leonardwarren Chapter 62 The Wilderness
Chapter 62 The Wilderness
The wheels rolled, the horses' hooves clattered, and the procession slowly and orderly drove out of the city gates of Suliepuri.
Vijay began to maintain a highly tense state, holding his breath and focusing his attention, constantly scanning the woods, slopes and distant horizon on both sides of the road, carefully checking for any suspicious figures or unusual movements that might be following him in the dark.
He could never let go of the elusive two-headed snake-man race, and he also harbored a deep fear of the Kshatriyas in the city of Suryapuri.
The feeling of being watched by someone in the shadows was extremely uncomfortable, but he was too embarrassed to tell Mu and Delanvila about his doubts and vigilance, lest he be looked down upon.
As they continued onward, the group remained vigilant, but even after they crossed the stone bridge leading further north and officially turned eastward along the river, Vijay did not spot any suspicious followers.
It seems they have temporarily shaken off all malicious gazes.
The road eastward along the riverbank was initially smooth, and they passed peacefully through several small villages with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys and a tranquil atmosphere.
The villagers still live under the shadow of Brahma's faith, maintaining a sense of awe and curiosity towards the caravans that have come from afar, and everything remains in normal order.
But as the group ventured deeper into the area, the surrounding scenery gradually began to change.
They officially entered the desolate area outside the jurisdiction of the city of Suliyepuri.
This land is not barren or desolate, nor does it lack water or fertile soil. But for some reason, the population has become increasingly sparse, the roads have become increasingly indistinct, and the villages that pass by have gradually become dilapidated and desolate, until only broken walls remain, completely abandoned.
From sunrise to sunset, they could no longer see a complete family and could only barely rest in the ruins of an abandoned village.
The desolate wind howled through the empty doorway, sending chills down one's spine.
Nothing happened overnight, and the group continued their journey eastward the next day.
When they reached a huge rock standing by the river, Bim gave Vijay a subtle look.
Vijay immediately understood and subtly signaled the group to stop advancing along the riverbank and instead turn around to the north.
This turn meant they left the familiar riverside landscape behind and entered a more unfamiliar mountainous area.
After traveling for most of the day, as darkness fell, the group found a relatively dry place to stop and camp.
The patrolling soldiers walked back and forth, the firelight flickering, their eyes still suspended in mid-air, meditating, seemingly not yet asleep.
Just then, Bim, looking nervous, cautiously and quietly walked up to Vijay's side.
He glanced at the patrolling soldiers around him, then turned to look at the Brahma in mid-air. He didn't dare to speak directly, but simply shook his head slightly and quickly at Vijay.
Vijay instantly understood that the old servant had something extremely important to say to him that couldn't be heard by others.
He stood up discreetly, pretending to go to patrol the surroundings to make sure it was safe. He gestured to Bim, and the two of them quietly left the camp area one after the other, walking a sufficient distance ahead.
"Master," Bim's voice trembled uncontrollably as he spoke, "this old servant... seems to have lost his way."
"Can't find the way?" Vijay was startled, his face instantly darkening. "What happened?"
Bim, his face filled with fear and guilt, almost knelt down: "This old servant doesn't know either! When I got to this place, I suddenly realized that the obvious road signs, towering trees, and several special mounds that I used to follow with the old master and the old master have all changed... This old servant can no longer accurately identify the direction."
He paused, trying to recall, and pointed to a few crooked, withered trees not far away: "Only the location of those withered trees is slightly similar to the road signs in my memory..."
This news was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Vijay.
Bim was the only person in the group who had traveled this secret route; he was the caravan's living map.
If even Bim gets lost, then they're truly blind, left to wander aimlessly in this wilderness like headless flies.
But now that things have come to this, panicking is useless.
Vijay took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and lowered his voice to continue asking, "Can you be sure we're still generally on the right track? Not too far off course?"
