After a busy day, night fell. They hastily ate dinner and set up camp in the corner of the ruins, where the Last Defender of the Way adventurer team prepared to turn in for the night.
According to Barrett, ever since entering the desert, the journey had deviated too far from the original plan, leaving their water reserves running low. To avoid dying of thirst in the wasteland on the way back, they had to start rationing water now.
The desert night was still and peaceful, without even the chirp of wild insects—just the occasional rustling scrape across the ground, the sound of scorpions or rattlesnakes slithering over the sand.
Everything around was quiet. EeDechi was on watch for the first half of the night, sitting on a rock with her eyes closed. She let out a long yawn, then casually lifted her eyelids—and spotted a blazing fireball arcing through the pitch-black sky in a parabola, smashing right toward them!
EeDechi jumped in shock, drew her giant sword, and leaped high into the air in a single bound to slash the fireball apart. The giant sword collided with the fireball, erupting in a violent blast that lit the dark night sky a fiery red.
The camp jolted awake from their sleep. Barrett scrambled out of his tent and looked up to see seven or eight fireballs plummeting like meteors. EeDechi only had time to block a few before more exploded across the campsite, whipping up massive waves of heat. Flames roared across the ground, leaving devastation in their wake.
"Is everyone okay?" EeDechi brushed away the black smoke in front of her eyes, anxiously scanning her companions.
"Cough... I'm fine, just swallowed some sand." Barrett climbed up from the ground, his chest clothes torn open with a big charred hole. Luckily, his tough constitution meant tanking a fireball head-on wasn't a big deal.
Franco and Antilene crawled out from under the blasted tent remains. On the other side, the bound Mare tried to sneak away in the chaos, but Franco stepped forward and hauled him back.
From afar, several jets of flame erupted, followed by more fireballs launching into the sky, all arcing straight toward EeDechi and her group.
EeDechi eyed the camp that had been blasted to rags, fury igniting within her. She stamped her feet hard, her body rocketing toward the source of the cannon fire.
More fireballs came raining down in a barrage. EeDechi charged headlong against them, her giant sword swatting the orbs aside in a chain of nonstop explosions.
She vaulted over two sand dunes and spotted in the distance a skeleton dressed in a red formal suit, flanked by a bizarre-looking construct.
This construct had no legs—instead, six wheels as big as millstones. Its steel back hefted five thick, blackened cannon barrels, with a square metal head tucked between them, looking for all the world like a porcupine.
"Kill this living one for me!" the red-suited skeleton rasped. It jerked its arm up, casting a summon. As it moved, skeleton soldiers clawed their way out of the sand, scrambling on all fours like a horde of spiders surging at EeDechi.
"Die, all of you!" EeDechi charged her giant sword and unleashed a slash, a massive wave of sword energy ripping across the ground. The fierce gust scattered the skeleton horde into shattered limbs and fragments. In a flash, EeDechi darted like lightning, bearing down on the red-suited skeleton.
Sensing things going south, the red-suited skeleton sank its legs into the sand, gearing up to burrow away. It dropped leisurely, as relaxed as if lounging in its own backyard pool. If she let it slip away like that, all EeDechi's months of fighting would be for nothing.
From Re-Estize, she'd battled her way to the Eight Greed Kings desert, facing who knew how many fights. Especially those brutal clashes where she'd danced on the knife's edge between life and death—they'd sharpened her will and skills like nothing else.
EeDechi was no longer some greenhorn relying purely on raw talent to swing her sword.
The red-suited skeleton's lower half sank into the desert sand, the flickering soul fire in its eye sockets leering at EeDechi with mocking glee.
EeDechi narrowed her eyes, channeling raw power into her wrist, and hurled her giant sword with explosive force.
The broad giant sword rocketed out like a sniper bullet, pulverizing skeleton soldiers in its path with overwhelming might, reaching the red-suited skeleton in a blink and shattering its chest into fine powder.
Bone shards sprayed everywhere. All that remained of the red-suited skeleton was a withered yellow skull, still connected to the shoulder blades and a severed arm, tumbling across the sand with a gurgling roll.
EeDechi raised her hand to summon back her giant sword, strode forward, and loomed over the skeleton, lifting one foot, ready to crush it underheel.
"Wait!" the skull rasped hoarsely. "I can give you the Eight Greed Kings' treasure!"
"Oh?" EeDechi eyed the skull with curiosity, waiting for it to continue.
"You fell for it!" The soul fire in the skull's eye sockets suddenly narrowed, flashing a smug grin.
BOOM!!
Behind EeDechi, a massive cannon thundered—it was the same construct that had fired before. The horrifying shockwave whipped up her hair, the fireball slamming into her back with no escape.
But EeDechi had no plan to dodge; she stood rock-steady on the ground. With a BANG of violent explosion, the fireball erupted behind her, smoke and dust billowing out, yet EeDechi didn't so much as budge.
Spotting EeDechi completely unharmed, the skull immediately scrabbled at the sand with its lone remaining severed arm, desperate to flee.
EeDechi stomped down on its severed arm, asking coldly, "Are you the Skeleton Queen?"
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that you dare to trespass into the Eight Greed Kings' ancient city—you're as good as dead!" the skeleton rasped, its lower jaw clacking against the upper one with a grating sound.
Woo... CLANG!
In the dark sky deep within the ancient city, dozens of streaks of light exploded across the heavens, accompanied by someone's agonized roar.
EeDechi looked toward the firelight in the sky, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"Looks like someone's beaten you to the punch," the skull cackled. "But to get the Eight Greed Kings' treasure, you need the approval of those 30 lords. Seems like his brute force attempt failed."
"Who's this 'he' you're talking about?" EeDechi pressed down on the skeleton's severed arm. "And who are these 30 lords?"
"Hee hee hee!" The skull laughed maniacally. "Arrogant outsider, you don't even know about the 30 lords—how pitiful and pathetic."
"Answer my questions properly," EeDechi said unfazed. "Your 30 lords might not be a match for me."
"Is that so? I admit you're strong. Too bad the 30 lords are all retainers of the Eight Greed Kings, each one level 100."
"Each one level 100? 30 level 100 guardians?" EeDechi was stunned.
"The 30 lords welcome guests from afar, but they don't like rude ones. The one who came before you has already thrown in the towel."
"Who came first? Who threw in the towel?" EeDechi asked eagerly.
The skull cackled, "You're another rude, ill-mannered guest. Why not go meet the masters yourself and find out?"
"Answer my questions honestly, or I'll crush you to bone dust," EeDechi said expressionlessly.
The skull's jaw clamped shut, its raspy voice growing more frenzied. "Come on, crush me. The fate of the remnants, waiting for the emperor who'll never return. I've long... wanted to die. This is the price of immortality, this is the Equivalent Exchange..."
The skull twisted, roaring, "Artillery Shieldguard, kill this living one!"
Behind EeDechi came the heavy CREAK of machinery turning, intense heat building up like the sun radiating light and warmth, massive energy on the verge of release.
EeDechi shook her head and lifted her foot to smash the skull, its soul fire abruptly extinguishing.