Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Chapter 1677 - 254: Tug One Hair and the Whole Body Moves

For these thieves’ guilds gathered to a certain extent, how can merely robbing small merchant caravans be enough to live on?

If they could endure hunger and poverty, they would not have come to the desert to become thieves.

Those truly forced into the desert would not join their ranks.

Therefore, the noble merchant caravans that have always moved freely in the desert...especially those transporting special minerals, have all been ambushed.

To enter the desert and transport ores in such a terrible drought, those in these caravans naturally possess a lot of special resources, like Purified Water Beads and Nutrition Beads.

Once the thieves witnessed the luxury of noble merchant caravans for the first time, what happened next naturally goes without saying.

But which family that can dispatch caravans into the desert is easy to deal with, and who does not have a stronghold along that main oasis?

Even before the Undead Tribe made any moves, the Noble Coalition did not hesitate to mobilize toward the oasis occupied by those thieves.

Of course, Hill could feel that the Undead Tribe contributed to this quick convergence between the two sides.

For instance, a certain famous provocateur, Zhu Meili.

Yet, he couldn’t figure out how this person managed it.

Everything seemed so natural, the only abnormality was the development was too quick...far exceeding the pace of these short-sighted thieves.

Logically, unless starved beyond a point of no return, they would never think of detouring to the main commercial road occupied by nobles to cause trouble and collect tolls.

After all, for centuries, the formidable private armies of the nobles and their fearsome combat strength left an indelible mark in their minds.

Hill did not want to admit his mind wasn’t quick enough, his eyes not sharp enough...after all, those small teams were broadcasting their actions live. One could only blame the many distractions.

For example, a certain Great Sage, when forced onto Liangshan, dared not offer commitments, and roared in anger: "I’ll double what I said just now! Will that suffice for her abortion?"

Though the result was that the other Scaret Great Sages, shocked and stunned, quickly turned and acted against the dumbfounded Danboro Great Sages, their negotiations reverted back to square one.

Ultimately, they hadn’t completely fallen out yet, and their setbacks were comparable to certain famous divorce cases Hill had seen: this was still just a spherical embryo. If it does not learn well in the future, it truly wouldn’t be worthy of such an extravagant education fund...even when not yet born, all resources for becoming a Great Sage were already prepared.

That includes specifications for even a single pen or an eraser.

The women and children of the Ismael Family, who nearly forced Lucimar to the brink for property, likely never imagined the true threat would lead them to bankruptcy. After entering the Heavenly Realm, they’d have to work diligently alongside others, albeit without certainty if it’s a son or daughter.

Anyway, from Hill’s observation, Ismael had already squandered all his wealth. The current limit of contention between the two sides was that Scaret hoped Ismael would, for a better life after entering the Heavenly Realm, hand over Danboro’s latest Alchemical Weapons technology, yet Ismael didn’t share the Scaret’s willingness for generous sacrifices...coming from the World Without Magic, a scientist competing amongst multiple nations, he was actually more sensitive to the existence of a nation.

He was willing to pay money, even at an ironically high price that everyone knows he would have to sell off Ismael’s last iron mine to afford.

The Danboro Great Sages, initially filled with disdainful anger at his unrestricted lower self, slowly regained some respect for Ismael in this long exhausting negotiation.

At least when this person makes mistakes, he does not drag others down to help pay the debts.

He carries some responsibility.

When Hill turned to look at Lucimar diligently working in the desert, his heart was filled with reverence for the word ’fate.’

Even the things he abandoned, those who once harmed him no longer had the right to possess them.

At that time, Hill couldn’t help but examine himself...was his luck purely his own, unobscured by any world entanglements?

After checking repeatedly, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The only thing pulling him was Teraxil.

And everything of Teraxil’s was what he willingly accepted.

This practice of avoiding causal connections exceeding the mortal realm allowed Hill to continue roaming freely in the multiverse.

Otherwise, he would surely need to turn back and clean up all causal ties before saying anything else.

Hill couldn’t help but warn himself, to continue maintaining this practice in the future, never allowing greed to arise from the constant good fortune.

Well...these days, the pit that could kill him would surely be filled with High-Level Divine Artifacts, wouldn’t it?

