They moved through the deep sands of the desert, each step taken with difficulty and grit. The sun was another terror. Something they had previously looked at with relief was now their biggest enemy. Their bodies were dripping with sweat.
Behind them, Liam was the one suffering, carrying everything they had gathered since the beginning on his shield.
"Just wait, we will leave the dessert soon," Lucien assured as he stared at the horizon.
As they moved, Lucien constantly used his new skills while also thanking his luck that Tiara had not chosen the mage class earlier. The mage class is only useful if a person has energy, and energy was something that was only accessible to tier 1 and above. Tiara, on the other hand, was only at tier 0.
After using the class skills for some time, he already understood the basics. Energy control allowed him to shape raw energy, depending on his energy capacity and control. Energy projection allowed him to release magic outward.
'I wonder if they will be able to use their other skills after they reach tier 1,' he thought. Previously, he had asked why they did not use their other skills during their fight with the wolves. Then, Liam had explained that they were unable to use them.
Suddenly, there was a shift in the area. The sand beneath Lucien's feet began to swirl wildly. Liam was the first to notice it.
Not even regarding his own life, he lunged forward, his shield falling alongside all the things they had picked up on the way. He pushed Lucien enough to get him away from the place. But he was not fast enough. As he tried to move, a mouth, unnaturally wide, devoured him in an instant.
Lucien stood up from the floor, his eyes and ears filled with sand. He could not even open his eyes properly, and his ears were blocked.
Tiara did not hesitate, as she saw Liam being devoured. In a blur, she drew an arrow from the quiver strapped to her back, nocking it, ready to shoot at any moment.
She did not have to wait long; the thing brought its full body out, a crimson caterpillar that stretched for over 200 meters, with mantis-like legs. Its eyes shone with a fierce crimson glint.
Tiara's grip released from the bottom of the arrow, letting the arrow loose. A sharp whistle pierced through the air, reaching the caterpillar in an instant.
The arrow grazed the monster's body, only drawing a white mark on the carapace. Tiara's face shrank as she saw the enraged monster shriek.
"Lord Lucien, run away, I will hold it back," Tiara yelled, yanking another arrow from her quiver. She pulled tight, before hurling it at the monster again, this time at its eyes
Not even putting the arrow to mind, the caterpillar swung its forelimb, shattering the arrow with ease.
Tiara's eyes sank. She had just told Lucien to run while she held the monster back. But reality was too cruel; even her most calculated shot was easily deflected.
While she was distracted, she failed to notice as the monster shot forward, crossing the space between them in merely an instant.
The monster's leg descended over her in an instant. Tiara froze, shock etching itself into her mind. ''How did it reach here so fast?' The question rang in her mind like a bell.
As the limb reached her, a sudden current pushed her, sending her flying several meters away from the monster.
A furious growl was released as the caterpillar realized its food had escaped. It turned back to the cause, anger still visible in its eyes.
It glared at Lucien with ferocity.
Lucien, however, just stood there, a wide grin plastered on his face as he looked back.
Without thinking twice, the caterpillar shot forward, breaking the sound barrier from its speed. Lucien did not wait either; energy began gathering in his hand, forming an orb in his hand, and then the orb began to shift, forming a sharp spear that pulsated with energy being infused into it.
The monster didn't care; it surged forward, its legs hammering into the sand, enough to make it shudder.
For a moment, silence stretched across the desert. But it could not be contained for long. As it closed the last few meters between them, its massive blade-like limb came down with thunderous might.
Lucien jumped out at the last moment. The limb connected with the sand, creating a wide gap in it. Before it could even retract, a spear made entirely of energy, glowing with blue light, pierced through its side. Blood splattered in a mess, dying the golden sand of the desert
A reckless shriek escaped its mouth as its body writhed on the floor from the immense pain. Its gaze turned to Lucien, who was struggling to get up.
Lucien's eyes sank. He had hoped to kill the monster in a single strike, but his calculation was wrong. His spear, one he had poured all his energy into, was only able to create a wound. Deep, but unable to kill the target.
The monster thrashed wildly on the floor as it tried to stand up.
Lucien tried to stand up, but the force from jumping away was too much to recover from in an instant.
Everything changed. A sudden streak of silver trailed the air, slicing directly at where Lucien's attack had landed. The slash was sharp and precise, cleaving through the monster with no resistance.
Lucien raised his head to meet Tiara's gaze.
"I am sorry, my Lord," she said, dropping to the floor with one knee.
Silence descended.
Finally, Lucien spoke as he stood up, sand sliding off his coat as he rose. "Thank you," he said.
At his words, Tiara quickly bowed. "No, my Lord, you saved me from its mouth before; moreover, I wouldn't have been able to help if we hadn't seen all these weapons on our way, and Liam agreeing to carry them," she admitted, not daring to take any of the credit for herself. But as the thought of Liam rose again, her heart shook.
She had not known him for long, and a sense of camaraderie had not grown between them. But his death was a wake-up call that nowhere, not even their Lord's private space, was safe.