At this moment, [ Aloof Gold Block ] finally rode his Hoofed Beast closer, and seeing the three of them looking ready to fight, he didn't know what to say.
After a moment of silence, he nodded and gave his assessment:
"One archery skill, one charioteering skill, one bravery; all these qualities conform to the rites of Zhou."
As soon as he finished speaking, the four of them burst into laughter. The two players who had entered combat stance also put down their weapons and started chatting with their old acquaintances.
What are you doing here?
"That's what I wanted to ask too!"
[ The Aloof Gold Block ] looked puzzled:
"While I was offline, I had the Hoofed Beast carry me eastward. How could you possibly be faster than me?"
Upon hearing this question, [ Namo Goose Rice Tofu ] gave a look that said, "Finally, someone asked!"
"Hahahaha, you're just the fastest one in the advance team, but we're different, we've already been gone for four days!"
Seeing the three of them looking travel-worn and fleeing from famine, [ Aloof Gold Block ] finally understood why their carriage was slower than his, yet they were always ahead of him in terms of progress.
To verify his conjecture, he asked in doubt:
"You're not from the advance team?"
"No, we set off after roughly confirming the direction Gray came from, since carriages really can't travel along the Teleportation Tree..."
"I see. I thought I was the fastest one."
[ Pizza Heart ] said with a smile:
"You already are, after all, our chariots can't outrun your six-legged Hoofed Beast."
Unbeknownst to the four, seven other unfortunate souls were trapped in a mobile sealed room more than ten kilometers away.
However, knowing this is not important, since that group has already voluntarily abandoned this operation.
[ The Aloof Gold Block ] adjusted the Hoofed Beast's speed to match that of the carriage, not intending to leave immediately.
We're all familiar players, so it's nice to chat for a while before leaving.
He carefully examined the carriage, and after confirming that no one else was there, he asked:
"I remember you guys were a group of four? Where did [ Clear Soup Master ] go?"
The three looked at each other, and [ My Buddha Ciba ] said:
"Actually, the three of us are friends in real life. [ Clear Soup Master ] just happens to have a similar ID to us, and we also played together for a while before, which made everyone think that the four of us were a group."
[ Pizza Heart ] also explained:
"That's right, Clear Soup Master plans to delve deeper into the hidden storyline related to the Tree Worship Church's experiments and the ' Base Body.' It seems he's almost reached the Tree Worship Church's border region, but the three of us still prefer the thrill of combat, so we'll each do our own thing for now."
"I see."
[ The Aloof Gold Block ] nodded, sizing up the group, and surprisingly discovered a hint of murderous intent beneath their travel-worn exteriors.
Upon closer inspection, although covered in a layer of dust, one could still see several dark red marks on the carriage and the three people.
However, [ Aloof Gold Block ] was completely unsuspecting at this moment, since the player ID of someone who killed another player would turn red for a period of time.
Besides, there are no players faster than me anymore. Even if they really wanted to kill me, there's no one they could kill, right?
Recalling the wary expressions on the three people's faces when he greeted them, the thoughtful [ Aloof Gold Block ] asked again with suspicion:
Why are you all so vigilant? Has something happened?
"I was just about to tell you."
[ My Buddha Ciba ], with an "you noticed that?" look on his face, began to recount the trio's encounter three hours earlier to [ Aloof Gold Block ]...
No, you mean...
After hearing the three people's stories, [ The Aloof Gold Block ] couldn't help but gape:
"There are bandits even in this Wilderness of Chaos?"
Calling them bandits is just a casual way of putting it; in reality, it was just a three-person team that encountered a group of unreasonable robbers earlier today.
Those guys attacked right away, and the peace-loving players had no choice but to fight back.
Fortunately, all three of them set off fully armed, carrying not only sufficient supplies but also two sets of weapons and armor each.
After a fierce battle, the trio successfully broke through the encirclement, demonstrating with their weapons that although Zhou rituals were somewhat backward, they were still superior to those of nomadic tribes.
Finally, the bandits, who had been thoroughly slaughtered by the three men, fled in disarray and disappeared behind a low hill. The three men, unable to catch up due to their vehicle, had no choice but to give up.
Because they were always worried that those illogical guys might come back for a surprise attack, the three of them remained on guard.
That's why all three of them immediately assumed a fighting stance upon hearing [ Aloof Gold Block's ] voice.
After listening to the three people's description of what had happened earlier, [ Aloof Gold Block ] couldn't help but sigh repeatedly.
[ Pizza Heart ] shrugged when he heard his question, which sounded like a sigh:
"What's so special about them? They're just a bunch of desperately poor nomads. I don't think they're much different from that tribe that submitted to the Second Holy See."
[ Namo Goose Rice Tofu ] poked him and said:
"It's not that there's no difference, is it? The ' Desolate Throat Tribe,' which evolved into ' Desolate Throat Village,' is quite friendly now, especially after learning that the Second Holy See actually has over 100,000 combat-ready soldiers. They seem much more benevolent now."
[ My Buddha Ciba ] echoed in agreement:
"That's right, maybe it's a talent. Once the plants that produce them become widespread, they'll also become good at singing and dancing."
[ Namo Goose Rice Tofu ] continued:
"Anyway, I remember doing the ' Left and Right Arms ' quest in that village a while ago, and this bow was the reward. It seems they've become inseparable from the Second Holy See."
[ The Aloof Gold Block ] laughed heartily upon hearing this:
"That's a lie. Who could refuse Second Holy See?"
"But then again, it's a miracle that these nomads can still live here, given that there's a vampire grand duke nearby!"
[ My Buddha Ciba ] agreed, saying:
"Yes, I've thought about that too. They seem to mainly raise Hoofed Beast, unlike the Desolate Throat Tribe, whose livestock are mostly Toughhide Ox that can't run fast at all."
[ The Aloof Gold Block ] finally asked:
"So which direction did they finally run in?"
The three of them pointed in unison to a direction where there was nothing but desert. After a quick assessment, [ Aloof Gold Block ] confirmed that it was to the north.
He sighed regretfully.
It's a pity, why did it head north?
If they had headed west, the nomadic tribe would have had a steady stream of prey for the next few days.
Surely, a few hundred scattered Soul Returner, organized into small groups of three to five, must have been easy prey in the eyes of these desert bandits?
I really hope they realize this soon.
[ The Aloof Gold Block ] abandoned his unrealistic fantasies and said:
"Since there might be enemies nearby, why don't we temporarily form a team and go find the Grand Duke's exact seal location together?"
I think it's fine.
The three foodies unanimously agreed, and thus a temporary team that didn't quite conform to Zhou etiquette was born.
A dozen miles north of the group of four, a group of nomads on horseback with swords at their sides were being swallowed up by a patch of shifting quicksand.
They finally realized why the elders in the tribe always kept them from going too far from the tribe.
Unfortunately, it was too late.