Chapter 3: Rematch with the Sand Worm

At the sight of the blood-drenched ground and the still-twitching thieves, the desert filled with over a thousand people fell so silent you could hear a pin drop!

Akafir's brutality and unfathomable swordsmanship made it impossible for the many bandits to conceal their expressions of fear! Yet, Akafir acted as if it were none of his concern, wiped the blood from his iron sword, and then walked toward Mels with a smile.

"You bastards, I'll kill you all!" The scar-faced bandit leader stood frozen for a good while, only coming to his senses as Akafir gradually walked away, and bellowed loudly. By the look of him, he seemed ready at any moment to launch a full-scale brawl to eliminate the outnumbered Mels and the Spirit Eagle Caravan!

Unfortunately, before he could even give the signal to attack, a single sentence from Mels made him change his mind!

Seeing the bandit leader go berserk, Mels said without haste, "I have no objection to you starting a fight, but I believe the ones who end up dead will definitely be you! If you don't believe me, just look over there!" After speaking, Mels turned and gestured to Sol.

"Tear open the clouds of the sky, descend the curse of destruction. In the name of the blood pact, with body and soul as the foundation, I borrow the fires of hell to burn all between heaven and earth. Demon God Gudalas, unite your body and soul with mine, display your magic power, and utterly destroy all foolish and ignorant things before me! Demon Words: Crimson Lotus Blaze Array!" As Sol finished chanting the incantation, a nearby sand dune was instantly shrouded in a crimson light from the sky!

In just an instant, a red flash blinded everyone, and the dry desert erupted into towering flames! Waves of scorching heat rolled in, making everyone keenly feel magic's terror.

In less than three minutes, a sand dune covering dozens of square meters disappeared before their very eyes, leaving only charred earth behind!

"I used half my magic; the other half is reserved for the truly foolish!" Sol said, holding his magic staff. Seeing the dazzling red light still glowing at the tip of Sol's staff, the bandit leader was too terrified to speak for a long time. After a while, he finally stammered, "You... you're a high-level Archmage?"

"Heh, you overestimate me. My current title is merely that of an apprentice mage. I probably still need to pass hundreds of tests by the Mage Association to earn the title of high-level Archmage!" Sol was telling the truth. On the Kaxiu Continent, bandits could not join the Mage Association. If Sol's identity as a bandit were known, he would forever remain an apprentice mage!

Just as all the bandits were awed by Sol's formidable magic, three men suddenly stepped out from among them. The leader appeared to be around forty years old. Though dressed no differently from the other bandits, he possessed a formidable aura that the others lacked!

*Clap, clap...* The man approached Mels while applauding and said, "It is our honor today to witness such high-level dark magic. It seems that if this battle continues, we would truly be foolish and ignorant!

However, for bandits to halt an attack is already a sign of incompetence. Not even knowing who we are seeking revenge against would be an even greater disgrace! If you gentlemen don't want everyone here to risk their lives in an attack, could you perhaps leave us your names?"

Mels and the others, hailing from the Blue Whirlwind, naturally knew the man spoke the truth! Although bandit organizations had no unified regulations, their modus operandi were quite similar. In a situation like today, if the Desert Wolves retreated without a fight, it would be a truly humiliating affair. But if the opponents they faced were too powerful or too famous, that would be a different story. Therefore, what the middle-aged man said was indeed true.

However, Mels and the others were on a secret mission. If they revealed their identities too easily, it might cause trouble when they entered Feijinanduo later.

After a moment's consideration, Mels said, "Before asking about us, shouldn't you first introduce yourself?"

Mels had only meant to buy time, but he didn't expect the man to hesitate for a moment before saying, "It seems there's no need for us to talk further! Given the methods and martial prowess of your subordinates, I imagine you won't let us leave easily either. Although we are no match for a powerful Archmage, I happen to know an expert whose strength is sufficient to defeat all of you!"

The man's words sounded like a threat, yet Mels felt an inexplicable unease in his heart! The man paid no heed to Mels's reaction. Smiling at Mels, he gently took a black metal box from his pocket.

Placing his hand lightly on a red protrusion on the top of the box, the man said, "I'll give you one last piece of advice: if you surrender all your valuables, I'll spare your lives."

The defeated threatening the victors? Although Mels felt uneasy, even if he agreed now, he believed Makas and all the caravan members would not!

After pondering for a while, Mels could only say helplessly to the man, "You see the situation as it is; there's no room for compromise! If you think that thing in your hand can defeat us, then I have no choice but to experience the strength of your 'friend' for myself!"

