join the Church of MissRaven and become a Sequence 9: Reader p atreon.com/KeyofStars for more chapters
In the vast desert, everything that meets the eye is a yellowish-brown color. The wind howls, whipping up the sand from the ground.
Today's sandstorm is particularly strong, with sand particles flying in the air, forming a thick curtain. Visibility is limited to less than ten meters.
A slender young man walks across the sand, leaving a trail of footprints. He wears a pointed soft hat, a classic robe, and a monocle made of crystal on his right eye.
He has red eyes, and a ring of white crows perches on his shoulder above his right eye. A few steps behind him, a small white cat and a black and white puppy follow, one on each side.
The puppy kicks up sand as it walks, letting the wind blow it towards the small cat beside it. Standing upwind, it seems to find this meaningless activity endlessly fascinating.
The white cat ignores him, using Dou Qi to create a shield to protect itself, blocking out all the sand and wind.
Seeing the puppy constantly eating sand, then coughing and spitting it out, it says in human language, "Idiot."
Amon casually crushes a yellow sand scorpion that tries to attack him underfoot, then suddenly stops. He senses several strange auras, seemingly between human and magical beast.
… …
"Tch… This damned weather, suddenly blowing up a gale for no reason." This is a male snake-man, holding a long spear, with a cold glint in his eyes.
"Isn't the desert weather just like this, complex and changeable… But those above are really something, wanting us to find an area with abnormal fire-attribute energy… Our snake-man bloodline is inclined towards coldness, so even if there are fire-attribute treasures, we wouldn't be able to use them, right?" Another snake-man said.
"Let's not worry about that. It's said that it's a task personally issued by Her Majesty the Queen, we just need to follow orders."
"We might as well take advantage of the heavy sandstorm to search around this human city."
"Wait, someone's there." The strongest snake-man, who was leading, suddenly stopped.
"How many people? Should we hide?"
The snake-man tribe and humans are constantly in a state of hostility, often engaging in battles as soon as they meet, so they immediately became vigilant.
"Only one person."
"Hehe, then what are we waiting for? Let's go kill him."
Amon watches with interest as the several snake-men rush over and surround him, a smile appearing on his face: "So these are snake-men? Are you considered humans or magical beasts? Hmm… a quite interesting race."
"Heh, he's not even running, what a foolish fellow." A snake-man reveals a ferocious smile.
"But it seems like his brain isn't working too well. Why provoke conflict for no reason? Fighting leads to injury and death. Shouldn't such bloody and violent things be avoided if possible? Being blinded by so-called racial hatred, and thus losing one's life for no reason, is that worth it?" Amon mutters to himself.
"Hey, what are you mumbling about for no reason?" A snake-man notices that Amon's face shows neither surprise nor fear, as if he had sensed them long ago and was waiting here on purpose, and a bad feeling rises in his heart.
But with things having come to this, there's no way to retreat, he decides to strike first.
Several streaks of starlight-colored light fly out from Amon's body, entering the bodies of these snake-men. Their eyes become slightly dull, then lively again.
For Amon, who has now reached the fifth rank, these snake-men with only Dou Practitioner strength are no challenge at all, and he can easily parasitize them.
"Finding a different fire is also a troublesome matter… You guys help me keep an eye out for clues about the snake-man tribe. If it's east of Stone Desert City, then find a way to intercept them…" Amon says softly.
"Leave it to us…" The leading snake-man rubs his eye sockets.
Amon doesn't linger here, turning around and continuing in his original direction.
The sandstorm gradually lessens, and the outline of a city appears ahead. Cities in the desert have a bit more simplicity and weightiness compared to those in other places. Because it is necessary to guard against snake-men, the city walls themselves focus more on defensive functions, and are filled with bed crossbows and other siege equipment.
He enters the city smoothly, and Amon asks passersby for the locations of several famous mercenary groups in Stone Desert City.
"Hmm, that's right, Liu Yan, whom I met in Desert City before, seems to be a member of the Sand Mercenary Group. He also said that if I had any intention of cooperating, he would introduce me to their leader… Then it's you guys."
His skin gradually changes color, cracking on the surface and turning into wriggling worms, which crawl around wantonly, adjusting their positions.
Amon's body expands slightly, and his physique becomes taller. His face is also subtly adjusted, turning into another face, "Pill King", Gu He.
Taking out the clothes representing a sixth-grade alchemist from his ring, Amon arrives at the Sand Mercenary Group's headquarters.
The guard at the door sees a stranger entering, and originally wants to question him, but then notices the sixth-grade alchemist symbol embroidered on the chest of the other party's clothes, and his eyes widen.
"Take me to see your leader." Amon, wearing Gu He's face, says in a calm tone.
"Yes… Yes." The guard at the door doesn't have the courage to stop him at all, and says tremblingly, "Sir, please come this way."
