In a dark alleyway Adam is discharged out of his body in a somewhat honorable fashion only to be received by a female host. He assumes a new identity Eve and begins a journey of a humble dew farmer, but what will the future have in store for him/her?

Dune watched as the dragon finished healing herself. Something shined in the corner of her eye, and she turned to see. 

It was her hand.

It was outlined in dark purple light, and when Dune looked, she saw the same was true for the rest of her body. The purple outline shined brightly, seemingly ethereal. 

Dune realized it was her magic manifesting itself to protect her. 

With all of the magic gone from the area, it was becoming vaguely dangerous for her to be around. She hadn't realized how heavily dependent on the land's natural magic she had become. 

She needed to leave the zone quickly. 

What about Sundevil? 

The dragon was still healing herself. What if she couldn't use magic to cast around herself? She might not be able to breathe. 

Dune didn't know too much about the whole healing thing, but she thought it was safe to assume that it was useless if you couldn't breathe long enough to do it. 

As she was pondering, Sundevil sucked in a loud breath, her chest rising and falling in uneven patterns. She was already beginning to loose oxygen. 

Dune took a deep breath. She had an idea of what she needed to do. 

Slowly stepping forward, her silent movements immediately caught the attention of the injured dragon, now watching her raptly. 

Holding her purple lined hands where Sundevil could see them, she continued to move forward.

When she got within reach of Sundevil, the dragon bared it's teeth, eyes sparking. 

Dune had half a mind to try and walk around the dragon, away from the teeth and claws, but one look from Sundevil and she knew that would seal her death.

So she walked slightly more forward, and then gently sank onto the ground, sitting with her legs crossed in front of her. 

Dune reached out, and Sundevil let out a deep snarl, reverberating through her whole body. 

Dune simply laid her hand on the dragon's side, on top of impossibly smooth scales that were diamond hard. 

Sundevil's jaw snapped around her wrist, but Dune refused to cry out. Blood ran down her arm while Sundevil's needle sharp teeth sank into her skin, but Dune refused to move. 

Slowly, hesitantly, her purple magic crept around Sundevil's frame, trying to help her breathe in the harsh air. 

Sundevil growled, the vibrations shaking her teeth and making her bite ever more painful. In a flash, the purple magic cleared and was replaced by light blue covering Sundevil's frame in seconds. It looked much stronger than Dune's.

Finally, Sundevil gently released Dune's bloodied wrist. She had bitten so deep Dune's bones had a couple of cracks. 

The dragon rose gracefully, shaking out its body and flaring its wings before casting one more glance at Dune. 

With a snap, it took off into the sky, flying off and away from the dead clearing.

Dune watched her frame until she disappeared, and then rose on her own, hissing at the pain in her wrist. It bled profusely, dripping onto the ground. It hissed and steamed, the magic reacting against the grass. 

Dune sighed and began the walk back to the Academy.

When the Khanate Gods fell from the sky to their death on the Earth, their immense power was dispersed throughout the planet, sowing the lands with magic. The only side effect of their deaths was the people. The people living in the wildest, darkest corners of the Earth were given powers beyond imagine, creating the Phoenixes. The people of Earth saw this, and feared what they could not understand. They hunted and killed everyone of the Phoenixes they could find. Unknown to them, hidden deep in the woods by powerful magic, a safe haven and academy for the Phoenixes existed, harboring the last of their kind. Enter Dune, a young Phoenix with strong magic and quick thinking. Growing up here, there were no unsolved mysteries, nothing that everybody didn’t know. Except for one. Enter Sundevil, a young wily Phoenix like Dune, with magic far stronger than it ought to be and a past far more dangerous than is safe. Sundevil stays in the back, careful not to draw attention to herself, unknowingly drawing all of Dune’s attention. As they continue to train and become stronger, Dune can’t seem to shake the feeling something is seriously wrong about Sundevil, besides the fact she’s as radiant as the sun. As she attempts to unravel the mystery, will she unravel feelings as well?

“Your boss, that old Japanese man must be quite rich. This dune buggy has been operating for more than an hour, but its power has not decreased at all. It must be a custom-made equipment, right? This stuff is probably not cheap.”

Roddy was seated inside the dune buggy that the bald girl had summoned out; he had taken the initiative to take the driver’s position. Nagase Komi did not argue against his decision because she knew that Roddy’s skill was related to machines. It would be best to leave matters related to machines to him.

They rode in the dune buggy through the wasteland, speeding toward the point validation location indicated by the radar. As they were on the move, Roddy could not help but sigh. “A pity, this senior’s Thunderstorm Tank had been destroyed just like that. If I could bring it back, I might be able to make use of the wreckage. Perhaps, it might be possible to repair it…”

“Repair?”

“Mm, I remember seeing repairing options back in Zero City’s weapons and equipment shops. I think repairing would be cheaper compared to buying a new one.” Roddy sighed.

On the second row of the dune buggy, Han Bi was seated there. He did not utter a single word.

His mind was in turmoil.

Roddy had been generous enough to bring Han Bi along with them.

However, Nagase Komi gave Han Bi a cold glance and said, “You chose not to kill him and bring him along. Is it due to your previous friendship? Or is he your points backpack? Kill him whenever you want for points?”

“Do I look like such an evil person?” Roddy harrumphed with a haughty expression.

Although that was Roddy’s answer, Han Bi felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

Strength… compared to those two, his strength was far too inferior!

…

The dune buggy sped through the wasteland for nearly one hour. The distance between them and the ‘point validation location’ displayed in their radars became smaller.

The silhouette of a little town slowly came into their view.

“Mm? There was such a place here?” Roddy knitted his eyebrows and said, “I thought… this instance dungeon is a total wasteland. How could there be a little town here?”

Nagase Komi stared at the little town for some time before saying in a low tone, “I remember checking the terrain of this area before. We did not find this little town… it must have appeared after that.”

Appeared after that?

Nagase Komi’s words reminded Roddy of something!

This place was originally a stretch of wasteland. However, a little town had now appeared here!

In other words, this little town had only appeared after the merging with Player mode!

Could it be…

“Player region?” Roddy guessed. “Damn it! If this is a Player region… then… would we end up encountering Players here? Get ready for battle!”

The dune buggy did not turn around. Instead, Roddy accelerated and quickly sped toward the little town…

…

When the dune buggy got onto the road leading into the little town, the dune buggy jerked and Roddy shouted, “Hold on tight! Nagase Komi, you keep watch!”

After saying that, Roddy tossed a gun to the bald girl.

Nagase Komi accepted the gun and loaded it. Then, she cast a complicated gaze at Roddy – he had shown his back to her without any reservation. He seemed to have no sense of vigilance toward her at all.

Nagase Komi exhaled and stood up on her seat and held the gun at the ready on the surface of the dune buggy.

It was at that moment that they suddenly heard something coming from up front.

It was a short but clear sound and it echoed through the wasteland.

Hearing the sound, Roddy’s face immediately sank.

“It’s the sound of gunfire!” Roddy quickly said. “Someone’s here. Who knows if its Awakened ones or Players…”

Nagase Komi gripped the gun in her hand tightly and said with an expression of resolve, “Who cares! We can use this opportunity to score some points!”

Roddy cast a surprised look at Nagase Komi. He was taken aback by the bald girl’s show of strength and courage.

He recalled their time together in the Tokyo instance dungeon. Back then, she had begun as their captive – there, she was just a cowardly rookie. She was recruited into a guild formed by that fellow known as Culkin and sent to set up an ambush along a road. In the end, she was captured by Chen Xiaolian and his team.

Later, she was taken in by Chen Xiaolian. However, she was still a weak and cowardly girl.

Unexpectedly, after merely such a short time, this bald girl had become a cold and tough person!

Even back in the airplane, she did not bat an eye even though she had killed that terrorist with her bare hands!

Those matters made Roddy curious. However, it was just a momentary thought.

He returned his attention to driving the dune buggy into the little town, heading toward the sound of the gunfire…

After travelling a distance of several hundred metres, Roddy suddenly halted the dune buggy.

“Ten o’clock!” Roddy whispered urgently.

“I see it!” Nagase Komi jumped out of the dune buggy and ran forward with her upper body leaning forward.

Their personal radars had revealed several green dots in their ten o’clock position!

Those dots represented… Awakened ones. Additionally, they had already entered a state of combat!

…

With her upper body leaning forward, Nagase Komi continued moving in that direction. Roddy was right behind her; before running off, he turned his head back toward Han Bi. “Hide well and don’t come out.”

Somewhere three to four hundred metres away from the little town was a stretch of arid rocks.

The gunfire had come from this place.

Nagase Komi and Roddy ran toward the rocks. The two of them were able to act in concert and they began splitting apart, one heading to the left while the other to the right. They moved forward in a flanking manoeuvre.

Nagase Komi had whispered to Roddy, “We are not in a state of combat. They still do not know of our arrival… this will be a good opportunity to ambush them!”

Roddy nodded. He was quick to accept her suggestion and they began to move into a flanking position. They rounded the stretch of rocks from both sides.

Taking several steps forward, Roddy suddenly heard another gunshot coming from there!

Bang!

