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Chapter 422 First Step of a Thousand Mile Journey

Zero remembered that his shifu used to say "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" and the doctor strongly believed that as long as you set your mind to begin something, you are already on that journey. Yet, he couldn’t fully master the concept of how patience is a virtue. Zero was always reminded that the lack of patience in small matters could destroy great plans, especially when diagnosing someone. As a doctor, everything must be checked thrice and then three more times to ensure it is perfect. Constant following up and monitoring even when things are going well is the key to success. However, was it really necessary for Truen and Bob to do last minute checks and preparation when Zero was fired up and ready to finally enter Derby Desert? They spent too much time travelling from Rocket Mountain to the edge of Endow Hill. The desert was just a few miles yonder but ever since they added Jermine to their small expedition team, the dragon insisted that she was well equipped to survive the harshness of the sandy terrain.

After the archer and his dragon got everything they thought would be necessary for a blind beast girl in the desert, Zero went through the inventory and made a face. Really? What was the use of so many clothes and light armour? He could understand the need for another sand walker that Zero hasn’t named but was the entire backpack full of survival items truly necessary? Zero had an infinite inventory and anything they needed, they had.

"You know that I can easily enchant normal clothes to a level of mithril armour, right?" Zero asked his friends when they finally declared that it was time to depart.

Unlike Bob who thought that Zero made sense, Truen gave him a look. "Not everything can be averted with magic. Derby Desert is unpredictable and there will be many kinds of dangers that await us. Desert Lily gave me a list of things to look out for and you’ve heard the stories that Brutus told. It’s more dangerous travelling there than staying on Endow Hill. The first thing we need to do once we get in the desert is to look for one of these established desert villagers that are frequented by traders. From there, we will find out more information about other civilisations, the gnomes and the desert poppy."

Zero sulked. Truen made sense but Zero doesn’t want to think about all the unlikely things to happen. Sure, there were sandstorms and desert monsters and even strange magic in the hostile desert. However, the land is so vast and Zero highly doubt that they would have the luck to run into all those horrifying disasters.

Jermine listened to them bicker and eventually, Truen compromised. "You can cast magic enchants on everything and even name the sand walker but you will promise to follow instructions if we encounter any of those disasters. While the desert is technically wilderness, I don’t want to see you destroying too much terrain should something happen. Practice your powers in moderation, understood?"

Zero nodded. Moderation was still a foreign word in his dictionary but Zero thought he was getting better at that. If he didn’t pull out YY Tonfas and Origin, it would count as moderation, right?

Bob and Truen let Zero work magic enchantments on Jermine’s clothing and let him name the third sand walker. The mole girl stood very still as Zero cast spell after layer of spells on her for protection and heat regulation. There was even a tracking spell just in case Jermine was separated from the group in case of a sandstorm and that blew her mind away. Who exactly was Zero? Wasn’t he a doctor? How is he able to cast so many spells without tiring?

As the archer waited, he revised the plan in his mind. It was a simple strategy to keep Zero in check throughout their journey. Bob and Jermine will travel together on the same sand walker after they leave Deadman Town because Jermine doesn’t know how to ride one. Zero will stay close to them to become the person to relay Truen’s message as he scouts and travels ahead with his Area Detection ability. Jermine will constantly listen to the ground to find underground caves and warn them if she senses a monster hiding beneath the sand that Bob will take care of. Zero was in charge of finding resources in the desert that will be useful to them. Zero agreed to it because Truen convinced him that none of them had the appraisal ability to differentiate useful and useless objects. In truth, the archer simply wanted his friend to lay low and not blast a hole in the planet after he forgets what restraint meant. Sedna constantly reminded Truen not to let Zero absorb too many things from the desert even if it looked bountiful. The sand in the desert might be abundant but Zero was the kind of entity capable of absorbing a third of a planet’s water.

"The curse of Zero’s destroyer prophecy might come true if Zero continues to absorb things. We assume that eating and absorbing things is like an addiction to Zero. The more he does it, the more he wants to devour things. In the beginning, when he didn’t have a physical form, he could only take in small items before falling asleep to process the object absorbed into his void inventory. Now, Zero is constantly having things poured into his inventory but he doesn’t feel sleepy or tired. His ’appetite’ increased and devouring a planet is not a problem for him at this point."

It was a scary prophecy but Truen didn’t want to doubt Sedna. Preventing Zero from a feasting frenzy was like imposing a diet on a foodie. He didn’t know how effective this would be but he would do his best.

Finally, when all preparations were complete and Zero was satisfied with how things were, they said goodbye to Brutus and Dwayne who wished them luck. Without looking back, the small party left Deadman Town. Truen didn’t look back at the Black Mamba shadows who tailed them all the way to the borders of the lawless zone to ensure their safety. He was leaving Desert Lily in charge to coordinate things on behalf of Monoman and Half Moon Village before New Moon Village was established. Hopefully, when they return, the trade will be running smoothly and Half Moon Village’s population crisis will be averted.