After Eric stepped into the stone gate, the light instantly surrounded him. When the light dissipated, he found himself in a vast desert. The blazing sun hung high in the sky, baking the earth mercilessly. The sand beneath his feet was scalding hot, and he could feel the heat penetrate through the soles of his shoes with every step.
Eric looked around. Besides the rolling sand dunes, there was no sign of life. He knew that he had to find water as soon as possible, otherwise, in this harsh environment, he wouldn't last long. At this moment, the crystal ball in his hand flickered with a faint light, and the light pointed towards the northwest.
Eric struggled to move forward in the direction indicated by the crystal ball. The desert wind blew from time to time, and the sky - filling sand blew towards him, making it almost impossible for him to open his eyes. But with his tenacious will, he walked firmly step by step.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, a blurred figure appeared in Eric's line of sight. As he got closer, he could see clearly that it was an old man in a white robe. The old man had a peaceful face, his eyes were full of wisdom, and in his hand, he held a walking stick inlaid with jewels.
"Young man, why are you in this desert?" The old man asked first. Eric briefly told the old man about his adventure. After listening, the old man nodded slightly, "This desert may seem desolate, but it actually hides many dangers. Not far ahead, there is a mysterious well. The water in the well has powerful magic, but guarding the well is a fierce sand beast. If you can defeat it, you will not only get water, but perhaps also gain an unexpected harvest."
Eric thanked the old man and continued on his way. Before long, he saw the well. The wellhead was half - covered by a huge stone, and the sand around it showed obvious signs of being disturbed. Suddenly, the sand ground shook violently, and a huge sand beast emerged from underground. The sand beast was covered with hard sand armor, its four legs were thick and powerful, and its tail was like a steel whip, whistling as it waved in the air.
Eric didn't dare to be careless. He quickly cast wind - type magic to form a wind shield around himself to defend against the possible attacks of the sand beast. The sand beast let out a roar, pawed the ground with its front hooves, and then rushed towards Eric. Eric sidestepped to avoid the frontal impact of the sand beast, and at the same time, released a lightning magic, hitting the side of the sand beast. The sand beast was in pain and turned around to pounce again. This time, it was even faster, and Eric's wind shield cracked a little under the impact.
Eric knew that he couldn't just keep avoiding. He concentrated, mobilized the power obtained from the "Fruit of Destiny" in his body, combined it with the lightning magic, and formed a more powerful bolt of lightning, which struck straight at the sand beast. The sand beast was hit by this bolt of lightning, let out a painful roar, and cracks appeared on its sand armor.
Eric seized the opportunity and cast magic again. This time, he transformed the wind - type magic into a sharp blade and attacked the weak point of the sand beast. Under Eric's fierce attack, the sand beast finally fell to the ground with a crash.
Eric came to the well, and with great effort, he moved the huge stone covering the wellhead. A cool breath emanated from the well. He couldn't wait to scoop up some well water with his hands and take a few sips. The well water was sweet and delicious, and it instantly restored his strength. When his hand touched the well water, a strange feeling welled up in his heart, as if he had established some kind of connection with this desert.
On the well wall, Eric found some carvings, which seemed to be some kind of ancient writing. Just as he was trying to decipher these words, the old man appeared again. The old man smiled and said, "Young man, you've succeeded. These words record the way to leave the desert and a secret hidden beneath the desert." Eric looked at the old man, his eyes full of anticipation. He was eager to know how to leave this desert and what that hidden secret was.