Chapter 175: The Grand Canyon
Chapter 175: The Grand Canyon
Beyond the vast basin, the wasteland offered no more hindering swamps to those journeying forward.
In the silent expanse, two heads emerged from a steep slope, finally spotting a different terrain ahead.
The man among them pulled out a staff and summoned a bat, sending it to scout the path ahead.
The woman patted the man's shoulder, her voice filled with excitement:
"We're finally out!"
"Lindsey, did we spend a whole month crossing this basin?"
"That's right," Lindsey said, his Universal Language skills improving daily as he spoke to Red, "To be precise, it's been 32 days."
Red grabbed a protruding rock and leaped up from below, then knelt and helped Lindsey up.
"..."
Lindsey blinked, then took the girl's hand and was pulled up.
He certainly didn't need this assistance.
But Red's personality always inclined her to take initiative, and after a month together, Lindsey had grown accustomed to her actions.
The two climbed up to the high ground, standing side by side, gazing into the distance.
A canyon with an extreme drop appeared at the northern edge of their field of view, seemingly endless, stretching to the southwestern horizon.
Nature's brushstrokes here were ever-changing.
Valleys, ravines, and fissures crisscrossed the land, and swift rivers rushed through the rugged canyons.
Judging by sight alone, it was challenging to determine a reliable path.
The terrain they observed might lead to a winding path forward or a dead-end cliff.
This scene perfectly matched the descriptions in the expedition team's notes.
Lindsey immediately took out his notebook.
As he flipped to the corresponding page, Red leaned over, attempting to read aloud in her Universal Language:
"This land is filled with... canyons, and the frequent elevation changes make it resemble a... wrinkled dog?"
Lindsey pointed out the two words Red couldn't pronounce:
"The first word is 'densely crisscrossed,' and the second is 'wrinkled dog.'"
Red asked again:
"What's a wrinkled dog?"
Lindsey explained:
"Dogs are animals domesticated by humans, useful for guarding or hunting, and some are kept as pets. The term 'wrinkled' refers to the many wrinkles on this dog's skin."
As Lindsey explained the words, he and Red continued their journey.
The terrain here was a significant obstacle for the two who wanted to reach the east.
When a cliff blocked their path, they had no choice but to detour, searching for an alternative route while constantly climbing and descending.
Lindsey considered using resource-converted items to build a bridge.
But these soil blocks couldn't defy the laws of physics like in a game; laying them horizontally at the cliff's edge, three meters was the limit. In the end, they chose to take the long way around.
In the canyon, the sun rose and set.
Even for two Awakened, navigating this complex terrain significantly slowed their pace.
By nightfall, they reached a wider canyon.
They selected a flat clearing and set up a temporary campsite for the evening.
Lindsey, with his resource conversion ability, took charge of setting up the camp.
His resource conversion skill was ideal for this task, while Red, aided by the bat's scouting advantage, went hunting.
Within minutes, a simple shelter was constructed.
A campfire rose from the stones in the clearing.
Lindsey took out stored beast meat to prepare dinner, but before it was cooked, the girl's footsteps echoed overhead.
"Back already?"
Lindsey looked up to see Red jump down from a cliff over twenty meters high.
The girl's movements were agile and precise. She stepped on three protruding rocks on the cliff face during her descent, completely neutralizing the impact upon landing.
"Back."
Red smiled and greeted Lindsey.
Then, she thrust forward the fiery red spear on her shoulder, and the prey hanging from it landed in front of the campsite.
"Today's luck was good. There was this big cat up there."
[Body: Leopard Cat]
[Suddenly deceased Stage Three Magical Beast body, fresh and warm.]
[Its fur and meat can be sold, but the value is average.]
A Stage Three Magical Beast...
Lindsey looked at the girl in front of him, his companion. After re-establishing contact with Essence, she had regained her status as an Awakened.
And she hadn't chosen any of the paths Lindsey had offered.
The instincts deeply ingrained in her body, even after losing her memory, had automatically guided her back to her original path.
Red was content with this.
Using this innate skill, she showed great potential in offensive capabilities.
In just a month, her strength had skyrocketed.
She could now hold her own for about three minutes during sparring sessions with Lindsey, a stark contrast to the frail girl she was a month ago!
Unfortunately, her identity as an Essence Lost One had disrupted the specific structure of her powers.
Even with his Commodity Ability, Lindsey could only obtain the information that she was a [Source Essence Lost with Recovering Abilities].
Ding!
At this moment, the Cooking Meter reached perfection, and Lindsey quickly threw the roasted meat to Red.
The girl caught the food and ate it with a bold manner.
After a month of continuous roasted meat, even the most delicious things could become tiresome. She didn't mince words about her concern:
"More roasted meat... Lindsey, how long have we been eating roasted meat?"
"Can we change our menu tomorrow?"
Lindsey's expression was also helpless:
"I want to change it too, but tomorrow, okay? I'll try to find some wild vegetables, but I have to warn you, don't complain if they taste bad."
Red opened her eyes wide, disbelief written in her bright pupils:
"You can make something that tastes bad?"
Lindsey gave an example on the spot:
"Didn't you think the cookies from last week were terrible?"
"..."
The girl was silent for a few seconds, clearly recalling the 'delicious' meat cookies. She then decisively changed the topic:
"What about that sweet syrup? Give me some."
Lindsey immediately refused:
"Maple Syrup, every drop counts. We need to use it sparingly."
Red pounced over, trying to find something from behind Lindsey's back, but found nothing. She then began to coax:
"Lindsey, haven't you gotten tired of roasted meat too?"
"Come on, bring it out. Let's enjoy it first, and then think of other ways to survive, okay?"
"..."
Lindsey knew this girl wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted, so he set a condition:
"Tonight's training hasn't started yet."
"If you can fight me to a draw, I'll give you some."
Red immediately took the bait:
"Deal!"
The girl stood up, lifting her red spear; Lindsey also drew a pair of crimson short swords.
Both were ready for battle.
Just before the clash, Lindsey, remembering the description of today's prey—[Suddenly Dead Stage Three Magical Beast Body]—asked one more question:
"Red, have you gotten stronger again?"
Red grinned confidently, raising her spear and charging forward:
"Try it yourself and see!"
【I was up all night yesterday, my schedule is a mess 0.o】
(End of Chapter)
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