Just as we left the village, we saw a large number of Rodenti in the desert just waiting to wish us farewell. Even though they all expected that Rex would one day return, the same couldn't be said for the rest of us. For many of the Rodenti, this could be the last time we would ever see each other. It wasn't just because there might not be a reason for us to come back this way, but also because their lifespans were different. Rodenti live between fifteen and twenty years. Apparently, the higher Tier they were able to reach, the longer they would live, as their bodies became more apt to handle age.
But even Ash shouldn't reach his forties. That meant he might have some twenty or so years under his belt. There was a very real possibility that when I or any of my companions decided to return, twenty years would have gone by. This was especially true if we remained focused on our mission, perhaps finding another Nest or even destroying all Eaters.
It was a bittersweet moment. We looked at those Rodenti not knowing if we were ever going to see them again. Rex, Carl, and even Rixnala were there, all waving goodbye. It was kind of funny to think how we didn't even notice that the village was so quiet, as everybody was just waiting for us outside.
Rex kept giving large waves and smiles to all of his family, which for the small Rodenti meant every single member of the village. We left to a sound of cheers, which made me feel very happy with myself. Our involvement here saved the lives of countless warriors. Not to mention the people in the village.
Even if they were able to survive on their own, I was positive that if it wasn't for us, the number of casualties they would have suffered would be much greater. It was nice knowing that thanks to our actions, so many people had been saved. Not to mention, we were able to make that much of a difference while being fairly new to the System, especially when comparing with people who were born with it.
One way or another, we continued through this small ovation from the village until everybody started heading back inside. While I could see some people in other places staying there until we were out of eyesight and vanishing into the horizon, that felt like a waste of time for the Rodenti. And I couldn't really blame them.
The next leg of our journey was surprisingly uneventful. Even if we were walking through the middle of the desert, there were no monsters around. One of the reasons for the village to have been constructed in this exact location was the lack of large creatures nearby. That is not to say that there weren't the occasional smaller critter popping up here and there. But there seemed to be only regular animals. None of the System-enhanced creatures seemed to exist in the surrounding area.
While that wasn't great for anyone wanting to level up, it gave us a peaceful journey, and that was never a bad thing. Besides, considering our levels, there were very few things around that could actually give us a boost in experience. This meant that in order to level up faster, we would need to go on a rampage, destroying every nest and burrow that we saw. Even then, we were likely to get only one or two levels at most. No one was really interested in that kind of destruction, especially when the rewards were so uncertain.
Not to mention that Eaters were very much still a threat. Even if we were walking through the middle of the desert, we were able to notice a few tracks from those creatures. There were sets of perfectly spaced holes on the ground that made small spike-like formations. The lack of rain in the area and the strangely steady wind created a perfect scenario for the preservation of those tracks. If we really wanted to level up, we should go after another Eater instead of hunting down random animals in the area.
Three days passed without anything big happening. We would walk for most of the day, stop anytime one of us got too tired, rest for a few minutes, and then continue our journey. According to Rex, we were starting to get close to the Lumerian territory. Or, at least, the area that his father told us about. Since Rex himself was unaware of the exact location, he couldn't confirm if we were getting closer. He could only give us a loose understanding if we should be getting close to our destination.
To our surprise, the Lumerins were not the first ones that we encountered. Instead, coming from the distance, we saw a small caravan being pulled by interesting-looking horses with a small hump on their backs. Even as they got closer, we didn't change our trajectory. For one, I couldn't imagine anyone coming into the desert in hopes of capturing random people. Two, maybe they could tell us a bit more about whatever was around us. Three, although this was a somewhat mean curiosity I was having, I wanted to see how other people would react to Rex.
The reason why I was so sure they were people was simply due to the fact that they were using carts pulled by horses. I didn't think the Rodenti considered the idea of raising livestock, much less beasts of burden. Not to mention that there was a road of sorts to our right that seemed to be perfect for a {Rock Fly}, and I had serious doubts any Rodenti would pass up the opportunity to go through such a wide expanse of straight roads if they had the option to do so. The only reason we were not doing that was because Rex couldn't handle all four of us in a single rock, although he insisted that it wouldn't take that long for him to be able to do something like that.
