Full-Time Magister: Starting with a Celestial Body (Sign-in Event)

Chapter 164 Departure for the Sahara

Cape of Good Hope, home to Africa's highest magical association, stands like an ancient fortress overlooking the ocean, its grandeur undiminished by time.

"How could this happen? Didn't we tell them that they must not enter the Sahara under any circumstances!" an elderly man with a black curly beard roared angrily.

"They encountered a catastrophic sandstorm and, in their haste to find shelter, accidentally stumbled into the Sahara." The guard, dressed in white mage robes, lowered his head.

"Foolish! Utterly foolish! Is that sandstorm any worse than the Sahara? Now look what's happened, they're all out of contact. They're supposed to be the National Guard team, what is their captain doing, daring to make such a stupid decision? Sending them out for training is like sending them to their deaths!" the black-bearded old man cursed.

"Losing your temper now won't solve anything," the guard said.

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Our rescue team will take a few days to arrive, but according to intelligence from the International Magic Association, the Chinese National Government team happens to be passing through there. We are currently unable to contact the National Government team, so we can only ask the Chinese side to let their National Government team conduct a search and rescue operation first. When our rescue team arrives, we won't be completely without any trace," the guard hurriedly said.

"Hmph! Don't you think there are enough people who get lost in the Sahara?" the old man sneered.

"But this is the only way now," the guard said.

"What are their conditions?" the black-bearded old man asked, suppressing his anger.

"They said they would only allow their National Guard to carry out the rescue if we paid them a hefty commission."

"Hmph! And exorbitant wages, lest they get lost in the desert—Shabridge, tell them we need their help," said the black-bearded old man.

"Yes." The guard called Sabridge withdrew.

The group, who had originally left Portugal, were planning to go directly to Egypt, but they received an urgent mission just as they were heading towards Egypt along the edge of the Sahara and the southern coast of the Mediterranean, before they even entered the Mediterranean.

"What the hell? You want us to go rescue them?"

"Did our mentor really say that, telling us to go to the Sahara for rescue?!"

"Holy crap, the Sahara! That's a more dangerous forbidden zone than the Amazon, I'm not going anywhere!!"

Upon hearing that they were going to the Sahara for rescue, everyone's expression changed.

What the hell is this? This isn't a rescue mission, it's a suicide mission. How could a bunch of lowly high-level mages like them possibly go into a place like the Sahara?

"The mentor said that whether or not to go to the rescue is up to us, but those who don't go will lose the right to receive government resources next time," Nan Jue said.

"Twenty, what kind of stupid mentor is this? His head must have been kicked by a donkey, otherwise he would never have come up with such a way to mess with us."

"Exactly! Why don't you go rescue them? And you call yourself a mentor? I'd rather go!"

"What does the captain think?"

Everyone turned their attention to Ai Jiangtu, asking him to make a decision.

Ai Jiangtu pondered for a moment, then said, "How about this, those who are not going can go to Egypt first, and those who are going can go."

"We'll just search the outer perimeter, and if we can't find any trace of the missing group, we'll leave," Nan Jue added as a special explanation.

Judging from her appearance, she's probably going.

"I'll go," Lu Jie said. It would be foolish not to take the resources.

"Me too." Following her husband's lead, Mu Nujiao naturally wanted to go as well.

Beside him, Mo Fan pulled Zhao Manyan aside and said, "We're a bit short on money, let's go together."

Since returning after killing the wicked maggot-like dragon, Mo Fan had a long talk with Zhao Manyan about the lightning-type soul seed. He desperately needed money, and the African Magic Association had provided a lot of money for the rescue, so he insisted on going.

"Fuck you, Mo Fan, if you want to die, take me with you!" Seeing Mo Fan's unfriendly gaze, Zhao Manyan's tone softened, and then he sighed helplessly, "Fine, fine, I'll go too."

Zhao Manyan wished he could travel back in time and give his past self a good beating. Why did he have to hang out with Mo Fan? Now, wherever there's danger, this guy will definitely drag him along.

"Sorry, we have other plans. Let's part ways here. Those who want to go can go. We don't need to compete with you for money. Anyway, once people are dead, no amount of money will help," Guan Yu said.

Guan Yu has his own channels to obtain more resources anyway, so he neither cares about nor wants to go to this godforsaken place, the Sahara.

"Same as usual, Nanjue, you take the people who want to go, and I'll take them to Egypt first," Ai Jiangtu said. The disagreements within the team had been going on for a while, and he was quite helpless as the team leader.

Nan Jue nodded.

Then, Lu Jie, Mu Nujiao, Mo Fan, Zhao Manyan, Mu Ningxue, Jiang Shaoxu, Nan Jue, and Jiang Yu, a total of eight people, chose to go to the Sahara, while the others followed Ai Jiangtu and continued along the Mediterranean Sea all the way to Egypt.

Soon the group of eight entered the desert, where endless golden sand stretched from the horizon to the end of the sky.

The area they were walking in was calm and windless, so there was no sand or gravel in the air.

They climbed over one sand dune after another, gradually approaching the rescue site.

This area isn't actually part of the Sahara, but rather the outer desert perimeter, which is quite close to the Mediterranean Sea.

Besides powerful demons, the true realm of the Sahara also contains a very strange and mysterious labyrinth.

Anyone who steps into the labyrinth will lose their way, not only unable to get out of the desert, but may even go deeper and deeper.

After all, there's nothing in the desert except sand and dunes. Footprints are quickly covered by the wind and sand, and it's extremely difficult to tell which way to go. Moreover, the temperature difference between day and night in the desert is extreme, and quicksand is also an essential element.

The missing team had clearly entered the Lost Realm, which is why they lost contact with the outside world.

If rescuers arrive in the short term, they might be able to get out. However, if time drags on, forget about ever getting out of the desert.

Soon, the group arrived at the last place where the missing people had made contact. It was only three kilometers away from the Sahara Maze. The group had ventured deeper into the Sahara because they had been caught in a sandstorm.

"So what should we do now? We can't just barge in, can we?" Jiang Shaoxu asked.

"We'll go in in a long line, with no more than 500 meters between each other, so that even if we go in, we can come out," Nan Yu said.

Following Nan Yu's suggestion, the group began heading towards the Mysterious Realm.