Book 3: Chapter 63: The Southwestern Continent of Sands


    <strong>Scarlet</strong>


    After some thinking, I decide to visit the Southwestern continent first out of the three continents I havent been to yet. If it were just for the climate, then Id go to the Northeastern continent thanks to the cold and snow. But I dont particrly like starting my trip by going to a continent ruled by envious spider people and gluttonous ghouls. So the desert continent it is.


    Especially considering the other one is literally just a massive volcano filled with other volcanoes.


    So I start the trip off by heading South and swiftly reaching the bridge to the thirdrgest ind of the Bloody Duchy. And by my estimate, the ind itself should take me close to an entire night just to traverse even at my fastest speed while in my beast form. Which goes to show just how massive these inds are, since this particr ind is about 7500 kilometers long. Especially considering that my regr non-shapeshifted form is about five hundred times faster and stronger than the average human being. Not even considering my shapeshifted form which is even stronger and faster.


    Makes me very d reality itself alters how we interact with things based on our desires, so we dont go breaking everything on ident.


    Especially considering that even with the help of my bodyguards speeding me up, it still took me at least a couple hours just to get to the hunting grounds each time I went.


    And since Ive already seen bits of the Bloody Duchy, the guards agree to help me across the ind faster than it wouldve taken otherwise. So the trip ends up taking a lot less time than it wouldve otherwise.


    A ratherrge increase in speed.


    But the trip takes an interesting turn after we reach the edge of the ind overlooking the ocean of blood. Because the ocean is supposedly stretching for close to ten thousand kilometers between the edge of this ind to the Southwestern continent.


    Dont worry, Your Highness, Seraphina suddenly says before I feel theyer of blood metal surrounding me begin to shift into a throne, pushing me to sit on it, well handle the trip to the continent from here.


    Then I choke back a scream as we begin flying through the air straight over the blood ocean.


    I must not re at them. They are helping you, Scarlet. Do. Not. re.


    Somehow I manage to not re at the guards after we make it to the continent before they disappear again. And fortunately, the continent itself is enough to distract me from the infuriating habit the demons of Tartarus have made of making me fly through the air faster than humans should be able to go.


    <strong>Well, youre not a human anymore, </strong>Tarments. <strong>Not mostly at least.</strong>


    Shut up.


    Anyways, I cant help but look around the desert Im in with a little bit of awe. Mostly just because Ive never seen one in real life before. Outside of a game or a magical reality, that is.


    And my first thought about it is that the wind is annoying since its blowing my hair everywhere.


    Actually, I frown for a second before metallicizing a small amount of my blood and pulling it out of my body. Then I slowly snake it around to my hair and tie it into a ponytail from the base.


    Thats much better.


    A perfect hair tie since its made from magic.


    I nod my head at my work before looking around again, narrowing my eyes slightly at the sand blowing everywhere.


    Next problem. The sand in my eyes and mouth.


    Your Highness, please activate the filter on your armor, one of the guards says without appearing.


    I frown at that, which prompts them to exin, All magical sets of armore with certain environmental features that are meant to help the wearer in different environments. One of them is a filtered mask made out of see-through magic over the face to protect it from the sand.


    Oh. Convenient.


    The guard exins how to activate it and soon enough, a very faint redyer of energy appears over my face. One so faint you can only barely see it if you tried. And immediately after that I no longer feel any sand hitting my face.


    Nice.


    <strong>Your old armor probably had something like it as well, </strong>Tarments, and I agree.


    Still nice.


    I stretch a little, trying to get the kinks out from the couple hour long flight here that I spent on a throne before I begin walking through the red sand towards the Southeast, specifically avoiding going directly South thanks to what I remember from the map. Since directly South of here should be the Ashen Mountains. The home of the kitsune.


    A ce I will be avoiding like the gue.


    My walk onlysts for several seconds though before I run into a demon. One that is burrowed under the sand ording to my life sense skill.


    Is it going to be the stereotypical giant worm monster that is found in deserts in RPGs?


    <strong>Is it what? </strong>Tar asks, soundingpletely confused. <strong>Why would youpare a</strong><em><strong>video game </strong></em><strong>to Tartarus? Its not a very-</strong>


    Tar cuts off when I jump to the side, following which a two-meter-long sandy-orange colored worm jumps out of the sand where I was just at, seemingly trying to eat me.


    <strong>|Unnamed  Sand Wyrm  Level 231|</strong>


    Hmm.


    You were saying?


    Tar stays silent.


    I snort at that, the noiseing out rougher since Im in my beast form right now as I rush forward, activating metallicized blood ws on my right paw before tearing my razor sharp ws straight through the worm without much resistance. And the thing quickly ends up bisected into two with both pieces falling to the ground.


    Sand worms truly are the staple of any fantasy world desert.


    I nod my head in absolute certainty at that thought as I look around for a few seconds.


    Although these dont seem to travel in groups unlike the ones from the games Ive yed. Nor is it anywhere near asrge as I was expecting.


    Not that those are bad things, but they are a tad surprising.


    Anyways, let the hunt begin.