After hearing the gunshot, Roddy was surprised to find that one green dot had disappeared from his personal radar.

One has died?

…

Roddy stayed close to the rocks as he approached. He soon found a crack within the rocks. The crack provided him with an excellent opportunity to spy on what was happening beyond the rocks…

Within the stretch of rocks, a confrontation was occurring!

There were three men, all wearing protective suits on them. Judging from the way it looked, those protective suits were unlikely to be some high-grade equipment. They were probably just [B] class goods or lower.

They were all armed with firearms.

The three of them were in a ‘品’ formation and they were in the middle of laying suppressing fire upon a rock on the south side.

There was a man hiding behind that rock.

The two parties wielded firearms and shot at each other.

In terms of firepower, the three men were clearly holding the advantage. However, the fellow hiding behind the rock had better marksmanship. Each successive shot by him was accurate and ruthless!

Roddy also saw a corpse lying on the ground between the two parties.

Judging from the bloodstains, he speculated that the corpse must have belonged to the green dot that had disappeared just now.

The three-man team was clearly trying to kill the fellow hiding behind the rock. However, they ended up losing one of their own.

This was an unacceptable result!

Killing a participant will give 500 points. However, only the killer will acquire the 500 points while the killer’s allies get 100 points each.

And yet, they now lost one of their own!

According to the rules, losing an ally meant the deduction of 300 points for each of them!

Before succeeding, they had lost 300 points each!

This was too much of a loss!

Even if they do kill off this prey… only the one to kill the prey would get the benefit. Minus 300 points then add 500 points would result in 200 points.

But for the other two… minus 300 points then add 100 points would still result in a negative 200 points.

Even after killing off the enemy, two of them would still end up with negative 200 points.

How were they to accept this?

The Hell!

After encountering the fellow who appeared terribly injured, they had originally thought that they would be able to pick up an easy win. How could they have guessed that their prey would end up being so skilled?!


We attend school, find love, work, buy a house, pay our housing loans, insert weird faces in WeChat, watch movies… do any of you find anything amiss? One day, a group of strange people entered this world, equipped in strange clothing and possessing extraordinary powers, cold-blooded killers! They call themselves [Players]. 

Wait! Wait! You people want to kill me? You say I am NPC (Non Playable Character)? Stop joking around! You crazy bastards! I will fight you to the death! I will survive!

NPC beating up Players! Original residents beating up Transmigrants!

My world, my rules! What makes you think you bastards can come over and boss us around?

Treading the path of the strongest saviour in history, one destined to be filled with excitement!

…

Chen Xiaolian: From today onwards, an organization whose sole purpose is to oppose those bastards is established! Our guild shall be named… Player Thwarting Alliance!

Guild Member: Leader, this name, if we are to say it out, I fear we will be beaten up… 

"You're right!" Tao Qingli nodded, "When I accompanied the Palace Lord to the Realm Beyond Heaven to visit the Celestial Sage, she secretly told us that someone had spotted the Netherdragon Ship reappearing. Fortunately, the Palace Lord is one of the Celestial Sage's most trusted comrades, which is why she handed this mission down to our Traversing Water Palace to accomplish."
What really happened was, after Granny Tao and Tao Qingli met up with the Celestial Sage, they began talking about the usual things and reminiscing about the past. At the time, the Celestial Sage's disciples were present as well. Then, all of a sudden, someone came in looking for the eldest disciple of the Celestial Sage — Huyan Taibao. Huyan Taibao followed that person out, then hurriedly rushed back. No one knew what he had secretly conveyed to the Celestial Sage through voice transmission, but her expression instantly changed afterward.
All the people standing down below were afraid to say anything, and simply cast their gazes at the Celestial Sage. And after a rather long silence, the Celestial Sage turned to Granny Tao and had her and Huyan Taibao stay while everyone else was dismissed. After which, Mu Fanjun said to Granny Tao, "The Netherdragon Ship has resurfaced!"
Granny Tao was greatly shocked...
Although saying that it was a mission personally handed down by the Celestial Sage had a nice ring to it, and was indeed something that excited the hearts of subordinates like them, all ten Manor Heads present, including Miao Yi, felt incredibly helpless. It would've been better had they not heard about this mission. Now that they did, it meant that there was no room for refusal. The only option given to them was to go along with it. 
Miao Yi regretted not feigning some kind of illness so that he could have avoided coming here. That said, who could have known that this would happen?! Before this, he never thought he'd receive such an 'honor', even in his wildest dreams.
The other nine Manor Heads were sure to be thinking the same thing he did.
Someone gritted their teeth and asked, "With our cultivations, what can we possibly achieve in that Flowing Clouds Dune Sea? Surely there are even more suitable candidates in the Realm Beyond Heaven for such a task?"
Tao Qingli replied, "This mission is of grave importance. If word leaks out, it will surely stir up a major uproar in the entire cultivation realm! Even now, the information is on a very strict need-to-know basis, and only a selected few have been briefed about the matter. The Celestial Sage has intentionally kept this information secret from her other disciples as well. After all, the Six Nations know everything there is to know about one another. This makes it harder for the members of the Realm Beyond Heaven to show their faces. If the people from the Realm Beyond Heaven were to suddenly show up around Flowing Clouds Dune Sea for extended periods of time, they will surely arouse suspicion. It's the same case for Red Lotus cultivators, who tend to have vast networks and are familiar with a lot of people's faces. In contrast, those in our Traversing Water Palace don't have too many interactions with the outside world, which is why we picked you all."
The crowd fell silent. Then, someone said hesitantly, "It's not that we don't wish to go, but given the kind of place that Flowing Clouds Dune Sea is as well as the level of our cultivations, I'm afraid we might fail the Palace Lord's important task!"
Tao Qingli said, "Rest assured, you won't be going there to fight or anything dangerous like that. Your primary objective is simply to infiltrate the Flowing Clouds Dune Sea and search for traces of the Netherdragon Ship. Dig up whatever information you can find. As soon as you notice anything out of the ordinary, report it immediately to the Celestial Nation's Chamber of Commerce branch within Flowing Clouds Dune Sea. The Realm Beyond Heaven will have experts hidden within the Chamber of Commerce. Naturally, someone will take care of all the fighting for you. All you have to do is report your findings. You won't have to fight anyone else for profit. I trust that it won't be a risky job." 
'It won't be a risky job? It won't?' The crowd was speechless.
Tao Qingli continued, "To make it easier for you all to accomplish your mission, we've specifically arranged for an experienced veteran to be your Captain on this expedition. With him taking command, I am sure that it will be much safer for all of you."
The crowd immediately looked around, but they couldn't find anyone else in the room. Where was the guy?
Miao Yi was also glancing around as well. He wanted to take a gander at the ballsy fellow who would be helping them avoid the dangers of Flowing Clouds Dune Sea. Unexpectedly, Tao Qingli pointed a finger right at him and said, "Miao Yi! Don't you have anything you would like to say?"
"I…" Miao Yi was dazed. Almost all of the ten Manor Heads present had posed their own questions, whereas he'd simply stood quietly to the side the entire time. He immediately shook his head and answered, "No, Ma'am!"
The thing was, it didn't matter what he said. The other party had even used the name of the Celestial Sage. And now that he knew about this grave secret, did he have any right to refuse? Why speak any nonsense then?!
"It seems Manor Head Miao is quite confident about this expedition!" It was hard to tell if Tao Qingli was mocking him or honestly complimenting him.
Miao Yi smiled wryly and waved his hand, "Surely you jest, Advisor! This subordinate doesn't even have an ounce of confidence."
