Free Web NovelChapter 6: Chapter 6: Approaching Danger
The level 10 undead engulfed in blue aura kneeled before him, its head lowered in front of him. A being 8 levels higher than his own had become his subject... it would prove very useful to him.
His gaze swept across all his subjects around him, and he said.
"Protect me."
His subjects gathered around him, took out their weapons, and stood around him. Their backs were facing him.
Riven didn’t say a word; instead, he began to inspect his wounds. Blood was flowing from the wound inflicted by an attack from the undead earlier.
He pressed down on the wound with his other hand in an effort to stop the bleeding. It decreased a bit but it didn’t stop completely.
He looked down at his right chest. The hole had closed completely, and only a little bit of pain remained. It was probably due to the buff the woman granted.
"The woman. Is she alive?"
He was just about to take a look at her but the system whispered followed by words flashing before his eyes.
(Your subjects are injured.)
(Heal your subject? Mana is required)
Riven stared at the words before his eyes. So healing them requires mana? He took a look at his subjects, every single one of them had injuries.
It was his work. He was the one who had rendered them to this state while fighting.
He took a deep breath and said,
"Yes."
Nothing happened immediately but a heartbeat later, he felt his mana reserves rapidly dwindling. Holes in the bodies of his subjects covered themselves with flesh and cracks on their armor and weapons disappeared.
The system whispered.
(Your subjects have been healed.)
(Your mana reserve has dropped by 32!)
Current Mana Reserve: 87/214)
Riven ignored it and turned his head around. Like last time, the woman was on her knees, face pale and breathing heavy. He walked towards her and his subjects walked with him.
He halted his steps, looked down at her, and asked.
"You okay?"
The woman tilted her head, maintaining eye contact. She looked at his subject and froze. She pointed towards them and asked.
"What are they doing besides you mister?"
He stared at his subject and replied with a slight smile.
"Ignore them. They won’t harm anyone unless I command them too."
"Oh."
"Are you ok?"
"I am fine... thanks for your help mister!"
Riven nodded, looked at the endless sand around him, and said.
"Did you spawn here after entering the rift?"
She glared at him, looking at him like he was crazy, and replied.
"No? Why would you ask that question? I was here on an expedition with my guild members."
Riven didn’t speak. So was he really the only one who had spawned somewhere else instead of a fortress? If yes, why? Why only he?
How was he different from others? Suddenly he paused, remembering the difference between him and normal people.
"My class."
The only difference from others was his mythical class. He had never heard anyone possessing one so maybe mythical class wielders were very unlucky?
He wasn’t sure but he didn’t remain stuck on this issue for long since there was another shocking thing. The woman claimed to be on an expedition with her guild members but as far as he knew humanity had not discovered any desert in Astrionis.
So was she lying? He wasn’t sure so he said.
"I thought humanity had never discovered a dessert in Astrionis?"
The woman continued.
"You are right... Our guild was the first one to discover it but..."
The woman paused, clenched her fist, and said in a trembling voice.
"Our guild was wiped out before we could let the outside world know. I was the solo survivor while heading towards our camp. I got attacked by these undead and the rest you know."
His eyes widened in disbelief. An entire guild being wiped out meant that the desert was more dangerous than it looked. Depending on the strength of her guild, his danger assessment could change.
Just how strong was the guild? There was one way to find out.
"Which guild do you belong to?"
The woman shifted uncomfortably and replied a moment later.
"It was just a small guild that my friends established."
Even if that was the case, an entire guild being wiped out was a force to be reckoned with. So the danger must be even greater.
So he asked.
"Who did this? What is the name of your guild?"
The woman shook her head and replied in a trembling voice.
"Drop this topic mister. I don’t want to remember it."
He fell silent and didn’t respond immediately. It was a must be for him to know in order to increase his chances of survival so he kept pressing this matter.
"Was it a monster?"
The woman put her hands on her head, tightly gripped her hair, and said.
"I don’t want to remember this! Please mister, don’t ask this!"
Riven didn’t reply immediately. He sighed and said.
"Fine, don’t tell me. I will be leaving now, you are on your own."
It wasn’t because she refused to tell him. It was just that he realized that he won’t be able to get any information from her. He couldn’t afford to waste time while his sister was fighting death.
So he turned around and started to walk in a random direction. His soldiers walked with him. But there was a problem...
"Where should I go?"
He had no idea where to go but he wasn’t completely clueless. He knew what he had to do first.
"I need to gather food and water first."
It was a must, without them survival was almost impossible.
As he was walking, the woman’s voice resounded through his ears once again.
"Wait a moment."
He turned around. The woman was on her feet barely maintaining her balance. He asked.
"What?"
"Mister you have saved me, I can’t let you go knowing only death waits for those who don’t know about this desert."
"Get straight to the point."
"Come to my guild’s base. It has food and water."
Riven didn’t reply immediately. If he agreed then he would have someone who knew much more about the desert than him and also had a safe place full of food.
However, there was only one major problem.
"Can I trust her?"
He had just met her. Although he had saved her life, who could guarantee that she wouldn’t betray him in the face of danger?
But the benefits of being with her were also impossible to ignore. He thought for a moment then looked at his subjects.
"I can kill her if she betrays me."
From what he knew, she just had a support class and a support class wielder had no offensive powers. So killing her won’t pose a problem to him... Probably.
Riven walked towards her, his subjects followed him. He maintained eye contact and said.
"I accept."
The woman blushed a little and replied.
"Good choice mister."
Riven nodded and asked.
"Your name?"
The woman replied.
"I am called Ayala, mister."
Riven nodded his head and signaled her to lead him. She walked in a certain direction slowly, and he followed him with his subjects but a moment later, they halted their steps. A towering wall of sand stretched across the horizon, swallowing the sky as it advanced.
The sound of a distant rumble spread across the desert, growing louder with each passing second.
He turned towards Ayala, pointed his finger towards the towering wall of sand, and asked.
Her face had become pale, drained of all its color. From the looks of her, it didn’t seem like it was harmless so he asked.
"What’s that?"
She didn’t reply so he was forced to repeat his questions.
"What’s that!"
Then she replied, her voice calm yet fearful.
"A powerful sandstorm is approaching."
