Owen wasted no time ordering the retreat. Together, they bolted for the open tunnel. Owen placed the wounded soldier on the back of Shelldon. His breathing was ragged and uneven. “Lyle, you’ll make it,” Owen assured him, meeting his weakened eyes as they ran across the desert.

Elena was also riding on Shelldon. Unlike Draed, she wasn’t as agile, needing to remain stationary to charge up her shots. But it was worth it. Each shot she fired took the life of an orc as they dashed across the sands.

Draed, who had focused on a more mobile class evolution, fired homing arrows while sprinting. Thanks to the level difference between him and the weaker orcs, every arrow hit its mark. But he was running out. Before, he had the opportunity to retrieve his arrows, but with them being fired so far away, there was no way to recover them now.

Thankfully, Elena was different in that regard. Instead of using physical arrows, she conjured them with mana. However, she too was running low on this resource and needed time to gather more. Worse yet, because her arrows were so powerful, they drained her energy faster than usual.

The archer duo killed nine orcs before nearing the tunnel. They were going to make it, but the Orcen Lord had other plans.

The orc planted his feet in the ground, roared so loudly it boomed across the sands, then blasted forward at incredible speed. Owen had reached the tunnel and was busy shuttling everyone down—especially the wounded.

He grit his teeth as the Lord rapidly approached.

“Hurry!” Owen shouted as the others dropped into the tunnel.

The Lord was so close Owen felt the killing intent wash over him like sticky, hot water. Goosebumps rose on his flesh, and the fine hairs at the back of his neck tingled. Devil’s Reflexes told him to move, now.

“Ready!” Rehan shouted from below.

The moment the words were uttered, Owen sent Shelldon back into his soul and jumped into the tunnel headfirst. As he fell, he deposited an enormous amount of sand above him. The Lord’s axe cleaved into the sand, but it absorbed most of the impact.

Owen expected the Lord to follow him by jumping into the sand falling down the tunnel at an alarming rate, but he didn’t. Owen fell down the tunnel—it was around a 60-metre drop—scraping his palms and elbows in an attempt to slow his fall. Head first, fear bubbled through his senses.

However, the sand was faster than his descent. Managing to slow himself somewhat, he landed in a mound of golden sand. Lome pulled him out, and Owen quickly placed the stone back. He couldn’t hear any signs of the Lord following, or if he was, the sand had absorbed all the impact from above.

Silence reigned for a moment. Only the sound of panting breath could be heard. And then Rehan started laughing, followed by Draed and then Mirian and the rest of the troops. Owen joined in, falling onto his back and resting against the cool walls of the passage.

They had won. No one had died. Cedric was busy bandaging Lyle's wounds. Then, together, they returned back to the kingdom. The Lord had already returned, once again banging on the barrier.

When the hell is he going to give up? Owen thought, but secretly, he was happy about that. The longer he stayed here meant that he wasn’t out there getting stronger. Hit away, that barrier isn’t going anywhere for another two days.

The wounded were taken to the wall to be healed by Rizael. In the meantime, Owen was standing with all the Generals. The orc, still bound to the pillar, was shouting through the piece of cloth stuck in his mouth. Gorath, who was still acting as a disgraced member of Owen’s party, was also chained to the pillar next to the orc. Owen made double sure to keep the enemy orc fully restricted. He didn’t want his hands getting on Gorath. Owen wouldn’t fail him like that. But now Gorath was here with him.

“First off,” Owen asked the Generals. “Do you think we should continue using the tunnels for the remaining days to hunt?”

Rehan crossed his arms. “Why not? The orcen Lord is clearly too angry to think straight.”

Owen glanced at the raging Lord. “Yeah, you’re probably right. So we’ll continue using the tunnels. Heighten security. We don’t know if they’ll plant a trap.”

“We’re almost there, huh?” Rehan asked with a smile.

Owen nodded, but he couldn’t smile. Not yet. “Almost. If we can continue to get stronger during these next couple days, and finish the wall in time,” Owen paused, “Then maybe.”

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“We’ve made it this far,” Draed added, lips curling into a smile. “Just a couple more steps.”

“Alright then,” Owen said with determination. “We’ll make it. I’ve decided.”

Everyone laughed. Spirits after their victory were high.

Now that he no longer needed the orcen Lord here as a distraction, Owen turned to Elena and Draed. “How are you feeling? Ready to turn that orcen Lord into an oversized pin cushion?”

Draed and Elena smiled. They readied their bows, turned to the Lord beyond the wall, and fired. Two arrows of varying energy flew towards the orcen Lord. He roared, blocking Elena’s arrow, and simply ignored Draed’s arrow. The elf’s arrow tip lodged into his green skin. It was just a flesh wound. The Lord pulled it out, then smashed on the barrier once again with his towering axe. The warriors by his side erected shields.

