Lai lashed a kick to the large sand hounds chest, her back pressed against the wall. The beast barked and lunged with starving ferocity. The monster’s jaw latched around her calf. Heat spread across her leg as if she had just plunged it into a furnace.

The sand hound jostled its head, and Lai along with it. Her head struck the side of the small cave she had found for refuge. Now the beast wanted it. She wouldn’t let it.

Screaming, Lai, with her summoned knife, leaned into the bite, and stuck her blade into the beast's eye. The power increased even further from her Lord Emblem. But even that didn’t unlock the sand hounds jaws. Lai took out the blade, and was about to sink it into the monster’s flesh when the beast twisted its head again, smashing Lai against the wall. She seethed in pain. Something cracked, her ribs—maybe two.

Jasp, Lai thought feverishly. That one thought manifested into an all consuming ferocity that was no less than the beast in front of her.

Unable to retreat, Lai didn’t bother. She reached forwards and chomped down on the beast's other eye. She bit down as hard as she could. Fur and the metallic tang of blood gushed into her mouth. She ripped her head away—along with a gelatinous eyeball.

The Sand Hound thrashed, striking the slender cave’s wall. The beast tried to scuttle back, but she wouldn’t let it. To find her son, she had to become stronger—had to kill it.

Lai slammed her shoulder into the retreating, fumbling beast. Both of them fell to the floor, Lai on top. In a maddened craze, she unleashed a torrent of strikes to the monster. Face, neck, chest, sides—anywhere she could stab—she did so.

After the 20th or so strike, the only sound that remained in the cave was Lai’s heavy breathing. She fell back. She felt the strength draining out of her body. A quick glance at her leg told her that she was going to bleed out in minutes—probably seconds.

She had no potions left. No bandages. Her top barely remained, and the same could be said for her trousers. If she didn’t die from blood loss tonight, she’d freeze to death at night. But she couldn’t die here. Not when Jasp was out there somewhere.

Stifling back her cries, she wiped the blood from her face and carved into the beast. She skinned the fur and quickly placed it on the market for 5 Credits. It was underpriced by quite a bit, but she needed 5 more Credits to make up the rest for a basic bandage.

But she wouldn’t make it until then. Not unless the hide bought instantly, which it didn’t. So, she continued carving up the beast, using her Fragment blade to slice its skin into strips which she then tied across her leg as a makeshift tourniquet—something she had learned from Hank—her summoned Hunter.

Tightening the tourniquet so much that it cut off the circulation of her leg, her thoughts turned to her fallen kingdom. Noone had made it. Not Hank, a 6-Star Hunter, not Vel’ri, not any of the others. All of them had died so that she could make it out alive. And she did. Barely.

All because of that… man.

Gritting her bloodied teeth, flesh stuck in between, Lai dragged herself to the back wall, shrouded in darkness. Like a wounded, cornered beast, she stared at the cave entrance, blade in hand. She’d make it out alive. She’d find Jasp. No matter what it took. No matter who she had to kill.

Sand Hound Pelt (Inferior) x1 has sold for 5000 Credits.

5—5 thousand?! Lai thought weakly in utter disbelief. She thought she was delirious from blood loss. But when she opened her System, it wasn’t a flight of insanity—it was true. She bought a high quality potion for 2000 Credits right away. It was an exorbitant amount, but it was easy to guess why. Potions were hard to come by. People had to make them. Early, she doubted many Lord’s had access to alchemists.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

The potion was deposited in her hand. With a trembling grip, she uncorked the crystal container and drank the liquid. So warm, she thought, letting out a slight moan as all the wounds on her body restored at a speed visible to the eye.

She took a moment to breath before taking off the bloodied makeshift tourniquet. She flexed her muscles that were far more dexterous than she could have ever dreamed of. It was all thanks to her Lord Emblem.

Lord Emblem — Graceful Might: Grants the wielder extraordinary swordsmanship. Every strike carries increased power, making each blow feel heavier and more devastating. It enhances both Strength and Dexterity, allowing for fluid, precise movements while delivering overwhelming force. With Graceful Might, the user’s attacks are not only swift and accurate but also hit with incredible weight, turning even the lightest blade into a lethal weapon.

It was only because of that she had managed to survive against the monsters of the desert. She had been stuck in this cave for the past 4 days. The moment her barrier fell, she was beset by monsters and man alike. She didn’t last a single day.

She grit her teeth, and the image of that man surfaced in her mind once more, threatening to send her over the edge. She forced herself to calm down. Another thought brought her peace.

Someone she knew had bought that pelt for such an exorbitant price. Someone was helping her. But who? Her first thought was Owen. He seemed to know far too much. His eyes were… kind, but also calculating. Like he was constantly trying to think two steps ahead; like he could see the future. Could it be him? She shook her head at the thought.

She quickly checked the market and saw that everyone was still alive. Jasp was still alive. She clenched her hands into fists. It was the only thing keeping her going.

Owen only had a single Star Talent. One point every Level. Even if he knew the future like the others claimed he did, there was no way he could escape the dangers of this cursed land with that pitiful Attribute gain. She hoped that he was still alive. He had saved her boy—for that, she was eternally grateful. If he was alive, if she herself lived, she’d make it a priority to help him in this place.

But deep down, she knew he was dead. A single point to his Attributes every Level… he would have to gain a god-like Emblem if he was to come out on the other side alive.

Caroline? Callan?

It must be Callan, she thought. With his strength and Talent, he had the highest likelihood of earning so much. Of surviving.

Thank you, Callan, Lai thought as she bought some more clothes—which were probably from fallen Units. But she didn’t care. At least she wouldn’t freeze to death. She huddled in the corner and waited for the tsunami to wash over the land. And it did. The cave barely resisted against it. She sat at the back, her entire waist consumed in sand. It was only by luck it didn’t cover her entirely.

It was so dark, she couldn’t see her hands in front of her face. She was used to it now. Or maybe it was because her thoughts were consumed by something else. Her son—Jasp—was out there somewhere, hiding in the darkness.

“I’ll come to find you,” she mumbled, clenching her fists so across her blade handle that her knuckles turned white. “Keep fighting, and I’ll do the same. I won’t stop, my son.”

At that moment, she felt the sand shift. Adrenaline took over her body, crashing against her system. Heart thrashing in her chest, she instinctively covered her face and heart.

Something burst out of the sand and clung onto her shoulder, piercing her flesh. She screamed out in pain and with her dagger, stabbed whatever it was with increased velocity. Her blade sunk deep, the tip of her dagger sinking into her flesh. But she didn’t care. She had to kill whatever had attacked her.

You have slain a Sand Worm (Level 13)

| You have reached Level 14

Lai instantly placed the 5 points she earned and placed them into Dexterity. The faster she moved, the more strength she’d have thanks to her Lord Emblem.

She heard something slither in the sand once again. Gnashing her teeth, she readied herself for battle.