Who are you?

The crowd slowly dispersed, and Clark and Emma Kensington walked to a small hill, where they had some dry rations and took a break. According to Emma Kensington analysis, the creatures could only freely move in soft sandy terrain. When encountering obstacles like rocks, their movement would be restricted. Therefore, they would be relatively safer on this hill.

It was almost noon, and the sunlight made the ground hot.

"How long do we have to wait here until that monster is injured? It might hide for a few days!" "The monster doesn't have that patience!"

While the two were talking, they did not notice that something seemed to be wriggling in the soil around the small hill. The once dense vegetation appeared to be devoured by something, sinking directly below. 

At the same time, some semi-transparent tentacles with a hint of blood vessels emerged from the soil, quietly moving through the rock crevices, approaching the two.

"Be careful!" Clark saw a stone next to him move.

Snap! Emma Kensington flamethrower shot out a wave of heat, moving the stone away, revealing a black snake hiding underneath.

The black snake, startled, attempted to flee but was immediately caught by the tentacles. After a few twists, it was pulled down the hill and disappeared into the soil.

"We are surrounded!" Clark looked around the small hill, and terrifying tentacles were approaching them continuously!

As soon as he spoke, several tentacles stabbed towards him. Clark swung his dagger, cutting off the nearest one, and blood sprayed out.

Other tentacles rushed towards Clark as if they were crazy, completely ignoring Emma Kensington standing on the side.

"Boom!" Emma Kensington directly fired the flamethrower. Some tentacles were burned into ashes, some were injured and retracted into the ground, but some continued to attack Clark.

New tentacles continuously extended from the soil, relentlessly attacking Clark.

Clark continued to swing his dagger, but with little effect. Even with Emma Kensington flamethrower, the situation couldn't be sustained for long. 

Below the small hill, the huge pincers of the sand monster emerged from the ground. As long as one tentacle grabbed Clark, it would pull him down desperately, leading to a fatal encounter with the monster's claws!

"Should we cooperate a bit?" Just when both were feeling overwhelmed, someone suddenly spoke.

"Who?"

At this critical moment, Clark glanced around but found no one. He had to focus on dealing with the approaching tentacles.

"You won't last much longer like this!" The voice rang out again, and Clark finally identified the direction of the sound, looking up towards the sky.

A young man hovered above them, dressed in armor-like equipment with a pair of wing-like launchers on his back, emitting flames that allowed him to stay airborne.

"Who are you?" Clark asked cautiously. In such a situation, he couldn't believe in coincidences.

"Don't be nervous, I mean no harm to you," Richard said with a smile, closing the distance between them.

"Shouldn't you wait, appear when we are both weakened?" Emma Kensington calmly analyzed, unsure whether this person was friend or foe.

"Alright, don't be nervous!" Richard threw out several black objects while speaking, resembling gyroscopes. They landed on the ground and burrowed directly into the soil.

Boom! Several muffled sounds followed, and most of the tentacles that were still wriggling were instantly blown apart. The remaining ones retreated into the soil.

The small hill became quiet.

Richard landed next to Clark. "Now, you should trust me," he said with a smile.

"Deep Soil Bombs!" Emma Kensington looked at the weapon. "You're a mercenary!"

Richard nodded, not surprised that Emma Kensington recognized his identity, but rather pleased. "Mercenaries are early risers without profit, and I'm here because there's something I want. We can cooperate; it's beneficial for you."

"Why should we trust you?" Emma Kensington asked.

"Because I need something here. We can cooperate, and it's a win-win for you!" Richard pointed at Clark. "He has a mark made of that thing, which can be used as bait!"

Clark felt uneasy hearing this. Why did he become the bait?

Emma Kensington remained silent.

"Okay!" Clark spoke up first. He knew that if they continued like this, both he and Emma Kensington might be in serious trouble. Time was of the essence, and he needed to find a way to rescue Olivia Turner quickly.

"No, it's too dangerous!" Emma Kensington directly refused.

"Ding! The system detects that the second beauty's affection for the host has strengthened, expressing concern for the host's safety. Special rewards are granted!" The system's voice rang out.

"Finally!'' Clark almost laughed. At a time like this, survival and turning the tide depended on the system!

"What's the reward? Tell me quickly!" "System reward: one-time use skill, 'Ignition.' It releases flames, enveloping the entire body. Anything approaching will be burned to ashes!" After the system explained, the reward was automatically granted.

Clark suddenly gained confidence, at least not going to his death in vain. "How do I do it? Explain it clearly!" Clark asked Richard, wanting to understand what this guy was up to and what he was after.

"You jump down from here, and it's guaranteed to lure that thing out. I'll be prepared in advance, and we can hunt it together. Simple as that!" Richard didn't expect Clark to agree so readily, finding it somewhat surprising.

"How can you guarantee I won't die?" Clark deliberately asked. "I can't guarantee that!" Richard laughed. "As a mercenary, what I know is never to entrust your survival to others at any time."

After saying this, the device behind him ignited again, propelling him upward a few meters. "Consider it. Since I have plenty of time, I can wait until you're all finished before taking action." Richard grinned, appearing detached from the situation.

"Okay, it's settled. Hope you won't break your word!" Clark wanted to beat this guy up, but now was not the time.

He ran directly towards the bottom of the small hill. "Not bad, quite bold!" Richard said as he threw more than a dozen deep soil bombs. The bombs touched the ground, burrowing in immediately. He then flew past Clark.

Boom! As soon as Clark touched the ground, a sound resonated, creating a hole. Then, a pair of huge pincers emerged. It didn't end there—behind the pincers was a pitch-black head, resembling a flat-bottomed wok. 

The sand monster's head had specialized into a helmet-like shape, resistant to attacks. Its eyes were as big as a person's fist, and its entire body resembled a worm, covered in numerous hair-like tentacles. Some were lubricated, emerging from the soil, emitting a foul smell.