The Hell Desert was a hostile biome designed to drain the stamina and patience of the contestants. The relentless heat distorted the horizon, and the shifting dunes made every step a grueling effort. Despite the extreme conditions, the Dragon Academy's vanguard maintained a tight, disciplined diamond formation, shielding their vulnerable flag-bearer.
"Are we just going to keep running?" Austin asked, running on Carl's right side. His boots kicked up heavy plumes of scorched sand.
"The sand is annoying, but we must!" Rose who stood on Carl's left answered. She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, clearly unaccustomed to such physical exertion without her mobility spells to aid her.
"Rose! We can't use our weapons, can you still cast spells without your staff?" Kent who was running behind Carl asked, staring at Rose. As a physical fighter, the weapon restriction had severely hampered his skill tree, and he was worried about their primary caster's damage output.
