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Chapter 109

Those who have experienced or witnessed battles with sandworms often describe it as a game of whack-a-mole.

The movements of the sandworms leaping from deep beneath the sand are nearly impossible to catch, even for Tae-oh.

The range that Tae-oh can find through the darkness is limited to lurking monsters near the surface; catching those buried deep below is a challenge beyond his grasp.

Only when they rise closer to the surface can he sense their approximate location through faint vibrations and dodge with all his power. No matter how sturdy a body an Awoken might have, the moment they are swallowed by a sandworm, they’d be shredded like meat in a blender.

Repeatedly dodging and slicing, even this monotonous battle would eventually come to an end.

Standing on the sticky desert soaked with the sandworm’s bodily fluids were Yeon-woo and Shar.

Fortunately, not a single drop had splattered on Shar. It seems she’d attended Hyuk Mu-ryeon’s classes even when Yeon-woo wasn’t present, though it was surprising to see her employ such advanced techniques now.

“Shar has the talent of a Hunter!”

It’s essential for Hunters to defeat monsters without damaging their original forms, as a new entry is registered in the monster compendium through first sightings. If the monster’s insides are intact, someone must retrieve it.

“Even if you say that, I’m not happy!”

“You’re not pleased? You need to take a break while keeping an eye out with Tae-oh since we need to take some teeth.”

“Okay!”

[Confirmed!]

Hearing the two kids’ spirited responses, Yeon-woo clutched the Doppleganger and approached the pile of slain sandworms. There might be a faintly breathing one, so extracting the crystals before collecting the teeth would be wise.

The ones that Yeon-woo killed were either already in pieces or badly sliced, so it didn’t matter, but the ones that Shar caught needed a clean chop.

Not wanting to waste an Aura Blade on such trivial work, he simply split open the surface of the sandworm.

“Whoa….”

It created a thoroughly disgusting scene. To put it simply, it felt like cutting an omelet over fried rice. That’s as refined as it gets, and if Shar saw the grotesque sight behind her, she’d probably be horrified.

In any case, to avoid getting splattered, Yeon-woo cautiously walked toward the split center of the sandworm, gripping the Doppleganger in the shape of a tanto. The sandworm’s body was massive, but interestingly, the crystals were not.

Fortunately, there was no need to slice through the muscle or entrails of the sandworm. On the heaps of leaked contents, he found a sparkling stone.

“Magic really is the best. It’s always thrilling.”

Even though Yeon-woo was accustomed to putting his hand into dirty places, he didn’t want to do it unless there was a reason.

A dark hand extending from Yeon-woo’s shadow seized the crystal, swiftly wiped it off with sand, and then handed it to him. Upon receiving the crystal, he tossed it toward his ring.

“Thank you.”

As he thanked the Shadow Hand he manifested, it bowed slightly, looking shy. Of course, this too was created by Yeon-woo.

Having concluded the little skit, Yeon-woo resumed the extraction. Once he set his mind to it, it went swiftly.

Approaching the foul-smelling maw of the sandworm to pluck out its fist-sized teeth was a painful task, but not impossible.

“Phew, done.”

After storing the teeth and crystals in the pocket he’d prepared beforehand, Yeon-woo stretched. It wasn’t because he was particularly tired, but finishing a task always made him want to stretch.

“So, shall we head out now?”

“Hmm… aren’t you hungry? It seems it’s about lunch time; should we eat before we leave?”

“…Here?”

Shar looked at him with a scornful gaze. At those words, Yeon-woo glanced around.

…Hmm. This isn’t a place to eat.

“Let’s check the map, Tae-oh.”

[I’ll take it out!]

Phew, a shadow that burst forth from his feet spat out a rolled-up parchment with a pop. Yeon-woo caught it effortlessly and opened it. He gazed down at an old-fashioned map.

“Oh, the next oasis is nearby. We can eat there.”

“Good idea!”

There are… about two oases left until the ruins. They should arrive by evening. With that, it seemed reasonable to catch a sandworm on the way back. Since they had to visit Count Lionel’s house in four days, it’d be better to wrap up the ruins exploration quickly.

“Alright, let’s go! Laxie!”

Once it was completely safe after observing from afar, he helped Shar onto the camel’s back and climbed on himself. Gripping the reins, he moved forward in the direction Tae-oh indicated.

In the middle of the desert shimmered an emerald lake.

Surrounding the lake bloomed various vegetation. It was quite an odd sight against the backdrop of pure white sand.

An oasis. The few green patches you could find in the white desert now spread out before Yeon-woo.

“Ooh….”

It wasn’t Yeon-woo’s first time arriving in the white sea desert. However, it was the first time he plunged deep enough to reach an oasis. Seeing the scenery before him, he was in awe.

“It’s beautiful!!”

[Can, can Tae-oh come out too…!?]

It wasn’t just Yeon-woo who was excited. Holding Yeon-woo’s hand, Shar hopped off Laxie, while Tae-oh, who had been mentally scanning the area, reacted with excitement too.