Mels's reply was exactly what the man had anticipated. With a slight smile, the middle-aged man gently pressed the iron box in his hand. Watching the man's actions, Mels and the others grew extremely tense. After all, his confident demeanor didn't seem like an empty threat at all!

However, after everyone waited anxiously for a while, no so-called "expert" appeared. On the desert, apart from the elusive breeze, there was only the scorching sun overhead!

"Boss, what's going on? Is that guy just bluffing?" Sol quietly approached Mels and asked.

Before Mels could answer, the earth suddenly let out a low, rumbling roar. In less than half a minute, the sand beneath their feet began to tremble gradually. The shaking grew stronger and stronger, even making it difficult for a few slender warriors to keep their balance! As the tremors intensified, panic began to spread among the crowd! Although Mels didn't know what was about to happen, the ominous feeling in his heart grew stronger and stronger! Just as he was at a loss, the Summoning Gem on his arm suddenly emitted a green light. In less than half a second, Little One actually appeared on Mels's shoulder without being summoned!

Seeing Little One appear, the most surprised person wasn't Mels, but the bandit man. His eyes fixed intently on Little One, as if unable to suppress the excitement in his heart, he muttered to himself, "The sixth one! The sixth Indeterminate Summoned Beast!"

Seeing Little One appear, Mels knew something was about to happen. But before he could speak, Little One jumped down from his shoulder and said to him, "Boss, tell everyone to get away from here! Sand Worm! It's the Sand Worm we fought last time that's coming!"

After hearing Little One's words, although Mels didn't understand how Little One could deduce this, his trust in Little One drove him not to question further!

"Everyone, get away from here!" Mels shouted wildly, waving his arms to signal everyone to leave!

If it had been a day ago, perhaps no one in the caravan would have heeded his warning. But now, no one dared to doubt his words! Without any semblance of formation, the hundreds of caravan members and mercenaries immediately began to flee frantically backward!

"Don't... don't let them... Aaah!" Seeing their opponents start to flee, the bandit leader was just about to order his subordinates to pursue. Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, the terrifying creature finally appeared before his eyes! Bending low, its entire body pitch black, half in the ground and half out, the part above ground stood about thirty meters tall and roughly fifteen meters thick. This giant worm-like magical beast burst forth from the ground where the bandits stood, displaying its horrifying form to everyone!

Like a shark smelling blood, upon discovering that its surroundings were filled with fleeing humans, the Sand Worm excitedly raised its head high and immediately sprayed countless pale green mucus from its mouth in all directions!

Nature is wondrous. It can make humans the masters of the land, yet it can also create vicious magical creatures capable of killing humans! When that green mucus fell from the sky like raindrops scattering in all directions, almost all the bandits, except for the already fleeing caravan members, failed to escape this calamity! Whether running or already paralyzed with fear, anyone touched by that terrifying mucus immediately began to melt! The highly acidic mucus even eroded a huge depression into the sand!

Mels and the others had long since fled to higher ground, while the three bandits who had summoned the Sand Worm floated high in the sky, admiring the hell on earth below. Countless bandits groaned in agony as they lost limbs and left this world, while the Sand Worm lowered its head to devour the still-intact bandit corpses!

In an instant, just an instant, the once-dominant Desert Wolves were completely wiped out by the Sand Worm!

Of course, there were exceptions. Under the Sand Worm's assault, a few bandits managed to escape the danger, and the bandit leader was one of them! Even after losing his left hand, he still struggled to escape the Sand Worm's attack. Originally, he could have fled far away, but even now, he seemed unwilling to believe that this calamity was caused by those three men.

The bandit leader lifted his pain-filled face, looked at the three floating in the air, and said, "Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, why? Why did you summon such a monster? Why did you let all our brothers die here?"

"Heh, what right do you experimental subjects have to call us brothers? Let me tell you, if it weren't for the resources here and the wealth you've plundered, I would never have come to this place! But all that is in the past now. As long as I can obtain the sixth Indeterminate Summoned Beast, not only can I leave this godforsaken place, but I'll never be mocked by anyone again! Die!"

After uttering these last words, the man pulled out a metal rod from somewhere. With a light press, a blue light shot out from it at an unbelievable speed, striking the bandit leader's head and instantly melting it completely!

Although Mels didn't understand exactly what the man was talking about, the way he treated his own "brothers" and his cruel method of killing had already ignited Mels's fury! With a roar, he immediately leaped into the air. Regardless of whether his opponent possessed weapons he couldn't match, he lunged at the man in mid-air!