Hill blinked, reluctantly warning himself again to avoid arrogance and complacency, lest he trips and falls, before continuing to observe the dynamics in the desert.

Why couldn’t he see where the fast-forward button was pressed?

Hill, who originally thought he had grown enough to ignore most conspiracies and tricks, slowly tucked away his pride... Habits are hard to change, and he decided to walk the path a decent person should!

The war in the desert seemed unrelated to the Undead Tribe. After scouring the desert, they just watched for a while as the Noble Coalition fought against the desert bandits and then turned back to their oasis... the Deville Earldom, with the Red Willow as their family emblem.

This was a family title and emblem personally chosen by Lucimar himself. He hoped to take root here, just like the resilient red willow surviving in the desert.

When he wrote his name as Lucimar E. Deville, it was as if he had taken off a thousand-pound iron board he never dared part with.

It vividly proved what true relief feels like.

However, the return of the Undead Tribe did not change the situation for some in the desert.

What once allowed them to live as if they were in the capital was the desert path controlled by a certain lady.

When the Undead Tribe did not initially choose the oasis on the main path, they once celebrated their luck, but now they are filled with endless gloom... it would have been better if the Undead Tribe controlled the oasis!

At least, compared to the current situation where even a bottle of water can’t be delivered, they would rather find a way under the surveillance of the Undead Tribe; at least then there would be a chance.

After all, the Undead Tribe, which was considered an ally of Danboro, could not directly attack the strongholds of the great nobles of Danboro!

But now, it’s the desert thieves’ guild that is taking action!

Could they possibly discuss with the sand bandits about tearing up past agreements, such foolish talk?

Yet the Undead Tribe was only clearing small oases outside the trade routes.

Although they could shamelessly ask the Undead Tribe to help clear some large bandit camps near the trade routes, the other great nobles would never agree!

As long as they can’t reach a consensus, the Undead Tribe will not bypass the Noble Council to act on their own.

However, the combat power of the noble private armies... if they can finish the fight within three months, it’s only because they don’t want to exhaust their strength in the desert.

Of course, for others, especially the former servants, not eating fresh food for three months, not being able to bathe, and having to count every drop of water, as long as there’s hope, they can endure.

But for the young masters and mistresses born in wealth, especially those who reached their current status due to Luciella, going without a bath for a week and only eating wrinkled apples is simply unbearable.

Even though everyone understands that once they leave this oasis and are discovered by the ever-watchful Danboro Royal Family and great nobles, Luciella might face some unexpected risks... let alone the consequences of being discovered by the Undead Tribe.

Everyone knows the few territorial nobles of the desert oasis will collaborate with Eosca to invade Cain Valley because of the matchmaking of this former Danboro Pearl.

The Undead Tribe wouldn’t even need an excuse to deal with her.

However, what does that have to do with these poor and misled noble descendants?

By the time Luciella, high and mighty, was fostering feelings with a cute boy two years younger than herself, noticed something was amiss, dozens of people had quietly disappeared from her oasis.

Logically, the servants acting as her informants should promptly report this; however, for the first time, they reacted slowly.

Due to the lack of water, the servants’ odors had become quite strong.

The young masters and mistresses of noble origin had basically forbidden this type of servant from entering their rooms... who doesn’t have some alchemical household equipment?

When they needed to maintain a noble demeanor, these things could be unused, and even the cutlery had to be set by the servants.

But rather than eating food tainted by smell, they could handle things themselves.

Just due to this slight neglect, Luciella had to decide whether to wait for doom or continue to flee... who would choose to wait for death?

Yet, the more terrifying issue was that most of the small oases where they could replenish food and water had been cleared by the Undead Tribe.

A large migration group like theirs cannot go to an oasis without any controller, where the Undead Tribe could come again at any time.

Hunching over in her room, staring at the desert map with a melancholic face, Luciella could no longer be bothered to foster feelings with the young boy.

After all, although she was still so beautiful, her overly menacing expression was not something suitable for the other to see.

She still had a way to avoid the Undead Tribe.

But to do it without much hardship and still have the leisure for romance is very difficult.

Unless, she chooses to surrender to the God of Portals, Eosca.

But she could never do that.