkness of the night, lights appeared from behind a relatively big sandy hill.

Evelyn unsheathed her blades, her cold eyes staring at the incoming humans.

“Calm down.”

Arthur gestured for her to sheathe her blades as he looked at the new arrivals.

They were getting closer and closer, all mounted on muscular steeds. There were exactly six of them, all of them dressed in light white tunics suited for such a biome.

Soon, the six swiftly descended the hill and stopped a short distance away from the parasite.

“Halt!” Shouted one of them, a bronze-skinned man with short curly dark hair and a small beard.

“We’re not moving, though.” Responded Christopher as he frowned and scrutinized them.

All of them were men and all either held long halberds or spears. Their weapons didn’t seem to be magical artifacts, but they were made from a dark green unknown alloy.

“You are trespassing on our grounds, strangers!”

“You don’t need to shout that loud, man. We can hear you just fine.” Christopher waved his hand in annoyance, but the man grunted and, with a noticeably lower voice, added,

“Anyone that tresspasses on our grounds must pay a fee. That is the rule.”

“A fee? This seems like extortion.” Retorted Arthur as a chuckle escaped his lips.

“Refusal to pay the fee will lead to your capture. This is a warning.”

Arthur frowned and glared back at the man. Evelyn’ hands rested on her sheathed blades, ready to attack.

“Isn’t this too cliché? Ah! I know what to do!”

Christopher approached Arthur and whispered, “Let’s give them the fee. You’re rich, no?”

“Why would I give them anything?”

“Defy the norm, I say. Let’s see where that leads.”

Arthur thoughtfully looked at the six men before nodding his head.

“How much?”

“5 Blakin Golds for each person.”

Arthur took out 20 Gold coins and approached the leader of these desert-dwellers.

The man carefully counted the coins and checked their authenticity before giving a nod of approval.

“You are free to go whatever you want on our grounds. Only the Twin-Hands Mountains West of here are forbidden. Additionally, you can visit our village to trade and rest.”

The man’s attitude changed drastically, he even had a soft friendly smile.

As he heard no response for Arthur or anyone else, he continued speaking,

“If you do not know the way, we can take you there. We also have guides that can take you almost anywhere… for a fee, of course. I am called Jader, by the way.”

“You collect fees from all travelers?”

“Yes. All tribes in the Desert have their own territory, some bigger than others. Merchants pass through the territories with the least fees, but they are still charged more than the normal travelers and adventurers.”

“What about Nobles? Do they pay too?”

“One’s status outside of the Desert doesn’t matter. All must obey the rules of the Desert.”

Arthur had other questions, but he refrained from asking them. He returned to his companions’ side, planning to converse about their next step.

It would be much better to have a place to stay and someone to provide them with much-needed information about the Desert. That way, they wouldn’t have to wander aimlessly or rely on luck to find something interesting.

“I say we go with them. I’m not calling you dumb, Arthur, but wasn’t it a tiny bit stupid to enter a desert without a compass, a map, or a guide? We have Aerin to give general directions, but it might not be enough.”-Chris

“I agree with him, Master. These men are a bit suspicious but they don’t seem hostile. We can go to their village to gather information… and if it’s a trap, we’ll kill them all.” She coldly stated.

“Why is every solution to you is to kill? We’re civilized people.”-Chris

“Words will not save you from a group of hungry and greedy bandits.” Rebuked Evelyn as she glared at him.

“Okay okay. We’ll go with them and see what happens. They don’t seem that strong.”

“They might not be, but their weapons are. That dark green alloy is Reinforced Electrum, very durable and resistant to Magic. Theirs seems a bit special, though.” Remarked Aerin as he smiled.

As the three looked at him, he shyly averted his eyes, “They still pose no threat. I wanted to contribute to the conversation, that’s all.”

Once the four were done with their talk, Arthur went up to Jader,

“We’ll take you on your offer. Please take us to your village.”

“Of course. We will give you some time to gather your belongings. Although you do not have mounts, our village is close and shouldn’t take more than an hour of walking.”

…

Before long, guided by Jader and his men, the group headed toward the village.

Contrary to his initial assertive and slightly threatening tone, Jader’s disposition changed. He was far more talkative and answered all questions with honesty and apparent enthusiasm.

“Our village is one of many in the desert. We do not lack for food and water, but it is always gladdening to have travelers visit us. Be it information, magical artifacts, guides, or miscellaneous traveling items, we have them all.”

“Do you get many visitors?”

“Apart from merchants and some adventurers, the desert doesn’t see a lot of newcomers. Few are those acclimated to blazing hot temperature and the monsters hiding beneath the sand, and fewers still are those willing to wander away from the main paths and into unexplored grounds. The majority of travelers head straight to Raml Asfr city.”

“Because it is the safest place?”-Arthur

“Indeed. It is sort of the main ‘hub’ of the desert. It is a paradise for merchants and traders as the imported goods are generally sold at lucrative prices.”

Jader softly sighed, “As safe as it is, however, Raml Asf City is filled with the Hashashin. I believe you call them assassins?”

Upon seeing the parasite’s slight confusion, Jader clarified, “Rather than relying on Knights and soldiers, the Sultan has a great many Hashashin. It is said that he himself is one.”

