393 – Desert Crossing (4)

Leaving the untimely commotion behind, the desert crossing continued. As I said before, the desert crossing is expected to take about 3 to 4 days.

If everything goes according to plan, we will reach the halfway point on the evening of the second day, stay there, and then return.

There were dangers along the way, as the guide had warned, as poisonous snakes and scorpions attacked.

However, no students were bitten by snakes or scorpion tails. By the way, it was not the guide who handled it well.

Even though he was a guide, he couldn’t deal with all the threats coming from all directions.

Among snakes, there are some that have incredible speed. There is one that is called the ‘sand mamba’ because its mouth is the color of sand.

“Okay. If you look at this guy, the inside of his mouth is almost the color of sand. Not only is his approach very fast, but as soon as he bites······”

-Char!

As the guide explained, the captured sand mamba opened its mouth wide and threatened.

It had sharp fangs extending out, and blue venom dripped from them. It was threatening just to look at.

The guide flinched slightly, perhaps because he was afraid of the sand mamba, but soon regained his composure and continued his explanation.

“I would like you to administer the antidote. If there is no antidote, amputation is also an option.”

“How strong is the poison?”

“There are records of one sand mamba killing ten adult men.”

But now it’s my lunch.

Whether the sand mamba’s venom is strong or not, it’s just a snack to me.

Whenever a sand mamba approached, I immediately snatched it and put it in my mouth.

“T-Why are you eating that?! You shouldn’t eat it!”

“Ah. You can leave Shivar alone. He is immune to poison.”

“Huh? The poison doesn’t work? The Sand Mamba’s poison?”

“Yes. Maybe that’s why the medicine works well.”

To me, poison was nothing more than a slightly tart carbonic acid. Maybe that’s why.

All the guides were astonished when they drank the sand mamba’s venom like a sauce.

“Shivar. Could you put some poison in here?”

“huh.”

“Thank you. I need to study this poison and make an antidote.”

I also helped Ellie with her research. She was very fragile, so I didn’t forget to be careful.

The guides were shocked to see my eccentric journey, but that wasn’t the end of it. There are scorpions in the desert, not just snakes.

In particular, scorpions are mostly small and difficult to detect. The only thing you can do is apply insect repellent.

“This guy is a sand scorpion. As you can see, it’s sand-colored so it’s hard to see. It’s delicious when grilled······”

“Yum.”

I ate it raw without even roasting it. I couldn’t forget the look on my guide’s face as he looked at me like that.

I was full of doubts like, “Is this kid really the same person as me?” Well, if you look closely, he’s not a pureblood.

“Whoa! Whoa! What, water!”

“······As you can see, this incident occurred because the tail was not removed and eaten. Please be careful, everyone.”

The process went something like that. There was no harm to the students or the guides.

Although there were occasional delays due to sandstorms, the plan itself was never disrupted.

“It’s hot······I want to wash······”

“I’m so nervous······”

“When will we arrive in town?”

However, this did not mean that the students’ complaints about not being able to shower properly for three days disappeared.

The academy was somewhat bearable except in the summer, but the desert was oppressively hot.

It’s inevitable that you’ll feel dissatisfied after not washing for several days. But if you just hold on for a little longer, it’ll be okay.

But the world doesn’t always turn the way you think, something completely unexpected came out of the guide.

“I’m sorry, Professor. I think we’ll have to change the route.”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“The signs are not good. How much do you know about the monsters of the desert?”

It was about time for a short break. I eavesdropped while enjoying a delicious meal of a scorpion that had popped out from somewhere.

The tour guide and the professors all had serious expressions on their faces, and I think I heard them say something about changing the route.

“I’ve barely heard of any desert monsters. Except for the legendary giant sandworms.”

“His Majesty the King has defeated the Giant Sandworm. However, the top predator in the food chain has disappeared, and the predators below it are becoming more active.”

“··· ···”

Did he feel something from those words? Marlboro, who had come forward as a representative, glanced at me.

When I say predator, you probably naturally think of me, since I am associated with forests. But that doesn’t mean I know much about them.

“Sand Scorpions have been appearing at unusual intervals. There is a high probability that there is a Queen nearby.”

“You’re the Queen… Are you difficult to deal with?”

“Yes. It is poisonous, but its shell is so hard that it is difficult to break. In addition, it has a habit of digging into the ground, making it difficult to deal with.”

“Is there any reason why these signs suddenly appeared?”

“That’s probably because it’s a vibration-sensitive entity. There was a sandstorm going on too.”

Of course, it would be rare for this many people to move at once. Marlboro nodded after hearing the explanation.

After looking around at the students, he asked the guide again.

“How long will it take if I change path?”

“If we take a detour, it will take about two more days.”

“Two days each?”

“Two days······ It’s a bit difficult······”

The professors sighed when they heard that it would take two days. It was longer than they thought.

You’re probably wondering by now: Should I take a detour for safety or to save time?

Since the period of field experience learning cannot be extended, the former is right for safety. Students will also be convinced.

But I’m not. I have to somehow get there on time to finish the episode smoothly.

“Let’s go right away.”

“hmm?”

“Student Shivar?”

When I quietly intervened, the guides and professors looked at me with surprised eyes.

Actually, it’s not a good idea to interfere with professors’ decisions, but it can be considered for the sake of the episode.

Above all, I was confident. I answered calmly, feeling the subtle stares from people.

“I can catch it.”

“hmm······”

“Come to think of it, didn’t you say you caught Usk with your bare hands?”

“I broke the Usk blade with my bare hands.”

When Lee Yeon-hwa mentioned the Usk expedition, Sarah added an explanation. Sarah witnessed the entire scene.

