Chương 116: Dune Skulker

Something felt wrong. It wasn't a sound. There wasn't an obvious warning. No dramatic music started playing in the background. The desert simply decided to activate my survival instincts without providing supporting evidence. I froze. Thunderclap remained loosely aimed toward the battlefield. Around me, villagers shouted. Dimitri held the front line. Fiona barreled through the chaos in bear form. Aiko sprinted toward another cluster of enemies, oversized greatsword in hand. Meanwhile...

Every tiny hair on the back of my neck stood up. I looked down. The sand beneath my boots shifted. Just slightly. Like something had brushed against the earth from below.

"... Nope." I immediately pointed downward.

"I object." The sand bulged.

"Absolutely not." A ripple raced beneath the surface. Fast. Too fast.

"Oh, come on!" The desert exploded. Sand erupted skyward. A pale blur burst from beneath my feet. For a split second, I saw it clearly. The narrow frame. The sandstone-colored chitin. The hooked foreclaws. Its horrifying crystal-studded head. Then it was right in front of me. Its claws came down toward my face.

"Oh, that's my face!" Thunderclap vanished from my hand. A familiar weight immediately replaced it. Wood. Iron. A wide flared barrel. The Deck Sweeper appeared just in time. Instinct took over. I swung the blunderbuss upward. The creature's claws crashed against the reinforced stock. The impact jolted through my arms. Pain shot into my shoulders. I stumbled backward across the sand.

"... Ow!" I winced.

"Can we acknowledge how rude that was?" The monster twisted away with unsettling agility. Its crystal lenses reflected the sunlight. Its tail whipped behind it. I gritted my teeth.

"Oh no." I shoved the blunderbuss forward.

"No." I aimed directly at it.

"You're not pulling the same disappearing act twice." I squeezed the trigger. Except... I never got the chance. The creature moved. One moment it stood before me. The next, it dove downward. Its oversized claws tore through the sand. The desert swallowed it whole. Gone. I stared at the empty patch of earth. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

"... You have got to be kidding me." The blunderbuss remained aimed at absolutely nothing. I slowly lowered it. I looked left. Then right. Then downward. The sand sat there innocently. I narrowed my eyes.

"You know what?" I pointed at the ground.

"I officially hate this floor."

"The forest wanted to kill me." I gestured downward.

"But at least the trees had the decency to remain visible." I shook my head.

"This place turned the entire battlefield into a jump scare." I tightened my grip on the blunderbuss. Then a familiar blue notification appeared before my eyes. [Information regarding the encountered monster can now be accessed. Would you like to view it?] I blinked. Then looked around. Then back toward the floating message.

"... You know." I pointed at the notification.

"Would've been fantastic information about five seconds ago." I sighed.

"But I'll take what I can get." I smiled brightly at the system.

"Pretty please." Almost immediately, the information panel unfolded before me. ••••• Name: Dune Skulker Tier: 1 (Common) Level: 3 Element: Earth Description: A lean, quadrupedal predator built for hunting beneath shifting dunes, the Dune Skulker possesses a narrow frame covered in overlapping plates of pale sandstone-colored chitin. The segmented armor along its back is lightweight and flexible, reducing the strain of rapid movement while shielding it from abrasive sandstorms.

Its elongated forelimbs are noticeably larger than its hind legs and end in broad, shovel-like claws lined with hooked edges. These specialized claws allow it to dig through compacted sand in seconds, pull itself beneath the surface without resistance, and violently erupt upward during ambushes. The creature's head resembles that of a reptilian skull wrapped tightly in dry, leathery hide.

Rows of fine sensory whiskers protrude from its jawline, detecting vibrations traveling through the earth and alerting it to approaching prey long before they come into view. Instead of normal eyes, the Dune Skulker has several small amber crystal lenses embedded around the sides of its head. These crystals are protected against blowing grit and excel at detecting movement through heat distortion above the dunes.

A long, muscular tail trails behind it, ending in a flattened fin-like blade reinforced with dense mineral deposits. While sprinting, the tail acts as a counterbalance that allows sudden changes in direction. When burrowing, it helps push loose sand back into tunnels, concealing the creature's path from pursuers. Stats: Main Stat: Agility (Exceptional speed, rapid directional changes, and highly effective ambush mobility.) Physical Defense: Light (Its thin chitin prioritizes movement over durability.) Magic Defense: Light (Its mineralized body offers little protection against concentrated magical forces.) Abilities: 1: Sandwake Surge: The Dune Skulker dives beneath the sand and races toward its target, leaving only a faint ripple across the surface. It erupts directly beneath the enemy in a shower of debris, launching them upward with its reinforced foreclaws before darting away to reposition.

