A Curio Merchant in the Wilderness

Having left that twisted land that seemed forgotten by the world, the scenery around them finally returned to normal.

The barren hills gradually gave way to sparse shrubs and drought-resistant wild grass. The unsettling silence no longer hung in the air, and they occasionally encountered other travelers.

A few days later, they arrived at the border town closest to the Heavenly Chasm.

When Xia Lin casually asked an old hunter in town about the "huge rift," the answer left him both amused and exasperated.

In the locals' eyes, the Heavenly Chasm was merely an ordinary steep ravine, no more than twenty-some meters deep at its lowest point. Bold children even climbed the cliff walls to raid bird nests.

However, an ancient legend had always circulated through the town. It was said that on a particular day, viewed from a particular angle, an illusory bridge made of starlight would appear above the ravine, with a gigantic winged monster dozing atop it.

"Legends are just legends," the old hunter said with a pipe between his teeth, smiling through narrowed eyes. "If something that good really existed, I'd have climbed up there and plucked its wings to make specimens for my grandson long ago."

After hearing this, Xia Lin and the others exchanged glances, their sense of the Eternal Watcher Orpis's mystery deepening further.

After leaving the town, they officially set out for the border of the Tsaros Empire.

Though there was no longer any danger of getting lost, a new problem soon emerged.

It had been a full ten days since they had last resupplied in town. Though they still had plenty of provisions, all the fresh food had long been consumed, leaving only tough jerky, wheat cakes, and salted fish.

"I swear, my teeth are starting to develop antibodies against this