The pair kept dashing at full speed for two hours before Ventus's mana reserves almost emptied out. They stopped on the top of an especially high sand dune where the wind was blowing strong and had the surprising aspect of being cold and refreshing despite its existence being created in the midst of a desert beneath a cloudless azure sky. They stopped right before his mana reserves went out so that he could still maintain the sand board and meditate to recover since if he let the sand board fall apart, it would take too much mana to build another one if an emergency arose.
As they had long fleed safely from the silver sand poison dragon they sat down on the smooth sand and began to rest. Ventus, now not having to risk breaking his core to recover his mana, executed his technique normally and took his time refining mana whilst Luna inspected a silver ring carved with runes that faintly glowed from time to time.
She would swipe from time to time as if she was selecting an item on a menu as well as smiling satisfied when she found something she wanted. Luna produced a few dry fruit flavored biscuits and cold drinks as well as a huge white-red checkered towel and placed it on the ground, sat up on it and took some bites and sips from time to time while watching their surroundings.
After four hours Ventus's mana was completely refilled, he looked at Luna with crumbled packages and small boxes beside her and searched for a sack or something similar hanging around her body, seeing she had none tied to her he figured that she was wearing another spatial item. She stood up and grabbed the towel and the trash, she pointed the ring at everything and after a flash, everything disappeared, that confirmed Ventus's hypothesis as well as identifying what kind of spatial object she was using.
"A space ring huh?" he mocked, "Must be nice having a grandmaster for a father."
"You know this?" she said pointing to her ring.
"Yeah, my master told me about it." he replied.
"Then your master must either be at the master or above rank right?" she continued.
"How do you know?" he inquired with suspicion.
"If he wasn't he wouldn't have the knowledge about spatial rings," she explained, "Spatial technology is special. Due to its unique status and rarity, only certain ranks among warriors and magi have access to it and information about it. If you don't have that level of power, even if you have ten times the required amount of money, you won't be able to find out about its existence or be able to buy one."
"for an example, the manager of this tower has a space pouch tied underneath that big round belly of his. The other man that is accompanying him has a space pouch as well and most likely has another space item as he is for sure a grandmaster rank."
"heeeh...having a lion for a father, the daughter can't be a dog!" he chuckled.
"What does that mean?" she inquired puzzled.
Ventus didn't reply and instead went on to do some exercises, Luna didn't press on nor get angry as she found his attitude quite amusing. Plus, considering the fact he risked his life to save her and even went on to endanger his core just for that same chance when he could've easily saved himself, or even better, never interfered in the silver sand poison dragon's attack on her in the first place and prioritize his safety, all those events combined made her heart warm up to this unusual boy.
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"So...what next?" Ventus asked.
"I don't know, I was about to ask you the same thing." Luna replied.
"Well, the contents of the mission for this dimension are 1) Find a Corona Cactus's flower and 2)Acquire a King Viper's poison sack," Ventus spoke, "We have been here for about three hours now and we are nowhere near getting close to any of those objectives."
"Actually, we have." Luna spoke hesitantly.
"What do you mean?" Ventus inquired.
"Well...the silver sand poison dragon is also known as Viper Prince."
"So you mean...?"
"Yes, the silver sand poison dragon is the underling of a more powerful beast known as Golden Sand Venom Dragon....or just King Viper for short. Usually, these beasts live in groups with a king viper leading up to ten Viper Princes" Luna explained.
"So, to sum our mission up," Ventus complained, "We have to KILL the bigger badder version of a beast we just had to flee for our lives from!?"
"I guess that's reality for ya" Luna sighed.
"Tell me girl, are you an idiot or something?"
"Why do you say that?" Luna questioned slightly angry.
"Why did you have to choose this specific portal? Why the golden wind desert where we have to face a huge poison spitting snake, and even worse, its evolved form that can command ten of such snakes and is even more powerful!"
"Oh shut up! it's not like I made you come after me!" Luna fired back, "You chose this mission on your own!"
"No I didn't! It was my master that made me come after you!"
"Then maybe you shouldn't have listened to him and just made your own choice, MAYBE, leaving me for dead would've caused you less trouble!"
"IT MOST CERTAINLY WOULD" Ventus shouted annoyed.
"THEN LEAVE ME AND GO COMPLETE YOUR OWN MISSION! I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR PROTECTION!" Luna retorted shouting angrily.
"FINE! YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN" Ventus roared.
He grabbed his sandboard and threw it to the ground as it landed Ventus jumped on it and infused his mana into the construct rapidly sliding away. As the distance between them grew, so did their mood worsen to the point were they simultaneously shouted.
"UGH, YOU'RE SUCH A BRAT!"
Luna, on the other hand, chose a different direction and produced an emerald with seven runes carved, it would from time to time pulsate as if it was a beating heart. She infused about 60% of her mana and rapidly the runes lit one by one until the whole gem began to shine.
"Emerald Golem Activate!" She commanded, "Mount Style: Emerald Thunder Rhinoceros"
A flash of green light filled the place for a moment and after the light faded Luna saw standing before here a life-sized replica of a Thunder Rhinoceros made completely from emerald. It was a mighty beast standing three meters tall with lightning markings on its four legs and horn that would crackle with lightning. The golem roared as if declaring its might, Luna smiled slightly and hoped onto to it, rapidly mounting the emerald beast.
"If that stupid snake didn't catch me before I could summon you, all of this would've never happened." Luna grumbled as she gazed at the green rhino.
Luna the tapped the rhino's head and willed it to move, and so, It dashed off, not through the golden sand, but instead, took to the sky. As it ran a cloud was generated beneath its feet that crackled and rumbled with thunder and lightning that helped it levitate and had a footing on the sky. minutes later the only thing that could be seen was a solitary thunder cloud rapidly flying amidst the azure sunny sky.