Owen shook his head. “Just keep shooting. If you can kill him or the others, then that’s great. We’ll attack him throughout the day. It will be a great chance to weaken him, at the very least.”

The orcen Lord was a terrifying opponent. He had spent the time grinding away at the Sand Hounds to level himself up, and his units. It was an oversight. One that Owen bashed himself over, but now that the Rift was cleared, there wouldn’t be so many monsters left to hunt.

Not only that, but his race guaranteed the summoning of orcs—all of which were powerful on average. They were all physically strong, filled with rage, and fueled with the desire to grind their opponents into dust, with battle instincts of natural born warriors.

Owen clicked his tongue, ignoring him for now. Now it was time to view his rewards, and add to his army.

Your subordinates have defeated an Arid Marauder x1, Sand Hound x27, Dune Prowler x5.

| Your subordinates have Levelled up!

| Your subordinates have gathered Summoning Tickets.

| Warrior x3, Hunter x2.

Gorath is ready for his Class Evolution

| Rehan is ready for his Class Evolution

| Mirian is ready for her Class Evolution

Quest Complete: Clear the Sand Hound Rift.

| Reward gained: Summoning Tickets 5x Warrior, Apprentice Rank Fragment Weapon, Extra Experience.

Woah, Owen thought, amazed at the amount of experience he was granted from clearing the Rift. In the book, Rifts were not so common throughout the Land Between. But in the Cursed Lands, they spawned quite often. Most of them were deadly, and running into one in the open sands meant guaranteed death. He was lucky to be near a Sand Hound one and not something else.

Owen was quite aware that most of his survival to date was up to luck. It was important not to rely on it.

First, Owen ripped all of the Warrior tickets and thankfully, he received a good one. Four stars. Owen smiled. Summoned, was a centaur. Owen recalled them from Greek mythology, and they were known for their bowmanship. But this one was clearly not focused on utilising ranged weaponry.

Instead of a horse-like body, it was in the form of a camel, or something resembling it. Naturally armoured plates covered his sides, chest, and stomach. Thick muscle that was akin to bundled steel wire was visible throughout. He had two curved horns that were around 3 feet tall. He held a very long two-handed curved sword. The etchings on the blade were beautiful, and they depicted some sort of battle against demons. He was named Thorin Stonehide and his specialty was cavalry warfare.

The other Warriors were of various races. Human, beast-woman, and even a type of rock golem. They were all 2-stars, which was quite good.

They all bowed, and Owen sent them to Draed to be briefed about what was happening. Lome didn’t have a strategic bone in his skeleton.

excused himself and wandered over to the dome. He gazed at the orcen Lord as he was still smashing against the barrier. Balthus didn’t seem bothered about the raging lunatic on the other side. His shoulders didn’t budge, his eyes didn’t waver for a second. Owen didn’t know how he was doing it.

What had he seen in his home world? Owen thought in admiration for his new manager.

With that done, the next thing he did was accept the new Fragment Weapon.

Fragment: [Heartseeker's Edge]

| Tier: Apprentice

| Type: Weapon/Two-Handed Sabre

| Description: This formidable sabre is a masterpiece forged in the name of the Blood Mother. Its heart-like pulse empowers its wielder with unmatched agility, making it ideal for those with extraordinary reflexes.

| Runes: Pulse Resonance, Veil Sunder, Blood Tempo

| Evolution Requirement: Heart of a (Veteran) ranked monster.

Spawning before Owen was an imposing two-handed curved blade, its dark surface gleaming with a polished sheen. Measuring approximately four feet in length, the weapon exuded an aura of both elegance and menace. The blade featured a full knuckle guard, its intricate workmanship displaying an astounding level of detail, with swirling patterns and symbols that hinted at a history steeped in mystery. The hilt itself was complex, its design a masterful blend of form and function, providing both comfort and control.

As Owen gripped the hilt, the weapon seemed to come alive in his hands. A thin crimson line ran through the centre of the blade, and as he held it, the line pulsed rhythmically, syncing perfectly with his own heartbeat. This connection was immediate and profound, as if the blade were responding to his very essence.

He gave the weapon an experimental swing, marvelling at how it sliced through the air with effortless grace. Each movement of the sabre seemed to harmonise with the steady rhythm of his pulse, as if it were an extension of his own body. The sensation was exhilarating, the blade responding to his every thought and command with uncanny precision.

Eager to unlock its full potential, Owen focused on the mysterious Runes etched along the blade's edge, waiting to discover the secrets hidden within their ancient symbols.