Chapter 95

The next morning, I said goodbye to Muto and greeted the villagers.

Myself and Samieu, along with the newly joined Karigano, hopped along as we moved forward.

I was wearing the [Cat's Paw Gloves], so this was not a slow journey on foot but a hurried one.

Karigano, being a beastkin, effortlessly kept up with the speed of Samieu, who had used [Magic Manipulation], and myself, who was equipped with an item.

We stayed in towns and villages along the way for five days. Finally, in front of my eyes—

"Whoa...!"

—[The Shifting Desert]!

Sand, sand, sand...! Everything was sand! All I could see was a vast expanse of fine, reddish-brown sand...

As we approached, I could feel the air becoming drier, but there were still trees and the ground was solid. However, now, the scenery before me was entirely made up of fine grains of sand.

The difference from the deserts I had seen in videos before my reincarnation might be the color. I often saw sandy yellow, but the sand here was quite reddish.

"Ah, is this the border?"

Then, I realized the border was more distinct than I had imagined.

I had thought it would gradually turn into a desert, but here it suddenly became sandy.

As I was thinking about this, Samieu nodded with interest.

"I'm also visiting [The Shifting Desert] for the first time, but the border is so clearly defined."

"That's right! The desert is the trail of the [Poison Chicken]!"

"Poison chicken?"

Karigano's words made me tilt my head in confusion.

Karigano nodded and continued.

"I told you that the chickens are wrapped in miasma. This miasma can wither plants upon contact. Since this is a dry land, once the plants are gone, it turns into a desert. If the chickens stayed in one place, it would be fine, but they wander around, causing the desert to spread."

"That's true."

"In the past, the miasma from the chickens must have reached this border. When the chickens leave, the plants slowly return. The village of Karigano also plants trees from time to time to prevent the desert from spreading!"

I nodded in agreement with Karigano's explanation.

The miasma of the [Poison Chicken] seems to be quite powerful, as Muto had mentioned.

"The smell of the chicken's poison can help locate it. But that's all..."

"The miasma is toxic to living beings. You can't get too close to the [Poison Chicken] because of it."

Karigano and Samieu looked into the depths of the desert, deep in thought.

Karigano must already know where the [Poison Chicken] is, but can't get close enough to defeat it.

If the [Poison Chicken] has a treasure inside its body like the [Water Snake], I can't just blow it away from a distance with the [Cat's Claw].

As Muto said, it is indeed a formidable enemy.

But—

"I can get close to the poison chicken."

"Huh!?"

When I said this confidently, Karigano exclaimed in surprise.

"But it's dangerous! If you inhale the miasma, you'll collapse. You need to neutralize the poison immediately!"

"I know. But I won't be affected by the poison."

"Really!?"

Karigano blinked at my words.

Then, Samieu nodded in understanding.

"Because Lady Rini has a special item, right?"

"Yes, Muto gave it to me."

"A dragon scale?"

"Yes. This."

As Samieu said, the reason I'm not afraid of the [Poison Chicken]'s miasma is because of a 'special item'.

And that item is—

"A dragon's scale?"

—[The Black Dragon of the World's Foundation's Scale].

I took out the palm-sized scale from my pocket. It reflected the light, shimmering black.

Looking at the item's status, it had these effects:

- Immune to all status ailments

- Constant HP recovery

- Magic anomaly detection

A pretty overpowered accessory item!

"This prevents status ailments."

"Such a powerful item exists! So, Lady Rini is immune to the chicken's miasma!?"

"Yes."

The scale given to me by Muto, who knew about the [Poison Chicken], should be useful because of its "Immune to all status ailments" effect.

He must have given it to me so I could handle the [Poison Chicken]. Even though he said he wouldn't favor anyone, Muto is always kind.

"If that's the case, Lady Rini might be able to get close to the [Poison Chicken]. After all, it's a scale from the [Black Dragon of the World's Foundation]... If you can touch the miasma without any issues, you can approach the [Poison Chicken]."

"Yes."

"Lady Rini is amazing! ...But, if you do that, Karigano won't be able to help you. I want to be there in case something happens."

"That's true. Lady Rini can probably defeat the [Poison Chicken] alone, but I want to witness your bravery...!"

Indeed, with this method, only I can get close to the [Poison Chicken]. But—

"I have a plan."

I nodded firmly to reassure them.

I had an idea.

If the [Poison Chicken]'s miasma can be nullified by "Immune to all status ailments," there is a way. I smiled.

"Leave it to me!"

So, we entered [The Shifting Desert] and headed towards the [Poison Chicken] with Karigano's guidance.

But soon, a problem arose...

"Lady Rini! It's a sandstorm!"

"Whoa...! The wind is so strong."

"I forgot...! Sandstorms come quickly in the desert!"

"You forgot!? What's the point of being a guide then!?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Reddish-brown sand was being blown up by strong winds.

