Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 290 - 289 - Harsh Villages

At the border of the Rakathi Wastes were villages that acted much like relay stations for caravans.  Some were going to the wastes carrying people or expeditions set to explore it.  Others were actually coming from the wastes.

The major difference was design.

The arrivals had wagons and cloth covers ribbed like giant arches.  While they were imbued with arrays or inscriptions depending on how they were put together, they were all heavily reinforced.

Even so, such caravans existed for the most extreme areas in the world.

The caravans coming from the wastes, on the other hand, were strange.  They had no permanent cover.  They were exposed to the open air but since the Rakathi Wastes were constant storms, sun exposure was a low priority issue.

Their wagons were square and had strange metal rods at even intervals on the edges.  The wagons did not have normal wheels.  Due to the harsh terrain, the wheels had spokes that thread a single loop encircled them.

Anyone from Earth would call it a tank tread.

The last thing was the complete lack of beasts pulling them.  Instead, they were full artifacts.  The drawback was they could not wander far past Rakathi Wastes.  The lightning struck the rods to empower the artifact constantly.

It consumed so much Qi to move the nearly entire metal frame while the safe region inside was insulated wood.  The drivers were in leather robes instead of cloth.  It was a necessity with the lightning filled land.

Both caravans would meet in the border villages.  They were not large despite the constant traffic since Rakathi Wastes had little in the way of profitable resources.  The occasional artifact or weapon unearthed would be ravaged by the tribulation lightning.

The caravans were the best time for business though.  Inns would be full for a few days or even weeks depending on the goals of the people.  Negotiations for trade, travel, and so forth could drag on afterall.

There was one other thing unique to Rakathi's border.  Bounty hunters.

It was perfectly normal for a large number of bounty hunters to come through either entering the wastes or dragging out proof of their target on the way out.

Due to that fact, a medium group of men in the lowest quality tavern had gathered without notice to a backroom they paid for.  They kept to such accommodations to hide their wealth, but experienced thieves would mark their quality of robes and demeanor more than their spending habits.

Unfortunately, any thief that had gone after them was never heard from again.

"Well?"  The broadest figure had tan robes covering his muscled form.  He had scars on his face but they did not detract from his confident aura at all.  It simply gave him a vicious aspect to his square jawline and short dark hair.

His skin was lightly tanned but anyone that thought he had retired due to injuries would not survive such a mistake.

The others near him numbered only 10, but they had various shapes.  Each were specialists in combat, scouting, and conjuring as needed.  It was a fairly balanced group but their robes were a mixture of color and material.

Some were leather like the locals, others had fine silk or cloth.  One had chainmail covered with simple cloth, but all were Gold Tier cultivators.  In the mortal realm, they were considered powerhouses, but they were originally from a much higher realm.

In that place, they were only ants.

"There is nothing, but we expected that.  The last few months we have confirmed there is no sighting of the target anywhere else."  A slim figure played with a dagger as they sat far away from the man who first spoke.

A nod was given as all had similar news.

They were not like the other powers.  They had been foolish and found out before they were killed.  Patience had been key and gathering knowledge.

It had paid off in the last year since the target moved from their safe haven.  The most likely places only had minimal investment since many other powers watched them as well.

After 2 continents were eliminated, they moved to Indelia.

If Cimmeria had been the location, there would be very little they or anyone could do, but once more, their target did not go anywhere expected.  No visits, no auctions, nothing to leave a trail.

"He is clever.  We are not completely certain but have only slowly eliminated possibilities until only 1 is left."  A corpulent man seemed to be amused but his blue eyes were cold ice.  His body was far more muscle than fat as well so his strength was on par with the first of their group.

"Clever or not, he is alone.  All his known companions have been accounted for.  He is not with them.  They are, however, heavily protected."  That avenue had been a non-starter.  It was well known their target was overprotective but he had the power to request the best kind.

"Very well then, what do you suggest Stilson?"  A strangely average looking man spoke up.  The strange part was nearly all forgot he was there despite knowing their number.  His skill was perfect as an assassin but his training was incomplete.  All of their training was.

The square jawed man held a hand to his face.  Stilson had no leads and the Rakathi Wastes was both massive and dangerous.

"What village is closest to this border?"  His question made all look at each other before frowning.

"The issue is not distance but how closed off the locals are inside the wastes.  They do not share information even if you want to pay for it.  They carve out their existence and stubbornly live in such a dangerous land willingly."  A man with meticulous looks reviewed a jade slip in his fine fingered hands.

Of all the people at the table, he was perhaps the most dangerous.  Even the assassin steered clear of him.

"So we can't count on normal methods, is there something that moves them?"  Stilson did not give up.  If money would not work, there was usually something else that would.  The overly handsome man frowned at the slip before speaking.

"No.  They like resources of course, but they will not betray anyone in the village, even guests.  The harsh environment led to harsh rules to live by.  Cooperation and trust are not negotiable in the wastes to survive."  Stilson frowned deeply but then thought of an idea.

"Surely the bounty hunters have run into such an issue?"  He looked to the man in the shadows of the meeting room.  He was not an assassin but preferred the darkness for his Qi Arts.

"Yes, but they have official bounties so the locals will accommodate that far.  We have no such thing.  Also, the legend of our target reached even here."  All of them felt like grasping their heads at that point.

Their target, after all, was Lind Frey.

He had destroyed their powers.  Not directly of course, they were once Heaven Realm members of sects and kingdoms that administered Inheritances under their care.  There were no secrets in those powers due to the various oaths and conditions to join them.

They also hoped to advance to the point of living forever no matter the cost.

It all came crashing down when Lind Frey revealed the truth.  The Alliance then rooted out the twisted Inheritances left and right.  The special realm spirits had intrinsic connections that could be used to deeply analyze the Inheritances but it was costly.

It existed for those that became unstable to see if they would fall to become Ruins soon.

Now it had been used to find all the monsters lurking inside the false Inheritances.  The powers behind them had then been punished unless explicit proof found they knew nothing.  In fact a few had real Inheritances that were fine and a member just became a monster without them knowing.

Immortals had their own priorities and only stayed involved if they wished to, thus the dangerous game of Inheritance roulette was not known to the wider world.

They had fallen from the height of the Heaven Realm powers.  The Heaven Realm was a wonderful place to cultivate for high quality Qi, resources, and constant conflict to hone your foundation effectively to rise quickly.  It really was Heaven to many cultivators.

To be forced to flee in disgrace and jump through descension pools to escape to the mortal realms was an insult too far!

"Very well, we will move inward to the villages and glean what we can.  Once we find his trail, we will rip all his secrets away from him.  He is still only a peak Iron Tier and alone.  Even so, be cautious of artifacts or weapons."  It was standard to entrap and cripple a target for them so they would do so to Lind Frey.

He would be given no quarter or chance to summon aids from his storage treasures.  His corpse would be left to rot in the wastes.  There was no need to brag about their success as it would only bring the Alliance down on their heads.

They moved as one to hop the first caravan out to the wastes.  As they had been told, the handlers were prickly but only in verifying they would cause no issues to the village.  Once that was affirmed by oath, gaining passage was fairly easy.

A few preparations and the caravan began to trudge back through the blasted landscape of the Rakathi Wastes.

The final advantage in the wastes was that no Sky Realm could bother them there.  Unlike the rest of the mortal realm, the tribulations would absolutely destroy a Sky Realm in Rakathi.

No one knew why but a few guessed that the ambiguous place of tier 1 was not tolerated in the agitated region.  So the 11 men focused on the path ahead and would scour the wastes until they found their target.

Lind Frey was a dead man, they would make sure of it.