Chapter 480

Chapter 480

"Well, if you insist," said Diana, her voice tinged with relief.

Ian's gaze, which had been sweeping the rear flank, narrowed slightly just after that.

"Didn't you say wyverns?"

Beyond the billowing smoke, there was only one winged silhouette gliding along.

Diana, who turned to look in the same direction, let out a low scoff. "So it's still got some sense of self. I've heard that wyverns split into two groups when they hunt. One distracts while the other strikes from behind. Which means if there's one over there—"

"Don't turn around." Ian cut her off.

Diana, who was just about to turn her head, froze mid-motion. Soon, her eyes, looking at Ian's profile, curved slightly.

"Right. Pretending not to notice makes it close in faster."

"Exactly. Help me out. Let's finish this in one go."

Seren, lifting the flail slightly, asked, "Is there nothing I can do to help?"

Without even turning his head, Ian replied. "Not really."

As Seren quietly lowered her flail again, a dazzling explosion erupted from their left front. Lucia was still diligently doing her part, even amid this.

—-Don't worry about the back and focus, Lucy. It's not time to rest.

Ian let Yog's whisper drift past one ear as he studied the wyvern, now clearly visible thanks to the light. Its long membrane wings, scythe-like claws, and hooked hind legs gleamed. Its snout was sharply protruding, almost unnaturally so.

If swamp drakes were winged lizards, then canyon wyverns resembled mutated pterosaurs. Of course, like all other monsters, it had likely undergone a grotesque mutation, but Ian suspected its original form hadn't been too different.

The chill that ran down the back of his neck hit him just then—a warning from his Intuition that came sooner than expected.

So, it seized an opportunity, huh?

Ian didn't panic. He immediately turned his head the other way.

The wyvern, its wings folded into sharp points, was diving fast—its silhouette filling his amber eyes. It aimed its trajectory precisely at Moro, as if to skewer it. It had concealed its approach in the blast's light and roar.

Of course, it couldn't be faster than Ian raising his right hand.

Swoosh—

Sand shot straight into the air in a perfect line, following the arc of his outstretched palm—it was the Sand Wall, amplified with chaos power.

The wyvern spread its membranous wings wide and extended its hind legs almost simultaneously.

Boom.

Though its hook-like talons pierced the compacted sand wall, the impact slowed it down.

The sand scattered at a flick of Ian's hand, revealing the wyvern's flared wings a heartbeat before Moro thundered past its side.

Woosh!

Diana swung her arm like a whip. The dagger released from her hand shot like a streak of light straight into the wyvern's gaping maw.

Screech—

The wyvern, letting out a sharp cry as if stung, tumbled through the billowing sand. Its wings flared again almost immediately, eyes still locked on Moro's retreating form.

Sweeping away the dust cloud with a single beat, the creature took to the air once more.

"As precise as ever."

"Of course."

Ian didn't even bother looking at it again. He simply added the comment to Diana before turning his head to the left. Diana shrugged as if it were nothing, but Seren still kept glancing back, visibly uneasy.

Her long, sharp eyes widened an instant later. The wyvern, which had stopped flapping its wings for a moment, plummeted again, its legs and head twitching unnaturally.

Thud, thud, thud—

Swallowed by the following wave of demonic beasts, its form vanished without a sound.

Seren finally turned back to Diana.

"It's a deadly poison," said Diana, drawing another dagger from her belt.

Seren let out a breathless gasp of admiration just as a piercing screech came rushing in from behind.

Screech—

Seren whipped her head around, only to see another wyvern arrowing toward them, wings sharply folded. Its roar was thick with rage and its reddish eyes gleamed furiously.

Swoosh!

Ian raised his left arm with an almost bored expression. The Sand Wall shot up in a straight line once more, tearing upward from the ground—this time, it swallowed not only the blazing flames but also a massive sand centipede that had been hiding beneath the surface.

However, the wyvern didn't spread its wings.

Crunch!

It rammed its head straight through the barrier.

Sand exploded outward, and caught in the shockwave, the sand centipede was flung far away.

Screech—

The wyvern's head, having broken through the middle with its maw wide open, pushed forward. One of its eyeballs had burst, but it didn't seem to care.

Roar—

Ian's brow furrowed in surprise just as Moro let out a loud cry.

Violet energy surged from its mane, freezing the wyvern's charge momentarily. Simultaneously, Moro increased its speed and narrowly brushed past the wyvern's head.