The wind was so fierce that it felt like I would be blown away.

Samieu lifted me up and held me tightly, trying to protect me from the wind. Karigano was jumping around, saying "Yah!" in distress.

If we got caught in the sandstorm, it would be quite uncomfortable.

"Item box."

I searched for the item I wanted from the displayed list. It was—

"—Tent!"

—[Tent (Deluxe)]!

As I spoke, a tent popped up in the desert.

Several wooden poles were arranged in a conical shape, and white fabric was draped over them, forming a teepee-like tent.

"Huh!?"

"Is this... Lady Rini's!?"

Amid the strong wind, their surprised voices echoed.

I tapped Samieu's shoulder and gestured for her to go into the tent.

"The tent won't be blown away."

"Yes!"

"Karigano, come inside too."

"Got it!"

Following my words, they hurriedly entered the tent.

The tent wasn't very large, but it was big enough for the three of us to stretch out and sleep.

We sat in the center.

The sound of the strong wind could be heard, but the tent didn't shake or collapse at all.

"Truly, Lady Rini's items... They can withstand such strong winds..."

"Why is that? It's mysterious. If Karigano made a tent with wood and fabric in a hurry, it would be blown away immediately!"

I chuckled at their words.

Items have different qualities. (Deluxe) items are indeed different.

"Is the sandstorm big?"

"Ah, yes. Karigano was careless. [The Shifting Desert] can suddenly have sandstorms, but they clear up quickly."

I see. It doesn't seem to last long.

"Indeed. The wind has stopped."

Samieu, who had been listening to the sounds outside, stood up and peeked out of the tent.

"It seems the sandstorm has cleared. Lady Rini, this way."

"Yes."

Holding hands with Samieu, I stepped outside.

The scenery had completely changed.

"Whoa... The dunes that were over there are gone..."

Before entering the tent, I could see two dunes in the distance. But they were now completely gone. Instead—

"Lady Rini, it seems the dunes have increased to three."

"Whoa..."

Following Samieu's words, I looked to the right and saw three dunes where there were none before!

"This is... the reason the map changes..."

My heart raced as I realized what was happening in the game.

Amazing! So that's how it works!

In the game, the map of [The Shifting Desert] changed every time I entered or exited. I wanted to know how this actually happened.

I wanted to see it with my own eyes.

To hear it with my own ears, touch it with my own hands, and feel the air.

And now, the world after the sandstorm was bathed in sunlight, sparkling...

"Beautiful..."

The map changes due to the strong winds blowing across the desert.

The reddish-brown sand, when blown by strong winds, can easily change the position of a dune.

"The sandstorm is troublesome, but if the terrain changes so easily, it can be confusing..."

"That's right. As a beastkin, Karigano can tell the general direction by the smell of the wind, even if the terrain changes. But ordinary humans can easily get lost. Many people have gone missing."

Karigano came out of the tent and looked around.

Indeed, there are no landmarks in this desert.

Wherever you look, there's only reddish-brown sand. If you use the position and shape of the dunes as landmarks, and they are blown away by a sandstorm, you can easily get lost.

"Karigano, can you still tell where the poison chicken is?"

"Yes! The wind mixes during a sandstorm, making it difficult, but once it passes, I can track the smell again!"

"Good. Let's set off then."

We continued our journey through the desert.

After moving a certain distance, the tent disappeared. Karigano exclaimed in surprise again.

[The Tent (Deluxe)] is a consumable item, so it can't be helped.

Following Karigano's guidance, we approached the [Poison Chicken]. We encountered sandstorms a few times, but we weathered them in the tent.

And then—

"From here! Be careful, Lady Rini. That murky air is the miasma!"

"Got it. I'll touch it a little."

"Slowly and carefully."

"Got it."

—In the reddish-brown desert, a murky air, a mix of purple and green, suddenly appeared.

It seemed to cover an area of about 100 meters in radius, with the [Poison Chicken] at the center.

Following Samieu and Karigano's advice, I touched the murky air with the claw of the [Cat's Paw Gloves] a little.

"Nothing happens."

"Truly, Lady Rini...! An ordinary human would feel sick and collapse just from that!"

"The miasma is quite concentrated."

Listening to their voices, I gradually moved my body into the murky air.

Even when my whole body was in the murky air, I was fine!

"I'm okay."

The air was murky, so their figures were hazy. But I could hear their voices, so if I called out loudly, they would respond immediately.

"Lady Rini! Please be extremely careful!"

"Lady Rini! If the miasma disappears, come immediately!"

"Got it. I'll be back."

I told them to run if they were about to be hit by the [Poison Chicken]'s miasma.

So, first, I needed to eliminate the miasma.

The method is—there is one. I just need to prepare!

"Pickaxe!"

—I will dig a hole in the desert!