This is a dromedary, known for its small head, thick neck, and curved shape resembling a goose's neck, yet its living environment is completely different from a goose's.
One lives in an area of constant drought, unsuitable for most life forms, while the other thrives in regions with abundant water, where it can travel freely to any country.
Carlos sees that Cillian hasn't complimented him and asks, "Is my choice bad?"
"It's good." Cillian thinks, it's actually great.
Cillian touches the camel, its rough texture beneath his hand.
Choosing the "desert ship" was undoubtedly a great choice.
Though the desert is harsh, it's not devoid of life. There are wild rabbits, hedgehogs, sheep, foxes, and desert rats, but none are like camels.
Camels can survive in the scorching heat of the desert for days without water, carry heavy loads, and are useful to humans.
They are excellent desert companions.
Sometimes, they also make good food.
Carlos's choice of the camel means they now have a means of transport for the early stages, food for the mid-stage, and in the later stages, they can use the camel's skin and fur for warmth.
They could even use the camel's carcass to attract vultures from the sky.
So this choice is perfect.
It's ten times better than a vehicle that consumes energy.
Now, they have water and stored food, making their desert journey much more comfortable.
Carlos has this ability to turn a harsh environment into a resort.
After their experience in the rainforest, Carlos feels like they are friends.
For example, now Cillian hasn't said anything like "this is bad," nor has he just walked off on him.
Cillian even willingly touches the camel.
"Then you go up first. I'll lead the camel."
Cillian asks, "Aren't you riding?"
"The camel can only carry one person. I'm still in good shape."
[Live Comments] The strategist is so thoughtful.
[Live Comments] The strategist must be a warm pillow.
Carlos thinks for a moment and then adds, "For someone who isn't used to riding a camel, especially a dromedary, sitting for two or three hours will make your butt hurt from the bumps. You can't sit for too long, so I'll have my chance to ride later."
[Live Comments] …Everything is in the strategist's calculation.
[Live Comments]I said he's a genius!
Cillian laughs.
If Carlos hadn't said anything, he would still have been wondering whether to ride or not.
But since he mentioned it, it feels perfectly fine to get on.
"Alright, then we'll take turns riding."
The camel kneels down, and Cillian easily climbs onto its back.
As the camel's legs stretch, Cillian's view rises along with it.
From more than two meters up, he can see the top of Carlos's head.
Cillian reminds him, "It's hot, cover your head."
Carlos nods and rummages through his backpack, pulling out a few yellowed banana leaves. He ties them together with a string to make a makeshift hat.
"Did you pick those banana leaves in the rainforest?"
"Yes."
"Why did you pick banana leaves?"
"I thought they could block the rain, but they turned out to block the sun instead. I guess that's a case of serendipity!"
The sand of the desert looks beautiful from a distance, and even up close, it has a soft, gentle feel.
Undoubtedly, the sand is very fine, but the downside of being too fine is that it easily "eats" your feet.
Carlos isn't used to walking on this sandy ground.
His steps are uneven—one foot sinking deeply, the other barely touching the surface.
Even his shoes are constantly filling with sand, causing his feet to hurt.
As noon approaches, the sun above grows hotter, scorching his head.
The dry, yellow leaves on top of his makeshift hat quickly lose moisture and crumble to pieces when touched.
He had thought the desert would be terrifying, but not like this.
They haven't traveled very far, but they've already consumed quite a bit of water.
Cillian looks at the blazing sun overhead and says, "Carlos, it's your turn."
While Cillian gets off the camel, Carlos shakes the sand out of his shoes and climbs on.
The feeling of his feet off the ground… it's so nice.
He leans forward and asks, "Is your water unlimited?"
"No, six liters a day," Cillian replies, squinting against the intense sunlight that burns his exposed eyelids.
"In temperatures like this, 40°C, you lose about a liter of water per hour under direct sunlight. And that's just in pure sun exposure. But right now, we're moving, not standing still."
"We still need to find a water source quickly. The water in the bag won't last the day."
Carlos suddenly recalls something. "Cillian, there's something I need to tell you."
Cillian senses something's off.
Carlos always uses this tone when he's feeling guilty. "Go ahead."
"After first round, William asked me out."
"The Medic?"
"Yeah."
"What did you talk about?"
"Our guesses about the second round."
"You told him?"
"I did." Carlos says, "He's helped me before."
"Uh-huh."
