When Ksaz sat up from the sand, his mind was still in a muddle. The last image in his memory was still of that lean human holding his hand.
He raised his hands and looked at his palms, finding that every knuckle had thickened by more than a margin, and his body felt incredibly heavy.
“Ksaz!”
A familiar voice echoed in his ears. Ksaz turned his head and saw his six remaining tribesmen running toward him, led by his cousin, Karu.
Karu rushed to Ksaz's side, grabbing his arm to help him up from the ground.
“It's so good that you're alright! We all thought...”
But before Karu could finish, his voice cut off.
Somewhat puzzled, Ksaz turned his head and realized he had pinned Karu into the sand. Startled, he quickly lifted his arm off him. “Karu, are you okay?”
“My waist... feels like it's about to break.”
Hearing Karu's words, Ksaz was a bit dazed. Sitting on the sand, he looked at his hands again and clenched them tightly, feeling a massive surge of power within.
As he turned his hands to inspect his wrists and arms, he noticed that the scales on his body were not only a brilliant golden color, but also bore strange, intricate patterns.
Then, Ksaz pushed himself up to stand. Looking at his companions, who were now a full head shorter than him, he was filled with astonishment.
“Did I... grow bigger?”
He muttered under his breath, only to realize his voice had also grown much deeper and more resonant.
“What on earth is going on?”
Ksaz looked at his surrounding tribesmen, his mind filled with questions.
Just then, Elon walked over. Ksaz instinctively took half a step back, but seeing no hostility from the other party, he silently watched him. He then heard Elon speak in the Sand Scaler language, “No need to be nervous. I noticed the changes in you, so I would just like to check your physical condition. Is that alright?”
Ksaz did not answer immediately. He scanned his surroundings, spotting the princess and the guards, and then Shane. Seeing that Shane was also staring at him, he pondered for a moment before slowly nodding. “You may.”
Elon reached out and placed his hand on Ksaz's wrist, sending a gentle power seeping through the scales and into his body.
The unfamiliar sensation circulating through his body made Ksaz instinctively tense up, but the feeling did not last long. As the natural mana flowed through him, he gradually relaxed and calmed down.
But then, Elon's brows furrowed, and his eyes widened as he stared at Ksaz. This sudden shift in expression made Ksaz tense up again. “What is it?”
“Inside your body...”
Elon's brow remained furrowed as if he were trying to find the right words. His gaze swept over Ksaz for a long moment before he finally spoke, “If I had to describe it, it's as if you are currently soaking in a Spring of Life.”
Ksaz blinked, not understanding what Elon meant. “What does that mean?”
“Simply put, your strength, endurance, and recovery rate now far exceed what they used to be.”
Elon stroked his chin, carefully considering how to explain. “I've seen beastkin experience a similar condition before, which they call atavism. However, unlike pure atavism, your body has also fused with both natural mana and death magic.”
The unfamiliar terminology left Ksaz feeling thoroughly bewildered.
Seeing his expression, Elon assumed Ksaz was worried about the two opposing forces clashing inside him, so he smiled and said, “But don't worry. These two forces have already reached a sort of balance in your body, so you should be fine.”
Elon's words did not entirely ease Ksaz's mind. He lowered his head, thinking for a moment, and then pointed at Shane. “So, I have become stronger? Because that person saved me?”
Elon naturally knew who Ksaz was referring to, so he nodded. “Yes, that's correct.”
A surge of joy washed over Ksaz. He took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and was about to take a step forward when a fiery red figure blocked his path.
Ksaz paused and looked at the human female in front of him, recognizing her as the one who had led the other humans in the charge earlier.
“This is Alicia von Augustus, the Third Imperial Princess of the Empire, and the newly appointed Lord of this Golden Sea.”
Listening to Elon's introduction, Ksaz tilted his head slightly and looked at the princess, without a shred of fear in his eyes.
He had a vague recollection of the term "lord." He knew the Golden Sea was human territory, and he knew that royalty and nobility existed among humans.
However, they had never actually met any of them. Their only real contact with humans had been with merchants.
As Sand Scalers who lived by the water, they had no permanent settlement. To them, land ownership was always first come, first served. Thus, they did not quite understand what these titles implied.
