Chapter 7

Link didn’t let the mercenary’s T-shirt go to waste.

The T-shirt of the mercenary whose heart had been pierced was already soaked with blood, making it impossible to see its original appearance.

Link cut another T-shirt into strips, using some to bandage his arm and stuffing the rest into Forbes’ backpack.

"From here, crossing the Gobi Desert, we need to walk at least a hundred kilometers. We must conserve every resource."

Link checked the food in the backpack. There were compressed cookies, energy bars, and a large chunk of beef. The daily ration was enough to sustain them until they reached Sand City. However, the water supply was only a two-liter bucket of purified water, which wouldn’t last no matter how carefully they managed it.

Link recalled and pointed northwest: "We’ll head northwest!"

Forbes was puzzled: "Boss, isn’t Sand City in the north? Why are we going northwest? Isn’t that a detour?"

"The Mechanic Cult needs a lot of water to smelt metals, but the Gobi Desert is the most water-scarce place. So they dug a canal from the western end of the continent straight to the Mechanic City. Although the route is longer, we can replenish our water resources by going northwest."

"Ah? We’re going to the Mechanic City? What if we encounter the Mechanic Cult? I don’t want to be used as a human battery."

"We’re just taking a longer route to get water. Although there are mechanical soldiers patrolling the canal, we’ll be fine if we’re careful. You have to trust our little guide."

The treasure rat put its hands on its hips, stood tall, and puffed out its chest. Detecting metal was its specialty, and this fat black rat dared to question it!

Forbes quickly bowed his head in apology. After learning the details of the mercenaries' deaths, he had developed a sense of reverence for the treasure rat.

After bandaging the wound, dividing the spoils, and checking the supplies, the new team member, Forbes, joined the group.

Link considered for a moment and decided to synthesize another pet before setting off.

The monster synthesis module was very useful. The treasure rat had played a significant role in the battle. If he had a few more such pets, their safety during the escape would be greatly increased.

Just as Link was thinking about what materials to use for the second pet, several system prompts interrupted his thoughts.

[You have triggered a C-class mission: "The Prey Marked by the Wasteland." Survival missions cannot be refused.]

[Mission Hint: The vengeful Wasteland Gang has already recognized your face. As the only survivor who escaped the quicksand in the underground palace, the Wasteland Gang is eager to learn the truth and secrets from you. You are now marked as prey and are wanted for a bounty. Be careful at all times!]

[Mission Time: Wasteland Year 42, April 13 - Wasteland Year 42, December 31]

[Mission Reward: Dynamic reward based on evaluation]

"C-class mission, survival mission?"

Link was stunned after reading the content. The Wasteland Gang was really starting to make things difficult for him!

Survival missions are what the 'Upstream' system calls them. Players often refer to them as 'pursuit missions.'

The mission requirement is usually simple: survive within the specified time.

Since players have other things to do besides missions, triggering a pursuit mission makes it almost impossible to move. As long as you are online, enemies will appear at any time, making you constantly on the run. A slight mistake could lead to your death and mission failure.

The mission reward is also meager, based on the number of enemies you handle within the specified time and evaluated accordingly.

There’s a catch: if you are strong enough to handle all the enemies, you might as well raid their base directly, which would yield much more.

If you are not strong enough, you will be constantly pursued and easily killed, with no reward at all.

Since the mission cannot be refused, it has always been a headache for players, whether during the beta test or after years of the game’s operation.

"I thought I could pass the blame to the Mechanic Cult, but it looks like there’s no way out. An eight-month bounty, they’re really putting in a lot of effort."

Link originally thought that escaping to Sand City would be safe, but the Wasteland Gang’s bounty made things complicated.

This made Link even more determined to prepare more helpers.

The immediate priority was to cross the Gobi Desert. The most abundant element in the Gobi is sand, so he might as well work with that.

"Afu, can you get me some sand?"

Forbes, with his backpack, was already ready to set off. This sudden request caught him off guard.

"Boss, we’re heading northwest to the canal, why do you need sand?"

Link patted Forbes on the shoulder and said, "Go get some, it can save our lives!"

