Grabbing the Purifying Elixir of Aegis and popping off the lid, revealed a long, dreadful needle. Owen shivered just looking at it. But now wasn’t the time to hesitate because of his dislike of needles. He quickly read the instructions provided and paused.

“There’s no way,” He mumbled to himself, realising where he had to stick the needle. He took a breath and glanced at Gorath, “it needs to be plunged into the heart.”

“You can do it, my Lord,” Gorath said. “Have confidence.”

“Right, confidence.”

Realising what he was about to do, Owen shakily unfastened Pyris’s armour. The plated armour seemed mediaeval and magical. He unfastened the straps and lifted the breastplate, only to realise just how heavy it was. Using all of his strength, he hoisted the heavy metal off and slammed it into the sand.

He stared at her for a moment. “I’m sorry, please excuse me,” he said, placing his finger on her chest to find where he had to strike.

“Oh shit,” he said, palms turning sweaty. “Okay, not thoughts. Just do it—”

Owen plunged the needle into Pyris’s heart in one swift motion. She gasped sharply, her eyes snapping open.

“Pyris.” Owen shuffled closer, but realised she was in no condition to speak. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she quickly fell back asleep. Owen turned to Gorath.

“Try giving her a health tincture now,” Gorath instructed. Owen complied, dripping one of the last potions into her mouth. This time, her wounds began to heal completely. Owen wiped the sweat pouring from his forehead and flashed a relieved smile.

I think I’m going to be sick.

“My Lord,” Gorath said, also smiling, “it’s working. The antidote is fighting the corruption. And it’s winning. The potion is… marvellous.”

For what it cost me, it better be.

But there were no regrets. Even if it had cost tens of thousands of credits, he’d have done it again. Watching as Pyris’s pained expression washed away like the tide reaffirmed that belief. It was all worth it.

Owen held her hand. “You’ll get better. I’m certain of it.”

After comforting her for a few minutes, Owen stood up, his attention moved to the orc they had detected before. The fact that there were orcs outside his territory could mean a few things. One, there was another Lord in the vicinity. Two, it was just one random Orc that had been placed here like many humans from Earth. Three, they had a leader, but he wasn’t a Lord. Owen hoped it was the second one.

The Land Between originally only had monsters. There were no humanoid races, and the only ones that were here were from Earth. Or other worlds. Because of that, Earth was no longer a place just belonging to humans. The people from other worlds could enter their bastions, enter their gateways, and go to Earth. Just like other Heros visited them.

And that was just the least of his worries. His mind spun. He had to release some stress while waiting for his hunters to return.

After spending a couple hours working on the mountain, creating more rooms, digging deeper in an attempt to find precious rock and metal, of which he hadn’t found any yet, he returned back to the sands. But not completely empty handed.

Quest gained: Harvest 10,000 tonnes of Sand Rock.

| Reward: 5 Summoning Tickets: Miners.

The mission was promising—exactly what he needed for long-term progress. With the additional Miners, they could work around the clock: the crew by day, and Owen could oversee the night shift after his duties. It meant a significant boost in productivity, pushing them one step closer to obtaining metal. After that, all he’d need was a Blacksmith. Easier said than done.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Reaching the main portion of his land, he made contact with the leader of the hunters: Draed. He had returned unharmed with Cedric and Lome. Owen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Draed,” Owen said as the elf hunter bowed. “Where are we at with the orcs?”

Upon hearing the words, Gorath wandered over.

“I tracked the steps in the sand to those mountains,” Draed pointed to two mountains that was parted in the middle. “I didn’t dare head any further across the open. There is something… big hiding under the sands. I think it knows when I step.”

“Big,” Owen repeated. “Just how big are we talking?”

“I’m not too certain, my Lord. All I know is that it is no monster that I hope to fight. I felt my bones rattle, my blood run cold despite the heat.”

Could be a Colossal Worm.

