18 Chapter 18) The Desert

They pass through the forest and what greet them was a vast sea of sand. "Welp! Here we go guys!" Gormon said. Lucy crouch down and pick up some sand. The sand was hot and was blown away quickly by the wind. Lucy look towards the direction of the wind and look up at the sky. "Going to be raining soon." Lucy said to himself. Lucy got up and tell everyone that it will rain soon. They were confuse as to what Lucy is saying. All they see is Lucy raining down his finger. "Wait!" Lucy quickly draw on the sand. "Oh! It will be raining soon! But why!? There can't be rain on such a dry place." Gormon ask. Lucy did not understand what Gormon is saying. Lucy gesture for the other to keep going. "Move on everyone! If Sir Lucy say that it will rain they we got to believe him. He is never wrong so far." Gormon said. Everyone nod and continue walking. Lucy was enjoying this weather but it soon got very hot but he can bare the hotness. However, if the temperature get to high then that will be a problem to Lucy. "Phew! It's so hot!" Amelia said. "We should take off our cloths. It's too hot and I can't bare with this heat!" Diana said. "No no! Don't take off your cloths. Rather add more to it... Fuck! I forgot that they don't understand me." Lucy said. Everyone look at Lucy in confusion. "Here! Put more cloths on. (In English)" Lucy said and take out more cloths and cloak. "Are you saying that we should wear more cloths?" Diana and Amelia ask. "I wish I knew what they were saying." Lucy said to himself. "You guys should wear more cloths. Sir Lucy know what he is doing. And keep those on as the night is going to be freezing." Gormon said. Diana and Amelia heard this and quickly put the cloths on. But it was even more hotter than before. "This is a lot more hotter!" Amelia and Diana complain. "Don't complain too much. This is to prevent your skin from burning." Gormon said. Diana and Amelia cannot bear the heat but did not take off their cloths and cloak. They don't want their skin to burn in this process.

They went deeper and deeper into the sea of sand. "Urgh! This is too much! I want to get out of here already!" DIana and Amelia said. "Quit whining already!" Gormon shout at them. "But it's too hot! I want out of this desert!" They shout back. Gormon shake his head as they are too annoying. Jean did not complain as he does not care and only care about the foods. "Ah! A scorpion!" Diana shout in panic. "Just leave it alone and you will not be attack..." Gormon is tire of keeping them safe as Lucy cannot communicate with them. "Now I know the stress of what Sir Lucy is going through..." Gormon said to himself. Diana look at the scorpion and quickly catch up to the rest. Lucy spot something at the distance. *Clank clank clank* One of his snake tattoo coil down his arm to his hand and form a binocular. Lucy zoom in and saw that it was a party riding on camel. They were coming from their right and will meet up with Lucy and his party. Lucy tap on Gormon shoulder and point to their far left. Gormon was confuse as to where Lucy is pointing at. Lucy hand Gormon the binocular. Gormon look at the binocular in confusion. Lucy take back the binocular and instruct Gormon on how to do use it. "Oh~!" Gormon look but it was so far! "Wow! It's so far!" Gormon put his hand in front of him and it was very far. Lucy shake his head and flip the binocular over. "Ohhhh~! I can see a few people coming towards us. Can't tell who but seem like we will meet if we keep walking this way." Gormon hand Lucy back the binocular. They keep walking and did not show fear as they have Lucy with them. Lucy can take care of everything easily. "Just be wary everyone! We might meet some people on our way." Gormon said. As soon as everyone hear this, they all raise their guards up. They keep walking and the other party seem to be closer and closer to them. By this time, the other that did not see the other party can see them clearly now.

After traveling for 30 minute, they finally meet with the other party. "Well well well... Look who we have here." Isabel said and look down on Lucy and his party. Isabel then look and saw Lucy and could see that he is not in his armor rather he is out of his armor. Isabel sneer at Lucy. "I am more handsome! Hmph! Girls prefer me over you!" Isabel said proudly. Diana and Amelia heard this and pretend that they were puking as it is too fake to be real. "See! Even they are memorize by my beauty!" Isabel said. "I'm mot sure if you are faking this but you sir should... *Boom* What was that!?" Gormon ask. Everyone stood still and did mot make any sudden movement. "Nothing is happening!" Isabel said. A soldier was about to get off his camel. "Don't! (In English)" Lucy warn the soldier. They don't understand what Lucy mean but saw Lucy shaking his head. The soldier stop and did not get off. "You guys stay put here. I will distract it the you all run." *Whoosh* Lucy put back hit suit. Lucy already made noise so he began running the opposite direction. "Run the other way!" Lucy shout at them. "Come on!" Isabel shout at everyone. "Don't keep looking! He will be fine! Sir Lucy know what he is doing!" Gormon said. Everyone nod and went with Isabel party. "Krill! You get off and let the two lady use that and I will take kid!" Isabel said. Krill nod and offer the camel to Diana and Amelia. "Thank!" Amelia help Diana onto the camel while Gormon help Jean onto Isabel camel. "Come on!" Isabel shouted. Everyone began running towards the giant rock. They should be safe there as this creature will not be able to track movement from them if they are on a solid surface.

