Chapter 129: Ash and Sunfire, the Elder Who Smoked the DesertRyan trudged into the desert city at the very mouth of the Maldhi wasteland, his boots crunching against sand that seemed to radiate heat straight through the soles. The sun overhead was merciless, a burning god glaring down at all who dared to cross its territory. He squinted, sweat stinging his eyes. This was his very first encounter with a true desert, and even though he’d prepared himself mentally, the sheer violence of the heat still struck him like a slap in the face.The city was small, a scattering of cube-like structures carved out of sunbaked stone, their edges eroded by wind and grit. Compared to the elegant spires of Frexia or the damp greenery of river towns, this place felt like someone had spilled a handful of dice onto the sand and called it civilization. The air shimmered. The horizon rippled. Ryan inhaled—and nearly gagged on the thickness of it, dry and hot enough to sear the inside of