The caravan was made up of three carts. Each was being dragged by that strange-looking horse. As they approached, the creatures became more visible. They had strange beige fur, longer necks, and a hump. Their legs were quite different from a horse too. They were longer somehow, and the body was bulkier. In a way, these beasts didn't seem to be made for high speeds. Instead, they looked more like beasts of burden who existed solely to pull a cart.
Sitting in the driver's seat was a single person on each of the wagons. The group slowed their approach and stopped completely, roughly 20 meters [65.6 ft] away. The person on the first wagon shouted, "Hello there! Are you friendly?"
I stared at the person for a moment, "If we were not friendly, why would we say so?"
"What was that?" the man asked again.
More out of frustration than anything else, I shouted back, "If we were not friendly, why would we say so?"
The man gave a big thumbs up. "That's exactly what someone who is friendly would say!"
I just gave the figure a blank stare while my companions chuckled. I had to agree with him. That was a rather simple way of checking if someone was going to be dangerous or not. I had some serious doubts that anyone with the System would think so much ahead to the point where they would try to trick them by pointing this out.
As the caravan started to approach, I glanced towards Rex and shouted, not wanting them to be spooked by our companion. "Before you approach, I need to let you know! We have a Rodenti with us! Do you know what that is?"
The figure seemed to be very excited. "We have met a Rodenti ourselves! Someone called Ruxadlion. He was the first of his kind that we met. While unfortunately he didn't come with us, he did point us in the direction of his village."
"And did he say anything about the village?" I shouted, unsure how much this group of people would know about what was supposed to happen back there.
"Yes! He said his village was in danger. There was a Nest of Eaters apparently close by, whatever that is. He was looking for people to help save the village. He warned us that if we were to venture close, we should keep our eyes still and run at the first sign of trouble. He told us to let him know his village's fate if we were ever able to uncover it."
I turned to Rex, who just nodded. "Yes, yes. Rux Rex's Little brother."
"Do you think they are telling the truth?"
"Yes. Little brother wanted to leave the village. He had no intention of coming back."
"Apparently he is our little brother's companion!" Michael shouted.
"Oh, but what a joyous occasion! I would love nothing more than to have a conversation with Ruxadlion's older brother!"
"Okay, but can we get closer? I'm getting tired of you screaming!" Michael shouted.
I gave him a stare. After all, he barely even spoke two words with this group of people.
"But of course, please come! Just a fair warning. If you attempt to harm us in any way, we will retaliate!"
Despite the open threat, the man's voice was very jovial and excited. So much so that it caught me off guard. Yet Michael seemed to be completely fine with all that.
"I say the same to you. And trust me, if it comes to a fight, I don't like your chances."
Instead of being upset, the man just laughed as we all approached. He introduced himself as Cameron and explained that he and his family were merchants. More specifically, they were traveling merchants, as they never stayed too long in a single place. There was a specific route they tended to go, rotating between a few villages, but they were always trying to expand their horizons and find new and interesting people to trade with.
It was on one of those trips away from their regular route that they found Rex's brother. At first, they were wary of a giant rat, but he quickly became a friend of the group after he helped them face off against an Eater. After all, the group themselves couldn't handle those creatures, yet the Rodenti was more than capable of doing so. This wasn't strange after all, he should also be at the end of Tier 1, maybe even a Tier 2.
After a brief conversation, we learned that this caravan was aiming to move across the desert and to the West Coast. The Rodenti village would be just a stop on their path where they could hopefully get some supplies for the rest of the journey. After telling them our destination, the Mist Valley, Cameron even offered to take us along for the ride.
Apparently, there was an outpost nearby, a remnant from the old world, where they could refill their water barrels. This could solve the supply issue that we were having before reaching the Rodenti village. That way, they wouldn't be as pressed to get some supplies from the Rodenti, which would help during their negotiations. Seeing as they all seemed to be fine people and Rex was very excited with the idea of riding one of the wagons, we accepted the offer since it was going to speed up our travel. Hopefully, in a couple of days, we could find the Lumerian Queen and see if she could help us find a Hatchery.