The skeletal warhorse walked ahead with steady steps, leaving behind a trail of shallow but clear hoofprints.
Alicia and her group followed a few meters behind him, maintaining a distance that ensured they wouldn't lose him while still leaving enough room to react to any sudden situations.
The guards' hands never left their weapons, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily.
Especially the three skeletons silently carrying their tools at the rear of the group.
Before long, as they crested the final sand dune, the sight before them brought everyone to a sudden halt.
The pool Shane had mentioned was larger than they had expected, and the water was crystal clear, appearing perfectly safe.
There was also an abundance of green plants surrounding the pool, fitting the classic image of an oasis.
But that was not what surprised them the most.
As their eyes traced the edges of the pool and expanded outward, they froze.
For all around the pool, on the back of the sand dune before them, and across the vast expanse of sand in the distance, lay massive stretches of green that had already taken root and survived.
It was not just a dozen or so plants, but hundreds, perhaps even more.
Evenly spaced patches of seabuckthorn-like shrubs had joined together to form small-scale green belts. Half-man-high saplings gently swayed their tender leaves in the breeze, and in the distance, they could even see slightly taller plants that had already begun to lignify.
Every plant displayed a resilient and healthy growth.
This scale was at least ten times larger than what they had just seen.
The sight, far exceeding anyone's imagination, made Elon's breath catch in his throat.
He stumbled forward a few steps, his dark green eyes trembling violently as his gaze jumped from a cluster of shrubs to a tree, and from the tree to the belt of saplings further away.
As a druid, he knew all too well that every single one of these plants was firmly rooted.
And beneath each one undoubtedly lay the "evil" power he so detested.
Yet they were indeed alive, and thriving.
Clearly, this was not merely an experiment, but a well-planned, fledgling oasis that was actively expanding.
It was not hard to imagine what this place would look like in a few years.
“He actually did it...”
Elon muttered to himself, his voice so dry it was barely audible.
In the Golden Sea, water was a blessing and green was a miracle, but this miracle had not come from the hands of a druid, but rather...
The foundation of his faith cracked under the immense strain in his mind. Feeling a wave of dizziness, he was forced to grip the camel's saddle tightly.
Alicia did not speak. She simply sat quietly atop her camel and watched, her fiery red hair rising and falling in the hot wind.
Her violet eyes swept sharply across the sea of green, evaluating its scale and estimating the time it took, before finally resting on the slender, black-clad figure ahead.
An exile who could control the undead and successfully establish an oasis in this desert of death.
Dangerous and uncontrollable.
But.
Of staggering value.
She took a soft breath, suppressing her turbulent thoughts.
Now was not the time to investigate; water and rest were the caravan's primary needs.
Meanwhile, Shane, at the very front, paid no attention to the shock and silence behind him. He simply raised his hand calmly and pointed ahead. “Right here.”
His tone was as casual as if he were introducing his own backyard. “The water is clean, seeping up from underground. It's drinkable.”
Because his attitude was so natural, it created an illusion.
As if growing an oasis in the desert and casually inviting a group of strangers to drink his water was the most ordinary thing in the world.
“Shane Leynas.”
From behind, Alicia rode up to a spot three meters away from Shane. Her tone was softened, yet it still carried a touch of the dignity unique to royalty. “My people are in desperate need of water, but out of respect for you, we will not act without your permission.”
She tilted her chin slightly, looking Shane straight in the eye. “May we have your permission to draw water?”
Shane stared at her for a couple of seconds, feeling somewhat surprised.
Honestly, he didn't care.
The water seeped up from underground, a continuous supply; he had merely been the one to discover it.
Besides, this group had chapped lips and weary faces, clearly on the verge of collapse.
So when he pointed them in this direction, he had already tacitly agreed to let them drink.
But this princess was surprisingly proper.
Despite her noble status and her desperately thirsty followers, she could still maintain such rigid etiquette and order in the middle of nowhere, facing an exiled necromancer.
This was a far cry from the impression of nobles he had in his memories.
A flash of surprise flickered in Shane's eyes before he nodded. “Go ahead.”
He then thoughtfully added, “The water is shallowest on the east side of the pool, making it easier to draw. Just be careful not to step on those newly planted cuttings on the south side.”
Hearing this, Alicia was momentarily taken aback, seemingly not expecting him to agree so readily, let alone provide a guide on how to draw the water.
But she quickly recovered her composure, turned to face her caravan, and began issuing orders. “Everyone, draw water in an orderly fashion.”
“Two at a time, draw water from the east side. Watch the plants underfoot. Do not contaminate the water source, and do not waste any.”
“Once you have drunk, rest where you are and stay alert.”
The guards and servants were already parched, their throats burning, but upon hearing the order, they quickly formed a simple queue.
Then, approaching the pool in pairs, they knelt on the eastern side, carefully filled their waterskins, and stepped aside to drink deeply. No one scrambled, and no one made a fuss.
Everything was in perfect order.
Meanwhile, Shane dismounted from his skeletal horse and leaned against it, watching silently.
Sweeping his gaze over them as they let out long sighs of relief after drinking their fill, and watching them systematically draw water and sit down to rest, his eyes finally fell on the princess, and he couldn't help but marvel inwardly: this princess really knew how to lead.
To maintain such discipline and execution among her subordinates in a state of extreme thirst and exhaustion was not something that could be achieved by mere status alone.
After a while, everyone had replenished their water and, at Shane's suggestion, rested under the shade of the two or three trees.
The camels were tethered on the sandy ground far away from the plants, quietly chewing on the seabuckthorn branches Shane had provided.
The guards took turns standing watch, while the rest made the most of their time to rest.
Alicia sat beneath a tree, leaning her back against the trunk, her fiery red hair draped over her shoulders.
Elon sat not far from her, staring blankly at the distant greenery, lost in thought.
As for Shane, he stood by the pool, holding a long, slender animal bone, drawing and writing on the sand, seemingly calculating the planting distances.
In the silence, there was only the rustling of the wind through the leaves and the faint splashing of the skeletal gardeners scooping water into their buckets.
Then, Alicia spoke.
Her voice wasn't loud, but in this near-peaceful tranquility, it was exceptionally clear:
“Shane Leynas, do you want to leave this place?”
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