A person stood on a high sand dune, in the midst of the bad weather conditions in the dead area, he seemed to move his head, aiming at Vir down there who was pulling his cart.
Just like Vir down there, the figure of this one was not very clear because almost all parts of his or her body were covered by cloth.
Vir did not know or realize that someone was watching him. He continued to pull his cart across the sandy road with dust blowing in the wind.
The area in the dead Southeast Country was not completely parched, there were still some oases that could be seen at some point. However, approaching those oases was tantamount to suicide.
It is a law of nature that if an area is barren and there is a water source, then predatory beasts will surely wait for prey around the spring. Or at the very least, hiding behind something, or even in the sand, waiting for other creatures to come to the spring, and then ambush them suddenly.
Yep! I don't want to die young yet! Vir grinned behind the cloth that partially covered his face.
But Vir had one oasis he would go to. An oasis that poachers, or reckless people like himself, would use at some point in the area later. And it had to be done because he had no choice. It was impossible for him to continue crossing the dead zone at night.
So, as quickly as possible, Vir had to reach the safe oasis before the sun set completely in the western horizon.
Vir arrived at an area where there was not much sand. It was a large area of dead forest. There was only a dry dirt road, dead trees standing here and there, and the occasional hot wind shaking the dry leafless branches, producing sounds that were enough to make you shudder.
He took stock of his surroundings before continuing his journey with a tight grip on the shiny black dagger in his right hand.
In this area, Vir had to be more vigilant. It was not the attack of the dragons that he feared, but other wild creatures. Especially, when it was a little dark like now.
No, it wasn't night yet, the sun was still visible. And those were just clouds that promised rain.
However, Vir knew for certain that those dark clouds only made promises that were never certain. It would never rain in this region, and it always did, as if the sky was playing a trick on the thirsty creatures of the vast region.
Two decades ago, this region was fertile. The wars that destroyed civilization in the land had angered the sky, and it no longer showed its affection, rain was just wishful thinking.
In a year, the region would only receive two to three rainfalls. And when it does, the water that falls does not come with blessings but brings a flood of mud that hits and destroys the remnants of civilization itself.
The flood would fill the dead river that Vir had crossed, and then flow all the dirt and garbage, or the carcasses of certain animals into the sea, in the southernmost part of the area.
Vir stopped his steps when he heard the sound of something running, like a shadow. From one tree and hiding in another. He alerted.
"Oh, I knew you'd be around!" muttered Vir as he slipped the cart strap off his shoulder. He grasped the rope with his left hand while keeping an eye on his surroundings. "Come out cursed creatures, show yourselves!"
The shadows appeared more and more. Sometimes they appeared on the right side, sometimes they were seen wandering among the dead trees on the left side.
Then there was silence for a while. Vir increased his vigilance. But the surroundings were still quiet, except for the sound of the howling wind.
He took another step, pulling the cart with the rope in his left hand. But after only three steps, he immediately let go of the rope because he heard fast footsteps from the right.
"There you are!" he muttered as he got ready with the black dagger in his right hand.
Groar!
A gray-colored creature that fit perfectly into the surrounding environment leaped up, pouncing on Vir.
The beast was a Dire Wolf, a monstrous wolf that was even larger than a lion. This type of beast was scattered in several places in the nine lands.
However, two decades ago, when the land became dead, their appearance had become a frightening scourge for poachers or people who wanted to cross the Southeast Land.
They called them the Ghost Wolves. And they were a group of wolves that adapted very well to the dead environment, making them even more deadly predators.
Vir twisted his black dagger in such a way, holding it upside down, then he evaded by turning his body to the left. And while the wolf was in the air, he slammed his dagger, stabbing and tearing the beast's right rib.
The wolf cried out in pain and slumped to the ground with its right ribs torn open, oozing blood, and even its guts ripped out. But it was still alive and tried to get up with a loud growl.
As the first wolf fell to the ground, a second and third wolves appeared from the left. One jumped up to pounce on Vir, while the other targeted the man's legs.
From a point far away, the mysterious figure who had been watching Vir in the dune area reappeared, standing silently behind a dead tree. He or she was watching Vir who was fighting with the wolves.
Vir managed to avoid the second wolf's pounce, then he threw his body back to avoid the third wolf's pounce on his leg.
Meanwhile, the first wolf was still growling and trying to get up, then moved away, and disappeared among the dead trees on the left side.
Other wolves sprung up, and Vir gulped. There were at least a dozen giant wolves he now had to face, and he didn't think he would survive this time.
There were too many of them!
"Come on, get me up here! I'll fight to the death!"