"Why so modest? Of all the cultivators in Traversing Water Palace that are under the Red Lotus realm, there probably isn't anyone else who can be more confident than you!" Tao Qingli pointed at Miao Yi, then announced to the other nine Manor Heads, "Everyone! I trust that you're all already familiar with this person. He is the one who cut his way through the other 180,000 cultivators of the Subjugation Crusade, and the tenth place holder—Manor Head Miao Yi! To be able to come and go as he pleases in a place as perilous as the Sea of Constellations, there's no question to his skill. Naturally, I believe he already has a course of action planned out for this expedition. With him coordinating everyone's actions in the Flowing Clouds Dune Sea, I am confident that the risks will be reduced to a minimum." 
"You're praising me too much, Advisor. I'm really… really…" Miao Yi repeatedly waved his hand around. However, he couldn't continue with his words of 'modesty' any further. His eyes gradually widened and his expression became more and more exaggerated. It seemed he finally realized the situation. He pointed at his own face and asked in shock, "The Captain that Advisor was talking about is me?"
The other nine Manor Heads cast a sidewards glance at him, as though trying to say, 'Even a fool can understand that much.'
Tao Qingli nodded and said, "There really isn't anyone that's a more suitable candidate for Captain than you! The others have stayed in Traversing Water Palace for far too long, and have very little interaction with the outside world. As such, you can say that they don't have a lot of experience. The only good thing that they have for this mission is the fact that not many people know who they are. Once you're in Flowing Clouds Dune Sea, they will have to obey your every command. While you're there, you will be undertaking a mission on the Palace Lord's behalf, and as such, your decrees are equivalent to the Palace Lord's decree. If anyone disobeys you, you are free to kill first and ask questions later! Even if you kill them by mistake, no one will blame you! The point is, all you have to do is to lead them and make sure to accomplish the mission handed to you no matter the cost! For the sake of the mission, all will be tolerated!"
The nine Manor Heads were completely dumbfounded. Wasn't this authority a little too great? His decrees were equivalent to the Palace Lord's decree? And he could even kill first and ask questions later?
It was evident from this how determined Granny Tao and Tao Qingli were to accomplish this mission.
Truth be told, the two of them had no choice either. They still needed to rely on Mu Fanjun for certain things in the future. And for the latter to trust them so deeply by personally assigning them this important mission, letting them in on such top-secret information that she'd even withheld from a majority of her disciples—they naturally had to complete it successfully no matter the cost. What did it matter if a few people died?
On their way back, the two of them thought about who they should send for this mission. Both grandmother and granddaughter didn't even need to think to know that Miao Yi would be the most suitable candidate for such a task. Given the state of things in Traversing Water Palace, who else would be better suited for this mission?
Tao Qingli wasn't just giving shallow praise to Miao Yi earlier on. Given all the things the guy had done in Suppressing Tenth Hall, she knew that he was a man of both courage and wit. He really did live up to the name of a Subjugation Crusade survivor who killed his way out of 180,000 cultivators. There was no exaggeration at all!
Originally, both Granny Tao and Tao Qingli had other plans for Miao Yi. However, when this mission was suddenly dropped onto their shoulders, all their plans had to be put aside for the time being. It was more important than anything for them to accomplish the Celestial Sage's task. This was why the situation had turned out in such a way.
"..." With widened eyes, Miao Yi was a little speechless. He immediately waved his hand and said, "I really can't, Advisor. I don't know anything about Flowing Clouds Dune Sea. Besides, it is apparent that the others are much more informed than I am. I suggest you pick another candidate!"
'Who gives a damn about this kind of authority? I'd much prefer if you had given me the ability to hand out a decree on the Palace Lord's behalf within Traversing Water Palace itself. Once we're in Flowing Clouds Dune Sea, there's nothing more important than thinking of ways to survive. What's the point in ordering these nine guys around? If any of them wishes to take charge over these incompetent fools, they're free to take the job. I, for one, don't want to be dragged down with them. That damned Netherdragon Ship can kiss my ass. There's nothing more important to me than surviving the entire ordeal.'
Miao Yi was already thinking about how to keep himself alive in Flowing Clouds Dune Sea. He wouldn't waste his energy on this bunch at all. He'd much rather be the person receiving the orders instead. The other guys could have that authority for all he cared. It wasn't as if these bastards would dare to do anything to him anyway. There was no telling who would be the one actually doing the killing if that were to happen. After all, who could possibly find out who killed who in that wretched place?!
"Haa! This old one doesn't like to force others." Resting on her high seat, Granny Tao suddenly opened her eyes. She waved her hand and said, "If Manor Head Miao doesn't wish to go, then never mind. I won't force you. You can go back to Raincloud Manor."
The other nine Manor Heads immediately shot their gazes over to Miao Yi, wanting to see if he could read between the lines of Granny Tao's words.
"..." Miao Yi's expression twisted. 'As if you're really asking me to go back, you old granny! You're clearly trying to kill me! If I still don't take part in the mission after being told such a grave secret, will you let me return alive?'
Miao Yi immediately put on a humble expression as he cupped his fists and said, "I really do think that I'm not good enough for the job! However, since the Palace Lord has such high expectations of me, how could I dare disobey?! As long as the Palace Lord doesn't mind the possibility of disappointment, I'm even willing to go through a sea of flames!"
Granny Tao nodded, "Mmm. Good show! You have a bright future ahead of you! Then it's decided! There's no one better suited for the task than you, so I shall entrust this mission to you. Don't let me down!"
Miao Yi had a solemn expression as he said in seriousness, "Your subordinate shall spare no effort to accomplish his task! The nine Manor Heads and I will work together as one!" He then cast a sideways glance at the other Manor Heads and found that they all seemed to be looking at him a bit strangely?
'What the hell are you looking at? Compared to butt-kissers like you, this is me adapting to the situation!' Miao Yi returned with a cold glare.
The nine Manor Heads were taken aback by Miao Yi's sharp gaze. It finally dawned on them that their fates were in the hands of this little lord. They immediately turned to Granny Tao with cupped fists and said, "We shall do our best!"
Now that the issue was settled after having forced the whole thing through, Granny Tao shut her eyes once again.
Tao Qingli then said, "All of you must hide your identities for this mission. Just think of yourselves as loose cultivators. That way, it'll be easier for you to slip in Flowing Clouds Dune Sea. And to avoid alarming the other nations, your escort will only send you halfway there. You will have to travel the rest of the way on your own. Then, once you return, you are not to mention this mission to anyone. If news of this is somehow leaked, you will not be shown any mercy! Everyone, you are to assemble at the designated locations assigned to each person at the exact time. Tardiness will not be tolerated! Do you have any questions?"
Everyone looked at one another. They had plenty of questions, and they all didn't want to go. But would it help to ask such a thing?
Since no one had any questions, the matter was immediately settled. Tao Qingli personally gave each and every one of them a storage ring and a beast sack. Besides which, they were also given ten million Gold Crystals as well as a spirit eagle each. As 'Captain', Miao Yi was given slightly more funds; fifty million Gold Crystals, to be exact.
After briefing them on some of the finer details of the mission, Tao Qingli finally released the ten Manor Heads.
When they reached the foot of the mountain, Miao Yi proceeded to look for his mount, while the nine Manor Heads quickly came over to make some small talk. They had no choice but to be respectful to this little lord who had the call over their life or death in the palm of his hands.
"Everyone!" Since he already wielded the authority, Miao Yi decided not to hold back. He extended his hand out to the other nine men, "To avoid some people not doing their jobs properly after accepting the reward, I'd like all of you to hand over the money that the Advisor just gave out. When the time comes, I will tally everything and return it to you accordingly!"


