CHAPTER 160: FIGHT AGAINST THE WORMS

[POV: KiRA.]

When you think about a vast desert, do you only imagine a vast wasteland covered in sand, or dunes in the distance?

’Not even a normal desert is limited to these things.’

The heat that stings on your bare skin, the heat that penetrates through your clothes and burns your body, the heaviness you feel with each step you take, the hot winds that hit your face...

The normal desert is a hell on earth, a survival zone where living, surviving, and thriving becomes a game of life and death.

’Demons love deserts. The High demons love heat, the demons of different sins love the different aspects of their sin represented in the desert, while the demon kings enjoy the warmth of the desert sand.’

They watch you starve, they smile at your misery. When you’re dying of thirst, they are planning to offer you a ray of hope.

Some play games with you and show you mirages. You see water, an oasis that isn’t even there.

And those who fall for it, end up losing their lives a few days earlier than what should have been their actual demise.

"Be it this desert, be it the 26th floor, be it the deserts on the higher floors or be it hell, all of them are always dangerous."

As I concentrated my energy on the ’flying’ my eyes saw faraway things all around us.

All around us, there was sand. Sand that could cut through your skin at a high speed, some infused with Mana could even kill you.

This whole place was dangerous.

And we aren’t even talking about all the monsters we are seeing right now.

[Ding!]

===Status===

[Heat hounds]

Level: 36

Strength: 35

Dexterity: 30

Stamina: 37

Energy: 31

Skills: Heat fur, Flame channels, Charred canines, Piercing eyes.

============

===Status===

[Desert iguanas]

Level: 31

Strength: 32

Dexterity: 27

Stamina: 35

Energy: 37

Skills: Photosynthesis, solar leap, sonar senses.

============

===Status===

[Trihorn beetle]

Level: 33

Strength: 31

Dexterity: 27

Stamina: 35

Energy: 35

Skills: Hardness, Sand digestion, Wind resistance.

============

...

The monsters of the desert were as dangerous as the monsters we would find around the 10th floor.

Since we were already in the deeper part of the second sector, the monsters around us were also on the stronger side.

There were many Mana sand reserves around us and since we were flying right now, finding those places was pretty easy.

Thanks to the Mana sensitivity skill I have, the world that I was seeing after synchronizing with Unity was completely different as well.

Neither of us had thought we would get to do this so soon. But thankfully, it became possible thanks to the sense sharing skill she got.’

With our senses aligned, we could very much feel the connective bond we have.

With the years of experience we already have together, this phenomenon becomes possible after we got the stat boost from Lust’s quest.

’This was still just the basic form of familiar synchronicity.’

The master and familiars are first able to share their senses, then their body elements, then skills, then they become able to use their stats and Aspects, and lastly, there’s no distinction left between them.

They become one, and share a bond deeper than the bond one has with their origin.

"Hmmm. Are you tired Uni? I feel this is our limit for now."

[{ I can... haa... still go one. Master... it’s... fine. }]

There was no need to push ourselves right after coming here.

We have only been here for a few hours and if she ends up exhibiting herself too much, we might get in trouble if we face something powerful.

-Flow. Flow. Flow.

Slowly flying down from the sky and deactivating the protective barrier cast around us with an item, I quickly deactivated the sync.

The feathers and wings on me became a gold-red flame and vanished as my little bird partner reappeared before me from the flames.

[{ We could have gone on for a little longer, master! }]

She was upset, but also obviously exhausted.

The tool on me wasn’t as much as her. She was suffering more because more of her powers were being used in the process.

"It’s fine, silly. We still have a long way to go."

The desert was a hot hell in the morning while the nights in this place were as chilly as the polar countries.

We were going to need her powers on each step of the way so limiting use of the sync to an hour or so every day was a better idea.

"Let’s walk from here. We should find a few things to take back as well or Aunt Su will kill me."

Since I’ve promised her, I cannot go back on my word anymore.

And since I’m going to bring her gifts, it would be best if I bring some cooler things.

[{ ... }]

She was still upset though. But we cannot do much about it either.

We both understood our limitations so as long as we are doing this together, that’s all that matters.

"Oh, Uni. Can you check from above-...!" I was just about to ask her to observe the area from above for any dangers since I landed in a safe area.

But, right when I looked at her upset look, both of us felt a unique sensation.

-Trrrrrrr...

The ground was shaking, and the vibrations beneath them were a little too familiar to both of them.

[{ Master! Move! }]

The moment you feel these vibrations, the experienced individual would know it is too late.

I was lucky this time and used my movement skill to move as far from there as possible while Uni flew up after seeing I was gone.

-Zaaaaaaaaa!

As we watched, the ground that we were standing on, the sand filled area with the big grains of sand started sinking beneath the ground.

-Khhhaaaaaaa...!

Soon we heard a strange noise coming from beneath the ground, and in no time at all, teeth appeared in a triangular area around the sunken hole.

-Clamp!

The triangular teeth closed in a strange manner as they created a tent-like pyramidal shape, devouring everything that fell on them.

The area that this mouth covered was already pretty big. KiRA was certain he would not have been able to escape it if he had fallen in this trap.

’But appearance of one set of mouths was always just a start.’

-Clamp!

In no time after escaping from the first predator, we were escaping from the other set of mouths.

-Clamp! Clamp! Clamp!

The third, fourth, and fifth ones came suddenly as well, but I barely managed to escape with my {Gale steps}.

It was not easy running almost fifty miles around the sand dunes to escape these creatures, but we survived.

And since they were done with their meal for the day, the sand dunes with Mana sand, the [Sandwyrm], the apex predators of this desert, returned deeper into their underground caves as well...

"A close call... phew."

Sandwyrm are [Level-80] elite field monsters that could go up to [Level-120] depending on their habitats.

They hunt in groups, eat most things with high Mana concentration, are attracted to unique beings like my Uni, and can sense anything that is on the ground around the tunnels they travel in.

Under this desert, there’s an entire network of tunnels that these creatures have made for their travel, something also used by the field boss of this desert.

"I didn’t think they’d come up so quickly. Looks like we landed in a bad spot."

[{ It could be because of the sync discharge as well, master. We release quite the unique energy when we disconnect the sync.

We shouldn’t do that while on the ground from now on. }]

Fighting these creatures with my current abilities is impossible. Even if I can take down one of them, they travel in at least a pack of Six.

They also have an entire family nearby so the places where these creatures go to, becomes a red zone within any of the Fields.

Even the dungeons or labyrinths that have these beings will have special conditions to beat them.

Unless one had overwhelming strength, these creatures were as dangerous as real dragons.

’And they weren’t even real dragons. Just creatures who carried dragon blood in them.’

They were still precious though so each and every part of their bodies was sold at a pretty good price.

On some of the higher floors, the stronger people cultivated them in deserts like these just to eat them as a delicacy.

"Haaaa..."

It is beyond me how they don’t even fear these damned creatures. I almost had a heart attack when the first one almost got me just now.

"Damn."

I don’t know how I should react to this situation. But what Uni said might be the case as well.

"Let’s be careful from now on or else there will be no next time."

I knew very well what it felt like to be eaten by a Sandwyrm.

Their insides were not as simple as one might think. One could not live while being inside of them.

They also cannot kill them from the inside. It’s always either the horns or weak points.

If you miss them, then there’s only escape routes available for survival, just like what we did this time.

"Huuu..."

That could have been bad. We didn’t factor in what happens after we disconnect our sync.

These monsters were pretty sensitive to special energies, and considering how pure Uni’s power was, we must have felt like a freshly glazed donut to them.

Thankfully, we survived this time... which might not be the case if we’re careless the next time.