Reaching the solar farm was fairly uneventful. It was indeed the one they had driven by on their way to Hurghada, almost an entire lifetime ago now. The reason he was so sure was the police checkpoint and tollbooth they had driven through. He could spot both, although their state was… slightly unrecognizable.

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  Whatever passed through here must’ve really hated cops. Or tollbooths. Or both… he thought as he stared at the remnants of the checkpoint.

  The road was also there, but thanks to all the dust and sand, it was barely visible. Reaching that state in two weeks was honestly surprising to him. He was nonetheless extremely relieved knowing he was on the right track, and with some semblance of a direction. The road ran parallel to the sea, so even if he still couldn’t see it from where he was, he at least now knew his current location, which was something that filled him with immense hope and excitement. Now all he had to do was follow the road, and hopefully hotels and resorts would start showing up on his left. Then he could move on to the fun part of picking the fanciest of the bunch. He could also pick the first one, but in his head, if he was going to stay in a vacation town, then he might as well do it in style.

  It took Matt another 30 minutes of driving before he started getting worried again. He remembered that El Gouna resort town was a 5-minute drive from the tollbooth. If he missed it, it would be awhile more before reaching any hotels in and around the city of Hurghada itself, and he was really getting tired of the long drive. Dune buggies were not designed with long-term comfort in mind. Luckily, there were two sand golems blocking his way that he could ask for directions.

  After a brief battle, where the golems were being uncooperative, he continued on with his drive.

  It wasn’t until half an hour later that he finally reached the entrance road to El Gouna. He was ecstatic on seeing the giant sign, giddy even, because, for the first time, he could see the finish line. The oasis in the desert. He could finally clean himself, sleep in an actual bed, eat proper food, and relax for a few days.

  He liked the fights and exploring all that the system had to offer, but after being stuck in the dungeon for this long, where every waking moment was spent fighting for his life, he deserved a little break, to recharge if nothing else. And luckily this entire town was a break town.

  Something was also starting to dawn on Matt. Earth was much bigger than it used to be. At least 10 to 12 times larger based on the time it had taken him to reach the entrance from the tollbooth.

  It didn’t make sense to him how a planet could expand in size that much while maintaining the same gravity. Should he just throw physics out of the window now?

  It seemed unlikely, but also the only conclusion he could come up with. Disregarding physics didn’t feel right, especially to an engineer, but there was magic now, which also didn’t make sense from a physics point-of-view. It was a slippery slope, but for now he had to assume even things he already knew were questionable at best.

  He didn’t like being ignorant. Knowing how something worked or functioned was a crucial part of his learning process, but it was just gonna have to be another one of those things that he got used to.

  Matt was soon awoken from his stupor by the mesmerizing sight unfolding in front of him. It had been a journey, escaping the location of his battle with the vulture, running into a crater with a dungeon entrance, unlocking his mana, fighting through the different floors, his meeting with the cats, and finally, being thrown back into the desert.

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  He had been excited at times, worried at others, and confused at most. Now though, it had all come full circle, as barely restrained excitement was all he felt.

  “WOOHOO!” he exclaimed, both hands raised triumphantly into the buggy’s roof.

  He got out and on top of his desert vehicle as he finally took the scene in front of him in. The scene of the numerous lagoons that made the resort town of El Gouna.

  It was early morning, 7:38 AM on the 5th of June according to his clock. A date he would forever commit to memory. The sun was rising, its rays reflected on the beautiful blue of the Red Sea water, sparkling like a sea of endless sapphires. A scene that, alone, was worth the journey.

  Across from it were blocks of alabaster white, as villas, chalets and resorts surrounded the sparkling blue, while tall trees of green completed the scene. The scene of life. Of calmness. Of absolute serenity. And a scene of breathtaking beauty.

  Matt took a deep breath in, the smell of salt entering his nose, giving him a jolt of adrenaline he never knew he needed. He had finally made it.

  Neither Matt nor his friends had ever been to El Gouna. The reason he had known about the resort city was the research he had done before booking their trip to Egypt. While most of their first week would’ve been spent in Hurghada proper, El Gouna was definitely on their docket for a one or two-day excursion. It was like a little piece of heaven from what he had read, amazing restaurants, incredible views, beautiful outings, and even a full-blown 18-hole golf course.

  Granted that Matt wasn’t much of a golfer. In fact, he dared say he had never golfed a day in his life, but with a view like that, who wouldn’t want to spend a day golfing under the sun surrounded by a sea of green and blue.

  It was a magical place. And while it wouldn’t be the same without Izzy and Jackson, all he had to do was have enough fun for three people, right?

  Make sure it was as advertised and all that. He wouldn’t want them to be disappointed with the place after all. Yep, he was just being a good friend… a great friend!

  With his destination just ahead, he got down and back into his buggy and started driving. He had no idea where he was headed, but he simply kept going, enjoying the lush greenery of the trees and grass surrounding the buildings and roads, the breathtaking blue of the sea as it shone under the sun, and the wind in his hair.

  He had been worried at first about the lack of a map, but he didn’t care anymore. He would just keep on driving until something caught his eye. Pictures really failed to do this place justice.

  A short while later, Matt found himself standing in the driveway of an amazing looking resort. It was located on a man-made island, surrounded by lagoons on all sides, with the golf course encircling the entire area, making it so that any windows would have a direct view of fields of green and oceans of blue. He had known immediately that this was the spot, which was why he had left his buggy towards the entrance of the island, choosing to take a stroll the rest of the way in search for the perfect place. It had mostly been private residences, villas, and chalets, until he came upon the resort that was across from him.

  Like most of its surroundings, it was an alabaster white building of two floors. Giant floor to ceiling glass panels covered the far ends of the entrance, with a revolving door right in the middle that led you directly towards the reception desk, with more white stone to each side of it. In front of the building was a fairly large fountain that was somehow still functional, albeit the water pressure was in need of some tuning, and the filters definitely needed a good scrub.

  There were plenty of cars in the parking lot, showing that many guests had been enjoying their summer vacation at the resort when the integration had happened, as well as a couple of buses with the resort’s name and logo on their sides.

  All in all, it was an amazing place, one he could see himself staying in for the foreseeable future as he planned his next move. There was only one tiny problem with it. Well, three. Three not-so-tiny problems. More specifically, three cow-sized grey and brown furred wolves, sleeping right in front of the entrance, daring Matt to come any closer.

  Well, that’s not very nice of them, taking over my future residence like that, Matt thought as he identified the three assailants trespassing on his soon to be new home.

  Desert Wolf (level 15)

  Desert Wolf (level 15)

  Desert Wolf (level 16)

  Knowing what he was up against, he cracked a knuckle as he got ready. It looked like he had a fight on his hands. One where he could finally break his new gloves in proper.