Chapter 256: The Hidden Ruler of the Sand

Chapter 256: Chapter 256: The Hidden Ruler of the Sand

A moment later, a gigantic earthworm-like beast burst from the ground, its thick body covered in rough, earthen armor. It was another of her summoned creatures, one particularly suited to manipulating the terrain and moving through the earth.

"Bring them out!" Ha-eun commanded.

The earthworm plunged back into the sand, disappearing almost instantly. For several seconds, the ground trembled as it pursued the hidden creatures beneath the surface, its movements creating a series of rapidly shifting mounds.

Then, without warning, the sand erupted.

KABOOOOOM!

Several Sandgrave Stalkers were hurled into the air, their bodies tumbling helplessly as the earthworm forced them out of their underground hiding places. Before they could recover, Ha-eun had already moved.

She tightened her grip on the short sword at her waist, bent her knees, and launched herself into the air with a burst of mana.

WHOOSH!

Her body rose above the scattered monsters, and for an instant, she seemed to hang against the bright desert sky. Then she twisted in midair, drawing her sword back before delivering a clean, sweeping strike.

"Fall apart."

SHING!

A flash of steel passed through the air.

The nearest Sandgrave Stalker was cut cleanly in two, its body separating along the line of the strike as dark blood scattered beneath her. Ha-eun continued her descent, turning her body to avoid another creature before landing lightly on the sand.

THUD!

She straightened and glanced toward the earthworm, which had already begun burrowing into the ground again.

"Excellent work. Keep forcing them out, and leave the rest to me."

The summoned beast answered with a low, rumbling cry before disappearing beneath the sand once more.

The Awakeners nearby exchanged impressed looks.

"That’s the Horizon Guild Master’s summoning ability for you. She can even use her summons to counter creatures that specialize in underground ambushes!"

"Don’t just stand there admiring her! Take advantage of the opening and finish the ones she’s exposed!"

The reminder immediately brought them back to their senses. With the hidden creatures forced into the open, the Awakeners launched a coordinated assault, striking the monsters before they could return to the safety of the sand.

---

Throughout the battle, Ares remained slightly apart from the others, observing the expedition with his usual composure.

The three guild masters were performing well, and their methods complemented one another more effectively than he had initially expected. Park Tae-hyun’s overwhelming physical strength allowed him to eliminate enemies at close range, Kang Ji-hoon’s gravitational magic restricted their movements and punished anything that emerged within his range, while Yoon Ha-eun used her summons to disrupt their ambushes and create opportunities for the other Awakeners.

The expedition was adapting quickly, and the casualties remained low.

’It seems everything is going well so far.’

Ares shifted his gaze toward the distant dunes, where the sand continued to ripple in several places. His True Sight had already revealed something far more interesting than the creatures currently attacking the expedition.

Deep beneath the desert, beyond the reach of the ordinary Awakeners, a considerably stronger presence remained motionless.

Its aura was unmistakably different from that of the Sandgrave Stalkers.

’An S-Rank monster hiding underground. Considering how the others are behaving, it must be the leader of this group—or perhaps the boss of the entire Gate.’

A faint smile appeared on his face.

’Let’s see how they handle something a little stronger.’

He had no intention of interfering unless the situation demanded it. The expedition had been assembled to clear the Gate, and the three guild masters deserved an opportunity to demonstrate what they could do against a genuine challenge.

Besides, watching how they responded to an unexpected threat was far more interesting than ending the battle himself.

---

The fighting continued for several more minutes, with the Awakeners gradually gaining the upper hand. The Sandgrave Stalkers were being forced out of their hiding places faster than they could launch successful ambushes, and the coordinated attacks of the three guild masters were steadily reducing their numbers.

Then, the creatures began to retreat.

One by one, the Sandgrave Stalkers abandoned their attacks and disappeared beneath the sand, leaving only their fallen comrades scattered across the battlefield. The remaining disturbances moved farther away from the expedition, their rippling trails heading toward the distant dunes.

An Awakener lowered his weapon slightly, watching the shifting sand with a puzzled expression.

"Wait a moment. Are they actually retreating?"

"They must have realized they can’t win against us in a direct confrontation," another replied, though he kept his sword raised. "Still, I don’t like this. These creatures attacked us from underground, and now they’re withdrawing all at once. Something isn’t right."

Kang Ji-hoon looked toward the dunes, his eyes narrowing as he followed the movements beneath the surface.

"Don’t let your guard down! They’re not necessarily fleeing because they’ve lost. Maintain your positions and prepare to attack anything that emerges!"

"Understood!"

The Awakeners responded immediately, tightening their formation as the remaining ripples began to vanish into the distance.

Park Tae-hyun, however, seemed less inclined to let his opponents escape. He rolled his shoulders, clenched both fists, and stepped forward, his expression carrying the unmistakable excitement of someone who had yet to satisfy his appetite for battle.

"After all that trouble, you think you can simply crawl back underground and escape? Not a chance!"

