Chapter 50: In different directions

Lumian’s eyes flickered open to the harsh glare of a barren, endless desert. Pushing himself up, he brushed the dry sand from his clothes, spitting out a mouthful of gritty dirt with a sharp curse.

"Did I get separated from the others?"

Wherever he looked, rolling dunes stretched out to the horizon under a scorching sky. He cursed his terrible luck. How had he managed to teleport so far away from everyone else?

"Hello?!" Lumian shouted, his voice echoing emptily across the sands. No reply came back.

He started walking, his boots sinking into the loose earth. There were no monsters, no beasts, no travelers—just suffocating emptiness.

Panic began to claw at his chest. Dammit, what kind of place is this? Is this secret realm not meant for everyone, or am I the only one who got thrown to the edge of nowhere? Wait... maybe this isolation means there’s a unique opportunity waiting just for me.

Clinging to that thin thread of hope, he pressed on.

But after an hour of trekking under the brutal sun, his throat felt like sandpaper. Raising his hands, he wove a quick incantation, condensing a swirling sphere of moisture between his palms and drinking it greedily.

Thank goodness I’m a Water Mage, he thought grimly. Otherwise, I’d have died of thirst within an hour.

Just as he considered turning back, the faint crunch of heavy footsteps drifted across the wind. They didn’t sound human. Creeping cautiously toward a ridge, Lumian peered over the crest—and froze in absolute horror.

Dozens of mutilated human corpses were scattered across the dunes, surrounded by grotesque, centipede-like black worms with armored, chitinous legs that were actively devouring the remains.

Glancing at the shattered, monocle-wearing skulls of the dead, Lumian recognized the uniforms instantly—they belonged to the Gleam Syndicate operatives who had entered the realm just before him.

Third-rank... maybe fourth-rank monsters? Lumian thought, his breath catching in his throat. He clamped a hand over his mouth, dropped to his knees, and hastily cast a basic Sound-Dampening Barrier around himself, retreating backward into the dunes in dead silence.

.....

Far across the realm, Arthur’s vision cleared to reveal a dense, primeval jungle. Towering, titan-sized trees blocked out the sun, their massive emerald leaves stretching wider than a carriage.

Arthur blinked, quickly steadying his breathing. Right—we’re in a secret realm. Normal laws of nature don’t apply here.

Before he could take a step, a heavy rustling sound echoed behind him. He spun around, hands flaring with orange flame, only to find Crown Prince Aethelgard stepping out from the brush.

The prince’s white hair caught the filtered green light, and the colossal Earth-Shatter Titan Maul was strapped securely across his broad back like a menacing shell.

The prince’s dark, pupil-less eyes locked onto Arthur. "A second-rank mage?"

Recognizing the royal insignia from court newspapers, Arthur immediately offered a respectful, deferential bow. "Greetings, Your Highness."

Aethelgard nodded curtly. "This jungle is dangerous. I just crossed paths with a giant crimson beetle the size of a boulder. Everything here is scaled up. Since we’re both stranded, it’s logical to form a temporary alliance. I’m a third-rank Weapon Master. What’s your class?"

"I’m a Fire-Type Mage, Your Highness," Arthur replied quickly.

Aethelgard’s lips curved into a faint, satisfied smirk. Fire magic against dense jungle flora and insectoid beasts? Perfect. My luck isn’t bad today. "Very well. Stay close behind me."

.....

Meanwhile, Seraphina bolted upright, gasping for air as cool sea spray hit her face.

She found herself treading water in the middle of a boundless, azure ocean, with no land in sight. Panic flickered briefly across her features before she swam toward a jagged outcropping of dark rock breaking the surface a few yards away.

Clambering onto the damp stone, she squeezed out her dark combat dress, breathing heavily. But she wasn’t alone.

Perched on a neighboring boulder a short distance away was a peculiar figure: a young beast-girl with midnight-black hair, twitching feline ears, and glowing ruby-red eyes, wearing a sleek, utilitarian traveler’s outfit.

Seraphina’s green eyes narrowed instantly. Activating her ancient appraisal art—the Soul Resonance Insight Technique—she flooded her vision with tricolor spiritual symbols (red, blue, and purple) to read the stranger’s emotional intent.

To her relief, the psychic readouts revealed a mix of mild apprehension, innocent curiosity, and unexpected relief at seeing another living soul.

Lowering her guard just a fraction, Seraphina wiped the sea salt from her cheek, deciding to approach her fellow castaway.

....

In a vast desert, the scorching wind swept across the endless dunes.

Ethan sat alone in the middle of the barren land.

After a moment, he reached into his inventory and took out a small sphere of blood.

He placed the blood sphere on the ground.

The next instant, it began to transform.

Black magic energy surged around it, and the blood slowly took the shape of a human figure.

Within moments, a perfect blood clone of Ethan stood before him.

However, unlike Ethan, the clone’s eyes were completely black.

Just then, Red fire Fairy arrived.

"When are you going to obtain the Red Dust Magic Flame?" she asked.

Ethan glanced at the blood clone standing before him.

"I’m not going with you. I have something more important to deal with here. Take the clone with you."

Red Fairy looked at the clone carefully before frowning.

"This is only a Rank 2 Blood Clone. Its strength is equivalent to a Rank 2 Mage. It shouldn’t be capable of doing much more than that."

Ethan chuckled.

"I’m only a Rank 3 Mage myself, yet I can defeat a Rank 5 Mage. So why shouldn’t my clone be able to do the same?"

He looked at the clone.

"Take it with you. I’m sure it’ll be very useful."

Then Ethan’s expression became slightly more serious.

"And one more thing."

The clone turned toward him.

"If anyone tries to stop you, kill them."

Ethan paused for a moment before adding,

"Except for the people I already told you about."

The Blood Clone silently nodded.

Without saying another word, it disappeared from the spot alongside Red Fairy.

Ethan watched them leave before closing his eyes.

Then, he released his consciousness outward.

His spiritual sense spread across the surrounding desert, expanding farther and farther as he began searching for the locations of Seraphina, Arthur, and Kael.