“Usk… isn’t it a monster with a thick shell and bladed fangs? It’s said to have been used as a weapon of war in the past.”

“Yes, that’s right. He caught that guy all by himself.”

“It’s a difficult entity to subdue, so you’re doing it alone?”

The guide made a face that said, “Amazing!” I felt a little embarrassed, but I didn’t show it.

After some thought and consideration, we concluded that they should trust me and save time.

Maybe that’s why he put me in the lead. The guide walked alongside me and explained.

“When the Queen appears, a lot of Sand Scorpions will come out. That’s for us······”

“are you okay.”

“yes?”

“I’ll take care of everything.”

An answer that seemed indifferent yet full of confidence. The guide raised one eye at that answer.

The reaction is that I can’t believe it. Now, I’m used to this reaction, so I don’t think much of it.

You’ll know when you see it for yourself. How long did it take?

-Ddddddddd

A slight vibration began to resonate through the earth. Everyone felt the vibration and immediately stopped in their tracks.

The guide next to me also took out his weapon and had a very tense expression on his face. He occasionally glanced at me as a bonus.

I tried to gauge where the scorpion flock would emerge from by the vibrations. Judging from the small vibrations, they must be far away.

‘Because I have to stop it from sticking out in the center······’

-Phuk!

I put my arms deep into the dry sand. The guide looked at me with a puzzled expression at my action.

I focused my attention and tracked the location of the queen that the guide had mentioned. I was told that the queen was almost the size of a house.

It’s amazing how that guy can dig through the sand and move freely. It’s said that a lot of the upper decks were damaged because of that.

-Kugugugugu!

The vibration gradually grew stronger. I felt the vibration and then suddenly raised my head.

‘······Over there.’

Since I was sensitive to movement, it was easy for me to figure out the Scorpion Queen’s path. So I took action immediately.

I concentrated my magical power from my hand buried in the sand. I could feel the red magical power gradually coagulating at my fingertips.

Just fire that concentrated magic at the queen and it’s over. Death Beam really felt useful every time I used it.

-Phewing!

Before long, a death beam is fired from my fingertips.

-Kwakwakwakwa!

The sand was surging violently, indicating the path of the Death Beam. The path was exactly in front of us.

After advancing about 10 meters, Queen and Death Beam, who were swimming in the sand, collided with each other.

-Pfft!

The sand shot up high, perhaps because an explosion had occurred in the sand.

At the same time, the vibrations stopped for a very short while. It was almost like the calm before a storm.

And sure enough, a violent commotion echoed from deep within the ground, and the sand rose high once again.

-Keeeeeeeek!

A giant scorpion emerged from the sand with a nasty roar.

It’s a scorpion the size of a house, just like the guide said. It’s called the Sand Scorpion Queen.

-Tadat!

“Hey, listen up!”

Without hesitation, I leapt high towards the Scorpion Queen, raising both my hands in the air as I leaped.

Since you said the shell is hard, it would be better to hit it with your fist.

‘Even if it’s hard, can it be harder than Usk?’

-Kwaang!

As soon as he landed on the Queen’s back, he brought down hard both arms that he had raised in a flash.

Wajigeun! The Queen’s back shell caved in with a creaking sound. It was so fragile that it looked like it would break at any moment.

“Keeeeeek!”

The guy started screaming and making a fuss. His huge scorpion tail kept stabbing me in the back.

Then what do you do? It was a little ticklish because I only poked it. The poison seeds didn’t even work.

I continued to attack him in the meantime, so that his shell was completely shattered.

-Crack! Crack! Crunch!

It took several punches to reveal the flesh. It was harder than I thought.

Along with him, the guy digging the sand with his pincers, feeling the danger to the queen. It looks like he’s trying to get into the sand.

It was going pretty fast so I almost missed it, but unfortunately its tail was still there.

I barely managed to grab the tail just before it went into the sand.

“Ugh······ Tea!”

“Keeeeeek!”

I forcibly pulled the guy who was digging into the sand out of the water. It was really sad to see him struggling for his life.

But I’ll have an easier future if I kill this guy. I can’t afford to waste any more time, so I’d better finish him off.

-Thwack!

Then, he jumped onto the guy’s forehead while still holding onto his tail. Then, he stuck his sharp tail into his head.

It’s like getting bitten by your own tail. They say scorpions are resistant to their own venom, but that’s none of my business.

-Crack!

Queen, whose tail and head were connected, couldn’t move easily. I climbed onto the shell I had split earlier.

Then, he put his hand inside the white flesh. He continued to increase his magical power in this state.

“Keeeek! Keeek! Kek!”

It’s no use screaming for help. You should have taken a good look at the person and rushed at him.

I didn’t care what the guy said and just unleashed the magical power I had gathered in my hand.

and······

-Pfft!

The front of the guy literally exploded with a horrible sound coming from inside.

No matter how much of a bug it is, once its front part bursts, it will inevitably witness death.

The Sand Scorpion Queen shuddered for a moment, then her massive body stretched out.

-Knock! Knock!

I roughly wiped my dirty hands with sand. My hands were sticky and I felt like I needed some water.

Then, I turned my head towards the group that had been watching for a while, and they all had blank expressions on their faces.

Oh, not everyone is like that. It’s the locals’ dumbfounded reaction. Among them, the representative guide whispered softly.

“······Excuse me, but is an Academy student that strong?”

“No. He’s stronger than us.”

“But why are you going to the academy?”

“Because I lack culture.

“We speak English well, but you say we lack manners?”

“He’s smart, but he doesn’t use it, so I’m teaching him that.”

“Ah. Then I guess that makes sense.”

I can hear you all, people.