NOVEL NEXT Chapter 163: Challenges faced
The dark night of the desert.
-Swiiiiiiiiiiiiish…
Chilly winds blow, taking the small grains of sand along, changing the tall dunes of sand into flatland, and flat lands into dunes.
Unlike the hot days that burn a simple being alive with the intense heat, the nights bring coldness unpredictable to an outsider.
The grains of sand cool down too quickly, the temperature drops abnormally really fast. Without proper protection, one might even experience a panic attack simply from being exposed to something like this.
There are times when you do not know what you are going to face on these nights either. Some Sandwyrms who took a nap in the morning going on a night hunt, the nocturnal beasts who wake up from their slumber, crawl out from the deep sand, creatures who fly across chilly night sky, their eyes looking for prey that mornings could not bring.
In the tower, there are many deserts as dangerous as this one, some even more dangerous than what they have outside of the tower.
There are dangerous in each one of these desert areas, the representations of the waterless lands depicting absence of life.
Both the tower and this materialised desert, however, fails to showcase that absence.
Water makes its way to the barren lands, and life blooms– adapts– even in the harshest of the situations.
The predators who hunt in the morning either rely on the very sand or the Mana that they can absorb from the environment. Some creatures thrive with photosynthesis.
The apex predators who thrive on other beings do not discriminate against the sources of their energy. Be it the sand infused with Mana or creatures brimming with energy, as long as it helps them sustain themselves, they take them.
Some creatures who hunt at night have different food options. Like the desert butterflies who go out in the search of flowers with Mana at night, there are some creatures who rely on anything that has a light of their own– creatures who depend on the visible lights to perceive their targets.
"Kewwwww!"
There's one rare creature that relies on the presence of different lights in the nighttime to detect their prey, a creature that rules over the night sky.
Not a bird but a mammal, not a bat but something closer.
Known throughout the tower for their connections with one of the strongest species of the tower, these creatures are mostly found in areas where their predecessors live.
However, cases where one appears in a random location are also seen throughout the tower… and now, in this desert outside of the tower as well.
[{ Hmmm? }]
Unity was going about with her task, flying to the top of the dune with her small body. Since she was a being of purity, while not visible to normal eyes, she constantly emitted a unique light that is distinctly visible to creatures of the night.
[{ What was that sound just now? }]
She was on her way to the top, almost there actually. But, right when she heard the strange yet familiar voice, she looked around herself.
A part of her knew she had heard something like this before as well, but she did not remember what it was. And, by the time she could dwell deeper into the question, her senses had already picked up the presence of danger.
"KEWWWWWWWWW…!"
The sound came from above, as well as the claws with knife-like pointed edges which would have torn her body apart had they even graced the little bird.
-Swiiiish!
But, the little bird was quick on her feet, on her feathers.
As soon as she perceived danger, she had moved away from the area she was flying in, creating enough gap between her and the predator that had just attacked her.
[{ What the…! }]
The presence of the creature stunned her.
A long neck like a vulture, feathers attached to its own body that seemed to be its skin as well, somewhat like a mix of a bird and a bat, a face that almost seemed humanoid– short pointed ears and a place skin, deep red eyes distinct enough to almost shine in the night against the moon beyond it, and the stench of blood covering it entirely.
[{ "What happened?!" }]
[{ Master…! There's something here! }]
Unity was in shock right now so she could not speak much, but KiRA could feel the tension and fear that she was feeling right at that moment.
He connected their senses without waiting and observed whatever was going on right now, and what he saw stunned him as well…
[{ "A vampire vestige? What the hell is that thing doing here?!" }]
KiRA was stunned but since he had asked Uni to come back to their base as soon as she faced any danger, the little bird was already on her way back.
The moment the creature attacked her earlier, she was able to jump past the dune edge and was able to steal a glance at the area beyond, and she had clearly spotted something out there.
She only saw a silhouette of something that seemed like a rune, but even that much was enough in this urgent situation.
She used her skills to boost her speed, and even with the many following attacks of the pursuing monster, she pushed past it and made her way to the camp.
"KEWWWWWW…!!!"
The creature with the stench of blood and the red eyes, furious at the situation, used various skills it had in order to subdue the target.
Shooting feathers at it, using strong soundwaves to push off Unity from her flight path, even using a ray of energy, a skill that packed enough firepower to turn the sand it hit into glass.
The creature was furious when it did not get Uni. It chased after her till the end and even reached the area before their campsite where KiRA was already waiting for them both.
[{ Master! }]
Unity was unsure what to do so she quickly went to her master's side who quickly threw her away inside the tent.
KiRA had already turned off all the light around them including the torches and anything that might attract this creature.
He was holding a Mana core in his hand when he threw Unity inside of the tent.
"KEWWW!"
Faced with the dangerous creature, KiRA was anxious but he held his ground, clenched the Mana core and threw it all the way to the other side with every bit of strength he had left in him.
-Bang!
The monster was usually hostile but right now, it was only acting up on its instincts.
"KEWWWW…!"
As if to have sensed something right before colliding into their little base, the creature with a strange mix of body detected the brighter light and changed the course of its path.
It was a close call but KiRA managed to save his partner and his base, however some damage was done by the gust of wind created when the creature changed its path.
It was an enormous beast, and yet it was chasing after a small bird only thanks to the purity of energy it must have sensed from her.
[{ Masterrrrr! I'm sorrrrrrry! }]
Uni thought she had made a mistake so when Kai came back inside, she flew straight into him.
There were no tears but the sadness and anger at her own weakness was obvious to KiRA. He could only offer her his embrace, understanding the fears of his partner.
'She has become too weak… it's affecting her mentality as well.'
KiRA could pretty much understand how it must be like to have so many restrictions placed on you when you actually possess enough power to destroy a negative creature like that one with your mere presence.
The longing for lost strength as well as the powerlessness in situations like these was something he shared with her as well… he knew he could not go against a (Level-90) creature like that by himself either.
The creature wasn't supposed to be here in the first place but, some things are just too unpredictable sometimes.
"It's fine, Uni. It's fine. We're ok, right? That's all that matters…"
They survived the encounter but if a vestige of the vampires was here, the chances of actual nobles of the night being present around this place were pretty high as well.
But that might not certainly be the case either since, unlike inside the tower, the logic might apply to things differently in this desert.
"Haaa…" Now the entire campsite was a mess.
They will have to set up new things and keep a constant watch for the monster outside.
"We weren't going to sleep but I guess this is worse." There was a predator who knew he had lost a unique prey just outside of the tent.
The tent was special with a protective layer around it so it wasn't going to notice it, however, there was still a chance the creature would be hungry after eating that core.
KiRA needed to be careful throughout the night. The beasts and insect monsters weren't the only threat anymore, a damned bird was out on a hunt as well.
'Thankfully…'
Uni told him how there was something beyond this dune.
If they go up, they will at least not come out empty handed. There was something out there, and KiRA was going to go after it.
'Now if only…'
The little bird in his embrace was still traumatised.
She wasn't afraid of the bird that had just attacked her or the fact that she might have died just now. She was afraid that something would have happened to KiRA without her.
There was nothing in this entire world, inside of the tower or outside, that could kill her. She was worse than an immortal cockroach.
She was the worst nightmare of the deathkeepers.
As well as the beast representation of eternity…