He slammed one foot into the sand, gathering mana throughout his body. The ground beneath him began to tremble, and a dense wave of energy spread outward from his position.

"Ground Shaker!"

KRA-KOOOOOM!

Park Tae-hyun drove his fist into the ground with tremendous force.

The impact sent a violent shock wave through the desert, causing the sand to burst upward in every direction. A vast crater formed around the point of impact, its edges collapsing as the force propagated through the surrounding terrain. The earth beneath the retreating monsters was violently disrupted, crushing several Sandgrave Stalkers before they could burrow any deeper.

Their bodies were hurled into the open, and the Awakeners immediately seized the opportunity.

BOOM! CLANG! SLASH!

Spells erupted across the battlefield, weapons flashed, and several more creatures were cut down before they could escape. Within moments, the exposed Sandgrave Stalkers lay motionless across the shattered ground.

Park Tae-hyun straightened and brushed the dust from his knuckles, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Hah! That should teach them not to run away while I’m still fighting!"

"Your enthusiasm is admirable, but try not to destroy the entire battlefield before we finish clearing the Gate," Kang Ji-hoon remarked, giving him a sidelong glance.

Park Tae-hyun laughed.

"What? I only destroyed the ground beneath them. It’s not my fault they’re so fragile!"

"Considering the size of that crater, I suspect the ground would disagree with you."

A few nearby Awakeners let out nervous chuckles, grateful for the brief exchange after the intensity of the battle. However, their relief did not last long.

Not every disturbance had disappeared.

Farther away, several ripples continued moving beneath the sand, their paths twisting toward the same distant region. Unlike the others, these creatures showed no intention of returning to the surface. They were withdrawing deeper into the desert, as though responding to a command that had reached them from somewhere beyond the expedition’s sight.

Yoon Ha-eun noticed it as well.

"Guild Master Park, your attack eliminated quite a few of them, but there are still several moving underground. They’re heading in the same direction."

Park Tae-hyun turned toward her, his smile fading slightly.

"Then we follow them and finish the job. We can’t let a bunch of monsters dictate where we go."

"That may be exactly what they want us to do," Kang Ji-hoon replied, his voice becoming more serious. "We still haven’t located the boss, and these creatures have been behaving as though they’re protecting something. Charging after them without understanding their intentions would be reckless."

Before anyone could respond, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.

RUMBLE...

The vibration was faint at first, barely noticeable beneath the wind sweeping across the desert. However, it grew stronger with each passing second, sending fine grains of sand sliding down the sides of the newly formed crater.

An Awakener glanced down at his feet, his expression turning uneasy.

"W-What’s happening? Is another group of them coming?"

"That vibration isn’t coming from the creatures we just fought," another man said, gripping his weapon more tightly. "It’s coming from much deeper underground."

Several Awakeners turned toward the distant dunes, where the remaining ripples had abruptly stopped moving.

"Could it be the boss?" someone asked. "If those things were only its subordinates, then how powerful is the creature commanding them?"

No one answered immediately.

Kang Ji-hoon stood motionless, allowing his senses to spread through the surrounding area. His expression gradually darkened as he detected a powerful presence stirring beneath the desert, one that dwarfed the creatures they had encountered so far.

"Everyone, remain on guard," he said, his voice carrying enough authority to silence the surrounding chatter. "I’ve sensed a much stronger presence underground. It may very well be the boss we’ve been looking for, so don’t lower your weapons until we know what we’re dealing with."

Yoon Ha-eun’s fingers tightened around the hilt of her short sword.

"Then the retreat wasn’t a sign that they had given up. They were probably withdrawing because something was about to emerge."

"That would explain their behavior," Kang Ji-hoon replied. "If the boss is about to appear, we need to prepare for an entirely different level of combat. Everyone, keep your formations intact and wait for my signal."

Park Tae-hyun’s grin returned, although his eyes had become considerably sharper.

"Good. I was beginning to wonder when the real opponent would show up. If this thing is responsible for commanding the others, then I’ll make sure it regrets coming after us."

"Don’t underestimate it merely because you’re eager to fight," Ha-eun warned. "We haven’t seen its abilities yet, and the fact that it has remained hidden while directing the others suggests that it may be more dangerous than we expect."

Park Tae-hyun gave her a brief nod, acknowledging the warning without losing his confidence.

"Fine. I’ll hold back until we see what it can do. But once it shows itself, I’m not letting it escape."

Around them, the Awakeners readied their weapons and spells, their earlier excitement replaced by a growing sense of unease. Even those who had fought confidently against the Sandgrave Stalkers could feel that something far more dangerous was approaching.

RUMBLE... RUMBLE...

The trembling intensified, and the sand began to move.

At first, it shifted in small waves around the edges of the crater. Then the movement spread outward, traveling across the desert as though an enormous creature were turning over beneath the surface.

The Awakeners watched in tense silence as the ground slowly began to rise.