kscans

Chapter 43 - A Castle on Sand, a Throne in Flux, Part Seven

The number of tornadoes, presumably controlled by the [Scion of Dust], was literally countless. They weren't even constant; they would rise up and then dissipate, seemingly without any pattern—or so it seemed.

But there was one spot, within a certain area, where the tornadoes were suspiciously clustered. It was pure coincidence that I noticed it; my gaze and thoughts just happened to align.

Besides the density, there was one other clear difference. Only the tornadoes in that area continued to rage without dissipating. And what at first glance appeared to be chaotic movement was actually following a complex but set pattern—I think.

Honestly, while I felt like "this has to be it," I had no proof. But I was out of leeway and time. There was no way I could calmly deliberate in the middle of this disaster. Don't underestimate me.

Thanks to Sora's last-ditch effort, my HP was somehow holding on. I clicked my tongue as I dodged the tornadoes that were annoyingly blocking my path and ran across the desert—or what used to be a desert—at the absolute limit of my speed without crashing.

And what I found there was—

"Bingo!!"

In a corner of the battlefield where the persistent tornadoes raged, at the center of the protective storm—a massive door lay flat on the sandstone ground.

Lying flat wasn't an inaccurate description. The door—or rather, what looked more like a giant hexagonal manhole cover—was set into the ground, not a wall.

I broke through the multiple layers of defense formed by the tornadoes, which had likely been designed as the final barrier, with a simple "how annoying" and a whole lot of AGI.

Once I'd found it, reaching the goal was surprisingly anticlimactic. However, there was no handle to be found that would allow it to function as a door—but at this point, I was sick and tired of sand. I couldn't even be bothered to be flustered.

I won't hesitate, I won't hold back. This conspicuous designed crack means that's what I'm supposed to do, right? Huh?

"...[Quick Change]."

I laid Sora's avatar down behind me and summoned a weapon into my raised hands. It wasn't my beloved [White-Flawed Straight Sword], but the weapon that was starting to feel more like my true partner—my beloved blunt instrument, the [Distorted Iron Lump Hammer].

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."

Let me be clear: I'm tired. I'm seriously over capacity. What do you mean, fourth beginner area? A beginner would cry. Is this a raid boss? You've crammed too much stuff in here. Is this an indie game where you can do whatever you want? Also, sand sucks. The gimmick design sucks. All in all, I had fun, but that's beside the point. It all sucks.

And most of all, for unnecessarily scaring a sweet, hardworking girl and forcing her to log out—

"I won't forgive you—I'm never coming back to an area like this again!!"

I slammed the great iron hammer down with all my frustration, and the door shattered with surprising ease.

I had no HP to spare, and there was nothing holding me back. I respectfully lifted the body of my partner, who deserved to be revered as the undisputed MVP of this battle, and headed for the familiar light of the portal that had appeared beyond the shattered door.

And just as I was about to jump into the swirling blue light without hesitation, a 'voice' carried on the sand-filled wind reached me, stopping me in my tracks.

"———————————————————........................"

"Huh...?"

It was like a song.

The sound of the wind, or perhaps a flute—it was hard to describe, but the singing voice held a mysterious allure that was enough to stop me in my tracks, even in my rather agitated state.

What is it? Before the question could even form on my lips, a premonition of the largest 'change' yet washed over me.

I was already quite a distance away, and the massive form of the [Scion of Dust] was nothing more than a hazy shadow in the depths of the sandstorm. The moment I saw something flash at the top of its head, it happened.

A wave of some invisible force spread out in a circle, explosively. The wave, originating from the scion, passed through our bodies—and by then, I had already followed my instincts and built a 'wall'.

I crossed the [Great Iron Axe] and the [Distorted Iron Lump Hammer], drove them into the sandstone, and jammed the [White-Flawed Straight Sword] between them to create a makeshift frame. Then, I pulled the [Desert Serpent's Sand Armor Hide] from my inventory and draped it over the frame to fill in the gaps, creating a makeshift shield in a purely reflexive action.

I didn't know if it would protect us. I didn't even know if natural material items had object-like durability—but it was coming.

I pulled Sora's avatar into my arms and pressed my back against the crude shield, adding my own body to the defense. The next moment, a roaring wind of sand shot past.

I say this with the utmost regret, but that was probably the moment in this boss fight when I most thought, "I'm dead."

