99 Desert: Kryptonian
105.
The merciful Red Robin finally gave Aria a chance.
Fortunately, the tent poles weren't too difficult to clean, so two people were able to move the mess out of the tent. In fact, the farmer could have done it alone, but Tim insisted on helping. Firstly, it was more efficient, and secondly, he was worried that if something went wrong again, he would have to spend the night in the desert under the wreckage of the tent.
Of course, there were backup plans, but considering that this was also part of Lars's test, Red Robin put all his backup plans away.
Deep in the desert, there were too many things to worry about. Although Lars had promised to provide them with food and basic supplies, Tim didn't hold out much hope. After all, the "Devil's Head"'s credibility was already questionable, and his interests had always been at odds with those of the Assassin's League. A falling out was the inevitable outcome of any collaboration.
Ra's offered no further clues about the mine, seemingly certain that Aria would find it. This overconfident attitude was not new to Drake, but Ra's arrogance often stemmed from his immense confidence in his own abilities—he believed anyone could betray him, even his own daughter, Talia al Ghul. Was it a powerful force that instructed him to test the farmer, or did Ra's himself not know the mine's exact location and was hoping to use Aria to seize it for himself?
After placing snake repellent and early warning equipment nearby, Tim Drake returned to the tent. Since Wayne Group's satellite could ensure full communication, he simply dismantled the one provided by the Assassin's League and used the dismantled parts to modify the compass a second time.
...The information gap between the two sides is too large, and it is difficult to verify each other and form a closed loop based solely on the information currently available.
Tim Drake felt like he was stepping into a swamp, its miasma layered and obscuring his vision. He couldn't get too close to the farmer, nor could he completely deny her role. All he could do now was to prepare as best he could, make Russ think they were still following his script, and then take things one step at a time.
…
"Are you asleep so early?"
Aria's voice came from outside the tent, with a hint of regret: "There are so many stars tonight! Are you sure you don't want to come out and see?"
"…and I have some questions for you."
Tim Drake raised his head from the modification tools at hand, quickly hid the equipment, and then said: "If you don't mind, we can talk in the tent."
Inviting the other party into one's private space is a quick way to build trust, and his plan must have the cooperation of the farmer to proceed smoothly.
However, Aria still stood outside the tent, her tone full of confusion: "...But we don't even have a heart now."
Tim was stunned for a moment: "A heart?"
"It takes two hearts to enter someone else's room!"
Tim: “…”
There was no sound outside.
Well, that was part of that weird rule again. He sighed. It was all about getting the conversation going, so it didn't matter where he was talking—it was just that the enclosed space of the tent made it easier for him to use some psychological tricks.
Red Robin opened the tent with a helpless look on his face and walked out resignedly.
The scene outside was beyond Tim's expectations. It wasn't that it was stunning... it was just too lively.
Compared to Red Robin, who was exhausted after a whole day's travels, the farmer was obviously much more energetic. He was running around in the desert like a child who saw the starry sky for the first time.
...still picking up things from the ground to eat.
Thinking of the coconut she handed him when they met, Tim Drake had enough reason to suspect that it was also picked up from the ground.
…
Seeing Red Robin come out, Aria didn't care about the coconuts and cactus fruits she was holding. She immediately pointed to the sky excitedly and said, "Look!"
The dense and magnificent Milky Way stretched across the entire sky, countless stars flashing like noise to make way for this bright band of light. At night, everything was reversed. The land beneath their feet was pure darkness, while the starry sky above them was brilliant, like falling into an overly imaginative dream.
The farmer was as excited as a child: "Isn't it spectacular? It's so beautiful!"
Deneb, Vega, Altair, and the center of the Milky Way in the direction of Sagittarius - very typical summer Milky Way features.
Tim stared at the sky and nodded calmly, "Yeah, spectacular."
But the farmer grabbed him and said, "No! You need to feel it more carefully!"
"It should be like this—Wow! Oh my god, the stars are so beautiful!"
I don't even have the heart I promised.
Tim looked completely blank. "Yeah, wow, oh my god, these stars are so pretty."
"...You sound like you're reading an obituary."
If Lars ever gained the power to reverse the seasons, that would indeed be Red Robin's obituary for the world.
Tim couldn't refute it for a moment, so he could only change the subject: "So you really like these stars?"
"Of course!" Aria raised her hand like a schoolgirl. "Do you often see scenery like this?"
Tim had lost count of how many times he'd looked at the same night sky during this period, but the farmer's words were interesting. He keenly noticed the potential for exploration and asked casually with a smile, "So, does this count as fulfilling your life's wish?"
The farmer nodded vigorously.
"Actually, this type of tourism project is quite popular," Red Robin said, stroking his chin with a sincere expression. "Was it because you were too busy before that you didn't have time to participate?"
Aria hooked her fingers together. As Batman's assistant, she didn't consider any potential verbal traps. "Because I'm inheriting the farm, and many things are still in the initial stages, it's normal to need help."
"...Sounds like bad luck."
The farmer opened his eyes wide in disbelief. Everyone thought that escaping the city and inheriting a farm was a great thing, so why did his tone sound so, so... regretful?
"I'm incredibly lucky! You know, even though we all inherited land from our ancestors, some people still have to clean up after their ancestors!"
New doubts.
Before Tim Drake could continue to ask her about her career before inheriting the farm, Aria looked up in an unknown direction and immediately jumped up from the campfire as if her butt was on fire.
"Oh, Kara! It's three minutes to two!"
"We should go to bed!"
Otherwise, not only will you be teleported back to the farm, but two portable tents will also be wasted.
The most important thing is that Red Robin will be left here alone. He doesn't look like he can fight very well. Judging from the tension between him and Mr. Qi, he might tear him to pieces!
The farmer Lalakala gestured for her to go to sleep too, and she immediately dived into the tent like a fledgling swallow, and stopped moving in an instant.
Kara stood up and was about to put out the fire and fall asleep according to her farm schedule, but Tim Drake stopped her.
"You shouldn't have to follow her rules, right?"
The young man curled his tongue slightly, and the next second a not very familiar language burst out of his mouth.
Is it right? ·
It's Kryptonian.
————————
*Dark Dungeon, also known as the pigeon-like game where you want your ancestors' wealth, but they want your life. Friends who like to suffer can buy it and play it (what are you talking about)
Good news: You have inherited a large piece of land from your ancestors
Bad News: Darkest Dungeon
Farmer: If I knew you would put Kara on me after I fell asleep, I would drag Kara back with me even if I fainted TT
Also, some little angels have reported that the extra chapters are not good enough, so I reduced the Gotham chapter from 5k to 10k. If you are interested, you can read it again xNgi mua: @u_296245, 02/01/2025 20:19
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