A striking man of mysterious origin and peerless talent, he looks back at the world, in all its entirety, with utter disdain. And yet, in the treacherous and unpredictable ultimate formation of the Boundless Secular World, he guards a breathtaking ancient qin with broken strings, waiting silently for the destined one to arrive!

A boy encounters him, and knows for the first time that the world beneath the Heavens is a fickle place. Not even demons, devils, ghosts and monsters can match the frivolity of human nature!

A slender physique, and jade-like beauty, but the sword that strikes between heaven and earth is not unlike a streaming rainbow!

The vastness of the starry sky, the seven emotions and six desires! Greed, anger and ignorance! The teachings of Buddha will grant you boundless strength!

A sea of blood will come, at the cost of all mortal beings full of honest hope!

The ghosts wail as the gods roar, but the sea of blood has no end!

Where, pray tell, is the path I should take?

Since there is no path, no matter how bitter and bloody the sea, even if my boat is made out of bones, I will soar to the heavens above!

------
Releasing: Mon, Wed, Fri, and Weekends

After opening the door, the first thing Hera noticed was how strong the light was. She already was in a bright location, but this was much worse. It took her well over 30 seconds for her eyes to adjust and see the sand dunes reaching the horizon. Hera closed the door and turned back to the reception.
"Giving up already, kid?" Peaches asked.
"Nope, I want to see if there is a water bottle or something here. If I'm staying in the middle of the desert in this armor, I need water." 
"Smart move. Check under the sink."
As peaches said, a small water bottle with a strap that she could wrap on her waist was under the sink. The bottle was empty, but there was a water purifier on the wall where she could fill it up.
"Peaches, do you have any idea if it's bad to drink cold water in the desert?"
"No clue, Kid. My kind doesn't have to drink anything. We do it just for fun."
"Really? What's your favorite drink?" Hera asked while waiting for her bottle to fill up.
"Humans made one thing called appletini. It's delicious."
Hera laughed, "No, but seriously. What's your favorite drink?"
"… That is my favorite drink. Why is that so funny?"
"C'mon, you have to see the irony in that."
"Meh, you changed. It was more fun to tease you last time. Anyway, it took me a long time to try that drink because of that irony," Peaches replied.
"I can pretend to be flustered," Hera walked towards the door, with the full bottle already on her waist.
"That takes the joy out of it," Peaches sighed.
"Sorry, but things change. Being stuck in a place with a strange civilization makes you see things differently."
"Can't say I relate. Now stop stalling and go do your test."
"Sir, yes, sir!" Hera marched towards the door and jumped into the desert.
The heat was scorching. She took five steps away from the door and already could feel the sweat forming in her forehead. Opening her map, Hera confirmed that the door she just used was marked. It was a relief knowing that she wouldn't get lost. Using a set of heavy armor wasn't a good idea in a place like this, and she was used to the cold of Boothudurn. Since there were no hints or signs of monsters around, she started walking in a random direction. The entire area was made only of sand dunes without any glaring landmarks. Even the door had the same color as the sand, making it blend with the environment.
"I think I should do this one in stages. I mean, Peaches said that if I left through the door, my progress wouldn't go away. Maybe I can do something else while I cool off."
Hera walked for half an hour, trying to find any tracks or anything that could hint at the existence of monsters. Yet, despite her best efforts and the constant use of her pulse spell, there was nothing. Frustrated, she started digging the sand with her weapons. Maybe the monsters were underground, and she had to find a cave. That seemed to be working for a while, but the dunes started to crumble, and the sand refilled the hole.
Angrily, Hera picked her chakram and tossed it at the top of the dune, from where the sand was collapsing, and pulled it back with the string from Yarnball. She pulled her weapon back when an idea dawned on her. It's been a long time since she had used the dowsing rod ability of her relic. Still, what if she had to use it later?
"No!" Hera shook her head, "Blue was right. I've been too precious with my skills. I have them, so let's use them."
She untied her chakram and held let the thread dangling from her hand. After taking a deep breath, she asked her question.
"Where is the nearest monster?"
She could feel some of her mana being drained, and the thread pointed towards her left. Hera quickly opened her map to mark the direction, but there was an arrow already in place, to her surprise. She walked around, but the arrow was still in the same spot where she used the skill. Apparently, the dowsing rod skill also made the mark on the map. That made things much easier.
Following that direction, she took another sip of her water. There was only about a third of water left, and she had yet to even see a monster inside this biome. Instead of just walking around, Hera also paid more attention to the sand, hoping to find any tracks.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
Then twenty.
She already had wasted a full hour inside the place without finding anything or getting a single notification. Just as she was about to give up and try another door, she noticed a small trail in the sand. It was so tiny that she could cover it with just the tip of her foot. The only reason she saw it was because of the shadow created inside the small holes. She followed the tracks with her eyes. One side came from the top of a dune, and the other headed back down. Just as Hera wondered where the monster was going, a notification appeared in front of her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Desert Biome – 1st task
You have found the tracks of the lonely creature of the desert. Follow the tracks and locate the beast. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hera looked in both directions one more time and decided to head to the top of the dune. Having a higher vantage point could help to find whatever the monster was. From the top, she could see an area where the tracks seemed to end near the top of the next dune. Rushing towards it, Hera's heart sank when she found the end of the trail. There was nothing there. This must have been the place where the creature spawned. Turning back, she followed the tracks, being careful not to step on them. At least there was no wind to blow the trial away.
Another ten minutes passed, and Hera finally saw movement. There was a small creature halfway through climbing the next dune. Whatever it was had almost the same color as the surrounding sand. Only one thing made it stand out against the orange background, the blacks spot that seemed to follow behind it. Hera activated her [Hide] and moved slowly towards the monster. As she got closer, the type of creature she was following became more apparent. It had 8 tiny legs and three large pincers, a long body for its size, and the black spot was actually a tail that split into three spikes that could move independently from each other. The entire creature was about the size of Hera's finger.
She got closer and used her [Observe]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three Needle Scorpion – Level ??? 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have completed the Desert Biome 1st task
Desert Biome - 2nd task.
The Three Needle Scorpion can spend days without food and water. However, it uses something to acquire the necessary sustenance. Discover what that is.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So… I have to chase it until it feeds or something?" Hera sighed.
Considering she had only a day to complete all the biomes, waiting around for an animal to do something made her worry. Still, the tests were all supposed to be beatable. Then again, having to complete through a near-perfect execution could be considered beatable. While she was distracted by the possibilities, the scorpion kept moving and went over the sand dune. Hera followed and saw the creature changing directions. Instead of heading back down, it was now following along the dune, moving towards the higher part of the sand.
Since it seemed to be moving with intention and not just roaming around, Hera decided to follow it for a while. According to her map, she wasn't that far away from the door. The only problem was that the creature moved very slowly. Just walking behind it was boring, and to make sure she was ready for the plaque, Hera kept analyzing everything she could about the creature. Although the scorpion's progress was slow, it was only due to its size and not the speed of its movement. Its legs moved frantically and had a minimal effect in the sand. It was also able to balance itself without any issues. Even at points where it was practically walking sideways, the creature moved around as if nothing had changed.
Hera slipped in the dunes a couple of times as she followed it, making her fall all the way back to the bottom. Even with her struggle, the scorpion didn't seem to notice anything. It kept walking to its destination, whatever it might be. After another twenty minutes, the scorpion reached the tallest rune around. Hera only saw a couple of other places that could be this high up. The scorpion rose its three pincers and three tails and started to spin them around, almost like spinning a lasso.
Hera tried to focus on what it was doing, but the small creature was too far away. Not wanting to miss whatever the monster was doing, she activated her Pulse spell, hoping it would at least show her something. However, after casting it for the first time, she felt something odd. When the mana from her spell got close to the scorpion, it fizzled out. It wasn't hitting a wall or a barrier. Since her mana would spread in a ring, she was having trouble understanding what was going on. She cast the spell a few more times. There wasn't a way to move around the dunes without tumbling over, and Hera couldn't risk missing whatever it was doing. After a few casts, she realized that it was more as if the mana was being sucked into a whirlpool instead of hitting a barrier. Thinking that was odd, she created a dancing light on her side and sent it towards the scorpion. As the orb of light got closer, the mana was devoured by the scorpion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have completed the Desert Biome 2nd task
Desert Biome - 3rd task
The Three Needle Scorpion is a hermit creature. It uses any holes big enough to take cover from the sun as its nest. If there is none around, they dig a small tunnel every time they need to rest. They tend to look for a place to sleep after they had a meal.
Create a nest the scorpion can use and capture it alive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the notification appeared, a long plastic case emerged from the sand by Hera's foot.
"So I have to catch it now?" Hera sighed, "Ok, first things first, where is it going?"
Looking up to the monster, it kept doing its swirls, with its head up. Hera looked around, and right in front of the creature, a small dune seemed to be sturdy enough to support a small nest. She walked over there while the monster still absorbed the mana in the air. She dug a small hole and placed the container inside it, leaving the lid on her hand.
"I hope this is enough. It said nothing about how to lure the monster here, but maybe I can help it a bit."
She used another dancing light and left it above the tunnel, revealing the shadow it cast. Hera walked away, trying not to get in the line of sight of the scorpion. A few more minutes passed, with the creature having its mana meal until its pincers and tail stopped spinning. Trying to hide behind the dunes, Hera laid on the ground, watching the monster.
The scorpion looked around, and it seemed to notice the hole. It started coming down the top of the dune and head towards what it thought was an empty nest. Hera celebrated in her mind while waiting for it to reach her trap. It took quite a while for the tiny monster to make its way towards the container. While it moved, Hera kept watching the beast, trying to learn more about it.
It seemed to use its pincers to balance itself as it moved, and the two frontal legs were more to hold itself up than to actually move around. She couldn't see much more aside from it being that far away, but maybe when it entered the trap, she could get a better look at it. The scorpion arrived in the hole and spent a few moments looking around, testing the waters before entering.
When it went inside the container, Hera got up quickly but waited for a few moments before closing her trap. She got closer and took a deep breath before putting on the lid and twisting it, closing the container. She pulled it from the sand and looked inside. The scorpion was still there, but now it was slamming against the lid, trying to escape. Suddenly, the top of the container turned dark, and she could see the scorpion's exoskeleton. It was almost like looking at a live X-ray, but it only had a few green lights instead of showing organs, one inside the tail, by the black needles on top, and another in each of the pincers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have completed the Desert Biome 3rd task
Desert Biome – 4th task
The Three Needle Scorpion has a potent poison capable of paralyzing large creatures for days. The poison is created on its tail, and poison sacks on the pincers can deliver a less concentrated dose to its enemies. To make the scorpion safe for consumption, it is necessary to remove the poison sacks and drain any remaining poison from its body.
Eat the scorpion after removing all its poison.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"WHAT?! No, no, no, no, no," Hera kept staring at the scorpion in horror.

As all kids do, Hera wanted to be an explorer. Sadly when she turned 18 she discovered that her stats and lack of skills made her fail the requirements to become one, and she went to work on a bookstore.

That should have been the end of her story. But when she wins a lottery to have her level up she discovers a hidden skill and a rare one at that.

The system gave her dream back, and this time she is not letting it go.

##############################

The story is about a world where game-like systems are the norm, Everyone has a level, status and even skills are a common thing.

If your stats are good you can even become an explorer, someone that ventures inside a place called MAZE, a dungeon of sorts filled with monsters creatures and things that the regular world is missing such as magic.

The story follows Hera, a woman who wanted to be an explorer but her status were too low to become one. One day she wins a raffle that allows her to level up for the first time giving her the chance to achieve her childhood dream.

It's more about how things work and what you can do with them than about power or revenge.

The rhythm might be a bit slow for some but that is the idea. I want to give sort of a slice of life feeling to most of it.
###############################

Raine makes a deep cut with her dagger — but the wound slowly closes.

She looks at you in frustration and you scale down the regeneration.

"Keep it at a minimum for now," she instructs. "We'll need to cut him open to reach his heart."

"The troll's regeneration might also affect the soporific," Adon adds. "You don't want your friend waking up for this."

Raine continues cutting. 

After cutting and peeling the skin — she starts to cut part of Bruce's ribs using a faintly-glowing knife.

"It's a runic blade," she explains. "It can cut bone but not flesh."

