“This is where we are.” Old Hans pointed towards the map. Then, his finger moved to the west and stopped at an area circled in red to indicate its danger before continuing, “This area is the lair of the flaming ants, and those meter-long things are extremely troublesome. They can’t shoot flames, but you still need to be particularly careful around them. The sour liquid they shoot out will hurt even more than being burnt alive. The worst thing about this place is that those fellows always travel in large numbers, but they also carry good stuff on their bodies. Their front claws are even tougher than steel, yet they weigh a lot less. Not many people dare to kill these flaming ants, so they can be sold at quite a few places at a decent price. Behind their hind legs, there is a small piece of flesh without radiation or poison. The only problem is that the amount really is bit too small.”
The youth silently gazed at the map, as if he was trying to carve every stroke into his mind. The single eye that could be seen was a deep green, and around the pupils were a few gray patterns. It was sparkling and translucent, as if it was a piece of jade of the utmost quality. After all these years, this was the first time Old Hans was able to take a good look at the youth’s eye.
Old Hans cleared his throat and then pointed again at the southern extremity of the flaming ants’ lair. There was only a ‘w’ there, and it was unknown what it represented.
“There is a cave here, and inside is a pond of sewage. Inside of the pond is a large mutated leech. If you feed it with your blood, it will expel the excess fluid from its body. This water will only contain an insignificant amount of radiation. There is not much inside and will be barely enough for a five-year-old child.”
“The flaming ants’ nest should be about a hundred kilometers or so from here, so you might have to walk a few days. The mine is going to close tomorrow, so you don’t have to return.” Old Hans waved his hand, and the youth quietly left the metal house. Before exiting through the door, the youth looked at Old Hans and softly gave his thanks.