"Boss, be careful!" Little One seemed to know the power of the weapon in the man's hand. As Mels leaped up, Little One immediately flapped its wings and followed! Man and beast flew together at high speed toward the man in the air.

"Want to fight us? You should first see if your opponent agrees!" The man in the air, seeing Mels and Little One lunging at him, showed no fear at all. After mockingly finishing his sentence, the Sand Worm, which had been devouring corpses on the ground, suddenly raised its head high and lunged at Mels in the air!

Facing the Sand Worm's attack was not as easy as dealing with human warriors. With no other choice, Mels could only grit his teeth and give up on attacking the man in the air. Dodging the Sand Worm's assault, he prepared to deal with the Sand Worm first before finding another opportunity to attack the three men.

"In my name, I summon my guardian sacred beast, Kerdos!"

"In my name, I summon my guardian sacred beast, Melisde!"

"In my name, I summon my guardian sacred beast, Gina Bart!"

In a series of closely linked summoning incantations, a Soul Mage, a Steel Ape, and a Dark Demon simultaneously appeared on the desert!

The fact that Sol and the others successively used their summoned beasts proved they were all thinking the same thing. Although the Sand Worm was just a magical beast, it was not something Mels alone could defeat. Therefore, everyone had decided to join forces, first sending the magical beast to hell, then pursuing the three black-clad men controlling it.

While everyone was summoning their beasts, Mels and Little One were already locked in a bitter struggle! The Sand Worm's agility far exceeded Mels's initial expectations. Unable to fly freely in the air, he tried several times to land on the ground, but the Sand Worm always seized the position first. If not for Little One repeatedly using Dark Burst magic to attack the damned beast, Mels might have already been hit by the Sand Worm!

Since Mels was still within the Sand Worm's attack range, Sol couldn't unleash his powerful magic either. Therefore, everyone unanimously decided to rescue Mels first, then concentrate their forces to attack the Sand Worm!

"Sol, have the Steel Ape engage the Sand Worm head-on to draw its attention. Rek, your Soul Mage and Gina Bart will flank the Sand Worm from both sides! Akafir, Emma, you two come with me to rescue that big idiot!" Facing immense pressure, Bagina reacted faster than anyone, even displaying a commanding presence.

After hearing Bagina's words, Sol and the others, having no better plan, immediately agreed. With each person issuing different commands, the three summoned beasts leaped toward the Sand Worm!

Actually, for Sol and the others, this was already their second battle with a giant Sand Worm. Three years ago, their strength was far inferior to now, but back then, relying on courage and luck, they still managed to defeat the magical beast.

Now, not only had their strength greatly increased, but they also had more comrades to help. They should have faced the magical beast without fear, but when the ugly creature's form entered their sight, an uncontrollable sense of pressure still made them seem somewhat flustered! If not for Bagina's ability to remain calm in the face of danger, the situation might have been worse!

Summoned beasts are a very peculiar type of "magical beast." Their strength largely depends on their master's ability! When the master undergoes continuous training and significantly increases their own power, the summoned beast's strength will also increase accordingly, even evolving autonomously to unleash greater power!

At this moment, although Sol and Rek's summoned beasts hadn't evolved, their abilities had almost reached the limit of mid-tier summoned beasts! Just seeing the Steel Ape, which three years ago had been timid and hesitant against the Sand Worm, now fearlessly charging straight at it, showed how much their strength had improved!

The Steel Ape belonged to the physical attack type of summoned beast. Weighing tens of tons, it could unleash unimaginable power in an instant! Now, under Sol's command, the Steel Ape charged at the Sand Worm in large strides. Just as the Sand Worm tried to move again to attack Mels, who was still being carried in flight by Little One in the air, the ape's hands had already tightly grabbed the Sand Worm's body, preventing the giant monster from moving for the moment!

"Ooooh..." Perhaps out of anger, or perhaps because its body was being squeezed too painfully by the Steel Ape, the Sand Worm let out a tremendous roar and began to twist its body continuously, pulling its lower half completely out of the ground! Mels and the others finally saw the Sand Worm's full form: over a hundred meters long, with a thick head that gradually tapered toward the tail. Its black skin gleamed like metal under the sunlight as it twisted its body like a snake trying to coil around the Steel Ape!

However, the Steel Ape was well-prepared. Whenever the Sand Worm tried to fully coil around it, the ape would nimbly twist its body, even leaping to break free from the magical beast's entanglement. But its hands squeezed tighter and tighter, making the Sand Worm gradually feel unbearable pain.

