Chapter 20

Alchemist

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Moreover, as I wrote in previous post. THERE IS ALWAYS A PLOT WITHIN THE PLOT in this novel.

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At this moment, a gray shadow flashed by Mason and knocked the snake onto the sand.

"Run!" Dudian growled.

Macon recovered and run away in a hurry.

Dudian looked at snake which began to twist its body towards him. He turned to run away as fast as possible. His jacket was tightly wrapped around his hand. Previously he hit down the snake thanks to the help of jacket which protected his hand from possible bite by the snake.

Sou! (I assume it's the sound made while passing Mason)

Dudian quickly passed Mason and went to the front. In endurance training his results were the best in comparison to his flat-mates.

Running for a few hundred meters, Dudian looked back, but saw Mason and rest keeping up with him. There was no trace of the snake, it should have known the failed to hunt so decisively gave up on them. After all, in such a harsh environment even animals tried to avoid useless consumption of energy while hunting down the prey.

Dudian was relieved and said: "Stop running. It stopped to chase us."

Mason, Zach and Sham looked at rear and noted that the snake has stopped chasing after them. The next moment they felt deeply tired, their throat were dry. They were thirsty and the weather was awfully hot.

"Scared me." Zach had a lingering fear as he patted his chest.

"Let's take a break, I'm exhausted," Sham breathed fast while panting.

Mason heard the words of two, suddenly looked up to the Dudian. He slightly nodded to Dudian said: "Dean, this time you saved my life, after what ... ..."

"Do not speak." Dudian patted his shoulder, "Save your energy. Zach, Sham we are not going to stop. It's possible for snake to continue to catch up with us while crawling under the sand. We do not know that we are out of it's hunting range. Moreover it's getting late. We have to find water as soon as possible, otherwise it will be very difficult to get past tonight. "Then, he continue to lead the way in front.

Macon looked at Zach and Sham. He twisted his head right and left in disapproval and followed after Dudian.

Zach and Sham look at each other. Recalling the hesitation in the previous situation they bowed their heads, without saying anything followed after Dudian.

Dudian and crew continued to walk in westbound direction. All what they saw along the way was sand and dry clods. Except Dudian, other three could not help but wonder, if they went in another direct won't they be able to find water?

However, at the insistence of Dudian, they did not change the direction.

By dusk, they were walking forward almost in slower than a turtle. Their bodies were sweating, they were tired, their faces were tanned red.

"Found!", Dudian's sound echoed.

Mason, Zach and Sham's faces were as numb as corpse's. However as soon as they heard Dudian's voice hope burst out of their dry eyes.

"Where?" Mason hurriedly asked.

Dudian raised his hand and pointed with his index finger. There was a small slope in fron. Not far from the slope, there were some dry green grass and cactus, which were common plants of desert.

"Plants, plants!" There of them cried in excitement.

Dudian face was also reflected a smile, said: "If there is a plant then there must be water!" All of them came towards the plants at the same time but Dudian warned them: "Be careful, there may be something lurking here. "

Mason and other two nervously looked around.

It was not long before Dudian began to dig the moist sand beneath the grean grass. After a meter of sand was dug out, finally they got to see water. It was scarce and mixed with sand.

"It's dirty. How can we drink it?" Macon and other two were dumbfounded.

Dudian did not speak. He put the jacket that he previously used to beat the snake onto ground. He used both his hands to grab the water mixed with sand and filled onto the jacket. Later on he began to twist the jacket as hard as he could. He knew that jacket was made out of wool. So he used it to filter the water. As he continued to tighten the coat, the clean water began to flow down.

They were thirsty for whole day. This simple filtered water was as delicious as a heavenly nectar for them.

He drank a few mouthfuls. Dudian did not continue, but licked his lips with water, and then climbed up, said: "Do not drink way too much. It's good as long as the basic consumption of the body is met.

There was admiration exposed in Mason and other two children's eyes.

"This grass could be eaten." Dudian pulled out the green grass. He kneaded the roots of the grass from the wet soil. Later on he broke them off. There was no outflow of colored juice so he immediately bit and gently chewed it up. Faint sweet feeling diffused from the roots of grass and filled his mouth. It was a bit jerky but he chewed carefully and then swallowed it.

The other three saw Dudian and broke off the grass to eat up.

"so bitter!"

"It's so hard to eat!"

Zach and Sham were not happy with the taste but still chewed and swallowed the grass.

Dudian looked at the sky, said: "Tonight we should sleep in here. We should pick some dry wood to make fire through the night. By the way, one of us should stay on duty through the night. Let's pick the one who should stay on duty tonight right now so that he can sleep right now."

"I'll be on duty tonight," Macon said. "If you go to sleep, we won't know what to do."

Dudian nodded: "Then you go and rest., Zach go to find dry wood. Sham come over with me to build a shelter, find some stones." With his arrangement, all of them began to get busy with their allocated jobs.

...

...

Outside the desert, there was a solitary pub.

Because of the erosion of desert, the pub was half-broken. Doors and windows have been repeatedly patched with wood. At the moment a man and a woman was sitting in the pub, drinking iced wheat beer.

"Three hundred and sixty people are to be assessed. How many can stay alive tonight? " Kris asked while she was using dagger to gently fiddle with the ice inside the wooden cups.

Tobu indifferent smiled and said: "Absolutely more than you think."

"Is it?" Kris picked her eyebrows in teasing manner: "Wanna make a bet?

"Are we gambling?" Tobu showed interest.

"How many people can stay after ten days," Kris squinted, "I bet two hundred children."

Tobu smile and replied: "I bet three hundred students"

"Oh?" Kris squinted at him. "You seem to have confidence in your students. But this time you will lose."

Tobu sipped the beer from the cup and asked: "How come?"

"Haha ... ..." Kris covered her lips with her hand said: "Do not you know, this desert in a decade ago, was the territory of the Ryan family. It was one of the six most prosperous families in the commercial district. Unfortunately, they were destroyed by an evil alchemist. The thing is not only the family was destroyed but it's territories were desertified by that alchemist's evil forces."

"That was ten years ago, I know, because I was there.", Tobu said

Kris giggled, and said: "But you do not know that evil alchemist who was killed by the Holy Church had left few things behind in this damned desert. Now there are some other evil alchemists who are quietly gathering in here. The thing is Holy Church has seen through their little tricks and knows about everything.

Tobu's face expression suddenly changed, "What do you mean?!"

"The Holy Church is ready to wipe out those evil alchemists that reside in here. But the problem is that they are hidden very well. In case church sends a bright knight over suspicions will be raised. So to bring out those rats from their nests another plan was made. It was on purpose that the scavenger examination site is relocated to here. These children will be used as bait to lure them out. And I believe those alchemists will fall into this scheme, as they won't try to miss the opportunity that is in front of them! "Kris said with a smile.