Thomas exits the cave, unable to stand the bloody scene — leaving you, Dune, and the two mages.

"You should have told him," she glances at Dune while cutting into Bruce. "I'll do everything I can so that you can tell him afterward."

"He knows," Dune answers.

"Everyone does," you murmur.

Dune looks at you for a moment then turns her gaze back at Bruce.

The two mages work close to an hour before stopping.

It's close to dusk and you see very little light coming from the mouth of the cave.  

"Ready the wolf," Raine dictated. "Once we take out his heart, we don't know how long the regeneration will keep him alive."

Dune rushes outside to talk to Thomas.

You hear the sounds of hurried conversation and then the sound of a cage being opened.

"Do it!" Dune shouts from outside.   

Raine looks at you — tension showing in her face.

You sense the binding between the troll and Bruce. You pour more of the troll's regeneration into the unconscious Bruce and you see his eyelids start to twitch.

Arwaaaooooo! 

A mournful and vengeful howl pierces the silence of the forest.

Raine starts to cut out the veins and arteries connecting to the heart — blood starts gushing out from the cuts.

Bruce's eyes flare wide open and he gasps. Pain and fear are painted in his face. He struggles with his bindings and you could see that he's doing all he can to stop himself from screaming.

"Bite on this." Adon stammers as he pries open Bruce's jaws.  He places a piece of wood wrapped in cloth into his mouth. "It's going to be over soon.

You see panic and anguish in Bruce's eyes. He looks at you as if begging to be saved — or begging for an end to pain.

Dune and Thomas enter the cave — the dying wolf slung on Thomas' shoulders.

Raine finishes cutting and takes out the heart.

Frost immediately starts forming around it and Raine drops the heart in a panic.

Bruce's heart falls to the ground — turning to ice as it falls and shattering into fine crystals as it lands.

"The wolf…" Raine snaps.

Thomas cuts open the downed wolf, skillfully cutting out its heart and placing it in the mage's hands.

Raawooooooooo!

Distant wolf cries from the forest seem to answer the mournful howl from before.

"Focus on Bruce!" Dune shouts, losing control of her voice.  She looks at Bruce as if pleading for him to hold on.

Reina nods and places the wolf's heart into Bruce's chest.

The troll's regeneration immediately starts to work. Arteries and veins start attaching themselves to the heart — creating their own passageways when there are none.

The wolf's heart slowly changes — not into a human heart, but something in between that of a man's and a wolf's.

Bruce ceases his struggling and falls unconscious.

"It's done," Reina declares.

"No," refutes Adon. "Something's not right — it should be beating by now."

Awoooooo!

More wolf cries — closer this time.

"W-what?" Reina is stunned in confusion — staring at the transformed but unbeating heart.

"The wolf core," Dune rushes to the wolf — almost ripping it apart with her dagger.

She takes out the wolf core and places it on the wolf's transplanted heart.

It starts to beat.

The orb slowly sinks into the heart as if being absorbed — its beats becoming stronger.

Reeeeeeee!

A hawk's cry echoes through the cave as Elm enters and lands on Dune's shoulders.

Her face pales.

"Five wolves," she mutters.

"We can handle five," Adon asserted.

"The hawk can only count up to five," Thomas says as he grabs his bow — preparing to go outside.

"Stay here," Dune implores, her ruse all but forgotten, "until he's safe."

You give her a nod and she heads out of the cave with Thomas.

The mages piece together Bruce's broken ribs — making sure to get each broken bone in the right place.

Bruce's breathing becomes steadier and deeper as the troll's regeneration integrates the wolf's heart into his body — even fusing his broken rib bones.

A flash of light from the mouth of the cave and the scent of burning, signals the arrival of the wolves.

Oil and firewood were placed on the perimeter of the cave as a precaution — and someone deemed it was time to use it.

"They're here!" bellows Thomas, as he and Malik carry an injured Grant into the cave.

The two mages are done replacing Bruce's ribs and the wound heals — not even leaving a scar.

"What happened to him?" cries Raine as she rushes to the downed Grant.

"Frost breath," answered Malik, "The cold pierced through his armor."

"Then take it off," she orders.

Malik cuts the strap of the plate. He grips the cold metal and pulls it off — ripping bits of flesh where the armor touched the skin.

Adon passes Thomas a flask of healing potion. He unstoppers it and gives it to Grant.

Raine looks at you her eyes darting to the troll and back.

"I can't," you answer. "Not yet."

You imagine Bruce's chest opening up and bleeding once you break the binding. No — you won't be breaking this binding any time soon.

"The fires are dying!" screams Dune from outside the cave.

Thomas and Malik rush outside while the two mages give each other furtive glances.

"Go with them," Raina tells Adon.

"This isn't part of the deal," he protests.

"There is no deal if we die here — get the hell out!"

Adon goes outside reluctantly.

You focus on maintaining the binding even as you hear growls and sounds of battle coming from outside the cave.

Raine takes out a crystal — placing it on top of Bruce's chest. 

Motes of light gather around the crystal as Raine peers over it as if discerning something.

"He should be fine," she declares.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes," she snaps. "Go help the others. I won't be dying in a damned cave."

You give the sleeping Bruce one last look before you take up your shield and head outside.

There are more than just five.

Two wolves lie dead or dying outside the perimeter. Three wolves that jumped the barricades lie entangled on a few of the traps. 

Dune seems to be holding back three wolves using her ability to manipulate beasts. One of the wolves seems larger and more formidable — with icy growths on its body serving as both armor and weapons.

To the side, you see Malik and Thomas coordinating to hold off three more wolves of their own. Malik is holding back the wolves with his shield, while Thomas strikes any wolf that comes too near with his sword.

Adon is flinging eldritch energy at one of the wolves, all the while shielding himself from the wolf's breath with a glimmering shield.

You make a decision and head towards the lone mage facing a wolf. 

The wolf charges at the mage — taking a few hits from the magical barrage. It stops a few feet from Adon and it breathes out a blast of frost.

Adon's shield of force shimmers — and then shatters.

You manage to reach the mage at that moment.

You pull the mage behind you — sending him into the ground — as you meet the blast of cold energy with your shield.

"Help the others," you bellow at the fear-stricken mage.

The mage scrambles to get up and runs — not to help the others — but towards the cave.

"Shit." 

The wolf pounces on the fleeing mage — but you ram its flank with your shield before sending Skybreaker crashing into its head.

Kharask!

The wolf ends its leap with a crash to the ground.

You rush towards Thomas and Malik, confident that Dune can hold the three wolves with her enormous magical reserves. 

One wolf is too enraged and too intent on Malik and Thomas — it fails to notice your approach.

You slam the glowing Skybreaker into its spine — forcing it down to the ground and nearly fording it in half.

One of the wolves turns to you and launches a breath of frost.

You dive to the left, shielding your body with your shield and catching the wolf's attention.

Shizik!

Thomas slashes the wolf with his baselard. Silver creates a deep gash into the wolf that would have otherwise not been fatal — had it not been on fire.

Bane of all things dark and cold indeed.

Malik manages to hold his own against the last remaining wolf. He wades in as the wolf breathes frost — his gambeson taking the brunt of the chill. 

He strikes with his broadaxe, lopping the head of the wolf.

Dhagarg!

One of the wolves manages to escape its entanglements. However, instead of rushing towards you — it aids the two other wolves, chewing on their bindings.

"This isn't good," says Thomas as he picks up his bow from the ground as well as a quiver with only four arrows.

Malik takes off his frozen gambeson, exposing his chainmail. He seems spent but he slowly walks towards Dune.

You take a deep breath and rush towards the three ensorcelled wolves.

"No stay back," Dune cries as she takes out a flask.

She throws the flask at the three wolves — creating an explosion of green smoke before she retreats towards the cave.

Malik stays by Dune's side as you and Thomas cover your withdrawal.

"I couldn't hold them for long," she apologizes. "The smoke will just delay them — maybe weaken them to some extent.

"You did well," says Thomas. "You held three wolves on your own — including that big one."

She nods and then her eyes widen remembering, "Bruce? How is he?"

"He survived," you answer. "But we don't know what'll happen next."

"We won't know if we don't last the night," stresses Thomas.

Hawoooo!

A wolf's howl forces you all to silence.

The largest wolf gathers the remaining five wolves around him — its eyes glowing with icy energy. 
They charge — mouth frothing with frost-like saliva — leaving trails of ice wherever their claws touch the ground.

Dune and Thomas start shooting their arrows — but their arrows are all but gone.

Malik has a resigned look on his face as he prepares to meet the charging wolves.

You ready your shield and lock your eyes unto the largest wolf.

One of the wolves goes down — struck by several arrows.

Thomas readies Silver as he drops his bow and Dune appears to be preparing to cast a spell.

Malik charges to meet the wolves to give the two archers space — not knowing they were out of arrows.

You follow his charge, angling yourself to meet the large wolf.

The leading wolf bounds past Malik — ignoring the warrior and heading towards Dune and Thomas.

Thomas holds Silver in two hands, but you can see the exhaustion in his face.

"Yaaaarrgh!" Thomas screams — more to fire up himself than to intimidate the wolf.

The wolf leaps —

Thagask!