"Sol, call it back!" After reuniting with Mels, Bagina immediately commanded Sol loudly.

"Understood!" Sol responded, then telepathically commanded the Steel Ape to retreat from the battle!

Though puzzled by its master's order, as a loyal Summoned Beast, the Steel Ape obediently released its grip, turned, and leaped backward out of the Sand Worm's attack range!

Perhaps because the Steel Ape was simply too heavy, each time it landed, even Sol, standing at a distance, could feel the ground tremble!

Although the Steel Ape was preparing to leave, the enraged Sand Worm was unwilling to let its enemy go. Just as it caught its breath and was about to seek revenge, two immense magical attacks descending from the sky startled it!

Bagina's dark demon, Gina Bart, and Rek's Soul Mage, Melisde, were now fully prepared to attack! A "Thunderball" glowing with purple light and a "Spirit Bow" wreathed in dark mist were both aimed directly at the Sand Worm's head!

Without giving the Sand Worm a chance to react, on Bagina and Rek's command, two devastating offensive spells of different attributes lanced down furiously from the sky toward the Sand Worm below!

Due to their differing magical properties, when the two spells simultaneously struck the Sand Worm's body, they unleashed an unimaginable combined force! A huge thunderclap and dark mist nearly engulfed the entire Sand Worm, lasting for dozens of seconds! Continuous explosions sent clouds of dust billowing across the desert, making it nearly impossible for anyone to keep their eyes open!

As Mels and the others all returned and gathered around Sol, Bagina turned to look at the still-exploding magical formation, then clapped her hands triumphantly and declared, "It's done!"

Before the words were out of her mouth, Mels, Sol, and Rek all shook their heads in unison, saying simultaneously, "Impossible!"

Sure enough, as soon as they spoke, before Bagina could retort, a furious roar erupted as the Sand Worm once again broke through the magical encirclement of the two Summoned Beasts, thrashing its head and tail as it charged toward Bagina and the others. However, this time it seemed to have suffered significant injuries, its movements noticeably slower.

"This... this thing, is it immortal?!" Bagina exclaimed with a hint of surprise.

Hearing her words, Mels and the others exchanged knowing smiles. In the past, hadn't they also considered this terrifying monster to be immortal? However, what surprised Mels most at this moment wasn't the monster's tenacious vitality, but why the Sand Worm obeyed those three men and could be summoned without any incantations, relying solely on a small metal box!

The Sand Worm's approach left Mels and the others no time to ponder further. Seeing that the Dark Demon and Soul Mage could no longer stop its advance, Mels turned to Sol and said, "There's no other way. Use your strongest magic attack! If that doesn't work, we'll have to resort to the method we used last time to kill a Sand Worm!"

"Alright, I'll give it my all!" Sol nodded resolutely to Mels.

Though Sol could sometimes be muddle-headed, he was never ambiguous in critical moments, which was why Mels trusted him so deeply!

After finishing his conversation with Mels, Sol once again raised his wand, which possessed destructive divine power. Since the incantation for the previous attack spell was already complete and had released a portion of its energy, Sol began gathering the immense power within his body once more, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the Sand Worm with his strongest force.

The magical elements in the space gradually condensed at the tip of Sol's wand. Perhaps influenced by the sudden surge of powerful magical energy, the air began to tremble slightly, as if foretelling the earth-shattering strike about to be unleashed.

Faced with this situation, Sol did not stop gathering mana. Only when his wand began to glow with a dazzling red light, bright as the sun, did he suddenly level it at the Sand Worm and roar, "Magic Words: Crimson Lotus Blaze Array, Double Kill!"

In an instant, heaven and earth seemed enveloped by the overwhelming magical energy. An endless stream of red light erupted from Sol's wand, shooting directly toward the Sand Worm!

Perhaps sensing impending doom, the Sand Worm began to curl up in terror, as if trying to form a coiled shape to rely on its tough skin to withstand the magical assault! However, it was still too slow. As several beams of light descended from the sky, the ground suddenly erupted with massive flames, as if oil had met a spark! If Mels and the others hadn't all gathered closely around Sol, relying on his personal defensive barrier to withstand the scorching heat waves, perhaps no one here could have endured it!

The power of the flames seemed immense in the face of humanity. Even the colossal Sand Worm couldn't withstand this terrifying sea of fire. Amidst continuous, agonized screams, Mels and the others could clearly see, through the distorted air, the pitiful monster writhing helplessly in the inferno, as if sending a final plea for help to its masters!

