There was no more turmoil or chaos along the way, and Han Sen walked to the edge of the oasis without seeing any further sign of Yisha. Where she had fled to, he could not tell.
After resting for a bit, Han Sen went back into the oasis to look for the xenogeneic fruit.
Han Sen wanted to leave Demon Grave in case he met Yisha again. At least while in there, he had an advantage over her. If she followed him out, though, the deified Yisha would be able to kill Han Sen with ease. So, he had to get out of there now, with haste.
First, Han Sen planned to scour the oasis for xenogeneic fruit. If he couldn't find it, he'd have to get going before Yisha could stop him.
But even if he did leave before Yisha did, the biggest problem was that he'd be leaving without Mister Ji. He didn't think those of Demon would let him walk away so easily.
Han Sen couldn't worry about that at the moment, though. He had to leave first.
So, Han Sen walked around between the grapevines. Eventually, he found a grape that looked like agate. Han Sen picked it up and pocketed it
Han Sen looked over the whole area of grapes and found some green ones and red ones, and then nothing else.
Han Sen didn't stay any longer, though. He walked right out of the grape area, wanting to leave the oasis. Unfortunately, he could see clouds of yellow sand rising up ahead, out in the desert.
Many creatures were now approaching the oasis. They were coming from the direction that Han Sen would need to go to exit the place. After having a look, Han Sen noticed there were many races amongst them. There were those of Demon and those of the Rebate. There were some Han Sen could not identify, either.
Half of the races were there now.
"Weird. Mister Ji said that only a few members of higher races could enter here based on the agreement. So, why are there so many? Did Yisha get these people to come and deal with me, once she escaped?" Han Sen frowned, wanting to hide away in the oasis first
Even if they weren't coming after him, their presence would be dangerous for Han Sen.
Han Sen started to move, but a member of a higher race amidst that group had exceptional vision. Before Han Sen could retreat into the oasis, the man shouted, "Hey kid, stay where you are! Answer our questions and we won't trouble you. Otherwise, don't blame us for what might happen. Unless you think you can escape us all, of course."
"What do you want to ask?" Han Sen asked coldly, keeping his distance.
"Were you the person accompanying Luo Ji?" someone from Demon asked Han Sen.
"Yes." Han Sen nodded.
"Where is he now?" the members of Demon asked, looking happy.
Han Sen didn't hesitate to tell them about Luo Ji running off when chaos ensued. He made no mention of Yisha, though. "Okay, take us to him," the Demon said.
Han Sen frowned. "I only know he went that way. I don't know where precisely, so it would be pointless for me to go."
"We told you to take us to him. Stop talking crap." The higher race that first spotted Han Sen looked annoyed.
He was afraid Yisha was still out there somewhere, so he didn't want to go and find Mister Ji with them.
Han Sen ignored him and kept walking.
If they had been outside, any of the people present would have been stronger than Han Sen. But within Demon Grave, everyone's body was suppressed and nearly equalized. Therefore, Han Sen was not afraid.
When the bird-face-looking higher race man was ignored, it enraged him. He shouted and pulled out a wooden stick to try to hit Han Sen. The wooden stick looked familiar. It looked like the wooden weapons the Chaos used. It must have been an item retrieved from this place.
But Han Sen ignored him and continued walking. The man attacked, and while the wooden stick moved like a striking dragon, it didn't even manage to brush Han Sen's clothes.
Those of the higher races looked surprised, but they didn't want to let Han Sen go. They all surrounded him and drew their weapons. Han Sen noticed that those weapons had all been carved from wood. They were originally Chaos weaponry.
"Take us to Luo Ji and you'll be rewarded. Otherwise, no one here will let you go," the Demon said, trying to bluff.
Although Han Sen was curious why they were in such a rush to find him, he was more afraid of Yisha getting into position to intercept him at some point down the road. He did not answer, and instead rushed forward.
The higher races were angered. They swung their weapons, wanting to drop Han Sen.
So, Han Sen pulled out the scabbard and held it like a sword. Then he summoned his swordmind.
Chapter 1802 capture
The battle started with an arrow falling from the sky. It landed the midst of everyone, and they all stared at it in shock. They raised their heads, and they saw Chaos descending from the sky. The Chaos quickly surrounded everyone, and their numbers were several hundred strong.
A line of arrows were targeting them, and everyone was shocked. That included Han Sen.
He had already tried escaping from four Chaos, and that was extremely trying. But now their numbers were vast, and he quickly realized that escaping might be impossible here. Unless he used his super god body, of course. In his current state, though, he couldn't flee.
It was a shame he still needed to recover. Even if he did use super god spirit mode, it wouldn't last very long. He might be able to take down a few Chaos, but he couldn't kill a few hundred while maintaining enough strength to escape.