Bim closed his eyes, trying to recall the journey, the speed of the caravan, and the time it took. He remained silent for a full quarter of an hour before slowly opening his eyes and nodding with a hint of hesitation: "It can be roughly determined that our speed, direction, and distance traveled these past few days are about the same as the speed of our old masters' caravans back then... We should still be on the right track and not have deviated too much."
He raised his hand and pointed firmly to the end of the dark forest in the distance: "From here, we should continue turning east, and then we'll enter the swamp!"
Vijay memorized the direction.
Just as dawn was breaking, before setting off, Vijay gathered everyone together and solemnly announced several new ironclad rules in front of them.
He couldn't show his worries. Regardless of whether the path was right or wrong, Vijay had to at least appear to be in complete control!
Moreover, the fact that we are about to enter the swamp at least indicates that the path has not deviated too much.
There's no reason why this stronger team can't traverse the roads that my great-grandfather could traverse alone!
Besides, I think my luck is pretty good!
A boy who smiles a lot is bound to have good luck!
"Listen up, everyone!" His voice resonated clearly in everyone's ears. "From this moment forward, we are about to completely leave the land protected by Brahma and step into truly wild and unknown territory!"
"Ahead lies no more city-states, no more villages, no more laws, no more divine protection, only endless dangers, ferocious beasts, evil spirits, and the unknown."
"From this moment on, everyone must strictly obey my orders. If I tell you to stop, you stop; if I tell you to leave, you leave; if I tell you to shut up, you absolutely must not make a sound! No one may act without authorization, approach danger out of curiosity, or disobey orders, otherwise..."
Vijay paused, then continued, "Even Brahma and Shiva cannot save your lives!"
These words were quite harsh, even exceeding the bounds of what one would expect from an ordinary businessman.
Apart from Mu Na's enormous pupils slightly contracting as he silently gazed at Vijay with a hint of inexplicable meaning, everyone else looked solemn and bowed their heads, repeatedly agreeing.
The relaxed and pleasant atmosphere in Suliepuri was completely forgotten at this moment.
Everyone was acutely aware that their real adventure was only just beginning.
The procession set off again, the atmosphere heavy and solemn.
They hadn't walked far when they passed through the last grove of trees.
The world before my eyes suddenly changed.
The colors of the world turned gray and murky, the air was stuffy and oppressive, and the clear sky could not be seen. The ground underfoot became soft and slippery. The once lush green grass completely disappeared, replaced by a strange, brownish-black grass that grew close to the ground, half-dead.
All around, swamps of varying sizes began to appear, bubbling and releasing a strange, dizzying odor.
The entire world seemed to be shrouded in a layer of hazy mist, and visibility was getting lower and lower.
The caravan's steeds and camels were the first to show abnormalities, their breathing becoming rapid, restless, and their limbs trembling slightly. It was obvious that they were very uncomfortable with the air here.
Vijay quickly noticed the abnormality in the surrounding air. The air he inhaled brought a slight numbing and burning sensation, indicating that the gas here was poisonous!
His heart tightened, and he immediately looked at Mu, his tone urgent: "Lord Mu, this place is filled with poisonous gas, harmful to both people and livestock. Please provide protection for us and safeguard our entire team!"
Vijay was secretly anxious. He had no idea how his great-grandfather had led the caravan safely through this poisonous swamp, nor did he know how much harm these toxic gases could cause to people.
Bim didn't mention this either, which should be one of the missing pieces of information.
Right now, all we can do is pray for Brahma's protection and rely on the divine power of the local deity to overcome this difficult time.
He slowly opened his pupils, glanced around at the surrounding gray fog and bubbling mud, and nodded slightly.
He didn't speak, but gently turned the rosary beads hanging in front of him. A soft, faint light emanated from the beads, like a thin veil, slowly spreading to every person and every animal in the caravan.
Strangely, after being enveloped by this light, the steeds and camels, which had been breathing rapidly, quickly calmed down and stopped being agitated.
The air the team members breathed in became much fresher, and their dizziness and chest tightness disappeared instantly.
Vijay clearly saw that after doing all this, Mudi swayed slightly and showed obvious fatigue on his face, which was completely different from his previous ease.
