Chapter 14 - Chapter 13: The Desert of End

 Rujed stared at Rael for a moment and then burst out laughing. "'We are fucked,' huh?" He wiped a tear from his eye. "Well, those are exactly three words—and honestly, nothing better could be said in that word limit." He clicked his tongue and added with a serious face, "So, Rael kid… you're going to die a virgin. I hope God at least sends you to heaven." Rael frowned. "How is that the first thing that comes to your mind? And I'm not planning on dying anytime soon." "Yeah, yeah," Rujed waved it off. "So what are you going to do? You're already on the radar of an eagle. I don't believe even you can fight against the Trong Division." He lay back on the big rock, staring at the sky. "This village doesn't have the power or even the means to stop that beast," he continued. "An A+ ranker can destroy a city in the blink of an eye. What can a small village do against that?" He held up a hand, counting on his fingers. "And he's not alone. He has more than fifteen thousand soldiers under him. Even if he comes with just one percent of his force—we're all dead. Yet these stupid villagers think a wall made out of mud and stone will protect them." He let out a short, bitter laugh. "When I entered the village, that old man was asking around to borrow money to hire someone to cast a defensive spell. Even if I gave him everything I own, the best they could get is maybe a B+ or A- magician. I'm pretty sure that won't be enough against that monster." Rujed sighed heavily, rubbing his face with both hands. "So yeah… if you don't have someone who can fight this force, we're doomed." He lay fully on the stone, staring like a man already worn out by the future. Rael cleaned the last bit of dust from the finished sword and then said calmly, "I have someone." Rujed shot up straight. "What?!" Rael stood, slung the sword over his shoulder, and looked at him. "Come with me." … They left the village quietly, taking the back road where no one could see them. Rael walked in front, Rujed following behind, confused but trusting. After about fifteen kilometers, the greenery thinned out. The back side of the village opened into a region surrounded by harsh, jagged mountains. Beyond those mountains lay a place people only whispered about—the Desert of End. Rujed grabbed Rael's wrist. "Hey, hey. Where are we going? Past this point is the Desert of End!" Rael glanced back at him. "Yeah. And we're not going there." He pointed ahead at the mountains. "This is the place I want you to see." Rujed followed his gaze. Between the rocky cliffs, hidden in the shadows, there was a cave entrance. At first glance, it was nothing special—just another dark hole in the mountain. But as they got closer, the air changed. The ground vibrated with a pressure that made Rujed's knees feel weak. The mana in the air was so dense it felt like it was pressing on his lungs. Rael stopped a short distance away and asked quietly, "Tell me, Uncle… can you feel it?" Rujed's eyes widened. His heart raced. Cold sweat ran down his back. "What the… what the hell is this…?" he whispered.