Erend began moving forward, his boots crunching softly against the black sand. The vastness of the world around him was both incredible but also unnerving. In the distance, he could make out rolling hills that seemed to rise and fall like frozen waves. Beyond them is an ominous fog hung low that obscuring whatever lay further ahead.
The fog didn't close in on him, though. It seemed content to linger far away, as if giving him space to explore.
The sand beneath his feet was darker than what he'd seen in the Dungeon World lobby but similar, its grains shimmering faintly as though infused with some kind of dormant power and from the aurora above.
The air humming with energy. The oppressive whispers and strange pressure he had felt when he first entered the rift had diminished. It was quieter here, though not totally peaceful. There was a slight tension as though the world itself were holding its breath and watching him.
Erend glanced at the System notification once more, its words etched into his mind.
[Main Quest Completed!]
But no rewards followed—no items, no experience points, not even a small acknowledgment of his effort beyond the words themselves.
His brow furrowed. The System had always been precise and reliable yet this inconsistency gnawed at him. Why designate this as a Main Quest if it offered nothing in return? Was it broken? Or worse, was something interfering with it?
"This isn't normal," he muttered under his breath. But there was no one to answer and no clarity to be found.
He shook his head and forcing himself to refocus. Rewards or not, Eccar was still missing and that was his priority. He would have to deal with the System's strangeness later.
Erend continue walking, his gaze scanning the horizon. Every few steps he would pause and turning his head to listen for any sounds beyond his own movements. But the world around him was eerily silent. No wind, no rustling sand, no distant calls of creatures. Only the faint thrum of the energy in the air accompanied him.
As he walked, he noticed faint marks in the sands. It was impressions too deliberate to be natural. They looked like footprint but they were larger than his own and deeper as if whatever had left them was far heavier.
Erend crouched beside one, running his hand over the impression. The edges were sharp so whatever walking here is recent. Someone or something had passed this way.
"Eccar?" he murmured, though he doubted it. The prints were strange and their shape is not familiar. A sudden chill crept up his spine, but he pushed the thought aside. He had no choice but to follow the trail and see where it led.
As he rose and began walking again, the whispers in his mind began to stir once more but still faint and fragmented. This time, they weren't chaotic or overwhelming but they seemed almost curious or… probing.
Erend clenched his fists, resisting the urge to snap at the unseen voices. Whatever they were, they weren't his priority.
The trail led him toward one of the distant hills. Its peak was shrouded in the swirling multicolored light that pulse from the sky above. Erend quickened his pace, his instincts urging him forward. If Eccar was anywhere in this strange world, perhaps the hill—or whatever lay beyond it—would offer a clue.
"Hang on, Eccar," Erend muttered.
Ahead, the black sand began to slope upward, and Erend knew he was approaching the base of the hill.
Then he slowed his pace, his eyes scanning the dark sands for any additional tracks. He crouched and scrutinizing the ground for signs of movement. If Eccar and those who brought him here had passed through the same rift they must left a trace. His eyes traced faint impressions beside the larger footprints. Its smaller and lighter that might belong to Eccar or someone else.
"Come on… show me something," he muttered, his gaze darting between the prints. But the markings were too indistinct, eroded by time or the strange energy of this place. He clenched his jaw and stood, dusting his hands off on his trousers.
Erend deciding to try another approach and closed his eyes and focused on the bond he shared with Eccar. He reached out telepathically, attempting to send a mental message.
Eccar, are you there? Can you hear me?"
The response was immediate, and painful. A searing headache exploded in his skull forcing him to clutch his head and stagger backward. It felt as if the energy of this world was actively resisting his attempt, slamming a wall between him and Eccar.
He cursed under his breath, the throbbing pain gradually subsiding.
"Alright, no telepathy," he muttered, frustration edging his voice. This would make things far more difficult.
He then thinking that he need to test his power in this strange environment cause he worried that he might not be able to do that. Erend extended his hand then his red and black Dragon Scales flared to life, wrapping his body.
A faint smirk crossed his face—at least he could still summon them. Next, he conjured a small flicker of flame in his palm, watching as it danced obediently. He extinguished it with a thought and shifted to lightning, arcs of blue crackling between his fingers. Finally, he tried water, letting a small stream flow over his hand. He sighed in relieve. He can still use his powers.
"Good," he said to himself, nodding. "At least I have that."
With his confidence restored, Erend continued his trek, climbing the slope of the hill. When he reached the summit and looked down, his steps stop and he frown.
Below him stretched a barren expanse, but what dominated the view was a colossal skeleton. The massive remains sprawled across the landscape, its size so great that it could have belonged to a Dragon even larger than himself. Jagged ribs jutted into the air and the skull that partially buried in the sand still bore a menacing presence.
The land sloped downward into a valley, and from his new vantage point, Erend realized why he hadn't seen the skeleton before—it was hidden by the contours of the terrain.
The sight sent a chill through him. Whatever had died here had been unimaginably powerful.
Erend's eyes narrowed as he scanned the valley for signs of movement. The strange footprints he had been following seemed to lead directly toward the massive skeleton. Taking a deep breath, he began his descent.