Chapter 71: Encounter with Bandits

With a series of continuous cracking sounds, the gem barrier shattered into pieces on the ground.

Heber's eyes filled with disbelief. "How did this guy know the weak point of my gem barrier?"

There was no time to ponder. Frantically, Heber reached for something at his waist.

But Jeremy wasn't about to let Heber act freely.

In a flash, Jeremy's figure blurred, and in the next moment, he was standing right in front of Heber.

Heber wanted to say something, but Jeremy didn't give him the chance.

With one swift motion, Jeremy's hand clamped down firmly on Heber's thick neck.

Heber, built like a hippopotamus, naturally had a layer of thick, tough skin like natural armor.

The moment Jeremy's fingers tightened around Heber's neck, the sensation surprised him for a second.

However, as Jeremy instinctively applied more force, a grating sound, like "creak, creak," emanated from his grip, making one's teeth ache just hearing it.

At first, Heber seemed unfazed by the chokehold, but as Jeremy's grip tightened, Heber's face gradually turned pale.

Only then did the caravan's guards react, hastily brandishing their weapons and rushing toward Jeremy.

A wolf-headed Sinner wielding a heavy hammer shouted, "Stop! Our boss is a good man!"

Another Sinner, with the head of a bull and the body of a man, echoed, "Let go of our boss!"

...

The cacophony of disparate sounds made Jeremy feel as if a migraine was beginning to take hold.

Casting a cold, sweeping gaze over the assembly, Jeremy declared, "Take one more step forward, and I'll crush your boss's neck!"

In an instant, the bizarre-looking Sinners recoiled in terror, each one shuddering and too frightened to advance.

At this very moment, Heber was already deprived of any semblance of air, his survival instincts compelling him to feebly slap at Jeremy's arm while weakly gasping, "Let... let go! I can't breathe."

Observing that Heber's breath was becoming increasingly labored and his body starting to struggle involuntarily, Jeremy slightly eased the pressure of his grip.

Immediately, Heber, sensing the slight alleviation around his neck, began to greedily gulp in precious air.

Staring intently into Heber's eyes, Jeremy said, "I won't say it again. Hand over the antidote, or don't blame me for what happens next."

Heber's large hippo-like face was full of grievance. "Sir! You need to tell me what antidote you're talking about!"

Jeremy's brow furrowed as he spoke, "Don't play dumb. Wasn't it you who poisoned the girl in that carriage?"

Upon hearing this, Heber immediately protested his innocence, exclaiming, "Young man, that girl wasn't poisoned by me! I found her on the road!"

Seeing Heber's face full of grievances, Jeremy was momentarily taken aback. "What did you say? You found her on the road?"

In a flash, Heber reached out and snatched the desert worm core from Jeremy's hand, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

After meticulously examining it from every angle for quite some time, Heber finally spoke, "If I'm not mistaken, this core has reached diamond level, and its quality is rare. This is more than enough, absolutely sufficient!"

Sizing up Jeremy, Heber patted him on the shoulder and remarked, "Bro, you really have some incredible luck."

Then, Heber hesitated for a moment and said, "However, this main ingredient is so good that the resulting potion could permanently increase poison resistance. Using it just for an antidote would be a waste."

Jeremy showed no hesitation on his face. "There's nothing wasteful about saving a life. That's the most important thing."

Jeremy's attitude instantly made Heber feel a sense of admiration.

In the Land of Eternal Night, for most people, enhancing their own power is the most important thing. Everything else, like companions or lovers, takes a back seat, especially when the girl in question has no significant relationship with Jeremy.

Jeremy's immediate willingness to give up such a precious material without hesitation filled Heber with admiration.

Heber patted his chest and said, "Bro, with this main ingredient, the remaining materials will be easy to find. Leave the alchemist to me."

Jeremy replied, "Mr. Heber, my name is Jeremy. Thank you for your help. If there's anything you need assistance with, just let me know. I'll do whatever I can."

Heber, smiling warmly, said, "It's nothing, really. If you could join my caravan, that would be even better."

Hearing this, Jeremy looked troubled. Just because others couldn't find a way out of the Land of Eternal Night didn't mean Jeremy couldn't.

A moment later, Jeremy shook his head. "Mr. Heber, I'm afraid I can't do that."

Heber nodded understandingly. "I get it. Until the very end, you players won't give up hope. But, Jeremy, promise me this: if you do decide to give up trying to escape the Land of Eternal Night, consider joining my caravan first!"

Jeremy nodded in agreement.

Afterward, Jeremy followed Heber's caravan, setting off on the road to Dawn City.

With so many Sinners residing in the Land of Eternal Night, towns naturally formed over time. Dawn City is one of the largest in the Land of Eternal Night.

On the way, Heber introduced Jeremy to the city. "Rest assured, Jeremy. Dawn City has strict rules and prohibits private fights. Most of the residents, like me, are Sinners who don't want to engage in constant battles."

"Additionally, every batch of Sinners comes from different worlds, so Dawn City is a melting pot with all kinds of treasures!"

"Back in the day, I struck gold by spotting a hidden gem at a flea market, which gave me my first pot of gold..."

Listening to Heber's incessant chatter, Jeremy didn't find him annoying for the first time.

Jeremy's eyes lit up, and he thought to himself, "A flea market, huh? Sounds like a great place!"

With The Eye of Omniscience, no treasure could escape his notice. Jeremy wasn't about to miss such an opportunity!

Before they knew it, Heber's caravan entered a forested area.

Just as the caravan was steadily advancing toward Dawn City, a steel arrow suddenly shot out from the shadows, embedding itself in the ground ahead of the caravan.

"Robbery, leave your valuables and women behind!"