Chapter 520

Chapter 520: Wilderness and Beasts

Early the next morning before dawn, the three of them arrived outside Steamwheedle Port. Some caravans were already getting ready to depart. Greed, refreshed after drinking water restored by Jesse’s magic and a good night’s sleep, was excited to start their new adventure on the continent.

However, Vereesa had not slept all night. When Jesse woke up in the middle of the night, he saw her staring intensely at the wall, unmoving. Her usually gentle Arcanemagic eyes looked fierce in the darkness.

But luckily, staying awake all night was not a big issue for her.

Suddenly, Greed made a surprised sound, and Jesse turned around to see things the size of small hills standing up in front, causing the ground to tremble lightly.

Greed took several steps back, while Vereesa stood still like Jesse, watching as two huge monsters lifted themselves up from in front of them, slowly opened their mouths for a long, slow breath, and let out a deep, thunderous sound from their throats.

These creatures had dark, fur-covered skin with cracks and lumps like stones. They were bound with ropes of various sizes, carrying countless packages and boxes, but standing up seemed effortless for them.

With their thick, elephant-like hooves and split horns rising high on their noses, they looked somewhat like rhinoceroses, but they also dragged a long dinosaur tail behind them.

"What is this?" Greed asked, leaning in next to Jesse.

"Kodo," Jesse replied.

"Do they eat people?" Vereesa inquired.

"Impossible," Jesse said. "Goblins wouldn’t tame creatures that eat people as beasts of burden, right? I thought only Tauren would domesticate these wild beasts."

The dwarf felt relieved, looked at Jesse, then at the two bulky creatures and said, "Clearly, even things in the library have limitations."

The goblins cheered as the strong Kodos moved forward. Jesse, Greed, and Vereesa followed, hoping to join a transport convoy for protection.

Before they set off, Jesse noticed some goblins habitually collecting small water bottles on the ground. Jesse picked up a broken bottle with Goblin Language characters on it. One of them Jesse recognized as meaning Gadgetzan, but the other two were unknown.

"Do you know what this is?" Jesse asked the nearby elf and dwarf.

"Ah, I know. This is the Gadgetzan Water Company," Greed wiped the sand off the bottle and said, "I heard about it last night. The goblins in Gadgetzan and Steamwheedle Port all drink water collected by them. The company’s boss is Malin Noggenfogger, who is also associated with the Steamwheedle Cartel, making this company the controller of Gadgetzan."

"It’s normal for a water company to control cities in the desert," Jesse commented.

"Have you seen those mercenaries ahead?" Vereesa asked, "They are heavily armed; there must be something dangerous in this desert."

"Any dangerous beasts out here would be scared by those creatures," Greed remarked, looking at the swaying tails of the Kodos ahead.

Jesse said, "These Kodos, which the goblins can tame, might not be aggressive. If there is a confrontation, they might not help the goblins and mercenaries. Let’s be cautious!"

The whole goblin race isn’t all the same, not just the Rustwater Syndicate, Steamwheedle Cartel, and Venture Co. There are other factions too, like the South Seas Pirates that originated near Steamwheedle Port, a criminal group opposing the Steamwheedle Cartel, which grew stronger with immigrants to the Eastern Continent.

In the desert, there are always bandits looking to steal water resources or other treasures.

Despite worries, the road from Gadgetzan to Steamwheedle Port is well protected by the Steamwheedle Cartel. There are many stops and supply points along the way. Apart from distant hyenas in the sands, there is no other notable danger.

By evening, Jesse could see the square town in the vast desert from afar.

The legendary Gadgetzan – the capital of the Steamwheedle Cartel. The town surrounded by earthen walls is bustling. Both the west and north gates are crowded with pedestrians and caravans headed into the distance.

Smoke rises from the town, with machines whirring everywhere. Buildings of various heights stand haphazardly with purple and dim yellow lights illuminating the narrow streets in the dim red evening, making Jesse feel like entering a steampunk world from a fantasy desert.

The Kodo is led to the animal pen outside the town, while others work with goblins and workers of different races at the trade station to transport goods into town.

Standing near the entrance of Gadgetzan, Jesse uses Detect Demon and spots some demons mingling among the various races entering and exiting town. Most are imps, but there are also some succubi and other strange demons.

Vereesa adjusts her hood and softly says, "I seem to be the only Quel’dorei here. This town makes me feel uneasy."

After listening to her words, Jesse realized that there were no elves in the crowd, no matter how mixed up the people were here.

The dwarf glanced at the elf and said, "No need to worry, Vereesa. Look at this succubus next to you. Is there anything scarier in Gadgetzan than this female demon?"

Vereesa looked at the succubus, and Molofeel was staring at her too, with a hint of teasing in his eyes, as if mocking the elf’s caution.

"Well, I have to admit, you’re right," the elf sighed.

She glanced at Jesse again and he could only nod in agreement. He never expected that his dark magic would slowly turn into a source of comfort for his friends.

"Let’s go!" Greed swaggered towards the iron gate of Gadgetzan.

Jesse and Vereesa followed him. As they approached the city wall, they began to hear hoarse Goblin Language and mechanical sounds of Common Language.

"Sincere greetings from Gadgetzan and Steamwheedle Cartel! Welcome to the heart of the scorching desert! Sincere greetings from Gadgetzan and Steamwheedle Cartel! Welcome to…"