"Let's rest for the night," Arin said, finally breaking the quiet that had settled after the fight. His voice wasn't commanding, just practical. "We sleep properly, then move at dawn. We're carrying a ridiculous amount of baggage. Starting early will save us a lot of pain."
Raul dropped onto a rock without argument, rolling his shoulders until something popped. "Agreed."
Victor exhaled heavily and leaned his hammer against the cave wall. His arms were still trembling, not from fear, but from the aftershock of hours of work and a brutal fight layered on top of it. "Yeah. My hands are done negotiating with me for today."
Arin glanced at the massive Stoneback Lizard corpse sprawled near the tunnel wall. Its rocky hide had dulled in death, the jagged plates no longer shifting or grinding.
"Oh," Arin added, almost as an afterthought, "before we sleep, let's drain and dry the body. Get as much blood out as we can and hang it overnight. Less smell tomorrow."
Victor nodded immediately. "Good call. Fresh hide rots fast in this heat."
Raul sighed. "You two talk about corpses like you're discussing laundry."
"And you stab things for a living," Victor replied. "Everyone has hobbies."
They worked in silence for a while after that. Raul helped prop the massive body up while Victor carefully opened channels along the underbelly, efficient and precise. Arin gathered what little cloth and rope they had to suspend sections of the hide where the airflow was best.
By the time they finished, the fire was low, and the cave had settled into an uneasy calm, the kind that felt earned.
They slept.
They slept like people whose bodies had finally decided they were done.
Dawn came pale and cold.
The desert always lied like that, soft light, gentle wind, pretending the heat wouldn't return with a vengeance.
They moved quickly. Packing was quiet, efficient. No time wasted.
When they finally lifted their loads, the reality of their success hit hard.
Arin slung seven heavy bags of black iron across his back, the straps biting into his shoulders. Raul took seven as well, adjusting the weight until it sat just right, his posture loose but balanced.
Victor took only one bag, but he also hoisted the dried Stoneback Lizard hide and meat, bound together in a dense, awkward mass.
Raul glanced at him. "You sure you don't want help with that?"
Victor snorted. "Like you guys can handle it, let me do the heavy lifting."
No one argued.
They started moving.
The first stretch of the return journey was smooth. Too smooth.
The desert stretched wide and empty, sand crunching softly beneath their boots. No movement. No sounds except wind and breathing.
Then the first monsters appeared.
A pair of Soldier-rank Sand Lizards crested a dune ahead, tongues flicking as they caught the scent.
Raul didn't even slow down.
He stepped forward, didn't even drop his bags, and was gone.
Two flashes of steel. Two dull thuds.
He was back before the bodies hit the ground.
"Still warm," he muttered, picking up the small monster corpse.
Not long after, black scorpions emerged from the sand, claws raised, stingers twitching.
Raul sighed. "They really like the smell of dead meat, huh?"
This time, Arin stepped in, clean, efficient strikes removing the threat while Victor watched their flanks.
It stayed like that for a while.
Annoying, but manageable.
Then Raul stopped.
Not abruptly. Just… halted.
His head tilted slightly.
"Something's coming," he said.
Arin and Victor didn't ask questions. They dropped their loads immediately.
Raul's eyes narrowed as the sand ahead of them began to ripple.
Then break.
Not one.
Not five.
A wave.
At least fifty Sand Lizards burst from the dunes, bodies lean, eyes wild, driven mad by scent and hunger.
Victor tightened his grip on his shield.
Arin exhaled slowly.
Raul cracked his neck and dropped his bags.
"Don't move," Raul said over his shoulder. "I've got this."
And then he was gone.
Flowstep carried him forward as the desert itself had pushed him. His blades became silver streaks, cutting, twisting, slipping through gaps too small to exist.
One fell.
Then three.
Then ten.
Sand moved. Blood sprayed to the ground.
The horde tried to swarm, but Raul was never where they aimed. He slipped past jaws, under claws, over tails. His body moved on instinct alone, his mind quiet, focused.
By the time Arin had even raised his sword, thirty bodies littered the sand.
The rest panicked.
They turned to flee.
That was a mistake.
Raul blurred again, appearing ahead of them, blades flashing once in a wide arc.
Silence followed.
Arin felt the familiar pull in his chest.
Then the notification appeared.
Your subordinate has slain 50 Soldier-rank Sand Lizards, +50 Lord Coins.
Current Lord Coins: 128
Arin blinked. Then an idea formed.
A dangerous one.
He opened Victor's status panel, scrolling until he found the skill.
___________________________
Advanced Hammer Mastery.
Upgrade cost: 200 Lord Coins.
___________________________
"…Only 200," Arin murmured.
Victor looked at him. "Hmm?"
Arin grinned. "Guys. I have a plan."
Raul raised an eyebrow.
"Victor needs 200 Lord Coins to upgrade his hammer skill," Arin said. "I've got 128 now. A few more monsters and we're there. With that upgrade, I'm betting he can forge way better weapons."
Victor froze.
Then his eyes lit up like a kid staring at a festival stall.
"Wait, seriously?" he said. "Like… actually?"
"Yes."
Victor clenched his fists. "LET'S DO IT."
He sounded exactly like an idiot child about to get a new toy.
Raul smirked. "If that means better daggers, I'm in."
They adjusted their strategy after that.
They moved slower but smartly.
Whenever they found monster trails, they stopped. Dropped the Stoneback Lizard meat. Waited.
The desert answered.
More Sand Lizards. Scorpions. Even a burrowing crawler.
They farmed the monsters methodically, fatigue creeping in but never overwhelming.
By the time the sun dipped low, Arin checked his screen again.
Current Lord Coins: 189
"So close, Eleven short," Arin said. "But night's coming. We can't risk it."
Raul shrugged. "Then I'll handle it tomorrow."
Arin frowned. "Alone? That's risky."
"Nahh," Raul said casually. "I'm fast. I'll go out, kill fast, come back fast. Just trust me."
Victor sniffed, suddenly dramatic. "Raul… I thought you were evil incarnate. Turns out you're an angel."
He wiped an imaginary tear. "I'll never forget your sacrifice."
Raul stared at him.
"You say what now, you dog? I'm evil incarnate?" he snapped. "And who's sacrificing for whom?"
Arin laughed. "Now, now. Don't fight like a married couple in the middle of the desert."
Both Victor and Raul gagged.
"You say that again," Victor said darkly, "and I'm tickling you in your sleep."
Raul smirked menacingly. "I'll see you at the next sparring match, Arin."
Arin felt a chill.
…Yeah. He had said something wrong.
They walked on as lantern light appeared in the distance.
The village. Safe and Warm.
They reached it just as night settled fully, breathing out in relief as the gates welcomed them back.