🌷Chapter Four: The Desert Wild Lily (1)

The nights in Time Town are always brightly lit, with glowing chimneys, the unextinguishable lighthouse of the Time Temple, and the bustling Mercenary Guild all illuminating the night sky.

Only the desert to the south of the town escapes this light pollution. Here, if you look up, you can see a sky full of stars.

Many beautiful poems and songs were born under this starry sky. The cyborg vaguely remembers, when he was a child, a man in a white robe would often recite poems under such a sky. Though the verses are long forgotten, he remembers the man's deep voice, warm breath, and gentle embrace.

But Time Town is still Time Town. The desert may be beautiful under the stars, but it's also deadly. Within just half an hour, the cyborg was attacked by five desert vipers and three scorpions. The most dangerous attack was when a viper bit his neck. Fortunately, his neck had been modified to metal. Even so, the alloy surface still sizzled and bubbled from the venom.

After casually crushing a sneaky scorpion, the cyborg searched his childhood memories, marveling at the power of that man. In his memories, no snake or scorpion dared to approach the man. The desert's poisonous creatures are much smarter than humans; they know who not to mess with.

The cyborg's electronic eyes flickered beneath his metal mask, incongruous in this dark world. He shook his head lightly, as if to dispel unrealistic thoughts, and continued deeper into the desert. His broad alloy feet compensated for his mechanical body's extra weight, allowing him to move surprisingly lightly over the sand dunes.

The cyborg didn't know his destination. Deep in the desert were two opposing factions: the Cyborg Laboratory and the Lizardmen Desecrators' Nest. Neither seemed like a good place to go.

Although the Time Temple transformed him into a cyborg, being a spy was never a safe profession, and he had no intention of serving the temple. On the contrary, if given the chance to harm the temple, he would seize it without hesitation. Feeling the mechanical vibrations in his chest instead of a heartbeat, his hatred grew stronger.

Despite having no clear direction, his body steadfastly moved deeper into the desert.

After an unknown amount of time, a faint fragrance reached the cyborg's nose. It was the scent of flowers! The cyborg quickened his pace towards the source of the scent.

Climbing a towering dune with some effort, he was greeted by a stunning sight. A sea of pink flowers! The ground was covered with pink flower clusters, surrounding a small water pit, greedily drawing nutrients and water from their surroundings.

The cyborg was awestruck by the beauty before him, momentarily forgetting everything. He was captivated by this vibrant, lively sea of flowers—a rare anomaly in the world of betrayal, pain, desecration, and decay that was Time Town.

"These are desert lilies," a hearty voice said beside him.

Startled, the cyborg rolled away, surprised that someone had managed to evade his sensors.

"Calm down, don't crush the flowers," the voice's owner said, rising from the sea of flowers. It was a burly man with broad shoulders like mountains, his muscles like exposed granite. His rugged face had a comical effect, making it hard not to laugh despite his imposing figure.

The man sat in the middle of the flower field, supporting his chin with one hand, watching the cyborg with interest. Suddenly, his brow furrowed, his expression twisted slightly, and a faint blue flame ignited around his neck. He looked relieved, then grinned widely.

"Relax, you're scaring the flowers," he said, flashing a set of dazzlingly white teeth. "Come, join me if you don't mind."

The cyborg slowly lowered his arms, hesitated, and then walked towards the man. He stopped five meters away, unsure whether to sit down. After a moment of thought, he squatted instead.

The man sniffed, laughing even more heartily. He pointed to the flowers beside him. "Surprised to find such beauty in this desert, aren't you?"

The cyborg nodded. Seeing him silent, the man continued speaking cheerfully.

"You're lucky to see the lilies bloom. They don't do so every year. Believe it or not, plants have their own senses. When the buds detect subtle changes in the weather before a storm, they'll sprout long stems within a week and bloom beautifully after the rain. This spectacular flowering often only occurs once every few decades.

"When they bloom, the lilies use up a whole year's worth of accumulated nutrients to create breathtaking beauty. These large umbrella-shaped blossoms, made up of dozens of flowers, attract numerous birds and insects. These creatures feed on the nectar and help pollinate the flowers.

"A year of accumulation, a decade of perfect conditions, all for one bloom. It's hard to know whether to admire their resilience or pity their simple fate."

The cyborg's eyes flickered with electric light. After a long hesitation, he still said nothing. The man watched him with interest, then continued his own musings.

"Funny, isn't it? Do you know who in Time Town is most interested in flowers?"

"......"

"Is it those pretentious vampires? No."

"......"

"Is it the Time Temple priests who like having young boys spank them? Not really."

The cyborg couldn't help but laugh.

The man cleaned his ears with his pinky, then stared at the cyborg, speaking each word clearly:

"It's the cyborgs and lizardmen desecrators, trying to mask the stench of their rotting bodies."