Fortunately, at this point, there were no visible people around, so Yeon-woo hurriedly equipped the desert gear onto his physically manifested body.

As they stood like statues, gazing at the scenery, Laxie impatiently tugged on the reins wrapped around its body. It was indeed a smart animal when left to its own devices.

“Shall we go?”

At Yeon-woo’s suggestion, Shar and Tae-oh eagerly nodded their heads.

The closer they got to the oasis, the more people began to appear. Connecting the oases in the desert is essentially the desert road, as it was aptly named; a bunch of heavily laden travelers, commonly referred to as caravans.

Among those travelers, Yeon-woo’s party stood out somewhat. With no cargo and merely children among them, curious gazes fell upon the trio as they enjoyed their lunch.

The lunch menu consisted of simple sandwiches. A basket full of sandwiches flavored with a variety of fillings. While the components of the sandwiches were simple and ordinary, the quantity was anything but.

Even the owner of the sandwich shop seemed a bit taken aback, asking once more. When he heard a child with an enormous appetite was among them, he simply shrugged it off. Kids can eat a lot after all.

“By evening, we’ll likely arrive at the entrance to the ruins. We should eat inside starting tomorrow lunch.”

“Daddy will make something delicious, so don’t worry!”

“Tae-oh eats everything without being picky…!”

“I do have some skill in outdoor cooking, you know.”

Outdoor cooking, meaning he was good at grilling. With various ingredients stowed away in the storage, even if they got lost inside the ruins, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“So, what do we do in the ruins?”

“Not much, really. Scholars and experts go to distant ruins where it’s hard to get to and bring back things of worth. They’ll take photos of murals… along with the inherent risks, the bonuses can be lucrative.”

“Bonuses… what are those?”

Yeon-woo paused to wipe off the sauce around his mouth. How could he explain this better?

“If we talk about the most common type of ruins, like tombs… think of the burial goods. You know, like how gold or gemstones are buried in the pyramids. What clients seek are items that reveal information about civilizations.”

“…Ah, got it! So it means to swallow without knowing!”

Saying that left him feeling a little guilty, but it wasn’t entirely wrong. Taking that aspect into account, the compensation was calculated somewhat tightly, thus falling within the legal realm.

“But why are they so eager to learn about the civilizations within the Gate? What’s the difference if we find out?”

“Tae-oh thinks the same.”

“Indeed.”

In truth, exploring the civilizations inside the Gates generally holds little significance.

Especially in desert-type Gates, the civilizations uncovered are usually already extinct, which further diminishes their value.

Nonetheless, active research on civilizations within Gates persists primarily because of their connection to the Demon King.

“Shar, what’s the weakness of a dragon?”

“Huh? Um, I’m not sure…?”

“Then what about Tae-oh? What do you think the weakness of a Doppleganger is?”

“Hmm… light!”

“Exactly. The more light there is, the more the activities of the Doppleganger diminish. They gain strength from the shadows thickening, though.”

“Why did you suddenly ask that?”

“See, just now, I figured out the weakness of a monster, right? How did I know?”

Shar tilted her head as if wondering why he asked such a thing. He answered her in an obvious tone.

“You asked Tae-oh.”

“Right. The way to learn about a monster’s weakness is to simply ask someone who knows about it. Most of that knowledge can be found in the civilization of the same Gate.”

Just like how information about Earth’s monsters is passed down through myths or stories, other civilizations are not much different. Information about monsters threatening humanity is treated with utmost importance.

“Now, here’s a question. Why explore ruins in this white desert, when monsters like sandworms or white scorpions aren’t particularly formidable?”

“Hmm… is there something more impressive?”

“Of course, there is, but that’s not it. The reason humanity is so focused on investigating the civilizations within the Gates is to find the Gates that the Seven Great Demon Kings lived in before coming to Earth.”

Upon hearing Yeon-woo’s words, Shar and Tae-oh nodded in understanding. Yes, when you think about it, it’s a straightforward story.

“The Great Demon Kings must have also started from some particular type of monster or creature and built up their power from there. Therefore, there must be a Gate they originated from. If we can trace back to that Gate, we might uncover their weakness.”

Humanity is already accustomed to the conveniences the Gates bring.

To ask them to live divorced from the Gates now would present a considerable challenge. Thus, completely eliminating the phenomenon of Gates is only a secondary objective for potential emergencies.

However, the Seven Great Demon Kings are different. They represent a wall humanity must face. A blade pressing sharply against their necks. Unless the Demon Kings are dealt with, the day when humanity can reign as the apex of all beings will not come again.

While it may sound noble to investigate the civilizations of other worlds and adopt their technologies, the underlying truth is that it’s to gather intelligence for the inevitable day when they need to hunt them down.

“And we have become spies for that purpose. How’s that for fulfilling work?”

“Spies!! That’s so cool!!”

“Um, the Spy Tae-oh will issue orders!!”

The response isn’t what I expected? Yeon-woo chuckled softly, surprising himself as the three finished their meal.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

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