Aldrina was sweating it out, driving the cart in the blazing desert sun, while her traveling companions were kicking back, snacking on grapes in the shade. They were both humans. There was this old man, around his sixties, with gray hair slicked back and a goatee on his chin. The other passenger was a much younger man who looked to be in his late teens. He barely had any muscles, and his punchable face had some hair on his chin that he calls a ‘beard’. Aldrina did her best to ignore the heat, though.

“Oi! Are we almost there? This heat is murder in my skin.” The young man complained.

Aldrina thought, “Just focus on the money and ignore him. Keep your eyes on the road.” Aldrina had taken a job to help level up some noble human son. Normally, she wouldn’t be interested in a job like this, but the money was too good to turn down. 500 gold crowns. That was enough to live comfortably for an entire year without working and having money to spare. There was a line nearly a mile long for the job at the nobles’ manor. The job specifically wanted the son of said noble to reach level 25. Normally, that wouldn’t take too long, however.

She glanced back at the two men sitting in the cart. Thanks to her passive skill, Terramind, she can see the levels of anyone and every one, however, stats and names won’t appear. The older man is level 36, a magic-based class I’m assuming considering he has no armor and has ice forming in the palm of his hands to help cool himself and the noble son. The young man is level 5. It's such a low level for his age. She thought to herself.

Aldrina decided to look at her own stats.

“Status”

Name: Aldrina

Race: Elf

HP:1690

Patron: Terratuga

Level:34

* Strength: 220

* Dexterity: 130

* Constitution: 270

* Intelligence: 130

* Wisdom: 130

* Perception: 160

Her thoughts were interrupted by a small thing hitting the back of her head. A wave of frustration went through her head, she knew what hit her, it wasn't the first time today that a grape was thrown at her head.

“Hey, Elf!” Said the younger man whose name Aldrina refused to learn. “How'd you get this job anyway? I thought Father was sending me with someone strong, not some dirty treehopper.” He said, voice cracking. Just ignore him. He'll shut up sooner or later. she thought to herself.

“Young master, that's no way to talk to someone.” the older man said.

The young man looks at the older one, slightly offended. Then looks back at Aldrina.

“Are you fucking him?” The young man questioned. “No. There's no way he'd do you. You're built too much like a man.”

Aldrina gritted her teeth, struggling to keep her temper in check. Just focus on the money, she reminded herself. Ignore him.

Suddenly, a low, rumbling growl echoed across the dunes. Aldrina's senses went on high alert. She glanced around, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon. The horses whinnied nervously, sensing the danger.

The older man sprang up out of his seat on high alert, he quickly reached for his staff. “You hear that?” Suddenly, a shadow passed over the cart, and a low, rumbling growl echoed across the dunes.

Then almost out of nowhere, The Sand Basilisk emerged from the shifting sands like a nightmare-given form. Standing nearly fifteen feet tall, its serpentine body was covered in shimmering, golden scales that reflected the harsh desert sun, giving it an almost ethereal glow. Each scale was the size of a dinner plate, rough and jagged like the surface of a boulder.

Its head was the most terrifying aspect, resembling a grotesque fusion of a serpent and a dragon. Its eyes glowed a sickly yellow-green with slit pupils that seemed to pierce through the soul. Around its eyes, a cluster of bone-like ridges formed a crown-like structure. When it opened its maw to roar, rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth glistened with venom, dripping a dark, viscous fluid that hissed as it touched the hot sand.

The creature's tongue flicked out, forked, and whip-like, tasting the air for its prey. Its breath was fetid, a mixture of decaying flesh and sulfur. It exhaled in deep, rumbling growls that vibrated through the very ground.

Running down its back were spiny, bony protrusions that jutted out at irregular intervals, each one ending in a sharp point that could easily impale a careless foe. Its powerful limbs were equipped with massive claws, each one capable of rending flesh and bone with terrifying ease. Thanks to Terramind Aldrina was able to confirm a very frightening fact, it was level 62, just under double of Aldina’s level.

"Stay behind me!" Aldrina commanded, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides. She raised her tower shield, its turtle shell-like pattern gleaming in the harsh sunlight, and drew her longsword, the blade catching the light as she faced the looming threat. The younger man cowered behind the cart, eyes wide with terror.

A hand gently touched her shoulder, and she nearly jumped in surprise. The older man stood beside her, his staff gripped tightly in his hand.

"Calm yourself," the older man said, his voice a low, reassuring rumble. "That beast is indeed threatening, with such a high level too. However, it's not impossible. If we attack it with its weakness, we can survive. It's a Sand Basilisk. If we use ice attacks, then we can defeat it," he explained, his eyes never leaving the monstrous creature before them.

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Aldrina nodded, her mind racing. "I have seen you use ice magic to cool off your master. I'm assuming you have offensive ice skills?" she asked, glancing at him quickly.

The man gave a smug smirk, and his staff began to emit frost, a chilling mist swirling around the ornate wood. "Of course I do," he replied. His smile faded away as he looked back at the Sand Basilisk with a calm focus, his expression hardening into one of determination.

"I'm Elgar, by the way," he added, his voice steady. "Let's not die today, alright?"

"Good," Aldrina said, taking a deep breath. "We'll need every bit of strength and skill we have."

The Basilisk roared again, its breath fetid and rancid, vibrating through the very ground they stood on. Aldrina tightened her grip on her longsword, her knuckles white beneath her gloves. She felt the heat of the sun beating down on her, sweat trickling down her temples, but she forced herself to focus on the task at hand.

Elgar stepped forward, his staff glowing with a bright blue light. "I'll create an opening," he said, his voice steady. "Be ready to strike when I do."

