Chapter 70: Sinner Heber

The moment Jeremy saw the hippo, he activated The Eye of Omniscience.

In the next second, a prompt from The Eye of Omniscience appeared before Jeremy's eyes.

[Note: Sinner Heber, mild-mannered and fond of trading, is a seasoned gem merchant with a particular affection for gems that emit a magnificent glow.]

A sharp glint flashed in Jeremy's eyes. "Sinner!"

Without hesitation, Jeremy drew the Bone Spear from his storage space, his face filled with cautious vigilance as he confronted the peculiar hippo.

Seeing this, the hippo hurriedly waved its hands repeatedly, trying its best to appear harmless and innocent. With a smile, it said, "Don't be afraid, young man. I'm just a wandering merchant with no ill intentions."

As if to prove its sincerity, the Sinner named Heber somehow produced a Tier-2 energy crystal and tossed it to Jeremy from a distance.

With a cheerful tone, Heber said, "Young man, this is a gift for our first meeting. Please accept it."

The Tier-2 energy crystal traced a parabolic arc as it flew toward Jeremy.

With a casual wave of his hand, Jeremy effortlessly caught the crystal.

He activated The Eye of Omniscience once more, and finding no abnormalities, he let his guard down slightly.

Observing the intense aura emanating from Jeremy, Heber couldn't help but admire him inwardly. "This young man is extraordinary! If only I could recruit him into my trading caravan."

Don't be mistaken into thinking that Death Desert is not terrifying just because Jeremy crossed it so quickly.

In reality, many Sinners at levels forty and fifty have met their end in Death Desert.

For Jeremy, whose level was clearly below forty, to traverse Death Desert unscathed was no simple feat.

Heber nodded to himself, his desire to recruit Jeremy growing stronger with each passing moment.

Seeing that Jeremy remained at a cautious distance, not showing any intention of coming closer, Heber understood that Jeremy had likely encountered other Sinners before.

Maintaining his pleasant smile, Heber said, "Don't misunderstand, young man. Not all Sinners are out to hunt players. Many of us just want to lead a peaceful and stable life."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am a wandering merchant, Heber. If you have any shiny little treasures, please do sell them to me."

Jeremy swiftly stored the Bone Spear back into his storage space, showing no intention of talking to Heber, and turned to leave.

Since Heber didn't harbor any ill intentions toward him, Jeremy naturally saw no reason to take action.

However, while Jeremy had no interest in engaging with Heber, Heber was determined to recruit Jeremy into his caravan.

As Jeremy turned to leave, Heber grew anxious. "Young man, don't go."

Jeremy paused mid-turn, looked back, and asked, "What do you want?"

Rubbing his hands together, Heber smiled and said, "Young man, are you interested in joining my trading caravan? "

"The benefits are excellent, and we offer weekends off."

Jeremy's eye twitched twice, he hadn't expected to be offered a job in this desolate land.

He simply replied, "Not interested," and walked away without looking back.

Unwilling to give up on such a promising talent, Heber started following him.

Jeremy paid no attention to them and lifted the curtain.

Inside, sure enough, was Bonnie!

Bonnie's condition was dire. Her clothes were torn and tattered, exposing her inappropriately, and her body was covered in blood. Her left foot was swollen like a large bun, exuding a faintly fishy-sweet odor.

Her face was flushed, her eyes tightly shut, and her body drenched in sweat. Even her breathing had become weak.

It was clear she had been poisoned!

A flash of anger crossed Jeremy's eyes. No matter what, this foolish woman had been with him since the beginning of the apocalypse. Anyone who dared harm her would face his wrath!

With a flash of bone-white light, the Bone Spear reappeared in Jeremy's hand.

Jeremy coldly glared at Heber in the distance and shouted, "Hand over the antidote, and I'll spare your life!"

The bone-chilling killing intent was so palpable that Heber immediately raised his hands.

"Young man, don't be rash. This is all a misunderstanding!"

Jeremy snorted coldly, not believing a word Heber said. With a slight bend of his knees, he shot towards Heber like a bolt of lightning.

Although Heber was a seasoned Sinner, his strength paled in comparison to his age.

Heber couldn't react in time to Jeremy's sudden move.

Just as Jeremy was about to reach Heber, a gem emitting a magnificent glow flew out from Heber's body, blocking Jeremy's path.

With the sound of crystals clinking, the seemingly ordinary gem instantly expanded into a shimmering, multicolored barrier.

With this gem barrier, Heber seemed to regain some confidence and spoke with a hint of anger, "Young man, I've traveled far and wide for many years. I'm no pushover!"

"If there's a misunderstanding, let's sit down and talk it out. No need to resort to violence."

Jeremy sneered, "Talk? What is there to talk about? You poisoned my friend, and you call that a misunderstanding!"

Though this gem barrier looked impenetrable, clearly a high-level artifact.

Jeremy had ways to deal with it.

He then activated The Eye of Omniscience.

Instantly, a prompt about the gem barrier appeared before Jeremy's eyes.

[Note: A unique magic controlled by the gem merchant Heber, forming a physical barrier through gem magic. It can block most frontal damage. Weakness: A strong magical attack to the center on the top can break the gem barrier.]

Jeremy's eyes narrowed as he pulled out the skeletal staff.

Seeing this, Heber, who had intended to say more, widened his eyes in shock.

"You... you can use magic skills?"

Jeremy paid no attention to Heber, his lips forming two cold, cutting words: "Sin Fire..."

In an instant, a surging serpent of flames shot out from Jeremy's hand.

The violent, dark red fire, seeming almost sentient, coiled directly above Heber's head.

With a sharp "crack," the once-impenetrable gem barrier shattered in an instant.