Volume One: The Planet of Ten Thousand Beasts Chapter 29: The Desert

The sand in the desert is not what one imagines; it is fine, soft, and slightly greasy to the touch when pinched between the fingers. With every step, the ground seems to exert a suction force, pulling the body downward. This is even while wearing specialized camel boots; were one to wear ordinary footwear, the situation would be far worse.

Camel boots, designed based on the anatomy of camel hooves, are specifically engineered for desert terrain. They are soft, insulating, and moisture-wicking. Their drawbacks are their bulk and the difficulty of walking in them, but they remain the most suitable footwear for traversing the desert. Li Juxu would never have thought of this himself; it was all prepared by Shark.

Having walked for only three minutes, Li Juxu was already drenched. Sweat poured out, only to be absorbed by his base layers, leaving him feeling damp, sticky, and utterly miserable. Beneath the scorching sun, he had to wear thick clothing to prevent his skin from peeling within minutes.

The wind, hot as it was, carried fine sand and dust. Although Li Juxu wore a protective mask, he felt as though every breath he took was filled with grit. It was an unpleasant sensation.

"The desert may look calm, but it is no less dangerous than the ocean," Lin Lu said, walking behind Li Juxu, while Stone led the way in front. "Every inch of sand could hide unknown perils, and quicksand is the most terrifying of them all." Li Juxu nodded without speaking; he felt that if he opened his mouth, he would swallow a mouthful of sand.

After just ten minutes, he felt as if he had been walking for an eternity. Looking at the others, with their light, rhythmic strides, he found himself struggling for breath, even though he was carrying the least amount of weight. He realized it wasn’t just about experience; Shark’s team consisted of Tier-1 hunters. Their physical fitness, endurance, strength, and agility were all far superior to his, which was why they appeared so at ease.

Half an hour passed. Li Juxu felt as though he had been pulled out of a body of water, soaked to the bone, yet he was extremely thirsty. However, Lin Lu had warned him against drinking large amounts of water at once; replenishing too rapidly after heavy fluid loss would shock the body.

As they crested a small dune and began the descent, Li Juxu exhaled, relieved for a moment of respite. Suddenly, yellow sand sprayed into the air as a black shadow shot toward his neck with lightning speed. The shift was so abrupt that he had no time to react. His pupils reflected the shape of the shadow: a tawny snake with dark spots, the thickness of a thumb, its triangular head menacing, its two curved, hook-like fangs radiating the scent of death.

"Look out!" Lin Lu shoved him in the back without hesitation, but it was already a step too late. Just as the serpent touched his clothing, a cold glint flashed. The snake was severed in two, hitting the sand with a wet thud. It did not die immediately; both halves writhed violently on the ground, and the head continued to emit a threatening hiss.

Li Juxu stumbled from Lin Lu’s push, nearly rolling down the dune. He glanced at the dagger that had saved his life, now lying nearby. Shark walked over, picked it up, and slid it into his long boot. Passing by Li Juxu, he patted him on the shoulder. "That’s a desert rock snake. They are masters of disguise and one of the most common venomous snakes here. They usually hide under the sand and strike without warning. But don’t worry too much; a serum has been developed." He left out the fact that they hadn’t been able to purchase any.

"How should I guard against them?" Li Juxu asked, still shaken. For that split second, he had felt as if he were only a fraction of a millimeter away from death.

"Try to walk exactly in our footsteps," Shark replied, returning to his position. He was second in line; the person scouting in front was a small man whom Li Juxu had heard Stone call Dandelion.

Only then did Li Juxu notice that everyone else was walking in the footprints of the person before them. He glanced at Lin Lu, instinctively wanting to ask why she hadn’t warned him, but he swallowed the words. She was not his nanny, and he was no novice; if he couldn’t pay attention to such a simple matter, he had no one to blame but himself if he died.

To Li Juxu, the encounter with the rock snake had been a brush with death, but to the rest of the team, it was merely a minor interlude. As they pressed on, Li Juxu dared not be careless again. After that incident, the sweltering heat seemed less significant. He was still thirsty, but it felt more bearable. As they ventured deeper, various dangers emerged.

Desert rock snakes, scorpions, geckos, chameleons, and crawling spiders—none were large, all moved silently, and all appeared without warning. Li Juxu finally witnessed Shark’s prowess. His throwing knives were as fast as lightning and unerringly accurate, saving someone at a critical moment every time. Without Shark, at least three people, including himself, would have already fallen.

"We have about twenty minutes of travel left. Everyone, take a rest," Shark ordered. Stone pulled out a tent, and they worked together to pitch it quickly. They crawled inside, laying down thermal blankets to insulate against the ground and prevent venomous creatures from entering.

Li Juxu, long past his limit, sat down the moment he entered and ripped off his mask, gasping for air. The others were tired too, but they were in much better shape. Lin Lu and another female member began to boil water for a meal.

Li Juxu thought to himself that Shark’s team was quite particular, insisting on fresh food even during a mission. He soon realized his assumption was hasty; Lin Lu was boiling a plant that looked like tea leaves—he recognized it as Mugwort.

Mugwort: for dispelling cold, warming the body, and protecting the heart.

The temperature difference between day and night in the desert was extreme; it was scorching by day and freezing by night. Lin Lu was clearly preparing for the mission ahead. Though he felt it was a bit early to boil the herb, he trusted there was a reason; they were experienced, and their grasp of the rhythm was surely sound.

After eating, Shark reiterated the mission details, primarily for Li Juxu’s benefit. The desert scorpions moved quickly; there was no need to conserve ammunition—fire whether the target was lined up or not. Li Juxu had many questions but kept them to himself. Shark wasn’t a child; he had surely considered everything. He believed that the things he didn't understand now would become clear the moment they encountered the scorpions. The moment he stepped out of the tent, he froze.

When they had crawled inside, the sun had been setting, but the light was still intense. Now, however, a dark shroud covered the earth; it was pitch black. In less than half an hour, the desert, once a sweltering steamer, had turned into a place of biting, frigid winds. The temperature was definitely below freezing. The contrast was staggering. He thought of the Mugwort Lin Lu had boiled. Indeed, there was a reason behind every seemingly irrational action.

"Visibility is poor at night, keep your focus—Dandelion—" Shark let out a sharp cry and reached out to grab him, but his hand closed on empty air. Dandelion, who had been the first to step out of the tent to scout, suddenly felt the ground give way. He sank in a flash, and before he could even call for help, he had vanished into the yellow sand.