The Hero Turned Into A Potato And The World Fell To Ruin

Chapter 50: Care for Lonely Seniors

This was a completely new sensation that Liu Ji was experiencing. A feeling of being connected to the earth.

Standing within the desert, he felt as if the whole expanse of land was an extension of his feet. Every step he took felt like a gentle stroll within his consciousness.

"Wh-what's this?" Liu Ji looked at his hands, which had become smooth and translucent like white jade. He clenched his fist lightly and felt as though he possessed boundless strength.

Well… Of course, this boundless strength was only relative to his previous body. In this world of powerful beings, he had no idea how his new strength measured up.

"Mm, not bad, it's almost perfect," Myza said, shaking his hand as the bite mark on his wrist closed up instantly.

He walked over, squeezing Liu Ji's shoulder, then arm, and nodded. "Just as I thought, the thousand-odd years you spent growing as a plant has accumulated and reflects in any form you take. The strength of your current body is much greater than my own."

"Mr. Myza, what is…" Liu Ji gulped. "I'm having a very complicated sensation, like…"

"No, there's no need to force yourself to understand. It's indeed a complex sensation. I felt the same way when I completed this spell," Myza said with a smile. "I'll get straight to the point. You, at least when in this form, are like me, your life is connected to this entire desert."

"Does that mean I can't leave here either?" Liu Ji asked, startled by the revelation.

"No, of course, you can leave," Myza said. "I was the one that performed the spell originally. The anchors for the desert and the blood moon are tied to me. If I leave, the entire desert and the blood moon above will move with me. But you're different. In your current state, let's say… you're like my… uh, son?"

"Wait a minute." Liu Ji's mouth twitched. "Are you trying to take advantage of me?"

"Um, it's a bit difficult to explain. In essence, you aren't directly connected to the desert. It's more like you're linked to it through me… Anyway, forget it. Let's keep things simple," Myza explained.

"Now, you can truly leave here with confidence. This current body of yours has no vital points. Regardless of any injury you sustain, as long as you transform into this form in time, you won't die unless…"

"Unless?" Liu Ji swallowed nervously.

"Unless you encounter the Tyrant himself." Myza shrugged. "He could burn your entire body to ashes… Even so, I don't think you would die. I'd be curious to see what happens if you were turned to ash outside the desert though…"

"No, let's not find that out," Liu Ji muttered, his lips twitching. "What if I actually die? That's not impossible, right?"

"Yeah, that's true. If you do encounter him, just run as fast as you can," said Myza, spreading his hands in resignation. "This body is also great for escaping, like this…"

As he said so, Myza's body dissolved into dust and vanished.

The next second, Liu Ji felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find Myza standing behind him.

"Whoa, damn," Liu Ji exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

"Wanna learn?" Myza grinned. "Very well, I'll teach you while they are still rebuilding the city."

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A nearly three-meter-tall, lame earthwalker lay sprawled on the ground, clutching his good knee. His eyes were rolled back, and he was clearly unconscious.

"That's all? Ghost Hand Three? What a joke," Nox, hands on his hips, grumbled in exasperation as he stared at the fallen brute.

"B-Benefactor! You are incredible!" Chick bounced over excitedly, grabbing Nox's shoulders and shaking him. "The way you jumped up and punched his knee was so cool! Just like the combat instructors in the army!"

"Hey, stop shaking me." Nox pushed Chick's hands away, giving him a peculiar stare. "And the way you say that sounds so weird."

"Ahahaha, really?" Chick scratched his head sheepishly.

"Anyway, this is your local gang boss?" Nox walked over and kicked the earthwalker on the ground twice. "This guy is pathetic! And he's a cripple. How did he become the local boss?"

"Oh, that…" Chick glanced at his former "boss" lying on the ground and sighed. "It's because all the strong ones joined the army. The city is mostly left with children and old folk. This guy, being crafty, hid in the mine and avoided joining the army. Later on, no one in the area could beat him, so he became the boss."

As he went on, Chick spat on the fallen boss while exclaiming angrily, "Then this scumbag started kidnapping us children whose parents went to join the army, forcing us to work in his mine.

"I was taken when I was six and never had a day having a full meal since then. I barely escaped to enlist in the army but almost got caught by him again. Luckily, I met you guys…"

"Isn't there anyone to stop him?" Nox asked, frowning. "Doesn't this city have a city guard or something?"

"No, everyone is fighting on the front lines. Where would we find manpower for a city guard?" Chick spread his hands in resignation. "The old priest from the church said that everyone must combine all their strength to win this war. I've signed up too. In a few days, I'll be heading to the front lines with the supply convoy!"

Seeing Chick's excited expression, Nox brows furrowed further. He couldn't help but feel something was off.

War wasn't just about dragging everyone to the battlefield and expecting victory. As the saying goes, "Logistics come before military maneuvers." If logistics couldn't keep up, an army would eventually starve.

This city, the backbone of the army's resources, didn't even have a guard. That just didn't make sense.

Nox turned to his companions and saw the same doubt in their eyes. Surely there was something wrong with this city's situation…

"By the way," Nox turned to Chick and asked, "did the church tell you who you're fighting against?"

"Of course, it's something everyone knows," Chick replied without hesitation, and his following words made the trio shiver. "Underneath this swamp is an army from another world."

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A day later, in the underground space beneath the desert city.

Whoosh!

Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh!

Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh!

In the underground space, two figures flashed rapidly in the confined space.

One moment, Myza appeared behind Liu Ji.

In the next instant, Liu Ji was behind Myza.

In just a few seconds, the two of them had flashed around more than ten times.

Then suddenly, both figures appeared simultaneously in the center and looked at the ground behind them.

Behind each of them were a small pile of stones.

"Hmm… seven, eight, nine… Ah, only thirteen." Liu Ji sighed. "I still can't win."

"Heh, unfortunately, the remaining seventeen are on my side," Myza said, hands on his hips and smiling. "But it's still impressive. Your best score so far is fourteen. You're almost on par with me already."

"That's because you're going easy on me," Liu Ji said with a wry smile. "I'm exhausted, and you look like you're just playing with a kid."

"Haha! Well, well, I've maintained this form for thousands of years, so I can't exactly be a bully, right?" Myza chuckled. "But seriously, your technique is quite good. I think you could escape even if you encountered the Tyrant. That guy is incredibly strong, but he's not very skilled in technical aspects like spells and tracking."

"Hopefully." Liu Ji exhaled deeply. "So, I can go out for a stroll with peace of mind?"

"Yes." Myza nodded. "And I hope that after you've wandered enough, you can still come back to visit this lonely old man."

"Haha, I definitely will." Liu Ji laughed.

As they were talking, Yaine, with her staff in hand, came down the stairs and called out, "Mr. Myza? The city's reconstruction is almost complete. Would you like to come up and take a look?"