Exploring Technology in a Wizard World-Chapter 591 - 589: Speculations about the Sea of Death

Mid-Snow Moon.

A long convoy was traveling along the road, carrying wizards and Wizard Apprentices from the Jungle Hut Dark Forest Gathering Place.

As Wizard Tifeng had said earlier, many wizards actively attended the exchange conference at Deep Blue Castle. Thus, from just one Dark Forest Gathering Place alone, thirty-one Wizard Apprentices, seventeen First-level Wizards, and five Second-level Wizards, including the administrator Eva, attended. Although this couldn’t be called a full mobilization since some had to stay behind, it almost amounted to half their strength. Richard was among these individuals.

"Squeak, squeak..."

"Clip-clop, clip-clop..."

The convoy kept moving forward. Some people, to save trouble, sat inside the carriages, while others, not wanting to be confined, chose to ride horses. Since there was no unified command, the entire team was stretched out considerably.

Such a way of progressing generally posed great risks. If they encountered a Thief attacking from the middle, the entire group would be cut off and trapped in a divided and surrounded situation. However, in the convoy, where everyone possessed Extraordinary Power, there was genuinely little concern. If Thieves really attacked, the unlucky ones would be the Thieves themselves, not the convoy.

Richard rode his horse in the middle of the convoy, his expression calm. He was not very nervous, but he did not relax his vigilance completely, maintaining the necessary sharpness.

After a while, he followed the entire convoy to the edge of a gigantic lake. Richard took out a map from his pocket, glanced at it a few times, and his eyebrows involuntarily raised. He turned his head to look at Wizard Teddy, who was also riding a horse beside him, and asked, "Teddy, is this lake next to us called Taklamakan Lake?"

"Yes," Wizard Teddy looked over, and although he had many shortcomings, his role as a librarian in the Gathering Place meant his knowledge was substantial, and he quickly gave a definite answer.

After giving the answer, he habitually added, "By the way, don’t you think the name of this lake is quite a mouthful? It’s nothing like Mirror Lake or Blue Gemstone Lake which are both pleasant to hear and easy to remember."

"Do you know why?" Richard asked, but he was thinking: could this really be a coincidence?

Teddy, somewhat boastfully, replied, "Of course, I know why. Who am I? Let me tell you, this lake is named after an old indigenous language. I heard that in the indigenous language, ’Taklamakan’ means ’Sea of Death,’ signifying that it’s very dangerous."

"Sea of Death? Very dangerous?" Richard looked at the lake, "If it’s really dangerous, then why are we taking this route?"

"Uh, this—" Wizard Teddy suddenly stuttered. Despite his extensive knowledge, it didn’t imply he was omniscient. After struggling for a while, he explained, "Actually, these are just rumors, not to be taken too seriously. According to the rumors, a powerful Death God lives in this lake and is usually dormant and uninvolved with worldly affairs. However, every few centuries, it awakens, seizing the life of all beings it can see with its mighty power, whether human or animal, and even the creeping insects deep within the soil.

You see, these kinds of rumors are only good as tales. If taken seriously, they’d be utterly ridiculous. After all, we are wizards, not Priests or foolish Farmers who would believe such things about a Death God."

Richard listened and did not respond, but he revealed a contemplative expression.

"Hey, you’re not serious, are you?" Teddy exclaimed, looking at Richard with exaggeration, "You’re not going to tell me you believe in the Death God, are you? I’ve always thought you were smart. If you really thought that, I’d be disappointed."

Richard shook his head after listening and kept a thoughtful demeanor, "It’s not that I believe in the Death God; I am just pondering the rumors you spoke of."

"Hmm?"

Richard said, "Taklamakan Lake, the Sea of Death, the legend of the Death God, these things must have some basis. Every few centuries, the creatures around the lake die off—it might actually be true, and if so, there must be a hidden reason. Maybe there’s no ethereal Death God, but there could indeed be another real entity."

"Uh, okay then." Teddy shrugged, "What do you think it is?"

"I don’t know," Richard said, and as he spoke, he threw the reins to Teddy, asking him to hold his horse as he jumped to the ground and walked towards the lake.

"Clip-clop, clip-clop..."

As he strode to the lake, Richard picked up a few pebbles to examine, then scooped up a handful of water to observe briefly.

"Any findings?" Teddy asked curiously.

"None," Richard shook his head, walked back to the horses, took the reins from Teddy, mounted his horse, and responded, "All I can ascertain for now, it’s not an issue with the water quality."

"Pfff, nothing but nonsense!" a voice exclaimed from the side; it was Wizard Van Helsing. He too had attended the exchange conference and didn’t miss the opportunity to mock Richard when he saw the chance.

"If the water quality were the issue, then this lake would be a dead lake. Not only would there be no fish or shrimp in the lake, but even the plants along the shore wouldn’t grow. But in reality? There are plenty of fish and shrimp in this lake, and plants on the shore have never been scarce. Now it’s Snow Moon, and it may not be noticeable, but come Flame Month in summer, the lush vegetation might scare you to death." Van Helsing rolled his eyes, quite disdainful as he said, "So it goes, some appear fine outwardly but are only good at spewing nonsense like farts."

Teddy instantly got angry upon hearing Van Helsing’s words, turning towards him and shouting, "Van Helsing, who are you talking about? Speak clearly!"

"Hmph." Van Helsing glanced at Teddy, smirked, and said, "Well, I wasn’t talking about you, and you shouldn’t take it personally. After all, you’re a wizard already, lowering yourself like that isn’t good."

As he spoke, Van Helsing sharply whipped his horse and accelerated forward.

Teddy, still fuming, spat at Van Helsing’s retreating back. He then turned his head to look at Richard but was stunned, "Hey, aren’t you angry?"

"Angry?" Richard shook his head, asking, "Why should I be angry?"

"He was insulting you just now, saying you were talking nonsense!" Teddy was puzzled.

"But I’m not a child anymore. Should I really stoop to trading insults with him?" Richard said with a light laugh. Then, his tone changed, showing a thoughtful expression, "Actually, I should thank him because his words just gave me a new hypothesis about Taklamakan Lake."

"A new hypothesis? What is it?"

"Just what he said in his insult."

"Huh?" Teddy still didn’t understand.

"Let’s wait until I’m sure, then I’ll tell you," Richard said, not willing to explain further.

"Whatever." Teddy shrugged, apparently not very curious. He urged his horse forward, and Richard followed.

...

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