— and drops to the ground — skewered by a familiar javelin.

You wake up in a strange world where magic corrupts both men and beasts. You find loyal companions who would stand by your side, weapons that would break the sky, and the makings of an army that would shake the entire world. 

Updating daily.

The sky above the immense desert was vivid red, and it was sweltering.
A line of eleven warriors were moving slowly in the burning desert. Xie Kui was leading, while He Qing Man lagged far behind him.
The warriors of the Evil Wonderland gathered around Xie Kui, ignoring He Qing Man. As they seemed to know who was going to be the future Master of the Evil Wonderland, they decided to follow Xie Kui after the dispute between Xie Kui and He Qing Man without making any attempts in mediating the conflict between the two.
He Qing Man with her appealing body fell behind alone. Her gorgeous face looked worried.
"Remember, in the fight with the Yangs this time, if He Qing Man continues not using her full capacity, you guys can detain her so that she won't be our burden." While leading with a cold and gloomy face, Xie Kui lowered his voice commanding the following warriors of the Evil Wonderland.
"Yes, sir!" They nodded and quietly peered at He Qing Man far behind with meaningful eyes.
He Qing Man's beautiful eyes had a dull look. She apparently knew that her fellows kept their watchful eyes on her, but she couldn't do anything. At this time, she regretted not leaving the Chasm Battlefield and returning to the Kyara Sea sooner. She did not want to be part of this anymore.
However, no one could find the way back. Going back alone without being sure about the direction was just dumb.
Although she was in a dead-end situation and she knew that Xie Kui and his fellows wouldn't be nice to her, she had no choice but follow them.
A patrol of eleven warriors gradually approached a dune. Five warriors of the Evil Wonderland were following Xie Kui closely and considered Xie Kui's command their mission.
The other warriors who belonged to the Penglai Divine Land and the Heaven Lake Divine Land did not talk much, either. They silently followed Xie Kui, hoping that Xie Kui would help them find their other fellows and a way to get out of this devilish desert.
Boom Boom!
Suddenly, a loud explosion came up from the dune in front of them.
Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh!
A screeching tornado suddenly appeared and approached them quickly. Yellow sand engulfed the entire sky, while six massive whirls wholly covered this area. No one could see anything in this thick yellow sandstorm.
A warrior was pulled into the howling tornado and was twisted by the yellow sand. He couldn't even struggle.
"Who did that?" Xie Kui shouted. A small long snow-white sword instantly emerged from his wrist.
The hilt of this sword generated a dazzling gold halo. As soon as Xie Kui launched a slash, white light dots spread out from the dazzling gold halo, forming a beautiful curve, entering into the dune in front of him.
Bang!
Abruptly, a figure soared from the dune and dashed towards Xie Kui quickly, crossing through the gold halo.
"Shi Yan!" Xie Kui's face slightly changed. He suddenly burst out laughing coldly. "It's good that you're here! I was worried I could not find you! You turn yourself in all of a sudden. Ha ha. You do court death!"
Right after finishing his words, Xie Kui slightly leaped up, retreated into the dune and disappeared, leaving no trace.
Next, another warrior was dragged up by the tornado that was formed by the Gravitational Field in the desert. The torque moment in this field didn't allow that warrior to move. He could only scream inside the tornado while the Essence Qi speed in his body was getting stagnant as well.
The howling wind arose. He Qing Man, who lagged far behind, also lunged towards Shi Yan like a strong wind.
There were full of complicated emotions in He Qing Man's eyes. However, she wasn't hesitant to launch the attacks toward Shi Yan. As soon as her appealing body leaped up, many sharp wind blades plunged out, creating strange screechy sounds in the air.
At the same time, Xie Kui extruded his head out of the dune where he was hiding. His snow-white sword discharged a dazzling yellow streak of light.
An earth dragon made of yellow sand suddenly flew out from the dune. Many yellow sand walls also emerged next to Shi Yan.
"Shi Yan, my Martial Spirit can control soils and sand. Killing you here is as easy as turning my hand over." Xie Kui smiled coldly. "You should have died sooner! Who are you to have Xin Yan's attention? Only I who is the future master of the Evil Wonderland deserve a beautiful lady like Xin Yan! You don't deserve her!"
Shi Yan was standing motionlessly with a cold face in the middle of the yellow sand. He looked cold-hearted.
He Qing Man's wind blades darted towards Shi Yan, striking his face. However, he kept standing motionlessly.
After all of the wind blades had pierced through Shi Yan's body, He Qing Man realized that they had shot his shadow only.
Xie Kui's eyes shrank with fear. He recognized that his yellow sand Earth Dragon, together with those walls, had made Shi Yan's shadow its the target. The real Shi Yan had already stayed away to avoid the attack.
"I wanted to fight with Xie Kui only, right in this dune area. You should not be involved."
After Shi Yan raised his eyebrows and flickered his consciousness, an invisible Gravitational Field swept over from his right and instantly detained He Qing Man's sexy body.
At the same time, another Gravitational Field silently approached Xie Kui and also tightly tied him up abruptly, giving him no time to make precautions.
"Ah!"
Activating the Electric Shift, Shi Yan rocketed to Xie Kui as fast as the lightning.
"As long as my legs still touch the ground, this thing of yours doesn't affect me." Xie Kui frigidly laughed while his body went back into the dune again in a blink, escaping the confinement of the Gravitational Field.
Xie Kui had two kinds of Martial Arts, the Wood class and the Earth class. As long as his foot remained on the ground, he could comfortably hide underground. It was not easy to defeat him except the case his opponent was capable of killing him with only one strike.
Although Xie Kui had already disappeared into the sand, his voice still came up from underneath. "Shi Yan, I will cut your head off! I will keep it until I see Xin Yan again. I will take your head and give it to her. Does it sound interesting?"
Shi Yan was standing on the dune with an emotionless face while quietly accumulating his negative energy.
Right after the three big demon illusions condensed by the negative energy appeared, they immediately dashed towards the warriors who had been held up by the tornados.
Shi Yan stood still on the spot. His eyes closed as he seemed to wait for something.
Out of Shi Yan's expectation, Xie Kui didn't care to save his fellows who had been in the confinement of the Gravitational Field. Instead, he stayed hidden inside the dune and quickly moved to Shi Yan's feet discreetly.
A cruel smile beamed out from the corner of his mouth. A harsh light flashed up and instantly disappeared into his eyes.
No matter how Xie Kui could imagine, he would never believe that Shi Yan had successfully formed the Sea of Consciousness. In a particular range, no living movements could escape the vision of his Soul Consciousness.
Xie Kui kept himself completely hidden inside the dune without exposing any part of his body. It wasn't easy for Shi Yan to catch and kill him although Shi Yan could detect his location. However, if Xie Kui wanted to attack Shi Yan, he had to expose himself, and it was a good chance for Shi Yan.
Boom Boom Boom!
Grumbling noise reverberated right under Shi Yan's feet. A bunch of earth clubs emerged from underneath the sand layer. Shi Yan's body kept swaying and swinging in the middle of those earth clubs and then suddenly cast out toward one direction.
Inside the dune, Xie Kui quickly moved to the place where Shi Yan would land and wait patiently. As soon as Shi Yan descended, he would instantly burst through the sand and launch one single powerful strike to kill him.
While Shi Yan was still in the air, his hands were making many hand seals. One after another, Life Seals and Death Seals had already stacked over each other even before his feet touched the ground.
The Death and Life Seal pounded straight down on the ground.
Boom!
A terrified explosion echoed from the place where Shi Yan was going to land. When the blast resounded, a figure was knocked straight out from inside the dune. The snow-white sword was also struck away from his hand by the mighty Death and Life Seal.
After Shi Yan had landed, he stretched out his hands grabbing the hilt of Xie Kui's sword and then activated the Electric Shift dashing towards Xie Kui like an electrical current.
Blood trickled down the corners of Xie Kui's mouth. His body was injured received the Death and Life Seal's powerful impact. If there wasn't the protection of the earth armor, his body should have been entirely crushed into ashes by the Life and Death Seal.
Seeing Shi Yan approaching as fast as the lightning, Xie Kui hurriedly used his old trick going back inside the dune.
As soon as one of his feet touched the ground, Shi Yan quickly glided over and lifted his left foot stepping on Xie Kui's right foot. Xie Kui felt extremely painful on his right foot right before he was about to disappear underneath the sand.
Although he still tried to hide in the sand, he had realized that a long sword had nailed his other foot.
"Run? You still want to run?" Shi Yan's eyes looked cruel, his face brutal. He was staring at Xie Kui while laughing coldly.
"You! You!" Xie Kui's face changed dramatically. Shi Yan was still stepping on his left foot. The sword pierced through Shi Yan's left foot first and then through Xie Kui's right foot. Their left and right feet both stuck together.
To prevent Xie Kui from hiding in the sand, Shi Yan had daringly speared the sword through his right foot.
Boom Boom!
As their feet had been pierced through altogether, Xie Kui and Shi Yan were now in the face-to-face position. Powers inside their bodies furiously rose. Their martial techniques were ready to be launched. A drastic fight was about to happen.
With one foot tightly nailed down and the other one heavily stepped on by Shi Yan's foot, Xie Kui had no way to make any moves.
At the same time, Shi Yan's Petrification Martial Spirit was activated. Shi Yan's entire body became as hard as iron. The Second Sky of Rampage appeared once again. The quantity of energy in his body doubled in just a blink.
Boom.
Hand Seals violently exploded between Shi Yan and Xie Kui. Faint yellow lights emitted around Xie Kui's body while his two hands formed an invisible Seal which created miraculous rippling waves outside his chest to protect himself from Shi Yan's attack.
"Cut my head off?" Shi Yan wore a fierce look while freely releasing the tremendous power of the Second Sky of Rampage. Life Seals and Death Seals were continually striking Xie Kui's chest and destroying all of Xie Kui's opposing energy.
Shi Yan's Petrification Martial Spirit, his Extreme Refining Body, and his body's sturdiness were things Xie Kui could never acquire.
In the Second Sky of Rampage, the energy that Shi Yan could gather was far more than what Xie Kui had. In a close combat like this, Xie Kui was the only one who would be crushed and destroyed as he had no remaining energy to defend.
"Burst!" Shi Yan shouted crazily. The Life Seals and Death Seals piled up, striking Xie Kui's head altogether.
Xie Kui's head exploded after this strike. Skull and blood scattered everywhere. He died immediately.


