Mirash and Parmash both wore grim expressions.
The unexpected appearance of the Mega Sandworm.
Mirash had believed that she had completely shaken it off, having made it safely this far. But it was a mistake born of her ignorance of the Mega Sandworm’s obsessive nature.
The creature had sensed the energy emitted by the Dragon Scale from nearly a thousand kilometers away and was on its way.
What a terrifying obsession it was.
Mirash and Parmash were well aware that the city was now in danger due to their misjudgment.
“Chieftain…”
Mirash looked at Parmash with a worried face.
After all, the name “Mega Sandworm” was not something to be taken lightly.
The last time the Mega Sandworm had attacked was more than ten years ago, yet the memory remained vivid.
Even back then, they had suffered considerable damage in repelling it, so it was only natural for a sense of unease to creep in.
“Now I’m even more curious about those who came here with you.”
Though Parmash didn’t dismiss Mirash’s concern, he himself had once faced and hunted the Mega Sandworm, even if it came at a cost.
Because of that, what weighed on his mind more than the creature itself was the question of Shane and Dilaila. How had they managed to cross the desert while carrying the Dragon Scale and still arrive here unharmed?
“They said they’d be joining the hunt too, didn’t they?”
“Yes…”
“Hmmm…”
Was it really just coincidence that they made it here safely?
Or was there something else at play that he didn’t know?
There was no tangible evidence, so rationally he told himself it was mere coincidence. But his instincts shouted otherwise.
“Coincidence may exist as a phenomenon, but inevitability always lies behind its occurrence.”
That meant the ones who had come with Mirash must have known about the Dragon Scale. And also how to conceal it from the Mega Sandworm.
At the very least, no one I know possesses such knowledge. Which means… they must have come from the outside.
Parmash was not unaware of the fact that they and all other non-human races were sealed within what was known as the Cradle by the human god, Akasha.
It was something every non-human instinctively understood. And now, Parmash was beginning to suspect that the two who had accompanied Mirash might actually be from “outside”.
Most non-humans harbored a deep, instinctive hatred toward the humans who had sealed them in the Cradle. But Parmash had the mental fortitude to suppress that instinct and think rationally.
“What is their purpose in coming here…? That’s the real question.”
“Nya?”
Mirash, standing nearby, looked at him quizzically, as if to ask what he meant. But Parmash simply shook his head.
Now wasn’t the time to be mulling over such things. The priority was dealing with the immediate threat of the Mega Sandworm.
“It’s nothing.”
With that, Parmash rose from his seat and began preparing for the subjugation effort.
***
Once Parmash’s lengthy opening address was over, the combat units assembled for the mission began moving all at once.
Arbash, officially leading the reconnaissance team, took his teammates along with Shane and Dilaila and began heading toward the designated northeastern sector.
To avoid raising any suspicion from Shane and Dilaila, Arbash explained the mission in detail as they walked.
“In this area, we’re mainly dealing with Solis Spiders.”
The Solis Spider was a fairly well-known monster even within the Nakar Desert, and Arbash and his team treated it as a legitimate threat that required full attention.
Its sharp mandibles, which resembled a pair of shears, could slice through steel like tofu, and despite being a spider, it was protected by a thick armored exoskeleton.
Additionally, the Solis Spider is one of the rare monsters capable of using magic. Its armored shell is protected by magical energy, making it resistant even to aura-infused attacks.
“It’s got a tough body, but like most arthropods, its weakness is its underbelly.”
Of course, that didn’t mean it was easy to exploit.
Even if one managed to dodge its splitting mandibles, what awaited next were its eight blade-like legs.
Those sharp limbs were dangerous enough to pierce even the tough hide of the beastkin.
“Most of the time, they move alone but you can’t let your guard down. If it’s a female, it might be accompanied by thousands of baby spiders.”
As he continued explaining, Arbash carefully observed Shane and Dilaila’s expressions.
The reason Arbash had been able to become team leader was thanks to his keen sense and quick judgment.
This time was no different. He used his strengths to gather intel by reading their reactions.
The man… doesn’t show much expression. Hard to tell what he’s thinking. But the woman… her face shifts constantly. Instead of fear, she’s more curious than anything.
That meant, at the very least, she wasn’t someone who would fall victim to a Solis Spider.
The woman isn’t armed. But she doesn’t have the physique of someone trained in martial arts either. Same with her gait. I’ll assume she’s a mage. As for the man…he’s carrying a sword I’ve never seen before. Doesn’t look like someone who’s trained extensively with it…
And yet, Arbash couldn’t detect any real opening in Shane’s posture which made him suspect that this mission wouldn’t proceed as smoothly as he’d hoped.
The woman might be easier, but the man is cautious. He’ll probably be careful even with the food we give him.
Ideally, he wanted to take them down with poison. But if that failed and he got caught, it would be hard to recover.
If things go sideways… we’ll have to kill them. Even just their corpses could be useful. The organization likely has ways to retrieve their memories.
After quickly organizing his thoughts, Arbash continued his explanation as if nothing were amiss.
“Still, the good news is that our main role is simply to inform the subjugation team of monster habitats or track signs of the Mega Sandworm, so we don’t need to engage in unnecessary battles with the monsters we encounter.”
Of course, fighting a small number of monsters would be inevitable, but if the numbers were too high, there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
“I see. Then how exactly do traces of the Mega Sandworm usually appear?”
Shane’s question was quickly answered by Arbash.
“The creature moves silently beneath the sand, but that doesn’t mean it leaves no traces at all. There are what we call warning signs.”
“Warning signs, huh.”
The monsters of the Nakar Desert are highly attuned to the presence of the Mega Sandworm.