"Put down your weapons and put your hands behind your head." A Chaos made use of the universal language to speak with them.
Facing so many drawn bows, no one dared do anything to provoke the Chaos. Looking glum, they all did as instructed. They put down their weapons and put their hands behind their heads.
Han Sen returned the scabbard to his waist and lifted his arms like the higher races were. The Chaos moved closer and pointed the arrows right at them, then ropes were brought out to bind them. The Chaos put long spears through the ropes and carried them like pigs.
"They are vegetarians, right? Or are they cannibals?" Han Sen's heart sank. If it wasn't for those who had been captured with him, he would have been long gone by now. He wouldn't have been in this predicament.
Luckily, the Chaos didn't seem to want to kill them immediately. The creatures were headed into the desert.
After four days, they came to an oasis. This oasis was far bigger, and wooden houses were visible amidst the foliage. So, it must have been where the Chaos lived.
Everyone was brought to a meadow filled with stone pillars. Yisha was tied to one. She was still wearing her mask, but the wound in her chest now looked fine.
The higher races didn't seem to recognize her, and the two Rebate with him didn't realize who she was. They seemed none the wiser.
Then, the Chaos tied them to the stone pillars. Han Sen was not too far from Yisha, as she was only two pillars away.
Yisha did see Han Sen there, though. And she also saw the scabbard he was carrying. Her eyes looked bright and confused, and she fervently wondered why the scabbard would behave like that.
The Chaos took the wooden weaponry that the group carried. They didn't see a knife in the socket of the scabbard, so they left it with Han Sen. Han Sen couldn't use it, anyway.
"What do the Chaos want to do with us?" the bird-faced man asked.
No one could answer him, as no one knew what the Chaos wanted. The creatures just tied them to the pillars and then left. There were a few Chaos children looking at them, though. The kids stared at them like they were animals in a zoo.
The Chaos were affected by Demon Grave, and so they didn't have any Nobles. They only had geno armor. But their fitness, even when they were children, was quite good.
The Demon called Vic turned to Yisha and asked, "Rebate Lady, when did they capture you? Do you have any idea what they plan to do?"
Yisha ignored him. She was a King that had touched a deified door. If she had not been injured by Han Sen, she would not have gotten captured. This was a humiliating situation for her, and so she wasn't willing to let anyone hear of her identity.
Vic frowned when he got ignored, but it wasn't as if he could threaten her into talking now.
A Rebate man asked, "Look, we're all in the same boat here. If you know anything, you should tell us. Maybe then we can escape together."
The other high race people agreed, in the hope that she could tell them something they could use to escape.
Yisha pretended she did not hear any of them. She simply closed her eyes and rested.
The Rebate man was made angry by this, and he shouted, "Did you not hear me? I am Rocks Fall Duke, and I command you to answer me."
Yisha still kept her eyes closed, and she pretended as if she did not hear him. Han Sen just looked at the woman curiously. It was strange that they did not know Yisha. Han Sen thought she would be a person of enormous importance, the type of person that a mere Duke wouldn't dare to compare themselves to. So, how could Rock Falls Duke not recognize who she was?
The sky went dark, and eventually, the Chaos kids looked tired. They returned to the houses, leaving only those who were tied up outside.
The Chaos were sleeping now, and no one was watching them. Some of the higher races wished to shake off their ropes and see if they could escape.
They did not know what their bindings were made of, though. They couldn't get free from them. Even when they squeezed their bodies, the rope would constrict and squeeze, too.
"Argh!" A weird voice came from outside of the oasis. Everyone was shocked, and they thought the Chaos had noticed their attempts to escape.
They looked around and noticed that the wooden doors of the houses were all closed. No Chaos seemed to be coming out. And then, they heard that noise again. It sounded as if it was coming from every angle.
Eventually, the noise drew nearer and nearer. And not long after, some green eyes were seen peering at them. They were everywhere in the dark. There were oh-so-many of them.
"What is this? I thought that, aside from the Chaos, there wouldn't be any other creatures here," the bird-looking higher race man said.
The others of the higher races looked terrible, and it soon looked as if the eyes were coming towards them. It didn't seem as if they were only there to admire the captives.
1803 Chosen by the Monster
Han Sen looked at the green eyes, shining in the dark. Quickly, he recognized what they looked like. They belonged to creatures that looked like lizards. But their heads were much bigger, like a bull's. Their skin was grey like rocks, enabling them to blend into the darkness. It was difficult to make out the shape of their bodies.
The creatures were close to the stone pillars now. They opened their mouths and revealed fangs and snake-like tongues. A strange sort of saliva bubbled around their tongues, as well.