Swoosh!

Diana didn't miss her chance. Another dagger flew from her hand, slamming into the gaping maw.

The wyvern, brushing past Moro's tail, crashed diagonally into the sand. It spun and tumbled across the sand before sprawling out, its wings and legs twitching.

Ian, who had turned his head to look at it, finally flicked his left arm.

The Sand Wall shattered, and Diana, meeting his gaze, shrugged as if to say it was no big deal.

Come to think of it, she really comes through when it counts, thought Ian, with a faint smirk.

"We're almost there!" Lucia's shout rang out from up ahead, and Ian's head snapped forward.

Moro, emitting a purplish trail as it galloped, was already approaching the dune.

Ian sensed what awaited them beyond the dune. A reddish-brown cloud had already thickly covered the sky.

"Keep running, Moro!" Lucia shouted again. She raised her upper body and thrust both arms diagonally forward, crimson magic flaring around her.

Fwoosh!

A blinding blaze burst from her hands an instant later. As the force pushed Lucia back, Ian reflexively supported her back and turned his gaze.

Screech! Screech!

Orange flames spewed out, burning away all the demonic beasts surging from the left and right. It almost looked as if Moro was galloping while spewing fire from both sides.

My Fire Beam only gets this powerful with amplification.

Ian gave a soft, wry chuckle.

The spell must have drained a massive amount of magic—but with the Desert of Death looming so close, that was the least of their worries. Lucia had likely cast it with that very thought in mind.

Woosh—

Amidst it all, Moro ran without stopping, a fiery trail spreading behind it like wings.

Grrrr!

Finally reaching the top of the dune, Moro leaped with a powerful roar. The purplish arc of its trajectory, paired with Lucia's Fire Beam, traced a perfect parabola through the air.

And below their feet, a vast, ash-colored sea unfolded. The air, too, changed in an instant.

—-It's less dry here.

As Yog's relaxed whisper spread, the flames spewing from Lucia's grasp finally subsided.

Wrapping one arm around her as she collapsed backward as if her strength had given out, Ian whispered, "You did well, Lucy."

Even more praise wouldn't have been excessive. Getting this far safely was ninety percent her doing—and she'd done it using nothing but low tier spells.

"Phew... Phew...." As Lucia, only gasping for breath, entrusted her body to him, Ian snatched Moro's reins with his right hand.

The sea of ash was fast approaching.

Woosh—

As Yog had said, the breeze that swept over Ian's body carried a strange, humid touch.

While Diana tightened her grip around his waist, Moro's front hooves landed in the middle of the gray waves.

Boom!

Sand shot up around them. As the sensation of landing on a sticky surface continued, Moro's front legs sank deep. The creature, arching its back and letting out rough breaths, bucked up as if struggling.

Then, with a powerful heave, it burst through the rising sand, landed firmly on all fours, and dashed forward.

The smoothest ride ever. Really.

While Lucia coughed beside him, Ian gritted his teeth, a grimace pulling at his brow. His whole body ached—especially around the groin.

Even so, he let Lucia lean fully against him as he glanced back over his shoulder.

Screech! Screech!

Monsters wreathed in fire were pouring down the sandy slope behind them, forming a seemingly endless line.

However, that was as far as they went. As if blocked by an invisible wall, the wave of beasts came to a sudden halt, fanning out across the ridge without crossing further.

Ian's narrowed eyes twitched briefly before relaxing.

"Well, looks like they're not coming after us," he muttered, as if shaking off any lingering doubt.

Maybe there was a reason those things couldn't cross the border. Whatever it was, he'd gladly leave it behind—better that than dealing with the monsters still on their tail in this godforsaken place.

Besides, it wasn't an entirely unexpected outcome.

"You can run slowly now, Moro," said Ian, carefully resting fully back into the saddle.

Moro snorted and gradually eased his pace.

Still clinging to Ian's waist, Diana let out a long sigh of relief and slowly slid down. "Finally... we made it..."

Ian dipped his head slightly and added, "If you feel like passing out, go ahead, Lucy."

Lucia, still panting, didn't even try to brush the sand off her face.

Instead, she slowly raised one hand. "It's not that bad. I'm just a little tired. I used too much power in a short period. Besides…."

She lifted her head and looked up at Ian. Her face was pale, with blood running from one nostril, yet she wore a faint, satisfied smile.

"To be honest, it felt kind of good to let loose like that."