Growing up parentless, Shi Yan, who was left with a large amount of inheritance money, bore a general disinterest in life.

The only times he felt alive was when adrenaline coursed thorough his veins. He quickly found that extreme sports, bungyjumping, cave diving & skydiving, gave him the biggest kicks. The bigger the adrenaline kick, the closer he was to death, the more alive he felt.

Waking up in a pile of dead bodies in an unknown land, after a diving adventure had ended disastrously, he quickly realizes the body he now possessed was not his own.

Follow Shi Yan as he explores this new world where danger lurks around every corner, and death is only a breath away; a world in which Shi Yan could not feel any more alive.

We swam through the kelp forest with father leading and holding my hand. The gentle swaying of the kelp catching on me and resisting my forward momentum. The dancing luminescent kelp leaves lulling me almost into a trance. I could feel myself getting tired and didn't know how long I could keep swimming like this. Fortunately, he would give us tiny breaks, he would stop to sniff the sea around him then corrected our course and kept swimming. I tried to emulate him but could not detect anything in the currents with my little nose. The kelp forest was all around me and kelp was all I smelled. We kept on for a while, the sea getting warmer as we went; the only indication of a direction that we were swimming towards something.

Quite suddenly we swam through the edge of the kelp forest. Leaving behind the safety of the leaves and into a vast open space. I could see no kelp in front of me, just sand dune upon sand dune stretching away into the distance. The sand was marked with luminescent creatures as they made their way to and fro. There were crabs, clams, star fish and reefs everywhere. There were fish swimming from one reef to the other and as I slowly looked up, there were thousands upon thousands of jellyfish drifting in the current. 

Their soft glow an irresistible temptation to touch them. One drifted near me enough that I reached out and touched its soft fluffy head. My father suddenly jerked me behind him, away from the jellyfish and frantically hummed "Never touch the tentacles, stay away from jellyfish they sting." I nodded and cast my eyes downward thoroughly chastised. We waited for the jellyfish to drift away and kept swimming.

Our speed was much faster in the open waters, however, my fins were giving out and I was beginning to lag behind no longer able to keep up with his powerful fins. He stopped immediately, kissed me on the head and hummed "Eat this and stay here." I was grateful for the kelp leaves that he had handed to me and gobbled them up as fast as I could. He swam a distance away looking for something in the sand. He seemed to have found what he was looking for and signaled me to swim over. 

He had found a little recessed hollow with no rocks or fish that looked inviting enough for me to rest in. I slowly sank into the soft sand closing my eyes and finally getting some rest.

Daily adventures of Marina, a mermaid, as she explores around an archipelago of 7000 islands.

Selia stood on guard on the edge of the giant chasm, watching for any signs of disturbance.  It was night over Pailan, the stars blinking in a cloudless sky.  One would never have guessed that just last evening the desert had been wracked with storm clouds.  Yet for how clear the sky was now, there was a palpable feeling that the storm had never truly let up.  The air was thick with a malicious ozone, like some dark entity was holding its breath, preparing to exhale a cloud of noxious thunder.  Selia clenched her sword tightly; the morning could not come fast enough.
Beside her, her friend Faro shivered.  "I always forget how cold the desert is at night," he muttered.  "Let's hope some Urts show up, I could stand to get my blood flowing."
Selia rolled her eyes. "Let's hope not.  I'm tense enough as it is."
"No, you'd sooner get frostbite than go to war."
Selia elbowed him in the ribs.  "Behave."
"Ow!" Faro complained, massaging his chest.  "Look, at the very least it would be exciting, wouldn't it?  Might make a nice change of pace."  He cast his gaze around. "Nothing ever happens in Pailan."
"We live in a *desert*."
"I know, I know."  Faro sighed.  "One of these days, I might just pack up and leave."
Selia glanced at him.  "And leave your home behind?  I know you better than that."
Faro turned to retort but stopped himself.  Selia was right, of course, though he'd never say it out loud.  He had too many memories of the desert village to leave it behind.  She smiled at him; his silence was answer enough.
It was a mystery how the two of them had become so close.  Selia was a doctor, Faro worked as a potato farmer.  Selia lived her life in peace and quiet, Faro was always looking for conflict and excitement.  Selia was repulsed by the thought of violence, Faro was the first to pick up a sword when the time came.  Their close friendship was as illogical as could be.  Yet somehow, it worked.  Selia enjoyed the excitement he brought into her life, and he appreciated her level head.  The desert had a way balancing extremes like that.
At that moment, Selia was pulled from her thoughts by a sudden puff of sand cresting over a dune.  Faro spun to face it, brandishing his sword.  "Show yourself!" he barked.
There was a pause.  Then, a woman appeared over the dune, her hands raised.
She was dressed in a dark green tunic, the fabric worn and tattered.  Her eyes were the color of holly, and her blond hair fell past her shoulders.  She was rather slim, and she stood lightly on her feet, as if preparing to leap at a moment's notice.  She was carrying nothing but a leather pouch, from which several glints of steel were visible.
Selia stared at her for a second, then turned back to Faro.  "Put your sword down, she's not a threat."
Sighing, Faro lowered his blade.  "So close," he muttered.
The woman glanced at him.  "Hoping for a fight?" she asked.  Her voice was as ragged as her appearance.  "Don't worry.  You might just get one before the night is through."
Faro frowned.  "I'm guessing you've run into those green-skinned freaks?"
"Word travels fast these days, doesn't it?"
The woman slid down the dune to stand in front of Pailan's guards.  "My name is Laura.  I come from the village of Rutat at the desert's edge.  We need your help."
Inwardly, Selia shuddered.  "You're the second refugee who's come to our door in the past day.  The Urts must be moving quickly."
Laura nodded.  "They attacked my village at dawn.  I don't know how many there were, or whether Rutat still stands, but I know my people need help.  Arms, aid, shelter, anything you can give.  For however many still survive.  Please."
Selia looked at her.  Despite her light stance, she was clearly exhausted.  And in the faint light of the moon, Selia could see her cheeks stained with old tears.  A wave of nausea and pity rumbled in the depths of her stomach.  Kalann's message was right; the war was coming whether they were ready for it or not.
"Faro," she said, turning to her friend, "stay here and keep watch.  I'll bring her to Hother."
Faro nodded, spinning his sword idly.  "Just don't take too long.  I'd hate for you to miss the fun if it ever shows up."
Laura managed a faint smile.  "Thank you."
As she stepped forward, however, a howl sounded from nearby.  Selia spun around to see ten dark figures racing across the sands at breakneck speed.
Laura's face grew pale.  "They followed me!"  She reached into her pouch and drew out a pair of daggers.
"Oh, good," Faro laughed.  "The fun showed up!"
Selia wet her lips as she raised her sword.  She had been hoping to avoid conflict, but there was no choice now.  The time to get help was passed- the Urts were almost upon them.  She could see their mottled green skin in the moonlight, rippling with muscle.  Nightmares in the flesh.  "Spirits help us," she whispered.  "They'll tear us apart."
"Not if we tear them apart first!" Faro shot back.  He leveled his sword at the Urts.  "Come and get some!" he roared as he charged forward.
Selia couldn't help but smile.  That was Faro, alright.  "We'll hold them off," she said to Laura, already starting to run after him.  "Get to safety!"
"No thanks."  Laura was running beside her.  "I've got a score to settle with these monsters."
Selia caught a glimpse of her face; eyes narrowed, lips set.  No changing her mind.  She turned her attention back ahead of her.  Three against ten.  The odds were not in their favor.
*Then let's hope fortune smiles upon us tonight.*


The land of Geyron is in danger. Dark forces are conspiring in the shadows, bringing a war that threatens to destroy everything. As the world teeters on the brink, an ordinary young man in a desert village receives an unexpected warning. Will the land be saved, or will evil triumph? The battle for Geyron is about to begin!

