The desert stretched on endlessly.
Three days had passed since the scorpion's death. Three days of walking beneath a merciless sun that seemed determined to burn their resolve into dust.
The dunes looked the same — each one shimmering in the heat haze, rolling and vast, whispering secrets that were not meant for mortal ears.
Yu had grown quiet. His alchemist's instincts, honed by both inheritance and intuition, told him something was wrong. Too wrong.
No plants. No beasts. Not even the faintest ripple of spiritual energy.
It was as if the world itself had stopped breathing.
---
By the third night, even Lian was uneasy.
He stood at the ridge of a low dune, wind tugging at his dark hair, gaze sweeping across the horizon. His expression was calm, but his hand rested lightly on his sword — a habit he rarely broke when danger felt near.
"Not a single trace of life," he murmured, his tone low. "No scent, no movement, no energy signatures."
Yu, seated cross-legged below, was refining what little medicinal powder he had left. A faint blue glow surrounded his hands, weaving the powder into a thin film over a jade vial.
"It's unnatural," Yu replied softly. "Even the dead lands have scavengers. For an area this vast to be empty… something is suppressing it."
"Suppressing?" Lian looked over, brow furrowed.
Yu nodded, corking the vial. "Like a beast's domain. The strong devour everything in their territory. Plants, beasts, even spiritual energy itself."
Lian's eyes narrowed slightly. "A high-level presence."
"Maybe higher," Yu said, his tone grim. "But if that's the case… why haven't we seen it?"
They exchanged a look — that wordless, heavy understanding that came from surviving too many near-deaths together.
The silence of the desert suddenly felt like a warning.
---
Morning came with a dull, copper light. The horizon rippled faintly — a shimmer of heat, or perhaps movement.
They walked wordlessly, the crunch of their boots swallowed by soft sand.
Yu shielded his eyes. "The dunes are moving again."
"Wind?"
"No," Yu said after a pause. "Not wind. The rhythm's too steady. Too… alive."
A pulse.
A tremor.
Then another — stronger this time.
Lian's eyes snapped downward. The sand beneath their feet vibrated.
"Move!" he barked.
Yu barely had time to react. The ground split apart, a roaring column of sand erupting upward like a geyser.
Something massive broke through — a creature so huge it blotted out the sun.
Its body was a grotesque blend of armored plates and slick membrane, its head wide and gaping, rows of needle-like fangs glinting in the sunlight. Its roar made the dunes quake.
Yu stumbled back, shielding his face from flying grit. "What in the heavens—?"
Lian's expression hardened. "Desert Devourer," he said tightly. "A sand wyrm. High mid-tier… maybe even near advanced."
Yu's stomach dropped. "We can't fight that."
"I know."
The beast's massive head swung toward them, its mandibles clacking, venom dripping from its fangs.
The air trembled. The next second, it lunged.
---
Lian grabbed Yu, leaping aside as the creature slammed into the ground where they had stood. The shockwave hurled sand into the sky like a storm.
Yu rolled, coughing. His mana surged instinctively, forming a defensive barrier — a faint cyan sphere that shimmered around them just as debris rained down.
The moment the ground steadied, Lian drew his sword. His thunder mana roared to life, crackling arcs of silver-blue dancing along the blade.
"Yu! When I say run, you run."
Yu's eyes flashed. "Don't you dare give me that order."
Lian met his glare. For an instant, despite the chaos, his expression softened — a flicker of something raw, something unguarded. "Then don't slow me down."
The beast lunged again, its tail whipping through the air like a hammer. Lian leapt upward, meeting it mid-strike. His sword sliced across the creature's armored hide, leaving only a faint scorch.
"Too thick!" he hissed, landing hard.
Yu extended his hand, gathering his mana. Mana flared from his palm — turquoise fire spiraled outward, condensing into a spear.
"Explosive formula — ignition!"
The spear shot forward, striking the beast's side. A burst of azure light — heat, sand, and acid hissed as smoke billowed.
But when the dust cleared, the creature barely staggered.
Lian cursed under his breath. "Its defense regenerates."
"Then we hit where it can't heal," Yu snapped. His voice was tight, focused. His mind moved faster than fear. "The core — three segments below the head. There's a pulse when it breathes. If we—"
The beast roared, cutting him off. Its mouth opened, and the air distorted. A shockwave burst outward, tearing through the dunes like a tidal wave.
