Chapter 110 : Southern Jungle (5)
“W-What the hell is this…?”
Kasim blinked in disbelief.
He had traversed the desert for decades, but he had never seen such an overwhelming sight before.
The sandstorm that had been raging fiercely had come to an abrupt stop, suspended in mid-air.
It was as if time itself had frozen.
Through the particles of sand, the sun sparkled, revealing a mystical golden curtain.
Kasim turned his gaze to Ariel.
This impossible phenomenon was surely a magic spell cast by her.
Even the mighty forces of nature were helpless in the face of a young girl’s magic.
The sand particles, which had been still, gently began to trickle to the ground.
The golden curtain lifted, revealing the clear sky and the vast desert landscape.
“Hah.”
Kasim exhaled in exhaustion, and Ariel quickly walked up to him.
“Ariel, what the hell…?”
Suddenly, Kasim’s eyes widened in surprise.
Something surged up next to Ariel.
It was a giant sandworm.
“W-Watch out!”
The sandworm opened its circular mouth, attempting to swallow Ariel whole.
Just then, a flash of blue light emitted from Ariel’s hand.
Swish.
With a simple sound, the sandworm collapsed.
Ariel waved her hand, and the massive corpse of the sandworm disappeared without a trace, as though it had never existed.
Even then, Ariel never glanced at the sandworm.
Her gaze remained fixed on Kasim’s legs.
Kasim’s legs were twitching violently due to severe paralysis, and it hurt his pride.
He covered his legs with his bag and spoke.
“It’s fine, this is normal. It’s not an injury, more like a sickness. So, could you stop looking at me like that? I feel like a pathetic fool.”
Ariel paused, contemplating, before pulling at Kasim’s bag.
“W-What are you…?”
Kasim tried to hold onto the bag, but it was no use.
He was easily overpowered and the bag was quickly taken from him.
It felt like a humiliating loss.
A desert guide had to learn some basic self-defense.
That was essential to fend off bandits or monsters.
Kasim had trained in swordsmanship.
A thick machete hung from his camel, which he handled with considerable skill.
His two daughters thought their father was the strongest man in the world.
Natural disasters like desert sandstorms were unavoidable, but they believed Kasim could easily defeat any ordinary bandits.
But how would they feel seeing this?
A reliable father trembling in his legs and losing his bag to a little girl?
“G-Give it back.”
Kasim reached out, and Ariel casually dropped the bag beside her.
She then bent down and reached for Kasim’s leg before speaking.
“Divine Revive.”
In an instant, holy light poured from Ariel’s hand, seeping into Kasim’s leg.
Divine Revive was a high-level holy magic.
While it couldn’t cure incurable diseases, it could heal most ailments.
It required great divine power, so only high-ranking clergy could cast it, leaving them temporarily exhausted.
Though that didn’t apply to Ariel.
“W-What’s happening…?”
Kasim stared in shock at the changes occurring in his leg.
The power that had been drained by paralysis and pain was returning, and Kasim slowly tried to stand.
Miraculously, his leg was sturdy enough to support his body.
The spasms and numbness had completely disappeared.
He could walk without any issue, and it even felt like he could run.
“My… my leg is healed…?”
Kasim asked in a trembling voice, and Ariel nodded.
“Wahahaha!”
Kasim burst out laughing loudly.
“This is… a miracle! How is this possible… Ariel, you’re truly amazing!”
Kasim lifted Ariel into the air and spun her around.
But he must’ve gotten dizzy, as both he and Ariel collapsed onto the sand with a thud.
“Hahaha!”
Despite the fall, Kasim couldn’t stop laughing.
On the desert that had once been plagued by the sandstorm,
His hearty laughter echoed for a long time.
Ariel’s astonishing feats didn’t end there.
A sudden griffon appeared, only to collapse with a sickening crack before it could even do anything.
A hydra near an oasis was strangled and collapsed in defeat.
Each time, Ariel approached the monster corpses, and they vanished without a trace, as though they had never been there.
Kasim found himself pitying the monsters, even though he knew better.
Wasn’t this a bit too much?
But he quickly scolded himself.
After all, they were monsters.
Monsters were dangerous creatures that attacked travelers in the desert.
If possible, it was best to eliminate them all.
In that sense, Ariel’s actions should be praised.
Ariel’s incredible powers didn’t stop there.
When night fell and darkness enveloped them, Kasim took his post as lookout.
It was the guide’s duty to stand guard while the travelers rested.
But Ariel casually waved her hand, and a transparent shield appeared around them.