"What are they? Are the Chaos feeding us to them?" One of the higher race people asked in fear.
Monsters were approaching from each and every angle. They surrounded the meadow of the stone pillars. There were dozens of them, and if they wanted to eat the people tied to the pillars, there still wouldn't be enough to satisfy them all.
The monsters surrounded them, looking at them from outside the circle of the pillars. None stepped into the perimeter, though. As everyone looked on in shock, they heard a long howl. The monsters cleared a path, as if clearing the way for a general to come through.
Another lizard-like monster emerged, but this one was smaller. It was only the size of a dog.
The monster raised its head, making itself look very noble. Its body was smaller than the other monsters, but it looked more alive. Instead of being grey, it was dark-red, the color of chicken blood.
The monsters watched the smaller monster approach, and then they lowered their heads as if they were bowing before a king.
The small monster came to the pillar area and did not stop. It walked inside and began checking everyone out The little monster was looking at all of them like an experienced farmer that was choosing livestock.
Han Sen found the sight somewhat disturbing, and he had no clue what the monster's intentions were.
The higher races were all stunned, too. They were afraid the little monster would chomp their heads off, and they had no hope of fighting back.
Yisha was still resting with her eyes closed, and she didn't look scared in the least
Han Sen was thinking to himself, "I wonder when she got herself caught? It's weird how she doesn't seem worried about the monster potentially eating her. She must know something about what's going on."
Han Sen knew Yisha must hate him now, though. She'd probably murder him this instant if she could. There was no way she would share information with him, so he didn't ask.
The little monster walked around the captured people, and eventually took a step back. It reached out its claws and touched one of the higher races. It seemed as if it had made a selection.
The higher race that was touched went pale. He was afraid that he was about to become a meal for the creatures.
The monster walked around until the claws stopped at Han Sen. They remained pointed at him.
Han Sen's heart jolted, and he thought to himself, "I can't be this unlucky, can I? He probably thinks my meat is soft, and so that is why he wants to start eating me first"
The little monster made a loud baring noise when it pointed at Han Sen. Another monster then came from beyond the perimeter, racing towards Han Sen with the ferocity of a tiger.
Those of the higher races felt relieved. It seemed as if the monster was picky, and it wasn't willing to select them for food.
But they were wrong. The monster then pointed at a few more of the higher races. Some other monsters came from the outside and approached them. Those who were chosen, aside from Han Sen, were Yisha, Vic, Rock Falls Duke, and the birdfaced higher race man.
After that, the little monster lowered its paw. It had finished choosing. The other higher race people felt relieved.
When Han Sen saw the monsters come, his mind raced for a way in which he might escape the predicament He couldn't fight them, and nor he could he simply run away. Han Sen thought fleeing to the sanctuary might be the only way he could successfully hide.
Han Sen looked at the monster in front of him, and suddenly, he realized that he might have misunderstood the creature's intentions. So, before he committed to teleporting away, he decided to wait.
The monster came in front of Han Sen and its teeth flashed toward him. The monster didn't hurt his flesh, though. Instead, the creature just used its teeth to break the rope that bound him.
After a few hearty bites, the rope was broken. Han Sen was free. He moved his hands and wrists, then looked at the monster with surprise.
This same thing happened with the others, as they were each approached by a monster which then freed them. The former captives were all given quite the shock.
After the ropes were cut, the lizards turned around like camels. They allowed themselves to be ridden.
Han Sen and the others still weren't sure what was going on.
When Han Sen and the others didn't immediately get on the monsters, though, the little monster snarled. It seemed to be telling them that they should hurry and hop on. The freed people looked at each other, gauging the mood, but no one dared hop on. Yisha, however, jumped onto the monster's back without hesitation.
After she settled down on the creature's back, it immediately trotted away.
Han Sen mounted the monster in front of him, too. It was headed in the same direction.
Vic and Rocks Fall Duke gritted their teeth before climbing onto their own lizards. The monsters took them all away, beyond the oasis.
When the little monster saw Han Sen and the others riding off, it barked a command for the rest of the monsters to disperse. The monsters did as commanded, slinking back into the desert.
The higher races that weren't chosen felt great relief wash over them. They believed those who had been chosen were going to become food. Perhaps they were being taken away, to be fed upon later.
Vic and the others were all nervous, though. They weren't sure if the trip they were on was a good one. But they had little choice in the matter, and there was no turning back for them now.
The monsters ran through the desert, and it was surprisingly cold there at night. Even so, the sky was mesmerizingly clear. The stars were shining so brightly that it looked as if you could reach out your hand and pick them up.
After walking for half the night, Han Sen saw a glow in front of him like a spinning galaxy. There were countless snakes ahead, lit up like a tangle of glowsticks.