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The next morning, as we decided to explore the desert with the Slimes we recruited into our team and a giant golem carrying them, I noticed everyone was very tired. The heat seemed very strong, but I wasn't particularly bothered by it.

Sure, when it reaches my face its annoying but I'm mostly fine. I think it has to do with my blessing of sunlight. In fact, my Physique is growing stronger the more I bathe in sunlight, and my skin remains white, never getting toasted.

"Phew, it sure is hot around here…" Aquarina sighed, waving her hand to get some air. She was sweating all over. Unlike me, although she had brown skin to better protect her against sunlight radiation, she had no blessing of the sunlight or something like I did.

"Is it? It's pretty fine in here. I feel so nice. Like I'm growing stronger over time by just sitting in the excruciating radiation of the sun." I shrugged. "Use your own ice and water to freshen you up a bit then."

"But I can't! Mom said I need to start training to prepare for what's to come next year already…" Aquarina lamented. "She said that I need to learn to bear with this heat because where we are going, it's like… even worse."

"Even worse?!" I cried. "What?"

"Where are you even going?" Zack wondered. "Some sort of wasteland in the middle of nowhere?"

"Yeah." Aquarina nodded. "Exactly that… And not really. From what mom has told me so far, it is a very faraway place where there's an Inheritance of the first ever Hero of Stone and Earth. It is the place where she tempered her body to become so strong and capable of fusing with minerals. Apparently, it is a huge canyon area, surrounded by a desert. With nothing but rocks, stone, sand and earth everywhere. Drier than anything you can imagine!"

"Well, that sounds fun!" Laughed Celeste. "Good luck there. Meanwhile I'll be taking your girlfriend to the coldest mountains in the continent."

"Grrr… I'm still pissed off she gets to go with you and not me…" Aquarina groaned. "Shouldn't you go train to the demon continent or something?"

"Her Skills with Alchemy are really good, and she has a nice talent for it, so learning from the Blue Witch is more beneficial." I said. "I know we got money and strength, but this is still a functioning society. Gaining a title in the academy will be important for our future in this society. Just relying on noble titles, money, or strength won't easily let us enter all kinds of jobs. After all in the future I am not planning on just hunting things endlessly, you know? That's why she has to learn Alchemy better. It is a job needed everywhere. She will be more appreciated than just another offensive magician that hunts wild creatures."

"W-Well, I guess.." Aquarina nodded. "Hey I'm also good at Alchemy though? I would love to learn from the witch! Mom!" Aquarina called her mother.

"I know sweetie. I was thinking that after the training you could regroup with Sylphy and spend a year with her and the witch, or something." Nepheline said. "Depending on how fast you progress your training though."

"Really?! Now we're talking!" Aquarina got really happy.

As we chatted, I noticed my other friends, and how they were handling the heat. Mist was resting over Zack, who was giving her some of his shadow with his huge body.

"Hahh… I think I'm going to die…" She cried.

"Come on, your affinity is light, right? Just slowly adapt to the heat. Your physique should be able to absorb it." Zack said. "Over time, slowly."

"O-Okay… I'll keep trying." Mist groaned.

"So many Sunlight Spirits everywhere!" Lara seemed unbothered by the heat.

"Hahh… Where can I find a bird?" Luck, in the other case, was looking for a Tier 8 flying monster to complete his unique Quest related to the Divine Beast Spirits. As long as he can defeat one flying tier 8 monster by himself, he will be able to unlock a new divine beast spirit.

"Birds are not common in deserts." My mother said. "Little places to rest, too much heat. Of course, there might be those that travel through very large distances. But the majority would not pass through here. Except if they're very strong monsters. This desert might or might not have some. We just have to keep exploring."

"How's the slimes going though?" My father asked, sitting over the giant fox, unbothered by the sunlight like me.

"They're fine." Said Nepheline. "Thanks to the water my daughter gave to them, they're just happily swimming over it to combat the heat. They're very resilient."

"Guu!"

"Gubo!"

"Gah?!"

They were playing around in the big pool Aquarina made for them, full of blocks of ice to combat the heat. Pyuku was with them laughing and playing. They were really having the time of their lives.

"Pyuku, tell me, can you feel the presence of your kin nearby?" Asked Ninhursag, who was walking over the burning sand with her barefoot like nothing.

"Oh, yes… I can feel them. If we continue straight through here!" Pyuku seemed excited. "These presences don't seem so lethargic though, they must be active."

"Nice, that does sounds good." My mother seemed happy. "Then, onwards!"

We continued moving across the deserts. Occasionally taking a break below the shadow of our tents to eat some filling and cold meals. Mostly a lot of cold drinks, frozen fruit, and ice cream. We occasionally found monsters. Mostly giant bugs named Antlions, Sandworms, and the occasionally Deadly Wasp, all of them only as strong as Tier 7.

The Sandworms were deadly big but were taken care swiftly by us. I was able to practice my new Skills and Abilities. Unleashing the power of the Yggdrasil Knight's Swordsmanship. I earned a lot of EXP and also spent some more finishing the equipment I was going to rent to Luck. At the morning of the second day, we managed to finally arrive somewhere in this endless sea of sand.

"Sylphy, look!" Suddenly, Aquarina pointed at the distance.

Hours after we began our traveling today, we came across something astonishing. A tremendously huge golden pyramid buried beneath the sand.

"CRYAAAAH!"

And a giant bird covered on feathers made of gold, sitting on top of it with a large nest made of crystals. And not only that, dozens of smaller sized birds of similar appearances all emerged out from behind the pyramid, where they were hiding in the shadow.

[The [Golden Flames Phoenix (Tier 10)] warns you to not take another step forward!]

[A huge flock of [Lesser Golden Firebirds (Tier 8)] have emerged to protect their new territory!]

"W-Wait a second, bids out of nowhere!" Luck was really happy. "Yes! We can finally do this!"

"Ah… T-That Pyramid is where the rest of the slimes are located!" Pyuku panicked. "Are those birds using the pyramid as a nest?! So that's why they can't get out of there… There was indeed some sort of distress in their presences, as if they were trapped."

"Then we'll have to quickly take care of these birds before we finally meet more of your family." Aquarina cracked her knuckles.

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