Faced with such a battle, the most astonished was Bagina! She had always thought Sol was merely a minor mage, never imagining he could unleash such a powerful magical attack! Though she was also a Magic Knight, witnessing today's events made her realize that her own magical prowess was simply incomparable to Sol's. At this moment, Bagina finally understood why the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes had them form a team centered around Mels, with Sol as a core combatant!

Three minutes later, the sea of fire gradually dissipated. Sol, having expended a vast amount of mana, began to pant wearily. Overusing magic would drain a mage's stamina significantly. Sol couldn't yet fully control the magic he had just used, causing his sustained combat ability to drop sharply. This was evident just from the fatigue beginning to show in the Steel Ape!

The three men in the sky also seemed unable to bear the scorching inferno and had flown further away to observe the battle. For some reason, they simply watched as Mels and the others attacked the Sand Worm, showing no signs of joining the fight!

The Sand Worm lay slumped on the ground like mud, black smoke rising from its body, as if telling Mels and the others that it had lost its ability to fight. However, with their past experience battling Sand Worms, Mels and the others still didn't dare let their guard down. They knew this strange monster could rise again at any moment to deliver a final blow.

After observing for a few minutes, Mels, with Little One's help, slowly approached the Sand Worm from the air. The heat waves rising from the ground still made them sweat profusely. Yet, Mels paid no mind. His gaze, his focus, was completely captivated by the Sand Worm's true appearance.

"This... is this a Sand Worm?" Mels murmured to himself.

He asked this because what he saw now wasn't a lifeless or charred Sand Worm, but a strange machine with a metal skeletal frame and an outer layer resembling rubber!

On the continent of Kashu, technological civilization had long been suppressed by magical civilization. Occasionally, mechanical creations developed by a few pioneering alchemists were deemed heretical by major religious orders and faced eradication! Although people had gradually begun to grasp the concept of "machines," they were only simple things like carriages or catapults. A metal Sand Worm that could move, walk, and attack was simply unimaginable! This Sand Worm appeared even more formidable than the one Mels had faced three years ago. Despite enduring such high-temperature attacks, it still emitted faint tremors, though Mels knew it could no longer launch any meaningful assault.

Just as Mels and the others were closely examining the Sand Worm's form, the three men also gradually flew closer. The man who had first summoned the Sand Worm spoke to another beside him, "Go down and collect the relevant data, then destroy it."

"Yes!" the man responded softly. He then reached to his waist and pressed a button on his belt. As if by magic, right before Mels and the others' eyes, the man's clothing transformed into a silver, full-body suit with an integrated helmet.

"Mysterious Men!" Mels and the others exclaimed almost simultaneously.

This man's appearance finally made Mels understand why they possessed such unimaginable, mysterious power—because their attire was exactly the same as those mysterious individuals who piloted giant metal mechs!

"From your tone, it seems this isn't your first encounter with us?" the leading mysterious man suddenly flew closer to Mels and said.

Mels stared intently at the man, unsure of what to say.

"Heh, you must be very curious about who we really are!" the man said, smiling at Mels and the others.

"Indeed, this isn't the first time I've seen someone dressed like you, and I don't know who you people are. But I believe even if I asked, you wouldn't tell us," Mels said seriously to the man.

"Smart! For you runaway experimental subjects, even if I explained everything, you wouldn't understand!" the man said. He then suddenly turned and gazed thoughtfully at the distant land for a moment before continuing, "Actually, I have a favor to ask of you. Of course, the condition for my help is that I will explain everything to you. Are you willing?"

"Team Leader, the Council of Elders would never approve of this! You're violating the law!" another man beside the leader suddenly spoke up loudly, trying to stop the leader's decision.

"Mejeka, don't you understand yet? We have no chance of returning alive this time!"

After the leader said this, the man called Mejeka was visibly shaken, then lowered his head in silence.

The leader seemed to have anticipated Mejeka's reaction. He turned to face Mels and said, "What do you think of my proposal just now? If you're unwilling, I can't force you. Given your abilities, we cannot compel your agreement. So, the decision is entirely in your hands."

As if considering the leader's proposal, Mels knew the matter couldn't be as simple as just "helping." Yet, the opportunity to understand the truth behind the long-standing mysteries was an immense temptation!

After pondering for a moment and overcoming his intense curiosity, Mels finally spoke calmly, "Right now, I have matters more important than knowing the truth. Therefore, I am unwilling to accept your proposal."