As they journeyed across the desert's heart under the blazing sun, distancing themselves from the forest, there was neither a trace of fellow students nor creatures in sight. Theo led the way, not once turning to Lorian for guidance, despite Lorian's previous experience in this terrain with Rowan.
Lorian followed in silence, respecting Theo's lead. Although he typically had a reserved personality around everyone, he decided it was better to be friendlier and more talkative with Theo in order to cheer him up. Lorian didn’t display his cold side like he did before.
Two hours into their trek, the sun claimed its zenith in the sky, casting them in harsh light. In front of them stood towering mounds of golden sand stretching as far as the eye could see, sculpted by the wind into mesmerizing patterns.
Lorian felt a bit hesitant about walking towards the Great Sand Dunes. However, he also didn’t want to let his brother go alone, so he followed.
Stopping at the dunes' center, Theo's voice, rare as it was, cut through the silence, "Be careful…"
Although it was rare for Theo to speak, Lorian’s eyes narrowed, sensing something amiss. He pulled out his sword from the spatial storage as a precaution, while Theo remained still.
The fine grains of sand, warmed by the sun, occasionally caressed their skin as they stood amidst the dunes.
Suddenly, the sand beneath them began to tremble. Emerging from beneath like the fins of sharks were several protrusions, each resembling the back of a turtle, surfacing and circling around Theo and Lorian.
Gradually, twelve of these sand figures encircled them, stirring the sand into a swirling whirlpool at their feet.
Throughout this unexpected turmoil, Theo's demeanor remained unflustered. He cast a glance towards Lorian, whose gaze flickered rapidly, assessing the sudden appearance of these enigmatic beings beneath the dunes.
Despite the clear hint of surprise and apprehension in Lorian’s eyes, he was in better condition than one might expect. Theo acknowledged that others might not have maintained such calm under similar circumstances.
In the next moment, the twelve beasts emerged fully from their sandy concealment, beginning to orbit the duo. They positioned themselves at varying distances, creating an effective barrier that ensnared Theo and Lorian within their midst.
The creatures that came out of the ground were a remarkable sight, their scales shimmering in a brilliant shade of yellow that seemed to capture the essence of the desert sun itself. Their tails, glowing with an ethereal light, left faint trails in the sand as they moved.
The beasts' heads, reminiscent of pythons in shape, were imposing, each measuring a half meter wide, suggesting mouths capable of opening wide to reveal formidable fangs. At a length of three meters, these gigantic creatures moved with surprising speed.
Theo swiftly employed his Leywin's Gaze to assess the beast, and the details of the creature materialized before him:
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[Sunflare Serpent]
[~ A lord rank creature of the Crimson Dunes, revered for its swift movements and lethal prowess. Its scales are said to harness the very essence of the desert sun, granting it an otherworldly vigor.]
>>>>
As he finished reading the description, the beasts halted their circling motion and redirected their approach toward them. Their glinting yellow eyes revealed a hunger for their prey.
Theo stepped back as seven of the Sunflare Serpents slithered towards him, while the remaining five targeted Lorian.
Theo nimbly dodged the serpents' lunges, their attacks too slow to match his speed. Meanwhile, Lorian confronted the first serpent aggressively. His blade sliced through its thick skin, leaving a deep gash. Lorian quickly retreated, creating distance and evading the other serpents poised to strike.
The wounded serpent let out a screeching cry, enraged by the assault. This caught the attention of the other serpents engaged with Theo, who momentarily glanced towards their injured comrade.
Seizing the opportunity, Lorian charged at the wounded serpent, which was also aggressively moving in to strike. With a firm grip on his sword, Lorian put all his strength into a decisive blow, meeting the beast in midair and slicing it in two. The serpent's head thudded onto the sand, wriggling briefly as it bled out, painting the dunes with streaks of blood.
This brutal act incited fury among its kin. The remaining serpents, witnessing the downfall of their companion, redirected their full wrath towards Lorian, now deemed the more immediate threat.
Even Theo was taken aback by Lorian's ability to confront a lord-rank beast on his own. Moreover, he had killed it with merely two slashes. Such progress in just six months was astonishing.
Did Phoenixwing Academy deserve the credit, or was it all due to his teacher, Rowan? That madman had even declined to teach Elara, yet somehow, Lorian had been under his tutelage all this while.
Though this puzzled Theo, he had more pressing concerns at the moment. It was clear Lorian had honed his combat skills through rigorous training, but Theo doubted he could manage the remaining eleven Sunflare Serpents on his own.
With swift grace, Theo moved like a shadow among them. Drawing two swords from thin air, he executed a whirlwind of slashes. As his blades danced through the air, slicing effortlessly through each serpent, the beasts scarcely had time to react. The precision and speed of his strikes left no room for retaliation, showcasing a masterful display of swordsmanship.
In an instant, the air was filled with the sound of seven consecutive thuds. Each of the serpents, previously lunging towards Lorian, now lay dead, their blood seeping into the thirsty sand.
Caught off guard by Theo's rapid intervention, Lorian quickly redirected his focus back to his adversaries. The remaining five were already advancing towards him, ready to strike.
