A mild earthquake rippled through the Crimson Expanse, instantly putting the three boys on guard.
Beneath the trembling ground came the sound of massive creatures crawling rapidly through the earth, drawing closer with alarming speed.
A dust cloud rose rapidly as the quake drew the attention of other monsters in the field-type danger zone—giant dust lynxes prowled alongside sand raiders. Growls and shrieks of the creatures echoed through the air, signaling their approach.
The silhouettes sprinting through the dusty clouds struck fear into Ashton and Logan.
Logan quickly stumbled backward instinctively, while Ashton planted himself beside Marlon, a fierce yet scared expression etched on his face.
His hands balled into fists, blue flames crackling and licking around them, coiling with energy, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Marlon tilted his head slowly towards him and flashed a small, assuring smile before returning his attention to the approaching monsters, obstructed by the heavy cloud of dust.
This particular scene reminded him of the horde they fought last night, only that this was on a much smaller scale.
"Target the giant dust lynx, they have a natural weakness for fire," Marlon instructed as he launched forward, causing a strong breeze to blow on Ashton's face.
Ashton swallowed nervously, his heart beating fast as the small horde drew nearer and nearer every second.
His mind raced. If I remain like this forever, I would never reach the likes of Axel Storm!
He recalled the humiliation he had taken because of his inability to fight his fear — the irritated look of his younger brother who, at a younger age, already possessed much stronger pyromancy than him, and the scorn from his own parents — they all played in his mind.
Ashton gritted his teeth, and the blue flames wrapped around his hands grew in size and intensity.
While he went through a minor character development, Marlon was already in the midst of the dust storm, fighting fiercely against a large group of monsters at the same time.
The mid-rank Sand Raiders he faced off against were several levels stronger and around three feet taller than the low-level ones he had fought earlier. They held larger and fiercer weapons, their strength and vitality off the chart, even a single punch of iron could not take them down.
BOOM!
Two heavy rock weapons from two Sand Raiders smashed into the spot Marlon was standing on, digging brutally and deep into the sand.
The sheer force of the attack would've easily smashed him into meat paste if he hadn't ducked in time.
SNARL!
At the spot where he ducked, a desert lynx leapt out of the dust, sinking its sharp teeth into his leg.
[ You've taken bite damage. -36 HP ]
Marlon flinched in pain as he used all the strength he could manage to kick it away.
The lynx let out a sharp growl as it landed and alerted its peers, who lunged out of the shadows immediately.
At the same time, one Sand Raider swung its heavy rocky bat at him.
Marlon's eyes furrowed with extreme focus at that moment.
He dug his boots into the sand, applying strength to his feet as he sprang toward the mid-rank Sand Raider towering over eight feet tall.
PUNCH OF JUDGEMENT!
Marlon twisted midair, right fist drawn back like a coiled spring, left arm cutting through the wind to balance.
His fists blazed with divine light, slamming into the raider's chest. Sand and debris exploded around them, and the shockwave knocked nearby desert lynxes away.
[ You've killed x1 Mid-rank Sand Raider, EXP +97 ]
[ Drain activated: You've absorbed 40 Aether Points ]
[ Level up ]
[ New Level: Level 5 ]
But he could not relax yet.
Not only were the knocked-out monsters regaining their senses and swarming his position, the pain from the bite he had sustained grew more unbearable.
During battle, recovery was always halted. Only during relaxation did recovery take place, and at the moment, resting was a luxury he could not afford.
That was the reason healing potions, healers, and other healing resources were so valued.
"System, add all my free points to Vitality!" he barked.
[ Vitality: 13 (+2) ]
A small, calming sensation spread across his body, reducing the pain by only a small percentage — but it was now more bearable.
His eyes glowed with anger — these ugly monsters had dared to defy his peerless skin, for that, they must die!
With that raging thought in mind, he charged, fists buzzing with lethal power.
The quaking of the ground had not ended. While it wasn't as strong as in the beginning, it was still present.
Almost at the same time —
"D-DIE!"
Ashton stuttered as he barked.
He waved his fire-engulfed fists at the two desert lynxes in front of him.
Each time his flames flew past them, they took cautious steps backward, their natural instincts reacting to the fire.
This only kept them away from attacking, as it dealt no real damage.
Ashton was already shivering, his previous internal dialogues vanished the moment he was challenged.
At the back, Logan held his breath, afraid of attracting the attention of the monsters.
He pressed his body against the magical barrier, praying it would open up and let him outside. But he knew it was impossible.
Once within a danger zone, especially an enclosed one like the Crimson Expanse, exiting was impossible until the objective of the zone was completed.
He fearfully observed the chaos.
The silhouette of the brawl between Marlon and the other creatures within the dust was unclear but visible.
The struggling of his friend against the desert lynxes was clear and visible.
Logan swallowed deeply and took action, sprinting toward Ashton while preparing to use Beast Whisper on the lynxes, hoping it would work.
===
At the same time, a beautiful and curvaceous figure could be seen hovering above the magical barrier enclosing the Crimson Expanse.
Her entire face was covered with a neat black dune mask.
Her body adorned a white and black Sandshift suit that hugged her body seductively, accentuating her curves.
"Interesting." A sweet voice leaked out as she observed the chaos below.