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Like a gentle Mother, the Stony Field tightly embraced Lut Gholein City. To its west lay the Rogue Encampment, serving as a Nexus between the Western Desert and the Mist Forest. To its east bordered the Gemini Sea, bringing prosperity to the Western Kingdom through its thriving fishery. To the south was the legendary Tal Rasha's Tomb, a place countless Adventurers yearned for. To the north lay a Mountain Range stretching to the Sky, teeming with terrifying Raptor Demon Beasts, a region even the Hell Forces couldn't penetrate.

It was this superior geographical environment that allowed Lut Gholein to become a world-renowned Trade City, and also one of the five major Adventurer Settlements.

As the name suggests, the Stony Field was essentially a vast, boundless Gobi. Crushed Stone and solid rock covered the ground everywhere, with brown earth and greenery interwoven, revealing a vibrant Aura of Life amidst the desolation. Strange rocks stood tall, some resembling human heads, others taking bizarre shapes like various Animals. The rock walls were covered in intricate, crisscrossing patterns like ant nests, as if carved by countless streams over tens of thousands of years. Guests arriving at the Gobi for the first time couldn't help but feel Adoration for these spectacles of Nature.

However, the most magnificent sights in the Stony Field were not these natural landscapes, nor was it Lut Gholein City, which rose abruptly from the flat ground like a Giant towering into the clouds, but rather something even more special outside the city.

Dragons, or more accurately, Dragon Bones. In certain areas of the Stony Field, it was easy to Discover huge pieces of crushed bone half-buried in the earth. These bone fragments were astonishingly large; even a piece resembling a little toe was thicker than a person's Thigh. But this was nothing; the entire Dark Continent was filled with Magical Beasts, and Humanity had already discovered hundreds of types of Monsters the size of small mountains.

However, if you continued forward, your eyes would involuntarily widen as these bone fragments gradually became complete. A vague outline would slowly form Within the Mind – a Skeleton Remains resembling a Lizard, sturdy and tall limbs, a Tail at least a hundred meters long composed of dozens of bone segments as thick as water vats, and corresponding to it, a long and flexible Neck, and a Head that, even as a mere Skeleton Remains, still exuded an Aura of Pride and Authority.

All of this assembled together, forming a massive and terrifying Shadow Within the Mind. It was the Expert on the entire Dark Continent, the Emperor of Magical Beasts, the Lord of the Sky. Its Name was – Giant Dragon. Special Races like Dwarves, Elf, and Orc, though their whereabouts were mysterious, could still be traced. Only Giant Dragon. In the History of Humanity, they only existed in Books and Legend. No one had ever seen where they were, yet they were Real. This was beyond doubt.

Legend has it they were God's favorites. Besides their Appearance, they possessed every Ability that could rival Angel, or even surpass them. Their Lifespan was immeasurable. Any strong Giant Dragon over a thousand years old would make even the true Andariel retreat. Their strong and massive Body, the terrifying Strength that could destroy everything, and the Pride and Authority of being at the top of the Food Chain were their best descriptions. As for the so-called Dragon Slayer, frankly, they were just daydreaming, or perhaps they only killed Magical Beasts with the word 'Dragon' in their Name – of course, never underestimate any Magical Beast with the word 'Dragon' in its Name. As the Supreme Expert in Humanity's heart, any Magical Beast crowned with the word 'Dragon' possessed terrifying Strength.

But why were the Skeleton Remains of the Dragon Race, the Supreme Expert, abandoned in the Stony Field, and in such vast Quantity? Why were these Skeleton Remains left in the Wilderness, while the proud Dragon Race ignored them, allowing the Corpses of their Companions to endure countless days and nights of suffering in the Desert? No one knew. Perhaps this would be passed down through generations as an eternal Mystery in Humanity History, then woven into countless Versions for Entertainment.

Walking in the direction where the Giant Dragon Bones became denser, just when I thought the Stunned feeling Within the Mind couldn't get any greater, the sight before me delivered perhaps the strongest Impact of my life.