The Chronicles of Geyron is created by Garrick Schultz, an eGlobal Creative Publishing Signed Author.

It had been two months since leaving on Xaneranths leveling expedition. My starvation felt like I was dying over and over again and the only reason I could go on is from the energy of the monsters I slew. I found that with my skill "Devour" I could eat anything to gain energy of equivalent value, I ate anything dead as if it was the tastiest morsel in the world. Though I haven't been able to eat anything in the past few days because there is nothing in the blazing plains but sand as far as the eyes could see, and the other slaves we replaced two weeks ago were already dead.

We had been wandering the blazing plains for seven days and the knights said that we were almost at the hidden demon checkpoint. All of the freshly acquired slaves had died yet again and left me to trail behind the carriage alone.

The hot wind blew by, carrying sand in its wake and making it nearly impossible to breathe. My original clothes of a white jumpsuit were unrecognizable and all that remained of them was a tattered shirt tied around my waist to retain my decency.

I needed a monster or person to cross paths with because of my hunger, but nothing was in sight.

Just as I thought that, the sand shifted and beneath where the carriage was moving and the four knights jumped off of it, seemingly waiting for something. One of the knights yelled for Xaneranth while the others drew their weapons.

"Xaneranth! There is a dune wyrm be prepared!!!" The normal-looking knight warned.

"Dune Wyrm? As long as it is just one you four should be enough to handle it. Let me see how far you guys have come," as soon as he finished the sentence a huge sand-colored legless centipede with a massive head appeared. Its body was completely armored in the hard exoskeleton and its mouth was a hole with endless rows of rotating fangs.

It lept out of the sand with half of its gigantic body and dove headfirst onto the soldier who had warned us of the beast. The man disappeared Into the wyrm's and the rest of its body crashed down through the sand

"That's not a Dune Wyrm you idiot! That's a Dune EATER!" Xaneranth replied, readying his spear.

"N-no way!? A Dune Eater? How can this be?" The only female knight voiced in horror.

Judging from the reaction I could tell the Dune Eater was an opponent they couldn't handle. This would be my only chance to escape before Xaneranth would be able to command me to stop. For two whole months, I have suffered. For two whole months, I have endured this pain with but one goal in mind. Revenge. Revenge on the demons who enslaved me. Revenge on the slavemaster who controlled me and those he held dear. But most importantly, Revenge on the goddess Terim who killed my sister and put me in this situation. Each day I spend in this hell, will be a day she begs me for death. 

Xaneranth charged at the twin knights just in time for the Dune Wyrm to pop out for its next attack. The dark spear burst into red flames and sunk into the beast's body. The Wyrm was seemingly unfazed and its endless rows of teeth spun faster and faster. One of the twin horned knights took a swing at its enormous body as well and was surprised to find his sword bounce off of its hardened carapace.

The beast thrashed its head around and took off the knight's arm with its outer fangs. It advanced upon the wounded knight and swallowed him with a gulp of sand. Puffs of red sand escaped the beast's mouth as the knights' armor was slowly destroyed by the rotating fangs and the unfortunate man was minced into pieces. His screams lasted for nearly ten seconds until the knight ceased to live.

Xaneranth's fists were engulfed in the red flame he used to fight and he proceeded to punch the spear deeper into the wyrm's body. The Wyrm let out a horrifying screech, like metal dragged across concrete and lunged at Xaneranth.

This was Xaneranths demonic energy. Demonic energy was something every demon had. Most lesser demons like the imps could only use it to strengthen themselves for a while, but once it reaches a certain level, you unlock your unique demonic element. Xaneranths is Hellfire, a dark red fire that is a bit less hot than regular fire but strengthens him immensely.

The dark spear was more than halfway through the beast's body but seemed to not harm any of its major organs. The half-horse half-man covered his entire arm in hellfire and gave the spear one last punch. The black spear ripped through the other side and fell to the sand-covered in green blood.

I was standing opposite of the female warrior and the remaining twin. The battle was one of the most intense I had seen so far but all I could think of was how good the wyrm would taste. Or how good the knights would taste if the wyrm didn't get to them first. The other slaves died many days ago, and I had nothing to eat. I was supposed to already be dead but God's gift to me in the form of this demonic race had given me two more months of this torturous hell.

The injured wyrm dove now towards the other two soldiers. The distraught twin and the startled knight readied their blades. The Longsword and the twins' knife clashed with the wyrms gaping maw and held its advance. Xaneranth ran over and shouted orders while readying another spear.

"Nite! Use your fire. X, prepare to follow up. I'll send this giant earthworm to the next world!"

Nite removed one of her hands from the longsword desperately fighting the wyrms approach and held it out palm first. An orb of small blue flames appeared in front of it and started to grow in size.

"IGNITE!"

As she shouted the words, the fire in her hand shot forward into the wyrm's mouth in a sea of blue flames. Although fully armored, her long blonde hair flared brilliantly in the wind caused by the explosion-like spell. X jumped in afterward and performed a mid-air spin that dragged his dagger through the gums of the creature. Three rows of jagged teeth got sliced off before the wyrm gave up on the spin and opted to swallow the man whole.

"Nite one more time! It's almost dead!" Xaneranths flames burst from his legs and arms as his charge picked up in speed. To this, Nite chanted out once again. The fire had less of an effect on the already medium-rare wyrm and it dove down on the fully armored woman. Its remaining rotating teeth shredded her armor apart and started to cut her skin when Xaneranth came in.

"DIEE!" Xaneranth screamed as he hurled his flaming spear with the momentum of his charge. The spear tore through the wyrm's left eye and flew out the right side of its head. The severely injured Nite fell out of the beast's jaws as it turned towards Xaneranth.

Xaneranth halted his charge after the throw and was standing at the base of the towering monster. Time seemed to stand still, as both Xaneranth and the beast were staring at each other from mere feet away. Just as the Wyrm started to move it let out a sharp gurgling sound and paused yet again.

The wyrm fell ontop of Xaneranth and crushed him to the ground. The beast had died at the end of the battle and took Xaneranth with it.

The horseman's upper body was poking out from below the monstrous mass. He was unmoving, and the ring around my neck disappeared.

I raised my hands and looked at myself. I couldn't contain my laughter, and a huge smile plastered my face. I was free! I could leave this place and have my own life. First, however, Xaneranth made me go through so much for him. Maybe he could serve as my nourishment for his final grace. I hoisted the upper half of his cold body from beneath the wyrm and bit down into his neck. Something about this felt gross and wrong to me, but I'm a demon now and I accepted it. To survive this hell. You had to be worse than it. After finishing the visible parts of Xaneranth, I moved onto the wyrm. Before I could get there, My devour ability notified me to be worthy of the inheritance of Enslave. The ability that put me through this was now mine as if proving my Ideology. The wyrms' shell was hard, and its meat was as well. After about five minutes of eating, I heard a moan of agony. The girl, I had completely forgotten about her. Anyways, it's time to test my new ability, the stronger I am the easier my life will become.

Nites' armor was completely destroyed, and her clothes were thoroughly shredded. She looked more human than I expected. She was pale white with long blonde hair and curved backward-facing horns, almost as if to push her hair back. Her sword was still in her hand, it was broken at the base and had only two inches of blade left on it.

She had nothing on her, but her fire would be useful for me. As I approached, she opened her eyes and tried her best to cover herself. I walked up to her and crouched down in a squat.

"How's it hangin?" I asked while obviously knowing the state she's in.

"Get a-away from me p-please" she managed to rasp out, she pushed on the sand with her hand to push herself away from me and coughed out some sand as well.

"No," I said and cast my hand above her.

"Enslave." for a second nothing happened, then instead of her neck, her chest started to burn an imprint onto her. Starting at her sternum and reaching to her stomach, a front-facing dragon was etched in. Its head was located above the sternum and its wings reached just above her breasts and to the end of the torso.

Nite cried out in pain as the brilliant tattoo was being branded on her and tears dripped down the side of her face. It was amazing. Watching someone in this much pain and embarrassment wasn't something I thought I would like. But I loved it.

[Nite has been successfully Enslaved]

When it was over she had given up on running away and tightened her grip on the broken sword. She reached both hands onto it and thrust it at her heart. I was a bit startled by the move and stood there to see what happened. The blade reached the hilt and Nite let a few more tears roll. Despite using the full two inches, she was still alive.

Realizing what had happened, I laughed in astonishment.

"I guess having large breasts doesn't always come in handy! Hahahahahh." The blade of the sword didn't reach her heart due to the cushioning of the blow.

I pulled out the sword and took off my shirt. Nite's eyes widened and she started to retreat yet again.

"Chill out, I'm not that type of guy. Put this on," I said to her and threw her my shirt.

"We have a long way to go."

Gray is a 16 year old African American boy that finds himself a target for reincarnation. His life on earth is cut short by a selfish goddess and he is forced to live and a demon and a slave. Can Gray overcome this pain for the sake of revenge?

cast of dune novel

Not Adam But Eve

Phoenix Hollow

Gate of Revelation

Soaring the Heavens

MAZE - The Endless Quest

The Day You Conquered the World

God Of Slaughter

Marina and the 7000 Islands

The Chronicles of Geyron

BAD: Born A Demon

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