SSS Awakening: I Can Class Change at will - Chapter 285 The Crimson Wasteland [2]

Chapter 285  The Crimson Wasteland [2]

Moon and Mirage walked through the crimson desert under the merciless scorching sun, scanning the undulating dunes for their intended prey.

Within a few hundred meters of entering the Crimson Wasteland, they encountered their first hostile contact. A sand-dwelling beast suddenly erupted from beneath the surface, sending cascades of red sand flying as it launched itself toward them.

The creature resembled a massive ant lion, easily the size of a small car, with serrated mandibles used to crush its prey. It had a well sand attuned body perfectly adapted for subterranean ambush attacks.

The attack failed catastrophically. Mirage’s reflexes kicked in instantly, his powerful hind leg striking the airborne ant lion in its mid section squarely.

CRACK!

The B-Rank ant lion died immediately upon impact, its internal organs squashed, its bones completely shattered by the mare’s devastating kick.

Moon smiled approvingly at his companion’s performance before storing the valuable corpse in his storage ring.

As they ventured deeper into the Crimson Wasteland, the local fauna became progressively more dangerous. A-Rank creatures began appearing with increasing numbers—some lurking completely buried in sand waiting for a passing prey, others partially camouflaged with just their sensory organs exposed, while still others prowled openly across the dune surfaces.

They all fell before Moon, becoming lifeless corpses.

“The Beastmaster skill is useful for situations like this,” Moon muttered, glancing at the steady stream of notifications flashing across his vision as Mirage eliminated sand-dwelling creatures that attempted surprise attacks. “If it were Epic rank instead of just Rare, the benefits would be even better.”

One of the skill’s most valuable aspects was that Mirage’s kills counted toward Moon’s own advancement totals, though he received a smaller portion of the experience and life gains when his companion achieved solo eliminations.

Conversely, when Moon killed beasts personally, Mirage didn’t receive any shared benefits from the encounter. The experience sharing mechanism was unidirectional—flowing only toward Moon as the beast tamer rather than being truly mutual.

Despite this asymmetry, the arrangement was highly beneficial for Moon’s progression goals and also Mirage’s. Having a powerful companion who could eliminate threats while contributing to his advancement requirements was exactly the kind of efficiency he needed for his ambitious evolution timeline.

The Crimson Wasteland had yet to reveal its apex predators, but it was certainly abundant with A-rank creatures.

Moon urged Mirage forward, eager to find the truly challenging opponents that would bring him closer to his ultimate goals.

The hunt continued under the blazing desert sun, each step taking them deeper into increasingly dangerous but rewarding territory.

After hours of relentless travel deeper into the increasingly hostile wasteland, they finally encountered what they had been searching for.

Without warning, the crimson sand directly ahead of them began to churn and boil upward like a volcano—read to erupt. Suddenly, massive fountains of red granules shot skyward in towering geysers, creating a momentary sandstorm that obscured their vision as something colossal moved beneath them.

SCREECH!

A Sand Worm burst from the depths with explosive force, sending cascades of crimson sand raining down across the dunes in all directions. The creature’s emergence created a crater easily ten meters wide, revealing the impressive scope of the tunnel pathways it had excavated below.

The Sand Worm was easily five meters in length, its massive segmented body dwarfing Moon and Mirage’s figures completely. As it reared upward to assess these new prey, its enormous bulk cast them both into shadow, blocking out the scorching sun.

Dozens of thick, bristle-like setae protruded from each body segment, designed to provide perfect traction against sand surfaces and allow the creature to navigate underground environments with terrifying speed.

But what truly made the beast threatening was its grotesque mouth.

The Sand Worm’s oral cavity was horrifying to say the least. It was filled with rows of inward-curving teeth lined its maw, hundreds of needle-sharp points that would prevent prey from escaping once seized. Behind the primary teeth, secondary rows were visible, equally as terrifying.

Its mouth opened and closed as it shrieked at them, marking its territory and preparing to feast on them. Acidic saliva dripped continuously from the edges of its maw, sizzling when it struck the sand and creating small puffs of noxious vapor.

Moon grinned fiercely as he prepared for battle against his formidable opponent.

“That’s definitely an S-rank beast.”

Without any precautions, Moon immediately struck the creature with a concentrated lightning bolt with just enough voltage to paralyze it for the crucial second he needed to close the distance between them.

He was excited to test his newly evolved skills against an S-rank opponent and see how [Stone Clasp] and [Heaviness] would perform against such a powerful adversary.

By the time Moon had covered the ground and reached striking distance, he lunged forward to grab the Sand Worm with his hands using his incredible grip strength.

But to his dismay, his hands slipped completely off its large body.

The beast’s exterior was somehow incredibly slippery—covered in a liquid that made maintaining any kind of hold nearly impossible, even with his [Stone Clasp] skill.

Before Moon could adjust his approach, the Sand Worm’s massive body dove back into the crimson sand, burrowing underground with impressive speed despite its size.

For the next few seconds, Moon remained perfectly still in his current position, waiting patiently for the inevitable counterattack. He knew that moving around randomly would only make the beast more cautious and strategic in its approach, and he wasn’t particularly concerned about its offensive power.

He was confident in his ability to either escape or tank whatever attack it threw at him.

True to his prediction, the Sand Worm erupted directly beneath his feet, attempting to catch him in a classic ambush from below.

Lightning crackled around Moon’s legs as he activated [Advanced Elemental Body], simultaneously reducing his bodyweight with [Heaviness] to maximize his agility and leap distance.

Moon launched himself clear of the emerging threat with impressive speed, watching as the massive creature shot past his former position and rose high into the air, its momentum carrying it well above the sand surface.

“I got you.”