A Mountain Range, a continuous Mountain Range? No, it wasn't. It was a Skeleton Remains, a complete Skeleton Remains, stretching out of sight from head to tail. Its Body alone, lying on the ground, was hundreds of meters high, looking as magnificent as a rising Mountain Range.

It lay there quietly. The Presence brought by its massive Physique was enough to make anyone hold their breath, fearing to disturb its Soul. Even after countless ages of Time Corrupting it, the Skeleton Remains was still crystal clear, revealing a Radiance like Jade. Sand and stone formed its Body, and the howling wind gave it Breath. It proudly raised its Head, as if Roaring, looking as though it could come back to Life at any moment, emitting a magnificent, tragic, desolate, and Helplessness Aura that made people shed tears unknowingly.

I couldn't know why it died here, or what Strength could kill it, or why it revealed such intense Sadness before Death that it could still make people weep countless years later. But one thing was certain: even within the Dragon Race, it must have been an outstanding one, absolutely powerful, an absolutely Invincible Existence to Humanity. That was enough.

Facing this Skeleton Remains, I bowed deeply. I believe that any Adventurers who came here would do so involuntarily. This was looking up to an Expert they could never reach, and also regretting its unfulfilled Wish. Only by truly experiencing this Skeleton Remains could one understand how weak a Creature Humanity was. The arrogance of being a Classed Adventurer seemed as ridiculous as a Frog in a Well.

This was one of the famous Miracles of the Dark Continent – the Giant Dragon Skeleton of the Western Kingdom. Any Adventurers who came to Lut Gholein and didn't go Adoration it would be Embarrassed to say they had been to the Western Kingdom.

And the other spectacle was the colossal Stone Statue standing before me, incomplete. Although only the Head remained, this Stone Statue Head alone was over five meters tall. It was impossible to imagine how massive it must have been when it was complete.

However, what was most striking was the Carving of the Stone Statue. The Head of this Stone Statue was clearly carved to resemble a genuine Lut Gholein resident, with a full curly beard, an iconic Headscarf on its Head, and even the Smile revealed by the Stone Statue Head carried the unique heartiness and Passion of a Lut Gholein Uncle. The entire Head of the statue was exquisite and neat, with an extremely high level of detail. Even the dense beard was meticulously carved, showing the Artisan's Intention.

But what was quite Speechless was, why carve such strange Things? If it was to carve one statue, perhaps it would have some representative Significance and could reflect Value. The Problem was that similar Stone Statues were found in more than one Place throughout the Western Kingdom, carved here and there, as if a Child was doodling everywhere when bored. I couldn't distinguish whether this reflected the carving skill level of ancient Lut Gholein Artisans or implicitly hinted at their degree of boredom.

At this moment, I walked out from the Shadow of the giant Stone Statue that had tilted and stuck into the ground after collapsing. Regardless of whether these Stone Statues had any Significance in their carving, they were at least quite useful for cooling off.

After pursuing and suppressing the Fallen for over two months, thanks to the Effort of myself and some other Master, and after losing dozens of Companions, these reckless Fallen finally settled down. The most obvious Change was in the Bar, where related Gossip was rarely heard anymore. The Villager of the Village, who had lived under the Shadow of Death all day long since the Divine Birth Day, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Calculating carefully, it had been almost three months since I left the Rogue Encampment. A surging wave of homesickness, pulled by the longing for Velas and Sarah, became particularly intense and turbulent. I wished I could return to my white Small Tent immediately, embrace the gentle and charming Velas, feel her soft and gentle body, and listen to Sarah's pleasant laughter and her radiant, angelic Smile.

However, no matter how much this intense Wish tempted me, I had a Reason why I had to wait a little longer – I couldn't meet them immediately with this cold Body covered in Blood. I had to wash away all the things on my person and in my eyes that could cause Disgust and Fear, even if it was just a tiny bit. I didn't want to scare Velas and Sarah.

However, this Idea of mine was met with complaints from Little Ghost.

