novelraw Chapter 70: Oasis
Chapter 70: Oasis
Leon glanced at Abigail, who was sleeping soundly with her head resting on his thigh, and regretted not having a marker in hand. Otherwise, he would have doodled something ridiculous on her face—like a turtle.
Emily also noticed Abigail had changed her sleeping spot, but she didn’t say anything. She simply pressed a little harder on the gas pedal.
The road from Stardew Valley to the Calico Desert was a proper asphalt highway. Although it was a single-lane road, the sight of other vehicles passing by was rare as hen’s teeth.
“We’re almost there,” Emily reminded Leon.
Leon shifted his gaze toward the front windshield and noticed that the road ahead ran straight through a mountain valley.
Unlike the lush green mountains of Stardew Valley, the mountains in the Calico Desert were a reddish-brown, standing out starkly against the golden sands.
“Oases in the Calico Desert are usually tucked within mountain ranges,” Emily explained while driving. “The towering peaks act as natural barriers, shielding them from sandstorms and the scorching sun.”
“So your friend Sandy lives in this oasis?” Leon asked.
“Mm-hm,” Emily nodded. “By the way, Leon, what brings you to the Calico Desert? If your destination isn’t the oasis, I could drop you off elsewhere first.”
“My destination is the oasis.” Leon already knew Sandy’s Oasis Store was located here, so he answered without hesitation.“You’re not here just to buy seeds from Sandy, are you?” Emily asked after a moment of thought.
“No, but I wouldn’t mind taking a look.” Leon hadn’t planned on it, but the thought of Sandy selling seeds unavailable in Stardew Valley sparked his interest. After all, since he was already here, it would be silly not to. And starfruit was on his list of must-grow summer crops—it was a key part of his money-making plan.
Emily grew even more curious about Leon’s real purpose for coming to the Calico Desert. But she was smart enough not to pry when Leon didn’t volunteer the answer.
As the saying goes, “The mountain may look close, but you’ll run your horse to death before you reach it.” The mountains had been in sight for a while, yet even with Emily keeping the speedometer at over seventy, it still took another ten minutes before they finally entered the valley.
The moment the car passed between the sheer rock walls flanking the road, the view opened up—and Leon was stunned.
This was nothing like the barebones setting in the game version of Calico Desert, where the “oasis” consisted of nothing but sand, a few palm trees, and some cacti. In real life, it was truly brimming with green.
On both sides of the road were low shrubs, hardy enough to survive in the desert. The ground was still sandy, but darker in color than the lifeless yellow dunes outside—clearly due to moisture in the soil.
The source of that water was obvious: a large lake shimmered in the sunlight on the right-hand side. The water was crystal-clear, rippling in the breeze, and every so often, a fish would leap, sending up glittering splashes.
The lakeshore was dotted with tall palm trees, their fronds swaying lazily. Nearby stood clusters of cacti. While shorter than the palms, these cacti still towered at three meters or more—imposing when compared to a person.
Emily kept driving until she slowed near a small roadside station with a shade canopy on the left. Beside it was a neatly paved parking lot. It was completely empty except for their vehicle.
“End of the line.”
Once Emily parked, Leon impatiently shook his leg, jolting Abigail awake with a startled yelp.
“Hey! Couldn’t you be a little gentler? I thought it was an earthquake!”
Abigail yawned, still bleary-eyed, and shot Leon a resentful look. “Seriously, your leg is hard as a rock. It’s like sleeping on a pile of stones.”
“Heh.” Leon rolled his eyes, then opened the car door and climbed out with a slightly stiff movement.
Emily noticed and teased, “Leg’s numb?”
“Yeah, well, I’ve had a heavy weight on me for a while.” Leon nodded, testing a few steps before his leg quickly recovered.
Abigail had overheard their exchange while getting out. Her cheeks flushed with irritation. “Am I really that heavy?”
“You tell me.” Leon pointed at the obvious dent in his pants. “Doesn’t that say it all?”
“Hmph.” Abigail snorted and ignored him, slipping her arm through Emily’s instead and pulling her toward the only building in sight.
Emily smiled fondly at her and didn’t resist, but she didn’t forget about Leon. Halfway there, she turned back to call out, “Come on, Leon. Let’s go meet Sandy.”
Leon nodded and followed. He had been scanning the oasis earlier but hadn’t spotted the three distinct stone pillars he was looking for. Without those, he couldn’t confirm whether this oasis housed the altar where prismatic shards could be exchanged for the Galaxy Sword. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to ask a local resident—and Sandy was a prime candidate.
As they approached the Oasis Store, Leon’s urge to comment surged. The building was a massive two-story structure, its exterior clad in a deep pinkish-purple brick that was almost garish. If not for the large glass windows revealing shelves, tables, and sofas inside—a clear sign of a casual shopping space—he would have thought it was some over-the-top club.
Truth be told, if he’d stumbled upon a building like this elsewhere, he would have turned right around. It reminded him far too much of that one time a friend tricked him into going into a gay bar.
Following Abigail and Emily through the glass doors, Leon immediately noticed the woman behind the counter facing the entrance. She was a striking beauty with an air of confidence.
“Emily! You’re actually here! Welcome, welcome—it’s been so long since I last saw you. I’ve missed you so much!”
Her expression lit up from calm to delighted in an instant. Waving her arms, she rushed out from behind the counter and swept Emily into a tight embrace. The impressive curves under her sea-blue dress were pressed against Emily’s face thanks to their height difference, making Leon quietly envious.