Chapter 241: Red Sky Desert

The sky above the Southern Wastes was red.

The sun was nowhere to be seen, hidden behind the corrupted clouds that had covered the region for centuries.

Everything beneath that strange sky had taken on the same reddish color. The sand, the rocks, and even the distant hills looked as though they had been stained with blood.

And the desert seemed to stretch on forever.

Huge dunes rose in every direction, their slopes covered in fine red sand that shifted whenever the wind blew. The air carried an unpleasant smell, a mixture of rust and something rotten. It was nothing like the clean, dry air of an ordinary desert.

Centuries of Abyssal corruption had changed this place beyond recognition. The soil was poisoned, the atmosphere was dangerous, and almost nothing could grow here. Even the remains of creatures that died in the Wastes were slowly absorbed into the ground.

The stealth jet descended toward a patch of cracked stone near the edge of the desert.

Its engines stirred up thick clouds of red dust as the landing gear touched the ground. The jet rolled forward a short distance before coming to a stop, leaving the disturbed sand to settle around it.

A moment later, the rear ramp opened.

Holden was the first to step outside.

The heat struck him immediately.

The air was thick and uncomfortable, almost like standing inside a room filled with hot steam. Every breath carried that same rotten smell, making the place even more unpleasant.

Worse, the air itself was filled with decay energy.

An ordinary person wouldn’t last long here without protection. Simply breathing the corrupted air would slowly damage their body, while prolonged exposure could eventually prove fatal.

Fortunately, Holden had no reason to worry.

His Aether-Steel body was already strong enough to withstand most environmental hazards. Combined with his Rank 3, 9-Star cultivation and the newly acquired Crimson-Ward Ring, the decay energy in the air had almost no effect on him.

The ring gave off a faint pulse as its protective abilities activated, preventing the corruption from taking hold inside his body. Meanwhile, his Ember-Silk Cloak helped keep him comfortable despite the oppressive heat.

Holden took another breath and glanced around.

He was fine.

The others, however, needed to be more careful.

"Everyone, stay close. I’m putting the shield up," Emric announced.

He stepped down the ramp and raised his shield. A pale barrier spread outward, forming a protective bubble around the team. The corrupted air grew noticeably lighter inside it as the shield filtered out most of the harmful energy.

Emric watched the barrier for a moment before nodding.

"That should help. The air out here is worse than I expected."

"How bad?" Renna asked.

"Bad enough that you shouldn’t breathe it for too long without protection," Emric replied. "Our cultivation can resist some of it, but not forever. The shield will keep most of the decay energy away from us."

"So basically, don’t stay out here longer than necessary?"

"Exactly."

Renna wrinkled her nose and looked toward the endless dunes.

"Fine by me. This place smells like someone left a hundred dead animals in the sun. I don’t know how anything manages to live here."

"Most things don’t," Emric answered.

"Very comforting. Thanks."

Holden smiled faintly at their exchange.

Lyra stood beside him, holding her spear. A gentle layer of cold energy surrounded her body, helping her resist the heat while pushing away some of the corruption in the air. Although she could protect herself for a while, she remained within Emric’s barrier to avoid wasting energy.

Cora and Sera stood a little farther behind, checking their swords and watching the surrounding dunes.

Everyone was ready.

"Holden, can you hear me?"

Maeve’s voice came through his earpiece.

"Loud and clear."

"I’m picking up Draven’s energy signature about twelve miles northeast of your position," she explained. "There’s a large structure near the center of the Wastes. I can’t get a perfect image, but I’m fairly certain that’s where he’s hiding."

Holden looked toward the northeast.

All he could see were more dunes beneath the dark red sky.

"What about the Blood-Ghouls?"

"They’re scattered across the area between you and the structure. The largest groups are farther in, but you’ll probably run into the first ones within two miles."

"Any chance we can avoid them?"

"Not completely. Some of them are moving around beneath the sand, so their exact positions are difficult to track."

Holden considered that for a moment.

"All right. We’ll continue on foot. Keep the jet ready in case we need to pull out quickly."

"Alright. I’ll keep an eye on your position and let you know if anything changes."

The communication ended.

Holden turned toward his companions.

"Formation. Emric, stay in the middle and maintain the shield. Renna and Lyra, watch our sides. Cora and Sera, cover the rear. I’ll take the lead."

Everyone nodded and moved into position.

Without wasting any more time, they began their journey across the Southern Wastes.

Walking through the desert was more tiring than Holden had expected.

The sand was loose and unusually fine, sinking beneath their boots with every step. Sometimes their feet went several inches into the ground before finding anything solid. The constant wind didn’t help either, blowing red dust across their path and making it difficult to see beyond the next dune.