Yet, wary of the guards standing in the distance, Ksaz did not act rashly. He stood obediently in place, waiting for the human female to speak.
“This is my mentor, Druid Elon Windrunner. It was he and Leynas who discovered you and notified me to come to your rescue.”
The princess's manner was quite casual, without any overbearing air of solemnity. She saw this as an opportunity—a chance to establish official contact with the desert dwellers—so she did not want their first meeting to be too tense.
Naturally, after introducing Elon, she did not forget Shane. She pointed toward him and said, “And that man over there is my partner, and the one who just saved your life—Shane Leynas.”
Ksaz's gaze locked onto Shane instantly. His understanding of human titles was limited, and he had no idea what the princess's fancy designations meant. To him, none of those titles were as significant as "savior."
Thus, he walked right past the princess and approached Shane, leaving her with a helpless expression on her face.
“Shane Leynas...”
Hearing his name, Shane looked up. His dark-brown eyes carried a visible weariness, yet he calmly gazed at the Sand Scaler before him.
Ksaz stood straight before Shane, unclipped the waterskin from his waist, and slowly knelt down while raising the waterskin high with both hands, offering it to Shane.
This was the highest form of respect among the Sand Scalers. Presenting water—the source of life—to someone else signified entrusting one's life to them.
“I, Ksaz Sanddust, a hunter of the Lifepulse Tribe of the Golden Sea.”
His Imperial tongue was halting and clumsy, but the deep gratitude within it was unmistakable. “On behalf of myself and my tribe, I thank you for saving my life.”
Behind Ksaz, his six remaining tribesmen exchanged glances before kneeling as well, raising their waterskins high above their heads in unison.
The grand gesture made Shane a bit uncomfortable. His lips twitched slightly. “Stand up and speak.”
But Ksaz did not rise immediately. He looked up, staring directly at Shane. “Our tribe was destroyed by the sand spirits. Only the seven of us managed to escape, and we are now homeless.”
“If you can take us in, we will follow your commands.”
Ksaz looked at Shane with a resolute gaze, and the tribesmen behind him nodded in agreement without the slightest hesitation.
This was exactly what Shane had hoped for, but he did not agree immediately. Instead, he glanced at the princess. Seeing no objection from her, he continued, “The pool at my place has limited water. As you can see, we already have many people. If we add seven more, the water might not last very long.”
Ksaz looked at Shane and noticed him pointing toward the distance behind him. He stood up and peered in that direction, spotting a pool of water.
Then, he froze.
It was not because the pool was much larger than he had imagined, nor was it because of the shrubs surrounding it. It was because of the neatly planted saplings further in the distance.
This man was growing things in the desert?
The moment this thought arose, an overwhelming sense of disbelief washed over Ksaz.
Having lived in the Golden Sea for decades, he only knew that any greenery in the desert was a gift from nature. No one could actively grow and keep anything alive on this sandy ground.
Yet the truth lay right before his eyes. This man had done it.
Ksaz looked back at Shane, his gaze growing even more resolute, now tinged with a deep sense of awe.
“We do not need much water.”
He spoke rapidly, not caring whether his grammar was precise. “Our water consumption is only one-third of a human's. We only need enough for two humans. That is enough.”
At the same time, he shook the waterskin in his hand and held it up to his eyes, continuing, “We can help you find new water sources. It is our instinct. You must need a lot of water to water the trees.”
The final sentence precisely struck Shane's weak spot, which was exactly why he had risked saving them in the first place.
He reached out and gestured, saying, “There is still plenty of open space around the pool. You can settle down there for the time being.”
Looking down at Shane's outstretched hand and hearing his words, Ksaz could not help but smile as he clasped it. “Good!”
“Pack up and move out!”
The princess's crisp voice rang out, and the guards began to march in an orderly fashion toward the pool.
The Sand Scalers on the ground stood up, embracing one another, their faces filled with the joy of a new lease on life.
Meanwhile, Shane glanced at Elon before turning his gaze toward the pool.
The issue of finding a new water source was resolved, but it was far from enough.
To expand the oasis, he needed tools, seeds, and various materials.
And these things could not be obtained solely from the barren lands of the Golden Sea. Therefore, he needed merchants—or a partner who could purchase supplies on his behalf.
Rate on N.U.
