BXBX NOVEL Chapter 403 402: Wekalian Steppes
Kat PoV
The air was different as soon as I stepped off of the sandy dunes of the Gobo Desert, almost like I was playing a video game with how swiftly the biomes changed.
It went from unbearably hot to just warm in mere moments and steps, and I let out a sigh of relief as I turned to look back at the darkening desert.
"I never want to be in a desert again... and yet there are two more to go through..."
I sighed once more as I watched the desert go from a blindingly gold to a subdued yellow, the sun descending behind the mountains that were to the west.
My stomach growled at me, telling me that I needed real food soon, especially after the strenuous trek across unstable sand.
The mana I wanted to use to steady myself was instead spent making sure I didn\'t pass out under the heat, while I also needed to keep some in reserve for those monsters that hid under the sand.
I couldn\'t afford to put all my mana into my traveling ability, especially not when both the Vultures and the Worms were around my speed; I wouldn\'t be able to outrun them at all.
That wasn\'t from a lack of trying either, since I had attempted to run once from both, thinking I might just lose their attention, but the focus those monsters had was insane.
Which... also makes sense, since they were likely starving and wanted to eat the bountiful meal that was me...
However, I was now free from one of the three deserts that I would need to journey through, and for the next few days I would be going through the Wekalian Steppes to reach the next desert, the Atacami Desert, which would lead into the Sultanate.
According to the map, I was probably around a hundred miles away from the closest form of civilization, which was the Burial City Khanla.
That was its name on the map, and if I had to guess it was a place they sent the Nobility of the Wekalian Steppes to be buried in, which might mean that the city is either off limits to people or its extremely unwelcoming to outsiders...
If that was the case, I could just visit one of the many villages nearby the Burial City Khanla to purchase some more dried meats for my journey.
For now though, I looked up towards the flat mountains above and began to climb them, my ears twitching as I listened for potential prey to fill my stomach.
The steep incline leading towards the first of the many giant expanses of grass and rock was barren, both of vegetation and of life.
I made sure to keep an eye on the sky in case some bird monster caught sight of me, while also staying wary of the many crevasses and caves that I could see around me.
The map warned that this area was a little monster heavy compared to the rest of the Steppes, and that there was a portion of the Labyrinthian Wall - which I was climbing on now - that deformed the normally flat Wekalian Steppes.
Either way, the map also warned that the Wekalian Steppes were elevated above the rest of the lands around this corner of the world, resting atop giant mountains that almost felt like support pillars for a large table.
Considering how the Rimelands had been formed, I was willing to bet some strong monster or person created the mountains that the Steppes were resting on; some extremely powerful Earth Magician, or maybe an Earth Attuned creature / monster like Lord Ter\'Ran, the Earth Dragon that protected the Empire\'s southern border - which was shared with the Labyrinthian.
It took me a few dozen minutes to reach the top of the incline, and when I did I was greeted with the flat, grassy plains that was free from any trees or small shrubbery.
For dozens upon dozens of miles that was all you could see, before a new mountain presented another incline to climb, which led to the next \'step\' of the Wekalian Steppes.
I pushed forwards through the tall grasses, moving silently as I enjoyed the soft breeze and cool air, finally feeling at peace once more as I was presented with a temperate climate - albeit slightly dry.
Still, it was better than the desert, and with the abundance of grass to snack on, well...
I lowered into a crouch as I approached a herd of lean deer creatures, their antlers of jagged stone and sharpened hooves providing them some weapons to use against predators.
My hand fell to my Breeze Fang, and I slid it free from its sheath and spun it around, holding it by its razor sharp tip as I stalked a little closer.
With my gaze firmly planted on the deer, I began to carefully move some Wind Mana towards my Breeze Fang, making sure they couldn\'t sense the stirring of the mana - just in case they were elementally attuned or sensitive creatures.
Powering the dagger up enough, I activated the enchantment and threw the blade towards one of the deer, a small smile blossoming on my lips as the dagger sunk to the hilt in the deers neck, severing its spine.
The other deer all jolted back, staring at their companion as it slumped to the ground before looking around at the tall grass, unsure of what to do.
Imbuing Wind Mana into my hands, I clapped and made a loud boom, wind bursting from my hands and washing over the grass around us, scaring the deer off and away from my prey.
My Protective Fang felt light in my grasp as I moved forwards, warily searching my surroundings as I prepared to butcher the deer for my food.
Not seeing anything, nor hearing or smelling anything, I cleared away some of the grass and created a small circle for me to use as my camp, with walls of ice forming a barrier around me.
Setting about creating a fire with the stones and grasses I had, as well as some spare kindling, I began to swiftly butcher the deer and cook its lean flesh over the flames, skewering its meat onto an ice stake that I left hanging over the fire.
Tanning the hide as I waited for the deer leg to cook, I planned on creating another pouch for me to use to carry some of the meat, my Breeze Fang leaving behind shallow marks as I enchanted the hide with some durability enchantments.
With my meal cooked and a new bag made, I rolled out my bedroll and stared up into the stars, smiling to myself as I fell asleep to a filled stomach.