The next moment, Mu's slightly weak but still steady voice slowly entered Vijay's ears: "Patriarch, this place has completely broken away from Brahma's gaze and protection. The divine power I borrowed from Brahma is being consumed very quickly here, and it cannot last for long."
"I must bestow blessings again in a maximum of 10 hours... I don't know how many more times I can bestow blessings. I'd better find a way out of this poisonous swamp as soon as possible!"
Vijay's heart sank, and he immediately nodded: "Shiva, I understand, thank you for your hard work!"
"We will move forward as quickly as possible."
Despite saying that, he dared not order the troops to speed up rashly.
The ground beneath our feet was incredibly soft and wet; wheels would sink deep into it, and horses' hooves would splash up large puddles of mud.
If the speed is too high, accidents are bound to happen.
Vijay sat in the lead carriage, with Bim driving the way.
Vijay opened his eyes wide, carefully observing and avoiding the withered branches and leaves that suddenly appeared on the ground and the deep pits. The most terrifying thing was the mud pits that were hidden under the grass and could not be seen at all.
The deeper the group went, the more their fear intensified.
Visibility dropped to about 20 meters, and the vehicles at the back of the line could no longer see the leader, so they could only follow the vehicles in front of them with their heads down.
There is no road ahead, no end in sight.
Strange bird calls, hoarse and unpleasant, could be heard from all around.
It felt as if something was watching him intently from within the mist.
An unknown fear gripped the entire caravan; everyone felt that they might slip and fall into an endless swamp at any moment, leaving not even a trace of their remains.
Or perhaps a monster suddenly appears out of nowhere and silently snatches you away.
As the caravan moved slowly and cautiously, Bim, who was sitting at the front leading the way, suddenly stiffened and pulled hard on the reins, bringing the oxcart to a complete stop.
His face was deathly pale, his lips trembled, and he raised a shaky finger, pointing tentatively to a puddle not far ahead: "Master... Master! There..."
Vijay's heart tightened, and he immediately focused his gaze in the direction Bim was pointing.
In the murky puddle ahead, lay a colossal creature, its color a striking resemblance to the surrounding swamp.
It lay motionless in the shallow water, resting. It was two or three meters long, covered with hard scales, with a long, flat mouth, cold eyes, and a huge, imposing size.
Vijay breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
Isn't this just a larger crocodile?
Before he could even speak, Delanvila, who had been itching to get going, had his eyes light up, seeing an opportunity to "show off".
He drew his heavy longsword with a burst of fighting spirit, striding forward excitedly, laughing loudly as he went: "May Indra protect me! Hahaha, this little thing dares to block my way? Watch me take care of it and clear the way for everyone!"
Bim was so frightened that his mouth dropped open. He wanted to speak up and tell him that this was no ordinary beast, but before he could say anything, Delanvila had already rushed to the edge of the puddle.
His powerful movements instantly startled the resting giant crocodile.
The crocodile sensed a creature intruding into its territory and was instantly enraged. It raised its head, opened its huge mouth full of sharp teeth, and, with a foul stench, lunged at Delanvila!
Everyone gasped in fright.
Delan Villa, as a fierce warrior, is no ordinary person whose strength is not undeserved.
He deftly sidestepped the crocodile's pounce, and at the same time, swung his massive longsword, the heavy blade tearing through the mist, the flashing light revealing a few glints of cold light.
It slammed into the crocodile's back with ferocious force!
"clang!"
A crisp, metallic clang rang out.
Delanvila's powerful blow failed to penetrate the crocodile's tough scales, leaving only a white mark on the thick skin and scattering sparks.
The enormous impact force violently flipped the behemoth to the ground, revealing its relatively soft, white belly that was not protected by scales.
How could Delanvila miss such a golden opportunity? He pressed forward, his muscles taut and bulging, gripping the knife with both hands, and brought it down hard on the crocodile's exposed head!
The crocodile was not without its own strength. In the face of death, its massive tail swept across from the side like an incredibly heavy steel whip, striking Delanvila with tremendous force!