"Xiao Fan, you Wife Lover, Pedophile! Am I not your Lovers? Why can't you think properly about whether or not I was scared?" She covered her Cheek with her hand, looking aggrieved and hurt, her face full of Disappointment from being struck.

"Mm, being able to say something like that already means you're fine. Besides, what's wrong with cherishing one's Wife? It's very normal, right? Every Man should cherish his Wife. And what's wrong with being a Lolicon? That's also very normal, right? Every Man should..." Cough cough...

Just as I was about to reach this Conclusion, Xiao Xue, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped. She bent down and lowered her Head to sniff the Sandy Ground, then, as if she had Discovered something, she growled softly and ferociously.

This feeling, could it be...? I watched Xiao Xue's actions, and my brows furrowed involuntarily.

"Thump... Thump... Thump..."

Just as I was feeling Troublesome, dozens of muffled bursting sounds rang out as expected. Within a hundred-meter Monster Encirclement around me and Xiao Xue, nearly thirty sand pillars suddenly shot up into the Sky. These sand pillars were propelled over ten meters into the High Altitude, and the stirred-up Sand and Dust gradually blurred my vision. As these thirty-plus sand pillars suddenly erupted, clusters of Disgusting, toad-like Monsters with long and agile limbs jumped out from under the sand.

Compared to the stunning Giant Dragon Skeleton Remains and the giant Stone Statues that were so bizarre they defied description in the Stony Field, the Monsters here were not cute at all.

Carrion Birds, Monsters shaped like Vultures, emitting a Disgusting rotting smell all over their Body, especially when attacking with their big mouths, which was nauseating. Their Claws, covered in Disgusting meat fibers, even made physically strong Adventurers doubt whether they would contract some terrible Viruses and bacteria if scratched. In short, they were ugly-looking, unhygienic, and very Disgusting Monsters. They liked to eat rotten Corpses, but of course, if it was living Life, they would first turn it into a Corpse...

Carrion Birds had another characteristic, which was flying. They were not like semi-flying Monsters such as Blood Raven in the Rogue Encampment. Blood Raven could only fly at low altitude, only Carrion Birds could be considered truly capable of flight. However, this Ability didn't bring them any Benefit. On the contrary, it became their only redeeming quality in the eyes of Adventurers. Because they were too gluttonous, their bodies were very clumsy, so when flying, they were anything but agile. This undoubtedly became the best moving target for Sorceress (group/profession) and Archer, simply killing three birds with one stone for Entertainment, practice, and Level Up.

Huntress – I had encountered them on the third level of the Sewers. They had fiery red Cockscombs, furry Monkey Tails growing behind them, held whips in their hands, and wore revealing Armor. Although their Armor was sexy, the Huntress' ugly Appearance completely failed to live up to the correct use of this rare Armor. Besides resembling monster versions of SM Queens, Huntress were average in all aspects and had no characteristics worth mentioning.

Stone Thrower – Semi-ranged Monsters that threw stone spears with powerful Attack Rating. These were extremely dangerous Monsters, especially for the Sorceress (group/profession) Class. If they got close and you were unlucky enough to become the target of a group attack, a Sorceress (group/profession) with low health would definitely not survive the second round of throwing. Fortunately, their throwing distance was not large, as long as you didn't let them get too close to the Sorceress (group/profession).

And the fourth type of Monster, and also one of the two major Pervert Monsters in the entire Western Kingdom that made people turn pale upon hearing their Name – Water Bloated Warrior. Don't be deceived by their Disgusting Name. These were half-human height Monsters with the Appearance of large Beetles standing on two feet and ferocious looks. Their most terrifying aspect was the threat they posed to Melee Class. Every time you dealt a Physical Attack to them or at the instant of their Death, they would explode with several Charged Bolts. Under intense circumstances, even an Advanced Level Assassin couldn't dodge them. The best Method to deal with them was to use Sorceress (group/profession) Spells. Only Spell Attack could prevent these Water Bloated Warrior from randomly Discharge. The most reliable Method was to utilize a Teammate with high Lightning Resistance to draw and block the Water Bloated Warrior, and then have other Ranged Class concentrate fire and pick them off one by one.

