Wasteland (2)
The night wind gradually picked up again, filling the quiet wasteland with a howling sound. Withered branches and fallen leaves swirled in the wind, their sharp whistling as they scraped the ground. Before the blue moon set, Mi packed her belongings, took a cloth from her bag, wrapped it around her head and face, and sat on a mound of earth, waiting for the sunrise. The sunrise was in the east; if she followed that direction, she could reach the border of the Flower Kingdom.
The next day, Mi shouldered her pack and continued her journey. The wind in the wasteland was sometimes gentle, sometimes strong, never ceasing. Mi spat out the sand in her mouth and looked around. The grass she had seen yesterday was still some distance away. The sun was already high overhead, and the temperature in the wasteland was becoming frighteningly high. A white mist even rose from the exposed surface of the wasteland. Mi looked closely and realized it was an illusion; it was just the slightly dazzling white light reflected from the sand and gravel under the sun. The ground was already hot to the touch, and there was almost no sign of any living activity. Was anyone really exploring in such an environment? Did huge predators really live in this place? For a moment, Mi doubted Annie's warnings.
As the sun began to set, Mi finally arrived at the grassland she had seen the night before. The grassland was too small, just a small patch of land covered with what was indistinguishable as moss or vines. The ground was somewhat black, unlike the other whitish, yellowish, and cracked land. Small insects were crawling under the moss.
This was a good place to camp. Mi put down her pack at the edge of the grassland, which once again transformed into a thread, this time allowing her to observe more closely. Not far away were bushes, and branches and stones were scattered on the ground. Further away, there were rolling hills, and the silhouettes of small animals running about. The wasteland came alive at dusk, with yellow and green orbs of light shimmering everywhere; there was more life here.
Before Mi could even retract her silken thread and transform back into human form, she discovered that a type of slender, red ant had visited her resting spot. The package placed to the side had already been opened, and dozens—no, hundreds—of red ants were carrying a piece of baked flatbread, moving in unison in a certain direction.
Mi was certain no one had passed by; these ants were incredibly efficient. The package, though casually placed on the ground, had at least two knots tied on it, and the package containing the biscuits was tied with an additional knot. How did they manage that? Curious, Mi followed behind, watching the ants move swiftly and in perfect unison. When Mi went in front of them, the ant army stopped far away, then circled around Mi and continued on their way.
"These ants can see me?" Mi, shrouded in a gray mist, became increasingly wary of the creatures in the wasteland. Whether the ants acted out of animalistic instinct or were simply a product of the wasteland, Mi decided that from now on, she should focus on learning to be a human being, a true adventurer, not a witch who could disappear and become invisible at any moment. After all, if even ants could detect an invisible witch, who could guarantee that others wouldn't? Mi had no desire to return to the witch's forest that had imprisoned her for so long, nor did she want to be captured and become a prisoner with no way back.
Each body requires a considerable amount of water, and Mi only has one water sac in her bag, enough for just three bodies. Until a new water source is found and its safety cannot be confirmed, Mi decides to abandon her exploration of the wasteland and preserve the bodies she currently uses, made from water.
Having regained her body, Mi carefully inspected the package to make sure no ants remained. She then gathered some dry branches from the surrounding area and returned to the campsite, lighting a fire to break the deepening darkness; for any adventurers, fire would be the best guide.
Mi took out her boots from her pack and then checked the satchel she had brought from the Misty Forest. Inside were some snacks and condiments, including salt, syrup, jam, various pills, and several pairs of straw sandals from the Misty Forest. Having spent a year in Redstone Town without wearing a single pair of straw sandals, Mi thought for a moment, then put the boots away and picked up a pair to put on.
The temperature in the wasteland dropped considerably that evening. Mi took a piece of bread and roasted it by the fire, pondering the journey ahead. He decided to keep the bread and water safe, saving them for when he encountered someone. Tomorrow, he would carefully search the wasteland for places to fetch water. There was some vegetation along the way ahead where he might be able to find water; he would stop there tomorrow.
After finishing her bread, Mi decided to start acting like a real person from that moment on. She took out her tent, intending to spend the night by the fire. Looking at the tent, Mi realized Annie hadn't prepared any tent supports for her. She thought for a moment, then took out her walking stick and bow, plunging one end into the ground. At least the tent had two points of support, barely holding it up. Mi began to doubt whether Annie had ever actually pitched a tent herself; a tent that couldn't even support itself was less convenient than a blanket.
The blue moon gradually sank in the west, the burning branches had long since gone out, and the night wind rose again. Mi stood atop the tent, observing everything in the wasteland. In the distance, from the deep black wilderness, indistinct sounds emanated; various animals rustled and crawled about. The wasteland was teeming with nocturnal creatures, only emerging at this hour. The scattered lights made the wasteland appear mysterious. Mi drew her dagger and straightened herself. In the distance, there was a blurry black shadow, like a large animal migrating. Mi didn't rush forward. She stood quietly on the tent roof. In the distance, she heard faint thumping sounds and saw blurry black shadows moving. The enormous figures cast long shadows in the moonlight; this was no large predator that a dagger could contend with.