Yu was thrown backward, his barrier cracking under the force. He hit the sand hard, vision flashing white.
"Yu!"
Through the ringing in his ears, he heard Lian's shout — raw, furious.
The next moment, a flash of lightning split the air. Lian's sword, glowing like a thunderbolt, struck downward — a line of blinding energy cutting through the beast's flank.
It screamed, twisting violently. Venom sprayed in all directions.
Lian barely had time to raise his arm, taking the brunt of it across his shoulder. The fabric of his sleeve hissed and dissolved, blood searing beneath.
"Damn—!" He staggered, pain flashing through his eyes.
Yu forced himself up, breath ragged. His hands trembled as he poured mana into a vial, mixing herbs with glowing powder.
"Hold still!"
Lian turned just as Yu flung the mixture. It burst into light midair — forming a translucent film that wrapped around his wound.
Lian blinked. "A healing barrier?"
Yu smiled weakly. "Improvised. Don't get used to it."
But his focus was fraying. The mana cost was too high, and the air's toxicity burned with each breath.
The worm reared up again — higher, larger, blotting out the sky entirely.
Its roar rolled across the desert like thunder.
Lian's eyes narrowed. "If we run now, we'll be buried alive."
"So what do you suggest?" Yu demanded.
Lian raised his sword, the glow of thunder qi pulsing faintly around him. "We fight until it gives us an opening."
Yu clenched his jaw. "You're insane."
Lian's lips twitched — the ghost of a smirk. "You knew that when you followed me."
---
The beast struck again.
Lian met its charge head-on, lightning wrapping around his body like armor. His sword carved a brilliant arc across the sky, cleaving through the monster's jaw. Blood — thick and luminous green — splattered the sand.
But before he could retreat, the creature twisted, its tail slamming into him with crushing force.
"Lian!" Yu screamed.
Lian hit the ground hard, coughing blood. His sword fell from his grasp, sinking halfway into the sand.
Without thinking, Yu ran — cyan mana flaring around his hands. His mana pulsed with desperate precision as he traced glowing runes midair.
Three circles formed around the worm's midsection, expanding rapidly before detonating in a massive burst of cyan mana.
The explosion rocked the desert — sand turning to glass where it struck. The beast shrieked, convulsing violently.
For a brief second, Yu thought it might fall.
Then its massive head turned — directly toward him.
Its mouth opened, darkness swirling within — a vortex of raw spiritual suction.
"Damn it—!"
The pull was immediate. Sand and air twisted around him, dragging him forward. Yu dug his heels in, pouring mana into his core just to resist.
"Lian—!"
A flash of light — then Lian was there, moving with impossible speed. He grabbed Yu's arm, pulling him back, body shielding him from the wind.
"Hold on!" he shouted. "It's drawing energy for something big—"
The ground shook violently. Beneath their feet, cracks spread — deep, dark fissures glowing faintly with golden light.
Yu's breath caught. "This isn't just a beast! It's connected to the desert's core!"
"Meaning?"
"If it dies—" Yu's eyes widened — "—the entire terrain could collapse!"
Lian's grip tightened on his arm. "Then we don't kill it. We run."
He didn't wait for an answer. With one arm around Yu's waist, he launched them both into the air, using thunder mana to propel himself across the dunes.
Behind them, the beast roared again — furious, injured, but far from defeated.
Sand waves rose like storms, swallowing the sky.
Yu's vision blurred. His mana reserves were nearly spent, his limbs shaking from exhaustion. "It's— it's following us—"
"I know."
"We won't outrun it!"
"Then we find cover."
"Where?! There's nothing here!"
Lian's jaw clenched. He didn't answer. His gaze was fixed forward — scanning, desperate.
Then he saw it — a shimmer in the distance, faint and rippling like an oasis mirage.
He didn't hesitate. "There!"
They ran. The ground behind them split again, a gaping maw rising from the dunes, fangs gleaming under moonlight.
Yu turned mid-sprint, channeling the last of his mana.
A final explosion bloomed behind them — a brilliant blue light that threw the beast back for half a breath.
But it wasn't enough. The sand worm recovered almost instantly, its massive body surging forward.
They reached the shimmer — and Yu realized too late it wasn't water.
It was air — distorted, unstable.
"Lian—wait—!"
But before he could finish, the ground gave way beneath them.
The worm lunged, jaws wide.
The last thing Yu saw was its shadow falling over them — vast, black, endless.
Then the world vanished into darkness.
.....