Since the desert is not covered with vegetation and cannot retain heat at all, the temperature begins to drop rapidly after nightfall.

After a few hours, it went from more than 40 degrees Celsius during the day to below freezing.

Before the water that had been sprinkled in the sand dried up, it was frozen into pieces of ice.

Fortunately!

The caravan had enough camels to form a circle to withstand the biting winds.

And leaning on the thick fur of the camel can also play a role in keeping warm to a certain extent, reducing the loss of body heat.

Covered with a few layers of cheap burlap or patched felt, the slaves, exhausted from a long day's work, quickly fell asleep.

The mercenaries who were responsible for protecting the caravans were very experienced in dividing their men into groups to patrol and keep vigil in turn, ensuring that they could react immediately after any attack.

Of course, none of this has anything to do with Zuo Si.

He was lying on the wooden bed set up in the tent, enjoying the warmth of the charcoal stove he had used to make a fire and cook while intently flipping through the spell book in his hand.

Although it was getting late, there was still no sleepiness.

Instead, Alena, the orc Ritter, and the little werewolves, after eating and drinking, quickly got into their sleeping bags and snored slightly.

"Master, aren't you going to rest yet?" The soldier asked, a little strangely.

He remembered that Zuo Si rarely slept late except for something.

As an arcane spellcaster, you must get at least eight hours of sleep a day before you can recover your spell slot the next day.

Zuo Si replied with a smile, "I'm waiting for the guests who have been following the caravan since they entered the desert. If nothing else, they should be on the offensive soon. ”

"Guest?! You're saying there are sand pirates nearby? The soldier's expression immediately became serious.

"That's right! While I don't know exactly what method they used, maybe it was some kind of prophecy magic or maybe it was a spy who had planted it, but they did locate and track us from several kilometers away. I'm curious now as to who is under the command and control of this group of desert cavalry. ”

With that, Zuo Si directly summoned the Shadow Assassin - Yelinia.

As soon as the latter came out of the shadows, he immediately knelt down on one knee and reported: "Master, after my investigation, it can be confirmed that there are about seventy of them, all of whom are wearing simple but strong leather armor and black robes.

The weapons were mainly scimitars, spears, and crossbows.

It appears to be a well-trained warrior, closer to the elite soldiers of the army than to the usual disorganized bandits.

Also, I found a guy who looked like a mage or a warlock.

He was holding a gadget that glowed green.

When approaching the direction of the caravan, the light emitted by this thing will become brighter, and if it is far away, it will become dimmer. ”

"Tracking magic? Is it [Item Positioning] or [Ally Tracking]......"

Zuo Si touched his chin and muttered to himself the two second-ring "prophecy system" spells that he had mastered. …

Name implies.

The former is used by allowing the caster to sense the general direction of an item.

As long as the other party has a rough idea of the general list of items carried by the caravan, or the names of some more expensive secondary magic items, they can immediately track the caravan 24 hours a day.

As for the latter, it's even more powerful.

Once a spy is successfully planted, it will not only perceive the general location, but also know exactly where the caravan is heading and how far apart it is.

Thinking of this, Zuo Si subconsciously glanced at the half-orc Ritter who was sleeping on the tent floor.

There is no doubt that if it is [Ally Tracking], this slave warrior who was sent by the Lang Nail Chamber of Commerce as a gift must be the most suspicious.

After all, [Detecting Thoughts] only "listens" to superficial thoughts, and cannot read the secrets hidden in the depths of the heart.

If Ritter had received special training, or had been subjected to a mind control spell such as [Suggestion], it was entirely possible for him to evade the previous thought detection.

"Do you want to strike first?" The soldier asked cautiously in a lowered voice.

Zuo Si shook his head meaningfully: "No hurry. It's not just these desert bandits that we're really up to, but also the masters behind them. This will likely be a long-term game, not a minor nuisance that can be resolved in a battle or two. ”

"Then do you want to inform the mercenaries who patrol and keep vigil outside?" The soldier continued.

"There's no need. If these sand thieves dare to attack tonight, then I guarantee that they will all die and become part of the Shadow Army before they get close to the caravan. You're right, Elinia. ”

Zuo Si looked up at the Shadow Assassin's hateful eyes.

"Of course! Master! I'll kill them all, and I won't leave any of them behind. ”

Yelinia replied in the affirmative in an icy tone.

"Very good! Looks like I should be able to get a good night's sleep tonight. Remember, don't forget to wake me up before you do. ”

After saying this, Zuo Si closed the spell book and closed his eyes and began to rest.

……

At the same time, behind the huge sand dunes a few kilometers away from the caravan camp, a gang of more than seventy sand thieves was debating whether to do it immediately.

"There were only a dozen mercenaries, and the rest were slaves and civilians who didn't even have weapons. I promise that a single charge will take out all those who resist. When the time comes, whether it is goods, camels, or slaves, it will all become our things. A man with a full beard shouted.

"Idiot! According to the information sent from the port of Carlin, the caravan has a strong mage. Have you ever thought about how many casualties a fireball explodes in our midst? The other questioned unceremoniously.

"Damn! So what do you say? Is that what you are waiting for? The bearded man asked angrily.

Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, the leader immediately waved his hand impatiently: "Shut up!" The caster should be dealt with by the caster. Kemorrah, are you sure you can handle the mages accompanying the caravan? ”…

"Of course! That's what I'm here for.

And I think it's best to wait until around 2 to 3 o'clock in the middle of the night before acting.

This will not only minimize the vigilance of the night watch, but also interrupt the rest of the enemy mage. ”

A man with large burn marks on his face gave advice in a slightly somber voice.

"Good! Then I decided to do it.

Now everybody is resting where they are, and in five hours we're going to attack.

As long as we do this vote, we can live happily for a while.

Maybe you can use this income to continue recruiting troops and horses, go to the northern Tessel Kingdom to grab a piece of territory, and become a noble lord. ”

The leader's tone was full of imagination and anticipation for a better future.

He didn't even realize that as he said this, there was a man beside him who was shrouded in a cloak and hood, and a naked and undisguised mockery flashed in his eyes.

Obviously, in the eyes of the "big guys" in Port Carlin, the so-called desert bandits are actually a knife used to clear the enemy.

If this "knife" has an idea of its own, or intends to get rid of the master's control, then death is not far away.

In the millennia of Port Carlin's history, no desert bandit gang has survived to a natural death.

Generally speaking, after a few years of hard work at most, these guys will have a big change from start to finish.

This is done to prevent them from getting too much of a secret, and eventually getting out of control and becoming a huge threat and hidden danger.

What's more, these guys in front of them are just the "materials" necessary to "open the door".

As the person in charge of the entire project sent by the "Master of Symbols" to supervise the entire project, the corners of this man's mouth rose slightly when he couldn't see his appearance clearly, and a cold and cruel smile appeared. . .