Cillian, walking ahead, doesn't turn around or look at him.
"It's your business. You share your opinions with whoever you want, you don't have to tell me."
"I thought you'd be angry."
"Why would I be angry?"
Carlos shakes his head. "Because you don't like the Medic."
"Then if you thought I'd be angry, why tell him?"
"It was just my guess, not the final answer we worked so hard for in the game. So…"
[Live Comments] I think the strategist is gay, I really do.
[Live Comments] I think so too…
[Live Comments] Damn!!! It really is just a partnership!
Cillian glances at Carlos, whose brow is furrowed deeply, and starts to sense something.
From Carlos's perspective, it's likely that he's uneasy because he feels he's betraying a teammate.
"I understand," Cillian says in a quiet tone.
"Once we're in the game, don't have any further contact with him."
"I promise."
"By the way, I've been meaning to tell you…" Cillian suddenly turns around, and the camel stops with him.
He looks up at Carlos.
"Do you remember when I deliberately made you go find the little pineapple that day?"
"Of course I remember."
— Cillian deliberately sends him away, misdirecting William with false clues, which makes the Medic one of the bottom ranks in the first round.
This is why William doesn't like Cillian, and this is also why he asks Carlos to keep their meeting a secret.
But between the two of them, Carlos chooses Cillian and confesses to him about their meeting.
"You think I'm afraid your acting won't hold up, and that William will realize I'm deceiving you, don't you?"
Carlos looks at him. "Isn't it?"
"Of course not."
"Then why?"
"Because…" Cillian blinks, "Because I don't want him to hate you too."
"Cillian…"
"If anyone's going to be hated, let it be me. There's no need to drag you into it."
Without saying much more, Cillian continues walking, leading the camel forward.
— Is that the truth or a lie?
[Live Comments] I feel like Cillian is lying LOL
[Live Comments] I still think he sends him away because he's worried Carlos's acting will fall apart
[Live Comments] The warrior is trying to make the strategist feel guilty. He's playing some tricky mind games here.
[Live Comments] What you think doesn't matter. What matters is what the strategist thinks.
Carlos actually hasn't figured out why Cillian acts like that.
Cillian is hard to understand.
But he chooses to trust him.
"Thank you for protecting me," Carlos says.
Cillian, holding the reins, pauses for a moment, but doesn't turn around or stop walking.
The hot desert wind sweeps across the slightly reddish sand, and the heatwaves roll in the distance.
It's hot, stifling.
And noisy.
***
At 2 p.m., the temperature had already risen to 45°C, and Carlos hears the camel's heavy breathing.
"There's a large rock up ahead. Let's take a break in the shade. It's too hot; it's probably over 43°C. When the camel's body temperature exceeds 41°C, it starts to sweat and dehydrate. We can't keep going like this."
He really values this desert creature, and since the ancient city is still far away, they must conserve their energy to go further.
They can't let the camel suffer.
"How far is the ancient city?" Cillian asks.
"About a day's journey. Let's travel at night. It'll be cooler."
"But it's more dangerous then."
"Yeah."
At night, carnivores like sand foxes and hyenas come out in groups, but they're not too threatening, as long as they're cautious.
Cillian worries about snakes.
The snakes in the desert are all deadly, like cobras and vipers, and they command respect.
A bite from one means either death or serious injury.
When they reach the rocks, the three of them settle in the shade to rest, drinking water and eating something to recharge.
They finally decide to travel by night—dangerous, but they can manage as long as they stay careful.
It's impossible to travel fast in the heat of the day.
More importantly, it would drain too much energy.
Cillian pulls out a map and uses the drone's light to scan the ancient city in the desert.
He zooms in and vaguely sees various buildings in the city.
The ancient city's architecture is somewhat like ancient Greek style, with white-gray as the dominant color.
The palaces are grand, towering, and mysterious, with stone columns stacked high. Exotic houses stand on the intersecting streets.
Cillian examines the buildings more closely and realizes the ancient city has markets, temples, arenas, and even a money house, a casino, and a sky altar.
It's not surprising that these places are in one city.
But there's no red light, only white.
——That means there are no living people in the city.
Carlos's gaze lands on the map's label, which says the city's name.
Puta City.
Puta…
He thinks for a moment, the name sounding familiar.
Then he remembers.
Puta, the creator god worshipped in ancient Egypt's Memphis region.