Chapter - 2898

What's wrong now?

Zeke and Quinlan tensed up and snapped their heads in the direction Squirrel was pointing.

Not far up ahead, above the vast desert plane, stood a humongous beast.

The beast had a towering height but a thin frame. It looked like a piece of paper cut out mountain when it stood.

Quinlan asked warily, "Doesn't this thing look familiar to you guys?"

Zeke studied the ginormous beast closely. "It looks like Ibex, one of the helpers of the primordial beast, which Theos requested to capture us back at the ancient sector."

Quinlan agreed, "Yeah. I also think it looks like Ibex. If Ibex is here, Theos must be close!"

In an instant, they entered combat mode.

Zeke exuded energy to get a sense of the surrounding but didn't sense Theos anywhere.

Squirrel said, "You can stop searching. Theos isn't around, and Ibex isn't dangerous. Let's go nearer and get a closer look."

Zeke asked doubtfully, "Why are you so sure?"

Squirrel answered, "I can feel it. The water content in Ibex's body, including its blood, is all gone. I suspect Theos and the others are the bad guys who drain every drop of water and blood from Ibex's body."

Huh?

Zeke's brows furrowed. "No wonder Ibex looks much thinner. I suppose all its blood has been drained entirely. True to his reputation, Theos is ruthless for doing that to his own partner. Come on, let's go check it out."

He grabbed Quinlan and Lacey, then leaped onto Ibex's back with Squirrel.

Ibex's body was nothing more than skin and bone. The flesh and skin on its body had lost their shine, making it look like a sand sculpture.

“I can sense Theos' presence. They're heading east. Squirrel, in which direction is the Apex River?” Zeke asked.

Squirrel replied, “It's in the east.”

"Let's go. We better catch up to them and find the river before they do. We'll be able to rehydrate ourselves and regain our strength."

Our circumstances will be dire if Theos drinks from the Apex River. He will regain his strength before we do and stop us from doing so.

Zeke and the rest started to sprint.

Their journey took over an hour.

Zeke, Quinlan, and Squirrel were exhausted and dehydrated. They felt as if they could fall apart at any moment, let alone Lacey.

At that moment, they could faintly hear the sound of water flowing.

Zeke encouraged, "Let's speed up. Victory is just right ahead. You can have your fill of water later."

They expended every last bit of energy they could muster and dashed toward the sound of the water.

After they hiked up a sand dune, their vision broadened.

Gusts of cold wind blew toward them, nourishing their dried-up pores with cool, humid air. The experience was unbelievably relaxing.

They could see a massive, flowing river like a coiling boa about two meters at the base of the sand dune.

The cool, clear river water was a miracle to all living beings.

Unshed tears glistened in Squirrel's eyes. "This is the Apex River, the river my parents talked about. My parents came here before and drank its water. I've finally found it!"

Squirrel raced to the river. Tears streamed down its face into the sand.

Lacey had been in a semi-conscious state, but when she caught sight of the river, her eyes brightened with hope.

"Water... Water..."

Zeke tightened his grip around Lacey. "Let's go, Lacey. I'll take you to have some water. You can have your fill."

He rushed toward the river with Lacey in tow.

However, as he got closer to the river, he sensed something odd.

The river seemed to be releasing strange energy and resisting Zeke. However, Zeke wasn't the only one. All beings approaching the river felt the same repulsing force.