There were nearly no villages this close to the core region, so Alex and the old man had to find shelter in rocky caverns that were filled with beasts in the night.
They fought off the beasts that were there and made that their place for the small duration it would take Alex to consume the Elixirs fully.
Whisker stayed nearby, protecting Alex, while the old man kept an eye on Death, making sure she didn't go too far away.
There was a weirdness around the core region of Hell where beasts were so focused on reaching there that they didn't stop to try and attack anyone that came by. It was as though their instinct to go there overpowered their instincts to kill others.
So, Death had a fairly simple time making it through this part of the desert.
The old man also made his way to a nearby city from time to time, gathering information on Death. One day, he returned with news.
"My sect has started actively searching for her. They should soon find her and then come kill her."