Evelyn, who had been attentively listening to Jader, lowered her voice and whispered to Arthur,

“The assassins of the Sultan are rather infamous, Master. My former organization has had a feud with them for decades. It is for that reason that I, and the rest, never had any contracts in the desert.”

…

After an hour of walking, they finally arrived at their destination. The so-called village was accessible by an inconspicuous cave entrance at the foot of a rocky cliff.

There were torches hanging on the left and right, providing ample illumination to the surroundings. The interior of the cave was not as shabby as one might expect.

The place was intricate but not too hard to navigate, neither was it cramped or overly big.

In fact, there was a certain cosiness to the village; Huts, tents, and a handful of small buildings made of wood were scattered haphazardly. The ground itself was paved to make it flat, the walls were similarly made more presentable to the naked eye.

The ceiling of the village was a huge dome with a bright and big torch hanging from the center like a chandelier.

“Welcome to our village, travelers.”

Jader pointed at one of the few wooden buildings, “That’s the tavern. The tents adjacent to it are where you can rest. Don’t worry, providing you with a place to sleep doesn't cost money. Lastly, those stalls at the far end are where you can trade and sell wares. I wish you a good stay.”

The man bowed his head and, along with the other five men, exited the village and got on their steeds. It seemed they still had night-duties to attend to.

“It doesn’t look as bad as I expected it to be.” Commented Chris as he curiously looked around.

“The smell of sulfur is nauseating. The place isn’t all that clean, either.” Grumbled Evelyn, not looking that pleased.

“You almost sound like a spoiled noble lady.”

“I just do not like unclean places, Master. I like to keep myself hygienic.”

“Germaphobe.” Scoffed Chris before signalling for Aerin, “I hope they have strong drinks in here.”

He headed toward the tavern along with the minstrel. However, he soon returned and asked Arthur for money.

East of the Desert of Peace and Commerce

North of the famed R&Q Resort, there was a collection of fields and farms, owned by the local townspeople.

A frail and short young girl, who couldn’t be older than 18, was meticulously tending to the fields. She was wearing simple leather pants, and an old dirt-stained white shirt. She had long dark hair, dishevelled and greasy. Her body was thin due to malnourishment, her face triangular and pale, and her eyes sunken and matching her naturally deadpan expression. Similarly, her lips were dry and in desperate need of water.

Isabella was covered in sweat, but she didn’t feel that tired. Her job was exhausting, but it wasn’t particularly dangerous. Her ability to regenerate, thus making her immortal, seemed like a curse rather than a blessing. No matter how hungry she became, she wouldn't die, making the entire experience all the more miserable.

On the bright side, however, her skill allowed her to survive until now. Lack of nourishment and proper rest did weaken her greatly, but it didn't make her completely unable to move, survive, and eventually adapt.

***

Much had happened to her since she was teleported to this foreign world. After escaping from the lair of monstrous-looking demons, she headed South and reached a safe place populated with humans, though most were soldiers and knights.

After biding her time, she hid herself in one of the large ships, which brought her to what looked like another island, though this one was linked to the mainland. Fortunately, she wasn’t discovered and ended up in what was called the R&Q Resort.

That was luxurious and guarded by mages and knights, so the girl yet again ran, finally finding a good place to live.

A farmer was kind enough to give her work and a place to live. The living conditions weren’t good, but they were much better than what she had on Earth.

She was given a meagre pay, food to eat, and a place to sleep at. Isabella was more than content with that.

Once the sun started to set, she finished her daily routine and headed toward the couple’s house.

The stone-building, modestly-designed yet big enough to house their owners and the two children they had, was one of the better ones in this region.

Isabella was lucky that the husband, named Sid, had injured his leg and couldn’t do any work.

Before knocking on the door, Isabella looked at her hands, which were covered in dirt. She wiped them on her shirt and then knocked on the door.

Once, twice, thrice… there was no response. It was a strange occurrence, but the girl just stood there like a statue.

After a while, there were rushed footsteps followed by loud quarrelling voices coming from the other side.

“Why didn’t you just give it to them?!”

It was the shrieking voice of his wife.

“I would have… if I knew where it was! The last time I’ve seen it was when my father was alive!”

Sid shouted back, sounding very anxious. The atmosphere was growing tense as the married couple kept arguing.

They only stopped when Isabella knocked for the fourth time. A momentary silence, and then the door was flung open.

“What do you want?!”

The wife, who never hid her dislike of Isabella, glared at her with a venomous stare.

“Ah! You’re done already? G-good.” Sid pushed his wife away and smiled. He took out a few copper coins from his pocket and handed it to her.

“Hm?”

When Sid saw the girl accept the coppers but still stand there, like a mute, he frowned.

“Is there something I can help you with?” asked the girl, her voice barely audible.

“You’ve already helped us a lot, Isabella!”

“Hmpf!” The wife snorted and kicked the door, closing it at Isabella’s face.

Barely a couple of seconds later, the couple continued their dispute. However, Isabella was the cause of this one.

Sid’s wife kept telling him to kick the girl. She accused him of sleeping with Isabella and that he faked his leg injury. Things only kept going downhill, so Isabella just left.