"Alright," Owen said. "Firstly, we need to understand our enemy. If they are friendly, we can negotiate an alliance. If they are hostile," he paused, clenching his teeth, "then we can't coexist with them."

"If they crossed the desert without angering whatever lurks underground, they can move freely," Draed added.

Cedric spoke up. "With your permission, my Lord, Draed and I can lay in wait, using the sands as camouflage. If they've found our location, it won't be long before they set up a permanent scout. For all we know, they already have one watching us."

Owen scanned the surroundings. To his back was a steep mountain; a climber among the enemy could render its height useless. On the other side, huge dunes stretched into the distance, beyond which lay the mountains where Draed had scouted the orcs.

"Alright," Owen said. "But be careful. I can't lose you.”

"My Lord, if I may speak?" Lome asked. Owen nodded. Lome continued, "We need more recruits."

"For that, we need to hunt," Owen said. "But you're right, we are stretched thin. I have something in mind, but I need to rest before using my powers again. Alright—" Owen clapped. "—Draed, Cedric, you can go now. If you find their scout, don’t kill them. Capture if necessary. I don't want to make enemies if we can avoid it."

Maybe it was naivety, maybe it was a thought that not all orcs were as bad as each other. But he wanted to avoid confrontation if he could.

They nodded.

Owen turned to Brook the Builder. "Brook, don't build another house just yet. Create a battlement at the border of the dome in case the orcs attack. Make it shaded so we can also use it as shelter or storage. I’ve already started on rooms in the mountain. But we need a decoy. The castle you build will be that decoy. Design it in a way that it’s enough to fend off against that damn tsunami as well. If you need my help to gather more resources, just let me know. Hopefully I’ll get more builders soon."

Brook saluted, fist to heart. "Your wish is my command, my Lord."

I would create defences at the mountain, but that would make it obvious if I were to make that my main base, Owen thought. I’m not the only one with digging capabilities.

"Gorath," Owen continued, "if these beings truly are orcs, I may need your expertise. Where do they keep food? How do they store it? How do they patrol? Tell Lome everything and he will relay it to Draed when they return. Head to the south. Don’t leave far outside the dome. Kill any monster you see. But be careful of traps. Keep your eyes peeled on the sand.”

Lome saluted. Gorath bowed. They left together.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Owen said, "As for me, I need to rest. After that, I'll assess what we've gained and try to recruit more units."

"As the Lord wills,” all said at the same time.

Owen nodded as they quickly went about their tasks. He handed Lome his war tortoise again, knowing his war steed would be of no use confined within the Lord's barrier. With Lome as his most potent fighting force, he had to send them out to the south with power. The more they killed, the more Levels they gained, the more powerful everyone became.

Owen took out the cacti he had acquired before and placed them in the sand. The Builders sliced them open and drank the contents within before getting back to work. Owen copied them, slurping up the nectar of the desert plant. He wasn’t done there. Brook had erected a smoke hut at some point for the fire, which Owen thanked him internally. Then, he hung the meat up and notified the others that food would be ready soon.

As for Owen, he was fighting off sleep. He was far too tired to even feel his stomach rumbling.

Looking for a good place to sleep, Owen entered the building Brook had just constructed, he felt a cool breeze from above. Looking up, he noticed a small amount of light filtering in from windows built into the high tower. Those were the only windows. Brook had created a wind tunnel, perfect for the desert climate.

He had Brook’s ingenuity to thank. Owen took out a sleeping pad and prepared for some much-needed rest. God knows he needed it. The moment his back touched the cool floor, his eyes grew heavy, and darkness enveloped him.

----------------------------------------

Pyris saw her world burn in a cascade of red and purple flames. The wretched, blood-curdling screams of her people echoed in her ears, haunting her soul. An ocean of blood, with skeletal hands rising from its depths, screamed out her name.

“Pyris,” their hoarse, dead voices called. “Never forget. Never forget.”