It was a land full of sand, where the sun blazed mercilessly from above.0

"If I hadn't come prepared, I'd be dead by now," Caron muttered. That was his first thought on the desert of the Pajar Sultanate.0

It was, without a doubt, a hellish place.0

The desert stretched endlessly, disorienting enough to strip anyone of their sense of direction. Mirages danced on the horizon, while the harsh glare of the sun burned so fiercely it seemed to stab straight into his eyes.0

It was a brutal, unforgiving landscape.0

Caron swallowed and took a sip of water from a hydration device he had brought from the Magic Tower. After wiping his lips with his sleeve, he muttered, "No wonder these sand-dwellers have such rotten tempers."0

The very fact that people lived here seemed absurd. Visiting the Pajar Sultanate firsthand made him realize just how inhospitable it was. He had been here in his previous life a few times, but it had never felt quite this unbearable. Perhaps it was his imagination, but it felt hotter than ever.0

Just as Caron was quenching his thirst, a feeble whimper came from in front of him.0

"Woof... Woof..." 0

It was Bakal, now downgraded to the role of a desert guide dog.0

"What? You want water too?" Caron asked.0

"Woof..." Bakal barked weakly.0

Unlike Caron, who remained relatively fresh and composed, Bakal was in terrible shape. His lips were cracked and parched, and his eyes had lost focus. He looked as if he could drop...0