115 - - after a storm

As the wind pressure in front of us faded away, the open space in front of us instantly narrowed down.

Just before he was swallowed by the raging wind, Thor's hand quickly picked up a stone lying on the ground.

It is a green crystalline body that has been cut in half - a storm crystal stone.

He puts it away in the pouch of his waistband for now, putting it back into a usable state for later.

As soon as he covers his mouth again with the cloth to protect it from the sand, a cloud of dust blocks his vision once again.

The blowing wind and sand rock him back and forth from side to side, and Thor hurriedly checks the end of the rope.

"There you are. Are you hurt?"

"...... yes?"

His voice sounded a little hoarse, but he paid no heed and continued talking.

"You said this storm would be over soon."

"Yes, if you wait a little while longer..."

The peak seemed to have passed during the battle, and although the sand was still bothersome, the force of the wind seemed to have subsided somewhat.

However, the storm has covered everything, so much so that I can barely see the person I am talking to in front of me.

Thor looked around, took a small breath, and made a quick decision.

"Let's continue on to the planned encampment."

"Well, aren't you going to look for them?"

Saralisa's eyes take on a dangerous glint as she questions Thor.

"I told them to go on if they get separated from us. Besides, time is running out."

"I understand. ......

The sand so high up in the sky hides even the setting sun, making it difficult to see in which direction one is heading.

From the bag she was carrying, Saralisa took out a map and a small piece of equipment that would fill the palm of her hand.

It is a magical stone tool called a celestial compass that measures the position of the stars and the sun, as well as the magnetism, to determine the current position.

Touching Thor's shoulder, the guide pointed in the direction they should go.

The two began to move silently through the sandstorm.

As Saralisa had said, after about five minutes, the wind began to die down.

As soon as the sand calmed down, a series of low rocky peaks began to appear.

The surface of the rocks had been scraped smooth, as if they had been stroked by someone's hands.

Perhaps noticing Thor's gaze, Saralisa, who was walking behind us, tells us in a mumbled voice.

"Where these rock piles are gathered, the wind often blows down. ......"

"I see."

"And I've heard that the evil spirit of the gale is born when the wind runs quickly through the gaps between these rocks. ......"

"I see. That explains it."

Convinced, Thor once again sensed the horror of this wilderness.

The wind-blown plains are difficult to navigate at night because of the rolling rock beetles.

The only way to cross the wilderness is to do so during the daytime, but due to the distance involved, the crossing time tends to be before nightfall.

After walking for a long time and just as it is getting dark, you will see a rocky mountain that looks very reliable.

It is inevitable that you will feel relaxed.

Then suddenly a sandstorm hits.

The possibility of being caught by surprise and having your party split up is very high.

And if you are unlucky, you may meet an evil spirit of the wind and gale.

Even if you don't encounter them, they may attack you by reacting to your magical power if you inadvertently use a strong magic technique.

"Indeed. It's a very bad place to be.　　

"Only one evil spirit can spring up here at most, and there are worse places."

That's horrible.

"Yes. ............"

Saralisa suddenly spoke in a brisk manner, but after replying, she said nothing and fell silent.

After a while we continued through the wasteland, the wind gradually returned to its normal state.

At a considerable distance from the low boulders, a large, solid boulder appeared.

Thor finally let go of the hilt of his sword when he saw several figures sitting in front of it.

As he untied the rope that had connected him to the guides, a young voice came into his ears.

"Tor-chan!"　

A purple-eyed child with shaking golden hair came running toward us as if sliding on the ground.

Moo kicked the ground a few steps before Thor, and came barreling straight at him.

The child, who had bounced off the ground and fallen on his buttocks, let out a loud laugh as he caught the blow with his stomach muscles.

Tor-chan, where have you been?　I've already tried mu card!"

I'm sorry about that.

"I always told you we shouldn't stray from each other because we're going to get lost every time!"

"No, I'm the one who's talking."

"It's even worse when the people who are doing it can't protect you!"

"That's true, too. Thanks for your concern, Moe.

The child, with a big smile on his face at the apology, pulled Thor's hand and started to walk away.

Thora and Yuril had just made a pot of tea.

An ash-eared woman with a relieved look on her face hands a steaming cup to Thor and the others.

"Thank God! You're all right, Thor!

"Did something happen?"

"Yes, I got a little tangled up with some spirit monsters.

Yuril's eyes widened in surprise when I showed him the half-cracked storm crystal stone.

Saralisa, who had received the cup, looked at Sora and the others with the same incredulous eyes.

It was quite a surprise that they had easily made it through the sandstorm and reached the safe zone first.

"Why ......, oh, that's ......."

"Oh, I forgot to hide it!　I thought I wasn't supposed to show you."

What Saralisa spotted with her own eyes was an old map and a balance board spread out on Sola's lap.

Alternating between the guide who gave her a sceptical look and the girl who shrugged her shoulders apologetically, Thor revealed the secret of the map.

"That's not something I stole or anything. It was given to me as a formal reward."

"I see. ......"

This set of magical stone tools and map was a gift from the director of the Bureau, Dadan, in return for the slime hunt at the bloody river the other day.

Normally, the expensive measuring board is given only to C ranks who have the qualification of a guide.

It is a necessity to accurately describe the location of the rocky fortress of the orcs, which changes its location irregularly, and is not widely available because there are not many of them.

At best, they can barely be possessed by a large scale merchant.

Given these circumstances, it may be said that Dadaan's expectations for Thor and the others are quite high.

The usage of the weapon had been practiced thoroughly during the last time the four of us hunted for rock beetles alone.

It was also a countermeasure for the fact that Garudo and Saralisa were a little unreliable, but it seems to have worked well this time.

Thor exhaled deeply when he was sure that none of the three were injured.

"Well, let's hurry up and get ready for the encampment."