Hearing the words 'save our lives,' Forbes didn’t ask further and immediately put down his backpack to fetch sand.

Link patted his belly and said to the treasure rat hiding in the empty gun belt: "Xiaobao, can you help me find another rat?"

As soon as he spoke, a series of squeaks came from under Link’s linen shirt. The treasure rat jumped from the gun belt to the ground and ran into the ruins.

This time, Link planned to use sand and a rat to synthesize a new creature.

Since the Gobi is full of sand, a sand-attribute rat would be perfect.

Besides, in the current environment of the city ruins, Link didn’t have much choice.

A moment later, Afu ran back with a handful of sand, grinning widely.

"Boss, I got the sand!"

At the same time, the treasure rat returned with another rat.

The treasure rat led the way confidently, while the rat behind it hesitated, its small eyes filled with panic.

Link’s decision to synthesize a second pet wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment idea.

He had been grazed by a bullet, losing 10 HP, and synthesizing the treasure rat also cost 10 HP. The [Bleeding] status effect had cost him another 3 HP, leaving him with only 17 HP.

Killing four Wasteland mercenaries earned him 800 XP, enough to level up to level 2.

In *Fate*, as long as you don’t level up during combat or with an abnormal status, you can fully restore your HP and SP.

To maximize the value, Link planned to synthesize another pet before leveling up, effectively saving 10 HP.

Necessity is the mother of invention, especially for a poor kid.

Link’s frugality was deeply ingrained.

Link extended his hand, and the treasure rat climbed onto his shoulder, calling out to the cautious little rat.

With his left hand, he grabbed the rat, and with his right hand, he signaled Afu to pour the sand into his hand.

Forbes didn’t understand what Link was doing but followed the instructions and poured the sand into his hand.

[You obtained 80 grams of sand gravel]

Link entered the [Synthesis] interface. To be honest, he didn’t have high hopes for this synthesis.

The sand gravel was of white quality, and so was the rat. It wouldn’t be stronger than the treasure rat, but he valued its functionality in the Gobi environment.

It was also the first time Link had obtained the insect nest fragment, and he needed to experiment to understand its mechanics.

Rat (adult) + Sand Gravel (80 grams) = ? (Success rate: 65%)

[Synthesis will consume 10 HP. Do you want to synthesize? Yes/No]

Link frowned. The success rate was a bit low!

65% success rate, 10 HP, it didn’t seem like a bad deal.

Synthesize!

The sand gravel in his left hand was gradually absorbed by his palm, while his right hand produced sticky blood threads that wrapped around the struggling rat, forming a palm-sized blood cocoon.

[Blood cocoon hatching countdown: 20 seconds.]

Afu, watching from the side, was almost speechless. He had personally poured the sand into Link’s hand and now watched it disappear, the rat forming a blood cocoon, which looked eerie and strange.

"Boss, you, you’re... a superhuman?"

Link’s attention was on the blood cocoon, and the golden finger wasn’t something he could easily explain. He simply replied, "Yeah, something like that!"

Afu was surprised but then realized why the boss could command the treasure rat and kill two mercenaries.

He’s a superhuman!

That explained it.

Afu’s gaze became determined. He had to serve the boss well on this journey and stay close to him after leaving the Gobi.

Following a superhuman meant a life of luxury, a consensus among their tribe.

The 20-second countdown was over, and the blood cocoon in Link’s hand was torn open by a pair of small claws.

Sand trickled out of the cocoon, and a pink, curious little rat poked its head out, observing its surroundings.

[Monster synthesis complete. You obtained a white-quality Sand Rat!]

[Monster Attributes]

Name: Sand Rat (Juvenile)

Quality: White

Race: Rodent

Attribute: Sand Element Affinity

Level: 1

Initial Skill 1: Sandification lv1 (A unique ability of the Sand Rat, turning its body completely into sand for 1 minute.)

Initial Skill 2: Desert Affinity - Passive (Movement speed increases by 30% in the desert.)

Evaluation: The king of desert rats, perfectly blending into the desert, elusive and skilled in speed and hiding. Note: Due to the incompatibility between the creature and the synthesis materials, it may trigger unknown issues.