Mi jumped out of the tent, sheathed her dagger, and drew her bow from the ground, nocking an arrow. This time, the arrow Mi brought was carefully crafted by Annie, its sharp tip forged from black refined iron, gleaming coldly in the moonlight. The dark shadows in the wasteland slowed their pace, confronting Mi in the darkness. The enormous shadows had sharp horns on their heads, indicating their great height. Two wolf-like eyes glowed in the darkness, like two small flames. The shadows were far away, their exact number unclear, only a blurry mass pressing down like a small mountain. Mi held her breath and drew back the bowstring. The full moon-like bow and the gleaming black arrowhead halted the mountain's advance. After a long while, the shadows receded, and the indistinct sounds disappeared. If it weren't for the bow and arrow tightly gripped in her hand, if it weren't for the cold sweat seeping from her back, Mi would have thought it was all a hallucination, that this wasteland harbored enormous monsters she had never seen before.
Mi watched the dark figure slowly retreat until it disappeared completely into the darkness. She didn't let her guard down; after the moon set, there would be utter darkness. The sun hadn't risen yet. Although the witch could sense the giant creature's arrival, it wouldn't stop until it saw her. Just thinking about that unknown number of giant creatures in the wasteland kept Mi from feeling at ease.
"Caw—caw—caw—" The cry of the night birds suddenly startled Mi, who was focused on keeping watch all around. Several night birds were circling around Mi in the sky. The night birds flapped their wings back and forth, two of them landing on the wasteland a little further away, and a few more hovering above Mi's head.
Mi squinted at one of the birds, then drew his bow and released an arrow. A black bird fell to the ground, while the others flapped their wings and flew higher into the sky. Mi drew his bow again, and another black bird fell. The remaining night birds all flew away. The two birds standing in the wasteland also flapped their wings and took flight. Mi turned the arrows and aimed them at the two birds that had just taken flight. He released the arrows, and the two birds flew out with a whoosh. The two birds fell to the ground, and the night birds in the sky had already scattered and disappeared. Mi walked over and picked up the four arrows along with the bird carcasses. The four black birds only had two white dots on their crests. Mi reached out and touched them, prying off one of the white dots. It was paint applied; these were birds that had been kept by someone. Mi looked up at the wasteland in the night. What secrets did this place hold?
The sun finally rose in the east. Mi put down his bow and arrows, packed his bags, and set off again. The giants that had appeared at night had all vanished by day, and the wasteland returned to its desolate state, with only the howling wind and flying sand accompanying Mi's footsteps. For several days, the giants did not appear again, and the scene from that night seemed like an illusion.
The weather in the wasteland follows a predictable pattern: the wind begins to decrease two hours before sunset and completely stops an hour later. This is the best time to travel, as the sun is setting and there is still sunlight. At night, the wind picks up an hour before the moon sets, and the hour between moonset and sunrise is the darkest, during which the wind also picks up. Various creatures in the wasteland move frequently under the cover of darkness and sandstorms. At this time, finding a safe place to stand and remaining still is of utmost importance.
The sun set again, and Mi arrived at a relatively damp patch of land, where green buds and slender climbing vines grew. Mi picked up some scattered stones and built a small step, placing the package on it.
Ever since encountering the giant in the wasteland, Mi had remained vigilant. She no longer lit fires at night; the presence or absence of light had little impact on her. Utter darkness couldn't impede her senses; in fact, it was her best camouflage. Mi drew her dagger. At that moment, she remembered the hero's first appearance in her memory—also in the wasteland, only this time the hero appeared on its edge, with towering walls and bandits; there were no humans there. Mi lowered her head in thought. Was she repeating the so-called inevitable path of the sorcerer, or was she embarking on a new journey? The Flower Kingdom was far away; Blue Star was still waiting for her to return and live out her remaining years.
The chirping of insects in the grass interrupted Mi's thoughts. She walked deeper into the grass and chose the dampest patch of ground to dig. She unearthed a little mud, slightly black and sticky—soil that retained moisture well. Even with the wind blowing all day, the ground remained moist. Mi switched to her longsword and continued digging; the deeper she went, the wetter the soil became. Mi reached the junction of black soil and gravel and dug down. The dried gravel and dark clay intertwined like two twisted threads underground. The deeper she dug, the more black clay she encountered. At half a meter deep, the gravel was completely replaced by clay. Mi examined the clay she had dug out, wondering how large this area of clay was underground. The clay contained many small insects and the nests of some unknown creature, forming numerous cavities of varying sizes.
The wind on the wasteland gradually subsided, the sun was setting, and night was approaching. Should she settle here? Mi hesitated, staring at the hole she had dug. There was nothing inside the hollow clay. Where had these insects or other creatures gone? Should she come back tonight? Would she go crazy if she returned to find their nest hollowed out? Were these insects poisonous? How many were there? Mi was filled with apprehension about this unknown wasteland.
Finally, Mi set up camp a few meters from the edge of the damp land. She moved the stones from the grass to the dry, whitish, hard ground, and sat down to ponder what to do. She needed water; the water in her sac was only enough for her to make another body. Staring at the large, dark hole in the grass, she suddenly pulled out her cane and walked over, digging a half-meter-deep, finger-sized channel in the clay. Mi shook her cane, widening the channel to create a water-retaining hole, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. If she was lucky, the hole would be full of water by tomorrow. As for the native inhabitants in the clay, Mi looked at the tiny pool, barely the size of a hand, and realized she would have to rely on these insects to squeeze in for the night.
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