"Well, you did go all out spectacularly."

At Ian's reply, the smile on Lucia's lips deepened a little more. Ian also smiled back.

"You were incredible, Priestess," Seren said from behind.

Receiving Ian's gaze, she offered a slightly sheepish smile. "Thanks to you, I made it here without lifting a finger."

"Which is a good thing," Lucia said, pulling herself from Ian's hold. "If you'd needed to fight too, it would've meant things had gone terrible."

"Well... yes, that's true, but still..." Even as Seren nodded in agreement, she awkwardly scratched her horn with the flail.

Moro suddenly veered sharply just as Ian, who had been looking at her, was about to say something.

—Hmm, nice instincts, Moro. Didn't expect that from you.

Yog's laughter-tinged whisper followed.

—I was actually curious what would happen if you stepped forward.

Ian's gaze drifted down to Diana, who was still hunched slightly.

Fixing his eyes on Yog curled around her neck, Ian asked, "What was up ahead?"

"Quicksand," answered Diana.

She hadn't just been resting—her eyes had been scanning the ashen sand beneath Moro's hooves.

"Quicksand?" asked Lucia, blinking.

"It's a type of sand swamp. I heard that originally there was a green oasis in this area, and after the rainy season, the water collected underground would flow in. Of course, I also heard that the green oasis had completely dried up...." Diana trailed off, weariness in her tone, then lifted her gaze to meet Lucia's.

"Seems that wasn't entirely true."

Green oasis, huh?

Ian finally turned his attention back to the sluggish, flowing sea of ash. The pooled groundwater beneath this desert seemed to cause the humidity in the air.

"I've heard of it too," Seren added.

"After the rainy season, when Yanar Tash would swim through the desert, the underground waters would rise and form rivers. Enough for flowers to bloom in the desert."

Is that even possible?

While having a modern person's doubt, Ian tilted his head. "So this place is a giant sand swamp?"

"Not all of it, probably. Only the parts where the groundwater has risen close to the surface. It's usually a danger found only at the desert's edge, but...."

She hesitated briefly before continuing, "This is the domain of an archdemon, so it wouldn't be strange if it's spread out everywhere. You must be careful. It's very difficult to get out if you step into quicksand. Of course, your equipment will get muddy too."

"So that's why they call it the Desert of Death…" Lucia murmured.

Seren shrugged. "That name started spreading after Yanar Tash became a demon, but now that I think about it, the quicksand probably played a part."

"You really do know a lot," Ian remarked offhandedly.

Seren bowed her head in modesty. "Most of the Black Lions don't pay it any mind, but I've read quite a few documents on the archdemons. I thought it might be…"

She hesitated for a moment, then finished softly. "Helpful to His Highness."

"Ah, I see. All for His Highness." Ian said with a faint smile.

Seren, avoiding his gaze, let out a small cough.

"In any case, we'd better not dismount," Diana said, sitting straighter, her eyes resting on the back of Moro's head. "That fellow seems to be able to know the location of the quicksand in advance. I don't know how it does it."

"Seems like it. I don't know how, but…"

—It's the smell. That smells just a little different.

Yog added as if showing off.

Diana's expression twisted in irritation, but Ian nodded. "Well, that works out. You all should stay on Moro."

"Are you getting off?" Lucia asked, her brow knitting.

Ian casually shrugged. "Thanks to you, I came this far comfortably. I have to pay that price. And...."

His gaze shifted toward Seren. "Sir Seren, who also came as comfortably as I did, should also do her part."

"What should I do—"

Boom! Rumble…

A thunderous roar had erupted in the distance, followed by a deep, reverberating shockwave.

The eyes of the group, who had turned their heads almost simultaneously, widened. Ash-colored sand was soaring up as if a massive explosion had occurred.

It was hard to gauge just how far, maybe several kilometers, or maybe only a few hundred meters. Of course, that wasn't what anyone in the group was concerned about.

—Hmm…

Everyone was captivated by the shimmering silhouette in the middle of the explosion. Due to the thickly rising sand dust, its exact form wasn't visible, but it was clear that it was very thick and long.

"Yanar Tash," Lucia murmured, eyes locked on the tentacle-like silhouette undulating in the dust.

Then, a column of reddish-brown light surged through the storm, flaring out like a beacon.

Bwoooo—

With a roar that shook the atmosphere, reddish-brown shockwaves erupted in concentric circles.