High in the sky, Gu He stood atop Xiao Jin's back, swiftly traversing the golden desert below.
Two days had passed since his departure from Hai Bodong map shop. Following the route marked on his map, he was now heading toward Rock Desert City, where the Desert Iron Mercenary Regiment was stationed.
Gu He glanced at the map in his hand, "Rock Desert City shouldn't be far now."
As he soared through the sky, he expanded his spiritual perception, scanning the surroundings.
Suddenly, his brow furrowed, and his gaze dropped downward.
Below, on a sand dune, a man was stumbling in frantic haste. As he crested the dune, he lost his footing and tumbled down in a graceless roll.
Gu He watched the scene with mild exasperation.
A moment later, he activated So Far Away, instantly closing the distance. Landing beside the fallen man, he retrieved a flask of water from his spatial ring and offered it.
Revived by the water, the man's eyes fluttered open. Seeing Gu He standing before him, he relaxed slightly—at least the stranger didn't seem hostile.
Gu He observed him indifferently before placing the water flask beside him and turning to leave.
He had never considered himself a saint with boundless compassion.
In this merciless desert, offering water to a wounded stranger was already the extent of his kindness. If the man expected him to escort him to safety, then he was sorely mistaken.
"B-Brother…"
Seeing Gu He about to depart, the man hesitated before pleading in a hoarse voice, "Please, wait! Our mercenary group was ambushed by snake-people. We're in dire straits—could you go to Rock Desert City and call for help?"
"Sorry. I don't have time." Gu He refused flatly without even turning around.
His indifference wasn't unfounded.
In this world, not everyone could afford to play the hero.
If these mercenaries had chosen to venture into the Tagore Desert, they should have been prepared for such an outcome.
"Brother!"
Desperation crept into the man's voice as Gu He walked farther away. "Please! If our Desert Iron Mercenary Regiment survives this, our leader will reward you handsomely!"
Gu He froze mid-step.
"Desert Iron Mercenary Regiment?"
He spun around, his expression shifting to one of surprise.
"You're from the Desert Iron Mercenary Regiment of Rock Desert City?" His dark eyes gleamed with sudden interest.
'What a coincidence.'
"Y-Yes… Have you heard of us?"
The man studied Gu He warily, unsure if his sudden interest was a blessing or a curse. But in his current state, he had no choice but to gamble.
"Is your leader named Xiao Ding or Xiao Li?" Gu He pressed.
"...Yes."
A faint smile touched Gu He's lips.
It seemed he had indeed stumbled upon the right group.
He retrieved an antidote pill from his ring and tossed it to the man. "Take this. Neutralize the poison first."
"Thank you, brother!" The man swallowed the pill gratefully.
Gu He then handed him a small vial of healing ointment. "Apply this to your wounds. Once you're done, take me to your mercenaries."
"W-What? Go there?" The man paled. "Brother, there are eight snake-people besieging us—three of them are Nine-Star Dou Masters! You should go to Rock Desert City for reinforcements instead!"
Gu He kicked the man's thigh lightly, clicking his tongue. "Enough nonsense. Patch yourself up and lead the way. I can handle this. If we waste time waiting for reinforcements, your comrades will be dead by then."
The man hesitated, eyeing Gu He's pristine white robes and composed demeanor. He couldn't gauge this stranger's strength at all.
With a resigned sigh, he applied the ointment and shakily pointed beyond the dunes. "It's not far… just over there."
Gu He nodded, grabbing the man's arm. In a flash, they appeared atop a nearby hill.
Below, a grim scene unfolded—a dozen mercenaries stood back-to-back, weapons drawn, encircled by eight monstrous figures.
These creatures had human torsos but serpentine tails in place of legs. Their cold, reptilian eyes gleamed with malice as their tails lashed the sand, hissing ominously.
"So these are the snake-people of the Tagore Desert?" Gu He murmured, intrigued. It was his first time seeing such beings since arriving in this world.
"S-Sir, they're a small squad from our Desert Iron Mercenary Group," the man stammered, now regarding Gu He with awe. His earlier display of speed had revealed him as anything but ordinary.
Gu He gave a slight nod, scanning the mercenaries—eight men and two women, all visibly exhausted and outmatched.
"Kill the men. Keep the women alive!"
The lead snake-man's triangular pupils locked onto the female mercenaries, his voice dripping with lust. The innate depravity of his kind was on full display.
At his command, the surrounding snake-people bared their fangs, tongues flickering hungrily.
"Hold your ground!" A curvaceous woman in the mercenary group tightened her grip on her weapon, her voice sharp. "The fifth squadmate has gone for help! We just need to hold out a little longer!"
Her words sparked a flicker of hope, but sweat still drenched the mercenaries' palms. Their strongest was only a Seven-Star Dou Master, while their enemies included multiple Nine-Star Dou Master. The odds were bleak.
"Kill!"
The snake-man leader smirked, raising his hand.
Just as the snake-people lunged—
Whoosh!
An overwhelming pressure suddenly descended from above.
…
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