"What a joke… aaaaargh…"
The big fellow managed a savage grin first, then suddenly let out a wretched scream.
The watching wizards cried out in alarm, as though they had witnessed something utterly inconceivable.
Before their eyes, the big fellow's belly began to swell at a sluggish pace, forming a pronounced bulge.
Recalling Leilin's earlier words, Lancer — who had been thinking of touching the Brownstone Bard just moments before — was now filled with dread and relief in equal measure.
Watching the big fellow sprint back to his tent, wailing like a banshee all the while and frantically pouring potions down his throat, the faces of everyone present broke into faint smiles…
After a night's rest, the group — having been treated to quite the spectacle — set off once more.
The big fellow had fully recovered as well, though his complexion was rather poor.
For wizards, whether it was inducing an abortion or performing a C-section outright, it was nothing more than a minor procedure — a single person could handle it on their own.
The Brownstone Bard's particular effect might be absolutely terrifying for ordinary folk, but for wizards, it leaned more toward being a nuisance than anything else.
"The terrain of the Magalie Grand Canyon has made this place a haven for many peculiar creatures. Many species said to be on the verge of extinction in the legends can still be found lurking here…"
Riding atop his Liban Dire Wolf, Leilin gazed at the surroundings as they once again shifted into a forest of greyish-white stone pillars, his thoughts turning inward.
If it weren't for the fact that the Magalie Grand Canyon's terrain was so complex and ever-changing, and that for most of the year it was beset by terrifying sandstorms, this place would have long since become a resource hub for wizards.
As the hours gradually slipped by, the grey stone forest around Leilin's party grew shorter and shorter. Eventually, the landscape stretched out in every direction — nothing but a vast expanse of fine, scattered pebbles, like a true desert.
"The Grey Stone Wasteland! We've entered the standard route now. For the next dozen days or so, we can breathe a little easier. But after that comes the terrifying Golden Desert — the nesting ground of the Gelie Vultures! Keep your Spiritual Power sharp and ready yourselves for the battle ahead…"
The old leader rode a Liban Dire Wolf with several strands of white whiskers growing on its face, his voice ringing out ceaselessly.
"The Grey Stone Wasteland? Chip, pull up the map!" Leilin tilted his head slightly, and only he could see the projection materialise before him.
On a simplified map, several of the Magalie Grand Canyon's danger zones were roughly marked out. In the centre ran a winding green route stretching from one end of the map directly to the other.
And the Gelie Vulture nesting ground, labelled in bold red characters, sat squarely along the path of that central green line.
On both sides of the route lay extremely hazardous zones, marked in scarlet with notations of "impassable."
This meant there was no way around.
If Leilin and his party wished to cross the Magalie Grand Canyon safely, their only option was to drive away the Gelie Vultures blocking their path.
"The Grey Stone Wasteland!"
Leilin located the region representing the Grey Stone Wasteland on the blue map — it was a vast grey area.
Beside the region name, small text read: "Grey Stone Wasteland! Confirmed danger level: extremely low. No known phenomena of high-energy creature aggregation…"
Clearly, this route had been meticulously mapped out by the Wizards on both sides of the Margrave Grand Canyon through countless manpower and resources — it was the optimal path with the lowest risk along the entire journey.
Sure enough, the moment they entered the Grey Stone Wasteland, Leilin felt the Discal Wolves beneath them subtly loosen their muscles. The fur along their bodies relaxed and spread out, as though they had entered a comparatively restful state.
"The energy concentration here is extremely low — it seems like there are some kind of gaps in the air itself, allowing energy to dissipate straight through!"
Leilin snapped his fingers, and only a tiny flame flickered to life on his hand, wavering in the breeze as if it might go out at any moment.
If he were anywhere else, that flame would have burned several times as fiercely, with a power rating of at least one degree or more.
"Chip, detect the flame's power output!"
"Target data scan in progress… The flame's power has been measured at 0.4238 degrees!" The Chip's response came back almost instantly.
"As expected — with the energy concentration in the air reduced, even casting Wizardry takes more effort than usual…"
Wizards and various extraordinary creatures alike relied on the energy particles suspended in the atmosphere to perform their spectacular and wondrous spells. Once the energy concentration in the air dropped, the power of every technique would decrease noticeably.
Furthermore, any creature that lived in this kind of environment long-term would inevitably suffer some degree of degeneration.
For those sentient magical beings, such conditions were naturally something they despised.
"This kind of Grey Stone Wasteland bears a strong resemblance to the Erta Dissipation Phenomenon described in the Book of the Great Serpent — the aftermath of a battle between high-ranking Wizards!"
Leilin was now beginning to believe the claim that the Margrave Grand Canyon had been formed by the legendary clash of two powerful Wizards.
However, the Erta Dissipation Phenomenon across the Grey Stone Wasteland was actually a blessing in disguise for travelers like them.
At the very least, they didn't have to worry about various strange species attacking along the route — they could afford to rest briefly and conserve their strength.