Aldrina nodded, positioning her shield to deflect any incoming attacks. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she drew on her years of training, pushing the fear to the back of her mind. "Just focus," she whispered to herself. "You can do this."

“Glacial Spires!” Elgar shouted as the air around them grew colder, a stark contrast to the blistering desert heat. he unleashed a barrage of ice spikes that shot toward the Basilisk.

The ice spikes struck the creature, shattering against its scales but leaving patches of frost that began to spread. The Basilisk roared in pain, its movements slowing as the frost took hold. Seizing the opportunity, Aldrina lunged forward with her longsword, aiming for the creature's exposed underbelly.

Her sword struck true, piercing the softer scales and drawing blood. The Basilisk hissed, its massive tail whipping around to strike her. Aldrina raised her tower shield, the impact rattling her bones but holding firm. She could feel the raw strength of the beast through the shield, but her Turtle Shell passive skill absorbed some of the force, preventing serious injury. A new system message appeared.

[Passive: Turtle Shell upgraded, physical damage reduction 10% > physical damage reduction 15%]

“Damn! It hit me hard enough to upgrade my passive! Don’t get hit!” Aldrina Shouted to warn Elgar.

Elgar quickly cast Frost Shield on Aldrina, encasing her in a protective layer of ice. “This should help!” he shouted, positioning himself to the side to unleash another attack.

The Basilisk, enraged, reared back and unleashed a Sand Breath attack. The torrent of sand struck both Aldrina and Elgar, the abrasive particles stinging their skin and eyes. Aldrina gritted her teeth, her defensive stance protecting her from the worst of it, but Elgar wasn’t as fortunate. He staggered back, his HP dropping rapidly.

“Keep pushing!” Aldrina yelled, stepping in front of Elgar to keep the Basilisk’s focus on her. Blocking its attack. She activated her Fortress Stance, her defense increasing significantly. “I’ll hold it off, you need to strike hard! My skill defends people behind me, but not for long!”

Elgar nodded, summoning all his strength. “Blizzard Gale!” A powerful gust of icy wind enveloped the Basilisk, the cold biting deep into its flesh. The creature roared, its movements becoming sluggish.

Aldrina saw her chance. She ran twords the beast and bashed the Basilisk’s head with her shield, using Shield Bash to stun it momentarily. Then, with a roar of her own, she struck its head with her longsword, the blade sinking deep. “I can’t believe it! We can actually win this!” Aldrina tought to herself.

The Basilisk, despite its wounds, retaliated with a Venomous Bite, aiming for Elgar. The old man tried to dodge, but the Basilisk was too fast. Its fangs sank into his side, venom quickly spreading through his veins. Elgar cried out in pain, his HP dropping slowly as he collapsed to the ground.

“No!” Aldrina screamed, her vision blurring with rage. She swung her sword with all her might, landing blow after blow on the Basilisk. The creature roared in agony, its HP dropping steadily.

With one final, desperate attack, Aldrina managed to strike the Basilisk’s eye, driving her sword deep into its skull. The beast thrashed violently, its HP nearly depleted. Finally, sensing its imminent defeat, the Basilisk turned and burrowed into the sand, retreating from the battle.

Aldrina stood there, breathing heavily, her muscles aching from the exertion. She turned and rushed to Elgar's side, collapsing to her knees next to him. “Are you alright?” she asked.

Elgar's face was pale, his breath coming in shallow gasps. "That... was a fierce fight," he managed to say, a weak smile crossing his lips. "But... I don't think I'll be making it out of this one. My HP is still falling, I'm now in the double digits."

"No, don't say that," Aldrina urged, her hands shaking as she tried to assess his wounds. "We can still get you help. Just hold on."

Elgar shook his head slowly. "The venom... it's too strong. Listen to me, I'm sorry for the way the young master spoke to you. Please make sure he's safe,” his voice growing weaker.

Aldrina glanced toward the wreckage of the cart. During the fight, the Basilisk had unleashed its sand breath, obliterating the cart and killing the young noble. The sandstorm had torn through everything, leaving destruction in its wake. She had been too focused on the battle to notice, and now the reality of their situation hit her hard.

“I... will,” Aldrina lied, her voice steady. She had no love for humans, but she respected Elgar. Even if the only reason he helped her with the fight was just to protect his master, most humans wouldn’t even do that. They'd just leave the other races behind. This wasn't the time to voice her true feelings, however.

Elgar's eyes closed slowly, a look of peace washing over his face. "Thank you... Aldrina," he whispered, his breath fading.

Aldrina felt Elgar’s hand grow limp in hers, the light in his eyes dimming as he took his final breath. She stayed by his side for a moment longer, feeling a heavy weight settle in her chest.

She slowly rose to her feet, her body aching from the battle and exhaustion. As she looked around at the desolate landscape, the reality of what had just happened began to sink in. The young noble was dead, the cart was destroyed, and Elgar had sacrificed his life to help her defeat the Sand Basilisk.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. This was not the first time she had faced death, but it never got easier. The memory of Elgar’s bravery and his last words stayed with her as she began to walk away from the wreckage.

As she walked through the shifting sands, her thoughts drifted to the future. She needed to find shelter, to recover from her wounds, and to plan her next move. The desert stretched out before her, vast and unforgiving, but she was determined to keep going.

With each step, Aldrina reflected on the battle and the lessons she had learned. She had faced a formidable foe and survived, but it was the sacrifice of a human she had little respect for that had made the difference. In a world filled with prejudice and cruelty, small acts of bravery and kindness still held great power.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the dunes, Aldrina pressed on. She would not forget Elgar's sacrifice, and she would continue to fight, not just for herself, but for a better future where such sacrifices would no longer be necessary.

She then sucked her teeth. “I could have used that 500 gold crowns, damn”