Chapter 142: Damned Desert Heat!
Kaiden examined his ladies and noted that the heat was already starting to take its toll. Even with their heightened physical attributes, trekking across loose sand while carrying weapons and armor was pure hell. The desert air was dry enough to sap the moisture straight from their bodies, and each gust of wind sent grains of sand stinging against their skin.
Their boots sank with every step, forcing them to constantly exert more energy just to stay upright. The sun above wasn’t just hot—it was oppressive, like an anvil pressing down on their backs.
“Are we even moving forward?” Nyx muttered while shielding her face from the sun with a gloved hand.
Kaiden glanced over his shoulder. Their starting point was far behind them; the palm trees of the oasis were nowhere in sight. “We are. The pyramid just… doesn’t look to be any closer.”
“How very motivating,” Luna deadpanned as beads of sweat formed on her temple.
Nearby, the Nova Circuit members weren’t faring any better. Sasha repeatedly wiped her brow while Leon’s steps were growing heavier, and even Jack, the human tank brimming with energy, was slowing down. Vaelira, of course, still carried herself with forced elegance, but Kaiden could see the stiffness in her shoulders.
“Pick up the pace,” she snapped at her own teammates. No one answered, but irritation simmered in the group. It was going to be a long day.
“I’m already regretting this… Why did I allow myself to be dragged into a desert dungeon…?” Sasha muttered before gulping a large amount of water down her throat. Her red hair that was previously so vibrant became dull by the thin layer of sand clinging to it.
“You and me both… Fucking hate heat,” Leon grumbled.
They had only been marching for a short time, but the heat made it feel much longer.
A loud huff came from Jack, who adjusted his heavy armor that seemed more and more adamant about slipping off of his sweaty body. “How the hell are we supposed to fight in these conditions?”
“Something’s coming our way!” Sasha suddenly declared, snapping everyone’s focus forward.
Kaiden narrowed his eyes. At first, he saw nothing. Just more damned sand dunes stretching out endlessly before them. But then, he noticed the disturbance. Based on a thin ripple in the sand, something was moving just beneath the surface.
“Get ready!” he shouted just before the sand erupted.
Three snake-type monsters shot up from below. The creatures slithered on the ground with great speed, and their sand-colored hides made them hard to detect before they struck.
One of the massive beasts lunged at the closest target, Leon.
Accompanied by a sharp curse, the swordsman barely managed to dodge, rolling aside just as the serpent’s maw slammed into the ground where he had stood a mere moment ago. Another burst up near Dorothy. She screamed furiously as she punched it in the face with her brawler gauntlets, but it barely flinched.
Kaiden switched into Wrath Stance and launched himself forward. Warpath carried him straight into the nearest serpent. His axe came down in a crushing arc boosted by [Doom Strike], and he cleaved into the beast’s side, making his target let out a piercing screech. However, it wasn’t dead just yet.
Then came the dune stalkers.
They rushed at them through the sandy dunes, not erupting from the ground this time around. These beings were skeletal, long-limbed creatures with razor-sharp claws, and their hollow eyes shone with greedy hunger that was eager to devour human flesh. Their movements were erratic, lunging at their targets with reckless abandon.
Jack swung his mace just in time, smashing one into the sand before it could tear into him. “Goddamned things!” he spat.
Luna repositioned herself so that many monsters lined up for her [Thunder Slash], cutting through multiple stalkers in a single swing of her blade. Nyx followed her lead, using [Astral Summon: Earth] to repeat her strategy of using bludgeon damage against skeletal beings, hurling balls of rock at high speed, shattering bones with every impact.
But the creatures kept on coming.
One managed to claw at Elara’s arm before she could retreat. She yelped, stumbling back as Aria shattered it apart with a swift [Lunar Arc].
“We’re getting surrounded in the backline!” Aria shouted.
Kaiden’s mind raced. They couldn’t afford to get bogged down here. The heat was already killing their stamina; if they let this fight drag out, exhaustion would finish them off even if the monsters didn’t.
“We must move to guard the backline!” he shouted since their so-called captain didn’t seem ready to bark her own instructions. “Don’t get stuck fighting; just clear a path toward them and let our mages and archers deal damage while we fend off the monsters!”
It wasn’t a glorious battle but pure desperation. On the bright side, his strategy had worked. By protecting their backline, they were allowed to attack the monsters without having to fear for their safety.
The ambush lasted longer than Kaiden hoped. By the time the last creature fell, the team was spent. Even though they had survived without a casualty this time around, the real punishment was only just beginning.
The scorching sun showed no mercy whatsoever.
The initial burst of adrenaline from the fight had quickly worn off, leaving them even more drained than before. Every step felt heavier, with every muscle in their bodies screaming for rest. The sand was even hotter now than in the morning, and with their bodies covered in sweat, every gust of wind coated them in sand, making it hard to even exist, let alone breathe.
To people who enjoyed the comforts of 21st-century city life, this was pure torture. While members of Nova Circuit received training against harsh weather conditions, there was only so much such a thing could do to help.
Increasing their Endurance stat was the best bet at combating the stamina loss, while higher Vitality would resist the sun’s scorching. This was why melee combatants were better off than backliners, but then again, they tended to wear heavier gear, which more or less evened the playing field.
Poor Nyx, in her medium armor and heavy Magic investment, got to enjoy the ‘best’ of both worlds. If she hadn’t begun putting a few attribute points into her physical stats, she would’ve already collapsed into a wheezing heap of sweat.
Jack let out a groan. “Tell me again why we didn’t wait until sundown?”
Sasha grunted with sheer annoyance; all gratitude for saving her by tanking the dune maw’s bite had left her soul. “We’re racing against the clock, dumbass. Furthermore, these things attack at all hours, and most have a way to find their way around in pitch darkness while we have to rely on shitty lamps.”
“Oh… Yeah,” the musclebrain nodded, realizing they had less than 48 hours to clear the dungeon.
“You’re drinking too much,” Vaelira hissed while watching Nyx down another bottle of water.
Nyx blinked. “I’ve got no choice. I’m about to faint.”
“You’ll need it more later. The sun is still traveling upward.”
A tense silence hung between them. She wasn’t wrong; if they ran out of water before reaching a safe place, they were as good as dead. But right now, none of them could afford to ration too much, or people would just begin dropping one after the other.
Luna let out an exasperated sigh, not liking the blonde woman’s attitude one bit. Especially because she was consuming water at a very similar rate to Nyx. But, of course, Vaelira was the kind of woman who fully believed in the saying ‘rules for thee, not for me.’
“If Nyx faints, we’ll have to carry her. Or are you suggesting we abandon our teammates in their time of need? Oh, of course you are. My bad, for a moment I forgot I was talking to a spineless cunt. ”
Sasha hissed with spite, “Shut your trap and keep your eyes ahead!”
“If I wasn’t doing my utmost to conserve my energy…”
Kaiden sighed. This wasn’t going to end well.
They were all running out of patience, becoming easier and easier to irritate.
And the worst of it all? The pyramid still looked just as far away as it had hours ago, serving as the perfect morale breaker.