So, if one appears nearby, most of the surrounding monsters flee and that movement tends to leave traces behind.
At that, Dilaila tilted her head in puzzlement.
“But if we’ve already found those traces, doesn’t that mean it’s already too late? Wouldn’t it be right nearby?”
“Naturally, that does raise the risk. But monsters have much keener senses than we do. They can detect it from about half a day’s distance and start fleeing. So in terms of distance, we should still have some breathing room. And just because we find traces doesn’t mean it’ll show up right away. That thing’s actually quite the lazy beast.”
The Mega Sandworm moves at high speed when it’s active, but it consumes so much energy in doing so that it takes long periods of rest.
That’s why, before it goes hunting, it always rests first. Usually for about a full day.
“That’s the golden window. If it’s planning to attack a city where many people are gathered, it’ll need at least a day of rest beforehand.”
However, locating the Mega Sandworm during that period is no easy task. While resting, it lowers its basal metabolism to the extreme, completely concealing its presence.
“Still, even just finding its tracks would be a huge help to the subjugation team. As long as we know which direction it’s coming from, we can prepare for it.”
After hearing the full explanation, Dilaila gave a small nod as if to show her understanding, and the group continued silently under the blazing desert sun.
***
In a day from a past that no longer exists.
Arbash’s voice echoed through the filthy tunnel.
“This is how it turned out. Nothing we can do, right?”
The ropes binding Shane’s arms weren’t ordinary rope.
They were designed to suppress the target’s mana, and they were currently draining what little mana Shane had left.
But more than the helplessness of being unable to use magic, it was the realization that even his own team had used him and discarded him that left Shane feeling truly powerless.
“Well, it’s not like human greed is anything new. Still, thanks to that greed, we got our slice of the pie.”
The voice, laced with cold indifference, belonged to Taira.
Greed? That’s right.
To escape the bottom rung, Shane had risked his life every day, trekking across the Nakar Desert to uncover the hidden truths buried there.
As a result, he had brought back big, valuable information that could benefit the organization and thanks to that, the team had gained the attention of a Legion Commander.
“This is how it ends. Your fate goes no further.”
That voice, tinged with a hint of guilt, belonged to Mitanos.
But to Shane, that guilt only made it all the more disgusting.
He had thought that maybe things would be different with other races but in the end, they were no different from humans.
Apart from their physical superiority, everything else was the same.
Shane, who had harbored such deep hatred for humans, finally realized that there was no shadow left in this world where he could rest.
“Well, things turned out this way. What can you do? You just overstepped.”
“…Was my gathering information really that much of a problem?”
At Shane’s question, Arbash gave a cold smile.
In his narrow eyes swirled envy, anger, and mockery.
“No. If anything, you were helpful. Our team’s performance improved, after all. But the higher-ups? They don’t care about us. They only pay attention to you. Don’t you have any respect for your leader?”
Respect? What a joke.
Shane had always passed all his information through Arbash.
It was Arbash’s job to report that information to the upper ranks.
If Shane had truly disrespected him, he would’ve bypassed Arbash and reported directly.
Besides, Shane knew.
He knew that in some of those reports, Arbash had erased Shane’s name and claimed the work as his own.
“Hah. You just relied on that so-called smart brain of yours. We’re the ones out there risking our lives in the field, but you’re the one getting all the credit.”
That’s why Shane had pushed himself even harder to gather information.
Someone like him who wasn’t much help in combat was probably nothing more than dead weight.
So he devoted himself to researching monster habitats, studying their environments, and capturing and dissecting monsters again and again, even if it meant risking his life.
He had poured his efforts into things no one ever saw.
Thanks to that, the team had always enjoyed a tactical advantage and could fight more safely.
But this… this was all he got in return.
“…Indeed. We have no intention of ending our days stuck at the bottom either. In the end, isn’t that just how this world works? Survival of the fittest. Only those who adapt can survive. That is the limit of you humans. Just like your distant ancestors before you.”
Only those who adapt will survive.
This disgusting hypocrite kept comforting himself until the very end just to hand himself a pardon.
“But honestly, none of that really matters. I just didn’t like you from the start. I mean, you’re human, aren’t you?”
“What did some mere human think he could accomplish by coming all the way out here?”
“This is what you call the limit of your species.”
Maybe it was because they’d grown up together in the same village since they were kids, but the two of them really were a perfect match.
And so, feeling something collapse deep within his chest, Shane opened his mouth one last time.
“Then I suppose I have no reason to feel guilty either.”
***
Shane opened his eyes from sleep and instinctively looked around.
As was typical of the desert at night, the sound of rough winds blowing from outside created a loud, restless noise.
“Oh dear. You’re awake? My apologies. I must’ve made a bit of a ruckus.”
Arbash who had just been tidying the claws, which were the primary weapons of the Myo tribe, gave an awkward smile.
After spending the entire day wandering the desert in search of monster tracks and habitats, they had found a cave and decided to camp there.
They had actually achieved something during their search: they’d come across the nest of a Giant Scorpion nearby and reported it to their superiors.
However, for some reason, the scorpions were unusually numerous, and the group concluded they couldn’t handle it on their own.
Most likely, as dawn broke, a subjugation team would arrive to help drive the Giant Scorpions back.
And so, to prepare for the next day’s scouting, the group had turned in for the night.
“There’s no need to apologize. I’m just being sensitive, that’s all.”
“Haha, I see.”
Shane gave a strained smile as he watched Arbash resume trimming the claws.
What thoughts might be hidden behind those narrow eyes, so good at concealing emotion?
No. None of that really mattered.
Not in his past life, nor in this one.
In the end, people like you never changed.
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