This time, Theo didn’t bother to assist Lorian further; he wanted to see if the elven boy, who had once been helpless in Elwyn City and had come to him in tears seeking help, could now handle these many lord-rank beasts on his own.
Lorian, whose eyes were gleaming with both fear and determination, focused intently on the beasts.
The five beasts approached him from different directions. Lorian managed to dodge them, albeit clumsily and not as swiftly as Theo, but he still succeeded in evading their attacks.
Suddenly, his limbs began to emit a blue glow, enhancing his speed. He darted around the desert, causing the beasts to twist their heads in an attempt to track their elusive foe. Seizing the moment, Lorian swiftly slashed his blade, claiming the life of another Sunflare serpent.
Just as he was about to strike a third one, all the creatures dived into the ground.
Lorian halted, and Theo frowned. Silence engulfed the sand dunes. They waited five minutes, but no movement came from beneath the sand.
The swords in Theo’s hands vanished as he declared, “They are gone.”
Lorian looked disappointed. “I was a bit slow,” he admitted.
Theo didn’t offer any words of encouragement; instead, he approached the carcasses of the beasts. According to the mission assigned by Zoe, they needed to retrieve their cores.
He took out a silver dagger from his Golden Vault and began to cut the mark on their foreheads. Blood spilled out before a hard yellow stone emerged. It was the beast core, typically located in the forehead in ninety percent of cases.
Lorian also went to collect the core of the one he had killed, gathering two, while Theo collected seven.
Once the task was complete, Theo stored his cores inside the Golden Vault and then took out a bottle of water to wash his hands, which were covered in the beasts' blood. He disliked such unpleasant tasks but preferred to handle them himself rather than asking elven boy to do so. Lorian did the same, cleaning his hands before they resumed their journey.
Instead of changing their path, they continued across the sand dunes. After encountering the eleven lord-rank Sunflare Serpents, there were no further encounters. It seemed that the lower-ranked beasts had already fled the area upon sensing the commotion.
After passing the Great Sand Dunes, the landscape became increasingly sandy, and the wind picked up, becoming stronger than usual. Lorian squinted against the abrasive gusts. Despite their progress, the wind remained erratic and harsh.
Lorian remarked, "Brother, it seems there is going to be a sandstorm. We should find a place to hide."
However, Theo did not respond; he was staring intently at the sky.
As Lorian followed Theo's gaze, his eyes widened. High above, several hundreds of flying beasts resembling bats, each with a distinctive triangular-shaped tail, were following a much larger creature in the similar form, all heading in eastern direction.
As they watched the beasts disappear into the distance, the sandstorm began to intensify. Before Theo could turn around to locate Lorian, visibility dropped sharply. Even with the aid of his Leywin's Gaze, it was difficult to see anything through the blinding swirl of sand. The roaring wind not only obscured his vision but also muffled any sounds, making it nearly impossible to determine Lorian's whereabouts.
The sandstorm was fierce, with powerful gusts churning the sand into a dense, swirling mass. Theo struggled to maintain his footing as the sand shifted unpredictably beneath him. Each step was a battle against the howling winds that seemed intent on sweeping him off his balance.
The air was thick with sand, filling his mouth and lungs each time he attempted to breathe. Disoriented and isolated, Theo pressed forward, using every bit of his strength to navigate through the maelstrom.
After thirty minutes of walking through the sandy winds, the storm subsided.
Theo looked around for any trace of Lorian, but there was no sign of him. It was most likely that they had been separated by the storm.
His skin itched from the sand, and even his throat and nose seemed to be clogged with it. It was an annoying experience.
Theo glanced at the sun to determine his direction. He had come from the north and was heading south.
As Theo was determining the direction and deciding where to go, he heard the sound of heavy steps approaching from behind.
*Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!*
As he turned around, he saw a huge turtle coming in his direction. The beast was almost ten meters in size, and its back was covered with shining blue scales, glistening in the sun.
Theo gasped and quickly teleported out of the beast's path. The huge creature, seemingly unaware of Theo, continued walking towards the east.
Theo was puzzled. "Why is it also going in the same direction?" Taking a moment, he used his Leywin’s Gaze to inspect the beast.
<<<<
[Azure Primordial Terragon]
[~ A formidable guardian beast clad in resplendent scales of deepest sapphire. This titanic entity not only commands respect with its majestic stature but also embodies the primal essence of ancient sovereignty.]
>>>>
Just as he was reading the description and wondering why such a powerful beast was in the Crimson Dunes—a known low-rank area—he heard more movement coming from the north, the direction from which he had just come.
Hundreds of Sunflare Serpents were moving in the same direction, followed by a massive Sunflare Serpent that was triple their size.
Theo didn’t bother to check its description as his gaze fell upon the other creatures that were following the crowd. Several beetle-like beasts ranging from one to two meters in length were also running. They were all heading to the east.
Theo narrowed his eyes, sensing that something strange in the east was drawing all the beasts there. From low-ranked to high-ranked, all the beasts were heading in that direction, but what could it be that was causing them all to converge there?
He wondered, and if he wanted to find the answer, he realized he too would have to head east.
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