From the Monster types and attack characteristics of the Stony Field, one can see how important the Class combination is within a Party. If a Party lacks Melee Class, the Sorceress (group/profession) will definitely be threatened when facing Stone Throwers. Conversely, without the help of Sorceress (group/profession) and Archer, Melee Class can only look at the Water Bloated Warrior and the Carrion Birds in the air and sigh in helplessness.

Finally, the last type of Monster in the Stony Field, which is the type I am currently encountering – Sand Leapers, Monsters with a Size similar to enlarged toads but with long and agile limbs. Their main characteristic lies in being annoying, extremely annoying!! For Classed Adventurer, their Attack Rating is not much, but their Body is exceptionally agile. Their characteristic is that they are incredibly timid. They almost retreat upon contact. Whether you Attack it or it Attacks you, after completing the Attack, they will quickly sidestep and retreat, then linger behind you, looking for another Chance to strike. Those with insufficient patience, such as Barbarian, are often made furious by these little things. There is even a saying that they would rather Duel ten Water Bloated Warrior than encounter a group of Sand Leapers...

Half an hour later, over thirty ugly Corpses of Sand Leapers were left on the ground. Half an hour, it took a full half an hour to kill them all under the full strength chase of me, Xiao Xue and Companions, and Poison Creeper. Perhaps for ordinary Adventurers, this Speed is already quite astonishing, but you should know that with the Strength of me and Xiao Xue and Companions, even dealing with a Mini-Boss Level Monster, as long as it's not of the Cowardly Style (like Bishibosh and Radament), it wouldn't take half an hour.

Furthermore, Sand Leapers have a characteristic that is simply enough to enrage both humans and gods, which is that they are incredibly poor. With my current Drop rate, over thirty Sand Leapers only dropped two Gold Coins. One can imagine the experience of other Adventurers. It is not without Reason that these Sand Leapers are listed at the top of the most unpopular Monsters in the eyes of Western Kingdom Adventurers.

"Caw caw—"

Lǎn Wū Yā, who had flown into the Sky at the beginning of the Combat, called out. In the Stony Field, Lǎn Wū Yā, who had always been greatly mocked by other Pets (I only now know that there is also Jianghu among Pets!), could finally feel proud and elated. It utilized its agile Advantage in the air to deal with the Carrion Birds that made even Xiao Xue look up and sigh. It was truly efficient, truly proud. However, after Xiao Xue turned over ten Carrion Birds into ash and smoke with a Light-Fierce Rage Break Strike and gave it a threatening Gaze, the Lǎn Wū Yā, who had forgotten itself, immediately understood what was called the distinction between superior and inferior and became honest again.

Very good. To be honest, I was worried that if it continued to be arrogant, maybe one morning when I woke up, I would Discover a few black feathers stuck beside Xiao Xue's Mouth...

"Caw caw—"

From the Information transmitted by Lǎn Wū Yā, there seemed to be a small village not far away.

Mm, alright, let's go take a look.

I pondered for a moment, then waved my hand to Cancel Summon the five Guilang and Oak Sage. As for Lǎn Wū Yā and Poison Creeper, one was in the Sky and one Underground, there was simply no possibility of them being discovered. So, unless it was absolutely necessary, I never Cancel Summoned them. In this Sanctuary where everyone is in danger, keeping a bit of Prudence is necessary.

Then, I took off the black Cloak on my person and changed into a snow-white, proper robe. Little Ghost, who had been bored stiff in the Necklace for a long time, immediately drilled out full of enthusiasm, tidying me up from head to toe like a little Wife.

With a gentle turn of my hand, I took out an exquisite Ancient Texts emitting a golden Radiance, as if doing a Magic Trick. This Book seemed to carry magical Magic Power. The instant I gripped it, my Body suddenly revealed a solemn and peaceful Aura. That's right, it was the kind of noble and Sacred Light that Little Ghost emitted when she was serious.

(end of chapter)