CHAPTER 379: CHAPTER 22: ELOPE (3)_2

...

From a certain perspective, you have to admit that Andrew’s decision not to let Christina reveal her dragon form was absolutely the right choice. At least, so far, this decision has been proven correct.

Once her dragon form is revealed, though the speed will become extremely fast, the target will become equally enormous. People might miss seeing a bat flying through the sky, but they certainly won’t miss seeing a dragon. Isn’t that right?

Of course, even moving in human form doesn’t guarantee they won’t be discovered, especially when there are two forces simultaneously tracking them.

...

Nightfall was gradually approaching, and the desert’s night sky was dotted with countless stars.

"Whew..." Andrew wiped the sweat off his brow as he finally finished covering the buried spot with dirt. Then he began looking around, searching for a marker. "Carrying money around is such a hassle; it makes us too big a target. If they had just uncovered the cloth we draped over the gold coins earlier, they would’ve instantly found it. I don’t think a group of soldiers stumbling across a heap of gold coins in the wilderness would remain indifferent, even if those coins have an owner. Besides, we can’t use the cart anymore. Let’s just keep the money we need and bury the rest here for now. We can come back for it when we get the chance."

"But, how will we find this place again later?" Christina asked.

That was indeed the issue.

You have to admit that burying gold coins in the desert isn’t a great idea, because later on, you might not even be able to find the original spot. After all, the desert is vast and empty, and every place looks the same.

"We’ll remember this rock." Andrew pointed at a nearby boulder. As he spoke, he began circling the boulder. After a while, he started to feel discouraged. "Well, maybe not."

Why not?

Because the same rock looks different depending on the angle you view it from. The desert is filled with countless rocks like this one. If you don’t know the precise coordinates, this approach is utterly useless.

Christina whispered, "Maybe I can leave a marker?"

"What do you mean?" Andrew asked.

Christina crouched down and extended a hand, drawing an array on the ground where the gold coins were buried, gradually infusing it with her magic power.

Suddenly, the intricate runes of the array emitted a radiant green glow, which promptly faded away along with the traces Christina had drawn.

"That’s it. This is how our Dragon Clan hides treasure. No matter how long it’s been, we’ll always be able to find this location." Christina explained, flashing a proud smile at Andrew.

"Looks like my concerns were unnecessary." Andrew chuckled wryly, following suit with a smile.

Untying the reins of two horses, Andrew found another spot where he discarded the entire cart along with its contents, leaving behind only essential supplies like water and food. Then, the two mounted their respective horses and, under the cover of night, quickly followed their original path.

Soon, they spotted a fortress erected by Lunbak’s army in the desert.

The entire fortress was ablaze with lights, torches illuminating everything, and soldiers patrolled every corner. Outside the fortress, there were vast encampments filled with military tents. From the camps arose occasional sounds of commotion, a lively din.

It seemed a significant force was stationed here. Plus, this army clearly wasn’t permanently assigned to this location. Without a doubt, Andrew’s suspicions had proven correct. Something had happened here, or else Lunbak wouldn’t have needed to dispatch such a large force.

Of course, none of this concerned them.

Quietly skirting the fortress, Christina and Andrew found themselves at a nearby oasis with a natural lake. After feeding the horses and refilling their supplies, they continued their journey under cover of darkness.

...

At dawn.

Still patrolling the desert skies, Andrejewitsch’s eyes suddenly dipped downward. Moments later, his entire body tilted, gradually descending until he landed beside a large boulder.

With a sharp "crack," one of his claws dug into the earth and pulled up a chunk of broken stone. Shaking it lightly, the debris fell away, leaving behind a torn burlap cloth wrapped around gold coins, as well as several loose coins scattered in the soil.

He sniffed the bundle, then took the excavated gold and added it to his own collection before letting out a thunderous dragon’s roar that echoed across the night sky.

...

In an instant, chaos spread through the fortress and the surrounding military encampments, as soldiers poured out of their tents.

The massive golden dragon soared overhead, stirring a raging wind and inciting a cacophony of shouts.

...

At that moment, Andrew and Christina, who had already traveled far, rode their horses to the crest of a hill.

What awaited them at the top was yet another army.

Andrew froze, his eyes gradually widening in disbelief.

Having followed Gray southward in countless battles before, Andrew was no stranger to armies. But the one before him was unlike anything he had ever seen.

Their formation was chaotic at best, and the soldiers jostled and bickered among themselves.

This army was composed mainly of Beastmen.

Massive in stature, each one towering over humans by at least two heads, these Beastmen were covered in thick muscles and dense fur, with fearsome tusks protruding from their jaws. Dressed in tattered clothing and armed with an assortment of cobbled-together, bizarre weapons, they looked nothing short of savage.

And they weren’t alone; the army also included a significant number of magical beasts raised by Beastmen, as well as a considerable force of One-eyed Giants. Bald and towering between five to ten meters tall, these giants carried either tree trunks or crude, mismatched metallic weapons as instruments of destruction.

Roughly estimated, they numbered more than ten thousand.

The entire army looked primitive and brutal, but no one would doubt their ferocity in combat.

Worse still, they were forming up and advancing straight in Andrew and Christina’s direction.

"What is this?" Christina whispered.

"They’re the enemy—the opposing force—the ones fighting the previous army," Andrew said, drawing a deep breath. "I suspect there’s been a rebellion here, and those earlier soldiers were sent to suppress it. Clearly, though, they can’t.

"I’ve long heard of unrest in Lunbak’s lands, but this is the first time I’ve seen just how ’unrest’ manifests."

"So... Should we head back?" Christina asked nervously, glancing over her shoulder.

"It’s possible we can go around them." Andrew said, already turning his horse to descend the slope and galloping toward his rear flank.

Christina hurriedly followed, riding her horse close behind.

The desert ground was marked by the trailing tracks of the two galloping horses.

The Beastman army seemingly noticed them, but didn’t appear to care, continuing to chatter noisily as they marched forward.

After covering a significant distance, Andrew quickly realized something was amiss. The army’s formation stretched into a long arc, leaving them with no way to bypass it.

"Don’t worry. The battle between both sides should start soon, and once they’re engaged, they won’t have time for us."

"How long will that take?"

"A day, maybe? I’m not sure, but it shouldn’t take too long."

Left without options, Andrew led Christina in retreat.

By now, daylight had fully broken.

As Andrew raced ahead, a flicker in the sky ahead caught his attention.

He dismissed it at first, urging his horse forward, though his gaze remained fixed.

Gradually, the flicker grew larger—it was Andrejewitsch!

Christina gasped in shock.

While galloping, Andrew quickly edged closer, tugging on Christina’s hood.

"Get down. He’s flying high enough; he shouldn’t see us!"

Christina immediately hunched low over her horse, keeping her head down.

Though two horses racing through the desert were conspicuous, the massive army behind them was even more eye-catching.

Soon enough, Andrejewitsch, entirely oblivious, soared directly over Christina and Andrew’s heads...