Chapter 535
In the boundless desert, only yellow sand was visible. Suddenly, a castle appeared, a lake shimmering before it. The sparkling spring water looked cool and inviting under the scorching sun. Richard's subordinates felt an immediate urge to bathe in its refreshing waters, to escape the desert heat.
Richard didn't stop them. Several rushed forward, plunging into the lake. Instantly, they tumbled headfirst into the sand. Sidney and Garry smiled, unsurprised.
The unlucky subordinates crawled out, faces dusted, bodies coated in soil. They looked pitiful and comical.
"What about the lake?"
They turned to find the lake, and the castle, vanished. Only endless yellow sand remained.
The subordinates were stunned. Patting sand from their faces, they exclaimed, "This…was a mirage?"
"Indeed," Tiffany said, raising an eyebrow. "A mirage is an illusion created by the refraction of a distant object." The scene was fake, yet not entirely so; it confirmed the ancient castle's existence. Following this path, they would find Felix's trail.
"Keep going," Richard commanded, waving his hand.
His men remounted their camels. Strings of footprints appeared in the desert, quickly erased by the relentless wind. Time stretched, and disorientation was a constant threat. Fortunately, Garry possessed an exceptional sense of direction, needing no compass.
Tiffany realized why Richard had brought Garry and Sidney. With such skilled individuals, Richard could accomplish tasks with ease.
The group proceeded in the direction Garry indicated. Over an hour later, the camels abruptly stopped, refusing to move.
Chapter 533 (Part 1)
Camels are remarkably resilient in the desert and acutely sensitive to danger. The team's camels had stopped, signaling impending peril.
Tiffany was the first to dismount, investigating the cause. In the sand, something was squirming. A large, rounded mass was buried, bulging as if about to burst forth.
Tiffany shouted, "Look! What's that?"
Richard approached, glanced at it, and frowned slightly. "Insects."
Legend spoke of black and red insects in the desert, blood-sucking creatures that could overwhelm and consume humans. They were reportedly highly venomous, causing severe allergic reactions and potentially fatal poisoning.
Tiffany raised an eyebrow. "Insects? Really?" She initially dismissed Richard's warning, but the bulging sand indicated a substantial number. The sheer density was alarming.
She touched her arm, filled a water bottle with sand, and hurled it at the mass. Garry and Sidney were shocked.
"Don't!" they cried. Why provoke them? they thought. Her actions are reckless!
Their warnings came too late. The sand-filled bottle struck its target. Garry and Sidney recoiled, urging Richard to flee.
Richard remained motionless, watching Tiffany with an indulgent, doting expression. He made no attempt to intervene. An incompetent ruler! Garry and Sidney thought.
They gritted their teeth, halting their retreat. The bottle had broken the surface, revealing black and red insects, scorpion-like creatures with stingers and tentacles, their bodies teeming with venom. The thought of a bite filled them with dread.
Chapter 533 (Part 2)
Upon exposure to sunlight, the insects sensed living creatures. They swarmed towards them. The dense mass of black and red insects alarmed the subordinates.
"Be careful! Protect Mr. and Mrs. Hampton!" one shouted, stepping forward to shield Richard and Tiffany.
Tiffany remained remarkably calm. She calmly produced a glass bottle, opened it, and poured its contents onto the ground. The sand absorbed the clear liquid, releasing a faint green smoke. Richard manipulated a gust of wind, directing the smoke towards the insects.
Upon contact, the insects recoiled in terror. Slower ones convulsed before falling still. In an instant, the threatening swarm was repelled by Tiffany's potion.
Garry and Sidney stared at each other, bowing. "What was that? Tiffany, do you have more? I want some!"
"Me too!"
With such a potion, they'd fear no insect. Even as mosquito repellent, it was invaluable.
Tiffany readily agreed. "I'll give each of you a bottle when we return."
Miracle medicine was priceless, yet Tiffany was generous. Garry and Sidney showered her with praise.
Tiffany laughed, shaking her head. "Let's go. It'll be dark soon."
Their journey continued smoothly, without further insect attacks. Garry guided them, and after over an hour, they reached a villa at the desert's edge, a lake before it.