2: Crescent Ripper: Twisting its body with unnatural flexibility, the creature lunges past its prey in a blinding burst of speed while sweeping its hooked claws and mineralized tail in a crossing arc, carving multiple deep wounds before sliding out of retaliation range. 3: Burrowstep Feint: The Dune Skulker rapidly digs beneath the surface, disappearing from sight.

It circles its opponent from below, repeatedly breaking through the sand for split-second attacks before vanishing again, forcing enemies to react to unpredictable strikes from every direction. Resistances & Weaknesses: Resistant To: Earth (Its body naturally absorbs and disperses the force of shifting terrain and earthen attacks.) Weaknesses: • Fire: Intense heat causes its chitin plates to crack and dry out, reducing its mobility and leaving vulnerable gaps in its defenses.

• Ice: Extreme cold stiffens its joints and slows the rapid movements it relies upon to survive. • Water: Saturated terrain collapses its tunnels and weighs down its body, severely hindering its burrowing techniques. ••••• I stared at the information panel hovering before my eyes.

"... Yeah." I pointed at the floating blue screen.

"This doesn't exactly inspire confidence." I grimaced.

"At all." The translucent text detailed everything the system had graciously decided to reveal after the creature had already attempted to remodel my face. Fast. Burrowing. Ambush predator. Exceptional agility. Hit-and-run tactics. Multiple attacks designed around emerging from beneath the sand. I slowly lowered the blunderbuss.

"Oh, fantastic." I nodded.

"It's a desert velociraptor that studied guerrilla warfare." I squinted at the abilities section.

"Sandwake Surge."

"Crescent Ripper."

"Burrowstep Feint." I looked upward.

"Who names these things?" I gestured at the battlefield.

"Do the monsters attend marketing meetings before spawning?" I put on an imaginary announcer voice."'Gentlemen, we've finalized our strategy.'" I held up a finger."'Kill people from underground.'" Another finger."'Be impossibly fast.'" A third finger."'Give the attacks names cool enough to intimidate adventurers with student loans.'" I sighed.

"Outstanding work, everyone." The information window faded away. Leaving me alone with the unfortunate realization that our enemies specialized in being annoying. I turned toward the battle unfolding around the village. Chaos. Pure chaos. Villagers shouted instructions. Children were rushed toward safety. Men and women with whatever weapons they could find desperately fought to protect the settlement. The sand itself had become hostile territory. Every ripple drew wary glances.

Every shifting dune carried the promise of claws. Then my gaze landed on Fiona. The massive crimson bear charged through the battlefield with enough force to qualify as natural disaster relief. Powerful paws slammed into the sand. She snapped her head left. Then right. Then left again. Trying to catch creatures that refused to remain above ground longer than a few seconds. A pale shape erupted from beneath the earth. Fiona swiped. The monster vanished. Sand exploded elsewhere. Fiona pivoted. Another swipe. Missed.

I blinked.

"... She's playing whack-a-mole." I watched the giant druid bear spin toward another emerging Skulker. SMACK. Empty air.

"An incredibly angry, bear version of whack-a-mole." Nearby, Aiko wasn't faring much better. The timid Berserker gripped her massive greatsword tightly. A monster burst from the sand. She swung. The enormous blade carved through the air with frightening force. The creature disappeared underground. Another erupted several meters away. Aiko adjusted. Swung again. Missed. Her expression remained determined despite the growing frustration. It was like watching someone attempt to hit mosquitoes using a telephone pole.

Technically possible. Emotionally exhausting. I pointed toward them.

"There are two kinds of suffering happening over there." I counted them off.

"Fiona is losing a battle against underground rodents." I pointed toward Aiko.

"And Aiko is discovering that giant swords are less effective when your enemies refuse to participate in the concept of standing still." I rubbed my forehead.

"This floor wasn't designed by a human being."

"It was designed by spite." Before I could continue insulting the entire Desert of Idrin and everyone responsible for its existence, movement entered my peripheral vision. I glanced sideways. A man approached me. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Older than most of the villagers. He carried a shield and sword worn from repeated use. Not decorative. Not polished. Practical equipment maintained by someone who depended on it. Dust clung to his clothing. Sweat streaked his brow. His breathing was heavy.

Even so, his stance remained firm. He looked like someone who had been fighting long before we'd arrived. His eyes settled on me. Then briefly shifted toward the others engaging the monsters.

"You people..." His voice carried both urgency and cautious hope.

"Are you the party that accepted the request posted through the monolith?" I blinked. Then gestured vaguely toward the battlefield.

"That depends." I pointed toward Fiona flattening another patch of innocent sand.

"Do the terms of employment include being attacked by underground psychopath lizards before orientation is complete?" The man stared at me.

"... What?" I cleared my throat.

"Right." I nodded.

"Yes." I lifted Thunderclap slightly.

"We accepted the quest." I glanced toward the village. Then back toward him.

"We're here to help."