"Even moving along the path once trodden by the Nightzmorans is only marginally safer than other areas."
At this moment, the operators of Rhine Lab finally understood Garde's words.
It truly was only a tiny bit safer.
"I once counted when I had nothing better to do. There are over two thousand Nightzmora knights buried here, with a dozen or so of them being Nightzmora Qashqai. Their bodies have created a permanent Originium energy field here, keeping ordinary disaster beasts away."
Garde pointed into the distance.
"But those big creatures can ignore this energy field. They love nothing more than sleeping here."
Following Garde's finger, a group of Rhine Lab operators saw a huge creature over twenty meters long.
It looked somewhat like a lizard but had wings and horns that resembled those of the Vaifans.
"This is a dragon. It can fly, and if we have to fight it, I might not be able to protect you all."
Garde glanced at Saria while saying this.
'Maybe these dragons are your ancestors,' he thought but didn't say aloud.
There were many ancient creatures here that couldn't be found anywhere else on Terra.
The dragon was just one of them; Garde had even seen giants here.
These disaster beasts, like dragons, could easily destroy a settlement if they left the Hotlands, but they preferred to stay in this harsh environment rather than step out.
Garde speculated that the environment outside the Hotlands might be true hell for them.
"Next, we will follow the path through the Nightzmorans' tomb. Those big guys sleep very soundly. If we keep the engine noise low, we won't wake them up."
Despite Garde's reassurance, the Rhine Lab operators were still anxious.
After all, the Nightzmorans' tomb contained more than just one dragon!
Scattered around were various bizarre creatures, some even sunbathing and exposing their bellies.
And they had to pass through these monsters?
"But there's no rush. We'll rest here first. I'll keep watch. Once we enter the tomb, it's best not to blink."
"Why?"
Hearing someone ask, Garde gave a chilling smile.
"Don't forget where you are. Sleeping in the Nightzmorans' tomb, a single mistake and you won't wake up."
Garde's words sent shivers through the Rhine Lab operators.
The Nightzmora knights were legendary figures known for creating endless fear-inducing dreams in their enemies.
The energy remnants of the Nightzmorans, combined with the Hotlands' environment, had formed a natural dream field.
This field might not affect the strong, but ordinary people could easily fall into dreams.
The Nightzmorans' dreams were interconnected, and the number of Nightzmora knights buried in the Hotlands was incalculable!
"Thanks to the vehicle, we only need five days to cross the path forged by the Nightzmorans. There are only a few places with weak energy fields where we can rest, so be prepared."
Garde's words left the Rhine Lab operators in despair.
It had taken them three days to reach the tomb from the edge of the Hotlands, and they were already nearly exhausted.
And now, for the next five days, they couldn't even close their eyes to sleep?
Their only solace was that as long as they didn't provoke the terrifying creatures in the tomb, they would be safe and wouldn't need to stay on high alert constantly.
"Garde, we're counting on you."
Even Saria knew she couldn't last five sleepless days.
If they didn't rest now, she wasn't sure if she could withstand the Nightzmorans' assaults.
Garde nodded.
"Rest well."
Carnelian used sand to build a sandcastle again, and the Rhine Lab operators crawled into the vehicle, set the air conditioning to the lowest temperature, donned eye masks, and covered themselves with blankets.
Carnelian approached Garde, wearing a smug expression as if granting him a favor.
"Garde, I'm sleeping next to you tonight. Don't forget to cover me with a blanket," Carnelian said.
"Go away," Garde replied, ignoring her.
This woman clearly treated him like an air conditioner.
"Tsk."
Seeing through her little scheme, Carnelian walked away, annoyed and crossing her arms.
"Anyone else would be begging for this."
"Hah, if you've got the guts, come share a bed with me in a mobile city someday."
"In your dreams!"
Carnelian rolled her eyes at Garde.
She had been to mobile cities before. With air conditioning in the hotels, why would she need Garde?
After Carnelian left, Garde sat back on the roof of the sandcastle, gazing down at the land.
After two days of rain, a hint of green could be seen on the Hotlands.
No matter how dry the land was, tenacious grass always tried to break through, though it was a futile effort.
Once all the operators had fallen asleep, the area became silent.
Garde remembered the days when he had first come to the Hotlands alone.
"This time, you're not alone," he told himself.
Sitting on the roof until dusk, he saw something breaking through the ground in the distance, within the Nightzmora cemetery.
At first, Garde didn't pay much attention.
He guessed it could be a disaster beast moving underground or dreaming restlessly.
In this harsh, survival-of-the-fittest Hotlands, perhaps this cemetery was the only place of peace.
However, what emerged was not the body of a disaster beast. It was a rusted arm—a mechanical arm made of some unknown metal.
A four-wheeled mining vehicle crawled out of the cemetery soil, using its thin arm to push a white object. It was the head of a Nightzmora!
Not just one mining vehicle, but various robots of different models were emerging from the cemetery, carrying their "minerals."
Sometimes it was a head, sometimes a rib, or perhaps a Nightzmora knight's hand or leg.
In the distance, a much larger mining vehicle approached.
The smaller mining vehicles were depositing their loot into its cargo hold.
They were desecrating the dead!
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