The storm hadn't quieted.
Sand clawed through the air like shards of glass, yet the horizon shimmered — a faint mirage of green and gold where there should've been nothing but ruin. Lucius narrowed his eyes through the veil of dust as he crouched atop a dune, his breath low, his hand resting near his holstered gun.
Before him lay something… alive.
Amidst the endless expanse of beige, a single patch of fertile land thrived. Grass — real grass — sprouted across the dunes in defiance of nature. Vines curled around jagged rocks, and faint ripples of light swam across a pool nestled in the heart of the clearing. The storm curved around it as though repelled by an unseen force.
Lucius whispered under his breath, "A fertile zone… in a place like this."
His instincts screamed at him to stay hidden.
Because prowling around the edges of that oasis were Scourge Stalkers —
Lucius lowered his body to the sand, keeping himself out of sight behind the crest of the dune. The creatures prowled in silence, circling the pool with animalistic reverence. Their heads were low, ears twitching.
And then… one moved closer.
Its cracked claws clicked against the stones as it approached the pool's edge. The liquid shimmered like silver under faint moonlight — but even from this distance, Lucius could tell.
"That's not water," he whispered.
The Scourge Stalker leaned forward, its elongated tongue slipping into the pool. For a second, nothing happened.
Then — the sand itself seemed to shudder.
Lucius's eyes widened.
The creature spasmed violently, its back arching. Its spine twisted so sharply that the sound of snapping bones cut through the storm. Black veins surged beneath its pale hide like living ink. The sound of tearing flesh echoed as its bones pierced through skin — sharp, curved protrusions forming along its spine like jagged spears.
It let out a guttural, high-pitched screech, half pain and half rebirth.
Lucius clenched his jaw as he watched the transformation unfold.
The Stalker's eyes rolled back, replaced by glowing red sockets. Its skin blackened — not from burning, but from corruption, turning a reflective onyx sheen that shimmered in the stormlight. Its jaw dislocated, expanding to reveal rows of serrated crimson fangs. The creature's form swelled grotesquely, muscles tearing and knitting together again, its height increasing until it towered three feet taller than before.
The air around it grew heavy, pulsing with a malevolent aura.
Lucius's pupils narrowed. "So that's what happens when a Scourge drinks from a vein…"
The storm roared, echoing the monster's shriek. The pool's liquid bubbled — reacting to the energy leaking from the creature. Tendrils of colored mana, twisting and intertwining, rose like smoke from its back. The beast's shadow stretched unnaturally long, spreading across the dunes like a stain.
The creature turned its head slowly.
Its gaze locked in Lucius's direction.
Lucius's breath caught. He immediately ducked, pressing himself flat against the sand, his heart hammering once before Serenity's Embrace smoothed it out.
"Damn it," he mouthed soundlessly. His pulse slowed by will alone. Every muscle in his body went still, every thought buried beneath instinctive calm.
The world shrunk to the sound of the wind and his own steady breathing.
Don't move.
The seconds dragged on, stretching into minutes. Then, faintly, he heard it — the crunch of sand as the creature turned away. Its growls faded into the distance.
Lucius didn't rise yet. Instead, he pressed one palm into the sand and focused.
"[Mana Pulse..]"
A faint ripple of mana spread outward beneath the surface like sonar.
He felt the tremors of life — small insects, the retreating steps of the mutated Stalker — but nothing approaching him.
He exhaled quietly, relief mixing with tension.
"That was too close…"
He remained crouched, eyes on the dark horizon. The creature's mana signature was still visible through his Aetheris — sharp, unstable, chaotic. Whatever that pool did, it had turned the Scourge Stalker into something beyond a normal beast.
Lucius muttered, "Withered Bloods… they shouldn't even exist here. Those were introduced much later in the timeline."
He frowned deeply. In the novel, Decade Long Crusade, Withered Bloods were rare evolutionary mutations — monsters that absorbed tainted mana directly from veins corrupted by human experimentation. The fact that one appeared now, inside a controlled simulation, meant something was off.
"Yet,another alteration to the narrative…" He paused, narrowing his eyes.
The wind howled louder, covering his quiet sigh.
Lucius slowly raised his head, scanning the oasis again. The Withered Blood had vanished into the mist of the sandstorm. Only the pool remained, glowing faintly beneath the storm.
He licked his dry lips, eyes glinting with realization.
"That wasn't water," he said quietly. "That was the Mana Vein itself."
The thought hit him like a spark. If there was a Mana Vein of that magnitude hidden here, then the artifact he was searching for had to be close. The Vein wasn't just a source of energy — it was a beacon for relics, ruins, and buried history.
Lucius smirked faintly. "Well then," he murmured, "looks like I just struck oil."
He adjusted his coat, standing slowly to his full height as the wind howled around him. Sand whipped across him, distorting the view — but beyond the storm, the faint glow of the Vein pulsed like a heartbeat, calling to him.
....
Elsewhere…
Far from the desolate dunes, beneath the canopy of towering emerald trees, chaos reigned.