---

Link’s eyes lit up with joy after reading the data. This was a creature specifically synthesized for crossing the desert, and it also gave him a better understanding of the [Synthesis] function.

Although the Sand Rat was only a white-quality pet, it unexpectedly had two initial skills.

With these abilities, the little guy could move freely in the desert.

The evaluation mentioned potential issues due to the incompatibility between the creature and the materials, which might cause some problems.

Although he didn’t know what issues might arise, Link now understood the meaning behind the success rate in the synthesis formula preview.

The success rate indicated the compatibility between the creature and the materials.

The Sand Rat stood on Link’s hand, looking around with curiosity.

Link couldn’t wait to test the Sand Rat’s skills and speed in the desert.

"Afu, follow with the stuff!"

Afu, who had watched the pink little rat emerge from the blood cocoon, was speechless.

He quickly picked up his backpack and followed Link, his mind full of questions.

"Boss, where are we going?"

"To test the Sand Rat’s abilities at the edge of the desert."

"This little thing is called a Sand Rat?"

Link nodded, enjoying the benefit of having someone to share his excitement with.

"The Sand Rat moves extremely fast in the desert and can turn into sand, making it like a fish in water!"

Afu’s eyes widened, amazed that such a small rat could have such powerful abilities. He also understood why the boss had asked him to fetch sand.

"But boss, the Sand Rat is so small. Won’t it get lost if we put it in the desert for testing?"

Link waved his hand confidently, "Impossible!"

With a special blood bond, how could it get lost?

Link and Afu returned to the outskirts of the city ruins, which had been eroded by the desert.

Link squatted down, placing his hand on the sand. "Sand Rat, show me your skills!"

The Sand Rat understood Link’s command and looked back at him curiously.

Its innocent eyes met Link’s expectant gaze, and it chirped a few times before tentatively jumping onto the sand.

As soon as its small paws touched the desert, the Sand Rat’s eyes lit up, as if it had discovered a new world. It excitedly moved around in the desert.

At first, it moved cautiously, but soon it was sprinting.

Link and Afu watched in amazement. The Sand Rat’s speed was incredible, and its fur color blended perfectly with the desert, making it almost invisible.

"Boss, that’s amazing! The speed is incredible! Congratulations, boss, for getting such a powerful pet."

Afu, who had managed to become a cook in the Wasteland Gang, relied more on his smooth talk than his cooking skills.

Link smiled. Although a 30% speed increase seemed small, the actual speed was astonishing. It would be even more effective in the Gobi!

"Use the Sandification skill!" Link issued the command telepathically.

The next second, the Sand Rat’s body turned into a pile of sand, quickly blending into the desert.

The only visible sign was a moving patch of sand, leaving a clear trail as it moved.

Then, Link saw a small depression in the sand, and the trail disappeared.

"This skill is powerful, almost like invisibility!"

Link hadn’t expected the Sand Rat’s body to completely decompose into sand, disappearing without a trace after entering the desert.

This ability was incredibly strong in specific environments.

Now, they wouldn’t fear encountering Mechanic Cult soldiers in the Gobi!

"Sand Rat, come back!"

Link called out, waiting for the Sand Rat to return.

His voice echoed in the empty desert, but Link couldn’t see any movement on the sand.

"This is amazing, completely invisible, just like being invisible!" Afu exclaimed.

Link felt quite proud. His creativity and understanding of synthesis were top-notch!

Theory and practice, unbeatable!

However, after waiting for several seconds, the Sand Rat still hadn’t returned.

"Sand Rat! Don’t play around, come back!"

Link shouted again, trying to sense the Sand Rat’s position but only felt the treasure rat on his shoulder, unable to locate the Sand Rat.

∑(O_O；) Uh-oh!

Link felt something was wrong. Although he didn’t know the sensing range, not being able to sense it at all was worrying...

"Sand Rat!"

"Sand Rat?"

"Sand Rat—"

"Sand Rat..."

"Sand... Rat..."

"…Sand… Rat…"

P.S: Thank you, Niantian She Shen and Gezi, for your generous rewards, and thank you, RJ Penguin, for your support. You’re all old readers~ Hint: The book is now signed, so feel free to support, hehe~