Chương 115: Desert Dwellers

Crossing the desert took time. Far too much time. At first, it didn't seem that bad. You walked. You followed the glowing golden thread. You occasionally glanced around to make sure the scenery hadn't somehow changed. Then you realized the scenery wasn't changing because the scenery had collectively agreed to become sand forever. Dune. After dune. After another dune. It was like walking through an ocean designed by someone who had looked at beaches and thought, "You know what this needs?

Less water and more suffering." The sun hung overhead without mercy. Its rays beat down on us relentlessly. There were no clouds. No patches of shade. No giant trees to provide relief. Just endless blue sky and an aggressively enthusiastic amount of sunlight. Heat radiated upward from the sand beneath our feet. Heat pressed downward from above. Heat wrapped around us from every direction. The entire floor felt like being trapped inside a giant oven. An oven with monsters. I wiped sweat from my forehead.

"... This place sucks." The words came out with the conviction of a man making an objective observation. Because they were. I hadn't even fired a single bullet yet. Nothing had tried to kill us. No monsters had jumped out. No boss fights. No dramatic betrayals. And somehow... I already felt exhausted. My legs felt heavier. My throat felt dry. Every step sank slightly into the shifting sand before demanding another effort to pull free. Walking on this floor required energy. Existing on this floor required energy.

Breathing on this floor probably came with hidden stamina costs. I narrowed my eyes at the desert.

"I would like to file a complaint." I pointed accusingly at the nearest dune.

"Who designed this?"

"What kind of evil genius looked at normal walking and said, 'What if we made it significantly more annoying?'" I dragged myself up another slope.

"You know what would've been nice?"

"Sidewalks." I placed a hand over my chest.

"I miss sidewalks." Back on Earth, people took sidewalks for granted. Concrete. Flat surfaces. The ability to walk without slowly sinking into disappointment. Civilization had peaked. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Eventually, after what felt like an unreasonable amount of hiking through nature's sandbox, something appeared in the distance. I squinted.

"... Wait." Shapes. Actual shapes. Structures. Not dunes. Not cacti. Not more sand. Hope surged through my exhausted soul.

"There it is." I straightened slightly.

"Oh, thank goodness." The silhouette of a village rose from the horizon. Buildings clustered together near what appeared to be a gathering point. Fences. Tents. Signs of life. Human civilization. My happiness arrived with all the grace of a dehydrated man spotting an air conditioner. I almost wanted to cry.

"I've never been this happy to see property values." Then my expression slowly changed. I narrowed my eyes. Something was wrong. Movement. A lot of movement. The village wasn't peaceful. People were running. Shouting. Weapons flashed beneath the blazing sun. I slowed my steps. The others noticed immediately.

"... Arthur?" June asked. I didn't answer right away. I focused. Villagers were fighting. Some held spears. Others carried bows. A few desperately tried to pull others back. Chaos had swallowed the settlement. And weaving through that chaos... Things moved. Fast. Too fast. Shapes burst from the sand. Then disappeared again. One moment they existed. The next, they vanished beneath the dunes. Only to emerge elsewhere. The attacks came in quick bursts. Hit. Disappear. Reappear. The villagers struggled to keep up.

I couldn't make out what the creatures looked like. Their movements were too rapid. Too erratic. I caught glimpses. Strange silhouettes. Brief flashes of unfamiliar forms. Enough to understand one thing. Whatever they were... They definitely belonged in the category of "weird dungeon nonsense." I stared at the distant battle. Then looked at the group. Then back toward the village.

"... Ah." I rubbed the back of my neck.

"You know..." I pointed toward the unfolding chaos.

"I think we might've misjudged the timing a little." I paused. Then winced.

"... By 'a little,' I mean there's a very real possibility we arrived just in time to witness the opening act instead of the conclusion." I let out a slow breath.

"Guys..." I pointed toward the village again.

