Maddy's voice cut sharply through the darkness.
"Hey, perverted priest," Maddy snapped, her voice echoing off the curved interior of the spherical barrier. "Keep your hand in your pocket. Or else I'll cut it."
It had been several minutes since the roar, the violent rumble, and the burning orange glow above them had finally faded. Petra's downward strike had carved just enough space for the sand to collapse inward instead of outward, pushing the party slightly deeper underground. Not enough to crush them—but enough to spare them from the sand wyrm's hellish breath.
Ulon scoffed loudly. "Excuse me, miss. You may be attractive, but you're not my type." He shifted his weight, and the faint clink of restraints echoed as his wrists tugged uselessly against invisible force. "Also, my hands are very clearly tied right now."
Kiel's voice chimed in from somewhere near the floor, far too cheerful for the situation. "Ulon's type is flat-chested. Like Claire—the Alliance receptionist."
"Is there something wrong with that, kid?" Ulon shot back instantly.
Kiel shrugged, even though no one could see it. "Not really. Just saying." He tilted his head upward, squinting into the darkness. "Also—can someone light this place up? It's pitch black."
Ulon huffed. "Were you not listening? Hands. Tied."
Shalotte cleared his throat, sounding a little embarrassed. "I—I'll do it. Just… give me a second."
He raised his staff carefully. The crystal at its tip began to glow with a soft white light, spreading outward like mist trapped in glass. Shadows peeled away from the walls of sand, revealing the cramped space they were trapped in.
Maddy crossed her arms tightly over her chest—and froze.
Shalotte's staff was only a few inches from her side.
Her eyes narrowed. Slowly, dangerously, she turned her head toward him.
"…So it was you?" she said.
Shalotte nearly dropped the staff. "I—I didn't mean it! That was just an accident! It was dark!"
Kiel blinked, then leaned closer to Maddy, whispering loudly, "Wow. Shal, I thought you were a good guy."
"I am a good guy!" Shalotte protested, face turning red. "As I said, it wasn't on pur—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
His eyes narrowed, and the glow of his staff dimmed slightly.
"…Wait."
Before anyone could ask, Shalotte lifted the staff higher and whispered a spell.
"Silent Veil."
A transparent layer shimmered into existence, wrapping around the spherical barrier like a thin, invisible membrane. The effect was immediate—but subtle.
The distant sounds of shifting sand, deep rumbling vibrations, and a low, guttural grrrrrrk echoed clearly into the enclosure.
Maddy frowned. "What was that for?"
Shalotte swallowed. "I sensed something was coming closer to us."
Another low grumble rolled through the sand, closer this time.
Petra straightened instantly. Her scythe scraped softly as she adjusted her stance. Her eyes locked onto a section of the barrier where the sand vibrated faintly.
"…It's moving," she said.
Kiel scooted closer to Shalotte, lowering his voice even though it didn't matter. "Did they notice us already?"
"I don't know," Shalotte replied. "But it's definitely searching."
Maddy drew her dagger, the metal catching the staff's light. Petra stepped forward, placing herself between the group and the shifting sand.
The ground outside rippled.
Not violently—slowly, deliberately.
The sound reached them clearly now: a wet, grinding rumble, like stones being crushed deep underground.
"…What the—," Kiel muttered.
Maddy slapped a hand over his mouth out of instinct, even though the veil would keep the sound trapped.
The sand slid away.
A massive, oval-shaped head emerged, its surface covered in tight, brownish, coin-sized scales. It had no eyes. No ears. Only an enormous maw that split more than half its head, lined with blunt, grinding teeth.
The creature dragged itself along the barrier, its movements accompanied by constant low grumbling. Its long, slender tail—at least ten meters—trailed behind it, scattered with twitching, hair-like tendrils that quivered as it moved.
Up close, it was far worse.
"Creepy," Ulon whispered anyway.
The creature lingered.
Not attacking. Not retreating.
Just… roaming.
Shalotte barely dared to breathe as he maintained the Silent Veil, sweat dripping down his jaw.
Petra didn't move.
She stood at the edge of the barrier, shoulders squared, scythe angled low, eyes cold and focused. She stared at the creature outside the barrier.
"…It can't see," she murmured.
Ulon tilted his head. "You're saying that thing is blind?"
Petra nodded once. "Probably, it has no eyes. But I think it can sense us. Through sound and vibration."
As if to prove her point, the worm's head tilted slightly—not toward them, but away.
Then it moved.
The massive body slid forward, scraping past the invisible barrier with slow, steady momentum. Sand flowed around it like a living tide, grains whispering and grinding as if the desert itself was breathing. The worm's elongated tail followed last, twitching tendrils brushing so close to the barrier that Kiel flinched hard and sucked in a sharp breath.
The barrier trembled—not from impact, but from sheer mass passing beside it.
A deep, guttural grumble rolled through the sand, vibrating through their boots and into their bones. It grew louder for a heartbeat, then gradually faded as the creature moved on.
They waited.
No one spoke.
Even Ulon, who usually couldn't survive three seconds without a joke, kept his mouth shut.
Shalotte stood frozen, staff clenched so tightly his fingers went numb. Sweat trickled down his temple, and when the last vibration finally faded into a distant hum, his knees almost buckled.
"…It passed us," he whispered, disbelief thick in his voice.
Maddy let out a sharp breath and finally removed her hand from Kiel's mouth. "Good," she muttered. "Because if it didn't, I was about to stab someone just to release stress."
Kiel coughed and wiped his lips. "You almost suffocated me."
Ulon whispered. "We should contact the boss."
Shalotte nodded quickly. "Yeah. Right. I'll—uh—do it."
A transparent panel shimmered into existence in front of him. His fingers trembled slightly as he tapped through the interface, sending an emergency signal. The panel flickered, then stabilized.
Before anyone could speak again, sound leaked through the connection.
Not voices—wind.
A deep, constant roar rushed through the panel, layered with sharp whistles and sudden drops, like the world itself was being torn open. Somewhere beyond the noise came the powerful beat of wings, steady and massive.
Shane's voice followed, calm as ever, yet slightly raised to cut through the gale.
"Looks like you're all still alive."
His composed tone filled the cramped space, steady and unhurried.
Ulon grinned. "We're hard to kill, boss."
"As expected," Shane replied. "So, what's the situation?"
Shalotte and Kiel both glanced at Ulon, silently pushing the responsibility onto him. Petra remained quiet, eyes still sharp, while Maddy crossed her arms and waited.
Ulon cleared his throat. "Well… looks like we walked into a big, happy sand wyrm family. A mom and dad. Possibly expecting babies, soon. They also hired some… enthusiastic nannies."
Shane paused. "…How many?"
Ulon answered, "Originally five. We eliminated one. Four still roaming around. We're currently playing hide-and-seek with them under the sand."
"That's good. Keep it up," Shane said calmly.
Ulon blinked. "That's… encouraging, boss."
He looked around and continued, "What's the plan boss?"