Free Web NovelChapter 9: Chapter 9: Night Has Fallen
Not even a single grain of sand fell onto their body. It could only mean one thing...
"We aren’t buried in sand."
If they were, the inside of the dome would have been filled with sand by now but it didn’t. Suddenly, a slow scraping sound echoed from somewhere far away.
Riven’s body tensed up as a thought crossed his mind.
"Is it a monster?"
He wasn’t sure so he listened to the sound carefully then it disappeared but a few seconds later, the sound returned once again and disappeared again.
"What’s happening..."
As he was processing what was happening, he saw Ayala walking towards the exit of the dome. He shouted and warned her.
"Stop... a monster may be near us.*
Ayala turned around and looked with a hint of doubt.
"How do you know mister?"
"I heard a scraping sound."
Ayala shook her head in disapproval and added.
"No monster is active during the night, mister."
Riven frowned and asked.
"How do you know?"
"Just come outside, mister... we can’t afford to waste time. It’s the perfect time to travel."
Ayala didn’t listen to him and stepped outside. He immediately made a promise.
"If I get in danger because of you. I am not saving you."
Then he turned around, staring at his Subjects and commanded.
"Follow me and protect us..."
Riven stepped out of the dome. The moment he did, a faint beam of light from the sky landed on his body. Unlike the earlier beam of light that had landed on his body when he first spawned, it was much cooler.
He tilted his head. A dark sky was above his head illuminated by the moon of Astrionis giving light to the surroundings. Wind slammed onto his body and it wasn’t warm.
Only a word escaped his mouth.
"So night has fallen huh?"
But it wasn’t what was on his mind. He was preoccupied with the sound that he heard. Did it belong to a monster near them or something else?
Riven wasn’t sure so he lowered his gaze and looked around him. He couldn’t see as far as he could during the day but he didn’t notice anything other than sand.
He saw the sand around them had risen up a lot but he didn’t think much of it.
"Probably because of the sandstorm."
This is the only explanation that he could think of.
Suddenly Ayala turned around and replied.
"Now you understand why it’s the perfect time for traveling?"
Riven nodded. The temperature of the night, although warm, was nothing compared to the temperature of the day. Traveling at night would conserve their strength and most importantly...
"Our body’s demand for water will be lower."
He was already thirsty after only a few minutes of walking in the open desert. It wasn’t intolerable because he was only exposed for a few minutes before spending the last few hours in the dome.
If he had to spend hours in the scorching sunlight, the thirst would certainly become intolerable for him. If that happened and they had no water then death from dehydration was very likely.
As he lost himself in his own thoughts, Ayala’s voice resounded through his ears.
"Mister... follow me."
Riven didn’t question; instead, he followed her while his subjects walked beside him.
***
Riven walked across the desert under the moonlight following Ayala, his subject followed him and maintained a protective formation around him.
It was like guards following a king to keep him safe...
He liked the sense of safety but he kept staring at Ayala warily. After learning her secret, he couldn’t treat her like a clueless girl even if she was one.
During his journey, he had learned her true level and age. She was just 19 and had only spent 2 months in Astrionis. Despite all this, her level was 16... A lot higher than him.
He refused to believe that she couldn’t harm him. Did she have ulterior motives to help him? Was her being helpless all fabricated?
He wasn’t sure but a heartbeat a remembered crucial information.
She had a support class...
So she was probably weak because a support class had no combat power and if she really wanted to harm him she wouldn’t reveal her level like that since he had no way of knowing. Still, he had to be wary of her.
Furthermore, he was sure that she wasn’t lying. He had witnessed the abilities of her support class with his own eyes. The buff and healing abilities were all classic powers of a support class.
But then again, she could have a special class that granted her both the abilities of a support class and the power of a combatant.
A thought crossed his mind. Should he just abandon her and go on his way? No that would be suicide since he had no information on the desert.
Furthermore...
"There is no use in thinking about such a thing."
All he should do was focus on survival but he mentally noted.
"I just have to be wary of her."
Riven continued walking keeping a close eye on her. While walking, Ayala came to a sudden halt and so did he followed by his subjects. Her eyes were fixated before him so he stared in front of him.
The ground was no longer full of sand. There was rocky terrain covered in a layer of sand. However, this wasn’t what got his attention.
It was the thing lying on the rocky terrain. Countless bones, some broken, some turned to dust while the same a whole rested on the surface of the rocky terrain.
There were even full-fledged skeletons in front of him. Some were large, some were small, some had an unnatural form while some’s shape was very similar to that of a human.
Ayala’s voice resounded through his ears, her voice calm yet serious.
"We have to pass through it, mister... This place is dangerous so be careful."
Before he could question her, the sand beneath him vibrated. The vibration was very strong, impossible to ignore. The unease in his heart grew stronger,
The scraping sound also returned. This time it was so loud that no one could deny it.
Only a few words escaped his mouth.
"Something is wrong..."
Ayala who stood in front of him, her face became pale, she grabbed him by the shoulder and whispered.
"We have to run if we want to live."