"I don't think we're early." I summoned Thunderclap into my hand. The familiar weight settled comfortably against my palm. Dark metal. Deep crimson grip. Silver engravings branching across the frame like frozen lightning. The revolver fit naturally in my grasp now. Which was both reassuring and deeply concerning. Because somewhere along the way, pulling out a firearm before breakfast had become part of my daily routine. Normal life had really taken a sharp left turn. Around me, everyone reacted immediately.

Dimitri didn't hesitate for even half a second. The massive Russian summoned his equipment into existence. His enormous shield materialized first. Then came the blunt excuse for a sword he somehow wielded with absolute confidence. The gigantic shield immediately dominated the battlefield. Broad. Heavy. Immovable. It looked less like equipment and more like someone had ripped a castle gate off its hinges and decided portability was optional. Dimitri lowered his stance. Then charged.

"My friends!" Dimitri bellowed.

"To battle!" He surged forward through the sand. The earth trembled beneath his heavy steps. For a man built like a walking fortress, he moved with surprising decisiveness. He wasn't charging recklessly. He was advancing with purpose. Like an avalanche that had somehow developed excellent manners. Beside him, Fiona moved. The cheerful druid's body shifted. Red fur erupted outward. Her frame expanded. Muscles thickened. Within moments, the woman who smiled warmly at everyone transformed into a massive crimson bear.

Honestly, no matter how many times I saw it happen... It remained one of the coolest things imaginable. One second. Friendly Scottish woman. The next. Nature's answer to the question, "What if hugs had claws?" The enormous red bear released a thunderous roar before barreling toward the village. Sand exploded beneath powerful paws. The villagers' eyes widened the druid-assisted problem-solving entered the battlefield. Aiko moved next. The shy girl reached out. Metal shimmered.

Then her greatsword appeared in her hands. The massive black blade looked absurdly oversized compared to her frame. It should have looked awkward. Impossible. Like someone handing a child a steel telephone pole and expecting competence. Instead... Aiko adjusted her grip. Her timid expression tightened with determination. Then she followed after Dimitri and Fiona without complaint. Without hesitation. The image remained surreal. Terrifying armor. Monstrous greatsword.

Soft-spoken girl who apologized when people bumped into her. The world's most dangerous cinnamon roll. Meanwhile, I watched everyone rush ahead. Then looked down at Thunderclap. Then back toward the battlefield. Then grinned.

"Oh, thank goodness." I rolled my shoulders.

"Finally." I pointed my revolver toward the chaos unfolding ahead.

"Actual action." I sighed dramatically.

"No more walking." I narrowed my eyes toward the desert.

"I was one more dune away from filing an official complaint against geography." The village battle came into sharper focus as we approached. Villagers shouted desperately. Spears stabbed into empty air. Archers loosed arrows toward shifting patches of sand. People scrambled to protect one another. Then I saw them. Things burst from beneath the dunes. Fast. Too fast. A pale shape exploded upward. Four legs. Hooked claws. A narrow frame covered in strange chitinous plating. It lunged toward a terrified villager.

The creature moved like an arrow fired from underground. Its claws swept downward. The villager barely had enough time to raise their arms. Then something slammed into the monster from the side. CLANG. Dimitri's shield crashed forward. The impact echoed across the battlefield. The creature was forced away before it could finish its attack. It twisted through the air with disturbing agility. Then immediately disappeared beneath the sand. Gone. Just like that. The dunes settled. As if nothing had ever been there.

I stared.

"... Seriously?" I looked at the shifting desert. Then at the spot where the monster had vanished. Then back toward the battlefield. I sighed.

"Oh, great." I raised Thunderclap.

"Another enemy species specializing in the ancient martial art of appearing out of nowhere and ruining everyone's afternoon." I pointed accusingly at the sand.

"Because apparently fighting face-to-face is too mainstream." I narrowed my eyes.

"Fantastic."

"They hide underground."

"They ambush people."

"They stab you and immediately run away." I shook my head.

"The desert really looked at annoying enemy design and decided to speedrun the entire checklist."