Chapter 531

Chapter 531: The Barrens

In the middle of the night, the mountain ridges surrounded by thorns turned completely dark. Mosa transformed into a lioness, leading a few people to avoid the Quilboar patrol route and continued north.

Even in the form of this big cat, Mosa still had a pair of subtle horn still on her head, covered with dark brown mane all over her body, making her look a bit strange despite having a lion face.

Occasionally passing by an intersection, they could see the Quilboars’ brightly lit camp deep in the mountains. The night watch Quilboar guards were tall and strong, much stronger than the Quilboar patrollers they encountered on the path.

Following a narrow path covered with tiny thorns out of the mountain, they entered a valley with gentle slopes. The valley was filled with waist-high wild grass, and under the moonlight, the solitary large unknown trees on the mountain ridges stretched sparse crowns.

After reverting back to the Tauren form, Mosa seemed much more relaxed. Upon arriving here, she began chatting casually with Vereesa, occasionally even laughing. Vereesa seemed happy too.

At this moment, the elf was bending down to tidy her boots when Jesse curiously asked, "What were you two chatting about just now?"

"She doesn’t think you look like a demon," Vereesa said with a smile.

"Why would she say that? Of course, I don’t look like a demon," Jesse replied, "I don’t have hooves, horns, or wings."

"I think she meant that you don’t seem like a bad person," Vereesa stood up and looked back at the succubus keeping an eye on the situation behind the group. She said, "Plus, she mentioned it’s strange for a demon to help fight against the Quilboar. It seems like the education she received before doesn’t apply here."

Jesse said, "I hope she doesn’t generalize other demons or demon summoners based on my situation. But, do young Tauren also understand demons in this way now?"

"Understood," Vereesa said, "She mentioned that some demons who survived the War of the Ancients are lurking in Desolace and are waiting for the right moment to summon more demons. There are also ancient descendants of Quel’dorai in Eldre’Thalas who have also summoned demons. Some of them escaped and have been causing chaos. Many Tauren believe that the corruption of the Centaur might be related to demons. In some Tauren legends, Centaurs from ancient times were allies in fighting demons."

"Do you think the demons they mentioned are related to the Highborne we are looking for?" Jesse asked.

Vereesa pondered for a moment and asked, "Should we tell her about our goal?"

"Of course," Jesse said. "She’s unlikely to be an ally of demons. She might even be willing to help us."

Vereesa nodded and caught up with Mosa’s footsteps ahead.

As the sky slowly brightened, everyone made their way up a gentle slope and arrived at a cliff. Mosa stood at the top, took a deep breath, inflated his chest, and slowly exhaled.

Jesse also walked up and gazed into the distance. Before them lay an endless sparse grassland, shimmering with golden light in the morning sun, the wind causing waves to form in the grass.

Compared to The Barrens in our imagination, this place lacks Orc watchtowers, Tauren villages, tents, or totems that Taurens place on the roadside to show directions.

It was simply a wild world, with broken dry trees, rugged soil slopes, and desolate hills at the end of the sight… It reminded Jesse of the African savanna in documentaries.

"We’ve run out of the meat we got from the salt flats before," Greed said. "Does anyone have a little left? I am quite hungry, Jesse. Do you still have some snacks brought from Gadgetzan?"

Jesse said, "We’d better find something to eat around here. The food brought from Gadgetzan is for emergencies."

After chatting with Mosa, Vereesa said, "Mosa mentioned that our scent is hard to hide, and local animals might keep their distance. We need to walk further north to find food."

Greed glanced around on tiptoes, even though the grass here was almost taller than him.

"Are there no other creatures in Kalimdor? Like the ones that are not afraid of us at all, and might even challenge us for a fight?"

Looking at Greed, Mosa said something and Vereesa explained, "If you’re willing, she can take us to look for Kodo… Kodo, Jesse, isn’t that the giant beast we encountered in the desert before?"

Jesse nodded and said, "That’s right. I know Kodo are widely spread in the southern part of Kalimdor."

"So it’s that kind of monster?!" Greed asked in surprise, "Where can we find it?"

Mosa continued to speak, Vereesa said, "When the Tauren tribe was still powerful, they used to hunt down a single adult Kodo as a hunter to prove their worth. But this tradition has been abandoned for many years now. Nowadays, Tauren only hunt Kodos to survive and rarely venture deep into the prairie to prove anything."

"Mosa," Greed asked directly, "Have you ever killed a Kodo?"

He asked while making a stabbing motion, Mosa seemed to understand what he meant, especially with the mention of "Kodo."

The Tauren shook his head and said in a common language, "Alone, none."

"Ah, she can speak the common language now, it’s a good start!" Greed laughed and said, "But I still hope she learns Dwarven language first."

"You might as well teach Jesse Dwarven language first," Vereesa mumbled beside them.

Greed nodded and said, "He learned Orc language, demon language, but can’t even swear in dwarf! This guy really has some issues."

"He even learned a few words in Draconic," Vereesa looked at the dwarf and said, "But he doesn’t understand Elvish at all."

"Who said that," Jesse pondered for a moment, and said, "Anu, Belore, Delrana."

Vereesa was surprised at first, then immediately broke into a big smile.

"Well, well, at least I understood." Vereesa said with a smile, "Who taught you this? Although it’s a bit strange for a human to wish for the sun to guide the way, you can say – Anu, Alar, Delrana, meaning ‘may the Holy Light guide us,’ which might be more suitable for you."

"Haha, he doesn’t believe in the Holy Light!" Greed laughed.

Watching Vereesa’s happy expression, that sense of time and space distortion surfaced in Jesse’s mind once again.

Who would have thought that a voice-over line learned in a game from a past life would make people in this world understand?

Lost in thought for a while, the dwarf, elf, and Tauren ahead were already walking and discussing their hunt for the Kodo in the depths of the plains.

"You seem a bit down," Molofeel said softly.

"I’m fine," Jesse said, "Let’s catch up, and if we really encounter a Kodo, remember to steal its essence, Molofeel."

Molofeel touched Jesse’s bag and asked, "Master, are you really planning to infuse this little thing with a Soul Shard?"

"Ah!" Saenor popped out and whispered, "You dare to disobey the master’s orders?"

Molofeel glanced at it disdainfully and said, "I am the only one here who can absorb souls, show me some respect."

Imp’s expression changed immediately and said, "Ah… right, my lady, I rely on you to become stronger…"