Alvaric and Niva continued walking eastward. Their supplies were nearly depleted—only a drop of water remained, and food was barely enough for one more meal. Around them, there was nothing but endless sand and scorching hot air burning their skin. They hadn't expected the dungeon mentioned by the Giant Sandworm to be this far away.
The thought of turning back crossed their minds, but they quickly dismissed it. Returning to the nest was out of the question, let alone going back to the previous island. It was too far. Too exhausting. And there was no food.
"Master, look at that..." Niva pointed ahead. "Is that... a forest?"
Alvaric, who had been walking with his head down, lifted his gaze. When his eyes caught the greenery in the distance, a faint smile spread across his face.
"Finally..." he murmured softly. They could see it clearly—a forest. That meant there was likely water, food, and shelter. Exactly what they needed most right now.
However, Alvaric soon frowned. "If that's really a forest," he muttered, "then where's the dungeon the Giant Sandworm mentioned? This is the eastern edge of the desert."
As far as the eye could see, there was no sign of a dungeon. True, their immediate priority was survival. But still, their main purpose in heading east was to find that underground dungeon.
Suddenly, Alvaric remembered something. "An underground dungeon..." he whispered, then nodded slowly. "Maybe the entrance is hidden. Like the secret chamber on the previous island."
Niva fell silent, realizing they had been so focused on heading east that they might have missed the entrance without noticing.
"But this desert is too vast," she sighed softly. The hope that had briefly flared up vanished just as quickly. "At this rate, we'll never complete the Giant Sandworm's task."
Deep down, Niva felt a little relieved. She didn't truly want Alvaric to enter that dungeon. A strange unease gnawed at her—as if something far more dangerous than the Giant Sandworm lurked inside.
They finally reached the edge of the forest. The boundary between the desert and the forest was stark—one side lush with greenery and life, the other barren and dead. Just standing at the border, Alvaric could already feel the cool breeze greeting him.
"Let's go," Alvaric said, stepping inside. He closed his eyes briefly, as if bracing himself for something. But when he opened them and nothing happened, he chuckled softly and dashed into the forest.
The first thing he searched for, of course, was water.
They agreed to split up—Alvaric heading south, Niva going north. If they found nothing within an hour, they would return to the meeting point.
Fortunately, it didn't take long. Within just thirty minutes, both had found a clear water source and some game animals.
By the small river, they lit a fire and began cooking their catch—forest rabbits, which seemed abundant in this area. For now, at least, the forest felt like a little paradise after their long journey.
"This is delicious," Alvaric said between bites, his face glowing. For the first time in days, he could eat in peace.
"You can have mine," Niva offered, holding out a piece of rabbit meat.
"Are you sure?" He narrowed his eyes. "I won't hesitate." He immediately took the meat.
But just as he grabbed it, a sudden flash of light appeared in the distance. It looked like a straight beam shooting from the ground into the sky. Its color was unusual—a mix of bluish-green with a faint golden shimmer at the center. Like the light from the portals Alvaric often saw on Earth.
Niva instinctively stood up, turning toward the light. "Master... you saw that too, right?"
Alvaric nodded, placing the remaining meat on the ground and standing up. They exchanged a glance—no words were needed. They immediately sprinted toward the light before it disappeared.
As they ran, they realized the light had come from the desert. Alvaric and Niva looked at each other.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Alvaric asked.
"Seems like it."
They quickened their pace. Finally, they reached the spot where the light had appeared.
Ahead of them was nothing but sand, but there was also a large boulder—round and slightly flat, like a giant well cover. Its surface was slightly cracked, and between the fissures, the bluish-green light still seeped out slowly, like a breath. It vanished as they got closer.
"This must be the source," Alvaric muttered. He stepped forward cautiously, placing his hand on the boulder. It was warm.
Carefully, he began pushing the boulder. It was heavy, but not impossible to move. Niva helped from the other side. The boulder shifted slowly, its friction against the sand producing a low, echoing groan.
Once it was moved far enough, they could see a hole beneath it. A stone staircase descended into the ground—dark, deep, and damp. Cold air wafted from below, carrying the scent of wet earth and something older—something untouched for centuries.
"The dungeon..." Alvaric whispered, his gaze sharp and certain. "We found it."
Niva stared at the hole with unease. That bad feeling returned, but this time, she didn't voice it.
Alvaric glanced at her. "You don't have to come down. I can—"
"I'll stay with you," Niva cut in firmly. "Till the end."
"Alright."
They returned to the forest to prepare supplies. They didn't know what awaited them inside. Surely, there would be many monsters. And they had no idea how long it would take to find the demon girl the Giant Sandworm had mentioned.
They gathered as many supplies as they could.
"Are you ready?" Alvaric asked.
Niva nodded. "Of course."
They entered the dungeon, remaining vigilant. They wouldn't let themselves fall into traps or be ambushed from behind. Their eyes constantly scanned their surroundings, even though there was only a straight corridor leading downward.
***
Elsewhere in the desert, a monster turned its head. It had caught a glimpse of the light. It wanted to go there, but it was too far, and it had a mission—to check on the Giant Sandworm's condition. It needed to confirm whether the monster was still alive or not. After searching the area, it found nothing.
"He's really been defeated. I must..." Suddenly, its focus shifted elsewhere. It sensed something strange in a certain direction. "Isn't that the Ant Bee nest?"
It flew toward the location. As it neared the nest, it stopped. Countless Ant Bees were swarming outside—far more than usual. Worse, they were hunting other monsters. They could even create fire, burning the monsters they defeated.
"Why do they seem... sentient? Aren't Ant Bees just rank-E monsters?" It was baffled. "What's really happening in this desert?"