"Monster, eight o'clock!"
"Got it!"
The investigation team had once again found themselves in a peculiar situation.
Only moments ago, they had entered a different part of the Fissure. In stark contrast to the forest from before, the surroundings were nothing but a vast expanse of strange white sand. There was nothing else in sight. To an outsider, it could easily be mistaken for salt.
But that wasn't the main issue.
This barren landscape was the territory of a particular species of Terrors known as Caterpillar Centipedes.
Creatures easily capable of swallowing a man whole. With a black, carapace-like hide and countless rows of teeth encircling their mouths, it was nearly impossible to determine their true length, as they primarily attacked by bursting from the sand before retreating just as quickly.
A faint ripple broke the otherwise still surface.
For a split second, it looked like nothing more than the wind brushing across the pale grains. But there was no wind here.
"Below!"
The warning came a second too late.
The sand beneath them bulged, then split open as something massive surged upward. A circular maw lined with writhing rows of teeth burst from the ground, snapping shut where one of them had been standing just moments before.
Kevin twisted mid-step, forcing his body sideways as the creature erupted past him. The air shuddered from the sheer force of its emergence, grains of white sand scattering like a wave.
"There's more than one. Keep moving!" shouted Jasmine, already drawing her weapon, her eyes scanning the shifting terrain.
Another ripple, then another.
It seemd the ground itself had become the enemy.
Mikoto leapt back, narrowly avoiding a second strike as a Caterpillar Centipede lunged from beneath, its elongated body only partially visible before it vanished again into the depths.
"Damn it… they're using the sand like water."
"Of course they are. I mean, why wouldn't they?"
A sudden dip formed under Kevin's boots.
Mana coursed through his legs as he pushed off the ground just as it collapsed inward. A fraction of a second later, a gaping maw tore through the exact spot he had occupied.
Midair, Kevin narrowed his eyes.
This is annoying. Is there a way to deal with these guys without sprinting away frantically?
Judging from what he was seeing, the Caterpillar Centipedes likely relied on vibrations. Similar to how bats navigated without sight, using echolocation to map their surroundings, these creatures appeared to sense movement through the sand.
Which meant that as long as they kept running, the Sand Terrors would be able to pinpoint their positions. So instead of stopping outright, Kevin focused on how to throw them off.
Honestly, only one option came to mind and he was reluctant to use it because of the mana cost.
'No other choice, huh.'
Taking a steady breath, Kevin aimed at several points across the ground and activated his Soul Ability.
"Dismantle: Chain."
The surface of the white sand fractured.
Thin lines spread outward from each point Kevin had targeted, as if the ground were being torn apart at a fundamental level. A split second later, the fractures collapsed inward, detonating pockets of sand into the air in rapid succession.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
All at once, the previously scattered ripples shifted direction.
"They took the bait."
Beneath the surface, the Caterpillar Centipedes surged toward the false signals, converging on the chain of disturbances.
Kevin, on the other hand, was breathing heavily. It was to be expected. Normally, with his abnormal level of control, the energy expenditure for his basic Dismantle was reduced to a minimum. But using it repeatedly in such rapid succession was bound to take a toll on his reserves despite his good control.
Drawing in the ambient mana from the surroundings to recover a portion of what he had lost, he continued moving with the group.
It didn't take long before they reached stable ground.
"Hah… hah… finally…"
Noah collapsed onto the hard, rocky floor, rolling onto his back as if he might kiss it. Fortunately, he didn't.
The rest of the group wasn't much better off.
Jasmine braced her hands on her knees, steadying her breathing, while Mikoto leaned against a wooden trunk for support.
They were all roughed up, exhausted, and low on mana, a clear testament to the struggles they had endured. Perhaps it wouldn't have been this bad if they'd had prior information.
Unfortunately, they were the ones responsible for gathering said information.
Was this what Pathfinders faced every day?
Maybe it wouldn't hurt to throw them a bone once in a while.
"W-we... have... to continue..."
"Not to go against your authority as leader or anything of the sorts but is it possible to take a breather?"
"I agree. We've been walking for hours without rest! I can't even feel my legs!"
"T-That..."
Hearing Mikoto's and Noah's complaints, Jasmine's expression squeezed a little.
It was clear the Lancer just realized she had been inconsiderate judging based on the look in her eyes. Truly, she had been pushing them too hard.
She swept her gaze over the group, each of them worn down in their own way.
"Ughh. Alright, let's take five."
"Bless you…"
Ignoring Noah's strange voice, Kevin lowered himself onto a nearby rock with a grunt.
"Five is enough. Any longer and we risk cooling down too much."
"Speak for yourself. I could sleep right here."
"That sounds nice, but I don't want to get eaten by some unforeseen moving abomination in my sleep."
"Please, please, don't be logical right now. I just want to close my eyes."
"I'm not holding you."
Compared to the forest scenery or the Sea of Salt, their current location was completely different.
They stood on a pathway that led toward some kind of ridge. But it didn't appear to be made of rock — or any kind of stone, for that matter, but rather…
…bone?
Kevin rubbed his eyes and looked again. Only then did he truly notice it.
In the distance, something stood in stark contrast against the black coral and the grey sky.
The skeletal remains of a colossal creature lay sprawled across an enormous mound, its arching spine rising high above the ground. At a glance, one might question what kind of abomination it once was, but the shape of its skeleton gave it away. On its skull were two massive horns that immediately reminded him of a demonic species and curved backward like crescent blades, as though they had once been used to tear through anything and everything in their path.
Even from this distance, the sheer scale of the remains was oppressive. The creature's spine alone stretched across the ridge like a monument of profanity. Fragments of rib bones jutted outward at irregular angles, some broken, others half-buried in the terrain.
Just what on earth was that? Some kind of dragon? A demon? Or perhaps even the mysterious Deamon?
In the end, there was no way to know for sure.
But Kevin wasn't the only one who had noticed it.
"That is… impossible… Could it be? No… it can't be, right?"
Quiet murmurs reached his ears.
Turning his head, Kevin noticed Jasmine wearing a much deeper frown than usual. She was the type of person whose default expression already leaned toward a frown, but this particular frown carried a different emotion.
Anxiety.
The Lancer had even started chewing on her fingernails.
"Um. Miss Jasmine? Is something the matter? You look rather pale.'
Rather than answering, Jasmine remained silent and continued to stare at the anomaly ahead. A few moments of this tensed silence passed. Chewing her lips, she forced herself to speak:
"It seems we're inside the Forgotten Lands."