“You’re welcome, rest easy now. No one can get in.”
Lu patted Kasim’s shoulder and Ariel gave him a slight bow.
Then both of them casually lay down on the ground.
Ariel hugged the camel, Sahara, while Lu crawled into her clothes.
Kasim stared at them for a moment before lying down himself.
He used his bag as a pillow and gazed up at the starry sky, pondering.
’I feel kind of useless…’
Ariel’s shield completely blocked out the cold.
The desert night was notorious for its harsh chill, but with Ariel’s shield, the surroundings felt like a greenhouse—warm and cozy.
For the first time, Kasim was able to enjoy a comfortable night in the desert.
The next day, their desert crossing continued smoothly and without any danger.
Thanks to Ariel’s exceptional magic, there were no dangerous situations, and Kasim simply relaxed and enjoyed the desert journey.
’Such a peaceful journey…’
If Ariel were to become a guide, all the desert guides in Sandsprings would lose their jobs.
Her abilities were that perfect for desert crossing.
Finally, when they reached the edge of the desert, they were met with the dense jungle ahead.
Kasim turned to Ariel and spoke.
“We’ve arrived already. Ariel, thanks to you, this journey has been smooth sailing. I feel a bit embarrassed since I didn’t do much, haha. And thanks again for fixing my leg. If you hadn’t done that, I might’ve had to let my wife and two daughters go hungry. I truly appreciate it, Ariel.”
Kasim slowly bowed his head to Ariel, and she smiled softly.
At that moment, Ariel felt she had made the right choice in becoming the protector of Levana.
Thanks to learning holy magic, she was able to help others, whether it was in the elf forest or with Kasim.
“You can sell the camels over there.”
Kasim pointed toward a group of camel traders.
Once they left the desert, the camels wouldn’t be needed, so travelers would sell them here.
Ariel had known this from the start.
She affectionately petted Sahara’s neck, her face tinged with regret.
Although they had only spent a day together, she had already grown attached.
The previous night, Sahara had been surprisingly comfortable to sleep with.
“Thank you for the ride, Sahara.”
Ariel spoke as she led Sahara over to the camel traders.
Sahara, too, seemed reluctant to part, trembling and sniffing the air.
“Goodbye, Sahara.”
When Ariel reached the traders, she retrieved the dragon doll, Sparky, from Sahara’s neck and gave the camel one last affectionate pat.
The camel trader smiled fondly at her.
“Haha, you truly care about your camel. You’re such a kind-hearted young lady.”
The trader kindly took Sahara, and Ariel watched her go, her gaze lingering until Sahara disappeared into the tent.
Turning around, Ariel exchanged parting words with Kasim.
“Take care.”
“No, I didn’t do anything. You were the one who worked hard. Ariel, I know your abilities, but just in case, be careful in the jungle. Got it?”
Kasim patted Ariel’s head, and she nodded quietly.
Although parting was bittersweet, the time they had spent together would certainly remain a cherished memory.
Ariel waved goodbye to Kasim and, with Lu, turned toward the dense jungle.
She stowed away her desert attire and returned to her adventurer-like outfit.
As they entered the jungle, the hot desert air was replaced by the humid, cool atmosphere.
Ariel felt the soft sunlight filtering through the leaves and began using telekinesis to control Sparky.
Since Sparky had been stuffed with cotton, he was quite chubby now and moved a little slower on purpose—like a concept of sorts.
“Ah, the forest really is better, isn’t it, sis?”
Lu remarked, distracted by the flowers blooming around them, and Ariel inhaled the fresh scent of the jungle deeply.
At that moment, a huge object fell right in front of them.
Thud!
Startled, Lu quickly hid inside Ariel’s hat, and Ariel quietly looked up to see what blocked her path.
It was an imposing ogre.
With a massive frame and muscular build, its deep green skin exuded power.
The ogre looked down at Ariel with golden eyes and spoke.
“So, you’re the one who cast telekinesis magic in the Kaldora Desert, little elf!”
His booming voice caused the surrounding trees to shake, and the birds flew off in panic.
Ariel instinctively realized that this being was no ordinary ogre.
“My name is Jakalis, ruler of the southern region. You dare to cast magic in my territory so arrogantly? You will pay the price for this insolence!”
The ogre’s piercing gaze locked onto Ariel as he spoke.
“However, I will give you a chance to kneel and beg for forgiveness. If you fail to beg properly, I will hang your tiny body from a tree and feed you to the crows. Now, choose, little elf. Will you kneel and beg for mercy before me, or will you endure a severe punishment and end up as crow food?”