Translator: Stellar Novels Editor: Stellar Novels
The six motorcycles arrived quickly, but they did not stop when they passed by the two individuals. Instead, they continued towards the nearby cloud of dust.
As they approached the edge of the dust cloud, one of the riders jumped off the motorcycle, muttered something under his breath, then crossed his hands and made a tearing motion.
In the next moment, the raging sandstorm was forcefully torn apart by him, creating an opening. The other five motorcycles rushed through the gap, but shortly after, they withdrew and regrouped.
The leader tore off the scarf covering his face, revealing a weathered square face. "Look at what you've done. That creature has already burrowed back underground and escaped."
"The Thousand-Toothed Sandfish is big, but it's very timid. It took us two weeks to find it, and now we don't know where it's gone," another rider with a Mohawk complained.
"If it were my father here, he would have made the same choice," the small rider retorted.
"I'm not talking about you saving someone," the middle-aged man with the square face shook his head. "Do you remember what task I gave you?"
"To conduct reconnaissance and keep watch."
"Exactly, conduct reconnaissance and keep watch," the middle-aged man pointed at Ma Lu. "You should have spotted him earlier, so he wouldn't have been in danger, and the Thousand-Toothed Sandfish wouldn't have been drawn to him, causing us to miss the trap we set on the other side."
"Uh… can I say something?"
At this point, Ma Lu roughly understood what had happened. These people were here to hunt the creature from earlier, but they happened to arrive just as he descended into this plane, ruining their hunting plan and causing an internal conflict.
However, before he could clear up the misunderstanding, both of them simultaneously said, "Shut up, this has nothing to do with you."
"Alright." Ma Lu could only stay silent.
The small rider stared into the eyes of the middle-aged man with the square face, and after a moment, he pulled off the copper badge pinned to his left chest and threw it on the ground.
The middle-aged man frowned, "Don't do anything foolish."
"I only ever do foolish things in your eyes, so what difference does one more make?" the small rider said coldly. "I declare, I am leaving the Harpist Hunting Party."
Hearing this, the Mohawk rider and the other three members, who had been complaining earlier, started to persuade him otherwise. Only the young rider who had opened the path for his companions in the sandstorm remained motionless.
The middle-aged man's frown deepened, "Do you think your father would want to see this?"
"I don't know, but this is probably what you've always wanted, right?"
After saying this, the small rider ignored the reactions of the others, mounted his motorcycle, and rode off on his own.
However, he only rode about 200 meters before turning around and coming back.
Seeing him return, the middle-aged man's tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed, and he bent down to pick up the badge the small rider had thrown away.
However, the small rider didn't even look at him. Instead, he addressed Ma Lu, who was squatting nearby.
"Hey, you in black, didn't you lose your motorcycle? I'm heading back to the city now, do you want to come with me?"
"Uh-huh, uh-huh."
Upon hearing this, Ma Lu quickly pulled off the head of a thumb-sized red lizard in his hand, threw the rest into a plastic bag he was carrying, and then climbed onto the small rider's motorcycle.
Whether the lizard was edible or not, Ma Lu didn't really know, but just as the others were arguing, the Traveler's Bracelet had popped up with a new notification.
It said that a one-star ingredient, Flame Gecko, had been scanned. Since Ma Lu had nothing else to do, he decided to search around and, surprisingly, he actually found one.
The Flame Gecko looked a lot like a leopard gecko from Earth, but its markings were more vibrant, and it would occasionally spit sparks from its mouth, like a defective lighter, which gave it a somewhat silly and cute appearance.
Ma Lu felt a bit of compassion and estimated that the little creature wouldn't yield much meat, so he considered letting it go.
But unexpectedly, despite its small size, the Flame Gecko was quite feisty. Even after Ma Lu put it down, it refused to leave and kept circling around him, persistently attacking his shoes.
So Ma Lu ultimately decided to accept this gift from the otherworld.
As for why he removed the head, it was because the Collection Bag didn't allow living creatures to be stored.
Ma Lu discreetly wiped the blood from his hands on the underside of the seat, while the small rider remained silent and focused on driving. The two of them didn't speak for a long time during the journey.
Finally, the small rider couldn't hold back any longer and muttered, "Why aren't you talking? Do you also think I'm being unreasonable?"
"Huh?"
Having just cruelly killed the Flame Gecko, Ma Lu was absorbed in exploring the new discovery. He only snapped back to attention when the small rider spoke.
"I don't think it's that bad. When it comes to work, if you're not happy in one place, there's no need to force yourself. Changing environments could be good, as long as you can find another opportunity."
"That's an interesting perspective," the small rider sighed. "I never imagined I would leave the Harpist Hunting Party. My father founded that group, and just a year later, I was born into this world.
"You could say I grew up alongside the Harpists. It holds many memories of my father and me. I even promised him on his deathbed that I would carry on his legacy and uphold the Harpists' honor. But now... the Harpists have nothing to do with me anymore."
There was a hint of melancholy in the small rider's voice.
"So, what are your plans now?" Ma Lu asked.
"I don't know," the small rider replied. "When we get back to the city, I plan to grab a drink. If you don't have anything else to do, why don't you join me? My treat."
It's not that Ma Lu had some special charm; it's just that today's events had a significant impact on the small rider. He desperately needed someone to confide in, and strangers often have a natural advantage in such situations.
Ma Lu understood this and, coincidentally, had plenty of questions that needed answering, including but not limited to the monster he encountered in the desert, the sandstorm that was forcefully torn apart, and the hunting party mentioned by the small rider. Not to mention, there was free otherworldly alcohol to enjoy.
So Ma Lu readily agreed.
An hour and a half later, the two arrived outside the city the small rider referred to as The Giant Screen.
From a distance, Ma Lu could see the city's outline, which resembled an enlarged version of the Tokyo Dome.
According to the small rider's explanation on the way, cities here were different from those on Earth. Most were semi-subterranean, with underground portions in addition to the surface areas, sometimes with multiple underground levels.
In the case of The Giant Screen, there were two levels underground. Besides that, the surface portion had a roof that not only shielded the city from sandstorms and intense sunlight but also featured adjustable solar panels to collect sunlight, which was then converted into electricity and stored.
The electricity powering the motorcycles they were riding came from these solar panels.
Not long after Ma Lu entered the city, the solar panels fully closed, and the entire city shifted from daylight to nighttime.
This planet had two suns, so it was always under direct sunlight. The inhabitants could only artificially create darkness in this way.
But it had to be said, when the neon lights in the city lit up, it did feel like night had fallen.
The small rider parked his motorcycle outside a small bar, then removed his goggles and face scarf, revealing a somewhat youthful face.
Long exposure to the sun and wind had turned his skin a light brown, rougher than that of his peers. His hair and eyebrows were full of sand, making him look genuinely dusty.
But even so, it was clear he had a good foundation. Aside from a pair of straight, slightly fierce-looking eyes, the lines of his other features were soft. However, his constantly tight lips made him seem like he was always on guard.
Like a little hound, ready to pounce at any moment. But these days, this type of boyish look tends to capture the hearts of older women more easily.
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