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Chapter 9 : The Land of Dust… and the Next Step

  The desert stretched endlessly before them, the golden sands shifting under the relentless winds like a vast, rolling ocean. Above, the merciless sun cast its harsh light over the wasteland.

  Vierd and Rain walked in silence, neither speaking, yet both knowing—what had happened moments ago was far from ordinary.

  Even now, Vierd could still feel the aftershocks of what he had witnessed when he used the stone.

  It wasn’t just a vision… it was a window into something else.

  Something he was never meant to see.

  A man—with golden eyes.

  "Who was that? And why did it feel like… I knew him?"

  Vierd looked down at the stone in his hand.

  Now, more than ever, it felt like a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

  This was not just an artifact that granted him power.

  It was connected to his past.

  To a past he had yet to remember.

  But there was no time to stop and search for answers.

  They had to keep moving.

  Rain’s voice broke the silence.

  Vierd turned to him before replying, his tone flat.

  "Do you have anywhere to go?"

  Rain’s lips curled into a cold smile.

  "I no longer have a world, let alone a place to return to."

  That was true. This man was a refugee from a dead world—a survivor among countless lost souls.

  Vierd exhaled.

  "Then we’ll head to the nearest settlement."

  Throughout the desert, various settlements existed—some were trade hubs, others served as rest stops for adventurers who braved these harsh lands.

  But the real problem was…

  "Where exactly are we?"

  His exit from the Gate had been unstable, and he had no idea how far he had traveled.

  Hours of walking passed.

  Then—on the horizon—structures began to appear.

  Not a city, but the ruins of an ancient fortress.

  Rain narrowed his eyes.

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  "Looks abandoned."

  Vierd wasn’t convinced.

  Even places that seemed lifeless often carried traces of the past.

  "We should check it out. We might find something useful."

  Rain didn’t argue, and together, they moved toward the ruins.

  As they arrived, it became clear—this fortress was far larger than it had appeared from a distance.

  Despite erosion and decay, the stone walls still stood tall, as if defying time itself.

  The gates were shattered, the pillars broken, but the place was not just ruins.

  There was something else here.

  Upon entering, Vierd immediately noticed the bodies.

  Not just bare skeletons—but well-preserved corpses, frozen in time.

  Rain knelt beside one, examining it closely.

  "They didn’t die naturally."

  Vierd saw it too.

  There was no blood, yet the bodies were pale, gray—

  As if drained of all life.

  "Just like the ones I saw in the Gate…"

  This was not an ordinary battle.

  Something here had devoured their very essence.

  Rain’s voice was quiet.

  "Do you think whatever did this is still here?"

  Vierd didn’t answer immediately.

  But he didn’t dismiss the possibility.

  "Stay alert."

  Together, they moved deeper into the ruins.

  Minutes passed.

  Then—they stepped into a grand hall.

  It resembled a throne room, yet the throne itself was shattered, the roof partially collapsed, allowing sunlight to pierce through.

  But that wasn’t what caught their attention.

  It was the symbol carved into the back wall.

  A complex circle, filled with ancient markings.

  And at its center—

  A stone identical to the one Vierd carried.

  "This…"

  Vierd barely spoke the words before—

  The stone in his hand trembled.

  It was reacting—as if this place was somehow connected to it.

  But before either of them could move—

  The ground beneath them cracked.

  A deep rumbling echoed from the depths below.

  The sound of grinding stone—

  As if something long forgotten was finally waking up.

  Then—a massive, black hand burst from the ground.

  Its claws stretched outward—searching for prey.

  Vierd’s expression darkened.

  "Shit—"

  Both he and Rain leapt backward as the creature rose.

  The creature towered over them, its body resembling a skeletal husk wrapped in living darkness.

  It had no face—

  Only a gaping void, burning with blue fire.

  Then, it opened its mouth—

  And the sound that came out wasn’t a roar.

  It wasn’t human. It wasn’t even animal.

  It was a chorus of thousands of voices screaming at once.

  Rain took a cautious step back.

  His voice was low.

  "What the hell is that…?"

  Vierd tightened his grip on his sword.

  His voice was cold.

  "Doesn’t matter. We kill it."

  The creature didn’t wait.

  It charged.

  "Split up!" Vierd shouted.

  He dashed left, Rain moved right—

  Just as the creature’s claws struck the ground.

  Stone shattered, the entire fortress shaking under its strength.

  Vierd exploited the opening.

  He lunged, aiming for the creature’s neck.

  The blade cut through the darkness—

  —but met no resistance.

  "It… has no real body?!"

  But that didn’t mean it couldn’t be killed.

  Vierd’s golden eyes narrowed.

  "If it has no body… then I’ll target its soul directly."

  He focused his energy—

  Letting the shadows inside him rise.

  Then—he struck again.

  This time—

  There was no spark of metal.

  Only a scream of agony.

  The creature staggered back, its form shaking, as if something inside it had broken.

  But it wasn’t enough.

  It was far from over.

  The real fight had just begun.

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