As both Kael and Marcus stepped through the ruin gate, a strange sensation enveloped them. A heatwave slammed into their skin, and a blinding light forced their eyes to squint. When their vision adjusted, they found themselves standing in the middle of an arid desert—sands stretching to the horizon beneath a blistering sun.
"Whoa," Marcus muttered, raising a hand to shield his eyes. "Where's the brochure that warned us about this scorching welcome?"
Kael chuckled, brushing sand off his boots. "Let me guess—no ice magic, right?"
Marcus grinned. "Nope. All fire. Guess that makes me right at home."
But before they could joke any further, the sand to their left began to tremble. A rumbling sound followed, like the deep growl of a hungry beast. Then—
FWOOOM!
A massive worm erupted from beneath the dunes, its jagged maw lined with circular rows of sharp teeth. It lunged straight at them.
"MOVE!" Kael shouted.
Both jumped in opposite directions, the creature crashing down where they'd stood moments ago. It retreated beneath the sand with alarming speed, kicking up dust.
Kael quickly raised a stone platform, lifting them above the ground.
"Back-to-back!" he commanded.
Marcus nodded, standing behind Kael with his sword drawn. They scanned the shifting sands below.
"Where is it?"
"Feel it with your Prana sense," Kael said, closing his eyes for a brief moment.
Marcus followed suit. Then—
"There! Behind you!"
The worm burst from behind. Kael fired an earth-arrow straight into its face, staggering it mid-air. Marcus blasted fire from the soles of his feet, launching himself skyward.
"FLAME SLASH!"
He came down like a meteor, his sword glowing red-hot as it cleaved through the worm's body. With a violent shudder, it split in half and crashed to the ground, twitching.
Marcus landed beside Kael, smirking. "One down."
But then their expressions changed.
The entire desert began to quake.
They both expanded their Prana sense. Dozens—no, hundreds—of lifeforms were tunneling toward them.
Kael grinned. "Looks like we've got company."
Marcus cracked his neck. "Care to make it interesting?"
"Kill count contest?"
"You read my mind."
The swarm arrived in a fury. Worms exploded from every direction. Kael summoned walls of stone and sharp spires from beneath the sand, impaling creatures mid-air. Marcus darted between them like a dancing flame, each sword slash a fiery arc of destruction.
"That one was mine!" Kael shouted as Marcus slashed a worm mid-air.
"Too slow, rock-boy!"
Kael rolled his eyes. "Fine, two can play that game."
He raised both hands and slammed them into the platform, sending a seismic shockwave that launched dozens of worms out of the sand like popcorn. He followed it up by creating a rain of earth-arrows that pierced them mid-fall.
Marcus whooped. "Okay, that was impressive."
He dashed through a trio of worms, fire trailing behind him. He spun mid-air and launched a flaming crescent from his blade.
"Burning Crescent!"
The wave sliced through multiple enemies in one motion. He landed on top of a worm's corpse, panting.
Kael slammed down another wall to block a group heading for Marcus. "Better keep up, hothead!"
The battle raged on. Prana clashed with fangs and sand. Sweat poured from both of them. Blood stained the dunes. And yet, they laughed.
Marcus cut down the last worm with a reverse flaming Iai slash and stood on a mountain of carcasses.
"That's twenty-three," he said smugly.
Kael, leaning against a nearby rock, raised an eyebrow. "Twenty-five, actually."
"Liar."
Kael tossed a worm head to him. "Proof."
Marcus groaned, then grinned. "Fine. Rematch next ruin."
The ground trembled again—but this time, the rumble was deafening.
They turned slowly.
From the far dunes, a colossal worm emerged. At least ten times the size of the ones before. Its carapace glistened under the sun like obsidian. Mandibles the size of trees clicked ominously.
"Guess we found the boss," Marcus whispered.
Kael cracked his knuckles. "Let's end this."
The giant worm roared, spraying acidic mist across the sand. Kael raised a dome of stone to block it.
"Go left! I'll pin it!"
Marcus blasted off to the left, circling the beast. Kael slammed his fists into the ground, and from beneath the worm erupted stone chains that wrapped around its body, holding it in place.
"NOW, MARCUS!"
"On it!"
Marcus surged upward, spinning with his sword glowing white-hot.
"FLAME DRAGON FANG!"
He crashed down directly into the worm's head. It shrieked as the fire exploded through its body. Kael followed up by launching a massive stone spike directly into its mouth.
The worm spasmed violently—then collapsed.
Smoke and dust settled.
They both stood atop the body, catching their breath.
"That was... insane," Kael panted.
"I'm calling that a draw," Marcus smirked.
The worm's corpse cracked open, revealing a hidden chamber. Inside was a large, ornate chest made of gold and bone. Marcus opened it slowly.
Worms wriggled inside but quickly turned to ash from the ambient fire Prana. At the center lay a glowing scroll.
Kael picked it up, inspecting it. "It's a breathing technique. Ancient. Enhances combat ability through Prana flow."
He handed it to Marcus. "My family taught me a specialized one for archery. This one's yours."
Marcus nodded and touched the scroll.
A surge of information hit his brain—like someone pouring hot tea directly into his skull. Symbols, patterns, movements. He staggered.
"Whoa..."
He sat cross-legged and began to breathe as instructed. A strange rhythm filled his chest—but after a moment, he began to cough violently.
Kael laughed. "You downloaded the manual but forgot your hardware's not upgraded yet."
Marcus coughed again. "It's... fine. I'll master it soon enough."
Kael reached into the chest again and pulled out a sleek glove. He slipped it on and flexed his fingers.
"Enhanced dexterity," he noted. Then he tossed Marcus a cloak.
Marcus unfolded it. It was black with red lining, flowing like silk but thick like armor. "Nice."
"Temperature regulating, and it looks cool."
Marcus slipped it on. "Stylish and functional. My favorite combo."
The rest of the chamber held gold coins, relics, and gems. They spent the next half hour hauling the treasure into their SUV.
As they finished loading the last crate, Marcus leaned against the hood.
"Next city's not gonna know what hit it."
Kael smirked, keys in hand. "Let's roll."
With the ruin behind them and a fortune in their possession, the two adventurers set off toward their next destination—one step closer to glory.