The desert stretched endlessly before us, an expanse of red sand and oppressive heat. We had already encountered and defeated at least ten golems, their shattered remains littering the barren landscape. But despite our progress, the toll on the guild was beginning to show.
The guild master, despite his strength and experience, had already faced two near-death situations. The first was when quicksand nearly claimed him, and if not for Ryker's quick thinking and strength, we would have lost him. The second was far worse—a swarm of golems had surrounded him, and Ryker had once again leapt into the fray, risking his own life to pull him out. Both times, Emily's healing had been the only thing keeping the guild master on his feet.
"Guild master, please be more careful next time!" Emily snapped, her eyes blazing with anger as she worked on healing him again.
"Yeah, yeah, sorry, Emily. I'll be more careful next time, I promise," the guild master replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. His usual confidence was replaced by guilt as he trudged ahead, leading the group once more.
Emily wasn't satisfied. She turned to me, her face still stern. "Valk, listen to me. Don't be reckless like him. Ever." She brushed a hand through my hair, her concern evident.
Ryker, walking beside the guild master, burst into laughter. "She's right, kid! If you end up like the guild master, we're all doomed!"
"Haha, don't worry," I replied awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood. "I won't."
Despite my attempt at humor, their words stayed with me. I tightened my grip on the equipment I carried and kept moving, keeping my eyes on the horizon.
"Stop!" Ryker's sharp voice cut through the dry air, freezing all of us in our tracks.
"What is it, Ryker?" the guild master asked, his expression turning serious.
Ryker's unique skill, wind-based and highly attuned to tracking and detection, had saved us countless times before. He was staring at the sand beneath our feet, his eyes narrowed.
"Guild master," Ryker began, his tone grave. "You said there were only golem-type Variants in this hotspot, right?"
"That's what the investigation team reported," the guild master replied. I nodded silently, having seen the report myself before the mission.
Ryker clenched his fists, his gaze not moving from the ground. "Then why are there sandworms here?"
Before we could process his words, the ground beneath us began to shake violently.
"Everybody move!" Ryker shouted, his voice laced with urgency.
We leapt back just in time as the ground collapsed beneath us, revealing a massive sinkhole. A gaping maw filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth emerged, the monstrous creature writhing as it broke through the surface. It was enormous, its mouth alone larger than any of the golems we had fought so far.
"What the hell is that?!" Emily gasped, her face pale as she took a step back.
"Everyone, get to higher ground!" the guild master ordered, pointing to a rock formation in the distance.
"Ryker, I'll take Valk! You take Emily!" the guild master barked as the creature lunged forward.
Before I could react, the guild master grabbed me and leapt with incredible force, landing on the rock formation. A moment later, Ryker followed with Emily in tow, her face still stricken with shock.
The guild master turned to face the beast, his expression grim. "That's a Category 4 Variant," he muttered, his voice low.
Emily's hands trembled as she clutched her staff. "A Category 4? Even if you fought it with everything you have—even at the cost of your life—you wouldn't stand a chance! Guild master, wasn't this supposed to be a low-level hotspot?!"
She was right. Category 4 Variants didn't belong in places like this. They were the apex predators of high-level hotspots, beasts of unimaginable strength and cunning. The fact that one was here meant something was terribly wrong.
I felt a chill run down my spine as I stared at the monstrous sandworm. Its presence defied logic, and an unsettling dread settled in my chest.
"This isn't right," I whispered to myself, my hands tightening into fists.
"Stay sharp!" the guild master shouted, his fiery aura igniting around him. "We're getting out of this alive, no matter what!"