The Emperor’s Angel of Death

The entire equator and the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn of the Ata world are covered by endless seas of sand. This area is the hottest, coldest, and most deadly region in the world, known as the Sea of Death. It is this Sea of Death that isolates the various city-states and tribes. Nevertheless, the people living in this world have stubbornly explored paths to cross the sandy sea. Occasionally, there are huge underground caves formed by weathered rocks in the Sea of Sand, which are excellent places to escape sandstorms, scorching sun, and bitter cold. This makes it crucial for trade caravans to time their journeys precisely. They usually set off at sunrise when the bitter cold has just receded, travel for half a day to reach the next shelter, and then wait for the most intense heat—enough to evaporate all the moisture from a person's body—to dissipate before emerging from the shelter. They travel during the periods when the heat from the earth gradually dissipates and the bone-chilling cold has not yet arrived—that is, in the early morning and evening.

Before that, however, they need to eat something quickly, as they will need to expend a lot of energy traveling. The Saharan beasts are used to carry goods and water, and their stamina needs to be maintained as well, so the people have to walk.

Licas went to the makeshift kitchen, where a bald man was stirring a large pot with a bone stick. Inside was boiling water. Next to it was a small pot of boiling Saharan beast milk. On the ground was a small pile of light brown oval fruits. A boy about the same age as Licas was using dirty hands to peel off the brittle shells of the fruits, taking out the thumb-sized, pinkish-white granular seeds inside, filling a bowl, and pouring it into the boiling milk pot.

Licas walked to the side, squatted down, and picked up a seed, stuffing it into his mouth.

As he chewed, a sour taste filled his mouth, followed by a slight sweetness, which gradually turned into a special sweet taste as the starch was broken down by saliva, although it also made his throat drier.

"Little chanter, you're stealing again."

Seeing him like this, the boy who was diligently peeling seeds complained.

"I'm still hungry."

"I, I'm here to get breakfast for the mentor."

"It'll be another two minutes."

The bald man interrupted him gruffly and kicked a few breadfruit fruits over.

"Help out too."

Licas had no choice but to peel the fruits with him.

This is the most common "staple food" for the people of the Ata world today. It was also brought by the Solar Cult. Before that, they had almost no agriculture and relied only on moss, fungi, and insects collected from the underground world for food, resulting in a sparse population and pitifully short lifespans. But things changed after the breadfruit arrived.

This plant, thicker than several adults combined, can not only withstand the high temperatures of the ground but also requires little water. In fact, they themselves can be used as water storage devices. Moreover, its fruit yield is extremely high and can provide people with more energy. More importantly, it is also one of the very few "sweets" that the inhabitants of this world can eat. Soon, the population of this world increased to a certain level, and the standard for determining the wealth level of a tribe and city-state became how many breadfruit trees they possessed.

Breadfruit trees are good in every way, but they grow very slowly. It takes nearly ten years for them to bear fruit for the first time after being planted, and the planting density is relatively low. The first five years of growth are also very fragile, and maintaining growth still requires consuming some precious water resources. Even Salt Pan City, where Licas was born, can only afford to raise less than 300 breadfruit trees, and this is the lifeline for the city's thousands of residents.

Of course, with basic food and population, handicrafts and other industries have also developed, naturally leading to trade.

Their caravan was going to carry the city-state's specialty, salt slabs, to exchange for fabrics. That city-state has mastered the technology of domesticating a silkworm-like insect, which is almost the only source of fabric in this world, or rather, the only source Licas knows.

Soon, the milk pot boiled. The chef took out a small handful of wriggling white insects from a small bag, rubbed them, and threw them into the pot.

In this barren world, any source of protein is precious. Saharan beasts are even more precious property. Unless they die naturally, the city-state elders do not allow anyone to kill these beasts of burden. The only ways for residents to supplement protein are to buy expensive Saharan milk and its dairy products or to rely on insects caught in underground caves.

Although Licas's stomach was growling with hunger, he quickly walked to his mentor's tent with the steaming pot.

"Teacher, breakfast is here."

The white-bearded chanter was sitting on the mat, still chanting scriptures with his eyes closed. His double-headed eagle staff was placed beside him.

Seeing no response, the hunched-over Licas could only place the small pot on the ground.

"Teacher, we'll be leaving soon."

Finally, the chanter opened his eyes.

"Licas, how many times have I told you not to interrupt me during chanting?"

"I was worried about interrupting your meal."

The chanter seemed a little impatient, but he nodded after all, picked up the spoon, and began to eat slowly. By this time, the noise of people eating could be heard outside. Although Licas's stomach was growling with hunger, he didn't dare to eat until his teacher had finished, so he could only kneel on the ground with his head down.

At this moment, the chanter suddenly spoke.

"You go eat too, or you won't have the strength to walk when the yellow sand turns white."

Licas nodded, got up, and headed straight for the kitchen.

"I saved some for you."

The chef seemed to know he was coming and handed him a ceramic bowl filled with a pale white, thick liquid, which could also be called porridge. It was what breadfruit looks like after being boiled, and it had some black spots floating in it, which were underground moss, one of the very few things that could supplement vitamins.

Licas took a sip, and it was as sour as ever. Then he took out a thumb-sized chrysalis from his pocket, skewered it on his black iron dagger, and roasted it over the fire a few times.

This dagger was his only "property" and the only thing his father had left him. The Ata world is not lacking in metal. In fact, scavenging tribes often bring back some oddly shaped metal fragments, but those metals are usually very hard and very difficult to process. Only a small portion can be melted and recast into production tools and weapons, and the rest can only be used as building materials or decorations.

He put the slightly charred insect in his mouth, bit down, and it burst directly. He had found it last night while sleeping in the shelter.

Good stuff, very nourishing, it can be exchanged for a whole breadfruit at the city-state market.

The meal didn't last long. Time is precious. When the yellow sand turns white, it is impossible to walk. If they haven't reached the shelter by then, many people will die on the road. This is the most important lesson this world teaches its people—

Try not to stay in the sun for long, or rather, under the gaze of the Solar Emperor.