The shockwave rippled out to the edge of the vast, circular battlefield in the center of the desert. The sandstorm it touched instantly dissipated, and a massive torrent of sand surged in, following the wave.

To be honest, I have no idea if the shield I threw up in an instant did any good. It was instantly swallowed by the sand, and my HP scattered as it exploded—or so I thought.

"...I'm not surprised by anything anymore."

The wall of sand, as if it had a will of its own, parted before the shield and rushed past us, narrowly missing. Seeing this, I finally gave up and thought, "Whatever happens, happens." I went limp, my back sliding down my beloved sword.

I mean, I should have just ignored the pull of the 'song' and jumped into the portal. I told you I've had my fill. What's going to happen now...?

If this is going to turn into another grueling athletic event, I'm honestly tempted to take my own life and return to town. But the sleeping princess in my arms won't allow such an escape.

Well, Sora wouldn't mind; she'd probably be considerate. But this is a matter of my pride. When a guy acts cool in front of a girl, he can't back down.

I scoffed at myself for using Sora as a mental pick-me-up whenever I was about to break, and watched the flowing sand pour towards the outer edge of the battlefield.

It lasted for about ten seconds. The wall of sand that had surrounded us eventually broke, and the incredible mass of the sand tsunami reached the outer edge of the battlefield.

For a moment, I thought it would just pour out into the desert outside the battlefield—

"Ah, I see... so that's how it is."

At the change that occurred there, I just nodded with a resigned "I get it" and lay there on the ground.

The [Great Flowing Sand Cavern]—its symbol, the ever-flowing giant tower of sand.

The seven great scales that were the key to the gimmick were likely wedges that supported the tower with some kind of supernatural power. When they were all shattered, the flowing sand lost its power and collapsed.

Then, after the monster panic and splatter-fest, the [Scion of Dust] was born. It was likely the successor to the [Great Serpent of Dust]... or rather, a rebellious king who had usurped the throne.

So, this was a ceremony for the newly crowned king to build his own throne—no, his castle.

The swirling ring of sand rose in a spiral, intertwining and melting together as it reached the ceiling. The mottled surface gradually smoothed out, and in just a few dozen seconds, its form was...

"...Back to normal, huh."

I tossed the weapons and items I'd used for the shield into my inventory, got up, and gave the now-peaceful former battlefield a weary look.

Having gone through all this, I kind of... well, it's just a guess, but I think I've managed to understand the background of this boss fight.

In other words, in this place, the protagonists weren't the players, but—

"Well... I'll find out the answer later."

The unceasing song echoed across the sand-less sandstone ground. With the usurper's victory cry—a melody far too elegant for that—at my back, I headed for the portal, this time without stopping.

I glanced back once at the new serpent king, but it didn't even spare me a look. Its form, hazy in the faintly swirling dust, had a certain sanctity to it.

"...Take care."

My exhausted, half-hearted words were carried away by the dust. I muttered "I'm never coming back" in my mind again and threw myself into the portal, still carrying my partner.

◇ You have cleared the [Great Flowing Sand Cavern] ◇

◇ You have obtained a title ◇
・'Sand Sea Traverser'
・'Usurpation Witness'

◇ You have obtained a skill ◇
・Adaptive Traverse
・[Floating Leaf]

◇ A skill has grown ◇
・[Jumble Step] ⇒ [Featherfoot]
・[Carry Running] ⇒ [Fleet-Footed Escort]

――――――――――――――――――
◇Status◇
Name: Haru
Lv: 62 ⇒ 65 (30)
STR (Strength): 30
AGI (Agility): 420 (+10)
DEX (Dexterity): 200 (+10)
VIT (Vitality): 5
MID (Mind): 5
LUC (Luck): 10

◇Skills◇
・All Weapon Aptitude
《Quick Change》
《Piercing Dart》

・《Quit Counter》
・《Floating Leaf》 New!

・Embodied Protection
・Heavy Attack Manipulator
・Accel Tempo
・Boar's Heart
・Idaten
・Adaptive Traverse New!
・Jumble Step ⇒ Featherfoot Up!
・Carry Running ⇒ Fleet-Footed Escort Up!
――――――――――――――――――

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This marks the end of the chapter dump. Thank you for reading along.

I plan to post one more chapter, which will be a bit of an interlude, though not particularly short.
I'll share some thoughts in the afterword there, so I'd be happy if you'd stick around.