Lucy was running instead of using his jet as he does not want to lose this creature or else it will go after the other. Lucy was playing around with the creature while keeping a lookout for the other to make sure they got onto the rock. Everyone got on the rock and look at Lucy. "Lets try to kill it if I can." Lucy said. Lucy use his jet and went a few hundred yard from the creature. Lucy pop his arm blade and drag is straight towards the creature. Lucy and the creature approach each other at a fast speed. *Clank* As soon as Lucy hear a clash, he knew that he cannot damage this creature. Lucy propel himself into the air and was passing through the creature. *Squeak* Lucy look ahead of him and saw small worms about the size of horse was flying towards him. "Ha!" Lucy use his jet to make a spin and any worms that pass through him were grind to nothing. There were still many small worms left but Lucy pass through them and land on the ground. As soon as Lucy land, he did a series of back flip then propel himself into the air. Lucy combine his arm blade and revert it back to his pulse gun. "Eat this!" Lucy pull the trigger. *Pew pew pew pew* Rounds after rounds went into the ground. *Roar* Everyone hear a roar and the sand began to rumble. Lucy propel himself further from the creature. *Roar* Everyone hear a roar again before they see something came out of the sand. *Boom* A giant worm about the size of 3 school bus came out from the sand. *Roar Squeak* Lucy look up and could tell that this worm is about 100 meter long. And he was right. The giant worm pull itself from the ground and shock everyone. It was like a giant worm but had a scorpion tail and centipede limbs. It's body was cover in armor that was as hard as steel. "My god....!" Everyone was shock to see such a monster like this.

Lucy was shock too but there was no time for him to be shock. Lucy began firing rounds after rounds back at the giant worm. There were rounds that manage to go through the creature and some ricochet right off the steel armor. The giant worm was hurt from this and dug itself back into the sand. "Damn!" Lucy jump and flew to another location. *Boom* The giant worm pop from his previous spot. Lucy shoot at the creature and force it back into the ground. "Wait! I can try that!" Lucy switch his pulse gun into his arm blades. Lucy flew to another location. *Boom* The same thing happen but this time, Lucy did not shoot at the giant worm. The giant worm pull itself up from the sand and roar at Lucy. Lucy charge at the giant worm and the giant worm also did the same. As Lucy got to a few yard from the giant worm, he jump up and use his jet to make him spin at an incredible speed. *Tsssss* Lucy was spinning on the back of the giant worm in a straight line and creating sparks. Within just a few second, Lucy reach the tail and was going to arrive at the end of the giant worm. Lucy got to the end manage to cut off the tail as there was little armor there. *Roar* The giant worm lost its tail and retrieve back into the sand. Lucy land back with the tail next to him. *Pssshhh* The substance from the tail melt away the sand. "Glad I did not get stung by it." Lucy said. Lucy grab the tail and collect the substance. "These substance can be useful." Lucy manage to collect 5 vial. "Time to go meet the other." Lucy use his jet and soon, arrive to the other within 15 second. "That was amazing!" Jean and Isabel guards said. "I can do better than that." Isabel roll his eyes at Lucy. "Thanks but we should keep going. Seem like that worm will not bother us for now." Lucy said. "Alright! Everyone move out! We continue our way!" Gormon said.

"What did you get from that creature tail?" Isabel ask. "These." Lucy show Isabel a vial. "I will buy if off from you!" Isabel said. "How much?" Lucy ask. "A bottle for 1,000 gold!" Isabel reply. "Then I will give you 1 more and I will take a camel instead." Lucy said. "Deal!" Isabel said. "Here you go..." Lucy give Isabel another vial. "Yes! Two vial! I can start on that project again!" Isabel said happily. "Come on me! We got to hurry back! I really want to start that project again!" Isabel shout at his guards. "Yes young master Isabel!" They all got up and take another route. "That was very nice Sir Lucy" Gormon said. "Thanks! But we should keep going and I think we can cover more ground with this camel." Lucy said. "All thanks to you. Come on!" Gormon said. Lucy retract his armor and continue walking. They load their stuffs onto the camel and was able to walk faster. Jean ride the camel as he is still small while the rest walk. "Wow! We sure cover quite the ground already!" Jean said while look back. "We did." Gormon said. They walk and walk but there seem to be no end to this desert. "It's about to get dark soon. We should find a place to rest." Gormon said. Everyone nod and keep a look out for a good spot. "Ooo! How about that place!" Jean point at a rock. Everyone look and saw the rock. "A very nice spot! We can rest there for tonight." Gormon said. "We should hurry then." Amelia said. They soon arrive to the rock and found that it was even better. If they stay here then they have a rock to cover the wind and the giant worm will not be able to get them. "We rest here for tonight!" Gormon said. Everyone take out the tents and began setting everything up. Lucy decide to start the fire as he can do it very fast. Lucy got a few twigs and dry grasses and put them together. Lucy clash his arm blade together and create sparks that light up the twigs and dry grasses. Lucy was done with the fire and could see that the other are not done yet. Lucy decide to help the other before taking a seat. After 20 minute, they all got everything set up and all they need to do is eat and wait for the next day to arrive to continue their journey.