Fortunately, Emric’s shield kept most of the sand and corrupted air away from the team.

They moved steadily, climbing one dune after another while Maeve guided them through the earpiece.

After about a mile, however, Holden noticed something strange.

The sand on the ground was moving.

At first, the disturbance was faint enough that an ordinary person might have mistaken it for the wind. But his enhanced senses quickly picked up the movement beneath the surface.

Something was digging through the sand.

And it wasn’t alone.

Holden focused his attention on the ground ahead.

His 10,000x processor began tracking the disturbances, following the movement of several shapes spreading out beneath the dunes. Their energy signatures were weak compared to his own, but there were far too many of them.

Emric noticed something was wrong a moment later.

"Holden, wait."

The team stopped.

Emric raised his shield slightly, watching the barrier flicker.

"Something’s moving nearby. I’m detecting energy that doesn’t belong to the environment."

"How many?" Renna asked, immediately reaching for an arrow.

"I can’t tell yet."

Holden was already looking toward the dunes.

His processor had finished analyzing the movements beneath the sand.

[Multiple Energy Signatures Detected.]

[Location: Beneath the Sand.]

[Estimated Count: 200+]

[Average Threat Level: Rank 2]

[Classification: Blood-Ghoul.]

Holden tightened his grip.

"Everyone, get ready. We’ve got hundreds of them beneath us."

Renna stared at him.

"Hundreds? As in right now?"

"Right now."

Before anyone could say another word, the sand exploded.

Huge clouds of red dust burst upward across the dunes. The ground split open in dozens of places, and dark shapes began crawling out from underneath.

Then more appeared.

And more.

Within seconds, the surrounding dunes were crawling with creatures.

Blood-Ghouls.

The first one pulled itself free of the sand, revealing a body that barely resembled a human anymore.

It had two arms, two legs, and the general shape of a person, but its skin was almost completely gone. Dark red flesh covered its thin body, while thick, blackish fluid dripped from its arms and chest.

Where the fluid touched the sand, small patches of ground began to bubble.

Its eyes were worse.

The creature’s face had two dark, empty sockets where its eyes should have been. Its mouth hung open, revealing rows of sharp teeth that looked strangely clean compared to the rest of its decaying body.

A low, wet growl escaped its throat.

Then it charged.

Dozens of other Blood-Ghouls followed, scrambling over the dunes on all fours or running on their twisted legs. Their movements were awkward, but they were frighteningly fast.

And there were hundreds of them.

"SHIELD UP!" Emric shouted.

He drove the bottom of his shield into the sand and poured more energy into it.

The protective barrier expanded, growing brighter as it surrounded the team. Almost immediately, the first wave of Blood-Ghouls crashed against its surface.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Their claws scraped against the barrier while corrosive fluid dripped from their bodies. Each time the creatures struck, the shield shook slightly under the force.

Renna already had an arrow drawn.

"Get away from us, you ugly things!"

She released the string.

THWACK!

The arrow flew straight through the nearest Blood-Ghoul’s chest before releasing a burst of lightning.

CRACK!

Electricity spread through the creature’s body, forcing its limbs to stiffen before it collapsed into the sand.

Renna immediately fired another arrow.

Then a third.

Each shot struck its target, sending another Blood-Ghoul crashing to the ground.

Unfortunately, the creatures kept coming.

For every one she brought down, several more appeared from behind the dunes.

"This is ridiculous!" Renna shouted, drawing another arrow. "Where are they all coming from?"

"Left side!" Cora warned.

"More on the right!" Sera added.

The Twins drew their short swords as several Blood-Ghouls began circling around the formation.

Emric gritted his teeth.

"They’re trying to surround us!"

The shield was still holding, but the constant attacks were draining his energy. Every time the creatures pressed their decaying bodies against the barrier, small patches of its surface grew weaker.

He could repair the damage, but not if hundreds of them continued attacking at once.

Holden watched the situation for another moment.

Then he raised his right hand.

The Eclipse-Sun Sword appeared from his Inventory.

Its dark blade gleamed under the red sky as crimson flames spread along the edge. The fire burned steadily, mixing with the sword’s darker energy and giving off an intimidating glow.

Holden glanced back at Emric.

"Keep the shield up and stay together."

Emric looked at him.

"What are you planning?"

"Clearing the way."

Renna opened her mouth.

"Holden, there are hundreds of them!"

"I noticed."

Before she could argue, Holden stepped through the protective barrier.

And walked straight toward the approaching horde.