He flatteringly guides Amon inside.
In the Gamma Empire, only "Pill King" Gu He is qualified to wear this dress, so it goes without saying who the person in front of him is.
As for whether this Gu He is real or fake, naturally the leader, who is stronger and more knowledgeable, will distinguish.
Amon follows the guard all the way to the Sand Mercenary Group's front hall.
They are holding a meeting.
"Big brother, those two brats from the Desert Iron Mercenary Group are really going too far. A few days ago, they snatched away a business deal that should have belonged to me." Mo Xing says resentfully.
The Sand Mercenary Group has many members, and not all tasks need to be taken on by the leader personally. In addition to the leader, Sha Luo, there are also deputy leaders and several small bosses who can take on tasks of low difficulty themselves.
Sha Luo frowns: "I should have told you that those brothers have good talent, and I'm afraid it won't be long before they reach my level. There's no need to go against them over some trivial matters… If you really want to deal with them, then you must do it thoroughly at once, and not give them a chance to turn the tables…"
He suddenly stops, turning his gaze towards the guard and Amon who followed him in.
"Didn't I say? We are having a very important meeting, don't let anyone in. Even if the city lord comes, report it first…"
Sha Luo's expression changes from dissatisfaction and anger at the beginning to respect and flattery later, in less than a second.
He looks at the alchemy cauldron pattern on Amon's chest, and the six golden stars in front of the cauldron, his eyes burning.
He quickly stands up, bends slightly, and says: "This gentleman, our meeting has just ended, may I ask what instructions you have?"
Amon doesn't say any unnecessary nonsense, and goes straight to the point: "I need to find something in the eastern area of Stone Desert City, and I need a lot of manpower… You help me find it… As a reward, a Xuan-level middle-grade Dou Technique, or if you can prepare the medicinal materials yourself, I can also help you refine a 'Purple Heart Obstacle Breaking Pill'."
Purple Heart Obstacle Breaking Pill, a fourth-grade peak pill, can be used on Dou Grandmaster, can directly increase one star, and one person can take it twice.
Hearing this famous name in the alchemy world, Sha Luo's breathing quickens a bit. He has been stuck at his current strength for a long time, and he can feel that the speed of his strength improvement is becoming slower and slower.
The Purple Heart Obstacle Breaking Pill is an irresistible temptation for him. However, the materials are a problem, and he can't gather them together for a while.
Could it be that he has to give up the Purple Heart Obstacle Breaking Pill and choose a Dou Technique?
As if seeing the struggle in his heart, Amon chuckles:
"If you don't have the materials for the time being, you can wait until you have gathered them before coming to me to refine it. It doesn't have to be the Purple Heart Obstacle Breaking Pill, any fourth-grade and below pills are fine. If the operation goes smoothly, it's no problem to refine a fifth-grade pill for you."
Sha Luo is deeply attracted by these generous conditions, but he won't easily trust a stranger so casually, so he tentatively asks:
"May I ask for the gentleman's honorific name? In our Gamma Empire, there are only two people who can refine fifth-grade pills."
"Hehe, haven't you already guessed? I am Gu He." Amon says with a bit of arrogance.
As he says that, he takes out a Dou Technique scroll from his ring, and chuckles:
"If you choose a Dou Technique as a reward, I can give it to you in advance now… I think there shouldn't be many people in this Gamma Empire who dare to default on my debt."
As he says that, Amon slightly reveals a trace of his own aura.
Feeling the fleeting terrifying aura, Sha Luo knows that this is not a strong person he can provoke. Regardless of whether the other party is Gu He or not, he doesn't seem to have the right to refuse…
So Sha Luo quickly agrees, and says respectfully: "Our Sand Mercenary Group has accepted this commission. May I ask what is it that the gentleman needs?"
"You don't need to know the specifics, just help me find an area where fire-attribute energy is active and dense." Amon doesn't think too much, and responds with the answer he had prepared long ago.
Sha Luo's eyes flicker slightly, and he nods: "Yes."
… …
Green Mountain Town.
Xiao Yan stares blankly as the shop assistant of "Ten Thousand Medicines Hall" adjusts his monocle and sells the Blood Essence Lotus, which was just put on the shelf, to him as a Yellow Essence Lotus.
Walking on the street, he passes through the gazes of passersby wearing monocles with a blank expression.
He accepts the invitation of Mu Li, who is also wearing a monocle, with a blank expression, to escort Little Doctor Immortal to the mountains to pick medicinal herbs.
He kills two magical beasts that launch a sneak attack with a blank expression.
Looking at the white circles around their right eyes, resembling monocles, he finally can't help but explode.
"What the hell is this? It's like a ghost, I feel like this thing is haunting me."
Yao Chen doesn't say a word, silently not giving a response.
join the Church of MissRaven and become a Sequence 9: Reader p atreon.com/KeyofStars for more chapters