SWNOVELXO Chapter 386: The Unexpected Haul
Nora and Clara exchanged odd glances as they watched Ethan casually pop a small, kneaded cornbread into his mouth. Then, realizing they still had roasted sausages dangling awkwardly from their own lips, they quickly yanked them out, faces flushing crimson.
Ethan stepped out of the tent and found Uncle Jed still standing outside in the drizzle.
"Huh... when did you get out?" Ethan asked, genuinely surprised. He'd just sealed the tent moments ago.
Uncle Jed rolled his eyes and tilted his head toward the sky, letting the rain pelt his face. With exaggerated disdain, he scoffed, "You think I'm like you? A pervert! Those two girls were soaked to the bone, and you were loitering in there like some sleazebag. And don't get me started on your talk of 'big sausages'... Bah! I'm a gentleman!"
"Uh..." Ethan blinked, caught off guard by the old man's outburst. The tent was pitch black, he thought, he couldn't see anything. Glancing back, he saw Nora had already lit a lamp. Uncle Jed's tone made him briefly consider sneaking back in for another peek—but seeing that smug expression on the old man's face killed the mood.
Instead, Ethan smirked. "Heh... serves you right for being a lifelong bachelor!"
He darted off before Uncle Jed could explode.
"Uncle Jed, you can come in now! We've changed!" Nora's voice called from the tent.
Still glaring at Ethan's retreating back, Uncle Jed muttered through gritted teeth, "Damn brat... When I was out carousing, you were still in diapers—and you dare call me a bachelor!"
---
Ethan sprinted forward through the open terrain.
The empty zone here—completely devoid of even a single Pincer-tailed Sand Badger—was far bigger than the one they'd encountered before. That had been only a few hundred meters across; this one stretched close to ten kilometers. The presence of such a wide exclusion zone could only mean one thing: a Boss-level beast was lurking nearby.
Activating Panther Form and slipping into Stealth, Ethan crept closer to the stalled convoy. Only when he got near did he realize just how massive it was—over three hundred vehicles, each drawn by a Chicken-footed Mountain Beast. They seemed to be the Earth equivalent of horses—strong, docile, and reliable. Built for war, capable of pulling weight, and, like camels, resilient enough to endure desert hardship.
He moved from the rear toward the center, still unseen, and noted the eerie absence of people. Where is everyone? he wondered. Could they all have gone out to fight? They left this whole thing unguarded?
As he reached the most luxurious carriage in the caravan, his suspicion solidified. The entire group had mobilized. Normally, a supply convoy of this size would've had at least a skeleton crew left behind. But deep within the territory of a Boss-level Sand Badger, it seemed no one expected anyone foolish—or opportunistic—enough to come snooping.
Extending his senses, Ethan homed in on five open cargo wagons among the sea of enclosed carriages. Each one bore large wooden crates. Inside, stacked neatly, were leather pouches just like the one he'd snatched from that priest earlier. Spatial storage items. This was a jackpot.
With zero resistance, Ethan strolled over like he owned the place.
"Hello? Anybody home?" he shouted, but no answer came—only distant echoes of battle cries and beastly roars.
"No? Alright then... I guess I'll just help myself!"
One by one, the crates vanished into his Mindscape, absorbed effortlessly. Now, though, his Mindscape was officially out of room. The small island within was absolutely crammed with clutter. Aside from the designated food area, the rest looked like a chaotic hoarder's den.
The giant ballistas and catapults he'd snagged earlier took up the most room, hogging nearly three-fifths of the island. He briefly considered ditching them but ultimately decided to keep them—for now, at least. If space ran out on the ground, well, stacking higher was always an option, right?
He wandered around again, finding it quite boring. He'd expected a major confrontation, but instead, the goods were just sitting there for him to take. Shaking his head, he turned and walked back the way he came. As for the monsters, he'd leave them for the others to deal with.
---
Up ahead, the battle raged.
Ahead, over a hundred people were besieging the seventy-to-eighty-meter giant beast. People were constantly falling, dying gruesome deaths. Among them was a half-aged old man in luxurious clothing, one of the five strongest individuals present. If not for these five, the entire group would likely have been wiped out long ago. Ethan surmised the luxuriously dressed old man was the convoy manager Nora had mentioned. The old pervert…
Ethan's curiosity flared again. He approached the gaudiest carriage, eyes gleaming. Once inside, he let out a low sigh.
The entire interior was decked out in lavish animal furs. The bed alone looked sinfully soft, likely worth a small fortune. The old man definitely lived in style.
Tempted to collect the bed, Ethan paused as his senses picked up something else—a hidden compartment built into the headboard. He reached inside and found an assortment of bottles—three blue, three pink.
"Huh... these look familiar," Ethan muttered. He pulled out the leather pouch he'd lifted from the priest and rummaged through it. Sure enough, two matching bottles surfaced—one blue, one pink.
---
[Ding... System Notification: Obtained item [Serpent's Embrace] (half bottle).]
[Ding... System Notification: Obtained item [Phoenix's Desire] (half bottle).]
---
Ethan stared, baffled. What the hell are these...? The names alone sounded dangerous. He inspected the full bottles from the compartment. Sure enough—same materials, same contents.
First, he read the description on the blue bottle:
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[Serpent's Embrace]
Attribute: Stimulates male potential. Extremely potent effect.
Hazard: Long-term use leads to permanent degradation of male function.
Taboo: Do not use without a female companion.
Description: A single sniff, and the serpent embraces the night without falling.
---
"Holy... crap." Ethan's jaw dropped. So wide, in fact, he didn't need kneaded buns anymore—he could just inhale them whole. "Three full bottles of this? That old man really is a pervert."
He turned to the pink ones, pretty certain what they were for. Still, curiosity demanded he read the description.
---
[Phoenix's Desire]
Attribute: Awakens a woman's deepest, hidden desires.
Hazard: Unspeakable effects if consumed by males.
Taboo: Do not use without a male companion.
Description: A sniff before, and the virtuous becomes a woman of desire.
---
Ethan had anticipated the effect of the pink bottle. However, he didn't understand the "hazard." Males could use it too? What were these "unspeakable effects"?
BOOM—!
The carriage rocked violently beneath his feet. A massive explosion echoed across the battlefield, followed by screams and shouts. Ethan snapped his head toward the battlefront.
The Boss-level Pincer-tailed Sand Badger had taken a direct hit. Its tail and forelimbs were obliterated—it was done for. Among the defenders, one of the five elites had vanished. Another had lost an arm.
"Finish it!" the richly-dressed old man howled, face twisted in grief.
Ethan realized what had happened. One of their elites had sacrificed himself to cripple the beast. A suicide attack. Clearly, this wasn't just a supply mission—these people were the old man's trusted circle. Losing one was like losing family.
In moments, the remaining four brought down the dying beast. They fanned out quickly to mop up the remaining Alpha-level monsters.
Ethan watched from a distance, still gripping the scandalous bottles. Just how strong are these people? Sovereign Rank? Maybe even higher?
This group was from Clearspring City, not under Beastfall City's jurisdiction. No wonder they were allowed to operate freely. Seeing how easily they handled two Alpha-level Sand Badgers, Ethan knew it was time to leave.
But as he turned to go, he glanced back at the bottles in his hand.
His lips curled into a wicked grin.
Before I go... I think I'll leave that old pervert a little gift.