The forest shuddered with the sound of roars, metal, and magic colliding. A towering orc swung its crude cleaver, the blade biting into the trunk of a tree thick as a house column. Splinters rained down like hail.
"Left!"
Seraphina's voice rang out, melodic but sharp. She leapt backward, her long hair whipping in the wind, as the massive blade narrowly missed her.
"I am left!" Ash shouted, diving aside as the second orc's hammer slammed into the ground where he'd just stood. Dirt and leaves exploded upward.
Three orcs — each one nearly twice their size — circled them with murderous intent. Their tusked faces twisted into snarls, saliva dripping from between jagged teeth. Their armor was a mismatched collection of scavenged metal and bones.
Kallus gritted his teeth, bracing his massive two-handed axe as one of the orcs came for him. The impact of weapon meeting weapon cracked through the forest like thunder. The ground beneath Kallus's boots split, but he held firm, shoving the beast back.
"Damn heavy!" he growled, pushing forward. "Seraphina, cover!"
"On it!"
She spun gracefully atop a massive tree root, her bow shimmering into existence — pure mana crystallized into form. Her eyes glowed faintly, golden light focusing as she drew back the string. The arrow's point hummed.
But before she could fire, Ash called out, "Wait!"
Seraphina blinked, startled, but she hesitated — lowering her bow slightly.
Ash gave her a quick grin as he leapt from branch to branch, his movements smooth and agile. "Trust me!"
She nodded reluctantly. "Just don't die!"
"No promises!"
Ash vaulted off the final branch, descending directly in front of one of the orcs. His sword gleamed as he slashed at the creature's heel — a clean, sharp motion. The orc roared in pain, stumbling as its leg buckled.
Ash landed, sandaled feet sliding across the mossy earth, his blade spinning once in his hand. "What's wrong? Didn't see that coming, big guy?"
The orc's response was a deafening roar. It swung wildly — each strike massive enough to topple trees. Ash danced around them, narrowly avoiding every swing, his grin growing despite the danger.
"Careful, Ash!" Kallus yelled, still locked with the other orc. "You'll lose your head if you keep taunting!"
"That's the idea!" Ash shouted back.
He ducked under another swing, feeling the wind of the blade pass inches above his head. He countered, slicing upward across the orc's arm, sending a spurt of dark blood into the air.
The beast bellowed in rage, swinging again. Ash sidestepped, using a nearby tree trunk as a springboard to flip backward and gain distance.
His internal voice echoed.
Don't get cocky Ash. Stay focused. Read its movements…
He tightened his grip on the sword. "Alright then, let's dance."
The orc charged, feet thundering. Ash met the charge head-on, dodging the downward slash, stepping into the creature's guard, and slicing through its thigh. The orc stumbled again — and this time, Seraphina was ready.
"Now!" she shouted.
Her arrow released with a crystalline hum. The glowing projectile pierced straight through the orc's exposed neck. The creature's roar choked into silence before collapsing with a thunderous thud.
Ash exhaled, panting. "You could've shot sooner."
Seraphina hopped down from the root, smirking faintly. "You said 'wait.'"
Kallus's booming laughter filled the clearing. He swung his axe in a brutal arc, cleaving the second orc's weapon clean in half before ramming his shoulder into its chest, sending it crashing against a boulder.
"Two down," he grunted. "Where's the third?"
The ground trembled. The last orc — the largest — stepped from the shadows, carrying an enormous double-bladed weapon. Its eyes glowed faintly red.
Ash wiped sweat from his brow. "Oh. There you are."
The creature roared, swinging the weapon in a wide arc that sent debris flying. Ash leapt backward, Seraphina rolling to the side as the blade dug a trench into the ground.
Ash straightened, tightening his grip. "Hey," he said with a tired grin, "you know, insulting people isn't really my thing…"
The orc snarled.
"But honestly — you might be the ugliest thing I've ever seen."
That did it. The orc's roar shook the air, and it charged, swinging wildly in blind fury.
Ash backpedaled, leaping onto tree trunks, flipping off branches, using the forest itself to stay just out of reach. Each strike the orc threw ripped apart the terrain — roots and trees snapping like twigs.
"Careful what you say next time!" Seraphina shouted.
"Noted!" Ash yelled back, still dodging. His breathing was steady despite the chaos — his instincts sharp, honed by countless battles. Still, he couldn't help but laugh breathlessly. "Guess I still don't know how Lucius does this without breaking a sweat."
Kallus looked up between swings. "Lucius?"
Ash nodded, blocking a glancing strike that nearly threw him off his feet. "Yeah… Wonder how he's doing right now."
The orc roared again, slamming its blade into the earth.
Ash leapt backward, his figure silhouetted against the spray of dirt and light — and for a moment, his eyes seemed to drift toward the horizon, past the trees, up at the blue sky above occupied by clouds.
A thought crossed his mind, fleeting but sincere.
Wherever you are, Lucius… I bet your still as calm as ever.
The sound of his sword meeting the orc's final blow echoed through the forest — as, somewhere far away, the sands swallowed the last of Lucius's footprints.